Book Review: "The Poison Tree" by Erin Kelly

Language student Karen Clarke has a stable life, if not a particularly exciting one. She lives in a luxurious off-campus apartment with three friends, they play a lot of tennis, socialize with their boyfriends, and follow a fairly organized pattern. Just before her last year of college ends, Karen meets Biba Capel, a flamboyant aspiring actress, who quickly fascinates and draws Karen into her world. Karen moves into the dilapidated mansion Biba shares with her older brother, Rex, and any number of random friends. It is a world of excess, of drugs, alcohol, and late-night parties, and Karen cannot get enough of it. But the summer of paradise Karen dreams of doesn't quite pan out as she hopes. She begins a relationship with Rex but still longs for the exotic life Biba has, and she realizes that both Capel siblings have more issues than she imagined.

One night, things go horribly awry, and Karen flees from her idyllic life back to reality. Ten years later, Karen and nine-year-old Alice pick Rex up from prison after his sentence for murder has ended. But some old ghosts resurface, ones that Karen is determined to keep hidden—no matter what the cost. Nothing will get between her and her family.

The Poison Tree is enjoyable and a quick read. While Erin Kelly doesn't necessarily tread any new territory, she knows how to tell a compelling story, and you can easily see how someone as level-headed and intelligent as Karen could get drawn into the chaotic, dramatic lives of Biba and Rex. My only criticism of the book is I didn't feel it gave much depth to the present-day relationship and interactions between Karen and Rex. While I understand the bulk of the book needed to be spent on telling the story from start to finish, since the book interspersed past and present, I would have liked a little more exploration of the state of Karen and Rex's relationship, given her fears of it all coming undone. That being said, if you enjoy mysteries, this is one that draws out its suspense in a satisfying way.

Book Review: "Stay Awake" by Dan Chaon

I was first introduced to Dan Chaon when I started getting interested in short stories in the late 1990s. I remember being blown away by several of his stories, and over the years I eagerly devoured both of his novels, You Remind Me of Me and Await Your Reply, which was one of my favorite books I read in 2009. Stay Awake is Chaon's return to short stories, and while I didn't feel that any of the stories in this collection packed the power of some of his older stories, they are still tremendously well-written and immensely readable.

All of the characters in these stories are dealing with some sort of trauma, be it physical, psychological, even paranormal. Some of my favorite stories included "To Psychic Underworld:," in which a young widower starts finding cryptic notes on dollar bills, restaurant napkins, tacked to trees, etc.; "Thinking of You in Your Time of Sorrow," which follows a high school couple whose lives are thrown into turmoil when their baby dies; "Long Delayed, Always Expected," in which a woman has an interesting way of dealing with empty nest syndrome; and "I Wake Up," which follows a young man who receives an out-of-the-blue phone call from his oldest sister, years after their family has been split into separate foster homes following their mother's horrible crime. Some of the stories work better than others; I tended to enjoy those that dealt with more regular situations than those which focused on the odd or paranormal.

Dan Chaon is a terrific writer, and his storytelling ability definitely shines in many of the stories in this collection. I guess it's my own fault for expecting a story or two to really wallop me, based on his previous collections, but this is an enjoyable and compelling collection worthy of a read.

AI Recap: Those Who Can...Get Voted Off

A bottle of white, a bottle of red, perhaps an extra bottle with which to hit myself over the head...

American Idol, you do this to me every year. I realize that this show isn't purely a singing competition, that it's a search for someone with the "whole package." But personality and gimmickry and pretty hair shouldn't trump talent. And if the show's demographic is really going to gravitate only towards cute boys with guitars, dangerous-seeming guys (like Season 9's Casey James), and teenage girls, then put only those contestants on the show. Don't keep offering me wonderful variety on the buffet, only to take half of the dishes away shortly thereafter. (Sorry, I'm hungry.)

Anyway, last night we bid farewell to Erika, our "mobile DJ" with the new Kris Jenner haircut. Despite strong performances every week (and a fantastic "sing for your life" performance), she couldn't seem to engender the support of the heartless, shrieking, swaying voters. But more on that in a bit.

The group performance of The Longest Time (not what I would have picked) did more to emphasize each contestant's flaws than strengths—Jessica oversang; DeAndre's random falsetto notes didn't work, even in a doo-wop-inspired song; Skylar's countrification didn't quite mesh; Joshua's shrieking was unsettling; Erika was pitchy, dawg; and Phillip wasn't quite sure what to do. (Colton, Hollie, and Elise seemed to make it through unscathed; Heejun sang the wrong lyrics.)

