FAST FACTS
Age: 29
Hometown: Brentwood, TN
Audition City: Memphis
Voted off: May. 16th
SHOCKING NEWS：The American Idol Melinda DoolittleConspiracy Theories BeginJust when it looked like American Idol 6 was going to escape having a mind-numbing shocker of an elimination, Melinda Doolittle was sent home from the competition. In a season that has often been criticized for not measuring up to past seasons in overall talent, Melinda Doolittle was one of the bright shining lights. By some accounts, she was even the best overall singer ever on American Idol.For someone of such talent not to make it to the finale can mean only one thing. There’s got to be an American Idol conspiracy here somewhere. Just like in previous seasons, outraged viewers are turning to the Internet in massive numbers looking for some type of explanation for an elimination that defies rationale. Without further ado, here are our top five American Idol Melinda Doolittle conspiracy theories.Number one, the whole show is fixed. American Idol producers didn’t want Melinda Doolittle to win. She’s too old. She’s not marketable enough. On the other hand, Jordin Sparks can relate to America’s youth, and Blake Lewis can make young girls swoon. Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis fit more of the pop image that American Idol producers want in a winner. A version of this conspiracy theory surfaces after every controversial elimination, and while it’s probably not true, it sure would explain a lot.Number two, Simon Cowell did Melinda in. After Melinda’s final performance, Simon Cowell said “If I’m going to award a place in the final to the person who has consistently delivered week after week it’s you.” When Ryan Seacrest asked Simon Cowell who he thought would make it into the finale, Cowell replied “I want to see my girl Melinda in the final.” American Idol viewers don’t like to see judges show excessive favoritism to one contestant, and they were so put off by Simon Cowell’s comments that they abstained from voting for Melinda.Number three, Melinda suffered from the Daughtry effect. One of the most popular conspiracy theories to explain Chris Daughtry’s shocking elimination was that his fans thought he was safe so they didn’t vote enough. Because Melinda received such positive feedback from the judges on the most recent performance show, her fans must have also assumed that she was safe and failed to vote aggressively enough.Number four, Melinda suffered from the Hudson effect. Fantasia Barrino, La Toya London, and Jennifer Hudson were widely regarded as the three best singers of American Idol 3. However, Fantasia was the only one of the three to make it to the finale. When Jennifer Hudson went home early, many claimed it was a racist vote. Melinda Doolittle being eliminated before the finale is season three all over again.Number five, Nashville was busy watching the Academy of Country Music Awards. Melinda Doolittle’s hometown is a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee. The American Idol Top Three performance show aired opposite of the Academy of Country Music Awards show, which is very popular among Nashville viewers. Melinda Doolittle was at an unfair disadvantage because viewers from her hometown were distracted by another show.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Halo 3 beta date confirmed for May 16
What are you still reading for? What more could you possibly want to know? Halo 3. Beta. May 16. Joy. Ok, if you insist, we can tell you a little bit more, straight from Microsoft's official announcement this morning. It's going to be begin at 5 a.m. PDT on May 16 and run for three weeks, until June 6. You'll need to have done the whole "Rule of Three" thing or bought your specially-marked copy of Crackdown and be an Xbox Live Gold member to get all up in heaven. Bungie's reminding fans that it's still a beta and there will be some rough edges, but that it will look "somewhat close" to the final game.
In the beta, you'll get your grubby mitts on three maps, "Snowbound," "High Ground" and "Valhalla," which "represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments." You'll also get new vehicles, like the Mongoose all-terrain vehicle, and weapons like the new and improved Assault Rifle, Brute Spiker, Spartan Laser and the new Spike Grenades. A lot of the new content is available in a new Halo 3 feature on Xbox Live Marketplace and at Bungie's site called "Quisnam Protero Damno!". So, what are waiting for? Go watch the doc, go buy Crackdown and find a crossword puzzle that'll take you a month to finish.
In the beta, you'll get your grubby mitts on three maps, "Snowbound," "High Ground" and "Valhalla," which "represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments." You'll also get new vehicles, like the Mongoose all-terrain vehicle, and weapons like the new and improved Assault Rifle, Brute Spiker, Spartan Laser and the new Spike Grenades. A lot of the new content is available in a new Halo 3 feature on Xbox Live Marketplace and at Bungie's site called "Quisnam Protero Damno!". So, what are waiting for? Go watch the doc, go buy Crackdown and find a crossword puzzle that'll take you a month to finish.
