Peter Giglio, Missouri native & genre author.

Peter Giglio is a Pushcart Prize nominee, as well as a screenwriter, novelist, and anthologist. He has contributed short stories to several anthologies and edited “Help! Wanted:  Tales of On-the-Job Terror.” As Executive Editor of Evil Jester Press and a  member of HWA (Horror Writers’ Association), he is a new voice on the rise in the genre. He is the author of three long works of fiction: Anon, Beyond Anon, novellas, and the novel The Dark (with Scott Bradley).

Pete is pushing the horror envelope. Witness  his two novellas: “A Spark in the Darkness” and “Balance.”  The first novella deals with vampires; “Balance,” just out, focuses on zombies.

Pete’s first novella, “A Spark in the Darkness,” was a lyrically-written vampire tale from Etopia Press that profiled Edie Novak, a lost woman on a picaresque journey. Divorced from Colin Novak, on a cross-country hike she meets her destiny in the person of Randy Facinelli, a kind truck driver who gives her a lift at a roadside cafe. As the plot progresses, we learn that Randy is a vampire, turned in 1921 during the Prohibition era. His bite transforms Edie into a goddess of sorts—although goddesses are near-prisoners in this new world. Edie tries to escape from Randy and is also affected by her separation from her young daughter, Gail.

In “Balance,” by contrast, the balance of the entire world seems to be shifting as a virus known as the Blast Flu lays waste to humanity and zombies attack humans. The basement scenes will satisfy those with a taste for the gruesome, with horrifying scenes like the one where Giglio tells us about creatures with “eyes milky white, maw lined with serrated teeth, skin ashen gray…”

Here are 10 questions answered by this new rising voice in horror fiction:

Q1)  You worked at other jobs for 15 years in what you refer to as “corporate America.” Tell us about some of them.

A1) “I worked mostly in the financial sector as a mid-level sales manager. I worked out my feelings of corporate America in ‘Anon.’ Now I’ve moved on.”

Q2)  Your father is also a writer and has published a new book. His focus, however, is different from your own. Give Dad a free plug. Tell us about him and his new book.

A2)  “Dad’s latest book is ‘Call Me Tom: The Life of Thomas F. Eagleton.’ Dad is a respected historian, and his other books include ‘The Presidency of John F. Kennedy,’ ‘Musial: From Stash to Stan the Man,’ and ‘Truman in Cartoon and Caricature’”

Q3)  In “Balance,” your newest novella, you ask the question, “Does love have to die?  If it’s strong enough, does it have to die when we die?”  Can you expand on that thought? What made you include it as a dominant theme in this zombie novel?

A3)  “Geoff is consumed, to the point of obsession, by feelings of love. We’ve all probably been there before, right? Well, I have. It was a matter of channeling the intensity of that feeling into a character who thinks he’s noble when, for the most part, he’s really being an idiot. His words in that scene are less important that Cass’s actions. She’s really the hero of ‘Balance’. To expand on those lines of dialogue: Geoff is in pain and doesn’t want his pain to end. If his pain endures, his love endures. If his love endures, he’s validated. Cass is the embodiment of his validation, a corpse who still loves. But it’s Geoff’s situation that makes her realize how wrong she is to continue loving someone who doesn’t love her. Balance is the theme of the novella: The balance of love; the balance of nature; the balance of the psyche; and the balance of POV in a zombie story. My mission was to tie these four things together, and to do it in a novella rather than a novel.”

Q4)  Missouri is one of the settings for Balance. Tell us about your Missouri roots

A4)  “I was born in Springfield, Missouri, and I lived in Kansas City and Saint Louis for a few years apiece. Missouri is an interesting state, half-south, half-north. Springfield is in the southern half, that which is commonly referred to as ‘Missour-ah’ by natives. Several other residents refer to the Show-Me State as ‘Misery.’ Love it or hate it, Missouri is a strange place, the center of the United States, a conglomeration of our best and worst angels.”

Q5)  When you were in school, like all of us, you had good teachers and bad teachers, no doubt. Tell us, in particular, about one specific example (no names necessary) of a teacher who influenced you, either for better or for worse.

