It's Not Over

A few people, ok - a few hundred people :), have asked me today what I thought about the results last night on AI. Unless you've sworn off any kind of technology, you know that Chris Sligh was not voted to stay on the show (that's really what happens - they're not voted off...).

Here are my thoughts: I am actually quite relieved. I do feel that Chris definitely deserved to stay on longer than he did. However, it is hard to watch your friend get thrashed on national tv. I do not think that he deserved the harshness that he got Tuesday night. I have watched it back a few times, and he was only off slightly on one section. They kind of set him up with Gwen's comments and it was downhill from there. He didn't have a chance. I am very proud of what Chris was able to accomplish - 10th out of over 100,000, and how he handled himself in the public eye. And yes, Gary, it will be good to have our guy back in G'ville for a few weeks!

The best part...Chris can now speak for himself! :) Check out his blog here, and catch him on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight. You can also order his band's cd here.

I have some very cool stuff about Easter coming up. Stay tuned...

In The Press

I had the privilege of being interviewed for a couple of articles outside of Greenville about Chris.

• The Sacramento Bee ran this story this week. (FYI - Chris does not consult me for advice on songs for Idol! :))

• Meg Kinnard with the Associated Press wrote this story that is starting to get some controversy.

I think Chris is a great guy, and I consider him a really good friend. I hope that I am able to convey his heart a little bit when I give interviews. I did not, however, plan to be his spokesman to the press. I just pray every day that I don't say something stupid!

Quick Thought

I am about to get on a plane to Dallas, but I just had this revelation while cruising my Bloglines: I am finding myself drawn in by only the blogs that allow comments. Maybe it's the whole "web 2.0" idea. USAToday.com recently changed their entire website to be totally interactive. I think good blogging and websites spark conversation and doesn't have to be just a one sided information dump.

Just my opinion - any comments?

Fake Blog

I am getting a lot of questions about this, so I'll clear it up here. There is a blog out there that claims to be Chris' secret blog - it's fake. I read through the posts and it seems fairly harmless, but it cracks me up that people are commenting to Chris on it! The only real Sligh blog is here. Comment away!

And check out the forums at chrissligh.com.

Terry's Back!

I am very excited that the best blogger in the bid'ness, Terry Storch, is back in the game! Terry's blog was the first blog I ever read and the cyber world was not the same without it. He's also a really nice guy. I left his link up on my blog for months hoping he would come back, and finally gave up a few weeks ago. I am adding it back - but only in pencil for awhile. :)

Back From LaLa Land

So...by now you've probably figured out that the "nameless show" that we attended in L.A. was American Idol. I don't know if I've had much more fun in my life! I just hope that I looked ok on tv, and it didn't cost Chris votes. :) I won't go into all of the details about how the show works. My buddy Don does a great job of that here. The only difference was - we got to stay in the "red room" for the entire Thursday show. It was hard seeing the parents and friends of the ones who got kicked off. We got to talk to Sundance's wife for a bit, and she was really nice. Jarod's parents were great as well. We were on the couch that faces away from the studio, so when Chris was told that he made it through, we couldn't actually see it. The rest of the night we had to lean over the couch or go to the side rails to see the show. Carrie Underwood was AWESOME. She was up with us before she came out and wished everyone the best. Very nice. Here are a few pictures from our Hollywood adventure:

This was us hanging with Chris after the Tuesday show at his hotel. People were stopping him everywhere we went and telling him what songs he should sing!
After the Thursday show, I got to go with Chris and hang out at the "American Idol Top 12 Party". This is a picture of the red carpet madness. It took 2 hours for them to get through it!
Here are a couple pics of Chris and Gina getting interviewed
Me and Chris on the Red Carpet
This pic is a bit fuzzy, but this is me hangin' with former idols: Justin Guarini, Kimberly Caldwell (center) and Paris Bennet. Aren't you really jealous now?!? :)

That was an unbelievable experience. Thanks Chris for letting us be a small part of your craziness!

I Love L.A.

Jenny and I are currently in L.A. for the taping of a t.v. show tonight that will remain nameless. However, it is on live tonight on a major network - more details tomorrow! :)

Highlights from the trip yesterday:

1. I walked out of my office without my computer, PSP, iPod, and all of the books that I was going to read on the plane. I am typing this on my dad's laptop, circa 1989. Yeah, that was a lovely discovery in Charlotte!

2. Because of #1, I picked up a book at the airport called "Manhunt". It's about the 12 day manhunt for John Wilkes Boothe after he killed Abraham Lincoln. Really good book about how my relatives helped him along the way.

3. Our pilot decided to take a practice run at the landing at Orange County Airport. We were almost on the ground when he suddenly pulled back up for another go at it. Something about almost hitting the plane in front of us. Yeah...

4. Finally got to my dad's house around 1am eastern. There is not a quick way to get from Greenville, SC to Los Angelas, California. Up at 7 for a conference call this morning. Now I'm ready for some fun!!!

I'll have some good stuff for you tomorrow.