OK, almost done ...

Rich wisely notes that the Leann Rimes video that was of much email discussion last Friday isn't really country, and I don't disagree (as an aside, those posts produced weird results in that they yielded only one comment, but tons and tons of emails full of rather interesting comments).

But then again, it isn't as if much of today's mainstream country is really all that country to begin with. A twang in one's voice doesn't mean you're all of a sudden Johnny Cash, and case in point would be Taylor Swift. By all accounts, she's a really talented young woman, but to call her country and not pop is maddening to me.

Then again, look at the winners of the most recent CMT Awards and compare them with the nominees and you'll get an idea of the state of country music.

I mean, how does I Got My Game On by Trace Adkins win Best Male Video? It's an awful song and an equally as awful video. It lacks the catchy riff, humor and originality of Brad Paisley's Online (though it ain't like that's a good song either).

And Our Song by Taylor Swift over Nothing Better To Do by Leann Rimes and So Small by Carrie Underwood? Not only are the latter two better videos, but Rimes's song is one of the better and more authentic country tunes to come out in a long, long time.