Who Won American Idol 2010? American Idol Winner Lee DeWyze

Who Won American Idol 2010? American Idol Winner Lee DeWyze – I guess my American Idol prediction 2010 was correct and Lee DeWyze went on to win. As a lot of you guys have been discussing on my previous American Idol post on who you thought was going to win between Lee and Crystal and gave good reasons for both. Of course, I just went with the percentages. Dialidol.com have predicted the winners of every American Idol so far and they chose Lee DeWyze so that’s just who I went with.

Personally, I wasn’t a big fan of either remaining finalists but either way both of them will end up with a better career than they started with. Yes, the show has become somewhat of a popularity contest and you can agree or disagree on that but based on history, it doesn’t really matter who wins American Idol for us to see if they become big music stars in the future.

I mean, we see more American Idol runner-ups with more success than the actual winners. Some of the winners need “it” more than others.

In any event, I would like to congratulate Lee DeWyze on winning American Idol and wish Simon a farewell. I wonder what will happen to American Idol without him now.

Christopher 'Dudus' Coke: A profile

A stand-off is continuing in the Jamaican capital Kingston, between the security forces who are searching for an alleged drug lord wanted in the United States, and armed members of his gang.

Forty-four people have been killed in clashes between the two sides since soldiers and police moved in on Monday to the deprived neighbourhood where Christopher "Dudus" Coke was said to be hiding.

Mr Coke is wanted for extradition by the US on drug and gun-running charges. His supporters have said they will protect him at any cost.

The BBC's Nina Robinson has just returned from Kingston and looks at the man central to the current unrest in the country.

Gangsters battle with security forces in Jamaican capital

Jamaican security forces have been fighting with gunmen as the government attempts to take control of an alleged drug dealer's stronghold in the capital, Kingston.

Gunfire erupted as troops and police moved into the Tivoli Gardens district to search for Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who is wanted by the US to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.

Mr Coke has thousands of loyal followers who admire his work for the poor in Jamaica and have vowed to protect him at any cost.

The BBC's Matthew Price is in Kingston and has been speaking to a local resident.

'Lost' souls: 13.5 million tune in for ABC series finale

The end of 'Lost'

ABC's "Lost" ended its sixth and final season on Sunday, May 23. Here's a look at where some of our key characters ended up after a six-season run. WARNING: There be spoilers here, so don't continue if you haven't already watched the finale!

» LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY

By Lisa de Moraes

Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
An average of 13.5 million "Lost" obsessives watched the series finale Sunday from 9 to 11:30 p.m., in hopes of finding out what their nearly six-year investment was all about.
Apparently either everyone on the island was actually dead all along (ooh, didn't see that one coming, having never seen "The Sixth Sense" ) or they were in a sort of limbo/purgatory and have now died happily ever after. The debate got pretty heated Monday at our office -- especially among those who remembered reading back in '07 how show creator Damon Lindelof swore the castaways were neither in purgatory nor dead, though it was pretty obvious even back then.
Sunday night's "Lost" audience is that show's biggest since February 2008. But it's far from the kind of record numbers you'd expect from the Show That Changed Television Forever. Heck, nearly 19 million people caught the drama's unveiling back in the fall of 2004, and the first two episodes of the second season both attracted 23 million people.
Meanwhile, 9.3 million people opted out of watching a bunch of actors play pretend-dead on the "Lost" finale to instead watch actual Bret Michaels truly rise from death's doorstep and be named winner of "Celebrity Apprentice" by Donald Trump the same night. The Poison frontman's appearance on the NBC reality series' season finale had been in question after he suffered a brain hemorrhage in April and was hospitalized again last week when he had what doctors called a "warning stroke." (NBC reportedly had a medical team backstage Sunday in case Michaels took a turn for the worse during the live broadcast.)
It was the biggest crowd "Celebrity Apprentice" has enjoyed since March 2008, which is impressive considering the finale aired in the teeth of the very last episode of the ABC series that "Lost" star Matthew Fox modestly told ad executives last week had "changed television forever."
You may have seen press reports saying 20.5 million people watched the finale of "Lost." That is the number of people who watched as little as six minutes of the 2.5-hour swan song. That number is hooey -- unless you're an advertiser, because it is presumed that anyone who watched six minutes probably saw an ad break. (And in case you, too, noticed -- that 2.5-hour "Lost"-apalooza contained a mind-numbing 45 minutes of commercials.)

