Sony Ericsson C902 Cyber-shot phone

Kara DioGuardi, the new American Idol judge

After seven seasons, American Idol is getting a new judge. Fox has announced Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi will serve as Idol's new fourth judge and join Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson as a regular member of the show's eighth-season judging panel.

"We are turning the heat up on Idol this year and are thrilled to welcome Kara DioGuardi to the judges' table," Idol creator and executive producer Simon Fuller said. "She is a smart, sassy lady, and one of America's most successful songwriters. We know she will bring a new level of energy and excitement to the show."

Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi (born December 9, 1970) is an American songwriter, record producer, and singer who has contributed to a long list of internationally successful popular songs. She writes music of the light pop-rock genre. She will be a judge on the eighth season of American Idol. Kara DioGuardi's songs have been recorded by artists including Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Hilary Duff, Carrie Underwood, Avril Lavigne, Hannah Montana, The Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Santana, Ashlee Simpson, Jewel, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue, and many others. DioGuardi has also had much success with major Latin music artists including RBD, Laura Pausini, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, Thalía, Ricky Martin, and Carlos Santana. DioGuardi can also be heard performing backup vocals on some of these recordings.

Pop Idol, the since-canceled British reality competition American Idol was based on, featured four judges (one of whom was Cowell) during both its seasons, which aired in 2002 and 2003. Kara DioGuardi's addition as the new American Idol judge represents the completion of a similar plan for American Idol, according to the show's producers.

Farewell to the Beijing Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony (see photos here) was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and began at 8:00 pm on August 24, 2008 (the post-introductory main ceremony began at 8:08 pm). The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture.

The musical acts included:
British singer Leona Lewis and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page (with association football player David Beckham making an appearance)
Hong Kong singer Andy Lau
Hong Kong singers Kelly Chen and Joey Yung, Chinese American singer Wang Lee Hom and South Korean entertainer Rain
Han Hong
Jackie Chan

The 2008 Olympic Closing Ceremony also included the handover of the games from Beijing to London. Guo Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing handed over the Olympic flag to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and there was a performance organized by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG)

* Fireworks prelude, including a firework countdown above the National Stadium itself, at 8:00PM CST.
* Introduction of IOC members and Hu Jintao.
* Raising of the Chinese national flag, to the Chinese national anthem, March of the Volunteers.
* Mass games performance by a troupe of drummers.
* Orange sparkling fireworks.
* Performers in translucent costumes, with some riding on circular objects.
* Flag bearers enter the stadium.
* Athletes enter the stadium.
* Athletes gather in the stadium, with drumming throughout the precession.
* Presentation of the final men's marathon medals; including the national anthem of Kenya: Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu, for the gold medallist.
* Presentation of twelve athlete volunteers and twelve child volunteers and closing of the Olympic pool.
* Raising of the Greek national flag, to the Greek national anthem, Hymn to Liberty.
* Welcoming of the President of the BOCOG, Liu Qi, and the IOC President, Jacques Rogge.
* Speech by Liu Qi in Mandarin Chinese, concluding in French with "merci beaucoup".
* Speech by the IOC President, Jacques Rogge, in English, French and concluding in Mandarin, declaring the Beijing Games "truly exceptional". He closes the Games.
* Raising of the Union Flag, to the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen".
* Lowering of the Olympic Flag and singing of the Olympic Anthem.
* Handing of the Seoul Olympic Flag by Mayor of Beijing Guo Jinlong to the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.
* Fireworks representing the Olympic rings.
* Eight minutes of presentation of the 2012 London Olympics.
o A British Modern Cultural Performance, involving a double-decker bus, bicycles and commuters.
o Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page perform "Whole Lotta Love".
o Appearance by David Beckham, who kicked a ceremonial football into the rows of volunteers.
* Procession of performers on an airport terminal staircase, with events during the 2008 Olympics on-screen.
* Extinguishing of the Olympic Flame, following a recitation of the 16 days of Olympic competition and of the Ancient Greek competition.
* Performers on a tall pillar (called the memory tower), waving arms and symbolising the Olympic flame, eternally unextinguished. Performers group to form Chrysanthemums, with hurdle runners on top of the pillar. Performers then reclimb the pillar, which is then covered in red sheets. Roses are formed along with athletes below (with pillar as a stigma), the athlete crowds as petals. Red sheets are levitated upward and reveal the performers arranged in the form of Dancing Beijing, the 2008 Olympic logo.
* Fireworks.
* Song "Beijing Beijing, I Love Beijing" (Běijīng Běijīng, Wǒ Ài Běijīng) by Hong Kong singer Kelly Chen, Chinese-American singer Wang Lee Hom and Korean singer Rain. Erhu instrumental; acrobats leap from the tower by wire.
* Soprano group singing of Chinese folk song "The Moon is Bright Tonight".
* Opera tenor Plácido Domingo and Chinese singer Song Zuying sing "Ài de Huǒyàn (The Flame of Love)" (composed by Bian Liunian and Klaus Badelt).[3][4]
* Song "Tomorrow's World".
* Song "Hard to say Goodbye" led by Chinese stars such as Wei Wei, Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Karen Mok, Joey Yung, Emil Chau and many other singers along with many others representing the 56 ethnic groups of modern China
* Song "Surpass It".
* Fireworks, Pyrotechnics & Ethnic Dancing.
* Farewells.
* Conclusion of Closing Ceremony at 9:55PM CST.

