idol alum

I'm running out of things to say. This isn't exactly a recap, nor should it be and there are only so many times I can talk about their clothes or hairstyle, who they looked like, how I can or can't relate to them and the whole Idol experience, etc. before it all sounds the same.

Hmmm, maybe I could start answering some FAQs. Everywhere I go, it's always the same questions, so I'll see if I can get some of them out of the way for you. If you have any other burning questions you want to ask that I don't cover today, feel free to leave a comment here or on my Web site.

Is Simon really mean?
No. But, that might depend on your definition of mean. He'll definitely tell you what he's thinking but not just to be mean to you. In fact, every time I've talked to him he's been really cool.

Does Randy really say "dawg" in private?
Surprisingly, yes. I thought it was an act before I was on the show, but I've never heard him talk any other way.

I love Tony Bennett. I wasn't really familiar with his stuff until I had a chance to see him open up for Paul McCartney in Hollywood a year-and-a-half ago. At least, I didn't think I was familiar with his stuff. But, when I heard him sing "Rags to Riches" and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" I was thinking, "I know these songs ..."

Since then, I see him and the era he represents everywhere I go and wonder how I could not have known before. I mean, they play his stuff in shopping malls, elevators and automated phone systems a thousand times a day. It's obvious those businesses rely on the innate smile-making ability of that era to keep people happy when they'd otherwise go insane.