A5)  “I had a high school English teacher who was very mean. She was the type of teacher who shot down her student’s ideas and interpretations with anger. She frequently made me feel stupid, even though I loved reading and writing more than anything. She never found my opinions interesting, never encouraged me, never had a nice word to say, never gave me a grade greater than ‘C.’ My first English professor in college handed my first story back with a big red ‘A’ on it, and several comments like ‘Yes!’ and ‘Brilliant!’ I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”

Q6)  You work with time in your novellas in unusual ways….ways different from other writers like Stephen King, who spell out the day of the week, the month, the year, even the time of day. Explain your method of placing a story in time (always a chore for a novelist). Was this a conscious decision, or is it a somewhat new, experimental technique you are attempting to bring into the mainstream?

A6)  “Novellas are different than novels. I’m more traditional when it comes to novels. ‘The Dark,’ for instance, spells out time of day at the beginning of each chapter, and the book takes place entirely over one night. With ‘A Spark in the Darkness’ and ‘Balance,’ I thought I could tell the story more effectively if I lost the adornments of a novel. I took out all the working parts that, in my estimation, were prosaic and had little impact. My goal was to tell a novel size story in about 20K words. I think I succeeded both times out. Both books are pure story with no filler. Dates and times can be important to a story, they certainly are in ‘The Dark,’ but they aren’t in ‘Spark’ or ‘Balance.’ I went with a cinematic structure for both. ‘Spark’ has a non-linear, Tarantinoesque delivery system, which makes it punctuate effectively. ‘Balance’ is far more linear—a true exercise in concision.

Q7)  Your first novella, “A Spark in the Dark” was about vampires. “Balance,” on the other hand, is about zombies. Pete’s personal preference: Vampires or zombies? Why?

A7)  “Vampires have cognitive reasoning; therefore, they are evil. Zombies, most of the time, are things with no choice, generally obstacles rather than forces of true malice. I have no preference, but I do take issue with the rampant lack of originality in much zombie and vampire fiction. With ‘Spark’ and ‘Balance’ I wanted to stir the pot, take vamps back to monster status and humanize the zombies a bit. But I also wanted to respect both subgenres.”

Q8)   You and your frequent collaborator Scott Bradley are shopping a screenplay, “The Night They Missed The Horror Show.” Writing a screenplay is quite a bit different from writing “long,” as with a novel like “The Dark” that you are currently working on with Scott Bradley or your somewhat shorter novellas “A Spark in the Dark” and “Balance.” (January, 2012).  Which format do you prefer and why?

A8) “I have no preference. The processes are different, sure. But writing is writing. You work with what you have until it works. Screenwriting is very freeing because you don’t have to worry about prose. Movie scripts are pure story. That energizes me. But I love, love, love prose. Painting a picture with words really turns me on.”

9Q)  You like cats. Scott likes cats. I like cats. Why do you like cats, and do you prefer them, as pets, to dogs or other animals? Do you have a cat now?

9A) “I have three cats. I prefer them to other animals—hell, I prefer them to humans most of the time! But I love dogs. I even love humans most of the time.”

Q10)  Tell us about your next project and your longer-term goals and aspirations.

A10)  “I have two novels coming out in June: ‘Beyond Anon’ (the sequel to my first novel) and ‘The Dark’ (with Scott Bradley). Several short stories that Scott and I wrote are coming out soon: ‘Angela & the Angel’ in Trent Zelazny’s ‘A Splintered Mirage’; ‘Eyeballs and Assholes in El Paso’ in Alvaro Rodriguez’s ‘Border Noir’; and ‘Straycation’ in John Skipp’s ‘Psychos’ I’m currently in development on several things with Scott Bradley, Eric Shapiro, as well as a multitude of solo projects. I work 60-70 hours a week. My goal is to be a ‘New York Times’ Bestselling novelist and a respected, go-to screenwriter. I’m not shooting for the mid-list, but if I end up there I’ll be happy.”

Writer/Criminologist R. Barri Flowers.

R. Barri Flowers, Michigan State criminology grad who has written both true crime stories and fiction, has co-edited a new anthology of short stories entitled Murder Here, Murder There.  Flowers is an award-winning bestselling author of mystery/thriller fiction, with titles including Murder in Honolulu, Murder in Maui, Dark Streets of Whitechapel and The Sex Slave Murders.

