http://www.mountainfm.ca

Last week, I had the pleasure of hiking up Heart Mountain with a group of friends from the Mountain Mumblers Toastmasters group.  Last year we tackled Ha Ling and were up for a bit more of a challenge this year.  Led by the experienced Steve Fedyna, we left as soon as I was off the air since we knew it would be a full day journey.  I have to admit I was a little nervous - I’m pretty out of shape and find trails Grassi Lakes to be a solid workout, I had no idea how I would handle a full day slog straight uphill.

Heart Mountain was named because of its distinctive heart-shaped peak that can be viewed from the Trans-Canada Highway near Lac Des Arcs.  With the challenge level of the hike, I commented that it should have a way more menacing or cool name like “Diablo Peak” or “Mt. Awesome”.  There are a couple of ways to begin the hike - you can park at the Heart Creek parking lot at the Lac Des Arcs turnoff or park a kilometre or so later on the side of a highway in a worn-out ditch area, like we did.  Most people pick the side of the highway - on a busy day you shouldn’t have much trouble finding it with all the other vehicles parked there.

The word I heard to describe this hike is a “grunt”…unlike the gradual switchbacks of Ha Ling, this one goes straight up - 900m elevation gain with very few flat spots.  The ascent looked pretty much like this for most of the way:

On the way up, you get some pretty amazing views of Exshaw, Lac Des Arcs, and distant Canmore.


Towards the summit, the hike gets a little technical.  It was my very first scramble, which means you’re not really climbing but it’s steep enough that do need to use your hands to grab the rocks to navigate and keep balance.  I can’t guarantee that this next picture wasn’t taken with a tilted camera to make what I was doing look way more Mt. Awesome than it actually was.

There is also one small section, maybe 10′, that’s actually climbing…hands & feet on the rocks.  It’s short enough that you don’t need any gear but for someone who’s never climbed rock before it was a nice challenge.  No pictures of that part…was too busy trying not to kill myself!

To truly experience Heart Mountain, I would recommend the loop trail.  Many people reach the first summit and turn back, but there are three more “peak” areas you can explore with even more incredible views.  This is the trail to the second peak:

And these are views from the second peak, also known as “Grant McEwan Peak” but I’m not sure if that’s an official designation.  The first shot is Canmore in the distance, and the second is a nice shot of Barrier Lake in Kananaskis.


From the third “peak” area, I took a shot of the first peak.  You walk along that ridge to get to the second.

Not too many pictures after this point - we were tired and wanted to haul it back to the car.  The way down is a little tricky at first with narrow sections of scree slope where it’s difficult to keep your footing, but once you make it back to the trees it’s a pretty easy path.

As mentioned before, I’m pretty out of shape but managed to survive this one!  I was exhausted at the end but feeling extremely satisfied.  Our journey took about 7.5 hours but if you’re in good shape I’ve read you can probably do it in 6.  Bring some good footwear, a lot of water (I went through 3 litres) and some food…you’re going to get hungry and I didn’t see any hot dog vendors up top!  It’s also a good idea to bring someone who’s done the hike before…it was great having Steve there not only for my inexperience with this type of journey but because there’s one area where it’s really easy to go the wrong way and end up wasting time scrambling up to a false peak.  I also had to leave my favourite hiking buddy at home…my dog Sasha.  She’s a fantastic distance mountain hiker but there’s no way she would have made it up the climbing part.  You might be okay if you can lift your dog over your head and pass them up to someone.

I would definitely recommend Heart Mountain.  The views are incredible - I like them better than Ha Ling.  The loop trail is a great journey.  If you’ve never done a scramble before, this one is a good place to start.  Be sure you’re well prepared for a full day, find some good weather, and I think you’ll really enjoy it!  Enter “Heart” as a bonus code for 1000 points in our Locals VIP Club.  This code will work until the end of the long weekend!

