Confessional: Selling Out to American Idol

I have a confession to make. A few weeks ago, beaten and exhausted and braindead after a 14 hour work day, I was sipping on a couple Bass beer and lighting a cigar when I flipped on the tube (though I guess I can't call my new plasma TV a "tube"...and why didn't I get HD? What the hell was I thinking saving a few hundred bucks when spending a few thousand and not getting the full package -- digression again).

Tivo wasn't recording anything and the channel was on 5, which in Time Warner's network in NYC, means Fox. And this show -- maybe you've heard of it -- "American Idol" was on. A very pretty young lady was belting out a song, which is something I like to watch, so I sat down on my uncomfortable blue couch.

Turns out "American Idol" is really entertaining. I mean, that Simon is cut throat -- I like that. And Paula Abdul -- oh what a sweetie. And that other guy -- gimme a break with all his "that was the bomb" crap. But I found myself coming to tears watching these kids going after their dreams, putting themselves out there, taking huge risks in the public eye (then again, I'm sure some of those tears had to do with the cigar smoke and buzz I got from the cigar).

Maybe I relate in some twisted manner because I launched my hedge fun and do so many trades in the public eye. I took huge risks and put it all out there too. I don't know, all I know is despite the show pushing for hipness so bad it can taste it ("Seacrest out" zzzz) and despite the annoying format of elimating people one at a time for an hour last night -- I like that damn show. It stirs some emotion in me.

So much for contrarianism. I'm like a trader getting long XOM at $60, jumping on this bandwagon. Sigh.