“Nashville Star” is really lame this year. There isn’t anyone with real star potential except for possibly Melissa.

Here’s tonight’s show wrap-up.

First to be called is Coffey. How this guy got so far along in this competition is only explained by the general weak nature of talent in this year’s contestants. He’s simply awful. There’s no chance he will ever be a successful country singer, and yet each week enough people vote for him. It’s amazing really. He’s singing an original song. Totally forgetable and unremarkable.

This year’s show is like a group of friends singing around a karaoke machine. Who selected these contestants?

Oh Lord, now John Rich is talking. He’s absolutely obnoxious. Coffeey just called him “the Donald Trump of country music.” Have mercy! At least on “American Idol” Simon is halfway likeable. John Rich is just nauseating. Neither RT nor I knew John Rich when this year’s “Nashville Star” started, and we’ve both just been appalled at his self-righteous and pompous attitude and remarks. I sure hope they get someone else for next year’s show. I could bear his smugness if he had something positive to contribute to the show, but sadly, it’s just all about him and trying to impress everyone with how important he is and how much he knows…which is laughable considering it took this show for most people to even know who he is.

OK, I am not finished with my obligatory ranting about John Rich’s pomposity. Who’s next?

Yea! The only person with the potential to actually be successful in country music - Melissa Lawson is next with her original song, “Ready to Stand.” It’s pretty good. At least it’s memorable. I don’t even remember what Coffey’s song was about after a few minutes.

John Rich just told Melissa Lawson that she has “mega-competition” here. That’s ridiculous! There is absolutely no one else in this competition that comes anywhere near Melissa in talent and potential. Mega-competition. ROFL!

Now the judges - Jewel, John and Jeffrey Steele - are singing medleys of the songs they’ve written. What’s with this? Both Jewel and Jeffrey were both pitchy sounding - just a little off. Okay - he may be obnoxious, but John Rich did the best of the three judges with singing his own songs.

Gabe Garcia is next. He’s probably second to Melissa for talent. I don’t think he will ever be successful in country music because there’s nothing memorable about his voice, but he’s got a nice country voice. He just said, “Hopefully I’ll be a country legend one day.” OMG! Talk about deluded! He’s singing a song he wrote called “Lost Weekend.” Now that’s a catchy little song. Okay - this is my favorite song of the three sung thus far in the show - at least it has a chance of being a successful country song. Very nice song - and Gabe did a good job singing it. I think the final two standing in a couple weeks will be Melissa and Gabe. Melissa should win - but Gave will make a solid second.

So it’s down to Shawn Mayer and Ashlee Hewitt. Who will go home? They both will sing first.

So Ashlee Hewitt will perform her song, “Mike’s Hard Lemonade.” She’s so cute! Her song is cute, too. Reminds me of Taylor Swift’s singing. I dont think Ashlee has a strong enough voice to carry it off, though. I liked her song, though, and she likely will have some success in either sining and/or song-writing. Not major success - but some success.

Shawn Mayer is next with her original song, “I’m Not Looking Back.” She’s on the third line right now, and I only understood one or two words. Talk about lack of enunciation! I think I heard the phrase “one way track,” and “as much as it kills me,” and of course “I’m not looking back.” That’s it. Otherwise, I have no idea what she was singing. Jeffrrey talked about how she has a career in this town - how Faith Hill or Martina McBride could record that song. Maybe somebody who could actually sing the song so somebody could understand it.

So who’s going home? Shawn or Ashlee? I personally think Shawn should go home. But the person going home is . . . ASHLEE HEWITT!

Ashlee is better than Coffey or Shawn. It’s too bad she’s going home tonight. However, I don’t think she could have won. So I guess it doesn’t matter.

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I watched “The View” this morning, and they showed this video. I’m not an animal lover, but this had me crying! Very touching. The story is on the screen with the video.

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The rumor is that Katherine Heigl’s character, Izzy Stevens, will be killed off of “Grey’s Anatomy.” See photos and video here.

Katherine Heigl

The rumor started when Heigl declined an award nomination because she felt that her character ws given a lousy storyline. I agree. Her storyline this past year had her giving CPR to a deer that had been hit by a vehicle. Then they have her as the beautiful doctor chasing after such a wimpy and insipid character as T.R. Knight’s George O’Malley.

I have to admit I’m not a Katherine Heigl Fan. Really good actors make you believe their characters. You don’t see the actor in a show because you’re seeing the character instead. By that measure, there are three actors in “Grey’s Anatomy” that just don’t make it - Katherine Heigl, T.R. Knight and Kate Walsh. They are obviously acting on the show - and not doing a very good job of it.

The promos for her movie, “Knocked UP,” looked interesting, and so once it was out on DVD, I started watching it. After making myself keep watching it for 20 minutes, I finally gave up. She is simply not believable as an actress. In the movie she was Katherine Heigl acting like a woman who got pregnant after a one night stand. She simply wasn’t the character.

So will Katherine Heigl leave the show? I don’t care. Her departure sure couldn’t hurt the show, and if they got a really good actor with a good storyline to replace her, then that could only improve the show.

