American Idol: Song 1
* Archuleta: “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me” (Elton John)
- The kid’s got chops, but it’s all a little too theme parky.
- And not very believable. He looks 12!
- Ending wasn’t as good as cooks. A little pitchy, dawg.
- Someone get Little Dave a cough drop. (Archuleta is just too much to type each time, people). His husky voice makes this all a Peter Brady for me sometimes.
Judge’s comments
- Randy: “That was flawless and unbelievably molten hot.” Randy Jackson, geologist.
- Paula: “The sun is never going to go down on you.” Who’s writing for her tonight?
- Simon: “It’s very easy to get overexcited tonight. I thought last week you are OK. I thought tonight was arguably the best you’ve had. Round one to Archuleta!”
It’s like King Kong vs. Gozilla, people!
The drama!!
The exclamation points!!!
American Idol (Song 1)
* Cook: “I Still Haven’t What I’m Looking For” (U2)
- Blue Collar outfit works with the u2 song.
- Dramatic pause, good one.
- Doe eyes into the camera … and scene.
- The guy is consistent and that song was in his strikezone.
Judges
- Randy: “Great way to start. Great song. It was hot, baby.”
- Paula: “We need to look no further. You’re in great voice tonight.” (Surprisingly coherent.
- Simon: ”I thought it was phenomenal.” ($$$’s in Simon’s eyes.)
Blogging Idol (It’s on)
* Michael Buffer, nice touch. Thinking about boxing though, doesn’t David Archuleta look like Rocky Balboa’s son from Rocky 5? Sage Stallone. Rocky 5 is the bad one with Tommy Morrison. Wimp-y.
* Jim Lampley? What, was Jim Nantz too busy tonight. Too many sports references already? Probably.
* I can’t wait until David Archuleta’s on Larry King. “It’s like a dream.”
* I’m throwing it out there, I want David Cook to win.
* Have you heard, it’s the Nokia Theatre.
* Has anyone seen Simon’s top button?
* Cook is a smooth operator. But if this was the playground, he’d totally have Archuleta in a headlock.
* “This guy is awesome.” You can’t make up soundbites like that!
Blogging Idol: Pregame
Greetings. Mike Koehler here, host of NewsOK’s immensely popular American Idol podcast (“Our motto, disagreeing with Paula since 2007″). Tonight and Wednesday, I’ll be here live blogging about the grand finale.
As with news event on Earth, this one has an Oklahoman angle, as David Cook is a bartender/rocker in Tulsa. He was paraded around Kansas City like a hometown boy, but his W-2 is strictly from the 918.
It’s David the Rocker vs. David the Child Star tonight. Stay tuned.
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz:
1. Former University of Oklahoma football coach John Blake now is:
a) Selling real estate in Texas.
b) Running a foundation to help children with leukemia in Florida.
c) Defensive line coach at North Carolina.
2. Bonnie Richardson, a track athlete at Texas’ Rochelle High School has won:
a) A University of Oklahoma track scholarship.
b) The girls’ 1A team championship, placing in the high jump, long jump, discus, 200- and 100-meter races.
c) A trip to Walt Disney World by using the letters in “championship” to spell 3,447 individual words.
3. Some school superintendents say they aren’t hiring the teachers they need because of:
a) A shortage of physical education teachers.
b) Rising transportation costs.
c) A recent study suggesting that larger classes are beneficial because students have to learn to do things themselves.
4. Kyle Busch, who is thriving in his role as NASCAR villain, soaks up fans’ anger. He has won:
a) His third Sprint Cup Series race of the season in Darlington, S.C.
b) A punch from an irate fan angry over wrecking Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a Richmond race.
c) A place in the NASCAR racing hall of shame
5. Presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton visited the home of Anna Jarvis, who was:
a) The founder of Mother’s Day.
b) The first woman in Congress.
c) The last undecided superdelegate in Texas.
6. What did a real estate report say about Oklahoma’s housing market?
a) That prices of homes rose and the number sold declined.
b) That the prices of homes dropped and the number sold increased.
c) It needs to go on a diet.
7. The Oklahoma City School Board chose him as its chairman:
a) Ron Norick.
b) Kirk Humphreys.
c) Garth Brooks.
8. Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians became the 14th major league player to:
a) Hit four home runs in a game.
b) Complete an unassisted triple play.
c) Break a bat over his knee after striking out.
