Yes, your humble Goliard is ever so slightly hooked on American Idol. And often has plenty to say about Tuesday night performances. Here is an account of the latest week’s show, which had an “inspirational” theme in honor of “Idol Gives Back”.

Tuesday was the kind of day at work that sent me home tired and cranky, and perhaps that explains my overall negative reaction to this particular night. (At least—thank God—they clamped down on the arm-wavers and overhead-clappers in the “mosh pit” tonight. If I’m going to sit through an hour of mediocre performances, the least they can do is not put anything or anyone constantly in my way while I’m trying to watch…well, except for crazy dancing Paula, about whom little can be done.) On the other hand, a cursory glance at other online fan reactions shows few who were thrilled by much on this night.

I shall spare everyone the rant on the amazingly elastic and shallow and unsatisfying concept of “inspirational” as it is found in Idol-land (I fear I’d be banging on eerily like Ignatius J. Reilly once I got started), and get right to the damage:

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As the post-election drama continues in Zimbabwe, a country now more thoroughly wrecked by incompetent and corrupt and malicious government than any other non-Communist state that jumps to my mind, I am surprised and disappointed to see so little written about it in the American media, or even on American political websites, each day.

The people have been abused and wronged for so long now. And deliverance seems so tantalizingly close. The least we can do is keep them in the news and in our thoughts. All hopes and opportunities look to fade when the spotlights turn elsewhere, and the people of Zimbabwe are again left alone to the tender mercies of Robert Mugabe (and those of his feckless neighbors who, even now, enable him still).

The most this humble Goliard can do, from this great distance, is to pray. Please do join me.

I also have offered the following thoughts and wishes, via the comments section at the Sokwanele activist group blog, This is Zimbabwe (one of the too-rare sources of on-the-ground information in these days):

Let me add to the expressions of support from here in America. The people of Zimbabwe have my prayers—even the person known as Robert Mugabe, for it is not too late for him to save his soul, and to do one or two truly good things for his country on his way out of public life.

You are also in the thoughts of my children. They are ever curious about events in the world, and I have done my best to explain to them what you have had to endure in Zimbabwe. The whole world should know.

You were even remembered in their bedtime story one night, where their favorite bedtime-story characters paid a visit to your country, and witnessed its deliverance by means of a giant, shining, golden, living Zimbabwe Bird. I don’t know if that’s precisely the thing we should be waiting on in real life…but surely by this point somebody up there owes you some sort of miracle (or three).

Be as well and as safe as you can, keep standing up in peace and with dignity, and know that at every hour of the day, someone somewhere in this vast world is offering prayers for you.