ADDICTION! IT CAN LEAD TO A "ROCK BOTTOM" THAT MOST OF US DON'T KNOW EXISTS!

That great role model Michael Lohan is telling people that his estranged daughter, Lindsay Lohan is suffering from multiple addictions, including alcohol and the painkiller OxyContin. Michael Lohan, as you may or may not know was released from a New York state prison in March after almost two years for driving while intoxicated and other offenses.

Lohan's mother is a woman who appears to be someone who enjoys living vicariously through her daughter's fame, etc. In other words, a "sisterly" party girl, if you will.

So who does an addicted person like Lindsay Lohan turn to for advice and or counsel when facing the fact that she's swimming in "troubled waters"?

First of all, she has to want to change her behavior.

And that's not as easy as it sounds.

Addiction is like that lover you (deep down inside) know isn't good for you, but night after night you end up in bed with that person and you wake up the next morning hating yourself.

Until emotionally you hit "rock bottom". And oftentimes the addicted person's "rock bottom" isn't what you and I might think "rock bottom" is. "Rock bottom" for an addicted person is likely to be a "rock bottom" you pray that you never find out what the definition of that is!

Lindsay Lohan experienced success at a very early age. I know. She won't even be 21 until July 2, but her show business success began when she was under the age of 10. A lot of successful people have addictive personalities. That's one of the reasons they became successful. But you have to figure out a way to separate the good from the bad.

And that ain't easy!

I know!

Confession: I have an addictive personality. It's often been pointed out by friends of mine that I tend to trade one addiction for another. We laugh about that, but it's true. In some cases, pathetically true.

I've often said that I never tried cocaine because I was afraid I'd like it too much.

But I did try booze! I used it for relief, to combat shyness, you name it. And I was a good drunk in the sense that most people never knew I was drunk.

Except my late doctor, Beverly Hills' Paul Berns who warned me many times (so many, in fact, that I stopped going to him for a while) that I was (in essence) travelling a highway to nowhere.

I thought he was crazy.

I was very very lucky in the sense that I never had an accident while drinking, because like a lot of drunks, I did drive.

And because I was on television a lot and had done a lot of charity favors for cops, I was given a lot of "passes" after being stopped for weaving or exhibiting some other "tell tale" sign that cops are trained to spot.

I knew I was spiraling downward, but I didn't seek help. In my case, someone (for who knows what reason) decided to speak to me about a problem that seemed to have escalated to a possible dangerous point.

I am now "outing" that person for the first time. The person who took the time to speak to me in language that made sense (to me) was LAPD Sergeant Dennis Zine who is now a Councilman for the city of Los Angeles and might well one day be the Mayor of Los Angeles. When Councilman Zine reads this, it will be the first time that he will learn that I quit drinking because of him. And that was more than 16 years ago.

I believe that Lindsay Lohan has the capability of becoming our next Elizabeth Taylor as an actress. Talent like that shouldn't end up in a box at an early age. She's in rehab now. I hope she finds her Dennis Zine there, because like I was, she is on the highway to nowhere.

KOBE BRYANT:

Has Kobe said something else in the last few minutes? I mean, somebody get him a sedative or something. In the last 48 hours it's hard to keep up with what he wants, doesn't want, etc.

In the (who knows how many) interviews he's done the last two days, the one thing that remains constant is that he's unhappy. Wellll...now he has something in common with most of the rest of us so we (again) learn that money doesn't buy happiness.

I'm reminded of an old country song sung by the late Tammy Wynette; "Stand By Your Man". When Kobe Bryant had that messy problem in Colorado, a lot of people would have understood if the Lakers had decided to get rid of him. The Lakers didn't. In fact, they bent over backwards for him. In other words, they did the Tammy Wynette thing. To pop off publicly the way Kobe's popping off instead of expressing his concerns behind closed doors, is behavior exhibited by one who is living in a "me, me, me" world.

LAW & ORDER HAS LOST THEIR DISTRICT ATTORNEY:

When NBC's long running "Law & Order" show resumes next season, Fred Thompson won't be playing the role of Arthur Branch. Thompson told Law & Order's executive producer Dick Wolf he is leaving because of "creative and scheduling constraints of the upcoming season".

In other words, even though he hasn't said so publicly, Fred Thompson's going to become a candidate to be President of the United States.

And if he changes his mind? Oh, I imagine Law & Order would find a place for him.

AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM READING TIP:

On the back page of the June 4 issue of Newsweek Magazine, George Will's column is titled, "Out of What Shadows".

Sometimes Will writes in a way that is "too smart for the room", but if you care about the illegal immigration problem, this is a very interesting column.

EDITOR's NOTE: If you read this before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up soon! A new blog is written every morning, Monday through Friday and is posted between 7 and 7:15. Comments and or suggestions should be written to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net I do write back.

TOMORROW:

The illegal immigration problem solved the Ronald Reagan way.

THE 450 BILLION DOLLAR QUESTION FOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES!!

We'll get to Lindsay Lohan and immigration laws in another country in a minute, but let's address the problem that Republicans, who want to be our next president are having. If you've noticed in the two previous "debates", President Bush has been rarely (if ever) mentioned. Instead, Ronald Reagan is mentioned. A lot! Of course if he were still alive, he'd probably disown most of these guys, but that's another story.

From the first two Republican debates, I came to four conclusions. (1) Two poll leaders are flip-floppers of the first order and I wouldn't trust either of them to tell me the time of day. (2) The candidate who seems to have something original to say is one of these "too smart for the room" guys who's in desperate need of "coaching". (3) The actor, who has yet to announce, might well be their strongest candidate. (4) Newt Gingrich? Puh-leeze!!

Do you know how much money this Iraq war has cost us so far? Something in the neighborhood of 450 billion dollars and counting.

No matter who ends up surviving and becoming the Republican candidate, I call your attention to a situation which leads to a question posed by Time Magazine's Joe Klein who writes, "We invade a country, suspecting weapons of mass destruction, but the WMD aren't there, and we get bogged down in a hopeless sectarian struggle. What do you do?"

Ladies and gentlemen, that's the 450 billion dollar question I want these candidates to answer and the one who gives the answer that makes the most sense, gets my vote. If none of the answers make sense, my response is, we've already got that guy and he's the reason we're asking this question. Solution? Get us different candidates and that's why this question needs to be asked and answered sooner rather than later.

And yeah, let's ask that question to the Democrat wannabes as well.

LINDSAY LOHAN IS BACK IN REHAB:

If you read our Lindsay Lohan item yesterday, you saw a picture of her slumped in a car. I didn't know that picture had been taken at least a day and a half after she had been admitted to a hospital because of the accident and the DUI thing. In other words, she was apparently partying again.

Now she's back in rehab and people are wondering what will happen next? She has a film coming out July 26, in which she plays a stripper and a film she was supposed to begin that stars Shirley MacLaine (among others) has now been pushed back.

