Brooke White went home Wednesday night, but you had to see it coming. After two weeks of starts and stops and a few broken notes on Neil Diamond night, it was time. Her hair, though, has always looked good, so that was something to embrace.

Ryan Seacrest hinted at Paula Abdul’s dizzy spell and indicated that she wasn’t going to be dumped. (Does that mean she won’t be on “Dancing with the Stars”?) But she still seemed loopy to me. Watch those “Idol Rewind” shows and you’ll see a different Paula. A more lucid Paula. This one, um, has problems. She produced the Bratz movie. Enough said.

Ya gotta kinda wonder, too, what’s been going on with the contestants. At the opening of Wednesday’s show, they sang a medley of Diamond hits. Badly. They looked like they hadn’t rehearsed and, in Syesha’s case, sounded like she didn’t know the notes. Are they so busy doing those bad Ford ads that they don’t have time to sit down and practice? Just asking.

Now as we near the end, Jason’s gotta do something decent (or cut his hair) to stand out. Clearly, he’s the Sanjaya of this year. Syesha’s the Tamyra Gray of the bunch and David Cook is trying to be another Daughtry.

I’m still backing David Archuleta because he has a voice that hasn’t been heard for a while. He’s gotta cut that innocent act, though, or he’s going to be swimming in Brooke’s stream. My advice? Ditch the little boy jackets and tennis shoes and come out in a suit. Put some gel in that hair and really belt the song. I betcha then the girls wouldn’t be texting David’s or Jason’s name. He’s got the stuff to be bigger than Miley Cyrus … without the Vanity Fair layout.

Paula Abdul’s meds must have kicked in a little early Tuesday night. She was so loopy on “American Idol” you kinda thought Amy Winehouse was in the house. She tried to criticize Jason Castro for a song he hadn’t yet sung and forgot Syesha’s name at one point. Ooof.

Singing the songs of Neil Diamond (who’s comin’ to Sioux Cit-eeee this summer),  the five finalists were just as predictable as the final six. Jason and Brooke were baaaa-aaad; Syesha was real Broadway and David and David rocked the house.

If Jason didn’t have the little girl vote, he’d deservedly be going home. Instead, Brooke and Syesha will be in the bottom two; Brooke should go.

That said, David Cook and David Archuleta pretty well sealed their fate. They’ll both get record deals. While David C. isn’t as versatile as he needs to be, David A. doesn’t seem to falter on many genres. His “Comin’ to America” and “Sweet Caroline” (both on iTunes) are ready to release right now. He’s my choice for the title (can’t you see him singing a medley of “America” songs? Done deal). I know one of these weeks, he’s not going to look like a scared little boy. He’ll show even the skeptics he’s the real deal.

Paula? Pull her away from the mini-bar and tell her to lay off the dancing. She hasn’t been accepted in “Dancing with the Stars” just yet.

There’s a 10-part series about the men and women aboard the USS Nimitz that’s airing on PBS this week.
Called “Carrier,” it’s a fascinating look at the life of an aircraft carrier.
Years ago (and I mean years ago) I was aboard the Nimitz for a movie junket. We got to see many of the places that figure into the documentary. What doesn’t translate? Just how confined the place is. Even though some 5,000 people call it home, this ship is cramped. In the sleeping area bunks were so close you couldn’t even turn over. The doors were pretty skinny, too, and the officers’ quarters were hardly lavish. (I figured I’d have to be an admiral just to tolerate living in the place.) The men and women, though, were extremely bright — and funny. They had a lot of inside jokes (some dirty) that seem to resonate in the miniseries.
While “Carrier” is probably more whitewashed than reality, it’s a telling slice of life. Watching it, I feel just as claustrophobic as I did back then. This is the kind of military reporting we need to see. It puts a face on the numbers and brings the story home.
Watch “Carrier” and see if you don’t agree.

That goofball Adam won “Big Brother.” But, really, Ryan was such a weenie he didn’t deserve the prize. Thankfully, Crazy James got the audience prize.

What did we learn from all this?

1. Just when you think reality television has gotten as low as it can go, it gets lower.

2. “Backdoored” is a term.

3. Porn careers await most of the houseguests.

4. The producers didn’t spend a dime on the  set.

5. This show was purely filler during the writers strike.

You’ve got one last chance to see West High’s production of “Cats.” The show is filled with lots of fun and a great performance by Kevin Hubert as Munkustrap. His ability to move like a cat is pretty purr-fect and his singing is great, too. This “Cats” boasts some pretty special costumes as well and more actor/dancer/singers than you’d think one stage could hold.

Get on the prowl. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.