Flowers has edited two American Crime Writers’ League anthologies, as well as a true crime anthology, Masters of True Crime, and has been interviewed on the Biography Channel, Investigation Discovery, and ABC television.

Co-editor of Murder Here, Murder There is Jan Grape, who is also the author of novels such as Austin City Blue and Dark Blue Death, featuring Austin policewoman Zoe Barrow. Her most recent non-series novel is What Doesn’t Kill You.  A finalist for the Edgar, Agatha, Shamus, she won a McCavity for co-editing the nonfiction book Deadly Women.

I asked R. Barri Flowers to respond to 10 questions about his work, his life, and the new anthology Murder Here, Murder There (Twilight Times books) and here are his responses:

Q1)  What author or books have greatly influenced your own writing?

A1)  “Many great authors come to mind, including Robert Ludlum, Dashiell Hammett, Mickey Spillane, Daphne du Maurier, Thomas Hardy, Sidney Sheldon, Barbara Taylor Bradford.  With respect to books in particular: Celebrity by Thomas Thompson; 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff; Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy; and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.”

Q2)  You have several recent murder mystery titles set in Hawaii (Murder in Honolulu, Murder in Maui).  Do you ever feel that Hawaii, as a general rule, has far fewer murders that are less heinous than, say, the state of Michigan where you went to college?  I could phrase this as:  “Detroit vs. Honolulu. Compare.

A2)  “There are far fewer murders in Hawaii than in Michigan.  For example, in 2010, there were 24 murders in Hawaii compared to 558 murders in Michigan.  In Detroit alone there were 308 homicides in 2010. Because murders are not an everyday occurrence in Hawaii, it makes the setting that much more intriguing for murder mystery and thriller novels.

Q3)  What do you most want readers to know about Murder Here, Murder There?

A3)  Good question. What I want readers to know most is that the ACWL’s Murder Here, Murder There mystery anthology has 19 really good tales of murder, mystery, suspense and thrills that are every bit as captivating as the ITW and MWA anthologies on the market.  An excellent introduction is done by John Lutz, an Edgar winning, bestselling mystery novelist who has seen some of his material, such as the erotic thriller Single White Female, adapted to the screen. John contribute a wonderful story to the collection and other excellent contributors include Edgar nominee Bill Crider, Jay Brandon, Noreen Ayres, Agatha and Anthony-nominated Kris Neri, Shamus nominated (and co-founder of ACWL) Robert Randisi, and fellow ITW members Twist Phelan, Taffy Cannon and Dakota Banks.

Q4)  What has replaced “Prison Break,” which you said was one of your favorite TV shows, in your television watching?  Recent favorite series?

A4)  Another great question.  These days, I am enjoying “Criminal Minds,” “Once Upon A time,” “The Killing,” “Missing,” Army Wives,” “Awake” and “Hell on Wheels.”  Other recent favorites include “Luther,” “McLeod’s Daughters,” “Bad Girls,” “CSI,” “Ringer,” and “Cold Case.”

Q5) What is the most heinous crime you’ve personally written about?

A5)  “The most heinous true crime I have written about is the horrific tale of serial killers Gerald and Charlene Gallego in my international bestseller, The Sex Slave Murders.  The husband-wife couple murdered 11 people, including an unborn child, as part of sex slave fantasies.  It was difficult to write about, but as a professional, I had to distance myself from as much of it as possible and focus on telling a story that needed to be told.”

Q6)  What is your next solo writing project?

A6)  “My next published solo work comes out in August, 2012, as the aforementioned true crime anthology, Masters of True Crime:  Chilling Stories of Murder and the Macabre, which features 17 chilling true stories by some fantastic true crime writers such as Harold Schechter, Carol Ann Davis, Katherine Ramsland, Robert Scott, Michele McPhee and Burl Barer.

Q7)  What recent movies or TV series have impressed you with their accuracy in detailing crime scenes, if any?