I have to admit I’m quite excited for the upcoming municipal elections in October! However, based on the general voter apathy and low turnout that comes with civic elections, I fear I may be in the minority. That’s really too bad - out of the three levels of government, the local one is probably the most responsible for the decisions that affect our day-to-day lives, from the conditions of the roads we use to drive to work (or the number and placement of bike paths and bike lanes for those who choose that mode of transportation) to the funding for some of the biggest annual events in town to the creation of the community facilities we use like the planned Multiplex facility. We need strong, responsible leaders who best represent the will of the majority while having an ear to the needs of the minority to sit as Mayor and Council. We’ve been lucky enough to have had a group of people like that in both Canmore and Banff for the last three years and it’s our responsibility to ensure more strong leaders occupy those council chamber seats for the next three.

Are you fired up yet? Instead of just casting that vote, do you want to be part of that leadership team? Do you have some good ideas and want to make a real difference in the community you love? Why not consider a run for council? The eligibility requirements are minimal - over the age of 18 on election day, a Canadian citizen and a resident of the town you’re running in for at least six months. Nomination day is September 20th but if you are thinking of making a run you should probably be gearing up right now. Talk to people around town and find out what issues they are concerned with. Attend some council meetings and go over past council briefs, available at www.canmore.ca and www.banff.ca to find out what’s being discussed and voted on in the council chambers.  Take some of the ideas you’ve been formulating and write down some key campaign points.  And don’t forget to become knowledgeable on issues that you’re not particularly interested in - you’ll still need to be able to articulate them during the election forums.

Check out the links to the Canmore candidate information here and the Banff candidate information here.  Both these websites contain great information.  For even more information, there’s a great website that offers tips as well as a schedule of seminars that will teach you about running for office and being a good elected official.

The Banff race will be interesting this year as Mayor John Stutz is stepping down, leaving the top job wide open.  Being mayor obviously has added responsibilities but also comes with added pay.  The pay for a town councilor won’t make you rich (in fact, it won’t support you by itself in the Bow Valley which is why it’s classified as a part-time job) but money is money, and I hear the health plan is really good too!  Last month the Canmore Leader ran an article about Andre Gareau’s retirement, and he offered some great advice to people thinking of running for council regarding the time commitments.  You can read that here.

I hope to see a lot of familiar names on the ballot come October 18th!  Enter “Council” as a bonus code for 1000 Locals VIP Club points.  This code will work until the end of the day Sunday, August 22nd.

The Canmore Folk Fest is almost upon us for its 33rd year!  An annual Folk Fest tradition could be called the “Mad Blanket Dash”, where people show up really early to make sure they’re first on-site so they can stake out prime Stan Rogers Stage real estate.  This blanket becomes their home for the rest of the day as they enjoy afternoon workshops and evening performances.  This, however, constitutes a lot of sitting on the ground.  Centennial Park is a beautiful venue for a concert but unfortunately doesn’t have the softest earth for extended rear-end use.  So, just for you, I’ve done a bit of research and have discovered a couple of handy products which may save your bum from Folk Fest soreness.  This research was done with the potential of great personal humiliation, as my desk is very exposed and anyone walking by could see me looking at a lot of bums in Goggle Images, so I hope you appreciate it!

Our first product is the Seirus Super Padded Protective Shorts for adults and kids.  They look like cycling shorts for a person with a huge posterior.  According to the website, “The padding provides protection for the bum, tail bone, and hips. The padding is both breathable and removable.”  How handy is that?  Imagine watching the Folk Fest with these puppies snuggling your rear.  Towards the end of the night, when your friends beside you squirm in vain to find a comfortable position and say “How have you been sitting in the same position for so long?” you can say “It’s my little secret.  Plus, I’ve lost all circulation in my legs.  Can you get me some perogies?”  It’s bum-tastic!