9. The House voted to dramatically expand GI benefits, offering:
a) Full-ride scholarships at any in-state public university and a housing stipend.
b) Clothing advice and allowances for up to five years after deployment.
c) Computer training and a free desktop for those attending college after service.
10. ProCure Treatment Center received a 120-ton piece of equipment from Belgium, called the cyclotron, to help fight:
a) Allergies.
b) Cancer.
c) Arthritis.
11. Fifth-graders at a Ponca City school do what activity in class to give their brains a break?
a) Put their hands over their hearts and sing the school song.
b) Run laps around the cafeteria and then go in for a doughnut.
c) Stand up and dance.
12. If you filed your tax return after April 15, what does the government say about your economic stimulus payment?
a) Better luck next time — you should have filed on time.
b) Start looking for your check a minimum of six weeks after you filed.
c) You’ll get it, but the IRS is keeping 5 percent as a late fee.
13. Retired basketball star Charles Barkley has promised to do what?
a) Donate $4 million to a children’s hospital.
b) Pay off a $400,000 gambling debt.
c) Spend $4,000 on a hat in a New York boutique.
14. Congress has decided to do this in response to rising fuel prices:
a) Stop filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, freeing up more fuel for the market.
b) Take public transportation to Capitol Hill, setting an example for Americans with CNN footage of them on the Metro.
c) Stop collecting federal fuel taxes, saving drivers 18.4 cents per gallon.
15. In food circles, May is:
a) National Barbecue Month.
b) National Peanut Butter and Jelly Month.
c) A good time to plant your salad garden.
16. Muskogee’s new mayor is remarkable for his:
a) Age. He’s a 19-year-old who just finished his first year at the University of Oklahoma.
b) Family connections. His father was mayor in the 1970s and his grandfather in the 1950s.
c) Love of azaleas. He’s a natural fit for Muskogee.
17. David Cook, a man with Tulsa connections, has reached the finals of:
a) The World Series of Poker, winning in the semifinals with an inside straight.
b) NASCAR’s Nationwide Series, winning eight of the last 12 races.
c) “American Idol,” with a rendition of Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face.”
18. OSU researchers say the lawn of a globally warmed future may well be:
a) Bermuda grass.
b) Triticale and oats.
c) Sand and rocks
19. A bunch of youths from Bixby have done something they’ve never done before:
a) Cleaned up the grounds of the high school, planted flowers and donated books to the library.
b) Eaten the world’s largest onion burger, washed down by the world’s largest milkshake.
c) Won the Class 5A baseball championship.
20. Democrat Barack Obama has picked up the endorsement of John Edwards. Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed to stay in the race, saying:
a) “You don’t walk off the court before the buzzer sounds.”
b) “It ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.”
c) “What, me worry?”
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-C; 2-B; 3-B; 4-A; 5-A; 6-A; 7-B; 8-B; 9-A; 10-B; 11-C; 12-B; 13-B; 14-A; 15-A; 16-A; 17-C; 18-A; 19-C; 20-A.
Week in review
Sometimes it’s easy to miss an event, so here’s a look back at the past week or so to help bring you up to date:
Zhongqing Shao (“Travis Shaw”), a Chinese guest teacher in Muskogee, compiled this PowerPoint about the disaster
Chinese natives urge help for earthquake victims
Xifan Liu travels to China every year to see his parents and his wife’s parents in his hometown of Beijing.
I interviewed Liu on Friday for a future story, and wanted to know how he was affected by this week’s devastating earthquake in the Chengdu area.
He doesn’t know anyone who was in the earthquake, but has been through Chengdu twice on his way to Taiwan.
“The earthquake is something we certainly followed closely,” Liu told me. “The most important thing is to donate.”
Liu said he made a contribution through the Society of Chinese Students and Scholars at the University of
Oklahoma, which is collecting donations to help survivors.
The organization set up an account at Midfirst Bank in Norman, 315 W Boyd St. The bank’s phone number is 943-8002.
Students have also set up booths and boxes on the Norman campus, and plan to set up others this weekend at local Target and Wal-Mart locations, said Sharon Gou, director of the Confucius Institute.
The group has raised more than $6,500 so far. It also recommends donating directly to the Hong Kong Red Cross at www.redcross.org.hk.
Besides encouraging others to offer their help, Liu told me it is important for people here and in China to establish a mutual understanding.
“I realize on today’s newspaper on the cover page, it’s mentioned, the earthquake,” he said of The Oklahoman’s Friday paper.
“That showed local media in Oklahoma pay attention to what’s happening on the other part of the world, and that’s great.”