Just a heads up. The 2008-2009 theater series at the Orpheum will include “Ain’t Misbehavin’” starring “American Idol” champ Ruben Studdard and former contestant Frenchie Davis. That means the building will lay claim to five “Idol” folk — Taylor Hicks, Anwar Robinson and South African “Idol” winner Heinz Winckler (who starred in “Rent”).
Now, if Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood played the Tyson, we’d really have the competition covered.
Clay Aiken? He’s in New York starring in “Spamalot” which, by the way, is also among the Orpheum lineup. Minus Clay.

Say, what? Carly Smithson’s gone? This early? When Jason Castro blew “Memory” and Brooke White had to start over?

That’s too bad. Syesha didn’t belong in the bottom two, either. But what we learned from Wednesday night’s vote is the power of pre-teen girls. They’re texting the life out of the show. And they’re the reason Jason will be in until the final three. It’ll still be David vs. David, but dreadlocks boy will be in there with ‘em.

That means Brooke and Syesha will battle it out for the bottom during Neil Diamond week.

Wednesday, we also caught up with Clay Aiken and Tamyra Gray, who are on Broadway. The former is, um, bigger. The latter is still more talented than viewers know. They prove folks like Syesha will get work (look for her in “Chicago”) if they don’t win this thing.

Considering few of the finalists knew Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music, it was kind of a wasted week. They should have picked a different show tune writer (songs from “Spring Awakening,” perhaps?) and realized Leona Lewis could blow any of them away.

Carly will still get work. It’s just too bad she isn’t in the hunt for a couple more weeks. The upshot? A foreigner won’t win “American Idol.” Michael Johns, an Australian, hit the road. Now, Carly, an Irish woman, is gone.

That says something …but I’m not sure it has anything to do with talent.

If it’s a pop music competition, why do “American Idol” producers insist the  contestants sing show tunes and country ballads?

Really. Show tunes? You knew that one was going to be a struggle for Jason Castro and, yup, it was. Like a cat, he clawed his way through “Memory,” the song from “Cats.” Brooke White didn’t do much better. She started over (for the second time in the competition) on an “Evita” song that Madonna (Madonna!) was able to make it through.

Syesha, David A., David C. and Carly did OK with their selections but they’ve probably had theater training. You can see Jason or Brooke going home this week.

And Andrew Lloyd Webber? He was hardly much help. When the camera caught him in the audience he looked so pained you kind of expected him to make a dash for the rest room.

Granted, his music isn’t the easiest stuff to sing. But why didn’t anyone choose something from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” or “Song and Dance”? It was too “Phantom” heavy and out of anyone’s normal range.

David Archuleta did the best job of reworking a song (he did “Think of Me,” the Christine Daae solo from “Phantom”) and got the appropriate audience response.

Paula Abdul was right when she told Brooke she was wrong to start over. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard singers make up lyrics just to get back on track. Starting over was fine once but she can’t do it every week. Rehearse. But I think she’s going home.

And David Cook? He’s got to get a little of the David Archuleta humility. He’s too Michael Johns cocky to make it in a showdown. Even another blood pressure scare won’t help him through that.

Jason C? Cut the dreads and those girls who are saving you will hand you your one-way ticket home.

Saturday I was invited to a seder at Congregation Beth Shalom. The food was incredible…the fellowship even better. But I did learn a few things about Passover:
1. You have to do a lot of reading before you get to the food.
2. Some dancing ability may be required.
3. Just when you think you’re in the clear, the rabbi calls on you to read (this is a lot like the Lutheran church).
4. Jewish wine is really sweet (which, as I was told, would make a great ice cream topping).
5. Hebrew is difficult to understand if you’re not Jewish. (Yet everyone there seemed to know all the words…and could sing them!)
6. There are four kinds of children. I believe I fall in the “wicked” and “simple” categories.
7. There’s a prize for one lucky person and it doesn’t depend on having a star underneath your plate.
8. You don’t have to clean up after the dinner.
9. The rabbi works during the entire ceremony (and I don’t think he got anything to eat…now how’s that for devoted?).
10. You should keep the door open for Elijah, but don’t be surprised if a stray Lutheran slips in.

What’s up with all the coverage of Ivana Trump’s wedding? Doesn’t it have the taint of something from “Dynasty”? Next to her younger-than-young husband, the former Mrs. T resembles a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars” — old woman, younger man. This time, though, the guy kinda looks like Howie Mandel. (Deal…or no deal?)

Watching the lavish wedding, you wonder if someone doesn’t feel a bit sheepish. Why are they spending that much money on a marriage that’ll last as long as Joan Collins’ to what’s-his-name? The Donald joined in, but he looked like he was going to say, “Watch ‘Celebrity Apprentice,’ next season on NBC!”