The article notes that Parker was plucked by Disney to star in the 1950s series after appearing in the giant-ant horror classic, “Them!” Details of Parker’s career and post-Hollywood life, including efforts in real estate and wine making, can be found by clicking here.

It was bound to happen — and sooner than later — but that doesn’t make it any better. Lacey Brown and her sweet voice were sent packing Wednesday night, the first casualties of the “now they’re all singing together” boys and girls Top 12 mash up.

Let me go on the record: I think the “judges save” option “Idol” tossed in a few years ago is cruel. For starters, there’s no chance the judges are going to use it on the first night, so that means that whoever gets voted off by America is set up to be rejected twice. And then there’s the fact that the judges are not even paying attention to the performance — the “Idol” cameras close in on them smirking and joking while a contestant is on stage singing for his or her life.

I do like that the exiting contestant gets the choice of which of their past performances they’d like to repeat, and I enjoyed hearing Lacey’s rendition of “The Story” again. But the judge’s save option is clearly just a tool for the producers to say, at some point, “Yeah, America, we hear you, but this contestant is ‘too pretty/popular/good for the show’ to let go, so no.”

Anyhow, America, enjoy watching/listening to goofy Tim Urban caterwaul through another embarrassing performance next week. You’ve earned it.

Katie Stevens, for instance, should have been gone weeks ago, but the producers keep putting her center stage and the tweens in the crowd go nuts when she so much as bats a precocious, overly-confident eyelash.Casey James is being positioned as a sex bomb, but Lee Dewyze’s sensitive-guy act is playing gangbusters on the Internet. Lilly Scott’s untimely and probably unjust departure gives Siobhan Magnus more latitude to get weirder and weirder.

So, while this season is not particularly entertaining as a singing competition, it is relatively interesting as a science project.

Clearly, I can’t get no satisfaction. Here’s the roundup:

Michael Lynche, “Miss You.”
Lynche seems more and more like the guy to beat, doesn’t he? His high-register performance was enlightening, and didn’t leave the judges asking, “What’s a matter witchoo, boy?”
“At some point I’m going to be disappointed, but not yet,” Ellen.
Grade: B

Did Benami, “Play with Fire.”
Wow, Didi goes dark. Okay, we won’t play with you this week, and we hope Seacrest keeps his mitts off of you, too.
“That was one of your best performances. You’re on fire,” Randy
Grade: B-

Casey James, “It’s All Over Now.”
Here comes my 19th nervous breakdown. This was tuneless, the guitar playing was unspectacular and Casey’s voice sounded weak and thin.
“For me, that was like an audition performance,” Simon
Grade: C

Lacey Brown, “Ruby Tuesday.”
I’ll hang a name on you, Lacey: Underachiever. This song kind of sounded like it could have been performed in the lounge of a Ruby Tuesday’s and the speeding up of “still I’m gonna’ miss you” smacked of gimmickry. Not my favorite performance from one of my favorite performers.
“It was 50-50 for me,” Kara
Grade: C+

Andrew Garcia, “Gimmee Shelter.”
Nobody’s giving you anything, Andrew. You’ve got to earn it. I’m about ready to admit that i was wrong about Andrew. If he can’t pull it together, and fast, he really will be this season’ Danny Gokey.
“It was just pitchy everywhere, it wasn’t great,” Randy
Grade: C-

Katie Stevens, “Wild Horses.”
Finally a decent performance from the little filly. What else is there to say? She is very … competent.
“You made some nice variations on the melody,” Kara
Grade: B-

Tim Urban, “Under My Thumb.”
You know what’s under my thumb, reggae mon? The fast forward button on my remote. That was a big mistake.
“I felt like I was at a resort, drinking a pina colada,” Ellen
Grade: D

Siobhan Magnus, “Paint it Black.”
The Mad Magazine version of this would be called “Paint it Blechh.” Mine too, kinda. The judges went nuts over this, but I thought it was weird, screechy and not great (and I’m a big fan). And I’m not sure a comparison to Adam Lambert a particularly good thing.
“It was the standout performance of the night,” Kara
Grade: C-