Wendy K. Kleinman
Staff Writer
The weekly news quiz
It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz:
1. An Oklahoma businessman has purchased what California landmark with the intention of bringing it to his home state?
a) The Golden Gate Bridge.
b) The International Elvis Impersonator Museum.
c) The Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel.
2. May 5, or Cinco de Mayo, is remembered for this historical event:
a) Mexican independence.
b) Battle of Puebla.
c) Battle of the Bulge.
3. State legislators are being asked to do something about thieves who steal:
a) Copper coils out of air conditioners.
b) GPS devices out of rental cars.
c) Flags from the south plaza at the state Capitol.
4. Some campgrounds in Wyoming and Colorado have been closed because stands of 60-foot trees have been killed by:
a) Bark beetles, although they are only a quarter-inch long..
b) Wildfires, some of which have covered 400 acres.
c) Illegal logging, which have claimed up to 4 million board-feet a year.
5. China is scouring the world for industrial-sized farmland to feed its growing economy and supply:
a) Rice and shrimp.
b) Rubber and corn.
c) Tobacco and gum.
6. Gov. Brad Henry signed Senate Bill 1186 into law, giving elementary school students more of this in the fall:
a) Ice cream choices during lunch.
b) Minutes in physical education classes.
c) Two more hours of homework in math and science.
7. A survey by AAA has named Tulsa as:
a) Most common destination for health tourists in a three-state area.
b) Best place for chicken-fried steak in the U.S. Midwest.
c) Cheapest city among 49 U.S. urban destinations for food and lodging costs.
8. Oklahoma State University running back Dantrell Savage will get an opportunity to make the NFL roster of which team?
a) Dallas Cowboys.
b) Baltimore Ravens.
c) Kansas City Chiefs.
9. The National Sleep Foundation’s most recent survey has found nearly half of Americans wake feeling:
a) Unrefreshed.
b) Ready for coffee.
c) Like they are flying.
10. Officials say a $55 million bond issue in Oklahoma County would help ensure the future of:
a) Public schools.
b) Tinker Air Force Base.
c) Light rail linking downtown and the Adventure district.
11. Child foster care advocates from across the state placed these on the steps of the state Capitol:
a) Shoes.
b) Candles.
c) Teddy bears.
12. The horse Denis of Cork, which came in third in the Kentucky Derby, was named after:
a) A family friend of the owner, Tulsa businessman William K. Warren Jr.
b) A chaplain at St. Francis Health System.
c) Its owner’s father.
13. After cutbacks in 2003, Oklahoma City-based Terex is going through international markets. What does Terex make?
a) Heavy equipment.
b) Boneless chicken patties.
c) Plastic dinosaur toys.
14. A report issued by the Oklahoma Policy Institute finds the state’s economy remains robust for:
a) Oil-field workers and filling station attendants.
b) Upper-income residents.
c) Real estate agents.
15. Some economic analysts from Goldman Sachs expect oil prices will:
a) Reach $150 to $200.
b) Plummet to less than $80.
c) Stay about the same for the duration of the summer driving season.
16. A consulting company says Oklahoma is the perfect location for data centers because of its:
a) Good educational system and low wages.
b) Lots of places to go fishing.
c) Low cost of living, land and power.
17. University of Oklahoma football fans will have this to cheer about in the fall:
a) A new high-definition video screen on the scoreboard.
b) Lower prices at the concession stand for hot dogs.
c) More space between seats.
18. A $60 million plant in Seminole expects to employ 200 people making:
a) 400,000 miles of computer cables and other power cords.
b) 400,000 puzzle pieces for the Jasmine Moran Children’s museum.
c) 400,000 pounds of hot dogs and ham every day.
19. Republican presidential contender John McCain has gotten some heat over his temper, which has earned him the nickname:
a) “Raising” McCain.
b) Senator Hothead.
c) Mr. Mouth.
20. According to a recent study by the Nature Conservancy, video games, the Internet and increasing oil prices account for:
a) A decline in visits to national parks.
b) A rise in obesity among younger Americans.
c) A leveling off of environmental interests.
How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-C; 2-B; 3-A; 4-A; 5-B; 6-B; 7-C; 8-C; 9-A; 10-B; 11-A; 12-B; 13-A; 14-B; 15-A; 16-C; 17-A; 18-C; 19-B; 20-A.
Week in review
Sometimes it’s easy to miss an event, so here’s a look back at the past week or so to help bring you up to date:
