Steel Kaleidoscopes

Cheers

Three generations enjoying the rolling terrain of Napa East, the Nashoba Valley Winery.

Not a bad activity for the last Saturday in November.

Clay Aiken: No. 1

Lots of comments to the Top 10 American Idols list.

That's good. Community involvement, interaction, debate, agreement, disagreement, condescension and animated dissertation are all qualities of a vibrant community with a self-medicated passion play.

But here's the point:

Clay Aiken is an original.

There are no templates. There are no comparisons. Suggestions like he was influenced by Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder and Barry Manilow are absurd.

Here's the deal:

In March 2003, music kind of sucked. 50 Cent's "In Da Club" was the No. 1 hit. Sean Paul's "Get Busy" replaced that.

Huh?

Exactly.

Then there was this little nerdy guy named Clay Aiken who was a wild-card entrant on "American Idol," a talent show that was becoming a pop culture force with hurricane strength.

Dissed by Randy, Paula and Simon en route to the final group, Aiken came back to sing Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and the world stopped.

Really, it did.

I remember sitting in the LA airport and hearing guys in their 60s talking about "American Idol."

Here's the gist of the conversation, not exact, but fragmented from a steel-cased memory:

"Amazing that Kimberly (Caldwell) made it through to another round."

"No kidding. But how about Josh Gracin?"

"It all comes down to Clay. He's the best talent by far. There is no one close to him."

"What about Ruben?"

"Pul-leease."

No kidding.

These were two guys on the precipice of retirement, more interested in the color of cardigan sweater they would wear for a Gen G dinner (count backward, it's Gen G, correct?) and they knew Aiken was an original, a freak of nature, a heavenly gift,  akin to Judy Garland, Buddy Rich, Joni Mitchell and Kurt Cobain.

No one else before them, no one else beyond.

Clay Aiken's voice is distinctive, stylish, flamboyant, subtle, gracious, inventive, unpretentious, amazing, memorable and flawless.

Honorable mention to the list is clearly Jennifer Hudson, who improved each week with graceful, inventive subtletly. She was a force, no doubt.

But Clay Aiken, without question, is the best singer to walk onto the Kodak Theatre Stage.

He is immense, compassionate and real.

Simply put, there is no singer on the planet with the vocal chords of Clay Aiken.

Deal with it.

Quote of the Day

"People will accept your ideas much more readily if you tell them Benjamin Franklin said it first."

-- David H. Comins

Top 10 American Idols

Talent is never in short supply on "American Idol," but the true talent doesn't always win.

In the first five seasons of "American Idol," three of the five winners deserve to make the All-Time Top 10 American Idol list. Two of the winners -- Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks -- don't even crack the Top 10.

Of all the singers who have graced the Kodak Theatre stage in the last five seasons, these are the best of the best:

10. Tamyra Gray
It's incredible that Gray finished fourth in Season 1, especially since the marginally talented Justin Guarini was one of those ahead of her. Gray became one of the early favorites, especially with show-stopping efforts like Burt Bacharach's "A House is Not a Home." Gray went on to make a name for herself starring in "Boston Public," which gave her a forum to showcase her vocal talent.

9. Carrie Underwood
America's sweetheart. Winner of Season 4 and a proven commercial success. Her debut album, "Some Hearts," went quadruple platinum and is the fastest-ever selling female country album. Week after week Underwood consistently delivered stellar performances, most notably Roy Orbison's "Cryin' " and Heart's "Alone." She was never in the bottom 3. Always passionate, emotional and professional but never over the top.

8. Kimberley Locke
Powerful, determined and not what you'd expect of an American Idol. Locke broke the mold that looking good in a belly shirt was a requirement to advance. The full-figured diva could really turn it on when she wanted and finished third in Season 2, despite landing in the bottom 3 several times early in the season. Blessed with a wonderful alto voice, Locke was by far the best of the girls, finishing third to Studdard and Clay Aiken.

7. Bo Bice
Despite coming off as a "good 'ol boy" at first glance, Bice was one of the best talents to grace the stage. His versatility and charming personality were welcome attributes for a show that routinely features big egos and shallow perspectives. Bice soared through Season 4, finishing runner-up to Underwood. Memorable moments included his covers of Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle," the Ides of March's "Vehicle" and The Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post." Bice gracefully cut across genres and created his own lyrical spirit.

6.  Katharine McPhee
Her "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was one of the show's most memorable moments. How she finished second to Taylor Hicks in Season 5 is beyond comprehension. Just off a recent tour with Andrea Bocelli, McPhee is releasing her debut album next month. Her powerful, breathtaking vocals and charismatic stage presence (including the wardrobe malfunction) perked ears and turned heads week after week.

5. LaToya London
Ms. Automatic from Season 3. Perhaps there has been no contestant with the week-in, week-out consistency of London. She never had a bad performance and her singing was terrific. She had an uncanny sense of dynamics, and was clinically professional with each song. Despite her talent, she only finished fourth. It may have been her low-key personality that hurt her chances. Her version of "Somewhere" from "West Side Story" is one of the show's all-time best performances.

4. Chris Daughtry
Cut from the cloth of powerful angst-rock singers, Daughtry followed in Bice's footsteps as a promoter of rock music on what had pretty much been an all-pop show. Daughtry was all-business-all-the-time, ignoring a safe approach by choosing songs like Queen's "Innuendo" and "Styx's "Renegade." His version of Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line" was highly original. Despite his talent, Daughtry only finished fourth. He just released his debut album after turning down an offer to front the band Fuel.

3. Fantasia Barrino
Season 3's winner arguably holds the show's best performance with her version of "Summertime." Week after week Barrino wowed America and the judges, consistently putting in the evening's top performance. Once London was voted off, it was inevitable that Barrino ("just call me Fantasia") would be crowned. Barrino's power, range and personality played well together. Of the five seasons, she was probably the only "lock" to win it all from the outset. She was that good.

2. Kelly Clarkson
America's darling. She holds a special place as the singer who propelled "American Idol" to what it is today. Because she was the first winner, Clarkson holds classic status. Her powerful voice, commanding stage presence and ability to connect are qualities of a superstar.  With a Grammy in her pocket and two multi-platinum albums, Clarkson's victory was a harbinger of things to come.

1. Clay Aiken
The best singer to ever stand in front of Randy, Paula and Simon, period. Aiken's unique voice is unmatched. Invited back as a wildcard, Aiken wowed America with his version of Elton John's "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and never faltered thereafter. Week after week he towered above the competition, but somehow lost to Studdard in the Season 2 finale.  He was one of three contestants never to appear in the bottom 3 (Clarkson and Underwood are the others). What makes Aiken No. 1 is that he's an original. Simply put, there are no comparisons.

Barber Pole

One of the symbols of Americana is the barber pole, the striped cylinder that signifies a barber shop.

The origin of the barber pole goes beyond a basic hair cut.

It's actually about blood-letting, or, as we refer to in modern times, a phlebotomy.

During medieval times, barbers also performed preventive surgery on customers. The original pole had a brass basin at the top (representing the vessel in which leeches were kept) and bottom (representing the basin which received the blood). The pole itself represents the staff that the patient gripped during the procedure to encourage blood flow.

So, in other words, one went to the barber shop for both grooming and the hope of preventing illness and disease.

The red and white stripes symbolize the bandages used during the procedure: red for the blood-stained and white for the clean bandages. Originally, these bandages were hung out on the pole to dry after washing. As the bandages blew in the wind, they would twist together to form the spiral pattern similar to the stripes in the modern day barber pole.

The barber pole became emblematic of the barber/surgeon's profession. Later the cloths were replaced by a painted wooden pole of red and white stripes.

Buffalo's Freak Storm

On Oct. 12, Buffalo got belted with an early snowstorm.

Buffalo is perhaps the most tested city at handling snow, but it was the timing of the 22-inch snowfall that crippled the city. Because the trees still had most of their leaves, the weight of the snow damaged trees and took down power lines.

My brother-in-law, Douglas, took these photos of his backyard.

What a mess.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks for inviting us to dinner. And in just a few hundred years from now, we will repay the favor by welcoming you into our casinos.

The wonder of it all.

Thanksgiving Eve

In college, the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving is one of the best social events of the year.

Everyone is home from college. We're a few weeks away from exams, and academic stress has been building.

After a day of settling in and catching up with family, it's off to the place where everyone knows your name. Pitchers of beer are freely flowing and conversation is endless, timeless.

The neighborhood, as you may recall, fragmented in several different directions. Now everyone is back. Suddenly, it's a cornucopia of diverse college experiences, regional insight and worldly perspective.

On the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving, for a few brief hours, there's no place like home.

Niagara in November

Grey, brown, breezy and bone-chilling.

The Niagara rushes to the left, two bridges to a welcoming warm French Dip sandwich at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Sabres fans, Bills fans, penguins and sea lions.

190, 290, 90, 33.

Grey, brown, breezy and bone-chilling.

Rib-It

Still waiting for that kiss...