Bye, Bye... Miss American Idol

It was announced today that the next season of American Idol, the 15th season, will be it's last. It is the end of an American institution, to be sure, but I think we can all agree it is time to put this one out of its misery. First debuted on Fox in June 2002, American Idol created a sensation from the moment the first episode aired. 

American Idol once was a national obsession. Years ago, myself and several other bloggers would write re-caps and enjoy handicapping every minute of the Cinderella story played out in real time. I used to LOVE to watch Idol every week and root for my favorite talent to win. It was a family affair, as we would all gather together to enjoy the excitement of Idol. It was magic, watching everyday people become singing sensations each week. Thorough it's tenure, Idol has produced two bonafide recording stars; Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Then a string of 11 almost stars, some more forgettable than others. American Idol introduced us to Simon Cowell, the celebrity judge we all love to fear. If Simon said something, one was hardpressed to forget it and his advice helped launch the careers of many aspiring stars. 

The judges, they became like family. A cuckoo, crazy family with a stern father (Simon), a beautiful but dizzy mother (Paula), a groovy big brother (Randy), and the voice of reason. (Ryan) Then they got too famous...the judges almost became the focus more than the talent. There was fighting within producing staff...it was documented that the franchises marquee talent-Simon Cowell- wasn't happy and was looking elsewhere. Then Paula left and then Simon left and no matter who they replaced them with Idol was never the same without Simon.

Is that when Idol jumped the shark? 

Possibly, but my guess is it jumped the shark some where in between Season 4 and Season 8. Too many talented folks elimated early-conspiracy theories abound-and America's favorite show never quite rebounded. The hand writing was on the wall, yet it soldiered on, banking on America's belief in the dream. They bled that franchise for every dollar it was worth and they weren't smart enough to stop the bleeding. They hired new celebrity judges-big names with big followings-they changed the format countless times, yet Idol never delivered the goods after Season 4. They never delivered another true American Idol. 

In the end, we enjoyed it for what it was worth-but nobody like a guest who overstayed their welcome. 

Bye bye American Idol. Your time has come.

Judgement Day

The report has been released...some 14 weeks after the alleged infraction..and what have we learned?

According to the just released Wells report, we now know it's, "more probable than not" that New England Patriots personnel have been implicated in the intentional defalating of the Patriots game day footballs in the 2014/2015 AFC Championship game. And the kicker? According to Wells, 

"It's more probable than not that Tom Brady was at least generally aware of the inappropriate activities."

Wow. 

Really? 

Text messages between two Patriots employees; a locker room attendant and an equipment assistant, that were illegally obtained in a cooperative investigation with the Patriots and the NFL, are the proverbial smoking gun? But make no mistake, nothing is smoking here; the guys gave the NFL their text messages. They cooperated. Period. 

Does it sound like they deflated balls? According to the text messages released by the Wells report, we are led to believe that they deflated balls, but it's all hearsay according to the law. Who knows whom or what they are specifically referring to in those messages. It's implied otherwise but nothing conclusive. 

Conclusively. 

Probable.

Generally aware. 

Implications.

The NFL and Wells have had this information since BEFORE the Super Bowl which was played on Feb 1 of this year and it took them 13 weeks to decipher a whole lot of nothing else? It's bulls*it and a great big waste of time.

And I don't care. 

I'm over it. It does nothing but add fuel to the haters fire and as the old saying goes, "haters gonna hate." Do I personally think the balls were deflated to Brady's liking. It's highly probable. But I also think that lots of quarterbacks do it across the league and I don't think it was ever an issue before Tom Brady uttered the famous words in a post game press conference referring to Baltimore Ravens Head Coach, John Harbaugh, "maybe those guys need to study the rule book and figure it out." I think that's where this all began and I think a few guys conspired to get Tommy in trouble for something that is a common, well known in the NFL.

In fact, I don't think the NFL actually had a protocol for this specific issue because I don't think it was ever an issue until Tommy allegedly made Harbaugh look like a boob in front of the world. That's just my theory. Either way- it doesn't change my view of the greatest quarterback of all time nor the greatest team. In fact, I'd like to think of it as what I heard was this morning from GMA's Legal Analyst Dan Abrams. He said this report is all hearsay and circumstantial and that the evidence would never stand up in court. It's not a criminal case, but if it was he said, "Fixing a game would equate to a Murder in the 1st charge. Spy Gate could be seen as manslaughter, but this?" Abrams said, "This is assault and battery at best."

I Was Just Thinking...

• About the whole Bruce Jenner thing....I think he's finally being true to himself and possibly trying to use his celebrity to do some good. Great for him, but right now I can't help feeling bad for Kris Jenner. I know what you're thinking...she's a money monger who will do anything-including treating her husband like a dog on a TV camera for ratings-but I gotta think this whole "I'm really a woman" thing sorta rocked her calculated world. Sources say she knew from the beginning of their relationship, but he certainly put on a good show for many years. They had two children of their own and raised six kids together. 23 years is a heck of a long time to put on a show. I get it when she says "I have these memories of this life, and I feel sometimes like it doesn't exist." All I can say is I get it. When someone you think you know turns out to be someone you don't know at all, it literally shakes your entire foundation. I think the media has been unfair to her. What's she supposed to say, besides voicing her support?

