It happened to be on while I was working on some things so I heard parts of it. I've got a few thoughts: When someone is going for an alleged talent competition, shouldn't they have some talent? Why aren't they screened a bit before that? Many of these people are going on there just to get on the pre-show and get some sympathy. What's the saying, don't cry for me Argentina? Secondly, this is NOT a talent competition. It's a popularity contest. Well proven over and over again. William Hung, (was that his name?) was popular certainly not talented. But then again, how many can honestly say Bob Dylan is talented in singing? He can write, but with his voice, *I* should go into show business!! Remember Sanjaya Malekai (sp?) Not a great singer but he knocked out many better singers by what? POPULARITY! Simon Cowell even felt so threatened that he said if Sanjaya won, he'd quit the show. Cowell is the "villain" on the show and every show like this needs a villain. People love to hate. There's no question about that. In many forums I'm the one people love to hate! LOL So, not unlike Lex Luthor, Catwoman, Mr. Moriarty, Mr. Metaxa or the others, people have a need to hate. It makes many people happy to hate. The one guy who was so upset that he had to wait and got that Kara? gal so upset was interesting. I'm surprised nobody else saw a resemblance to Christopher Reeve, especially with the glasses. But she went nuts. And Cowell even changed his mind and voted for him! Perhaps to irritate the other judge?? Lastly, there's times people need to be blunt. Some people need to be told things they don't want to hear. Maybe it's not "nice" but pulling a bandage off a wound can't always be "nice". Maybe if they had public floggings for the losers, fewer people would try to get in there just to get their 30 seconds of "fame"? :) Sometimes, if there's nothing else on, I'll watch the last 1/2 dozen episodes of Idol. So often good people get booted, ala Jennifer Hudson. But that's part of the show. I do think many people try to vote out the good people. There's been times I actually voted... just to try to bump someone I didn't like, and to promote someone I felt sorry for and/or liked.

I had to go to the AGT website to read Grace's 'story', as I didn't remember hearing or seeing it at all. Apparently she's quite the musical prodigy. But perhaps she would come across a little better when she gets a little older and her voice has a chance to develop more. I always try to imagine myself in one of the judges' seats (yes, pompous, I know), and 'judge' by the quality of the performance, not by my personal likes or dislikes. That's harder to do then one would think! My personal tastes always win out! And that's why I wasn't bothered in the least by the 'glitzy suit' performer being sent home. The background stories are influential, too, Although sometimes I think they dramatize and overplay the sob stories more than they should. But you can't help but admire someone who's pulled themselves up by their boot straps, and is doing their best to have a positive influence on life. They deserve the chance. The talent on this show seems to get better every year! I'd be willing to bet a dollar to a hole in a donut that a number of the contestants will be discovered and move on to bigger and better things, regardless of how they finish up here. Rusty

My mistake, 'Creepy' did go through. I guess there are those who like that type of thing, but I'm not one of them. To me she seems, I don't know, depressing? Sinister? Even kind of evil. And she did win in Asia. I've got mixed emotions about someone winning the show in one country, then coming to another country and entering the same show. Doesn't really seem quite fair to me. And I've always had a question in my mind about rules for contestants. I wonder what, if any, qualifications they have to meet in order to audition. The group that got the Golden Buzzer were fantastic! I can easily see them winning the whole thing! And I actually laughed out loud at the lady stand-up comedian, she was really funny! I have seen trained cats before, once at Fiesta Texas, and once in a Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey circus matinee. But neither act was any where near as good as last night's cats were. Looks like some really tough competition this year! Rusty

I have to admit, I agreed with Simon on the X for the Ukranian couple, I didn't like the act at all. The man's flexibility, contortionism, or whatever it's called, is absolutely incredible! I just didn't like the act, the way it was presented. And I don't know why, it was original, contortionists usually perform alone, so that in itself was unique. But for some reason, it's very hard for me to watch when someone twists their body all around like that, it hurts. It will be interesting to see what they do next. Rusty