Grandma was right...never judge a book by its cover

**eriedearie** · April-13-09, 06:57 PM

That goes for people too - you never know what they have to offer.

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92464?fp=1

**Maof** · April-13-09, 07:41 PM

my sis just send this to me! pretty cool

**Jimaz** · April-13-09, 07:58 PM

It looks like Paul Potts finally has some competition.

Attachment 592

Man impresses judges on talent show

This is a terrific story from the show Britain's Got Talent. The audience has little expectation for this cell phone salesman, Paul Potts, until he brings them to their feet with an amazing performance of an extremely difficult opera song - Puccinis Nessun Dorma. Within two minutes, Paul shows more emotion than all the contestants combined. I'm not into opera but even I had to watch this video a number of times.

Biography: Paul Potts was raised in Fishponds, Bristol, by his father Roland, a bus driver, and mother, Yvonne, a supermarket cashier. Paul has two brothers and one sister, and attended St. Mary Redcliffe school where he first developed his love of singing.

In the interview that was broadcast before his performance in the semi-final, Paul stated that he had trouble with being bullied in school, and that it may have had an influence on his lack of self-confidence.

Until June 19, 2007 Potts worked as a manager at the Bridgend Carphone Warehouse, a mobile phone store around 8 miles from his home town.

On June 9, 2007, Potts' audition of Simon Cowell's new search-for-a-star show Britain's Got Talent was televised on ITV in UK. The actual audition was held at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on March 17, 2007. Paul sang a condensed version of Giacomo Puccini's "Nessun dorma", which impressed the judges and received a standing ovation from the audience of 2,000 people.

In the semi-final on June 14, 2007, Potts performed main verses of "Con te partirÃ²" with praise from the audience and judges.

Mr. Potts currently holds the top position in the All Time Best Category of BestofYouTube.com.

**gnome** · April-13-09, 09:46 PM

Thanx ErieDearie, that was wonderful, watched it several times. Just like the Paul Potts performance ... breathtaking.

She just needs a weed whacker to thin those eyebrows a tad.

**Jimaz** · April-13-09, 10:13 PM

So what do we mean by "never judge a book by its cover"?

I think it means that however meager we may appear, individually each one of us can excel far beyond expectations in some specialty. That's magic.

Let's go for it.

**Sstashmoo** · April-14-09, 12:18 AM

That Paul Potts is simply amazing...

**grumpyoldlady** · April-14-09, 05:24 AM

Gnome...those eyebrows have nothing to do with the vocal cords. That kind of comment is low and uncalled for. Show some class. There's always someone who has to find something to make a negative comment about. I hope you have a physical deformity that people have made fun of, but no, you must be perfect, or you would know how that sort of comment is hurtful and out of place, even if she will never see it. As a fatty that has suffered the verbal abuse of others all my life, I am sensitive about people pointing out the faults of others, and rightly so.

**gnome** · April-14-09, 06:34 AM

You're right GOL, my comment was insensitive and while intended to be a little joke, I can see my comment was ill-time and thoughlessly sarcastic.

That lady is a wonderful singer and my comment was uncalled for. Please forgive me as it was not my intention to cause you harm or to upset you in any way.

**gazhekwe** · April-14-09, 12:39 PM

You aren't by yourself with that kind of comment, Gnome, they are all over the 'net, criticizing Susan's gait, hair, amount of hair, perceived clumsiness, dowdiness, lonely lifestyle and on and on.

I don't know what it is in us that makes us think that is funny. I believe most of us have to beat that down on occasion. Ever notice how America's Funniest Home Videos shows a lot of people hurting themselves and we are supposed to laugh our collective butts off at their expense? Tsk tsk at us, I say. I heard a report on NPR yesterday about the concept of empathy. They studied people's brains while watching videos of things happening to other people. Most people's brains jumped right to empathy when watching something showing an obvious injury. The synapses took longer and longer the less obvious the physical injury, and took the longest, if they happened at all, with psychological injuries. I guess we are wired to help with physical injuries, but not with those hurtful mental ones.

ccbatson · April-14-09, 07:54 PM

Choosing a career in the public eye invites that kind of scrutiny, fair or not.

**gazhekwe** · April-14-09, 08:20 PM

Because they are about people in the public eye, does not make those kind of comments any less shallow and insensitive. We humans struggle to raise ourselves to ever higher levels of understanding, all the while ridiculing others' shortcomings and fondly imagining we deserve no such criticism ourselves.

**gazhekwe** · April-14-09, 08:22 PM

Here is another amazing talent from the same series, 13 year old Andrew Johnston:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K2EA8SWhh8

**Jimaz** · April-14-09, 08:38 PM

The Susan Boyle event was covered on the ABC evening news tonight here in the U.S. I guess this thread scooped them. lol

**Pam** · April-15-09, 08:16 AM

Choosing a career in the public eye invites that kind of scrutiny, fair or not.

Missing the point as usual Bats. She appeared on an amateur talent show, so she does not yet have a career in the public eye. The audience and the panel were judging her by her appearance before she sang a note. As grumpy said- that has nothing to do with her vocal cords.

**gnome** · April-15-09, 09:06 AM

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/enterta...6908-21275287/

Not only does she have a great voice, but her sense of humor is off the charts as well.

Watching the ITV1 show in her council house, she wasn't focusing on her amazing rendition of West End hit I Dreamed a Dream.

The Scots sensation was too shocked at how she looked.

Susan, 48, of Blackburn, West Lothian, said: "They say TV makes you look fat and it certainly did.

"I looked like a garage. It was mortifying to see and a bit of a shock. I didn't realise I could reduce people to tears and I hope it wasn't because of that."

ccbatson · April-17-09, 12:14 AM

Choosing to participate in a talent show is choosing to pursue achievement in the public eye.

**d.mcc** · April-17-09, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by ccbatson

Choosing to participate in a talent show is choosing to pursue achievement in the public eye.

Or possibly to vindicate oneself...

But I think attention whore a bit too...

**Maof** · April-17-09, 06:57 AM

she has been interviewed on the morning shows the last few days and seems to me, she has made somewhat of an apperance change...hair color and a little bit of an eyebrow trimming.

**sg9018** · April-17-09, 10:43 AM

Here is a link to her 1st recording she did for a charity CD 10 years ago,
Susan Boyle verson of Cry Me A River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8r9lRJ6yHY
I love her so much, she is such a classy lady.

**Maof** · April-17-09, 02:50 PM

Susan will be on Larry King tonight.

ccbatson · April-17-09, 11:35 PM

All I pointed out is that she invites the scrutiny...and she probably knows it and cares little...good for her, I commend that kind of individual ambition and disregard for the petty concerns of the masses [[or the collective, if you prefer)