• About A Rod hitting his 660 th career home run tying Willie Mays at Fenway Park a few days ago. It came amid boos-and virtually no fanfare. Not even a mention of the milestone on the outfield board-a screen notorious for broadcasting even the slightest minutia during a game. The Yankees have stated that they will NOT pay the contractual $6 million dollar bonus they agreed to when he reached this milestone before he was suspended for drugs. Is it fair? Is it right? Facts are what they are...Rodriguez tested positive for performance enhancing drugs a year ago and was suspended for the entirety of last season, leaving an asterisk on his name in the record books forever. This one may get ugly, as the players union says it will step in on behalf of ARod, but I think the Yankees have the upper hand here. ARod did the crime, now he's gotta do the time. ARod*

• About how I have been sick almost the entire month of April. I got one horrid cold right on top of another horrid cold. I'm thinking WTF? Then it dawns on me. Allergies? Yes, it very well could be allergies. I've never been bothered by allergies before but I'm thinking this is quite possibly the culprit. Allergies + stress = horrible combination.

• About how my favorite TV series, "Nurse Jackie" is back! Edie Falco is such a great actor, and the entire cast is phenomenal. This is Season 7 and I have yet to miss one episode!! Jackie has let her drug use ruin most of her life,  but the things that she does to stay relevant are horrible and dangerous, yet I can't stop watching this whole ride! With the beauty of On Demand, you can catch up with ever crazy, depraved thing that Jackie has done. I highly recommend it. 

• About how Spring has finally arrived! When I see that groundhog...I'm gonna ring his neck!

The Lady In Yellow

She sat next to me on a crowded, skinny, two-seater airplane. She was a larger woman and I noticed her at the gate, thinking quietly to myself that she looked unsure. I wasn't feeling a hundred, so when we got to our respective seats I sat down quietly and closed my eyes. I noticed during take off that she had closed her eyes too. As I stated before, the plane was narrow and crowded so the fact that the larger woman sitting next to me, the lady in yellow, had her elbows in my gut became something that I knew I couldn't control.

Yet I didn't mind. 

As I restlessly slept on the plane I would open my eyes every now and again and looked at the woman next to me. Her skin was as dark as a bar of chocolate but it was luminous and beautiful. Her two-toned dreadlocks were swept up into a bun on top of her head and the sea shells that were expertly woven in between the locks made her appear much more stylish than that of a woman her age. Her fashionable leopard print scarf let me know that this woman knew exactly who she was and what she wanted to look like. But it was her smell that got me.

She smelled like my childhood.

She was chewing on bubblegum that smelled exactly like the bubblegum of my childhood. And that scent? It was so pleasant. I found myself wanting to put my head on her shoulder because she felt safe. The fact that our arms were smashed together because of the close proximity of the small seats didn't bother me at all. I liked her yet I hardly knew her. She was a woman of faith. I could tell because with her she had a 1997 biography of the Reverend Billy Graham and she opened it and began to read it while we were on the plane. I thought it adorable that before we took off she asked me exactly how to put her cell phone into airplane mode. I showed her where to find it in her settings AP. Obviously it was important to her to conform to the rules.

I must have been coughing a bit, because she asked me if I was OK, and asked me if I had allergies. I told her I had been visiting my son in college. He was sick with an undiagnosed strep throat that was mistaken for allergies. It had proceeded over the weekend into a full blown, swollen throat so painful that he could hardly swallow water. The fact that my emergency trip to North Carolina that Sunday to take him to the hospital was not lost on her. We agreed that I spent the most contagious 24 hours with him and I told her I hoped that I would not get sick also. 

We chatted a bit about being a mom and that when your child is sick, it's no matter where you are; you go. I found out she was from Kenya, just visiting relatives in NC and stopping briefly in my home town of Boston before flying to Amsterdam then on to Nairobi. It was her first visit to the United States. She had 3 grown children, each living in different parts of the world, and a new grandchild. I told her jokingly as we landed that she could now add Boston to the places in the US she has been, even for a short time. I helped her with the bags she had stowed above our seats, and I wished her a good trip and safety as she traveled back to Kenya.

Then I said goodbye and walked away from the Lady in Yellow forever. 

But I still thought about her. I'm thinking right about now she must be landing in her homeland, hopefully safe and tired. Maybe her children will be waiting to greet her as she arrives, maybe not. But I want her to know that somewhere, someone is thinking of her and hoping she makes it home safely. 

Mommy Dearest.