Ladies, you also have another option:

That’s right, I know you’ve always wanted a Silicone Butt Enhancer Shaper Panty!  While these would definitely add some comfort for those long Folk Fest days, the primary purpose seems to be derriere enhancement.  Not only will you be able to sit on your blanket for an extended period of time without backside soreness, you’ll be the object of admiring looks from other Folk Fest attendees.  And when your friends ask “Is there something different about you?  Have you been working out?” you can respond with “It’s my little secret.  Let’s go get some perogies.”  And then you can eat perogies.  And they will be good.

By the way, if you don’t want so much padding there are other options on Amazon for the Sporty Bum Padded Panty, Bitty Bum Padded Hipster Panty, Itty Bitty Bum Padded Panty, and more.  Your padded panty options are quite limitless!

I hope you enjoy the Folk Fest, padded bum or not!  For a full schedule and ticket info, check out the Canmore Folk Festival website.  And enter “FOLK” as a bonus code for 1000 points in our Locals VIP Club!  This code will work until the end of the Folk Fest on August 2nd.

Yesterday, with a few mouse clicks, I lent money to a group of women in Ecuador who have formed a communal bank.  The cost to me was nothing as this is the fifth time I’ve re-loaned this particular $25 investment, but the infusion of cash will be invaluable to this group of women struggling to create favourable economic conditions for themselves in an impoverished part of the world.  This is the magic of Kiva .

The ideals behind Kiva and other similar micro-finance models can be summed up with the old proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”  There has been a real paradigm shift in recent years with regards to aid for impoverished nations.  Remember Live Aid and other similar African relief fundraisers from the 80s?  Quite a bit of money was raised with those initiatives.  Some of that money went to the governments of third-world nations, many of who were corrupt and used those funds for their own personal gain.  Much of that money did go to food and medicine, but it later became apparent that was more of a temporary solution.  Once the food was gone, the people of these poor nations were in exactly the same place they were before - poor and starving.  It became apparent that, to break the cycle of poverty, money and energies should be spent on creating sustainable communities and empowering the individual to create their own wealth, which in turn would enrich their neighbours.

Just because people in the third-world live in poverty doesn’t mean they’re not smart or business-savvy, it’s just that in the past there have been roadblocks in their way preventing them from putting their skills to good use.  Think about this - let’s say you want to start your own business, but you have no money.  To get that start-up capital, you’d go to the bank and ask for a small business loan, right?  It seems common sense in the developed world, but in the third-world those kinds of institutions simply don’t exist.  That’s where Kiva and the concept of micro-finance comes in.  Kiva works as a gateway to micro-finance agencies that operate all over the world, making capital available to people with ideas and already existing business models that want to grow and thrive.  The brilliance of Kiva is that it relies on a large community of lenders to finance these loans.  Someone wanting $1000 to increase their stock at a food & beverage store in Uganda would be hard pressed to get that kind of money from one person, but when you have 40 people lending $25 each, it’s not a huge burden to each individual lender.  The best part for the lenders are that these are indeed loans, not donations.  The micro-credit agency creates a repayment schedule and when repayments are made a portion goes back into each person’s Kiva wallet.  As soon as one gets enough money back (minimum loan is $25), the person can re-loan that money to another person or business.  It truly is a “gift that keeps on giving” - a real perpetual donation to a worthy cause.  And this type of business model really is a game changer in the third-world - these successful entrepreneurs become self-sustaining, create wealth for themselves and others, and often provide a necessary service in their community, thereby breaking the cycle of poverty.

I joined Kiva a few years ago and made an initial contribution of $100, good for four $25 loans.  The communal bank in Ecuador I mentioned at the beginning was my 18th loan, putting me on my fifth loan cycle.  I’ve helped fund a medical clinic in Uganda, a music store in Lebanon, a shoe sales business in Sierra Leone, a furniture maker in Iraq, and a food market in Azerbaijan, among others.  Kiva’s field partners are quite reliable and repayments are generally made on time.  I did have the misfortune of losing one of my $25 loans but that was due to difficulties with the national bank of Tanzania, and my case is an anomaly - the repayment rate on Kiva is over 98%.  Overall, I’ve found doing my small part to really make a difference in the lives of these entrepreneurs to be an incredibly rewarding experience.  Check it out for yourself at www.kiva.org.  You can also buy gift certificates on the site - my wife received a Kiva gift certificate last year and she thought it was one of the most unique and rewarding gifts she’s ever been given.

