A State of the Union quiz.

Did Obama ever intone the standard phrase "The state of the Union is..." and if so, what word followed "is"? (There's a hint in the tags.)


Yes, he did, and the word was "stronger." Did you notice that "stronger" was a key word? Here are its iterations:

Tonight, thanks to the grit and determination of the American people, there is much progress to report.... Our housing market is healing, our stock market is rebounding, and consumers, patients, and homeowners enjoy stronger protections than ever before.

Together, we have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is stronger....

Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants....

We know our economy is stronger when our wives, mothers, and daughters can live their lives free from discrimination in the workplace, and free from the fear of domestic violence....

We know our economy is stronger when we reward an honest day’s work with honest wages....

Stronger families. Stronger communities. A stronger America.

Coincidentally, just the other day Kelly Clarkson won the Best Pop Vocal Album Grammy for her album "Stronger."

So let's just say Barack Obama wins the Best Pop Political Speech for his SOTU "Stronger."

Avril Lavigne/Katy Perry.

What a contrast! Tonight on "American Idol." 2 guest judges, as the show did the first round auditions in L.A.

First half hour: Avril Lavigne bundled up in a hooded, fleecy jacket while the contestants and the other judges all visibly sweated. Kara DioGuardi was completely bare-armed and bare-shouldered, yet sweating. What was the temperature in there? I had to conclude they had the heat turned up for Avril Lavigne. What was her problem? She also didn't seem to fathom the project of judging the contestants. She idiotically doubted whether a guy who was a pastor could do the competition and still be true to his religion. Hey, judge the singing. Don't nose into their personal lives, or I'll nose into yours. Why were you so cold while everyone else was hot? And yes, her jacket had devil horns. Pure distraction. The important thing was that she was bundled up while the others were sweating. On camera. How did she get the power to make all of them look so bad? They couldn't have liked that.

Second half hour: Katy Perry! She's dazzling in a tight red dress with perfectly pink lipstick and rouge. And even in that getup, she doesn't seem phony at all. She's completely alert. How refreshing to see wide open eyes! And she chides Kara for falling for the soap opera aspects of a guy who grew up in foster care. This is about whether they can sing. Exactly. And when Kara tried to co-opt her into a "girl power" hug, Perry resisted. We're looking for real singing talent. Cool. Beautiful. Smart. Sharp. Great.

No contest: Katy Perry knocks out Avril Lavigne.

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Remember when Avril shoved Kelly?