Return of the Salahis

Washington's favorite state dinner crashers, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, are making a special return appearance on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday.
Back in December, you'll recall, the Salahis sat down with America's Sweetheart, Matt Lauer, to explain how their lives had been "destroyed" by the coverage of their alleged exploits. At that time, Lauer asked them some questions they said they could not answer because their alleged hands allegedly had been tied by the alleged Secret Service. But they invited themselves back on the show just as soon as the Secret Service gave them the all-clear to provide Matt with the documents that would prove they had, in fact, been invited to that dinner. That time, it appears, is now.

The Salahis are shaping up to be the Brangelina of "The Real Housewives of D.C.," although Bravo, which telecasts the "Real Housewives of [Fill in the City]" franchise, is still being very coy about who is in and who is out among the various divas who were taped for the latest iteration of the buzzalicious show.

Bravo says it will reveal the cast for the Washington version in the new few weeks.

Paula Abdul's new 'Dance'

Paula Abdul is back!

The former "Idol" judge has been named executive producer, "creative partner" (whatever that means), mentor, coach and lead judge of CBS's upcoming reality series "Got to Dance."

"Got to Dance" is based on a hit British reality series (naturally) that debuted earlier this year, in which amateur dancers, of any age, perform solo or in a group, with any form of dance welcome. The most talented/entertaining will get to audition for Abdul and a panel of experts who, CBS promises, will all be "world-class dancers themselves" -- no comics-with-daytime-talk-shows in the bunch.

"I've spent the better part of my life teaching, mentoring, nurturing -- working with so many talented people -- and I consider myself truly blessed to be able to continue to do something that I hold so dear to my heart," Abdul said Monday in a canned comment from her outpost on Mars.

To think it was just last summer that Fox and "American Idol" producers had to disentangle themselves from the wreckage the morning after Abdul lobbed a grenade into their midst when she tweeted that, "with sadness in my heart, I've decided not to return to 'Idol,' " after failing to persuade Fox and "Idol" producers to hike her salary from about $4 million a year to something substantially higher -- the exact amount of which reporters could never settle on.

Monday, CBS noted (cruelly we think), that Abdul's career has spanned more than three decades, over the course of which she has sold more than 60 million records worldwide and earned Emmy, Grammy, American Music and MTV awards.

Henin wins in 1st French Open match since '07

 PARIS — As always, Justine Henin punctuated her best shots with shouts of "Allez!" — French for "Come on!"

In this case, it also meant, "I'm back!"

Henin took a big step Tuesday in her return from retirement, beating Tsvetana Pironkova in the first round of the French Open 6-4, 6-3.

The match was Henin's first at Roland Garros since 2007, when she won the tournament for the fourth time. She rejoined the tour in January following a 20-month retirement, and while she's seeded only 22nd, she's considered one of the favorites for the title.

"She has all of the chances to win this tournament," said Pironkova, who had played — and lost to — Henin three times before. "She still plays great. I don't think she lost (anything) with that rest that she had. I think she is playing even better. She's faster, and her strokes are more secure."

Henin endured some ragged moments in the second set, when Pironkova won three consecutive games for a 3-2 lead. Henin swept 10 points in a row to regain control, and following another wobble serving at 4-3, she took the final six points.

"She suddenly started to go for her strokes," Pironkova said. "She started to play more aggressive."

Henin hit picturesque backhands, nifty drop shots and booming overhead slams — all staples in a repertoire that has helped her win seven Grand Slam titles. She also missed more than half of her first serves, however, and blew a handful of easy putaways.

