Lamar Thames

Just a few random thoughts this week about topics in general. I am recovering from a dastardly chest cold that has short-circuited my brain cells, so there is really not much of a creative effort going on up there this week (as if there ever is.) That accounts for the lack of new content on the site, which is a definite handicap for a one-person operation.

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I have a favor to ask of you. If you are so inclined, go to

http://GoGreenCove.com/pages/Photo_Contest 

and cast a vote for a photo I posted (seen here) of Rusty the wonder beagle. I took the photo at Christmas and as you can plainly see, Rusty wasn’t very fond of the antler horns. I could never get a photo of him

Please vote for Rusty the wonder beagle. See details in story.

 actually wearing the horns but his expression is just too priceless. So, vote if your can or will and I will gladly share with you a portion of the winnings (a $25 gift card). Depending on how many of you take me up on it, we could be talking of no more than a stick of gum apiece.

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Speaking of cheap, did you hear about the price of a share of CitiGroup the other day? Around $1. Boy, was I tempted to pull our money out of the safety and security of my investment portfolio (talk about an oxymoron) and buy some of that cheap paper. Then I decided, no, I would just buy a Coke instead, since that is about all that was left after last year’s roller-coaster ride in the stock market. I am going to leave it to smarter people than me to figure out how to handle this mess, but I guarantee you I am not throwing good money after bad (if you get my drift, President Obama). 

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I am glad to see that saner heads have prevailed in some of the school-based decisions on which teachers to cut after the Read the rest of this entry »

I know you may be expecting commentary about “American Idol” in this posting, but not this week. For one thing, nothing is really happening on Idol worth talking about, and for another Idol Chatter is just meant as a catch-phrase for all kinds of chatter, which is what I am doing this week. So here goes:

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FALLEN IDOLS

Too bad about Michael Phelps, A-Rod (I hate those nicknames) and all the other athletic superstars who have been, or will be, discovered to have used illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs. I don’t really waste too much time worrying about them or their images, except in the regard that so many of our impressionable young people might be seduced into Read the rest of this entry »

Well, THAT was disappointing, wasn’t it?

I am talking, of course, about Jacksonville’s debut on “American Idol.” Not what I was hoping for. I have heard a few local singers and I know there are some out there who can do better than what we saw Tuesday night. 

The best part of the night was at the end with Ann Marie Boskovich’s amazing voice, and she isn’t even from Jacksonville. I didn’t catch where she is from but I think somewhere in Tennessee.

I didn’t hear anyone who said they were from Jacksonville who was any good. Several Read the rest of this entry »

Paul Abdul of American Idol

    I have to admit I am a big fan of the hit TV show, American Idol. But then, who isn’t? Maybe I don’t fit the ideal profile of an Idol-izer (Get it? Idol-izer!), but let’s not forget that musical competitions are not all that new to television. You can go as far back as the 1950s to see such shows as the “Original Amateur Hour,” which showcased America’s young musical talent.

     Idol reminds me, too, of some of the variety shows that used to be a staple of early television (much like reality shows are today) such as “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show.” Those shows presented some of the hit acts of the day (Idol does, too, with their guest celebrities) and sketch comedy (don’t tell me that you aren’t amused by the antics of some of the so-called Idol wannabes.) Read the rest of this entry »