We were treated to:

• lots of preening and mugging on camera from a very unkempt Casey Abrams (so cute he was there with his parents to watch BFF Haley perform);


• a birthday tribute to Steven courtesy of Joe Perry (who initially had criticized Steven's decision to appear on the show) with on-camera cameos from Liv and Mia Tyler, and a rhyme from the birthday boy ("I'm a Rip Van Winkle, so I'm told...I'm much too young to be this old."); and


• a Ford Music Video to Kelly Clarkson's You Found Me, which showed the contestants playing hide and seek "as a refuge from the dread of the Thursday results show."

Oh, and J.Lo wore a tight dress in Pepto-Bismol pink. Wow.

When the first group of contestants—Hollie, Skylar, and Elise—were called up to learn their fate, I had this feeling of dread. Choice Jimmy comments: Hollie looked like a "sweet diva caught in the headlights," Skylar is "starting to stall" and needs to do "something creative" if she wants to win, and Elise, although "no one knew her song" (speak for yourself), gave Jimmy "goosies." (Sweet lord.)

Ryan told Hollie and Skylar that they were safe, and Elise wasn't sure what was happening. You could see there was a split second when she was utterly pissed off at the thought of being in the bottom three again, and then Ryan told her she was safe, too.

What planet does Lana Del Rey come from? I don't get her at all, and thought her performance was sleepy and bizarre, yet not quite the trainwreck I expected based on the bashing she took after performing on Saturday Night Live.

The next group of contestants to meet Kieran and the dimmed lights (DeAndre, Joshua, and Jessica) seemed both nervous and lacking in personality. Jimmy said that while he told DeAndre to have fun, "He frolicked! I kept looking for the bouncing ball. He had no connection to this song." Ryan told Jessica that Billy Joel had said he liked her version of Everybody Has a Dream, and she looked at him as if he told her that Hollister was closing. And then Ryan sent DeAndre to the stools.

Haley Rinehart, last year's third-place finisher and frequent judges' punching bag, performed her debut single, Free. She looked and sounded fantastic, and it reminded me how frustrating last season was. I hope she's able to succeed because I think her voice is a super-unique one in today's music scene.

Phillip, Erika, Colton, and Heejun waited the longest to hear the results. Jimmy mentioned that Billy Joel sent an email that Colton did a great job with Piano Man, and referred to Colton as the potential "third horse" in the Jessica/Joshua battle for the win. He ranted a bit at Phillip's unwillingness to listen to Jimmy and Diddy, and the show's apparent dislike of collaboration. ("If you're doing your own material, do what you want. Until then, take advice from everyone out there.") Jimmy also had no kindness for Heejun's antics, and ended his criticism by saying, "At the end of the day, Interscope has to pay a lot of money to work with these performers, and we're not paying for that." (There was a brief snippet of Heejun's post-performance vow that "If I make it to next week, something crazier is going to come.")

Because we're trying to coddle Heejun for reasons I can't figure out, Ryan gave him a chance to defend himself. He said, "My taking my shirt off was a metaphor for showing the real me. I'm just a guy who helps kids with special needs, I'm not a star."

Heejun and Erika joined DeAndre in the bottom three, and I knew what was coming.

J.Lo said, "Heejun, you are a star, baby."

You know what, J.Lo? Being a clown on a television show that other performers take super-seriously doesn't make you a star. Heejun hasn't demonstrated that he has the vocal prowess or even the understanding of the opportunity he has been given, yet he has outlasted Jeremy, Shannon, and Erika, not to mention many of the other contestants who didn't get into the Top 13, because he's goofy and speaks funny English. That doesn't make you a star. That makes you a buffoon. His work back home with children with special needs is tremendously admirable, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't take this opportunity seriously.

Ahem.

Ryan sent DeAndre and his mane back to safety, then revealed that Erika received less votes than this year's Norman Gentle. She sang a no-holds-barred version of I Believe in You and Me, but there was no way the judges were going to save Erika given her inability to get traction from the fans. So sad.

Next week, we'll see if Heejun does crazy or serious. And because I'll be on travel for the next two weeks, the recaps will be MIA. But I'll be checking out what happens, and I'll be back...