2008 Beijing Olympics Medal Tally/Medal Standings

Except for a few controversies, this year’s Summer Games is running smoothly. China has been piling up on the golds in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Medal Count/Tally since day one. And the US and the rest are having a hard time catching up.

Latest Medal Count/Tally of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

The Guitar Hero Phenomenon

The Guitar Hero series has made a significant cultural impact, becoming a "cultural phenomenon." The series' titles became very popular party games, which led to their being played in a variety of locales. Several bars in the United States & Canada are offering "Guitar Hero nights" as an alternative to karaoke; one New York City bar experienced triple the business on such nights. Many concert tours, including the Family Values Tour feature Guitar Hero booths and contests between sets. The series' popularity even spread to the sports world; Detroit Tigers' pitcher Joel Zumaya injured himself during the 2006 playoffs playing Guitar Hero. Salon.com argued that Guitar Hero is responsible for turning many people onto rock music and inspiring them to learn how to play guitar. The article also states that the games helped an 8-year old guitarist learn sensitivity to rhythm, as well as develop the dexterity and independent hand usage necessary to play the instrument. Guitar Hero now holds a place in the Guinness World Records in their Gamers Edition, tracking the highest score on a single song in Guitar Hero III; the record has been held previously by Chris Chike and currently by Daniel Johnson. However, Chris Chike has received additional notice for perfectly completing the most difficult Guitar Hero III song, Dragonforce's "Through the Fire and Flames".

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

With young Harry Potter having already gone through so much, it would be disheartening if more tragedies were to occur to The Boy Who Lived. But it is something that he just can’t seem to avoid. The J.K. Rowling book, on which the sixth Harry Potter film is based on, is considerably darker but much more interesting than the previous instalment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

After the Harry’s standoff with Lord Voldemort, Hogwarts is no longer a safe place for him. He voices his concern to Dumbledore about Voldermort’s ever-expanding grip on both the Muggle and Wizards’ world reaching even the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but Dumbledore is more concerned about getting Harry ready for the battle that is, without a doubt, pending. Luckily for Harry, he can count on his friends – Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger – to stand by him no matter how dangerous the situation. The film also explores Lord Voldemort’s dark past.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their most famous roles along with Helena Bonham Carter, David Bradley, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Natalia Tena, David Thewlis and Evanna Lynch.

Joining the cast are Jim Broadbent (as Potions Professor Horace Slughorn, who gives Harry an old Potions textbook that once belonged to the Half-Blood Prince), Helen McCrory (as Narcissa Malfoy, Draco Malfoy’s mother and sister to the evil Bellatrix Lestrange) and Jessie Cave (as Lavender Brown who is interested in Ron Weasley).

Hangover Remedies

While on the look out for some reliable hangover cure or hangover remedy, I fopund the following at www.healthmad.com:

One easy way to feel less the effects of alcohol is to eat a 2 small or one medium bag of potato chips an hour or so before drinking alcohol.

An alternate method is to eat a sandwich (possibly baguette or ciabatta) made with lots of salami and butter (yes, I do realize the taste would be awful, but hey it helps; at the max you can eat one salami sandwich and one with just butter). This way the bread/potato chips will absorb some of the alcohol before it has the chance to get absorbed into your blood stream.

A good way to prevent getting wasted right away is to always drink the same thing, don't mix alcohols, and if you order/make cocktails make sure to at least drink the same kind. Different alcohols consumed in the same time lapse will cause weariness quicker, splitting headaches and cause major hangovers, and, if you are a woman taking oral contraceptives, and you took your pill 4 hours earlier you are no longer protected (if you regurgitate that is, so be careful with that too).

Another remedy, used primarily by Native Americans was to eat raw almonds before drinking any alcoholic beverage to reduce the chance of suffering from any hangover.

Peanut Butter is also thought to be of somewhat remedy.

Remember to try to have a sports drink (like Gatorade) which will replenish the minerals that the kidneys excreted during your drinking. If you regurgitate due to excessive drinking, let it all out of your system and then have a sports drink to give you back some minerals.

If you had a long night of drinking, water (about 3 glass fulls should be enough) will help rehydrate you. Drinking makes you lose a lot of fluids, going to bed dehydrated will just leave the alcohol in your system at it's concentrated levels and will cause you to feel their effects later on.

Remember to not take painkillers such as aspirin, ibrofen and the like. If taken in high quantities or on a continuous basis they'll start to cause problems to your kidneys (such as kidney failure).

Venezuela wins again, USA falls again!

Miss Venezuela was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on Monday in a contest marked by the spectacle of Miss USA falling down during the evening gown competition for the second year in a row.

An elated Dayana Mendoza received the crown from her predecessor, Riyo Mori of Japan, and then prepared to meet a gaggle of reporters. Miss Venezuela, 22, was once kidnapped in her homeland and says the experience taught her to remain poised under pressure.

Tension got under the skin of Crystle Steward of Texas, the second Miss USA in a row to fall down during the Miss Universe pageant. She tripped on the train of her bejeweled evening gown as she made her entrance.

During the 2007 Miss Universe contest in Mexico City, Miss USA Rachel Smith also tumbled during the evening gown competition and became an unintended star on You Tube, where the video was shown over and over again.

Like Smith, Stewart quickly stood up after her fall and continued on as if nothing had happened.

Stewart, 26, is a motivational speaker and former track and filed star who is working on a book called "Waiting to Win."

Her mishap occurred just after the judges had narrowed the field of 80 to the final 10: Miss USA, Miss Kosovo, Miss Australia, Miss Spain, Miss Mexico, Miss Colombia, Miss USA, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Russia, Miss Italy and Miss Venezuela.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is a 2008 American superhero film co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Begins (2005), which rebooted the Batman film series after an eight-year hiatus. Christian Bale reprises the lead role. Batman's primary conflicts in the film include his fight against the Joker (Heath Ledger) and his strained friendship with district attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart).

For his conception of the film, Nolan was inspired by the Joker's first two appearances in the comics and Batman: The Long Halloween. The Dark Knight was filmed primarily in Chicago (as was Batman Begins), as well as in several other locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. The director used an IMAX camera to film six major action sequences, including the Joker's first appearance in the film. The Batsuit was redesigned, with a cowl allowing Bale to move his head. The film also introduces a recreation of the Batcycle, known as the Batpod.

Warner Bros. created an aggressive viral marketing campaign for The Dark Knight, developing promotional websites and trailers highlighting screenshots of Heath Ledger as the Joker. After Ledger's death in January 2008, however, the studio refocused its promotional campaign. The film will be released on July 16, 2008 in Australia, on July 18, 2008 in North America, and on July 25, 2008 in the United Kingdom.

2008 Nursing Board (NLE) Exam Results

The much anticipated Nursing Board Exam Results for June 2008 or Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) Results for June 2008, or also known as the PRC Nursing Exam Results for June 2008 will be released soon and will be posted HERE!

Congratulations in advance to all of the future Registered Nurses! Stay tuned for the updates!

Spanish Tennis Idol Rafa Nadal

Rafael Nadal, born on June 3, 1986, is a Spanish professional tennis player, who has won five Grand Slam singles titles so far. He has won the French Open in four consecutive years (2005–08), and Wimbledon just recently. He is currently ranked world number two, a position he has held for a record 156 consecutive weeks.