Speaking of creating sustainable communities, I’m also involved with a local organization through the CAUSE Kids program that is doing some really fantastic things in Sierra Leone.  But that’s a story for another blog post!

Enter “Kiva” as a Locals VIP bonus code for 1000 points.  This code will work until the end of the day on Sunday, July 25th.

(Note - All these pictures got messed up during upload.  I don’t have time to re-do them now but want to get this up ASAP for the bonus code)

As we enter the last week of our amazing Summer in NYC contest, I’m reminded of my summer in NYC when I travelled there in September 2004.  It is one of my all-time favourite vacations - I’ll never forget stepping out of my hostel shortly after arriving, walking half a block, turning left, and seeing Times Square lit up on a Saturday night, during New York Fashion Week no less!  Unfortunately, that picture was lost when I got rid of my old phone.  I do have a few others that I’d like to share with you.  Keep in mind this was about 4 months before I got my first digital camera and these were all taken on a cheap disposable that took semi-grainy pictures a little to the left of where I was actually aiming!  I’d also like to share a few tips I learned from my week there that may be helpful for our contest winner:

Tip #1 - Bring good, comfortable footwear.  This is absolutely essential because to really see the city you’ll be walking everywhere.  Cabs can get kind of expensive in NYC - it’s way cheaper to buy a Metropass for the week and just take the subway, and then walk to your destination from there.  Besides, some of the NYC landmarks are best viewed on foot.  Travel tip - catch the subway to Brooklyn and walk the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan - you’ll get an amazing view of the Manhattan skyline.  Bring comfortable clothing too for warm weather - summer in NYC can be pretty humid!
Hey, look, I actually had hair back then!

Tip #2 - Get a good map with clearly labelled streets and, most importantly, one that clearly lists all the subway routes.  It will be invaluable for getting from point A to B.  You can often buy maps that have some of the landmarks labelled as well which is quite helpful.  Better yet, head to the travel section of a bookstore before you go and pick up an NYC guidebook.  I liked “NYC Free & Dirt Cheap” which gives some great ideas about lesser known landmarks and restaurants as well as ways to save a few bucks and not get caught in the tourist traps.  I used it to learn about the Upright Citizen’s Brigade free Sunday night improv show, where I got to see people like Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz do hilarious skits in a tiny little theatre which was in Chelsea at the time (I think they’ve moved), and also about the free afternoon at the Museum of Modern Art.  It also listed the festivals that take place during the year, and during the summer there’s always some huge special event somewhere.  NYC can either be really expensive or not that bad if you come prepared and know where to find good deals.

Tip #3 - Similar to the last one…talk to your friends and others you know who have been there and find out what they liked.  NYC is massive and there is so much to do; you’ll never be able to cram everything into just one week.  Here’s one suggestion from me - take the subway to Union Square and grab lunch at the Republic Noodle House across the street - best wonton soup I’ve ever eaten!  Then walk a couple of blocks to St. Mark’s Place, home of trendy record shops, vintage stores, and other oddities that I can only describe as “miscellaneous”.

Tip #4 - Do the Staten Island Ferry.  It’s free and a great trip.  It won’t get you as close to the Statue of Liberty as the Ellis Island ferry that costs a bit of money, but it’s close enough for the zoom on your camera.  Give yourself a bit of extra time though - it can be busy, especially in the summer.
 