A7)  “Most movies and television series stretch credibility in their accuracy with respect to crime scenes and investigations, given the confines of Hollywood and the fact that the crime and its resolution usually is wrapped up in less than 2 hours, where in real life it can take weeks, months, or even years to solve a crime.  Movies that have impressed me include: “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Kiss the Girls,” and “In Cold Blood.”  Television series that have done a pretty good job with crime scenes and investigating murders include “The Killing,” “Midsomer Murders,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Prime Suspect,” and “Criminal Minds.”

Q8)  Tell me about your education?

A8)  “I am a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. and M.S in criminology. My thesis was entitled “Criminal Jurisdiction Allocation in Indian Country.”  It explored the types of crimes on Native American land and who has jurisdiction over criminal matters between the federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. I also am a recipient of the prestigious Wall of Fame Award from Michigan State University’s renowned School of Criminal Justice.”

Q 9)  Who are the writers represented in the anthology Murder Here, Murder There?

A9) ” The authors represented include Bill Crider, Margaret Coel, Edward Marston, Twist Phelan, Jay Brandon, Dakota Banks, Robert Randisi, R. Barri Flowers, Joanne Rochester, Meg Chittenden, John Lutz, Kris Neri, Claire Carmichael, Taffy Cannon, Lauren Haney, Valerie Malmont, Jim Ingraham, Marlys Millhiser, Noreen Ayres and co-editor Jan Grape. The book is available from Barnes & Noble and is published in all formats by Twilight Times Books.”

Q10)  Any last words?  Anything you’d like to add to the interview?

A10)  “I enjoyed the interview, and I thought you gave me some great questions to ponder.  As a writer with a broad range of fiction and nonfiction books on the market, in print, E-book and audio book, I encourage readers to explore them and see what captures their fancy.”

Jessica Sanchez

The inevitable occurred tonight on the elimination night of “American Idol.” Hollie Cavanagh, who had been in the bottom three so many times previously, was finally kicked off. Just before the announcement was made, you could see in her eyes that she knew she was being cut from the competition.

The remaining three contestants are Phillip Phillips, Jason Ledet and Jessica Sanchez.  The Big Question of this year’s competition is whether it is going to be an All-Male Final Two, as one steady watcher thinks it will be, or if it will be the two strongest voices, Jessica Sanchez and Jason Ledet.

Phillip Phillips has all the teeny boppers on his side, and he is, indeed, charming. His vocals are not as strong as either Joshua’s or Jessica’s, but he is certainly an original, interesting, unique performer, and he seems to resonate with the voting public, much as Scotty did last year with his bass country-and-western vocals.

I don’t honestly have a horse in this race.  I could live with any of the three winning, for a variety of reasons.  The raw emotion registering on the faces of fellow contestants (especially Joshua) and judges, alike, (Jennifer Lopez) was touching as Hollie sang her final song. She did a great job with the lyric and melody that talked about how there are always other mountains to climb.

Carry on, contestants!

Reno wrote to let me know that the trailer he prepared for The Color of Evil is running on Chicago television and to encourage viewership, either online at www.TheColorOfEvil.com (also reachable through links at www.ConnieCWilson.com) and/or, by going to the channel he mentions. Here is Reno’s message:

Connie -

I am running your book trailer this month on our Authors Showcase program Thursdays 8 PM channel 25 Chicago city limits Comcast or RCN.

Also online at Authorsbroadcast.com you can see it now 24/7.

Please share this information and help us increase viewers.

Reno

'American Idol" on April 18, 2012.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012, Fox, 8 p.m. (ET) Performance night on “American Idol” with just 7 contestants still standing. The four girls and three boys still remaining in the competition sang 2 songs each: one current song from 2010-2012 and one soul song.

Who did well?

The biggest winners, from the standpoint of judges’ reactions, were probably Hollie Cavanagh, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet and Phillip Phillips.

Who was off their game?

The three that seemed lackluster this night, or simply failed to find favor with the judges or the audience were Colton Dixon, Elise Testone and Jessica Sanchez. Perhaps that Judges’ Save, used to prevent Jessica from getting the axe last week, won’t make any difference.

Most Improved

It should be pointed out that Hollie Cavanagh, who has consistently been in the bottom three, did a good job on Wednesday night with her rendition of Adele’s “Rollin’ in the Deep.” It was a good song choice, and, while her performance was not perfect, it was “very well done,” as Randy admitted. (Steven Tyler declared it “perfect.”) Later, Hollie sang “Son of a Preacher Man” while wearing a short pink dress and Randy said, “Dude, you worked it out,” while Jennifer Lopez said that Hollie “showed a new composure.”

Skylar Laine also did herself proud, singing Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” in a country arrangement, which Jennifer Lopez declared she had never heard before, while adding, “A more perfect song for you does not exist.” Steven Tyler pointed out the voting bloc that loves country, saying, “A lot of people with a drawl will vote.” Randy said: “Dude, you’re so ready.” There are 2 things that one can say consistently about Skylar: 1) she will always give a peppy, spirited rendition where she emotionally connects to the material and (2) she almost always will have on a horrible outfit. Only once has she looked really lovely in a long, flowing gown. The bared arm dress she had on this night was horrid. For her second song, Skylar sang Marin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” causing Steven Tyler to declare her to be “somethin’ else” and “a wild horse that cannot be tamed.”

Floundering:

Colton Dixon sang Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.” The judges gave him acceptable comments for his first song and Jimmy Iovine pointed out the teeny-boppers will vote for him (unless they, too, are put off by his apparent narcissism). His second song of the night was an “Earth, Wind & Fire” song, and that is where things started to go downhill for Colton.  Steven Tyler dubbed it “a bad song choice” and Randy said, “You sounded good, but it’s not as exciting as we would have liked.” Jimmy Iovine pointed out weeks ago that Colton does not have the pipes of a Joshua or a Jessica; he was right.

Elise Testone also had a rough night. First, she sang “No One” by Alicia Keys wearing an attractive orange dress and with a breeze blowing through her long, blonde extensions.  Steven Tyler criticized the song choice, while Jennifer Lopez chose to encourage her to smile more (“When you smile when you sing, your eyes come alive.”) Elise’s second song of the night was Al Green’s “Let’s Get It On” and Steven Tyler commented, “You need to take it up a notch.”

Jessica Sanchez.

The third rockiest performer, in terms of her ability to electrify the audience, was Jessica Sanchez.  She opened with “Fallen” by Alicia Keys. While her singing earned raves from the judges, they all noted her apparent remoteness and distance from the material. Later, when she chose to sing “Try A Little Tenderness,” she had on one of the worst outfits of the night. The Jodhpur pants and the overpowering necklace obscured one of the best girls’ bodies in the competition.  I fear the Judges’ Save will not matter on Thursday night.

Hanging In There

Phillip Phillips, wearing his trademark gray, sang “You Got It Bad” by Usher and earned a standing ovation from the judges. Steven Tyler said, “With you, we never know what we’re gonna’ get. It was great tonight, great. “ Jennifer Lopez pronounced Phillip’s performance “Sexy” and said, “It shows your versatility.”  Randy said, “I smile every week.  This year, we have a true artist on the stage.” It does seem that Phillip knows he does best and to his own self is true. His song choices are good; he doesn’t let the constructive criticism throw him or deter him from delivering on his music. He always seems connected with what he sings and is engaging to watch. Phillip’s second song of the night was “In the Midnight Hour.” He came out from behind his guitar and actually danced a dance which Steven Tyler declared “brilliantly awkward.” Phillip is very likeable. He is the one remaining boy in the competition who is handsome, humble, hetero (for the teeny-bopper girls) and sings well. He is also very original. A dark horse (gray, of course).

Joshua Ledet sang “I Believe” by Fantasia and received a standing ovation.  Randy declared Joshua, “Truly one of the most gifted singers we have ever had on this show.  Love you.  Love your voice.”  Jennifer Lopez praised Joshua’s commitment to the material he sings, saying, “You leave it all on the floor every time.”  Steven Tyler declared, “You could sing the phone book.” For his second number, Joshua did a rousing rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna’ Come.”  He displayed more dynamic touches than the other competitors, starting softly, and was praised for “holding back and then letting go.” Joshua sounds a bit like Sam Cooke and looks a bit like Johnny Mathis.

Bottom three?

Elise, Colton and Jessica. Either girl could go home.

Jessica Sanchez.

