There’s nothing like a petty squabble between celebrities to send folks searching. Ideally, the tiff involves vapid starlets arguing over who started the purse-dog trend, but Clint Eastwood telling Spike Lee to “shut his face” makes for a perfectly acceptable substitute.

Do you think it’s a wise thing to be ticking off Dirty Harry? Maybe Spike Lee is feeling lucky. He does have a point though. I’m not sayin’. I’m just sayin’.

Is it just me or do Mark Cuban (owner of the Dallas Mavericks) and Emperor Commodus look like they could be brothers?

Call me ignorant, but I do not understand the fascination with John Mayer. I suppose he’s somewhat attractive. I know that his smash hits like “Your Body is a Wonderland” and “Waiting on the World to Change” are supposed to get under my skin with their tender and positive messages. But there’s something I can’t get past. It’s not that his voice irritates me, or that I think he’s undeserving of his Grammy awards. It’s not that the specific male pop singer/guitarist thing has never appealed to me (if a guy does pop, I’d prefer he was more straight up about it a la Justin Timberlake)—there’s just something about John Mayer’s overall person that annoys me beyond description. He seems arrogant, cocky and completely phony.

Why you hating on my boy John Mayer? Don’t hate. Appreciate. He can’t help if his game is smooth like butter. JM’s game is so tight he need not speak in his own defense. His songs do the work for him. Singers have been getting in women’s pants with a little help from their songs for years. He obviously has some redeming qualities or all these women wouldn’t be lining up to go out with him. Yeah, his new doo is a bit out there but I still like him a lot. On a side note: Is it just me or does he look like Marc Anthony’s younger, slightly less malnourished/emaciated looking brother?

And in the is it just me department, is it just me or does she not take the exact same mug shot every time she gets arrested. Only the clothes are different. Witness exhibit A (above) and exhibit B (right). Direct head on stare. Head tilted slightly forward. Sheepish smirk. I wonder if a fashion photographer taught her that pose.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=l607rEC8tzM

Mandy’s attempts at facial earnestness border on cheesiness but the song itself is alright.

Music featured in televised iPod advertisements

American Idol Vocal No-No List

Aretha Franklin
(or Re-Re as my wife calls her)
Patti Labelle
Whitney Houston
Celine Dion
Mariah Carey
Mary J. Blige
Christina Aguilera
Amy Lee*
Jennifer Hudson**

No-No List Exception Requirements

A person can qualify to sing a song from a listed artist IF they meet the following requirements.

1. You must be able to blow. I mean really blow. We’re not talking about singing in the shower or in your bed room good. I’m talking serious, serious pipes. (Experience singing in church is not required but a definite plus.)
2. You must be able to come up with an arrangement of the song that showcases your voice instead of merely copying the original. You are not Re-Re (Aretha). You’re not Christina or any of the others. If you try to sound exactly like them you will fail and Simon, Randy and Paula will roast you. If you meet requirement # 1 this shouldn’t be too hard. You’ve got a nice voice use it.
3. You must be tight on your runs. If you are not tight on your runs consider your No-No List Exception application denied and find another song to sing. When I say tight I mean tight. We’re not talking about early Beyonce/Destiny’s Child fake runs. You gotta bring serious, real deal runs to the table.

You’ll notice we haven’t included any men on the list. We’ve given it some serious thought but have been unable to think of any male vocalists who’s sound and voices are so far above everybody else as to make them worthy of inclusion on the list.

* Gina Glocksen sang Call Me When You’re Sober by Evanescence (with Amy Lee on Lead Vocals). Technically this is a list violation but since it occurred during the round of 24 and not during auditions it’s sort of okay. She made it her own realizing that she was not and never will be Amy Lee. That meets requirement #2.

** LaKisha Jones can flat out blow. She received an automatic exemption the first time she opened her mouth to sing on the show. I thought J-Hud was on the stage when LaKisha sang And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going. Got goose bumps right there. The same thing happened when she sang I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston. The list does not apply to LaKisha.