This will hopefully be the wake-up call she needs, but it apparently has been a wake-up call for the California Alcohol Beverage Control Board who will now use a lot of undercover officers to try to bust clubs who are selling liquor to minors. It's a shame that it took multiple Lohan incidents to get the attention of this board because these stories involving underage "stars" drinking in these clubs has been reported on all the celebrity television shows and in all the tabloids for a long time.

Like I said in this space yesterday, I'm rootin' for ya, kid.

"HIDDEN PALMS" DEBUTS TONIGHT:

On a more pleasant note involving celebrities, a new television show debuts on the CW at 8 tonight. It's described as being somewhat like "The O.C." but it features more sex and more fun. People like Gail O'Grady and Sharon Lawrence are involved along with some actors who were in "The O.C.". I'm definitely gonna check it out.

ANOTHER TWIST ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:

Reader Jon Badeaux is a guy who worked many years with legendary broadcaster, "The Real Don Steele" and he has three music sites including his latest under the "Generations" banner (www.generationsradio.com.)

After reading yesterday's commentary on illegal immigration, Badeaux offers a question and then gives examples. You, dear readers, are encouraged to read this all the way to the end!

Badeaux writes, "As a native of Southern California, I am keenly aware of the incredible injustices done to foreigners. Yet I'm also sensitive to the issue of the amount of taxes we had to pay to support illegal immigrants in our state. Do you think the following laws, if implemented in our country, would be a bit harsh? Read them over. Be sure you read all the way to the end."

And here are the laws Badeaux listed:

(1) No special bilingual programs in the schools.

(2) No special ballots for elections.

(3) All government business will be conducted in our language.

(4) Foreigners will not have the right to vote no matter how long they are here.

(5) Foreigners will never be able to hold political office.

(6) Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care or other government assistance programs.

(7) Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage.

(8) If foreigners do come and want to buy land, that will be okay. But options will be restricted. Foreigners would not be allowed waterfront property. That is reserved for citizens naturally born into this country.

(9) Foreigners may not protest. No demonstrations, no waving a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. If you do, you will be deported.

(10) If you do come to this country illegally, you will be hunted down and sent straight to jail.

Then Jon Badeaux writes, "So what do you think? Are these concepts too harsh? Then let me explain one little detail. The above items are real laws! IN MEXICO!"

Editor's note: If you read this before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up soon! We post a new blog every morning, Monday through Friday between 7 and 7:15. Any comments and or suggestions are welcome at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

TOMORROW:

A surprise!

IT AIN'T ABOUT "HATING", IT'S ABOUT SURVIVAL!

First of all, I hope that all of you had a fun and or restful 3-day holiday. Today is the day we begin our 3rd month of doing this little blog. So far, it's been an absolute blast and your reaction expressed in notes written to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net have been fun, informative and as you know, I do write back.

Our Memorial Day thoughts resulted in the most reaction we've gotten in our two months of operation. Not the most "hits", but by far the most reaction. If you missed it, you can read it right after this blog entry ends.

We begin our third month with another observation about the "800 pound gorilla in the room" OUR ROOM! THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA's ROOM!

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION!!

A lot of well meaning people are trying to figure out a way for 12 million or more people who are here illegally, to become legal. And by the way, let's include a bunch of relatives of these illegals as well. These same well meaning people are trying to sell us on the idea that if we agree to this, that somehow the illegal immigration situation will go away or at least become manageable. To support their argument(s), many of these same well meaning people say that people who oppose this do so because of "hatred".

My response to that is, hatred of what or whom? Mexicans?

How about this? Hatred of laws being broken over and over again. And if we bend over and allow the amnesty for all the lawbreakers who are currently here why are we supposed to believe that more potential lawbreakers, watching what's happening, won't turn that 12 million number to 24 million or more! A lot more!

Folks, I can't speak for everyone, but I can certainly speak for me. It ain't about hating. It's about survival. We are too crowded now and we don't need millions more who take advantage of legal loopholes which is costing us legal taxpayers lots and lots of money we'd rather be spending on something else.

Like, you know, the Iraq war.

Okay, maybe it would be nice if we could solve that little problem as well.

Of course that would take leadership and I'm reminded of something Ronald Reagan once said.
As many people know, Reagan was a Democrat before becoming a Republican. When asked why he left that party, Reagan said, "I didn't leave the Democratic party! It left me! I know how you feel, Mr. President. I'm feeling the same way in reverse. And I want to thank Pacific Pioneer Broadcaster's President Chuck Southcott for reminding me of that quote.

MORE TROUBLE FOR LINDSAY LOHAN!

After hitting a curb and some shrubbery with her car early Saturday morning, Lindsay Lohan was tracked to a hospital where she was charged with DUI. Some cocaine was allegedly found in her car, but ownership of that drug has yet to be determined. Lohan was injured (we're told) in her upper chest area. Two other people were in her car, a car we're told that usually sits a total of two.

"Girls just wanna have fun?"

I suppose, but for the life of me, I don't understand why she doesn't hire a driver. I know. Because she plays hard, she figures that a driver might sell her out to the tabloids. I don't know if more money to her driver would solve that problem, but the way she's going now, she's in danger of becoming a statistic. Lindsay Lohan is not some wannabe like some young people we read about. Lindsay Lohan is a good actress who has the capability (in my view) of becoming a great actress. What Lindsay Lohan seems to need most right now is a parent! But when you look at the two she does have, the thought of a foster parent seems to be a more desirable option.

I'm rootin' for ya, kid!

ROSIE O'DONNELL AND ELISABETH HASSELBECK!

Well, it was fun while it lasted, wasn't it? Those two arguing with each other helped "The View" get ratings the likes of which they've never had and now it's over. After their latest on-air argument, Rosie says she's had enough and most folks think she'd like to come back with her own show that would be on the same time "The View" is.

TWO SEASON FINALES TONIGHT!

At 9 on FOX, "House" will air it's final new episode of the season and at 10 on ABC, "Boston Legal" will air it's final new episode. I think these shows provide us with good entertainment week after week after week.

EDITOR's NOTE: If you read this before pictures have been added, come back. Pictures will be up soon. If you have any comments and or suggestions, please send them to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

TOMORROW:

The million dollar question for Republican presidential candidates and thoughts about $15 pillows, $2 glasses of water and $10 for no middle seats on airlines.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND! THINK GOOD THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR MILITARY! AND BY THE WAY, ARE WE STILL LOOKING FOR OSAMA bin LADEN?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I'm writing this Monday morning, May 28th. This is a birthday for us. We're now two months old!! Our Memorial Day weekend column got and continues to get off the charts tremendous reaction!! So, like the rest of you, I'm going to take the day off and leave Friday's column front and center for anyone who missed it. When we return tomorrow, we'll have a Lindsay Lohan update, thoughts about Rosie O'Donnell and "The View", a memorable quote from Ronald Reagan that I had forgotten about and anything else that gets my attention. As usual, the new blog will be posted tomorrow morning (Tuesday) between 7 and 7:15. Meanwhile, we're going to celebrate our second month's birthday. Thanks for finding us, thanks for your thoughtful and kind reactions that you've written to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net and I hope we continue to keep you interested. Here comes the Memorial Day weekend column that I'm still responding to responders about.

Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day itself isn't until next Wednesday, but we're always looking for an excuse to have a 3-day weekend, right? Whatever. Most of us won't even think about what Memorial Day represents, but here's what it represents to me. Setting aside a few seconds to think about past missions accomplished by our fighting men and women. Accomplished missions that have helped keep the rest of us safe. From people like Hitler, the leaders in Japan who decided to attack Pearl Harbor, etc. And then there was this thing that happened on the 11th of September in 2001. When planes, commandeered by religious zealots crashed into New York towers. Crashes that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Americans. A clear act of murder. Murder that was planned and orchestrated by Osama bin Laden, who in a number of statements since those attacks happily claimed responsibility for those murders.

We have the greatest military in the world, right? On this Memorial Day weekend, we should be remembering how we reacted to these murders. And we are remembering. Less than 2 years after those murders, we seemed to say, "To heck with bin Laden! Let's raise some hell in Iraq!"

And we, the people, after rolling over like obedient dogs, woke up one day and said, "Why?!?"

Over and over again, we were told that this Iraq business we were involved in was somehow related to "9/11". Those who protested were referred to as being "unpatriotic" and the Bush administration had enough hired gun propaganda spewers on major radio and television stations who, like the lap dogs they are, willingly shouted to their Kool-Aid drinking followers that this Iraq business was good for all of us. Good for business, maybe, but...

New regulations were instituted involving "freedoms" we take for granted, but we were told to not worry, because like everything else, it had to do with "9/11".

On this Memorial Day weekend I would like everyone to take a few seconds to remember all we need to remember about "9/11". OSAMA bin LADEN!!!!

The greatest military in the world can't find Osama bin Laden?!? After almost SIX YEARS?!?

When I was in the military, there was an elite group of warriors known as LRRP's. Very few people knew about the existence of these guys. Those in the know, referred to them as Lurps, because it was easy to say. Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol is what the letters LRRP meant. The fictitious warrior "Rambo" was really a Lurp, but because most folks had never heard of a Lurp (including maybe even Sly), Rambo was called a Green Beret. Valiant warriors, but Lurp's were considered to be the baddest of the bad.

I don't know if we still have Lurps, but we have SOMETHING. And whether it be Lurps or whatever has replaced Lurps, I refuse to believe people like that couldn't find Osama bin Laden and bring his head back on stick. And that's if there's enough left of his head to PUT on a stick.

Morbid? Crazy? Is the thought too violent for your mind to digest?

Okay. And what happened on "9/11" was, what?

AND NOW TO LIGHTER TOPICS:

Did you see "So You Think You Can Dance" last night? It's a show produced by the same people who produce "American Idol". I had the whole show on while (for most of it) I was reading a magazine. When "American Idol" is on, I don't do anything except watch. I thought the host was fun, she's definitely easy on the eyes, but other than that, except for rare moments, I was bored.

Speaking of "American Idol"....I can't help but think about all the behind the scenes work these kids are involved with before each week's new show. The commercials they have to perform in is time consuming enough. I know. I've made a lot of television commercials that aired nationally. How about the routines these kids had to learn that were routines that had nothing to do with the song or songs they would have to sing by themselves? Preparation that involves memorization and rehearsal time. Rehearsal time that might be used up while doing the obligatory on-camera taped thing with whatever "coach" the Idol producers hired for that week. Not to mention the sponsor tours, interviews, etc. And when do they have time to sleep?

Bottom line: Whatever success these American Idol kids get from this experience is success they've earned!!! And speaking of "earning"....I don't know the answer to this question, but are any of these kids paid for their performances and all the work they do? I mean, are they paid anything?!?

A CUTE LINDSAY LOHAN STORY:

I read the National Enquirer every week. I'm a subscriber. In the new issue, head gossip guy Mike Walker has a story about Lindsay Lohan that I want to share with you.

Recently, Lohan was driving through Beverly Hills one evening with a galpal (Mike's word) when she saw a young guy crossing the street. A guy that Lindsay Lohan thought enough of (looks-wise) to slam on her brakes and yell at the guy: "Hey, you! What are you doing tonight? Want to go clubbing with us?" The 20-something guy apparently looked, did a double take and then while stammering said, "Are you...Lindsay Lohan?" While giggling, Lohan (reportedly) said, "Yeah, that's me! Hop in, and let's go have some fun."

Wait. There's more.

The young guy looked at his watch and said, "Gee, uh, I'm late for my acting class...but I'd love to meet up with you in about two hours!" Lindsay Lohan's response was (reportedly), "Forget it!!! You snooze, you lose!!! And while burning rubber, Lohan drove away.

I really don't know what to write next. I mean, according to Maxim, Lohan's the hottest babe on the planet. It's an assertion I happen to agree with. All I can say is, I understand dedication to your craft and maybe the young man had a memorized scene in class that would have affected another actor, but....LINDSAY LOHAN?!? I mean, you don't think your instructor (and your scene partner) would have given you a "pass" on THAT excuse?

Editor's note: If you read this before pictures have been added, please come back later. You'll be glad you did. A new blog is posted every morning (Monday-Friday) between 7 and 7:15 Pacific time. If you have any comments and or suggestions, please write to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

TUESDAY:

Lindsay Lohan's latest "problem", A memorable quote from Ronald Reagan, Rosie O'Donnell's decision to quit "The View" and the brief return of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip".

YO, AMERICAN IDOL! WE'RE GONNA MISS YOU!

Now that was entertainment!!!

Counting the red carpet show hosted by Steve Edwards and his fun female co-hosts, those of us who sat through the "American Idol" season finale, sat for 2 hours and 37 minutes or so, but I think I speak for the majority when I say, this sit was more than worth our time.

Where do I begin?

How about at the very beginning of the main event when finalists Blake and Jordin did a duet of an old Beatles song, "I Saw Her/Him Standing There". Unless those two kids are the best actors on the planet, there was no doubt that these two like each other and when they finished this song, I had a one word reaction. ADORABLE!!!

I'm not going to recap the whole show, but here are what were highlights for me.

Appearances by Gwen Stefani and the first Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson.

Smokey Robinson with the top 6 Idol guys from this season.

Gladys Knight with the top 6 Idol women from this season. The 7 of them doing "Midnight Train To Georgia" brought a big smile to this music lover's face.

Tony Bennett. 80-year old Tony Bennett, who brought the house down with his rendition of a song that seemed to express his feelings about (what we're told) is an upcoming marriage to a woman he's known for 18 years, a woman that is 40 years younger than Tony.