Katherine Heigl on Jimmy Kimmel

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Tonight is the finale of “The Bachelorette.” Here is the story of who Deanna choses. SHE CHOSE JESSE!

Deanna is probably the most annoying bachelorette ever. Wait. There was that other annoying woman - was her name Meredith - or something like that? She might have been more annoying, but it’s close either way. That’s beside the point. Tonight we’ll find out who Deanna chooses - Jason or Jesse. Check back for the results.

The Bachelorette - Deanna

Yes, tonight we’re down to Jesse and Jason. My vote is for Jason. He seems grounded. I wonder why his first wife divorced him, though. He seems happy and ready to be a family. I wonder if Deanna is ready to be an instant mother.

The Bachelorette - Jason

However, so far in tonight’s show everything has been so pro-Jason that I figure they’re trying to throw off the viewers, and she’ll end up choosing Jesse. What Jesse has said and done this evening has made me like him more. He still seems a little immature, though. Can a person really make a living being a professional snowboarder? I haven’t heard him talk about what he will do when he’s done with snowboarding.

The Bachelorette - Jesse

Either way - both guys are so completely ga-ga over Deanna, whoever isn’t chosen is going to be heartbroken. Tonight they had Jeremy come back and try to persuade Deanna that she had a made a mistake. Deanna had to tell him that she simply wasn’t in love with him.

I like both guys. I still think Jason is a “safer” choice for Deanna. It all comes down to how Deanna feels about the two men. And by the way, the blue/green dress she is wearing for the finale is gorgeous.

So who did Deanna choose? Jason was the first to get out of a limo - and when he started to kneel down to propose, she stopped him and said, “I can’t.” She went on to explain that while she meant everything she said to him, she simply loves someone else (aka Jesse) more.

Deanna quotes about Jesse:
“I am extremely confident about the man I chose. I see a life that is full of love and excitement. He is someone who gets me. Today I am ending up with my soul mate. I have found the man of my dreams.”

Jesse: “Deanna Marie Pappas, will you spend forever with me?”
Deanna: “Yes!”
So the winner is JESSE!

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The History Channel had a program tonight called “MonsterQuest.” It was about pet snakes that were turned loose in the wild. Photos and video below.

The “MonsterQuest” crew researched reports of escaped or released pet pythons in the Florida Everglades. Supposedly they’ve grown into “super snakes” that could eat an entire alligater. Then they headed to Venezuela to look for giant anacondas.

Click the link above to go to the History Channel. The photos and video below aren’t from the History Channel, but they ARE of Giant Snakes. And Lord, wouldn’t you hate to come across one of these giants on a walk through the woods!?

Giant Snake

Giant Sneak

Giant Snake

Giant Killer Snakes Video

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Deanna Pappas sent Graham Bunn packing tonight on “The Bachelorette” when he refused to open up to her. Photos and video below. Actually I can identify with him. It would be difficult to not acknowledge the girl is dating and making out with three other guys.

When Deanna walked Graham out to the limo, they sat on a bench to talk first. He gave her a note and asked her to read it privately - not for the show or for anything else - just him to her. She read it after he left and cried that she was afraid she sent the wrong man home. Who knows? The previews for next week showed her having a grand time on “overnights” with the other three. So apparently her doubts weren’t very deep.

Deanna Pappas is an annoying bachelorette. Every week she declares that someone is “breaking my heart.” Her heart’s been broken so many times this season, I can’t even keep count.

Video of Deanna Pappas talking about Graham Bunn

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It’s Nashville Star night again. First of all, Billy Ray Cyrus isn’t a very “natural” emcee for the show. However, he is better this week than the first two weeks. So maybe he’ll continue to relax and be more at ease in the coming weeks of the show. I think it’s just so obvious that he’s reading a teleprompter.

Tonight’s show has the theme of “Pop Goes Country” - taking pop songs and giving them a country feel. The first singer, Gabe Garcia was horrible singing “La Vida Loca” - but the judges acted like he was good. Totally unremarkable peerformance.

Pearl Heart performed “Love Shack.” I have to admit a preference for this group since the youngest sister attends a local school. I enjoyed their performance. The judges had positive things to say. I still can’t stand John Rich, though. He comes across as such an egotistic person.

Allison Gilbert put everyone to sleep with “I Think We’re Alone Now.” What an awful arrangement. The judges agreed with me.

Ashlee Hewitt was next singing “You Drive Me Crazy” - a Brittney Spears’ song. I thought she was pretty good. Not “Nashville Star” good - but good. The judges liked her, too.

Coffey was next with “Umbrella.” He got a wavery voice - rather nasal sounding. He’s singing to his daughter, Savannah. He seems very likeable, but I thought the song was lame. Some talking - some beat boxing. Ho Hum… I don’t think the performance was star quality at all. The judges reactions were mixed.

Laura and Sophie were next. I like them because they’re young and one of them has the same name as one of my granddaughters. They’re singing “PYT” by Michael Jackson (Pretty Young Thing). They sure have harmony down pat. I liked their performance. The judges liked them, too.

Shawn Mayer was next singing “Bye-Bye-Bye” by NSYNC. I really liked it - but then I really like that song, too. She did a good job, though. She looked gorgeous tonight, too. The judges’ reactions were mixed.

Melissa Lawson is next - singing “True Colors” by Cindy Lauper. She reminds me of Wynonna - her nose and cheekbones, I guess. I have to admit that Melissa is my favorite of all the performers. She’s got the most talent and potential of any of this year’s contestants. I think she did a good job on tonight’s performance. The judges agree with me.

So it’s between Tommy and Justin Gaston - the bottom two. Who will go home tonight?

Justin Gaston is singing “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.” Silly song choice, in my opinion. Why on earth would he select such a stupid song? Now that I’ve written that, I have to say that he did a pretty good job of country-fying the song. It’s was catchy. Still not star material, though. The judges liked his performance tonight, too.

Tommy Stanley is last singing “Maniac.” Hmmm - can he make “Maniac” sound country? I WANT to be for this guy since he’s a Navy person - serving on U.S.S. Kitty Hawk. He reminds me of Elliot Yasmin (or whatever his name is) that was on American Idol a couple years ago. Tommy put his whole heart in tonight’s performance, but it just didn’t do it for me. The judges agreed with me.

Who went home? Bye-bye, Justin!

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Brian Williams will host/moderate this Sunday’s edition of “Meet the Press” on NBC. However, NBC execs are quick to say that this isn’t a permanent replacement for Tim Russert who died suddenly of a heart attack last week. See a photo, video and biography below.

Reuters reports that

NBC News president Steve Capus said Thursday that the news division was still in mourning, and it was likely that NBC News talent would moderate “Meet the Press” on a revolving basis.

“I just don’t think there’s any way we would ask anyone to go into any of the roles on a permanent basis. It would be too much, too soon,” Capus said. “The only way I can contemplate it is, thinking for people who could step up temporarily.”

Sunday’s “Meet the Press” guests will be Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic Sen. Joe Biden, both of whom had been scheduled to appear on the show last week.

Brian Williams’ Biography
Brian Williams was born on May 5, 1959. He is the seventh anchor and managing editor for the NBC Nightly News, succeeding Tom Brokaw in December 2004. He lives in New Canaan, Connecticut with his wife, Jane Stoddard Willliams, and their two children.

Although he’s a news anchor, he doesn’t limit himself to news television. He has appeared on shows such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Saturday Night Live.

Brian Williams is the son of a business executive, and he was raised in a middle class Irish Catholic home. He was born in Elmira, New York and later moved to Middletown, New Jersey. During high school he served as a volunteer firefighter. Later he attended Brookdale Community College and then transferred to George Washington University and then to the Catholic University of America. However, he didn’t graduate. Instead, he took an internship with President Jimmy Carter’s administration. He considers the fact that he left college as one of his great regrets in life. In 2008 he received an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree from Ohio State University.

He began his career in broadcasting at a Kansas TV station in 1981. The following year he moved back to Washington, D.C. and worked as a “general assignment correspondent” at a television station there. In 1985 he replaced Maury Povich as the host of a locally produced talk show. In 1985 he was hired by CBS and worked as a New Jersey correspondent for its Philadelphia affiliate, WCAU-TV. In 1987 he was promoted to WCBS-TV in New York where it didn’t take long for him to start anchoring the noon news. He won his first Emmy for reporting about the October 1987 stock market collapse. In 1993 Brian Williams began work as the weekend anchor for the NBC national news, and in 1994 he became NBC’s chief White House correspondent. Then in 1996 he took over as lead anchor for The News with Brian Williams on MSNBC and CNBC in 1996.

Brian Williams on Saturday Night Live

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Here is a video of “Tim Russert’s Rainbow” - the version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” that was played at Tim Russert’s funeral - along with footage of some of the guests at the funeral - John McCain and Barack Obama side-by-side. Then there is a still photo of the rainbow. Enjoy:

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Luke Russert was on the Today Show this morning. Luke is the the only son of Tim Russert, NBC political analyst who died suddenly this past Friday.

Here’s part of the interview from the MSNBC website:

Luke Russert painted an intimate portrait of his dad, Tim Russert, on TODAY Monday morning — a portrait of a man who loved sitting around drinking beer with young people, a man who loved the honesty of children, a father who never let a day pass without telling his son how much he loved him.

“It was truly remarkable,” Luke told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in a wide-ranging interview that ran at length without interruption. “My dad would rather drink beer with my college friends than have a steak dinner. My friends loved him just as much as I did. Boy, did he love to eat at those tailgates.”

Luke spoke for 15 minutes about his dad with remarkable poise. He never lost his composure, not even when he was talking about being on the set of “Meet the Press” on Sunday and touching his dad’s empty chair — a moment captured in a moving photograph by The Associated Press.

“I’m going to keep that chair forever,” Luke told Lauer. “That’s my chair now.”

The memories are still raw: Russert died Friday at the age of 58 of a massive heart attack while recording voiceovers for his top-rated Sunday political interview show, “Meet the Press” on NBC. But Luke shed no tears. There were too many happy memories, too much that was good about Tim Russert to talk about.

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