AI Recap: Making Billy Joel Your Own

"If you can't sing Billy Joel, you can't sing at all," Steven declared at the top of last night's show in which the contestants tackled "the songbook of Billy Joel." (Of course, Steven allegedly worked with Billy but yet didn't know one of his most famous songs, but more on that later.)

True confession time: I am a die-hard Billy Joel fan. Seriously. I have all of his music, know 95 percent of his songs word for word, have seen him in concert numerous times, and consider him to be one of my top two favorite singers of all time. That being said, I approached Billy Joel Night with some cautious optimism, because while his songs are amazingly memorable and beautiful, they're fairly simple vocally. It takes a lot to mess up a Billy Joel song. Or so I thought.

Diddy joined Jimmy this week to mentor the contestants, and we also were treated to a ridiculously boring and meaningless "wardrobe advice" session with Tommy Hilfiger and one of the show's stylists. Can you be considered an "advisor" if almost no one takes your advice?

DeAndre started out the night and after prattling with Tommy about his hair and the need for a star-making outfit, met with Diddy and Jimmy about his song, Only the Good Die Young. DeAndre didn't seem to quite connect with the lyrics, which are, in essence, about convincing a Catholic girl to give up the goods (so to speak). Jimmy suggested DeAndre look at J.Lo for the first four lines ("She's a Catholic girl, she'll get it"). Clad in a white tshirt, shiny black jacket, white sleeveless vest, and black jeans, DeAndre whipped his hair back and forth and sang the song while rainbows skittered by. Not quite, but it was totally karaoke and not impressive vocally. The judges seemed to think that the people loudly cheering for DeAndre actually liked his performance and weren't being manipulated by stage hands with "applause" signs. (I've read the behind-the-scenes reports of the show; I know what goes on.) Steven said the song was "A little too happy, but isn't that what the world needs right now?" (Meaning, "I didn't like it, but I don't care.") J.Lo praised DeAndre's "laid-back, islandy, Bob Marley vibe." (Another contestant they're trying to pretend is from Jamaica, like they did with Naima last year. This kid is from San Jose. In California.) Randy gave us his first "I wasn't jumping up and down" of the season and said the performance didn't wow him. Point to Randy.

Erika is a Rhode Islander, but Diddy told her she needed to be a New Yorker in order to sing New York State of Mind. (Kimberley Locke performed this during Season 2.) After Erika told Tommy she likes the kind of style Pink has, he convinced her to get a drastic hair makeover...from blonde with red streaks to a short, jet black, Benatar-esque look. I like it. I really liked Erika's performance; I thought she gave it a little twist of her own while staying fairly true to the melody (as she was told she should). And while the judges really praised her, they once again gave her contradictory advice. ("Don't oversing, but let go." "Respect the song in the beginning, but do runs at the end.") Randy did call her "one of the best singers in this whole thing" because she can (wait for it) "sing the phone book." Steven said she could have "put more character into it" but she "wore it like beautiful." (Anyone with a Steven Tyler decoder ring I can borrow?) Ryan said that "not since the Sanjaya ponyhawk" has there been a transformation so talked about.

Joshua was uncomfortable this week with his choice, She's Got a Way, because it's a pop song, and he doesn't feel comfortable singing non-soulful songs. (Maybe Billy Joel isn't Percy Sledge, Joshua, but the man has soul.) Tommy suggested Joshua wear a tuxedo, but Joshua wore a black suit with a black tie, exactly what Tommy thought he shouldn't do. (Random fact: Joshua wears his clothes a size too small to make them look fitted. Must be nice.) After he blew me away last week, I wasn't too impressed with Joshua's performance this week. He really seemed uncomfortable at the start of the song, and then the gospel choir came in, and all I wanted was for Joshua to stop screaming at me. This is a beautiful, spare song that absolutely didn't need all of the bombast he brought to it. J.Lo said she felt stupid saying anything about Joshua's singing (clearly I don't), but he needed to connect more with the lyrics. (And maybe dial it down to 11, let's say?) Steven said Joshua took a song he didn't know (really, Steven?) and made it memorable, adding that he "sang the sweat out of it." Randy was his usual indecisive self, saying J.Lo and Steven "were both right," but Joshua is one of the competition's best singers.