Carrie Underwood. She's already had a career that would make most folks envious.

The Golden Idols awards. Some worked, some didn't.

The African Children's Choir. Another version of adorable.

Sanjaya with legendary guitar player Joe Perry. Like a lot of people, I want to like Sanjaya, but dude, you still can't sing.

Before the winner was announced, we were treated to a few Beatles' songs that were (to me) highlighted by Carrie Underwood and the 6 top Idol women from this season singing, "With A Little Help From My Friends".

Bravo, bravo, bravo!

And then the big announcement was made. Jordin was declared the winner and then had to sing. My first thought was, how do you sing after that?!? Well, at the end of the song, she lost it with a torrent of tears, but that only proved she's human.

Wow, wow, wow! I can hardly wait for the next season of Idol to begin!

SHOWS THAT WILL BE ON TONIGHT:

The season premiere of "So You Think You Can Dance" will be on Fox tonight. And after a very long hiatus, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" will begin showing what will be their final episodes on NBC.

ROSIE and ELISABETH:

As most of us know, Rosie O'Donnell will soon leave "The View", but after what happened yesterday, her departure might be sooner than we (or she) thought. After a cat fight between liberal Rosie and conservative Elisabeth that made you wonder if we might see the real "Ultimate Fighting Championship", we're told that Rosie will be taking a couple of days off, but a lot of folks wonder if she'll be back.

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TIME?!?

Because I've delayed doing this for a couple of days, one might think this is a bigger deal than it is. Here's a clue. It isn't, buuuut...

I got this idea after remembering a saying by a former sportscaster in Cincinnati who used to end his broadcasts with the words, "Rounding third and heading for home!"

Those are words that can apply to people who have lived a pretty good life (as I have) and are getting close to the home stretch.

I'm not there yet. A few more years before I reach that age, but when I thought of the "saying" I mentioned, I started thinking about things I haven't done yet and that caused me to remember memorable things I did the first time.

Please, please, please play along with me here.

Do you remember your first kiss? Mine was with Diane Jones, a spin the bottle game, when I was in the 4th or 5th grade. Your first crush? Linda Schantzer, same time frame. I thought she was "the bomb". Your first sexual experience? An Asian girl while wearing a U.S. Army uniform. Guys, do you remember the first time a woman you were involved with told you she was pregnant? I do. Ladies, do you remember the first time you told a guy you were involved with that you were pregnant and the look you saw on his face? Priceless, wasn't it? And I'll bet he has no clue as to what you saw! Good or bad.

Memories.

I could go on and on, but while thinking about this, I thought of a few (silly?) things I haven't done yet like having a lap dance. That must be fun, because a lot of money is spent on that activity. Here's another one. Visiting a Tarot Card reader. A couple of days ago, I did that. I met with a young woman who calls herself, "Angel Psychic Sara" on Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Valley Village, California. For 25 bucks, I watched this very pleasant woman flip over cards and listened to her tell me what the cards represented while asking me a lot of personal questions.

It was quite revealing. She said a lot of things that are true, (things she would have no way of knowing), but she also said some things that either aren't true or haven't happened yet. All in all, it was like a visit to a shrink but not nearly as costly. I'm glad I did it.

Hmmm...Now about that lap dance....

EDITOR's NOTE: A new blog is posted every morning (Monday through Friday) at 7-7:15, Pacific time. If you read this before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up soon. Because of some computer problems today, pictures might be delayed longer than usual. If you have any comments or suggestions, please write to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

TOMORROW:

Why haven't we captured or killed Osama bin Laden?!? The person running for President who convinces me he or she will get Osama bin Laden, dead or alive, will get my vote! On a lighter note, I'll have another LINDSAY LOHAN story. Also some final thoughts on American Idol.

IF THIS WAR IS THAT IMPORTANT, ISN'T IT TIME TO BRING BACK THE DRAFT?

Before getting to the war in Iraq, let's address the war going on at the Kodak Theatre here in Hollywood.

Blake and Jordin are the finalists in this year's "American Idol" competition. A coin was flipped before the singing began and Blake won the coin toss meaning that he could decide if he wanted to sing first or second. He chose to allow Jordin to make the choice and she chose to sing second.

Both of them sang three songs. After the first song, the judges (Randy, Paula and Simon) seemed to think Blake had the edge or it was a tie. That wasn't the case when they sang their next two songs. The feeling expressed was that Jordin had won and if they're right, Jordin will be announced as our new American Idol tonight. But you never know how the people using the phone will vote, do you? Will there be a surprise tonight? One thing there will be is a long show. A half hour red carpet show followed by 2 hours inside the Kodak. What will be done for 2 hours? Who knows, but hopefully it'll be entertaining.

Here's how I voted last night. The numbers next to each name represent a 1-10 vote, in order, of the three songs they sang.

Blake: 7, 7, 6

Jordin: 7, 8, 7

Sudden thought. If any of this year's previous Idol contestants do any singing tonight, I hope that Haley Scarnato, who Simon criticized for her skimpy clothing sings and that she wears an outfit that gives us all something to talk about and to look at.

MY ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION COMMENTARY:

I received a number of responses at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net to my "800 pound gorilla in the room" commentary about illegal immigration yesterday. If you missed it, you can read it by simply scrolling down past the end of today's (this) blog. No one disagreed with me, but it's okay if you do. I always like hearing (reading) what you think about something I wrote or anything at all.

Like....

IF THIS WAR IS THAT IMPORTANT, ISN'T IT TIME TO BRING BACK THE DRAFT?

9 more soldiers killed yesterday. Vicious attacks by roadside bombs. 3431 soldiers dead as I write this. Many more thousands have suffered injuries the likes of which we wouldn't wish on our worst enemies.

It is long past time to take the blinders off. We are told that what we're doing in Iraq is important. For the sake of argument, let's say that it is important. If so, how could something so important be something that gives new meaning to "idiotic planning" or worse, no real planning at all! From the much smaller than needed amount of troops, to bulletproof vests that didn't work, to ineffective armor on vehicles, to lies about Iraq's connection to 9/11, etc., etc.

This administration talks about our sacrifices and that these sacrifices are necessary to fight the war on terror.

With all due respect, Mr. President, what sacrifices? The only people I see making sacrifices are these poor folks who joined the National Guard to do what they thought would be work involving disasters in the states they were living in. Fires, floods, earthquakes and the like. None of these people thought they'd be used as cannon fodder for a bumbling, fumbling administration the likes of which hasn't been seen in any of our lifetimes.

Buuut...Maybe what we're doing in Iraq is important and we really do need to sacrifice.

Mr. President, please go on national television and tell us what we're trying to accomplish there. I mean, really tell us. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

And then Mr. President, announce the ultimate sacrifice. That you want to reinstate the draft. If that flies, then let's do some real "shock and awe" and win this thing.

If not, let's get the hell out of there.

If neither of the above options is acceptable, let's talk about something else.

IMPEACHMENT!!!!

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. For two days I've stated I would do a piece titled, "Do you remember your first time? I'll do it tomorrow. I promise, I promise, I promise.

EDITOR's NOTE: I write a new blog every morning, Monday through Friday and it's posted between 7 and 7:15. If you click on before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up soon. If you have any comments or suggestions, write to me. scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

Tomorrow:

American Idol thoughts and "first time" recollections.

THE 800-POUND GORILLA IN THE ROOM!

What a difference 24 hours makes. After finishing yesterday's blog, my intention was to write a hoped for "fun" piece that would be titled, "Do You Remember Your First Time?"

Well, I'm still going to do that, but it won't be today. It'll be tomorrow. You see, a number of other stories are just too good to ignore.

Like Paula Abdul's nose.

Did you hear about this? Tonight, Jordin and Blake will try to convince America that they deserve to be the new "American Idol", but all anyone wants to know about is what happened to Paula's nose. Paula says that while trying to avoid stepping on "Tulip", her Chihuahua, Paula fell. A fall that resulted in injuries to her arm, chest, waist all the way down to her hip and a broken nose. We are told that the dog wasn't hurt and that Paula wasn't hurt enough to even think about missing tonight's "American Idol".

WHEW! I don't know about you, but I'm certainly relieved.

Speaking of shows that are usually on Tuesday nights...The season finale of "Boston Legal" was supposed to be on tonight. According to both Los Angeles newspapers, it won't be on. Anybody know WHY?

WE GOT OUR JACK BACK!:

Did you see last night's season finale of "24" on FOX? Now THAT's the Jack Bauer we've grown to know and love. I mean, he was all over the place while doing his super-hero thing and at the end, he even said goodbye to his beloved Audrey. Did his declaration of love bring a tear to your eye? Me neither, but the heroic stuff was cool. Did Terminator Arnold, Die Hard Bruce or Rambo Sly ever bring a tear to your eye? Case closed.

Did you see the season finale of "Heroes" on NBC? One word synopsis. WHEW!

READING TIP:

Paul Brownfield's page one column in today's L.A. Times' Calendar section that's headlined, "Brothers & Sisters, Love and Politics". If you like "Brothers & Sisters", you'll like Paul's column.

POLITICAL ISSUES:

We are hearing more and more about Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. He is someone I've had conversations with and he's a man who makes a lot of sense (most of the time), but he's also a guy who doesn't have the camera "look" and at times he shoots himself in the foot because Ron Paul doesn't have the "sound bite" thing down. Having said all that, here's an invitation to check this candidate out while he (hopefully) learns better communication skills.

THE 800-POUND GORILLA IN THE ROOM!:

Illegal immigration!

A few days ago, the United States Senate put together a proposal that neither side of the illegal immigration argument likes and in most cases, that would be considered a "good" proposal because it would figure to represent fair "compromises".

But the complainers on both sides are howling SO much, one of three things is going to happen to this proposal.

(1) The Senate will throw their hands up in the air, promise to come up with something better down the road and more or less go on to other things.

(2) Address all the arguments by implementing some of them from each side and end up with a proposal that will make people (on both sides) scream even louder!

(3) Address what REALLY is the 800-pound gorilla in the room by stating (and somehow try to legislate) what bothers most legal citizens big time. Make that bigger than big time.

The United States of America is simply too crowded. Illegal immigrant supporters howl that people who are against illegal immigrants are racists, because most of the illegal immigrants appear to be Mexicans.

I want this non-stop infusion of illegal immigrants stopped and I will say that about people from Norway, Canada, Russia or wherever.

I absolutely want anyone who wants to be a citizen to have to learn English! Put a time limit on it. Don't learn English within a certain period of time, we'll escort you to the airport. Let's (hopefully) get back to where we were when we didn't have to listen to long messages about language options when we're trying to reach someone to solve a problem. If I were to choose to move to Mexico or Germany, etc., I would consider myself to be an idiot if I didn't learn Spanish or German, etc. Why should we have to tolerate that in America?

And just because you want to be a citizen, we need to allow all your family members to be citizens as well? Wife, husband, children? If you pass all our tests and we have room for you, fine. Anyone else in your family? Stand in line like everyone else.

If you're illegal and you have a child while you're illegal? That child is illegal as well.

Am I being too tough? Unreasonable?

From where I sit, by having everything rammed down our throats because of the way things are now, I find myself (often) remembering Howard Beale from the great film "Network" who yelled, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"

ROBERT W. MORGAN:

Speaking of guys who could be like Howard Beale...

I worked with the late Hall of Fame broadcaster Robert W. Morgan three different times. Have you noticed the title of this blog? The Jammer With The Hammer? Robert W. Morgan is the guy who nicknamed me, "The Jammer" and he would often refer to me as "The Jammer with the Hammer!"

Nine years ago today, Robert W. Morgan passed away. If there is a heaven, there's no doubt in my mind that Robert W. has already done his best to straighten out a couple of Angels. We miss and love you, bro!

You can check out the 36-minute Robert W. Morgan Boss-Ography video at:
http://www.robertwmorgan.com/

And you can also hear airchecks of his work at:
http://www.reelradio.com/

EDITOR's NOTE: A new blog is posted every morning (Monday-Friday) between 7 and 7:15 Pacific time. If you read this before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up soon. If you have any comments or suggestions, please write to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

Tomorrow:

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TIME?!?

"DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES" LEAVES US HANGING!

First of all, I appreciate all of you who told me what YOUR favorite television show(s) is/are. I've seen every show you mentioned and I don't disagree with you. MY favorite show is "Brothers & Sisters" and they didn't disappoint me in their season finale last night.

But how about the way the season finale of "Desperate Housewives" ended? If you taped it and haven't seen it yet, you might want to skip the rest of this paragraph. We are left with the belief that one of the series' regulars became so distraught with Carlos having left her, that her response was to hang herself. Now we never saw her face, we can never forget that "anything goes" when it comes to a television show, but it looks like Ms. Sheridan is now available to steam up another TV show that's in need of a sexy trouble maker.

By the way, "Desperate Housewives" was believed to have been in a slump before this season began and I think they rebounded nicely.

In the "Brothers & Sisters" season finale we were given things that made us laugh (thank you Garry Marshall), things that made us think, things that surprised us, things that brought tears to our eyes and in the show's final scene, they gave us something that put a big smile on our faces.

Will "24" accomplish that when they have their 2-hour season finale tonight?

After a few episodes of "24" THIS season, a whole lot of complaining was done by loyal fans (including THIS loyal fan) who said (in essence), "WE WANT OUR JACK BACK!"