Tip #5 - See some live music.  There’s always amazing shows going on in NYC from the biggest bands in the world to some up-and-comers.  My most unforgettable NYC moment was seeing the Arcade Fire live in Central Park - during the encore, the lead singer Win said “We’re going to do a David Bowie song” and then DAVID BOWIE came on stage to perform the encore with them!  Amazing!  Only in New York!  These pictures, again with my cheap disposable camera, are indeed of David Bowie…I swear! lol

Tip #6 - See a Broadway show.  Our Summer in NYC package includes Broadway tickets but you may want to go to more than one.  For the shows that haven’t sold out, you can go to the TKTS booth in Times Square for day-of discounts.  For the most popular ones that sell out months in advance, if you show up first thing in the morning when that show’s box office opens you can get standing-room tickets for that night’s show.  This is how I got to see Spamalot.

Tip #7 - Go off the beaten path for souvenirs.  The “I Heart NYC” shirt that sells for $7 in Times Square sells for about $2 or $3 in some other parts of the city.  Ditto for most trinkets that you’re bringing home for your friends and family.

Tip #8 - Explore and find your own fun!  NYC is filled with so much culture, history, and fun things to do that you’ll never be bored.  Most of the city is incredibly safe, there are cops everywhere and the streets will be packed with people even at 3am.  The bars are open until 5am making for some great pub crawl opportunities if that’s what you’re into.  There are cool shops everywhere.  The worst thing you can do in NYC is sit in your hotel room and watch TV.  I’m super jealous of whoever wins this trip - you’re going to have an unforgettable experience!

For 1000 Locals VIP Points and one free entry into the Summer in NYC contest, enter the name of the Broadway ticket booth in Times Square I mentioned earlier in this blog entry.  The code will work until 9am on Friday, July 16th, right before we name our final qualifier!

I’ll leave you with a few more pictures from my trip.

Wow, I can’t believe how fast this year is flying by!  We’re coming up to Canada Day once again.  I don’t have any stats but I’d imagine that Canada Day is one of the busiest, if not actually the busiest days every year in the Bow Valley.  There’s just so much stuff going on in Canmore, Banff, and Lake Louise!  Watch for the Mountain Patrol in the parades in both Banff and Canmore again this year, and watch for Mountain FM staff and volunteers handing out Locals VIP Bonus Codes in both towns which will not only net you a bunch of points but also a few free entries to our Summer in NYC draw!  It should be a good one - I’m usually the one driving the Patrol in the Banff parade, as I will do again this year, and I’m constantly amazed by how many people are able to cram onto the sidewalks along those few blocks of Banff Ave.

For your reference, here is the Canada Day schedule of events for all three towns:

Canada Day – Banff

The Town of Banff in the middle of the majestic Canadian Rockies is the perfect place to celebrate Canada’s birthday on July 1st of each year. A typical Canada Day starts off with a pancake breakfast at Canada Place from 9 – 11am hosted by Parks Canada.  Entertainment starts back downtown at Central Park at noon with all day entertainment on the Louis Trono Gazebo and Stampede stages.The 2010 Parade runs the length of Banff Avenue starting promptly at 5:00 p.m.  After the parade, head back to Central Park for an evening of great entertainment.  Performances run until 11:00 P.M. when the day’s events end with our always spectacular fireworks show. Remember that entry into Banff National Park is free on July 1st.

Canada Day – Canmore

Celebrate Canada Day in Canmore!

8 – 10am: Rotary Pancake Breakfast in Centennial Park.  They’ll be taking a silver collection.  Help the environment – bring your own plates and cutlery!
9am: Family Fun Run begins.  Register online at www.zone4.ca or in person at the Ultimate Fit Centre Running Store.
Noon: The Canada Day Parade begins at Railway Ave and Main Street, winding its way down Main Street to 8^th ave, turning left and coming back along 7^th street to end just past the Union Hall.