Jessica has stood out as one of the most truly talented singers on season eleven of “American Idol” since the beginning of auditions, but, then, so did Pia Toscano, and she was shown the door in a similarly unceremonious fashion last year. The judges didn’t even allow Jessica—who was in the bottom three along with Joshua Ledet and Elise Testone—to perform her entire song before all three of them stormed the stage and declared Jessica to have been “rescued” by the use of the Judges’ save.  As Randy Jackson said, “This girl is one of the best singers in America!” He went on to exhort voters to vote for excellence, not just their favorites.  Steven Tyler, seeing the bottom three, had said, “We’re gonna’ use our card tonight.” The three who got the fewest votes were Joshua Ledet, Jessica Sanchez and Elise Testone, who are, arguably, the top three in the entire competition.”

While it wasn’t incorrect to have Phillip Phillips be declared safe, Hollie Cavanagh was the one singer who was expected to finish in the bottom three. After that, Phillip Phillips was a close second, as he had an off night singing an obscure Maroon Five song. I had predicted that a girl would be the third person in the bottom three, and that girl could have been Elise Testone or Skylar Laine.

Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez & Randy Jackson.

As the tension built, Jimmy Iovine was shown repeating his opinion that the bottom three should have been Hollie Cavanagh, Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone.

Jennifer Hudson appeared on Thursday night’s show with Neo, projecting a totally new image. Her short hair and dark black short skirt seemed more reminiscent of some phases of Janet Jackson’s career, with a touch of Rihanna’s short hair-do.  Jennifer was introduced as the only “American Idol” alumnus with both a Grammy and an Oscar.  She showed off her enviable Weight Watchers’ figure, although her song, delivered while wearing a short, dark leather skirt  was forgettable.

Less forgettable was the drama of arguably the 3 best singers in the competition (Joshua, Jessica and Elise) being named the 3 lowest vote-getters. This is the point where I repeat what I said in a previous article: this is a popularity contest. It is not a talent competition, unless the talent resides with one of your “favorites.”

From now on, it’s anybody’s guess who will win. Certainly not necessarily the most talented singer, as we saw tonight. Probably the most popular contestant…the one with the highest “Q” factor.  Who is that? Is it Colton Dixon, who seems stuck on himself?  Is it Skylar Laine, who sings country songs in a peppy manner? Is it Hollie Cavanagh, who has been off-key the last two performance weeks, but still managed to evade elimination?   Is it Nice Guy Phillip Phillips, who seems a younger version of Dave Matthews?

Only time will tell.

"American Idol" Judges

Wed., April 11, 2012, Fox, 8 p.m. (ET)  Tonight’s “American Idol” performance night, with just 7 remaining contestants, was a lot of “sound and fury, signifying nothing,” to steal from William Faulkner. It was disappointing to hear so few dynamic touches as the contestants sang songs from 2010-2012.

First up was Skylar Laine from Brandon, Mississippi, who sang a Kellie Pickler song with her usual flair. Two comments: Skylar would  look better if she wore sleeves and the song was dynamically uninteresting, as it consisted of Skylar singing country as loudly as possible while playing guitar. Judges’ comments were good: “Crazy hot! Crazy good! Just great!”

Second singer was Colton Dixon who sang a Skylar Gray song, “Love the Way You Want It.” Colton was heavy on the fog and whine, as per usual. He played a white baby grand piano while staring soulfully into the camera.  The judges liked it, with Steven Tyler even calling him “such a rare talent.” I’m not sure if Colton and Phillip are competing for the girls’ votes, but, if so, the judges were favorable towards Colton.

Elise and Phillip Phillips sang a duet where Elise got to demonstrate how bossy she can be.  The song, “Somebody that I Used to Know” earned a “good for you for pickin’ that” from Steven Tyler.

Jessica Sanchez sang Jasmine Sullivan’s “Stuttering” while wearing a patterned jacket with puffy shoulders. The judges said: “You slayed the biggest fish of the night.” (Jennifer Lopez) “We know that you sing like nobody we’ve ever heard before.” (Jennifer Lopez)  “You slay it every time.” (Steven Tyler)

Joshua Ledet from Westlake, Louisiana, wore a white jacket that was at least 2 sizes too small while singing “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars. It was a fast, danceable tune, and went over well. Joshua reminded me of Jackie Wilson from the 60s.