Gee, of all of Billy Joel's songs, Skylar picked the countrified one, Shameless. (This reminds me of last year, when Scotty picked the one Elton John song that apparently had the word "country" in the title.) Yet when she first sang it for Jimmy and Diddy, they felt it seemed forced and false, but Diddy told Skylar, "the truth will set you free." (Great singing advice, Sean John.) And then Tommy told Skylar they should build her outfit around one of her one million pairs of boots, but Skylar came out wearing heels. (Awesome advice, Tom.) She started out sitting on the edge of the stage, surrounded by four guys, all clapping out of rhythm. (Way to stage that spontaneity, huh?) I thought it started out too low for her, and while she hit some powerful notes when the song built, I'm starting to feel that Skylar is getting a little one-note for me. Randy asked if Skylar was inspired by Brad Paisley's version of the song (Paisley never sang the song), but when Skylar explained it was inspired by Garth Brooks' version, Randy claimed never to have heard that. (That's probably the version you're thinking of, music expert.) J.Lo thought it was pretty good, Steven called it pitchy in places but says he's "amazed every time you hit the chorus with such conviction." He also said "it started out slow, but that's ok."

How will Elise "fight back from two weeks in the bottom three," asked Ryan? By ignoring almost everyone's advice. She chose to sing Vienna, one of my favorite songs off Billy Joel's The Stranger, but Jimmy and Diddy didn't think singing an "unknown" song was wise. Then Diddy said that perhaps singing "the Vienna song" (oh, brother) might work, if Elise gave a great performance. (Maybe we could get mentors who are familiar with the material they're coaching the contestants on?) Then after confiding that she liked the 60s and 70s fashion-wise and Tommy suggested Elise wear bell bottoms with a short jacket, Elise chose to perform in a dress cut-down-to-there and some sort of sleeveless jacket over it. (This is why I recap singing competitions and not Project Runway. Shirt, pants, dress—that's all my fashion vocab can handle.) I thought she gave an absolutely terrific performance that showed off all of her voice's best assets, but the song was utterly unrecognizable from the original. (And I can't decide whether that's a good or a bad thing. Is it better for the contestants to sing slightly varied versions of the songs, like Erika or Colton, or to totally change the song, like Elise or Phillip?) The judges gave her a standing ovation, praising the melody, the runs, everything. J.Lo, clearly demonstrating she needs some anger management counseling, told Elise, "I'm so happy for you, I want to shake you," and added that this was the first time she showed her personality. (Clearly J.Lo forgot Elise's performance last week.) Randy called her "unbelievably talented" and mentioned that every week, he asks himself (along with "Who's in it to win it?," I'll bet), "Who's gonna have a moment? Well, Elise had a moment tonight!" Then, in an effort to connect Elise emotionally to the audience, they brought up two of her teenage voice students, who were crying with happiness over Elise's performance. Let's see if "Project Save Elise" lasts at least one week...

You know what, folks? Phillip is his own person. He's not going to let anyone tell him what to do. (I hope he gets to sing Gavin DeGraw's I Don't Want to Be sometime soon.) He chose to sing Movin' Out (Anthony's Song), but chafed at the advice Jimmy and Diddy were giving him. Diddy wanted Phillip to sing the song without the guitar (he called it "a shield"), told him "you gotta groove," and then brought some random girls into the rehearsal studio for Phillip to sing to. Then Tommy told Phillip that you should never wear gray clothes on stage, because it's not becoming of a star. Cut to Phillip, on stage with his guitar, wearing gray on gray. Awesome. I felt like his rendition of the song also had very little resemblance to the original, and it sounded similar in a number of ways to his renditions of In the Air Tonight and Superstition, but if Scotty can win the entire show singing country versions of songs, why can't Phillip win? J.Lo said, "It felt like you were taking out your aggression on your mentors," but told him, "You are who you are and you are great." Steven called it a "perfect rendition," saying he took the song and "Phillip Phillipsed it." Randy pointed out all of the advice Phillip chose not to follow, but said that was fine, because he shouldn't stop being himself. Randy also called it "one of the best renditions of the song ever." When he talked to Ryan, Phillip explained that his guitar wasn't a shield, and that he wasn't trying to sing only for certain people, but he wanted to put music first. Yeah! Put music first! (At least someone on this show recognizes that should happen sometime!!)