Moral Majority founder Jerry Falwell dies
LYNCHBURG, Va. - The Rev. Jerry Falwell, the television evangelist who founded the Moral Majority and used it to mold the religious right into a political force, died Tuesday shortly after being found unconscious in his office at Liberty University. He was 73.
Ron Godwin, Liberty's executive vice president, said Falwell had been found unresponsive around 10:45 a.m. and was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital.
Godwin said he was not sure what caused the collapse but noted that Falwell had “a history of heart challenges.”
Ron Godwin, Liberty's executive vice president, said Falwell had been found unresponsive around 10:45 a.m. and was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital.
Godwin said he was not sure what caused the collapse but noted that Falwell had “a history of heart challenges.”
Rice to Putin: Europe and the US cannot be divided
Panama - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that Washington and its allies cannot be divided on their mutual defense as a bitter row escalated over a proposed US missile defence shield in eastern Europe.
"The security of the United States and the security of European allies is indivisible," Rice said on the margins of the Organization of American States gathering here.
"It doesn't really help anybody to start threatening Europeans," said Rice.
The top US diplomat said relations between the two countries had been transformed since the Cold War and that there was no need to revert to hostile rhetoric from a bygone era.
Rice said US officials "don't consider Russia adversary and I hope they don't consider the United States an adversary."
She said that Washington and Moscow "are cooperating in a whole range of things," including nuclear proliferation, Iran, North Korea and terrorism.
"This is 2007 and not 1987," Rice continued.
"This isn't the Soviet Union and we need to drop the rhetoric that sounds like what the United States and the Soviet Union used to say about each other, and realize that the United States and Russia are in a very different period."
Special coverage:US, Russia Missile Defense Dispute
Related forum: Putin: US missile shield to raise risksIran: US missile defense plan 'joke'Russia: New ICBM can beat any systemRice said that US officials "have been very active in talking to the Russians about this, not just explaining, but exploring it.
"We are prepared to do more of that," she said.
Putin recently talked openly of a "new arms race" and warned that Russia would have new targets in Europe if Washington went ahead with plans to place elements of a missile defence system in the Czech Republic and Poland, countries once under Moscow's rule but now members of NATO.
Earlier, the White House struck a restrained tone, describing Putin's latest comments in a missile defense feud with the United States as "not helpful."
"There has been some escalation in the rhetoric. We think that that is not helpful," US national security adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters as US President George W. Bush traveled to Europe.
"We would like to have a constructive dialogue with Russia on this issue. We have had it in the past," Hadley said, with Bush due to see Putin at a summit of industrialized nations in Germany this week.
Hadley had been asked about a possible US response after Putin again blasted US plans to deploy a missile shield in Europe and warned that Moscow could redeploy missiles aimed at targets on the continent.
"It does not pose a threat to Russia. Hopefully it is not about a threat from Russia," said Hadley, who added that the two leaders would discuss the issue at the summit in Germany and in a US summit in early July.
Bush will use a speech in Prague on promoting democracy around the world to underscore the need for democratic reforms in China and Russia amid US complaints that Putin has retreated from such openings, said Hadley.
"He'll talk a little bit about the challenge of promoting democracy in countries -- big countries, in particular, where we have a complex relationship with a lot of interests, places like China and Russia," said Hadley.
"The speech is not about Russia, it's about the freedom agenda," he insisted, adding that "the president will handle this in a very responsible way" to avoid further inflaming relations.
Russia will be a focus of the speech because "there are no exceptions to the freedom agenda. So obviously when we look for the progress of freedom and democracy, we look at the progress of freedom and democracy in Russia and China" said Hadley.
"The security of the United States and the security of European allies is indivisible," Rice said on the margins of the Organization of American States gathering here.
"It doesn't really help anybody to start threatening Europeans," said Rice.
The top US diplomat said relations between the two countries had been transformed since the Cold War and that there was no need to revert to hostile rhetoric from a bygone era.
Rice said US officials "don't consider Russia adversary and I hope they don't consider the United States an adversary."
She said that Washington and Moscow "are cooperating in a whole range of things," including nuclear proliferation, Iran, North Korea and terrorism.