Lee Dewyze, “Beast of Burden.”
Lee is totally playing the sensitive guy card and, according to Twitter trending topics, it’s totally working. Bonus: it sounded like Lee finally hit most of the notes.
“Dude I thought it was dope,” Randy
Grade: B-

Paige Miles, “Honkey Tonk Woman.”
She blew some notes and didn’t blow my mind. Or, probably, her chances. Suffering from laryngitis, Paige found her voice. Kinda’.
“You did alright with it; I liked it,” Randy
Grade: C

Aaron Kelly, “Angie.”
I was really expecting to hate this and ended up liking it quite a lot. I’m not a fan, but the judges were right in praising Aaron’s song choice. But what’s with all the “sittin’ on the staircase singing” performances? I know they’ve got a big, new set and everything, but I can totally see the producers saying, “the staircase is cool! get them to use the staircase more!”
“I beat you up last week, but you showed me this week,” Kara
Grade: B

Crystal Bowersox, “Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
It wasn’t inspired, but I guess I can’t always get what I — oh, never mind. Man, Crystal can sing, but I have to take half a grade off because she gave a shout-out to someone in the crowd with a “Mama Sox” sign. Man, that’s annoying. Please don’t embrace that; it will make me like you less.
“This was the first time when I think you were beaten by someone,” Simon
Grade: B

Should go: Tim Urban Will go: Tim Urban

Check out the list of bands playing on Fox 7 and KXAN by clicking here.

Besides special agent Jim Phelps, Graves portrayed a Nazi spy in 1953’s “Stalag 17” and had a career-reviving role as Clarence Oveur in 1980’s disaster spoof, “Airplane!” His first TV role was on the Australian-filmed children’s show, “Fury,” about an orphan and his wild horse.

“Project Runway”
In the alternate timeline, “Project: Runway” is called “Project: Run, Away,” which combines designing clothing with the action-packed drama of “The Running Man.”

Each week, designers attempt to design outfits that allow them to travel a course around New York the fastest. The twist is that each week, they have to design for another designer, so each designer wants to make something that could potentially slow someone else down, knowing that, in turn, someone is also designing something to slow them down. Their only ally is host Tim “Gun” Gunn, who provides them with design advice and small arms. They are pursued each week by a panel of judges trying to kill them: Michael Kors travels by private car service; his car has a turret shaped like his head from which he lobs Molotov cocktails which he calls “constructive criticism.”

Nina Garcia gives contestants misinformation through the Marie Claire website; contestants never know if she is on their side or not. Heidi Klum tries to kill the designers via helicopter; “The Ride of the Valkyries” plays whenever she is on the screen. Contestants are “safe” for the week if they complete the circuit around the city in one hour without being killed - last designer standing wins. This becomes the most popular show of all time.
— Joe Gross

“The Tonight Show”
In the alternate timeline for this show, frequent “Tonight Show” guest host Jay Leno hid in a closet to eavesdrop on a meeting of NBC bigwigs who were planning to install David Letterman, instead of him, to replace the retiring Johnny Carson. Unfortunately for Leno, failed Fox late night host Chevy Chase was already hiding inside. The pair was discovered when Leno, in the dark, stepped on Chase’s foot, leading him to execute a pratfall and yell, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” Letterman got the “Tonight Show” and Leno started a competing show at CBS. Dave routinely trounced Jay in the ratings until a Hollywood prostitute appeared on Leno’s CBS show in 1995 to beg public forgiveness for her indiscretions with actor Hugh Grant.

Letterman’s “Tonight Show” never recovered in the ratings and a second round of late night wars broke out in 2009 when NBC convinced the still-living Carson to come out of retirement and reclaim the “Tonight Show” desk. Denizens of the Internet quickly pledged their allegiance to either Team Dave or Team Johnny. The disenfranchised Letterman is currently mulling a revolutionary move to a 9 p.m. weekday prime time slot; Conan O’Brien still hosts “Late Night,” Craig Ferguson follows Jay on CBS; and Jimmy Fallon flips burgers at a Carl’s Jr. in Joplin, Missouri, where he regularly cracks himself up.
— Dale Roe

“Damages”
Patty Hewes has decided to forsake her high-powered work as a plaintiffs attorney and goes to work as counsel for a small environmental non-profit in upstate New York. When her two employees call in sick on April Fool’s Day, she is left to manage the office on her own. She realizes she must make her own coffee, but she is helpless in her search for the filters. Cut to two months later: There is a coffee deliveryman exiting from his van on the street below her office window. Patty calls into the lobby to see if anyone can buzz him up. As she makes her way to her office door to see why nobody has responded, two grackles fly at her. Racing from them, she falls from the office window and wakes up to discover she is still in bed. But it’s now seven months earlier and she’s forgotten to ‘fall back’ an hour, so she is late for work. She calls a car service to pick her up and take her to work, but when nobody answers, Uncle Pete’s voice comes on the voicemail. She slams the receiver down as a knock comes at her door. She opens it to find only a newspaper with a picture of Ellen Parsons staring back at her. The caption reads, “Ellen Parsons and Tom Shayes know what you did.” Suddenly, Rip Torn appears and dumps a bucket of confetti on her head. Patty begins to cry. But coffee has replaced her tears.
— Matthew Odam

“30 Rock”
In the alternate timeline for “30 Rock,” Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), never having found success as the head writer for “TGS,” is stuck doing scripts for B-movies. She’s hired by mega-star rapper/actor Tracy Jordan to write a film adaptation of Jordan’s hit song “Werewolf Bah Mitzvah,” where she meets Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski), who is cast as the werewolf’s love interest. Frustrated by Jordan’s insistence of staying in werewolf character throughout the production, Lemon quits to develop her own comedy show. She invites Maroney to join her, and the two approach microwave mogul Jack Donaghy, who Maroney knows through her work on microwave infomercials, to fund the project. The pilot is picked up by NBC, but Donaghy insists that the show can only continue if Jordan, who has signed with Donaghy as a microwave spokesman, joins the cast and the name is changed from “The Girlie Show” to “Werewolf Bah Mitzvah Hour.” Lemon refuses to cooperate and quits, and Donaghy instead hires trucker-hat wearing Frank (Judah Friedlander) as head writer. Lemon signs a contract to air the show on an internet television station run by Kenneth Parcell, who has found a wide-reaching audience with his online show “Gold Case.” The show becomes a runaway hit. Lemon meets world-famous archer Pete Hornberger at the Emmy Awards; the two marry, move to Cleveland and have three children.
— Peter Mongillo

I will post links here to the panel reviews I publish over there. Got it?

Here’s a review of a panel I just attended called “How Sci-Fi Shapes the Internet.” It was presented by Adria Richards of butyoureagirl.com and attended by about 200 festival-goers.

Fox has a street campaign going on around the fringes of the South by Southwest Interactive festival. If you see several guys wearing business suits and riding bikes, chances are good they’re promoting the new Fox comedy “Sons of Tucson.”

Of course, you probably got that from the helmets and large bike flag’s emblazoned with the show’s title. It’s a funny gimmick, but it’s not usually a good sign when your promotion is funnier than your show.

“Sons of Tucson” hits Fox on Sunday night.

Are you happy now, “Idol” judges? Remember how I chastised you after Tuesday’s show — how I told you that you weren’t doing Lilly Scott any favors by continuing to indulge her “quirkiness?”

Thanks a lot. Now I’ve got at least one-more week of listening to 60-year-old lounge singer trapped in a 16-year-old-body Katie Stevens.

Sigh.

Maybe I’m just cranky because I fared so poorly in the guessing game this week. Here’s what I predicted:

Girls
Should go: Katie Stevens, Paige Miles
Will go: Paige Miles, Lacey Brown

Guys
Should go: Todrick Hall, Andrew Garcia
Will go: Todrick Hall, Aaron Kelly

This week’s eliminated contestants are Katelyn Epperly, Lilly Scott, Todrick Hall and Alex Lambert, making me 1 for 4. Ouch. (It’s all about me, you know).