Our little sprite, Hollie, chose to tackle Honesty, a big ballad that the mentors worried she might not have enough grit or life experience to understand. But Hollie took their advice to heart and put a lot of feeling into the song. Plus, she could wear sparkly things! Once again, I really liked her performance. While she is terrific at belting the big notes, the smokiness and richness of her lower register is really terrific to listen to. The judges, however, didn't hear the same performance we did at home apparently, as they called it pitchy, questioned whether she had sung the song enough to know all of the notes, and said while it was good, she was "better than that." (I can't help but wonder if her supposed pitchiness had anything to do with the image of the dandelion puffball breaking apart on the screen behind her. Maybe everyone got hay fever or something.) Hollie explained that she had never heard the song before, so it was tough, but hoped she could stick around another week. I hope so too, Hollie, because if you get voted off before Heejun, I may lose myself, and not in any Eminem kind of way.

Oh, look, it's Season 10's favorite punching bag, Haley Rinehart! Haley will be performing her first single, Free on tonight's results show.

Next up was Heejun. He asked Jimmy and Diddy for advice on how to overcome last week's criticism (my response would have been "sing better," but he didn't ask me), and they explained that the music business was tough and you had to roll with the punches. (Best line of the night from Diddy, "I don't know if he's a comedian or con man, or if he's even Asian." You know what, Diddy? His glasses don't even have glass in them.) In his session with Tommy Hilfiger, he was a little disrespectful, giving really jokey answers to his questions. (Example: "Who's your style inspiration?" "Jessica Sanchez.") Heejun chose to sing My Life (aka the theme song from Bosom Buddies for old folks like me), and he started out wearing a shirt and bow tie (along with one of his knit beanies) and pretended to mess up the start of the song. Then he said, "Sorry, that's much too slow for me. And I want to DANCE!" He pulled off his hat and his shirt (to reveal a tshirt), and proceeded to move all over the stage, even singing to the judges at one point. Interestingly enough, while I thought the performance was ridiculous, it was the best he has sounded vocally since the season began. (Not saying much, but...) J.Lo said his performance was a "breath of fresh air," but that he didn't quite hit his vocals "because you were running around." Steven was not amused saying that while Heejun "took the piss out of the song," the music business "would kick his ass" because he needs to take it more seriously. Randy said that he was happy to see Heejun have a good time, but the performance was "vocally missing something." When Ryan asked Heejun about Diddy's comments, he said "Diddy is confusing himself," and then softly said, "Sean John..." I think it's craps if Heejun sticks around while Elise and Erika get voted out, but you know that's going to happen. Stupid tween voters.

Jessica loves shopping, by the way. And clothes. And singing. She chose Everybody Has a Dream, which is an absolutely fantastic song off of The Stranger. Jimmy and Diddy tried to pass off some BS like they didn't believe what Jessica was singing because she was just belting the notes, so that set up the big drama for when she actually sang. I thought she was really good, and has a voice far beyond her years, but there's just something about her that's a little Jackie Evancho-like, a little too practiced for me. The judges gave her a standing ovation, and Steven said, "You've gone way past my judging. When God gave out vocal cords you were first in line. Thanks for letting me hear you sing." J.Lo called this "a defining moment" for Jessica (although I thought I Will Always Love You was actually more of one), while Randy said she "has a moment every week." (Once again, the judges conveniently forget previous performances when praising the chosen ones, because according to them, Jessica most certainly didn't have a moment last week.) He also called the song "flawlessly perfect," which I think gilded the lily a bit much.

Colton finally got the pimp spot this week, and he was looking forward to playing the piano for the first time in a few weeks, singing (what else?) Piano Man. (Josh Gracin sang this in Season 2, but the YouTube gods don't want to share it.) Diddy was impressed after he heard Colton's version, saying "I want to buy that record." (Hee. He said "record.") Tommy wasn't too thrilled with Colton's hair, but he's an individual, you know? When the performance began, I'd imagine some used car dealer on Hollywood Boulevard went looking for their spotlights, because Colton's red piano was surrounded by every pinpoint spotlight from here to LaBrea. I thought he was fantastic, bringing enough of his vocal originality and (although I hate to use a Randy word) an alt-rock, almost emo-ish vibe to a classic song. I also think he deserved a standing ovation, but the judges are odd with their standing O's as always. J.Lo said Colton sings with "pure feeling," and she (of course) got goosies from the start. (I'd hoped that word had died a horrible death.) Steven called Colton a "great singer and a great musician," adding, "Your choice of chords when your voice resolved was stunning." Randy called him a rockstar. Colton, who apparently has been warned by show executives about "religious tweeting," thanked God for his performance. (Colton has mentioned his interest in being a Christian rock singer after the show.)