"This is 2007 and not 1987," Rice continued.
"This isn't the Soviet Union and we need to drop the rhetoric that sounds like what the United States and the Soviet Union used to say about each other, and realize that the United States and Russia are in a very different period."
Special coverage:US, Russia Missile Defense Dispute
Related forum: Putin: US missile shield to raise risksIran: US missile defense plan 'joke'Russia: New ICBM can beat any systemRice said that US officials "have been very active in talking to the Russians about this, not just explaining, but exploring it.
"We are prepared to do more of that," she said.
Putin recently talked openly of a "new arms race" and warned that Russia would have new targets in Europe if Washington went ahead with plans to place elements of a missile defence system in the Czech Republic and Poland, countries once under Moscow's rule but now members of NATO.
Earlier, the White House struck a restrained tone, describing Putin's latest comments in a missile defense feud with the United States as "not helpful."
"There has been some escalation in the rhetoric. We think that that is not helpful," US national security adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters as US President George W. Bush traveled to Europe.
"We would like to have a constructive dialogue with Russia on this issue. We have had it in the past," Hadley said, with Bush due to see Putin at a summit of industrialized nations in Germany this week.
Hadley had been asked about a possible US response after Putin again blasted US plans to deploy a missile shield in Europe and warned that Moscow could redeploy missiles aimed at targets on the continent.
"It does not pose a threat to Russia. Hopefully it is not about a threat from Russia," said Hadley, who added that the two leaders would discuss the issue at the summit in Germany and in a US summit in early July.
Bush will use a speech in Prague on promoting democracy around the world to underscore the need for democratic reforms in China and Russia amid US complaints that Putin has retreated from such openings, said Hadley.
"He'll talk a little bit about the challenge of promoting democracy in countries -- big countries, in particular, where we have a complex relationship with a lot of interests, places like China and Russia," said Hadley.
"The speech is not about Russia, it's about the freedom agenda," he insisted, adding that "the president will handle this in a very responsible way" to avoid further inflaming relations.
Russia will be a focus of the speech because "there are no exceptions to the freedom agenda. So obviously when we look for the progress of freedom and democracy, we look at the progress of freedom and democracy in Russia and China" said Hadley.
Soldier death from bird flu confirmed
The 19-year-old soldier, who was diagnosed with avian bird flu on May 18, has died, after a group of medical experts failed to save him from physical deterioration, confirmed the Information Office of Chinese Ministry of Health on Tuesday in a fax statement to chinadaily.com.cn.
Full coverage:Bird Flu Related readings: Soldier hospitalized with bird fluVietnam reports more bird flu in poultryGirl dies, man in hospital in Asia bird flu casesBird flu hits village in Hunan ProvinceBird flu outbreak confirmed in HunanSFDA approves second-phase trials for bird flu vaccineChina to share bird flu samplesBoy, 16, dies from bird flu
The soldier, surnamed Cheng, was serving in the People's Liberation Army (PLA), but the Information Office declined to say in which area of the country Cheng was stationed, or how he may have come in contact with the virus, citing military confidentiality.
People who had close contact with Cheng have not developed any clinical abnormalties. The office added medical observations of these people have stopped.
"People who had come into close contact with the victim have not shown any manifestations (of bird flu) so the medical observations have been lifted," the ministry statement said.
According to earlier reports, Cheng developed a fever, cough and pneumonia on May 9. He was sent to an army hospital on May 14 and remained there until he died.
According to the WHO Beijing Office, the soldier died on Sunday, but the Health Ministry did not provide a specific date.
Joanna Brent, a Beijing-based spokeswoman for the WHO, said the health body was not concerned about an epidemic, according to an AFP report.
"This is the third case in China this year. Three individual cases in a country of more than a billion people is not a cause for alarm," she said.
Brent praised China's prompt reporting of avian influenza outbreaks.
"We have been pretty comfortable with the reporting of recent cases," she said."There is nothing to suggest that there is an increased threat to humans. However, obviously the virus is still present in China, and we need to remain vigilant," she said.Tests by the local Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 18 showed that he was infected with the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus. The CDC and the State confirmed the result on May 20.
Since 2003, China has reported 25 human cases of bird flu, which have led to 15 deaths.
On March 27, a 16-year-old boy in eastern Anhui Province died from the deadly virus. The cause of his infection is still unknown.
Another reported human cases of bird flu this year was Li Yinxiu, a farmer in Fujian, who had developed symptoms after coming in contact with dead poultry. She had been discharged On May 29 from the hospital after three months of treatment.
The Ministry of Health confirmed last August that the country's first human case of H5N1 bird flu virus had occurred in November 2003. A 24-year-old man who died in Beijing in 2003 was initially thought to be suffering from SARS. Further laboratory tests later confirmed he had died of avian influenza.
The H5N1 bird flu virus is rare for humans to get from animals, but experts fear it could mutate into a form that could easily spread among people, potentially sparking a pandemic.
Sinovac Biotech, a Beijing-based pharmaceutical company is experimenting with a bird flu vaccine, and in April, the State Food and Drug Administration approved the second phase of clinical trials of the vaccine.
Full coverage:Bird Flu Related readings: Soldier hospitalized with bird fluVietnam reports more bird flu in poultryGirl dies, man in hospital in Asia bird flu casesBird flu hits village in Hunan ProvinceBird flu outbreak confirmed in HunanSFDA approves second-phase trials for bird flu vaccineChina to share bird flu samplesBoy, 16, dies from bird flu
The soldier, surnamed Cheng, was serving in the People's Liberation Army (PLA), but the Information Office declined to say in which area of the country Cheng was stationed, or how he may have come in contact with the virus, citing military confidentiality.
People who had close contact with Cheng have not developed any clinical abnormalties. The office added medical observations of these people have stopped.
"People who had come into close contact with the victim have not shown any manifestations (of bird flu) so the medical observations have been lifted," the ministry statement said.
According to earlier reports, Cheng developed a fever, cough and pneumonia on May 9. He was sent to an army hospital on May 14 and remained there until he died.
According to the WHO Beijing Office, the soldier died on Sunday, but the Health Ministry did not provide a specific date.
Joanna Brent, a Beijing-based spokeswoman for the WHO, said the health body was not concerned about an epidemic, according to an AFP report.
"This is the third case in China this year. Three individual cases in a country of more than a billion people is not a cause for alarm," she said.
Brent praised China's prompt reporting of avian influenza outbreaks.
"We have been pretty comfortable with the reporting of recent cases," she said."There is nothing to suggest that there is an increased threat to humans. However, obviously the virus is still present in China, and we need to remain vigilant," she said.Tests by the local Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on May 18 showed that he was infected with the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus. The CDC and the State confirmed the result on May 20.
Since 2003, China has reported 25 human cases of bird flu, which have led to 15 deaths.
On March 27, a 16-year-old boy in eastern Anhui Province died from the deadly virus. The cause of his infection is still unknown.
Another reported human cases of bird flu this year was Li Yinxiu, a farmer in Fujian, who had developed symptoms after coming in contact with dead poultry. She had been discharged On May 29 from the hospital after three months of treatment.
The Ministry of Health confirmed last August that the country's first human case of H5N1 bird flu virus had occurred in November 2003. A 24-year-old man who died in Beijing in 2003 was initially thought to be suffering from SARS. Further laboratory tests later confirmed he had died of avian influenza.
The H5N1 bird flu virus is rare for humans to get from animals, but experts fear it could mutate into a form that could easily spread among people, potentially sparking a pandemic.
Sinovac Biotech, a Beijing-based pharmaceutical company is experimenting with a bird flu vaccine, and in April, the State Food and Drug Administration approved the second phase of clinical trials of the vaccine.
China stocks rebound in wild fluctuation
Chinese stocks rebounded in wild fluctuations on Tuesday, erasing part of the losses incurred in the last few days since the stamp tax hike on stock trading.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 2.63 percent to close at 3,767.10 points. At one point in the morning, the index dived to as low as 3,404.15, a decrease of 21.57 percent from the record high set on May 29.
But the index picked up gradually in the afternoon trading and managed to finish in positive territory.
Tuesday's morning's fall followed an 8.26 percent drop in the previous session and a 6.5 percent fall last Wednesday. The tumbles came after the Ministry of Finance tripled the stamp duty to 0.3 percent last Tuesday, spooking many investors into panic selling.