From April 2005 to May 2007, Nadal won a record 81 consecutive clay court matches before being defeated by Roger Federer in the 2007 Hamburg Masters final. This is the longest winning streak of any male player on a single surface in the open era. Nadal is undefeated at the French Open, having won all 28 matches and four single titles he has played. These achievements have led some to regard Nadal as the greatest clay-court player in the history of the sport.

Nadal has a storied rivalry with Roger Federer, most notably for defeating the world number one at the French Open in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, so far denying Federer a Grand Slam. At the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, Nadal defeated Federer in the final, ending the latter's run of five consecutive wins, with Nadal becoming the first player since Björn Borg in 1980 to win both the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. He is also only the second male Spaniard to win the Wimbledon title and the first in 42 years.

Jucelino Nobrega da Luz

The Brazilian clairvoyant Jucelino Nóbrega da Luz (Wrong spelling: Juseleeno Nobulega DaRoose) did obviously predict many events: the 9/11 attacks, the Tsunami on 26/12/2004 in Indonesia, a further Tremor in Sumatra, the correct location of Saddam Hussein in Tikrit, the wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq and the winning of the soccer championship by Italy. In the end of 2007 he was very precise, provable by Internet for everyone: On December 23, 2007 a great earthquake with a magnitude of 8.5 on Richter scale should shock the indonesian Island of Sumatra. The Indonesian authorities took the warning for December 23 for serious because the Brasilian teacher of English and German was 2 times right with precise prophecies of Earthquakes.

Juscelino Nóbrega da Luz (da Luz = "from the light", born in 07/03/1960) is said to hear a voice from next world which tells him the prophecies already for 38 years.

Coke Zero or Diet Coke?

Do you think they taste the same? Any die hard Coke fans agree?

They claim that Coke Zero tastes the same as Coca-Cola. I don't think they taste the same at all. Both Coke Zero and Diet Coke are disgusting but I LOVE Coca-Cola.

Well, of course they don't taste the same. Artificial sweeteners are vile. Coke Zero uses a formula that is similar to Coke (with the corn syrup replaced by aspartame). Diet Coke, for whatever reason, use a formulation that is not closely related to that of regular Coke.

Ricky Hatton

Richard "Ricky" Hatton MBE (born October 6, 1978, in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England), is an English boxer. He is seen by many as one of the most popular British fighters of all time . He is more commonly known as Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton.

Hatton is a two-time IBF and IBO Light Welterweight Champion, having relinquished the IBF belt, only to step back down to the weight class and beat Juan Urango. He was the WBA Welterweight Champion, but relinquished this title on August 31, 2006. Hatton is also the former WBU, WBA Light Welterweight Champion and WBC, WBA, WBO Inter-Continental Light Welterweight Champion, and current Ring Magazine Light Welterweight Champion.

Edwin Valero

Edwin Valero (born December 3, 1981 in Bolero Alto, Mérida, Venezuela) is an undefeated southpaw boxer who fights in the super featherweight (130 lb) division. His professional boxing record is 24-0 (24 KOs, 19 of which occurred in the first round). Valero is the current WBA super featherweight champion.

On February 5, 2001, Valero was involved in a severe motorcycle accident in which he wasn't wearing a helmet. He fractured his skull and had surgery to remove a blood clot. This injury was sustained prior to him launching his pro career, and it has created roadblocks to major bodies sanctioning his fights. Valero claims that his Venezuelan doctor cleared him to fight on January 17, 2002, and he turned pro that July with a first-round KO.

Edwin Valero appeared to hit the jackpot when he was signed after his 12th pro fight by Golden Boy Promotions. Valero was scheduled to appear on HBO's Boxing After Dark, but in January 2004, he failed an MRI due to brain scan irregularities in New York and thus was not allowed to fight in the United States. As a result, the fight did not take place. Although he continues to fight outside the US, as of March 25, 2008, Valero was cleared to box in the state of Texas.

Pregnant man, Thomas Beatie, gives birth

Thomas Beatie, the transgendered Bend, Oregon fella that made all sorts of headlines, and even an appearance on the Oprah show, for carrying his own biological child, has finally given birth to a baby girl.

In a reportedly natural birth (earlier rumors that Thomas Beatie was to have a Caesarean were false) the Beaties delivered a healthy baby. So far, Beatie's years of testosterone therapy do not seem to have affected the child.

Additional gossip-mongering from TMZ suggests that he checked into the hospital this morning under a fake name...

Jimi Hendrix's Death

Early on September 18, 1970, Jimi Hendrix died in London under circumstances which have never been fully explained. He had spent the later part of the evening before at a party and was picked up by girlfriend Monika Dannemann and driven to her flat at the Samarkand Hotel. According to the estimated time of death, he died shortly afterwards.

Dannemann claimed in her original testimony that Hendrix the evening before, unknown to her, had taken nine of her prescribed Vesperax sleeping pills. According to the doctor who initially attended to him, Hendrix had asphyxiated (literally drowned) in his own vomit, mainly red wine. For years, Dannemann publicly claimed that Hendrix was alive when placed in the back of the ambulance. However, her comments about that morning were often contradictory, varying from interview to interview. Police and ambulance statements reveal that there was no one but Hendrix in the flat, and not only was he dead when they arrived on the scene, but had been dead for some time.

Lyrics to a song written by Hendrix and found in the apartment, led Eric Burdon to make a premature announcement on the BBC TV program 24 Hours, that he believed Hendrix had committed suicide. Following a libel case brought in 1996 by Hendrix's long-term English girlfriend Kathy Etchingham, Monika Dannemann committed suicide, though her later lover, Uli Jon Roth, has made accusations of foul play.

Water on Mars Highly Probable

Water on Mars has been uncovered for the first time, raising hopes that the Red Planet may be capable of sustaining life.

NASA scientists have revealed that the Phoenix Mars Lander has sent back the first definitive proof that there is water ice hidden beneath the surface of the alien rust-coloured planet.

	The trench on Mars

After twenty days of scratching its way through the Martian top soil, the spacecraft uncovered a bright white layer just two inches below the surface.

Four days after the white layer was first exposed to sunlight, photographs taken by the lander's on board camera showed the white surface had disappeared.

This proves, the scientists say, that the white layer was not salt as had been previously thought possible because it was melting.

Chemical analysis of soil containing the white layer are still to be completed, but there is no doubt in the minds of NASA scientists that they will further confirm the presence of water on Mars.

Peter Answers is a Hoax

Tina told me about Peter Answers/Pedro Responde. On this website you can ask Peter any question and he will answer you, correctly. She was all freaked out about how Peter was always right no matter what question someone asked.

Kids would ask what color shirt someone had on or if someone had a crush on someone else. Somehow, Peter knew birthdays, who had a crush on who and shirt colors. Peter Answers/Pedro Responde was the expert on everything.

Peter told Tina that he knew a secret about her. The secret was that she is gay. All of her friends were standing around the computer and Peter had just told all of them things that he couldn’t have known if he weren’t real. Now, he is telling Tina that he knows that she is hiding that she is gay.

It crushed me to think about how embarrassed she must have been even if it isn’t true because Peter Answers/Pedro Responde is never wrong. I explained to her it is a computer program. But, she said it can’t be that because Peter is always right. I told her there is an explanation but we have to find it. I got online and started Googling Peter Answers/Pedro Responde.

It took two seconds to find out that Peter is a fake!

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What now David Cook?

For weeks now, David Cook, the 25-year-old husky-voiced rock dude from Blue Springs, Missouri, has ensured his survival on the seventh season of "American Idol" by taking some fairly memorable pop and R&B hits, and putting his own sometimes-unique rock-and-roll stamp on them. It's been his proven formula for success, and one he's sticking to as the competition nears its May 21 finale.

Over the course of the last 10 weeks, David Cook has turned pop standards like Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby" into bona fide rock cuts. He gave the same treatment to Lionel Richie's "Hello" and the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" — all songs the general public knows, but not in the way Cook interpreted them.

With the exception of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," which was a blatant (and admitted) cop on Chris Cornell's cover of the song, Cook has been able to take these classics and make them his own. And the "Idol" audience has repeatedly rewarded him with enough votes to push him through to the next week. But the question is, can he sustain all of this?