My DVR cut off after they re-ran the phone numbers (remember these are 866 numbers, not 800 numbers), so I don't know if they made the judges stall for time by naming who they think will be safe and who is at risk. Here's what I think:

Should be bottom three: DeAndre, Heejun, Skylar
Will be bottom three: Erika, Hollie, Heejun (or DeAndre)

Sadly, I think Erika is going home despite another great performance and the dramatic makeover, although I'm hoping the audience wises up and sends Heejun home. Of course, if the voters don't like Elise no matter what, she could still be in danger. Let's hope not.

So until tonight...remember, in the immortal words of the Dawg, "Those who can, should, those who can't shouldn't, and those who babble incoherently should judge American Idol."

Book Review: "Arcadia" by Lauren Groff

Some books grab you from the get-go, while some take a little time before they hook you completely. Lauren Groff's wonderful Arcadia fell in the latter category for me, but it was an investment well worth my time. This was a beautifully written book about family (biological and otherwise), love, responsibility, relationships, and the unique pull of one's upbringing.

Arcadia is a commune that develops in the early 1970s in upstate New York, built around a dilapidated mansion called Arcadia House. Born into this community of musicians, farmers, midwives, bakers, and burnt-out escapees is Ridley Sorrel Stone, aka Bit, the son of friendly community pillar Abe and Hannah, a baker often laid low by the depression that commune living cannot cure. The book follows Bit, his family, and other Arcadia residents as the community finally succeeds after years of struggling, looks at the after-effects of its success, then follows Bit's life after nearly everyone has left Arcadia, and what living on the "Outside" has done. Bit is an idealistic, creative, sensitive, and intelligent person, who finds his life turned upside down by the complexity of many of his relationships. This book is an interesting, thought-provoking meditation on the many ways "free" living can shape people's futures.

The book starts when Bit is only five years old, and I felt that portion of the book was the most difficult to engage with, perhaps because you were seeing things through his young eyes, however unique a perspective that provided. As Bit matured, the book really took shape and flight, and I found all of the characters so memorable and complex. Lauren Groff is a terrific writer; her first novel, The Monsters of Templeton, remains one of my all-time favorites, and it is good to see her talent and storytelling ability flourish with Arcadia. It's definitely a book that will get you thinking about your own life, your own dreams, and your own relationships. Definitely read it.

Justice for Tyler...

After two days of deliberation, a New Jersey jury found Dharun Ravi guilty of a hate crime, as well as evidence tampering and invasion of privacy, for using a webcam to spy on his Rutgers University roommate, Tyler Clementi, in a liaison with another man in their dorm room. Clementi committed suicide in October 2010, a few days after learning that Ravi had watched him on the webcam and tweeted about it to friends.

Ravi was convicted on parts of all 15 counts against him — including four bias intimidation counts — involving Clementi. (The majority of the four counts pertained to the fact that while Ravi might not have intended to intimidate Clementi because he was gay, his actions might have made Tyler feel that was Ravi's intention.)

However, the jury had some difficulty with portions of the bias counts, giving a split verdict on some of the specific acts in which he was charged. The jury found Ravi not guilty of all bias counts pertaining to the man Clementi was seen with during the webcam spying. Ravi's sentencing has been tentatively scheduled for May 21, and he faces deportation to his native India.

Tyler Clementi's suicide sparked national outrage and concern about bullying, especially of gay teenagers. But Ravi was not accused of causing Clementi's suicide, and his defense team tried to present Ravi's actions as foolish and short-sighted, but somewhat typical of an 18-year-old. They also tried to attribute his motivation for the spying not on any bias toward Clementi's sexuality, but because Ravi was allegedly concerned his iPad and other possessions might get stolen by the man his roommate was meeting.

Certainly no verdict can bring Tyler Clementi back to life, nor can it assuage the pain and betrayal he felt in the last days and hours before he made the decision to take his own life. But I was surprised and pleased with the jury's decisions in this case.

While I honestly don't believe Dharun Ravi did what he did because of a hatred or prejudice toward gay people, it's time that homosexuality stops being an acceptable excuse to treat people as less than a person. All too often where judicial decisions are concerned, "gay panic," or other similar defenses, are seen as valid, and can be justification for gay people being beaten, murdered, or otherwise mistreated.

I commend this jury for being willing to listen to, and analyze, the evidence with an open mind and a sense of fairness. For once, it is good to see that in death, Tyler Clementi got some measure of the justice he was denied toward the end of his life.

AI Recap: One (Bitter)Sweet Day

Much to my surprise, especially after Ryan's claim that "no one wants to break up the Idol family" (despite humiliating Jermaine on camera the night before), someone was actually eliminated at the end of last night's episode. I was totally expecting them to go through all of the anguish and then announcing that everyone was safe—silly me, underestimating this television juggernaut!

Watching last night's show, I learned a few things:

• Jimmy Iovine is a lot nicer with his comments about the contestants if he's sitting in the studio when they air;


• Celebrities like Steven wear the same clothes more than once, too, as he was wearing the same pink cheetah-print monstrosity during Shannon's audition in Savannah;


• I can rest easy now knowing that J.Lo's new single and video are coming out March 29; I was worried that she wasn't going to have enough to promote on the show;


• Ryan wants to be on the cover of Boy's Life magazine (I don't judge, just like Nigel and Ken);


• There's going to be an "Asian music explosion" at some point, and there's a ridiculously slim chance that Heejun could lead it (I guess William Hung is busy?); and


• The show still has a problem with voting, evidenced by the fact that two guys should have been in the bottom three instead of Elise and Erika.

Oh, and here's a quick request for the show's new "fashion advisor," Tommy Hilfiger: NEVER LET RANDY AND STEVEN WEAR PINK PLAID ANYTHING, EVER!!

After a fairly innocuous Ford music video to Shiny Toy Guns' Ghost Town, the dream crushing began. From the first grouping of Phillip, Skylar, Elise, and Joshua we found that Phillip wears the same green t-shirt on every results show. I also learned, much to my surprise, Percy Sledge is not only still alive (Randy's comment Wednesday night that "wherever Percy Sledge is, I know he's proud of what he just heard" made me believe he was dead), but he also emailed the show about how impressed he was with Joshua's performance of When A Man Loves A Woman (despite the fact he was allegedly singing "Michael Bolton's version"). Oh, and even though her performance was stellar, Elise was again in the bottom three.

Demi Lovato performed. Is she the one that went a little crazy, and is she the one allegedly dating Justin Bieber, or is that Selena Gomez? Can't tell the difference. This performance was, umm, yeah.

The next group to learn their fate included Colton, Shannon, Deandre, and Jessica. Ryan continued his obsession with faking Colton out by saying, "Colton, you sang an unfamiliar song and it will cost you...in that you'll be away from your family while you're on the tour!" Sorry, Ryan, once you've hooked up with Daughtry, you're just small potatoes. (Or peaches.) Anyway, while I would have put Deandre in the bottom three after his performance, the girls voting for his pretty, pretty hair kept him safe, and Shannon was sent back to the stools.

Daughtry performed Outta My Head next. Great song. He still has no personality, along with no first name, apparently.

And from the final grouping of Heejun, Hollie, and Erika, Jimmy mentioned that Erika fell into the trap of "oversinging," and to no one's surprise, she was named to the bottom three, despite Heejun's horrifically boring Richard Marx song Wednesday night.

The judges were not happy with the bottom three, or, at least that Elise was in there after the performance she gave. The super-solicitous Seacrest sent Elise back to safety. And then he told Shannon that she received the lowest number of votes, and was in danger of being eliminated if the judges chose not to use their save.

Shannon sang a less-than-stellar encore of One Sweet Day, and the producers trotted out the Disney meadow one last time for our pretty pretty princess, as her mom sang along. And then Randy quickly burst her bubble, telling her the judges wouldn't be saving her. (I'd imagine they're not going to let themselves get trapped as they did last year, when they saved Casey, only to find Pia was eliminated two weeks later.) Shannon showed true class and poise; in fact, Heejun was crying more than she was. (At least he was when the cameras were on him.)

So, farewell to Shannon Migraine, as she was called on several messageboards. A guy better go next week, unless both Erika and Elise bomb their performances.

Next week, the music of Billy Joel!! Great music...let's see what that means.