Special coverage:Stock Market
Video:China Raises stamp tax
Related readings: Stocks rebound from sharp fallStocks plummet nearly 7 percentGreenspan sees dramatic drop in stocksInvestors may be not too crazy after all
In a move seen as an attempt to restore investors' confidence, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has approved four new funds that will invest in Chinese stocks, according to an earlier report. Each of the funds would be allowed to raise as much as $1.3 billion for investment in Chinese shares.
"The approval of new funds has sent out a clear signal," said Galaxy Securities chief fund analyst Hu Lifeng, adding the speed at which the new funds were issued is an effective measure to adjust capital supply in the market.
When the market is in a downturn, regulators can increase the supply of new funds to hike capital inflow, which in turn stabilizes prices and boosts market confidence, Hu explained.
As another move to return stability to the market, the CSRC has asked the funds in the market not to engage in rapid buying and selling, but to stick to the principle of value investment.
Blue chip stocks led Tuesday afternoon's recovery. Sinopec, Asia's largest refiner, gained 6.15 percent to close at 14.49 yuan per share after falling its 10 percent daily limit on Monday. Chalco, the country's biggest aluminum producer, soared 7.65 percent to 21.39 yuan.
China Life gained 2.65 percent to 34.86 yuan, while the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China rose 1.80 percent to 5.08 yuan, followed by Bank of China, rising 1.76 percent to 5.19 yuan.
Trading was more active than Monday. Volume in the Shanghai Stock Exchange hit 179.21 billion yuan compared with Monday's 145.98 billion yuan, while turnover in Shenzhen stood at 93.53 billion yuan, up from 74.36 billion yuan on Monday.
The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 2.63 percent to close at 3,767.10 points. At one point in the morning, the index dived to as low as 3,404.15, a decrease of 21.57 percent from the record high set on May 29.
But the index picked up gradually in the afternoon trading and managed to finish in positive territory.
Tuesday's morning's fall followed an 8.26 percent drop in the previous session and a 6.5 percent fall last Wednesday. The tumbles came after the Ministry of Finance tripled the stamp duty to 0.3 percent last Tuesday, spooking many investors into panic selling.
Special coverage:Stock Market
Video:China Raises stamp tax
Related readings: Stocks rebound from sharp fallStocks plummet nearly 7 percentGreenspan sees dramatic drop in stocksInvestors may be not too crazy after all
In a move seen as an attempt to restore investors' confidence, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has approved four new funds that will invest in Chinese stocks, according to an earlier report. Each of the funds would be allowed to raise as much as $1.3 billion for investment in Chinese shares.
"The approval of new funds has sent out a clear signal," said Galaxy Securities chief fund analyst Hu Lifeng, adding the speed at which the new funds were issued is an effective measure to adjust capital supply in the market.
When the market is in a downturn, regulators can increase the supply of new funds to hike capital inflow, which in turn stabilizes prices and boosts market confidence, Hu explained.
As another move to return stability to the market, the CSRC has asked the funds in the market not to engage in rapid buying and selling, but to stick to the principle of value investment.
Blue chip stocks led Tuesday afternoon's recovery. Sinopec, Asia's largest refiner, gained 6.15 percent to close at 14.49 yuan per share after falling its 10 percent daily limit on Monday. Chalco, the country's biggest aluminum producer, soared 7.65 percent to 21.39 yuan.
China Life gained 2.65 percent to 34.86 yuan, while the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China rose 1.80 percent to 5.08 yuan, followed by Bank of China, rising 1.76 percent to 5.19 yuan.
Trading was more active than Monday. Volume in the Shanghai Stock Exchange hit 179.21 billion yuan compared with Monday's 145.98 billion yuan, while turnover in Shenzhen stood at 93.53 billion yuan, up from 74.36 billion yuan on Monday.
Sexy Plumber Babe Entices You to Flush Stuff
Meet Jo, a sexy babe masquerading as a plumber at the Kohler website—but we think she's a sultry little temptress. "Flushing is fun," she coos. "Pick an item." I got your item, right here. We're in love.
Click on an object in the scene, and then she sashays over, picks it up and drops it in the toilet, ready for you to flush. We especially like the way she giggles and asks you to "stop tickling" her when you mouse over her cuteness.
The point of all this? Kohler Class Five technology needs very little water to flush down even the biggest pinched loaves. That fancy toilet still has a hard time with that rubber ducky, though. – Charlie White
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