I don't think the slump began this season. I think it began in LAST season's final episode. A slump that continued into this season and the ratings, while initially high, showed that slump in a way that gets the attention of show producers, sponsors and the network (FOX). NEXT season, we're told that "24" will be different. HOW different? The only cast member who we know will return is Jack Bauer. And it appears that instead of showing us a 24-hour day, each episode will be a show about a different day.

Tonight, we're counting on Jack Bauer to save what has been THIS day and if the last couple of episodes (which have been encouraging) are an indication of what we can expect, we might see two hours of television that people will be talking about tomorrow. Fans of "24" are very passionate fans and if tonight's 2-hours is good, those fans will loudly sing the praises of "24". If tonight's 2-hours is perceived to be disappointing, "24" fans will give the producers of "24" a new definition for the word, "loud".

The season finale of "Heroes" will be on NBC tonight and it will begin when "24" will be beginning their second hour. Ratings watchers will REALLY be looking at THAT.

MOVIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

I saw three films on cable this weekend that I'd like to call your attention to if you haven't seen them yet.

"Beyond the Sea". This 2004 film on TMC is about the late singer Bobby Darin and it stars Kevin Spacey in the title role. Spacey did his own singing and was very good at sounding like Bobby Darin. Kate Bosworth was very good as Sandra Dee and other notable performances were turned in by John Goodman and Bob Hoskins. The critics weren't kind when this film first came out, but I respectfully disagree with those critics. "Beyond the Sea" is not a great film, but (to me) it was a very enjoyable film.

"Clay Pigeons":

I don't remember hearing about this film when it came out in 1998, but this is another film I saw on TMC and Jennifer Aniston's ex-squeeze, Vince Vaughn, plays one of the creepiest SOB's you're ever gonna see. Joaquin Phoenix stars as the guy who wishes he had never met the Vaughn character. Scott Wilson is very good as Sheriff Mooney and Janeane Garofalo is very good as an FBI agent. This film is not about pleasant subject matter, but it's very riveting.

"Running Scared":

I saw this on HBO after Bill Maher's show this past Friday. Another small film I hadn't heard of, but a film that featured a good performance by Paul Walker who plays a character you think is one thing and then is revealed as something totally different. Chaz Palminteri is good as a crooked cop and Vera Farmiga ("The Departed") is terrific as Paul Walker's wife. A number of people die in this film and there are two characters who play very believable sick creeps. One of the actors is Elizabeth Mitchell, but I didn't get the name of her equally creepy husband.

THE RETURN OF GORDON GEKKO:

Did you see the 1987 film, "Wall Street" that starred Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen, among others? Douglas starred as Gordon Gekko who was a ruthless money player who ended up going to jail. A new film titled, "Money Never Sleeps" is about to be made that will show what Gekko, again played by Douglas, is up to now that he's been released from prison. The line about a leopard being unable to change its spots figures to be what we can look forward to seeing.

EDITOR'S NOTE: We post a new blog every morning between 7 and 7:15 Pacific time, Monday through Friday. If you read this before pictures have been added, come back! Pictures will be up in a few minutes. If you have any comments, suggestions, etc., write to me at my home address; scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

TOMORROW:

Do you remember your FIRST time?

IT'S THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION!

Everybody has their own favorite television show. The show that no matter what is going on in your life is a show that you just HAVE to see. Week after week. If you TAPE that show and for some reason you programmed the wrong channel, the wrong time or forgot to hit the "record" button, it's a real day ruiner because it's THE show you HAVE to see!

When I told a good friend of mine that this was going to be my lead story today, he tried to talk me into saying something good about HIS favorite television show, "The Wire", a show I saw once, "didn't get" and I haven't seen it since.

We ARE passionate on/about what is our favorite television show or shows, aren't we? And we make statements like what the headline above states; "It's the BEST show on television!"

Readers of this (still very new) blog know that I watch a lot of television. I've said good things about many television shows, but I don't think I've ever mentioned my favorite show, the show I think is the best show on television.

Drum roll, please...

"Brothers and Sisters" on ABC.

A continuing Sunday night saga of an A-Class dysfunctional family that's the coolest family in the world.

The Walker family.

Presided over by multiple Oscar winner, Sally Field who gives a new definition for the word "wonderful" in her week after week performance(s) as the family matriarch, Nora Walker. And here's what's really amazing. Sally Field wasn't the FIRST choice to play this role. Who WAS? It doesn't matter, because no one but no one could play this role better.

Rob Lowe WAS the first choice to play the "McDreamy" role on "Grey's Anatomy", but he turned it down and sat on the sidelines while "Grey's Anatomy" became a monster hit.

Rob Lowe got another big opportunity when he was offered the role of the Senator who might become President on "Brothers and Sisters" and can anyone imagine a BETTER fit for this role than Rob Lowe? And this hook-up thing Lowe has going with Indiana Jones' main squeeze, Calista Flockhart (Kitty Walker), is a relationship that has evolved into them being the most "too cute for words" adorable couple you've ever seen.

"Brothers and Sisters" has a large cast, but there's not a weak link in the bunch. Whenever ANY of these fine actors is called upon to "bring something to the table", they do it and they do it with style. The other main players are (in no particular order) Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifken, Patricia Wettig, Balthazar Getty, Dave Annable, Matthew Rhys, John Pyper Ferguson, Jane Morris and Emily Van Camp who plays the illegitimate daughter, Rebecca.

This last Sunday, there was one wonderful scene in which the Kitty character (Calista Flockhart) called upon her gay lawyer brother, Kevin (Matthew Rhys) to PLEASE help her do something about a guy who was trying to blackmail her man, the Senator (Rob Lowe). Lowe's character is Republican, Kevin believes Republicans don't favor gay rights, but in a classic case of "blood" ruling the moment, Kevin brings this wannabe blackmailer into his office and "buries" him.

The season finale for "Brothers and Sisters" will be this Sunday night and I can hardly wait, because to me, it's the best show on television.

ABC's DIRTY TRICK:

Did you watch last night's season finale of "Grey's Anatomy"? I had to go to an acting workshop, so I taped "Grey's Anatomy" and I watched it after I got home. I don't have a Tivo, but that wouldn't have helped me in this case. I have more than one regular VCR and I set it to record from 8:55 to 10:05 or 6. I do that to allow a few extra minutes in case the show runs over. Last night's "Grey's Anatomy" lasted until, WHEN?!? 10:15 or so? All I know is that at what would have been 5 or 6 after 10, my tape went blank. If a good show had been scheduled to be on AFTER "Grey's Anatomy", I would have set the tape to play until after 11, but "Lost" was scheduled after last night's "Grey's" and "Lost" has BEEN lost since the end of season one!

Can someone please tell me how "Grey's" ended? I know that George failed his test, but that's about when the tape went off. Is George leaving "Grey's" or did he decide to return as an intern again? Did Alex try to find the good looking patient that Addison was recommending he pursue? Did McDreamy see what might be his new dream "babe" again? Who's the new Chief of Surgery? Did those two doctors ever get married?

ABC, ABC, ABC....Look I know that you people are under a lot of pressure to make sure your commercials are seen and you're doing your best to convince advertisers that viewers really ARE watching their commercials, but couldn't you have at least given us viewers a "heads-up"?

I guess not.

Next season, Kate Walsh (Addison) will be on a new ABC show. "Private Practice". A lot of very good actors will be joining her, so the show has a good chance to succeed.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION:

On Tuesday night's "Boston Legal", there was a terrific trial about illegal immigration. My feelings about illegal immigration have been stated here in the past and I'm here to tell you that while I don't agree with some of the arguments posed by this episode of "Boston Legal", I thought they more than went out of their way to pose every argument one could think of that is on BOTH sides of this very serious debate. If you didn't see the show, look for it when it comes back as a repeat episode. I bring this up because of what happened in our United States Senate yesterday. Something that may or may NOT happen in the House of Representatives.

PRESIDENT BUSH's FRIENDS:

Speaking of politics...Another one of President Bush's pals, Paul Wolfowitz has "resigned" his position as President of the World Bank. Wolfowitz is another one of those "geniuses" who was involved in the early Iraq business.

ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO GONZALEZ:

How much longer is THIS Bush pal gonna last? Did you read that chilling story told by the former Deputy Attorney General (James Cormy) about how Gonazlez (when he was Bush's White House counsel) tried to bypass and undermine the justice department by getting a then very sick and barely coherent Attorney General John Ashcroft to sign off on warrantless wiretaps? I mean, this is something you would expect to see on an episode of "24" and in fact did (somewhat) see in an episode this season involving our fictitious president.

That Gonzalez stunt alone should have people everywhere demanding answers and calling for even more investigations of the gang that can't shoot straight.

If you have any comments, write to me at scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

Editor's note: New blogs are up around 7 (or so) every morning, Pacific time, Monday through Friday. If you see that a new blog is up but there aren't any pictures, come back in a few minutes. They'll be there (here) then. Sometimes a new story is added later.

Monday:

A fun surprise.

AND NOW THERE ARE TWO!

It was a surprising result. Melinda was eliminated from the "American Idol" competition last night. If I had to pick a reason why, I would say her third song killed her. Congratulations to Blake and Jordin who will sing for the title next Tuesday.

I received several notes sent to scottstjames@sbcglobal.net about my Ryan Seacrest observations yesterday. The word "creepy" was used to describe Ryan (by more than one of you) and I was asked if I agree with that assessment? I think it's funny that some people think that about Ryan, I've read that observation in other publications, but it's not an observation I agree with. I've heard of "gay-dar", but now I'll see if I can figure out "creep-dar".

CBS' NEW FALL SCHEDULE:

An actor whose work I admire will headline a new show on CBS, Tuesday night at 10. "Cane", starring Jimmy Smits.

CBS' "Shark", starring James Woods will return, but on a new night. Sunday, at 10. What's interesting about Shark's return is because of the way the last episode ended. Shark's boss, played by Jeri Ryan had just lost an election, meaning that character will no longer BE his boss or in the building. Shark's daughter, played by the wonderful Danielle Panabaker, announced she was moving to New York to go to school and be closer to her mother. And Shark himself admitted to a serial killer about multiple crimes that SHARK had committed to secure the conviction of the serial killer. So what happens when Shark RETURNS to CBS in a few months? Will the Jeri Ryan character be brought back in a subservient role to Shark? Will the Danielle Panabaker character be brought back because "she changed her mind"? And are we supposed to believe that no one but no one will ever find out about all the very serious crimes Shark is guilty of? Look, I know it's just a television show, but if you (CBS) want us to pay attention to these shows (like I do), these are things that a lot of people are going to wonder about.

Speaking of CBS...I wrote about this a few weeks ago, but that idiotic decision to put the show "Jericho" on a very long hiatus came back to haunt CBS. "Jericho" was doing well in the ratings before the long hiatus, but by the time it came back, the viewers had moved on to something else and now "Jericho" has been cancelled. The same thing happened to NBC and "Heroes" when "Heroes" was put on a long hiatus, but NBC renewed "Heroes" for next season.

Other shows cancelled by CBS were "The Class", "The King of Queens" and "Close to Home".

PARIS HILTON:

Good news for Paris Hilton! Her jail sentence has been reduced from 45 days to 23 days and if she follows all the rules while she's in jail, there's a good chance her sentence will be reduced even more. The bad news is that she IS going to jail and unless you've done time, one can't imagine what something like this will be like in the way of a "life adjustment". That would be true for anyone, but especially for one who has spent her life being pampered and catered to.

Now here's the 500-pound gorilla that will be ever present in the same jail that will be occupied by Paris Hilton. The person or persons who somehow get photos of Hilton in jail and sell them to tabloids. We're hearing figures that are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. But the really BIG money figures to be for the story her jail bunkmate can tell.

Speaking of paparazzi faves and folks who ARE familiar with jail, I call your attention to the Long Island Lolita (Amy Fisher) and Joey Buttafuoco. Those two had a hot affair going on in 1992, but things got cold when when Amy shot Mary Jo (who happened to be Joey's wife) in the head which resulted in Amy spending some time in jail. As did Joey, but later, and for different criminal activity.

Fast forward to 2007. During Joey's most recent stint in jail, Amy made contact with Joey. After several conversations, one thing led to another, Joey got out of jail and they've decided to date again. He's now 53 and she's now 32 which means in 1992, oh, never mind.

They had their first date last night, the tv show "The Insider" was there and you'll be able to see this wonderful couple on "The Insider" tonight. We're told that a TV producer is shopping a reality show about Amy and Joey and we can't help but be reminded of words stated by promoter Don King, who said, "Only in America!"

We end on a serious note.

JERRY FALLWELL:

He was an interesting guy, he was in the news a lot and he died a couple of days ago.

Jerry Falwell preached about a number of things I didn't agree with, but he was never involved in a scandal which is commendable for a televangelist. I never met him, but those who had met him told me he was fun to be around. And yes, I hear the same things about President Bush.

Editor's note: If the pictures aren't up when you see that a new blog has been written, come back in a few minutes. They'll be up then. Within the following hour or so, you might also see a new story which is what happened today.

If you have any comments, feel free to write to me. scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

Tomorrow:

Kate Walsh and the "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff.

RYAN SEACREST NEEDS TO REMEMBER WHAT HE IS!

Last night on "American Idol", the three remaining contestants sang three songs. The first one was picked by Simon, Paula and Randy, the second one was picked by the A.I. producers and the third was picked by the three singers. Jordin sang first and was followed by Blake and Melinda. Simon picked Jordin's first song, Paula picked Blake's first song and Randy picked Melinda's first song.

The results of the voting will be announced tonight. The final two will sing for the right to be the next American Idol, a week from last night.

On a scale of 1-10, I'll show you how I voted. The first number next to each name will represent their first song followed by numbers for their second and third songs.

Jordin: 6, 6, 7

Blake: 5, 5, 5

Melinda: 6, 6, 7

If I'm right, Jordan and Melinda will sing for the title next week.

But there was something else that caught my attention about last night's show. The performance of Ryan Seacrest.

Because this blog is read in areas other than (just) Los Angeles, for those people, I'm going to present a little back story before getting to what I saw last night.

In addition to hosting American Idol and his involvement in other television ventures, Ryan Seacrest was known here as a radio broadcaster. A radio broadcaster who was (my term) "Vanilla Deluxe".

That's not an insult. Ryan Seacrest's idol, Dick Clark, made an on-camera career out of being "Vanilla Deluxe". And behind the scenes, Dick Clark built an empire.

Because of the success of "American Idol", a radio conglomerate decided to hire Ryan Seacrest to host the morning show on KIIS-FM here, a show that was then being hosted by legendary and Hall of Fame broadcaster, Rick Dees. This was the result of an ugly behind the scenes contract dispute involving Dees.

Hey, it's business. Stuff like this happens all the time.

Because Rick Dees is a friend of mine, I didn't like what happened. I didn't blame Ryan. He was simply at the right place, at the right time and he was bringing instant recognition to the radio station because of his hosting duties on the hottest television show in the country.

Rick Dees was and is a host and a comedic entertainer.

Ryan Seacrest is a host. A "Vanilla Deluxe" host. Just like his idol, Dick Clark.

Full disclosure: I've never met Ryan, but I'm indebted to Dick Clark because he wrote a letter that got me my biggest break on a television show.

I'll tell that whole story another time.

Because of my friendship with Rick Dees, I didn't listen to Ryan Seacrest when he first went to KIIS-FM. And I wasn't alone. A lot of radio people here in L.A. reacted with, "Whaaat?" when Seacrest got that gig.

One day, while being fully prepared to dislike what I was hearing, I listened to Seacrest on KIIS-FM. After the show was over I called my friend Don Barrett, publisher of LARadio.com and told him I was surprised what I was about to say, but after hearing all the criticism and then (finally) hearing Seacrest for myself, I was of the belief that Seacrest and his "Vanilla Deluxe" persona might work. Not as well as what Dees had done, but that was something no one was ever going to do anyway. But I thought that Seacrest had the ability to "hold" an audience as long as he continued to do what he was doing. And that was being good at "staying out of the way". "Vanilla Deluxe".

How does this relate to what happened on American Idol last night?

In my view, Ryan Seacrest (in noticeable moments) forgot what he is. It was like he woke up and decided he's MORE than he is. When Simon Cowell asked Ryan, "Are you drunk?", I knew EXACTLY what Simon was talking about.

Ryan, you're the HOST! We're tuning in to watch the singers and to hear what the judges have to say. You're "Vanilla Deluxe", it suits you, it has made you a lot of money, it has gotten you a lot of fame and the sky is the limit for you. Just like it was for Dick Clark. IF...You remember what you ARE!

ABC's new fall schedule:

ABC announced their new season yesterday. Some highlights include the addition of the "Grey's Anatomy" spin-off, "Private Practice" which will air Wednesday night's at 9. Do you remember the old ABC show, "The Practice"? It starred Dylan McDermott. McDermott will be the lead guy in a new show called, "Big Shots" which will air after "Grey's Anatomy" on Thursday nights. A couple of other new shows with interesting titles are "Dirty Sexy Money", "Cashmere Mafia" and "Women's Murder Club".

Among the shows that were cancelled by ABC are, "George Lopez" and "What About Brian". "According to Jim" is not on the fall schedule, but it might be brought back as a mid-season replacement. Full disclosure: I have a rooting interest in that show because they have used me on a good number of episodes.

The new FOX schedule will be announced today, but we already know that "24" will be back for at least TWO more seasons, but next season (we're told) will be "different". HOW different? Right now, the only cast member that we know will return is the Jack Bauer character played by Kiefer Sutherland. The show will include a new non-Los Angeles location, the story might be told from two locations and the "one day" thing will end. Which means, what? Apparently, a new story every week, but "24" producers sound like they're not sure WHAT they're going to do other than try to find a NEW way to thrill us. This season's season finale of "24" will be a 2-hour show next Monday.

Speaking of season finales...The season finale of "Bones" will be on FOX just before "American Idol" tonight and the season finales of "Criminal Minds" and CSI: NY will be on CBS tonight.

If you have any comments, feel free to write me at my home e-mail address: scottstjames@sbcglobal.net

Tomorrow:

"American Idol" results and thoughts along with a surprise.

IF YOU WANT THE PRICE OF GAS TO GO DOWN...

President Bush is making a lot of noise about wanting higher fuel efficiency in the vehicles we drive. Seeing as how a lot of experts say the world is running out of oil and that there is a scandal waiting to explode regarding 100,000 to 300,000 barrels A DAY unaccounted for in Iraq for the last FOUR YEARS, what President Bush is advocating is one of those, "Duh, YEAH!" proposals that unfortunately we'll remain skeptical about until it happens.

This Iraq missing oil business amounts to something in the neighborhood of $5 MILLION to $15 MILLION a day for the last four years. Go ahead. Do the math. Some of that money is money that was supposed to pay for this idiotic war in Iraq. And like everything else about that mess, our "Brownie, you're doing a great job!" people in Iraq have been unable to keep their eyes on the prize. The oil. Or have they? And that's an even scarier thought.

Here's the deal gang. Gas prices continue to go up. $4 a gallon or more here in the Los Angeles area. Experts believe the best way to reduce oil consumption is to keep raising the price until we (the people) say, "Enough!" and start driving less.

But here's a way we could START to conserve! By getting rid of these trucks, SUV's or whatever you want to call what has replaced a CAR. I mean, who really NEEDS these monstrosities. Getting a truck of some kind has led a lot of people to then get a bigger truck and then...Well, it looks like it's one of those keeping up with your neighbors kind of thing, right?
OR...Is it perhaps more like these sexual enhancement ads we're bombarded with where we're convinced that not only is bigger better, bigger is the ONLY thing that's accepted?

Well how about these BIGGER gas prices?

And before I switch to entertainment stuff which is further down this page, let me bring up something entertainment related to make a point.

Are any of you familiar with a film in the 50's, "The Rainmaker" which starred Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn? No? To be honest, neither am I, but I think it was about a con man type who had everyone believing he could make it rain and at the end, he got lucky when it DID rain.

President Bush, right? Except for the luck part? Well, yeah, but the people who made me think of this are these highly paid talk show guys and gals who do this administration's bidding by constantly telling us it's going