Scott’s elimination was certainly the surprise of the night. Week after week, the judges have built her up as a front-runner and the one to beat. They went so far as to call her a game-changer, saying that from this point out, future contestants would feel free to embrace their quirk and be themselves.

Not if they want to win, apparently.

I liked Scott okay, but I was never on her bandwagon the way the “Idol” judges were. I think Simon finally realized just how badly he and his fellow judges were setting Scott up when he finally questioned her horrible Tuesday song choice (“I Fall to Pieces”).

Scott appeared completely shocked and then really angry when Ryan Seacrest announced her departure. Asked to explain America’s vote, she all but said that she had done exactly what the judges asked and received zero constructive criticism.

Her ouster finally managed to wring some emotion out of stoic front-runner Crystal Bowersox, whose face was scrunched up in an unsuccessful “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry” grimace. I’m not sure if Bowersox was genuinely sad to see her only real competition go — realizing that she now had to spend weeks with all these other tools — or if she suddenly realized that if Scott could be sent packing, she could very possibly be next. Whatever. There was something especially sad about seeing her break down like that.

I wasn’t too surprised by the other eliminations. I suspected Hall would be ousted, but I think his departure, along with Scott’s, is setting up a mighty bland rest-of-the-season. I’m okay with Epperly and Lambert leaving (and I’m actually glad that Miles and, especially, Brown survived) but Katie Stevens … you’re on notice.

Here’s what I wrote about this week’s exiting competitors:

Next week your Top 12 take on The Rolling Stones. Yikes.

Did America make the right call? Did your favorite get dismissed? Who should go next? Sound off!

The Wrap is reporting that Conan O’Brien’s “Legally Prohibited From Being Funny on Television Tour” will hit Austin on May 14.

The tour, kicking off April 12 in Eugene, Oregon, is expected to last two months and land the ousted “Tonight Show” host in up to 30 cities. The performances will consist of “a night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence,” the article says, and will feature sidekick Andy Richter and members of O’Brien’s “Tonight Show” band.

O’Brien will perform at the Austin Music Hall. Ticket packages range from $39.50 to a whopping $695 for a meet-and-greet package which includes: Front row center orchestra ticket; meet & greet; photo opportunity; autographed item; access to sound check; pre-show cocktail reception; parking (where available); exclusive merchandise item; collectible laminate; onsite event management staff.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Unfortunately, it was the extended “Iron Man 2” trailer that ran in the middle of — and served as a welcome respite from — the main event; The “Idol” guys were pretty much as lame as you’d expect. I mean, okay … there was a lot of improvement, but still: Does anybody really stand out in this crowd? Do you honestly think that any of these lunks has a chance to beat any of the slightly more talented female contestants? Would any of them still be here at this point in any other season you can remember?

Okay, maybe Michael Lynche, who seems to be the real deal. Lynche aside, I don’t understand all of the accolades for these performances from judges, viewers and the press. I seem to be the odd man out.

Let’s get to it:

Variety reports that an impending announcement will mark the end of the show’s eight-season run on Fox. Critical drubbing, along with rising production costs and “diminishing returns” are cited in the article as probable factors for the cancellation.

But just as Jack Bauer has often risen from the grave, there are possible avenues for an extension of the franchise, including feature films or a move to another network (NBC has expressed interest).

What do you think? Is it time for jack to pack? How would the concept translate to a 90-minute film?

Sound off!

Pavelka, who went on to be chosen for “The Bachelor,” sent fans of that show into a tizzy by choosing Vienna Girardi over Tenley Molzahn on the show’s March 1 finale.

Hayden, a country musician who clashed with Pavelka on their season of “The Bachelorette,” told Life & Style magazine that he doesn’t think Pavelka and Girardi’s relationship is geuine.

“Do I think there’s going to be a marriage? I highly doubt it,” Hayden says in the magazine. “He said to me, ‘The reason I’m on the show is I want America to fall in love with me so I can be the next Bachelor.’”

One other note: it was really annoying how Kara kept throwing it back to the contestants … it seems kind of cruel to trash someone’s performance and then turn around and ask them how they feel about it. That’s Seacrest’s job (well, that and manhandling Didi Benami).

Okay, here’s this week’s roundup:

The plot line of the show, created by “Lost’s” J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and University of Texas alumnus Roberto Orci, finally caught fire this season after a fairly mind-blowing and risky revelation that the entire first season was basically a set-up. A cliffhanger of sorts in the last regular episode to air has set up an interesting dynamic between Dr. Walter Bishop and his son, Peter, which will play out when the series returns for the remainder of its second season episodes on (no fooling!) April 1.

Executive producer Jason Katims said in the EW story that there was not enough story material to keep Landry around, but added that he hoped Plemons would return for some guest spots in the soon-to-film fifth season.

According to their bios on Sonic’s Facebook page for the commercials, Brandon Ime Nsekpong, 20, is a computer science student at Concordia University. Laurie Garrett, 20, is a music fan who loves rapping.

You can see the commercials on YouTube.

The result was that everyone pretty much upped their game, with a few notable exceptions. Last week I was 1 for 3, but America (mostly) got it right this week, meaning that, by and large, all y’all ‘Idol’ voters more closely agreed with me. The result? This week I was 3 for 4.

Here’s what I predicted:

Guys
Should go: Todrick Hall, John Park
Will go: John Park, Jermaine Sellers

Girls
Should go: Haeley Vaughn, Didi Benami
Will go: Haeley Vaughn, Lacey Brown

This week’s eliminated contestants are John Park, Jermaine Sellers, Haeley Vaughn and Michelle Delamor.

I have to admit that Delamor’s denouncing caught me by surprise. Her performance was not as bad as the judges made it out to be, but she was very static and, as I pointed out, boring. I guess she never made an emotional connection with the audience.

Still, I am pleasantly surprised that both Didi Benami and Lacey Brown live to sing another week. Neither of them will win this competition, but Benami’s got an interesting voice (but an annoying penchant for tearing up — maybe she’s afraid Seacrest is going to grope her again) and I think Brown just needs one home-run performance to connect with voters.

Here’s what I wrote about this week’s losing competitiors:

It’ll get harder to guess who America will send home now, especially on the girls’ side, where the playing field has kind of leveled off.

Did America make the right call? Did your favorite get dismissed? Who should go next? Sound off!

“I know how sick you are over the past 24 hours. I completely misunderestimated you,” Simon said after her performance.

I think I overestimated Simon. Aren’t the Brits supposed to have a better handle on the English language than we American slugs? They invented it, after all.

Okay, enough pointless chatter … I’m beginning to sound like an “Idol” judge! Let’s get to the performances:

Crystal Bowersox
“Long As I Can See the Light”
Wow, I like Creedence and I really liked Crystal’s soulful version of this song. She is not only totally comfortable on stage, she’s almost oblivious to the goofy showbiz happening around her — she just steps on stage and goes into the zone. And she never misses a note. Not one.

What the judges said:
“I love that girl; that girl is hot!” Randy
“That is pure, raw, natural talent,” Ellen
“You completely recovered from last week,” Kara
“I think we’ve got a really serious artist with you. Congratulations,” Simon
My grade: A

Haeley Vaughn
“The Climb”
Hmm. Two strikes. It’s not that Haeley’s song choice was so bad, but her performance as horrible. And that’s a shame, because I really like Haeley. Maybe she just has one or two songs that she can sing well, and she used them up in auditions and during Hollywood week. This really ought to be the week that Haeley goes home.