1 – 5pm: Events in Centennial Park.  The Mass Band Presentation goes from 1 – 2pm, followed by live music from Stan Rogers Stage.  This year’s lineup includes Ronnie & The Bag Boys, Ric Proctor, Her and Us, Tootsie Gunslinger, Canmore Idol winner Brittney McNeil & Wes Hughson, and The Free Rangers.  Fun for the kids all afternoon with a bouncy castle, balloon animals, games, racing, and face painting.

10:30pm: Finish the day with a BANG with the Canada Day Fireworks fired off from Millennium Park.

Volunteers are still needed for set-up and tear-down.  If you can help out, email specialevents@canmore.ca .

Canada Day – Lake Louise

Set against the glaciers of Banff National Park, Lake Louise is a spectacular place to be for Canada’s birthday.

All day: Free pony rides at Timberline Tours

8 – 10am: Pancake breakfast at the fire department

11am – 11pm: BBQ at the Rec Centre (all day)

11am – 4pm: Kids carnival and Artisan show at the Rec Centre

11:30am: Canada Day parade from Moraine Circle to the Rec Centre

Noon: Canadiana-themed lunch at the Deer Lodge

Noon – 4pm: Interpretive Rove by Parks Canada

1 – 2pm: Mountain WIT performances: Imagin-A-Nation at the Rec Centre

5:00pm: Beer Gardens open at the Rec Centre

9:00pm: Evening concert featuring Chronic

Happy Canada Day!  Enter “Float” as a bonus code in our Locals VIP Club (you know, like, a parade float.  C’mon people, work with me here) to earn 1000 points.  This code will work until the end of the Canada Day weekend, Sunday, July 4th.

What’s going on in the Gulf of Mexico right now is incredibly sad.  The uncontained oil gushing out of the blown well could be one of the worst environmental disasters in history.  For a true picture of the size and scope of the spill, check out this website: http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/ .  Type in Canmore, AB (or wherever else you want) and it will show you how big the oil slick would be if the disaster was centered in your own hometown.  Frightening!

What’s also astonishing is how high-tech the process of offshore oil extraction has become, but nothing has been developed to effectively stop the flow of oil when something goes wrong.  How is it that we’re in the year 2010 and the best they can come up with is sticking a big metal dome on top of the pipe, which is the best option after their method of shooting mud and garbage into the hole failed?  The relief well that will stop the flow won’t be done until August!  Meanwhile, the tens of thousands of litres of oil are flowing into the gulf every day, fouling the waters, killing marine wildlife, and destroying the livelihood of thousands of people who rely on those waters for their careers (as if the people of Louisiana haven’t been through enough).

Here’s a funny look at BP’s disaster response on a smaller scale:

This blog post is something of an ode to our local municipal governments.  While the feds seem to often be embroiled in scandal or overspending, and the provincial Tories stumbling from one mistake to the next, it’s nice to have a group of politicians in Canmore and Banff who more often than not have our best interests in mind and get the job done when it comes to the day to day running of town operations.

I realize that not everyone will agree with every decision made.  That’s just the nature of government - you can’t please everyone all the time.  But Canmore and Banff council have spent the last few years doing the best job possible - pleasing most people most of the time.  Remember, this is an election year, and aside from a few points of contention that I can think of off the top of my head this edition of council has been largely controversy-free during its term.  Some may argue that’s more circumstance and luck, and while there may be a degree of that I’d say it’s also a product of good government.  Both Canmore and Banff have a very solid and diverse set of councilors that seem really in-tune and involved with their communities.  People like Ed Russell and Leslie Taylor provide the occasional voice of dissent and encourage healthy discussion.  Comparing a Canmore or Banff town council meeting with a meeting of the Alberta Legislature or the Federal House of Commons is like comparing a college-level debate with an elementary school lunchroom.  When election day comes in October (and I really hope everyone possible votes - I find it really ironic that municipal elections tend to have the least voter turnout when it’s town council that makes the most decisions that effect people in their day-to-day lives) I predict it will be very difficult for newcomers to knock off most of the strong incumbents - those that decide to run again anyway!