Skylar and Colton dueted on “Don’t You Want to Stay Here For A Little While.” I agreed with Randy, who pronounced it “Just okay for me.”

Hollie Cavanagh of McKinney, TX, sang Pink’s “Perfect.” Randy said, “It wasn’t perfect, but you were so much better than you were last week.” Translation:  Hollie is in trouble again.

Phillip Phillips’ choice of Maroon 5’s “Give It A Little More” did not find favor with the judges, who pronounced it “underwhelming.” Although Steven Tyler compared Phillip to Steve McQueen and Johnny Cash, he is probably going to be in the bottom 3 this week.

After a power ballad of “Stronger” by Joshua, Jessica and Hollie—3 of the competition’s biggest voices—Jennifer Lopez pronounced this “the season of the big voice.”

Elise finished the night singing Lady Gaga’s “You and I.” The judges liked it, saying, “Elise is back” and calling it “the perfect song” (Randy Jackson).

The 3 lowest this week will probably include Hollie Cavanagh and Phillip Phillips, with either Skylar Laine or Elise Testone as likely targets for third, simply because they are girls. Stay tuned for elimination night tomorrow.

” Popular support for the Afghan War has sharply eroded in recent months, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll. Sixyt-nine percent of those surveyed now think that the U.S. should not be involved in the war in Afghanistan. That is a significant change from four months ago, when only 53 percent said that the U.S. should no longer be fighting in that country. The poll also found that perceptions of the war effort have changed dramatically. Sixyt-eight percent now feel the war is going “somewhat badly,” while only 42 percent of those surveyed felt that way back in November.”

In the March 26, 2012 “Time” this quote appears, from Richard Fontaine, former foreign policy adviser to Senator John McCain, who is now with the Center for a New American Security:  “There’s a sense that things are out of control and that it is going to be difficult to find a successful endgame”

Well, gee whillikers, guys! Any Tom, Dick or Harry could have told you THAT with just Vietnam as our referent.

Newt Gingrich on the campaign trail in Davenport, IA.

Later, in the same article, entitled “No Easy WayOut: Obama Wrestles with a Withdrawal from Afghanistan” (Michael Crowley) the comment is made that a clear majority of Americans oppose the war (see the “Daily Beast” poll above) and that “the once resilient support of Republicans has begun to slip.” The article mentions the Newtster saying, “We are not going to fix Afghanistan. It is not possible.”
Did the Russians’ experience in trying to do exactly that not teach us anything?

On top of the sickening feeling that more American lives will be lost in a futile cause, the article gives Karl Rove’s argument, which is that Republicans must cast retreat as “emboldening America’s enemies.” Ha!

The only hopeful comments in the article are that Obama is considering  withdrawing 10,000 more troops by year’s end and an additional 10,000 to 20,000 by mid 2013. To quote Representative Adam Smith, top Democrat on the Houes Armed Services Committee:  “Momentum is gathering for the idea that we need to draw down sooner rather than later.”

Obama inherited the Afghanistan War and then escalated it by sending in 51,000 more troops.  But Osama bin Laden is dead and too many of our brave American boys and girls are also dead or injured.

It is time. Stop the insanity. End the conflicts that “W” instigated and bring our boys (and girls) home.

Ryan Seacrest, host of "American Idol," at the IHeartRadio show in Las Vegas (9/24/2011).

Neither was the fact that two girls, Elise Testone and Hollie Cavanagh, were in jeopardy. They were also named to the bottom three after “pitchy” performances on Wednesday night. This was predicted by most viewers, me among them. Jennifer Lopez was firmly in DeAndre’s corner, however, staunchly defending his falsetto performances. She admitted that she cast a vote in his favor to retain him when he sang his last song, while the two male judges voted to give him the boot.

The remaining seven contestants, in the approximate order of their potential to win it all are as follows:  Jessica Sanchez, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, Elise Testone, Skylar Laine, Colton Dixon and Hollie Cavanagh. Some may argue that Joshua is the front-runner, and I would not argue with that observation. Girls are voted off the competition in much higher numbers, since it is primarily young girls who will vote for their favorites repeatedly from home. With that reasoning, Joshua would be the stronger contestant, simply because he is male.

The continuing popularity and consistency of Phillip Phillips is not to be under-estimated. Every week, Phillip stays true to his vision of himself and selects a song that perfectly suits his Dave Matthews-like talents (although I don’t think he has actually delivered any of Dave Matthews’ actual songs, yet, singing, instead, Genesis and other artists). And, although Elise Testone has been up and down, as one of the more seasoned contestants, she can really deliver the goods when she picks the right song, as we saw when she sang “Whole Lotta’ Love.”

After the elimination night of April fifth, I wouldn’t hold out much hope that Hollie Cavanagh has a legitimate chance of making it into the top two. And, for me, I agree with Jimmy Iovine that Colton Dixon doesn’t have the pipes of his competitors. Setting those two aside as contestants who will probably not be around that much longer, the real question becomes, “Will Jessica Sanchez pick her songs as wisely as Joshua Ledet has done?” The answer to that question could become the answer to who is the ultimate winner.

The rest of the show consisted of “flashbacks” to how the contestants had done on Wednesday night’s performance night with Jimmy Iovine critiquing.  Jimmy Iovine’s observations were right in tune with my own.  He criticized each performer’s performance as the trios of singers were called to the fore to receive the bad news, and his critiques parallel my own in most cases.

The first set of 3 was Elise, Phillip and Hollie. As I had feared, Hollie was in the lowest three. The second trio, comprised of Colton, Joshua and Heejun, delivered Heejun to his fate; he looked glum and did seem to “see it coming,” as Steven Tyler put it. It’s always best not to get on the wrong side of the judges, and Heejun had done that.

The third set of three, Skylar, DeAndre and Jessica, delivered the only surprise of the night, for me, when Skylar  have received fewer votes than the other two. I did criticize her awful outfits, but I thought her singing went well. Perhaps the Hispanic/Filippino vote for Jessica is coalescing? I noticed, with a smile, that the short Skylar couldn’t quite make it onto the elimination stool, so she just stood there beside it. (Why don’t they give these poor kids a chair that they don’t have to perch on?)

I thought that Jimmy’s remark about DeAndre (“I’m sitting right in the middle on Deandre. He needs more experience.  If enough people buy into it (his falsetto), he’s okay. Otherwise, he’s in trouble.”) Going forward, I would agree with that assessment. Eric Benet came out in person to congratulate DeAndre on his performance. I had said that Benet’s SONG was not that well-known (when compared to “Whole Lotta’ Love,” which Elise performed) but someone took me to task for not knowing who Eric Benet is. How can any of us not know that he was married to Hallie Berry. He also hasn’t had a really big hit since 2000, so that means that, when Eric was at his hottest, DeAndre was about four years old, since he’s still in high school.

Jimmy also mentioned the crying jag many of the contestants were on Wednesday night, saying, “When you cry, your voice closes.” He gave Colton no props, saying, “I don’t think he sings as well as the other 8 contestants at this point in the show” declaring him to be ‘behind on points.” (Ouch!)

On the other hand, Jimmy Iovine boosted Elise Testone’s stock by saying she was a dark horse and “comin’ on strong.” Of Hollie, Jimmy said, “I don’t believe you win this on technique. You win it on passion.” He also praised Stevie Nicks’ belief in Phillip Phillips saying, “I’ve been around Stevie Nicks for a very long time, and she’s very rarely wrong.” We also had Steven Tyler announcing a new Aerosmith tour, the Global Warming Tour, to kick off June 16^th in Minneapolis.

Nicki Minaj performed a routine for her new release “Starships” that featured her falling out of her bra-like top and sounding like a chipmunk. Her hair was bleached blonde and she had on a dress with a train (a la Jessica Sanchez on Wednesday). She pranced more than dance and announced she’d like to come back as a guest judge. Her performance was almost as noteworthy as her grim, sacrilegious Grammy turn.

Going forward, I would expect the strongest contenders to be (in no particular order) Elise, Joshua, Jessica and Phillip, while the also-rans list, for me, is formed of Skylar, Colton, Deandre and Hollie.