Here's this week's column.

The nice thing about American Idol (as it relates to posting entries) is that I don’t have to be too careful about spoiling the show for someone else.

They perform. I write. OK… OK… I also vote, but I try to keep that part a secret.

So we’re down to the final three and it’s actually pretty interesting this year.

We’ve got Carrie. She is BY FAR the most vocally talented. However, her showmanship often has a lot to be desired. We’ve got Bo. He is by far the most charismatic and, as growlers go, his voice is decent. Finally, we’ve got V who can belt some notes but also has a propensity to find quite a few bum notes too. She’s really the middle.

So it’s coming down to style or substance. What I’ve found interesting, though, is the judges’ reactions. If I were a record producer and had to manage the career of one of the final three, there would be no doubt whom I would choose. However, the judges never seem to show Carrie the love of someone who is clearly the best singer out there. Randy, as usual, heaps praise on V. Last night he even said something ridiculous like “I still believe you’re one of the better contestants left.” Uh… Randy… we know that you like to push your cause, but come on; that just isn’t true.

Perhaps the economics are better for the producers/show if Carrie *doesn’t* win. Is this another Clay/Ruben situation? Clay was going to sell records no matter what. As such, they’re glad for Ruben to win so that he’ll sell records purely because he’s the American Idol.

All I know is that, as a singer, Carrie is in a league above the other two. She’s already had more than one song that could have played on the air and that’s without studio producing. Furthermore, she’s sung that well live and with a do-or-die pressure on her. Image if they get her into a studio.

One final question: does Randy really need to be as biased as he is? Two of the last three winners have been African-American. Isn’t that proof that America is doing it on their own? Or, is Randy’s pushing just working? All I know is that, if you watched the season, his ability to find “pitch-y-ness” was highly correlated to the skin color of the contestant.

Here’s the problem: it’s not that I’ve run out of things to say. Trust me; I’m as opinionated as ever. The real problem is that my rhythm is out of whack. No, I’m not talking about my near-metronomic ability to hit the beat. I’m talking about the rhythm of life – the routine that keeps me regular. I’m talking about life’s fiber, the Metamucil that helps free the crap words you read here. Who do I blame? Senseo!

Oh sure – I love my Senseo and now that I’ve found some coffee replacements for the crap they sell in the grocery stores, it’s the perfect little device.

However it’s thrown off my life.

Before the Senseo I had a daily schedule. I would get up. I would go to Larry’s Market to get my Peet’s latte, my chocolate-covered gummy bears, and the daily groceries. I would then head to Mikies for my bagel.

Upon return I would write.

Lacking this routine I’m lost. I’ve yet to incorporate the Senseo into a good routine. To make matters worse, video card problems have forced me to move to another desk in the house.

I’m a mess but I’m going to try to move forward here. Wish me luck.

It's been nearly a week and I still can't tell if "Amazon Prime" is the best thing since sliced bread or a device used to torture me.

More and more I find myself wishing for a magic button that would remove all non-prime goods. Short of that -- I wish that there was a "Related Prime Item" button.