I’m reserving special praise for our two local mayors.  I’ve had a huge amount of respect for Banff’s John Stutz since I first met him - a smart, outspoken and media-friendly guy who has managed to find that perfect balance between being a shrewd politician and a really nice guy.  I have to admit, I wasn’t the biggest Casey fan when he first got elected (for the second time…I didn’t live here during his first mayoral go-round) and that came more from a media perspective - he’s always been more elusive when it comes to on-air interviews and I’ve never developed the same rapport with him that I have with Mayor Stutz.  But over the last few years I’ve come around to see him as an effective leader who keeps council on-issue.  We have many people in town representing many diverse issues - sometimes things can get a little heated but I’ve rarely seen him get phased.  You have to have a pretty thick skin sometimes to be the mayor of Canmore and Casey seems to have a way to not take things personally and cut to the heart of the matter, often with a big grin on his face!  He also has a good sense of humour - yesterday was Camp Day at Tim Hortons, and with Mayor Casey greeting people inside and me standing out at the balloon pop beside a cardboard cutout labelled “Pie In The Face”, I suggested to the manager Gerald that he should see if he could get our good mayor out to stick his head in the hole for some minimum pledges.  I totally didn’t think he’d go for it, but sure enough 5 minutes later he pops out of the restaurant followed by a few local businessmen who seemed quite eager for the opportunity!  And a few minutes after that, with Mayor Casey sporting a whipped cream-covered beard and his big grin, one of the pie-ers remarked “You’re a good sport, Casey”.  I couldn’t agree more!

Below are some pictures of Mayor Casey, post-pie:

Enter “Mayor” in the bonus code section of our Locals VIP Club for 1000 points.  This code will work until the end of the day on Wednesday, June 9th.

Just a quick one today - Darth Vader recording TomTom GPS navigation vocals.  I laughed for about five minutes straight after I watched it the first time…enjoy!

American Idol shocker!  Siobhan Magnus voted off the show!  She’s been a little inconsistent over the last few weeks but those notes she can hit are insane.  I was surprised to see her go before someone like Aaron Kelly, but I guess you can’t underestimate the cute teenage boy appeal to teenage girl voters (also called “The Bieber Factor”).  Regardless, she had to go sooner or later because there’s really only one contestant who will likely win everything, barring a finale upset (also called “The Adam Lambert Factor”). 

I’ve become a big fan of Crystal Bowersox.  She’s got a great backstory - a struggling musician from a poor family who decided to audition for Idol to make some money to support her young son, something that resonates well with a lot of Americans.  Like many past and current Idol contestants she has an incredible voice, but one thing that really sets her apart is style.  Instead of fitting into the pop music genre that most Idol frontrunners seem to occupy, she’s the type of singer/songwriter you’d find playing in coffee shops or busking in subway stations across the country.

I recall at one point during the semi-final round Crystal mentioned she wasn’t allowed to perform any of her original songs.  Which leads to the question - is she as good a songwriter as she is a singer?  The answer, in my opinion, is yes!  Below are YouTube links to two of her creations - the Melissa Etheridge/Serena Ryder-esque “Sandman”, and the heartbreaking “Farmer’s Daughter”

I'm almost wondering if Crystal's career would be served best by a second place finale upset.  I've heard the Idol Winner contract is quite restrictive - they'd likely hire a team of songwriters for her that may try to turn her into something she's not.  Crystal's the type of musician that will have a long career ahead of her if she's just allowed to do her own thing!

Wow, a blog entry about American Idol follows a blog entry about Glee.  I'm losing some serious guy points here.  I'll have to write my next blog post about wrestling alligators or winning some sort of steak-eating contest.

Enter "Bowersox" as a bonus code in our Locals VIP Club to earn 1000 points.  The code will work until the end of the day on Tuesday, May 4th.  Go Crystal!