What the judges said:
“It was excruciating,” Randy
“I did not feel you connected to the song,” Ellen
“You need about a year of really strengthening your instrument,” Kara
“It was a complete and utter mess,” Simon
My grade: D

Lacey Brown
“Kiss Me”
I’m afraid Lacey’s in trouble, too. I thought she did a great job with this song and that she let a lot of her personality shine through. Of course, she is doomed because she actually took the judges’ advice by singing the song they recommended she sing. Oh, Lacey … if you take their advice they’ll rip you for it. If you ignore their advice, they’ll rip you for it. It’s hard out there for an “Idol.” I think Lacey’s problem is that she just doesn’t seem to “fit,” somehow. Maybe she seems older than the other contestants, I don’t know. But I’ll be sad if she’s sent home.

What the judges said:
“You didn’t bring anything to it,” Randy
“I thought it was adorable,” Ellen
“You have to step it up from here,” Kara
“I think it was marginally better than last week,” Simon
My grade: B-

Katie Stevens
“Put Your Records On”
Okay, I know exactly what Katie’s problem is: she sounds old. Remember when the judges suggested she sing something “younger?” She can’t. Close your eyes and play this youthful song back: doesn’t Katie sound like she’s in her 30s or 40s? Katie could sing the “Barney & Friends” theme song and sound like some smokey jazzstress. It’s her blessing and her curse. But mostly, on this show, her curse.

What the judges said:
“There were some bright moments in there,” Randy
“I don’t want to hear something I would hear in my dentist’s office,” Ellen
“I’m still waiting for that moment for you,” Kara
“I think actually you’ll stay around for another week,” Simon
My grade: C+

Didi Benami
“Lean On Me”
I really thought Didi was unfairly criticized for that Ingrid Michaelson song she sang last week, but now I am starting to get it. In a week when just about everybody seemed to get better, Didi just kind of stayed the same. She’s got talent, but not a lot of soul — at least not Bill Wither’s-style soul — and I’m afraid she’s a little out of her league. But here’s my real question: what’s up with Seacrest? Did you notice that he had his skeevy mitts all over Didi? Taking her hand before her video, relentlessly pawing her during the judges comments, not only putting his arm around her but pulling her very close, which seemed to make Didi very uncomfortable. Dude, if you’re gonna’ do that, you might want to do it with everybody so it’s not so obvious. It was all so sordid. Maybe Randy should call Seacrest “dawg,” then take him to the vet and get him fixed.

What the judges said:
“I would just have not chosen a soul song like that,” Randy
“I don’t know that that was really the greatest song choice,” Ellen
“Didi, it wasn’t good. It really wasn’t good,” Kara
“It was all over the place, it was screeching,” Simon
“Mmmm … you smell really good,” Seacrest (okay, I made that one up)
My grade: C+

Michelle Delamor
“With Arms Wide Open”
Michelle can work the camera and the crowd without coming across as cheesy. Unfortunately, that can lend her performances a cool, calculated air of detached professionalism. Still, there’s no arguing with her soulful, on target vocals — especially on a Creed song — is there? I think if she’s around next week, though, she needs to change it up a little. She’s consistently good, but she’s also kinda’ boring.

What the judges said:
“You just didn’t do enough with it, man,” Randy
“I thought it was really good that you changed it up that much,” Ellen
“My favorite performance of yours ever,” Kara
“To be fair, we give a lot of contradictory advice,” Simon
My grade: B

Lilly Scott
“A Change Is Gonna Come”
Do y’all think Lilly’s wearing a wig? And not even, like, a real wig — more like a platinum blonde Halloween wig? It seems as if she ought to be wearing a French maid costume with that hair. Maybe it’s just me. Anyway, Lilly turned in another great performance, running this Sam Cooke number through her patented “Jazzfolkinator 3000®” and coming out with something wholly original, contemporary and completely captivating.