Would it be considered "over parenting"? Lately I have been guilty of taking on the problems of my grown, somewhat adult children? This is a new sensation to me because in the years leading up to now, it was my JOB to take on the problems of my kids. Now that Frick and Frack are 20 and 19 respectively and out of the house, I find myself obsessing over the silly little day to day stuff that they complain about which really has nothing to do with me.

For God's sake wouldn't you think I have better things to worry about??

Yet here I am worrying and thinking about their small stuff. Things like social issues, romance issues, the influence of peer pressure, academic pressure and I worry that they are unequipped to deal with these things. Despite my worry, they seem to be handling the world without me just fine, and its not like I am constantly calling them or texting with my advice. I silently think about their stuff and find myself wondering how they may have handled a situation, ever careful not to let on that I have been worrying about it. Sometimes I think I worry about their crap more than they do.

I finally realized that despite what I think, my children are equipped to handle these minor navigations through their lives. Dare I say it, it's probably good for them to handle these things alone, even though I don't want to admit it. I have taught them well. Then it dawned on me-maybe they are happy? Maybe something that I may not agree with was actually born out of a choice. A choice that they made for themselves to keep their lives in harmony. After all, it is their life to lead.

It's never easy, this parenting thing, is it? But I realize that no matter what I'm not going to change who I am. I just have to learn to let them be who they are. If they want my advice, they'll ask for it and I will be ready and waiting to give it. Yes, hard as it is I'm going to have to learn to keep my mouth shut when it comes to my kids and their small stuff.

Whether I like it or not.

Dear...

Dear,

Spring,
Where are you? Why have you forsaken us?

Breaking Bad,
I miss you. You were my best friend for a while and I will fondly remember our time spent together.

Hillary,
You can't please some of the people all of the time and I respect the fact that you are trying. Making  history isn't easy. The question remains; is it enough?

Food,
Our love/hate continues. Will I ever have the advantage here? I doubt it but recently I have learned a thing or two so look out.

Business,
Why are you so fickle? I guess that's why I am addicted to your ebbs and flows. I'd like a clearer picture on the future. Could you throw me a bone here?

Blogger,
I have been neglecting you a bit. Someday's life gets in the way so it's not always what we agreed to. I will try to be better about us.

Boston,
I am proud of you. You did real good yesterday. Even in the cold, raw and unrelenting rain. You persevered and showed your mental strength. We truly are Boston Strong.

Key West,
You are so beautiful. Thanks for last week.

Buddy,
I love everything about you. You are the world's best dog. Your loyalty, love and presence are some of the most precious things about home. Thanks for being at my feet every day (even when you don't want to) I'm sure you can sense that sometimes I need it more than you do.


With Much Love,

Candy
xoxo

I Was Just Thinking...

The past few weeks here in Boston have seen some serious court cases brought to trial. Most notable, Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. We all knew he and his brother were responsible for the carnage caused by the homemade bombs that injured hundreds and killed 3 people. A 4th victim, was killed in cold blood by the Tsarnaev brothers. In a stunning admission, his lawyers conceded "it was him" in their opening statements, so the guilty verdicts reached by a jury last week served as more of a solace than a surprise. But his defense attorney's strategy has always been about saving his life-saving him from the death penalty. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this.

The same jury that sat in judgement will next week hear arguments next week intended to save the young Tsarnev's life. A life he will spend the entirety of incarcerated, a prisoner of the American justice system. His fate rests in the jury's decision. Live or die, according to the law and a jury of his peers. In a way I feel like this kid wants to die. To him, his brother died a martyr, and he has claimed in his blood scrawled writings on the wall of the boat he hid in that he would like to die a martyr too. By sentencing him to death, are we in fact granting him his wishes? Would justice be better served by making him live out the rest of his long life in the same four prison walls? 

The parents of the youngest victim, 8 year old Martin Richard, have publicly asked for the death penalty to be taken off the table. In a letter published in The Boston Globe, The Martin family believes that a death sentence will bring about years of appeals and "prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives". They ask the US justice system to end the story without death, without parole and without appeals so that they can begin to rebuild their lives. I have to agree with them even though I think that if allowed to live incarcerated, it will be not the last time we will hear from Tsarnaev. 

Will justice be served with a death sentence? I'm not sure.

What about Aaron Hernandez? Was justice served in that case? 

Last week a jury of his peers convincted him of first degree murder in the death of Odin Llyod. In this case there was no admission of guilt, no murder weapon and no clear motive, but the jury felt that the circumstantial case presented to them was strong enough to convict in the first degree. The sentence is life without the possibility of parole. Was justice served? Probably, but I can't be sure. I think Aaron Hernandez is a bad man who let his money and athletic power go to his head and I think we will soon  find out that this is not the first time he has killed someone. It's tragic, how may lives have been destroyed because of Aaron Hernandez and his swagger including his own. 

Justice may have been served for the victims and their families but the truth is justice will never bring back the loved ones lost. The reality is that there is no justice in that.