America has spoken once again, and three more American Idol contestants have joined the Top 12.

Joining Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver, and Danny Gokey, we have:

Allison Iraheta

Kris Allen

Adam Lambert

I had predicted that it would be either Allison or Megan, and I would have been happy either way.

I'm happy that Kris made it in. He deserved to get in, and I'm glad that my worst fear (Nick Mitchell going through) wasn't realized.

I will admit that Adam is a good performer, and he deserved to go through. He has to start working on being a pop star and not a musical theatrical actor, though.

Next week's episode will feature the final group of twelve, with three from this group joining the first six. The third group is:

Arianna Afsar

Felicia Barton

Kendall Beard

Ju' Not Joyner

Scott MacIntyre

Nathaniel Marshall

Kristen McNamera

Jorge Nuñez

Lil Rounds

Von Smith

Alex Wagner-Trugman

See you next week!

Job interview news.

Update on my path to mediumship.

A brief discussion of President Obama's address to the joint session of Congress.

The listener contest continues!

Listen for the details.

Music Today:



"I Will Be Alright" by Podsafe Music Network artist Marina V



"What About Everything?" by Podsafe Music Network artist Benji Cossa

Intro Music:



"Deep Cycle Discharge" by Podsafe Music Network artists Simon James and Derek K. Miller

Outro Music:



"Power Inside" by Podsafe Music Network and PodsafeAudio.com group EL84

Thanks for listening, and stay powerful!

Neither Skype problems, nor more Skype problems, nor the extra frustration of a dropped Skype call will keep your favorite American Idol judges from fulfilling our duty to our listeners!

This week's show featured Group 2 of the Top 36 performing songs that were on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.

Listen in for our take on how it went.

An Atheist and a Metaphysical Christian walk into a bar together...

Well, no they didn't, but they did record a podcast together.

Listen to what happens when Archerr of ArcherRadio comes on the show to make good on his taking me up on my challenge.

Music Today:



"Common Ground" by Podsafe Music Network artist David Ippolito

Intro Music:



"Deep Cycle Discharge" by Podsafe Music Network artists Simon James and Derek K. Miller

Outro Music:



"Power Inside" by Podsafe Music Network and PodsafeAudio.com group EL84

Thanks for listening, and stay powerful!

It's truly amazing that banks keep claiming they need the government to bail them out, and yet they seem to have no problems coming up with new and innovative ways of depriving unemployed people of the money they desperately need just to maintain a minimum standard of living.

Thankfully, my unemployment benefit will be direct-deposited and I will be using my own debit card.

I say, nationalize them all, fire their leadership, and hire people who have a good sense of what human decency means. Read on to see what has my blood boiling...

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Jobless hit with bank fees on benefits

For hundreds of thousands of workers losing their jobs during the recession, there's a new twist to their financial pain: Even as they're collecting unemployment benefits, they're paying bank fees just to get access to their money.

Thirty states have struck such deals with banks that include Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp., JP Morgan Chase and US Bancorp, an Associated Press review of the agreements found. All the programs carry fees, and in several states the unemployed have no choice but to use the debit cards. Some banks even charge overdraft fees of up to $20 — even though they could decline charges for more than what's on the card.

"It's a racket. It's a scam," said Rachel Davis, a 38-year-old dental technician from St. Louis who was laid off in October. Davis was given a MasterCard issued through Central Bank of Jefferson City and recently paid $6 to make two $40 withdrawals.

The banks say their programs offer convenience. They also provide at least one way to tap the money at no charge, such as using a single free withdrawal to get all the cash at once from a bank teller. But the banks benefit from human nature, as people end up treating the cards like all the other plastic in their wallets.

The fees are raising questions from lawmakers who just recently voted to infuse banks with taxpayer money to keep them afloat.

Steven Adamske, spokesman for the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, said he wasn't aware of the debit card programs before he was contacted by the AP, but was concerned about card holder fees.

"Our hope ... would be that banks who are getting federal assistance would forgo these kinds of fees as we're trying to help everyone in society deal with this recession," Adamske said.

Some banks, depending on the agreement negotiated with each state, also make money on the interest they earn after the state deposits the money and before it's spent. The banks and credit card companies also get roughly 1 percent to 3 percent off the top of each transaction made with the cards.

Neither banks nor credit card companies will say how much money they are making off the programs, or what proportion of the revenue comes from user versus merchant fees or interest. It's difficult to estimate the profits because they depend on how often recipients use their cards and where they use them.

But the potential is clear.

In Missouri, for instance, 94,883 people claimed unemployment benefits through debit cards from Central Bank. Analysts say a recipient uses a card an average of six to 10 times a month. If each cardholder makes three withdrawals at an out-of-network ATM, at a fee of $1.75, the bank would collect nearly $500,000. If half of the cardholders also dial customer service three times in any given week (the first time is free; after that, it's 25 cents a call), the bank's revenue would jump to more than $521,000. That would yield $6.3 million a year.

Rachel Storch, a Democratic state representative, received a wave of complaints about the fees from autoworkers laid off from a suburban St. Louis Chrysler plant. She recently urged Gov. Jay Nixon to review the state's contract with Central Bank with an eye toward reducing the fees.

"I think the contract is unfair and potentially illegal to unemployment recipients," she said.

Central Bank did not return two messages seeking comment.

Glenn Campbell, a spokesman for Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., said the congressman would support a review of the debit card programs nationwide.

Another 10 states — including the unemployment hot spots of California, Florida and South Carolina — are considering such programs or have signed contracts. The remainder still use traditional checks or direct deposit.

With the national unemployment rate now at 7.6 percent, the market for bank-issued unemployment cards is booming. In 2003, states paid only $4 million of unemployment insurance through debit cards. By 2007, it had ballooned to $2.8 billion, and by 2010 it will likely rise to $10.5 billion, according to a study conducted by Mercator Advisory Group, a financial industry consulting firm.

The economic stimulus plan signed by President Barack Obama this week will increase federal unemployment benefits by $40 billion this year. Subsequently, there will be more money from which banks can collect fees. The U.S. Department of Labor allows the fees as long as states create a way for recipients to get their money for free, spokeswoman Suzy Bohnert said.

"Beyond that, the individual decides how to manage his drawdowns using the debit card," she said in an e-mail.

A typical contract looks like the agreement between Citigroup and the state of Kansas, which took effect in November. The state expects to save $300,000 a year by wiring payments to Citigroup instead of printing and mailing checks.

Citigroup's bill to the state: zero. The bank collects its revenue from fees paid by merchants and the unemployed.

"If you use your card the right way, you're not going to pay fees at all," said Paul Simpson, Citigroup's global head of public sector, health care and wholesale cards.

But that's not always practical.

Arthur Santa-Maria, a laid-off engineer who lives just outside Albuquerque, N.M., said he didn't pay any fees the first time he was laid off, for several months in 2007. His unemployment benefits were paid by paper checks. He found a new job last year but was laid off again last fall.

This time, he was issued a Bank of America debit card — a "prepaid" card in industry lingo — but he was surprised to learn he had to pay fees to get his money. He asked the bank to waive them. It said no. That's when Santa-Maria called back to ask how to check his account online. He logged on and saw that the call cost him a half dollar. To avoid more fees, Santa-Maria found a Bank of America ATM at a strip mall and withdrew $80 at no charge. When he got back to his car, he decided to take out the rest of his money — $250 — and deposit it in his bank account.

Afterward, Santa-Maria logged on to his account and saw a charge of $1.50 for two withdrawals in one day.

"They're trying to use my money to make money," Stanta-Maria said. "I just see banks trying to make that 50 cents or a buck and a half when I should be given the service for free."

New Mexico authorities bargained with Bank of America to get lower fees for unemployment recipients, said Carrie Moritomo, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Workforce Solutions. The state saves up to $1.5 million annually by switching from checks to debit cards.

Bank of America spokeswoman Britney Sheehan pointed out that the fees charged in New Mexico are similar to those charged in the 29 other states with unemployment debit cards. The bank believes "the fee schedule is reasonable and consistent with similar programs," she said.

Banks could issue unemployment debit cards with no fees for cardholders, but that would likely mean that states would have to pay more of the administrative costs, said Mark Harrington, director of marketing for Citigroup's prepaid card services. If a state demanded no cardholder fees and could pay the difference, Citigroup might enter such a contract.

"We would be open to that," Harrington said. "We're not looking to structure any programs where we would lose money, but we're definitely flexible."

Simpson noted that the cards can save money for jobless workers who have no bank accounts. In the past, these people had to use corner check-cashing shops that charged fees as high as 2 percent, or $6 for a $300 check. Now, they can swipe their cards at McDonald's, Wal-Mart or elsewhere for free.

Kenna Gortler, a laid-off paper mill worker in Oregon, said her union is advising members to avoid the debit cards and sign up to get their benefits through direct deposit. More than 300 of her fellow workers have lost their jobs at the mill in the last three months, and horror stories about ATM fees and overdraft charges are starting to filter back to others who are just now signing up for their benefits.

"It's discouraging," Gortler said. "People have limited funds and they don't need to be giving money to the banks. They need to be keeping that money to feed their families and pay bills."

I love it any time one of the talking heads at Fox News gets schooled by someone who actually did his/her homework, and who also knows how to beat them at their "talkover" game. Watch as Virg Bernero, the mayor of Lansing, Michigan sets the record straight about the "concessions" that the UAW was being asked to make.

Oh, and to set the record straight on another "fact" that Fox and the rest of the corporate media have passed around: the $70/hour that a UAW worker makes. That is an overinflated figure that is derived by taking the total payout that The Big Three pay to all workers--current and retired--and dividing it by the number of CURRENT workers at The Big Three. Hopefully, this does some good to restore the perspective on this issue that has largely been lost.

Continuing last week's discussion, I tell you everything you ever wanted to know about life...well...sort of.

There's still time to enter the listener contest, and I have already received two entries. Thanks!

The American Idol Update will get shifted to Wednesday, due to coverage of President Obama's State of the Union Address.

Listen for the details.

Music Today:



"Change In My Lifetime" by Podsafe Music Network group Causeway



"What About Everything?" by Podsafe Music Network group Carbon Leaf

Intro Music:



"Deep Cycle Discharge" by Podsafe Music Network artists Simon James and Derek K. Miller

Outro Music:



"Power Inside" by Podsafe Music Network and PodsafeAudio.com group EL84

Thanks for listening, and stay powerful!

After 12 million votes, America has spoken, and the first three Idol contestants moving on to the Top 12 are:

Alexis Grace

Michael Sarver

Danny Gokey

Tom and I got it right on the first and last one, and Michael was the surprise. I still say look for Anoupe and Ricky in the Wildcard rounds.

Next week, we will see performances from:

Megan Corkrey

Kris Allen

Mishavonna Henson

Matt Breitzke

Allison Iraheta

Matt Giraud

Jasmine Murray

Kai Kalama

Jesse Langseth

Adam Lambert

Jeanine Vailes

Nick Mitchell (or, will it be Norman????)

Should be an entertaining week, and don't forget: performance night changes to Wednesday night for that week!

See you then!

There are stories that just need to be told without any commentary, and this is one of them. I found this on the Discovery Channel's website:

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Male Whales Prefer Enormous Females

Feb. 13, 2009 -- While svelte, petite women may attract multiple suitors, bigger is definitely better in the whale world, according to a new study that found male humpback whales favor the largest females.

Big in terms of humpback whales means gigantic, since females are usually larger than males to begin with, measuring up to around 50 feet long and weighing approximately 79,000 pounds.

"While obesity is understandably a serious problem in humans, it is interesting to find that in some of the largest animals ever to exist, bigger is indeed better. Thus size does matter!" said lead author Adam Pack, an assistant professor of psychology and biology at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

Pack, who is also the co-founder and vice president of The Dolphin Institute, and his research team made the determination after studying courting humpback whales for five consecutive years in the waters of the Auau, Kalohi and Pailolo channels off West Maui. The findings have been accepted for publication in the journal Animal Behavior.

Related Content:

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• Baby Whales Talk to Mom
• HowStuffWorks.com: Whale Language
• Animal Planet: Valentine's Day Hub
• More Discovery News

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In winter and spring months, the whales assemble on shallow banks and along coastal areas for breeding and calving. Since females produce a single calf every two to three years on average, and not all females migrate to breeding grounds, males usually far outnumber females at the sites.

Interested males serve as "escorts" for their female of choice, swimming in close proximity to her and, if present, her calf. The males all gravitated to the largest females, sometimes engaging in dangerous fights to win and maintain the coveted escort position.

"The principal escort's defensive behaviors include visual displays, such as lunging through the water with ventral throat grooves expanded, making the whale look visually larger, to screens of bubbles expelled from the blowhole or mouth, to chases and physical strikes, sometimes drawing blood from a rival," Pack explained.

In order to identify individual whales, he and his colleagues gave temporary names to the whales corresponding to the shape and markings on their dorsal fins. The study therefore included the whales "Scar," "Hook," "Tall" and more.

The researchers next measured each whale using both a hand-held sonar device and mathematical calculations based on angle of view and distance. The scientists even donned snorkeler gear and swam around, and underneath, the courting whales.

"Everyone who climbed back aboard after such an encounter was breathless from exertion, but more so from excitement," Pack said.

"Often, we could see their large eye rotating in its socket watching us, benignly it seemed, as they glided slowly by," he added. "As you can imagine, it's sometimes 'heart-stopping' being in the midst of these huge leviathans, the males charging at each other with great acceleration, the lone female untouched, yet appearing to take in all the action and likely assessing the fitness of her potential suitors."

Fitness appears to be behind the whales' fondness for fat and long bodies, since the researchers also discovered that the largest females also produced the biggest calves. Since whales depend upon stored body fat to support their metabolic requirements, particularly during the winter, the extra heft is necessary for their survival, promoting greater reproductive success and aiding females in the nursing of their offspring.

Big may also be valued in killer whale pods. Another new study, led by Eric Ward from the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, found that killer whale females nearing menopause -- which tend to be larger since they're fully grown adults -- make the best mothers.

"Older females may be more successful in raising young because of maternal experience, or they may allocate more effort to their offspring relative to younger females," Ward explained.

Proving that there is life over 50, at least among giant marine mammals, female killer whales can live to be more than 90 years old, long after their courting and calf-rearing days are over.

The American Idol Update is back, and better than ever!

Once again, Tom The Ramble Redhead joins me to dish on the performance episodes of American Idol.
For those who are new to this show, we discuss each contestant's performance(s), who we liked,
who we think will be on the bottom, and who will be going home on Results Night.

On this week's show, we saw Group 1 of the Top 36, featuring twelve contestants, three of whom will go forward into the Top 12.
The three will consist of the #1 male singer, the #1 female singer, and the #2 vote recipient.
Given this change in the Idol rules, we changed our approach to guess who the top three would be, and we take a guess at who might be a wildcard.

For all of our loyal fans, we also need to point out that the American Idol episodes will be shifted back by one day,
due to President Obama's State of the Union Address, so we will produce the show on Wednesday night next week.

Let me also say that Tom went above and beyond the call of duty and hung in there while I dealt with some major Skype and PrettyMay  problems.
Thanks, Tom!

Tom's podcast may be found at http://www.rambleredhead.com

Be sure to watch this RSS feed for my normal shows, which will be produced in addition to the American Idol Updates.

Take care, and thanks for listening!