What the judges said:
“You’re definitely unique and you do your thing,” Randy
“I don’t know what ‘it’ is, but you have got ‘it’,” Ellen
“I was riveted; I couldn’t wait to see what you would do next,” Kara
“I thought it was good; I wasn’t crazy about it,” Simon
My grade: A-

Katelyn Epperly
“The Scientist”
The girls are really stepping it up this week. I liked Katelyn’s piano number a lot more than the judges did. I thought it was really good. I’m not a big Katelyn fan, but this was the kind of emotional performance that Brooke White was praised for last year, so it only seems fair to give Katie props. As the only contestant so far this year to sit on a piano bench, Katelyn stood out. Granted, it didn’t seem like what she was playing was extremely difficult, but it’s not a piano-playing competition and what she played was sparse, appropriate and effective. I’m surprised Seacrest wasn’t all over her after that.

What the judges said:
“It was great until the very last couple of notes,” Randy
“I fell kind of asleep; it was so slow,” Ellen
“I kind of love you; you’re seriously good,” Kara
“I think you may have put yourself back in the race here,” Simon
My grade: B+

Paige Miles
“Walk Away”
Paige, we hardly knew ye! I don’t know why the idea of Paige covering Kelly Clarkson strikes me as so unusual, but I thought it was a brilliant, unexpected choice and she did a great job with it. Kara gives her grief for not being angry enough (co-writer Kara intended the song to have an angry edge) but who cares? First off, it’s not about you, Kara. And, also, you’re always telling the contestants to bring their own interpretations to the songs they song, so back off.

What the judges said:
“I liked it; I wasn’t over the top in love with it,” Randy
“I loved it. You had fun, which is really important,” Ellen
“I could see you having a hit with that song,” Kara
“I’m afraid two weeks in a row you have failed to choose the right song,” Simon
My grade: B

Siobhan Magnus
“Think”
Seacrest said something to Siobhan about “not over thinking” her performances. Would it be mean to suggest that I’m not sure the songstress is really capable of over thinking anything? (Last week she didn’t know what the term “dark horse” meant). I think Siobhan is kind of naive and simple, but those seem to be assets in a cutthroat contest where the rest of your competition is constantly strategizing and obsessing over things like meaningless and contradictory judges’ comments. Like everyone else in the free world, I got a hurty feeling in my gut when they announced that Siobhan was taking on Aretha Franklin, but dang if she didn’t bring it. Pretty awesome stuff.

What the judges said:
“You are so bold and so fearless; it was dope!” Randy
“Most people would say don’t take on such a big song, but they also said don’t mix sleeves with a blanket and look at the Snuggie — it’s huge,” Ellen
“I don’t know how you hit that note,” Kara
“You are interesting and very, very talented,” Simon
My grade: A-

Should go: Haeley Vaughn, Didi Benami
Will go: Haeley Vaughn, Lacey Brown

Agree? Disagree? Sound off!

Rob Balon, the Austin food critic who has voiced his opinions on Fox 7 for the past decade is headed over to KVUE, Austin’s ABC affiliate. His reviews will be broadcast during the Daybreak and Midday news shows on Fridays beginning March 12.

Balon, whose last Fox 7 appearance was December 18th of last year, called his time at Fox 7 a good run. “Eleven years in television is almost like dog years,” he said.

Former Fox 7 General Manager Danny Baker recruited Balon, who was then doing (and continues to do) reviews on KLBJ radio, to put his face on TV. “He and I were kind of joined at the hip; we were great friends,” Balon explained. Baker retired in 2008 and Balon didn’t renew his contract. “Things just kind of floated and then we decided mutually — it was very cordial — that it was time to move on.”

Balon said the move won’t affect his continuing appearances on KLBJ-AM. “That ‘Food Friday’ show is just a riot,” he said, “and I’ll still fill in for Jeff (Ward, afternoon drive host) now and then.

“I’m just tickled silly to be with KVUE,” Balon added. “It’s a great opportunity for me.”

So the “Idol” guys did a little better this week, but that’s damning with faint praise, like saying Jay Leno isn’t quite as bad on “The Tonight Show” as he was on “The Jay Leno Show.” There were no horror shows like last week, and most of the guys hovered around the average mark.

Maybe having one less day to muck around with arrangements and go scarf-shopping was a good thing (the girls were scheduled to perform tonight, but a medical emergency involving Crystal Bowersox led to a switcheroo).

Here’s the rundown: