Special Sneak Preview from the American Idol Interview!

Next week’s Ninetyandnine issue will feature an exclusive interview with an Apostolic American Idol (AI) finalist. While I’m sure you can figure out who that is, I do want to give you at least one surprise. So today I’m sharing a special excerpt from the interview. Here now are two questions from the exclusive interview that will go live Monday on Ninetyandnine.com:

90&9: The A/P movement boasts of its musical talent with statements like “Nobody can sing like Pentecostals.” Based on the competition you faced, do you feel those statements are accurate?
I do think that Pentecostals have great talent. Do I think we have the best talent in the world? Honestly, no. I think we have anointing like no other, but vocal wise I don’t think anyone can outsing Celine Dion, whether you are Pentecostal or not. Ha ha! When Pentecostals have the anointing and Spirit moving through them while they sing, then that’s the best singing by far!

90&9: If one of your Apostolic friends wanted to audition, what advice would you give him/her?
Go for it! It’s a chance of a lifetime! I think if a Pentecostal person won, it would be awesome! Go be who you are, and let your light shine!

In the full interview, the AI contender talks about her critics, the comments from the American idol judges, and what the judges were like. Tune in Monday. You will not want to miss it!

Happy National Peanut Month!

March is National Peanut Month, and to celebrate, I thought we should take this day to examine the greatness that is the peanut. Then I thought that there are only two reasons I like peanuts: they remind me of my Uncle Lloyd’s house and they give us a reason to eat jelly. [My PBJ sandwich ratio is 1:8 (peanut butter:jelly).] Nevertheless, happy peanut month to you!

Thanks to the good (albeit bored, apparently) folks at Iowa State University, I came up with some crazy things about peanut butter you probably don’t know:

• + “Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter getting stuck to the roof of your mouth.”
  
• + “Americans consume enough peanut butter each year to cover the floor of the Grand Canyon.” (Did you know that 68% of all statistics are made up? No, I’m just kidding. I just made that up.)

So there you have it, people: cutting-edge journalism. You will thank me later when those exciting facts prove handy at your next work social event.

In the Rest of the World
Mortgage rates hit 3 year high, officials say bird flu will probably hit the U.S., and the top U.S. Bishop is accused of sexual abuse. But doesn’t it make you feel better to know it’s National Peanut Month.

Proof You’re Brilliant
And on top of that, feel better about yourself knowing there are lots of people out there who don’t have nearly as many active brain cells as you.

Case in Point:
Last night Roomy and I made a drive-thru run. We’re at Jack in the Box, and they’ve got the preview sign before you get to the sign with the actual intercom, right? Well we’re up at the intercom ordering when we hear this guy in the car behind us yelling at the sign (with no intercom) “Hello? Hello? I’m ready to order.”

So rest easy, gentle readers. You have at least not done that today. Hopefully.

Ninetyandnine Exclusive American Idol Interview

Sneak Preview
Just so you know, next week's Ninetyandnine issue will feature an exclusive interview with a certain American Idol finalist who happens to be Apostolic. Be sure to check Ninetyandnine.com on Monday!

What Brokeback Mountain Says about Literature

A Writer’s Take
I mentioned that perhaps a moral compunction to homosexuality may have stopped Brokeback from winning Best Picture this year. Larry McMurtry, famous contemporary Western writer who shared an award with Diana Ossana for adapting Annie Proulx’s short story into the screenplay, has brought up quite a different reason for Brokeback’s loss that I wouldn’t have thought of: urban bias.

In a nutshell, McMurtry claimed there’s little understanding or appreciation for rural stories. I immediately wondered what that means for literature. I question if the Western novel can stand up to the changes of contemporary society.

A Scholar’s Take
I did find a relevant article titled “The American West and Its Historians” by Professor Richard Etulain in The Bulletin of the Historical Society (Boston University).

Professor Etulain maintains:

"The social and cultural complexities of the late 1990s have encouraged a more complete view of the West. That an alternative view of the American West has cycled into view in the past few years is not surprising. Shifting historical interpretations of the West have always been revealing evidences of socio-cultural transformations in the region."

The long and the short of it is that literature from the West is changing as culture changes. We don’t have to fear extinction—just expect adaptation.

Yanni and Sushi

Life’s Little Ironies
Is it sadistic to find this humorous, or at least interesting? Of all the top news, what’s the first article I read today? Yanni arrested for domestic dispute. That's right, the popular New Age artist whose music has graced millions of weddings the world over has been arrested for a semi-violent altercation with his girlfriend.

And the moral of the story? Don’t trust songs without lyrics. In my most favorite quote from Cuz: “Listening to a song without words is like reading a book without pictures.”

You Don’t Say?
It turns out after all this time that eating raw fish may be bad for you. Astounding discovery, I know. But today a research group in California declared that toxic mercury levels can be found in sushi—mainly tuna. I have recently become a sushi lover, but lucky for me, I am a big baby and get a “safe sushi for kids” crab roll. But when it comes to fish, I’m much more a deep fried kind of girl. Guess it’s just as well.

Music News - Chonda Pierce

If you're a Chonda Pierce fan, you'll want to check out her web site for a huge promotional event Tuesday, March 8th.

Source: the {m} media collective CHONDA PIERCE update

"Chonda Pierce returns to the comedy stage on March 28th with the release of her most candid DVD to date, A Piece Of My Mind. In support of the DVD, her current tour, new website, and turning a year older, Pierce is celebrating with an online birthday bash....

"Fans can join Chonda live for cake, ice cream, party favors and presents from 8 to 8:30 pm (central)... At 8:30 Chonda will talk with fans on her first ever live online chat!"

Rodeo and Oscars

Rodeo: America’s Greatest Sport
As Red Steagall said, “Rodeo, you’re a part of America.” I’ll argue with the boys at The Benchwarmer(s) that rodeo is the greatest American sport in that it is such a celebration of our young nation’s history and heritage. This month Houston celebrates Western heritage, agriculture, education, and entertainment in the annual Livestock Show and Rodeo. Where else can you eat deep fried candy bars, watch NCHA Cutting finals, a pig race plus Swifty the swimming baby pig, 4-H/FFA calf scramble, professional rodeo, quilt & art competition, and tour the petting zoo, all in the same afternoon? It was special for me also because in the middle of the barrel racing portion of the elite invitation-only rodeo, I saw one of my old peers who has apparently turned pro. Talk about serve as a good reminder of my testimony and leave me saying a pretty big “thanks” in my devotion time.

Oscar Night
Last night a movie titled Crash turned out to be the big winner at the Oscars, beating out much-heralded Brokeback Mountain. Maybe this means there is still some moral compunction regarding homosexuality in films. Or maybe it just means Brokeback wasn’t as good a movie as Crash?