Despite the inconsistent play, Henin extended her winning streak at Roland Garros to 22 consecutive matches and 37 consecutive sets. She hasn't lost at the French Open since 2004.

Warm, hazy weather had players seeking refuge under umbrellas in their changeover chairs, and the conditions seemed to suit seeded players. Among those advancing were No. 18 Sharar Peer, No. 21 Vera Zvonareva, No. 23 Daniela Hantuchova and No. 29 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. None lost more than six games.

On the men's side, No. 7 Fernando Verdasco beat Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

American Taylor Dent won a match at Roland Garros for the first time, and his reward will be a chance to play 2009 runner-up Robin Soderling on Wednesday.

Dent's attacking game is typically not well-suited to clay, but warm, dry weather at the start of the tournament has made the courts harder and quicker. He took advantage Monday by beating Nicolas Lapentti 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3), and he figures his aggressive approach might work against Soderling.

They haven't played each other since 2004.

"My style is very unique to everybody he's faced," Dent said. "I'm not going to keep the ball as high as he's normally used to. I'm going to keep the ball a fair bit lower.

"If the conditions are hot and I'm serving well, I'm going to be tough to break, even on a clay court. If I don't play a solid match, he might beat me up. If I do play a solid match, I feel like I'm going to have a chance to get a win."

The warm weather has given U.S. men a shot at their best Roland Garros in several years. No. 17-seeded John Isner also reached the second round for the first time by beating Andrey Golubev 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 on Monday.

U.S. men have a 3-4 record so far in the first round, and they're sure to advance at least one more player. On Tuesday, No. 18 Sam Querrey was to face Robby Ginepri in an all-American matchup, while No. 6 Andy Roddick was to play Jarkko Nieminen, and Michael Russell was to take on Florent Serra.

The Americans are already assured of an improvement on last year, when they went 2-7 in the first round. Only four have reached the men's third round since 2006.

While the French Open has been their worst major tournament, Dent said it's wrong to think they don't care about Roland Garros.

"It is a Grand Slam," Dent said. "We love coming over here and playing. There's no doubt about it, and there's nothing more that Americans love than to come over here and win matches. We always have that label, like, 'Oh, you're American. First round, see you later.' So I think we get a lot of pride from winning matches here."

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 

LIBOR, other interest rate indexesBy Bankrate.com

The LIBOR is among the most common of benchmark interest rate indexes used to make adjustments to adjustable rate mortgages. This page also lists some other less-common indexes.

Ratings methodology
Who are they for? These indexes are of interest to investors and borrowers alike, especially those who have mortgages or business loans tied to these indexes.

What's included? The Bond Buyer 20 bond index is a barometer for yields on tax-free bonds issued by state governments and local municipalities. The Fannie Mae 30-year mortgage commitment for delivery within 60 days helps mortgage lenders determine what rates to charge on 30-year fixed rate mortgages that are to be sold to Fannie Mae within the next 60 days. The LIBOR rates, which stand for London Interbank Offered Rate, are benchmark interest rates for many adjustable rate mortgages, business loans, and financial instruments traded on global financial markets.

Click on the links below to find a fuller explanation of the term.

LIBOR, other interest rate indexes                                    Updated 5/19/2010

	This week	Month ago	Year ago
Bond Buyer's 20 bond index	4.32	4.43	4.54
FNMA 30 yr Mtg Com del 60 days	4.64	4.89	4.55
1 Month LIBOR Rate	0.34	0.26	0.31
3 Month LIBOR Rate	0.47	0.31	0.75
6 Month LIBOR Rate	0.66	0.47	1.28
Call Money	2.00	2.00	2.00
1 Year LIBOR Rate	1.15	0.94	1.66

Brittany Murphy's Husband, Simon Monjack, found Dead In Hollywood Hill home

Five months after the sudden death of actress Brittany Murphy, her widower, Simon Monjack, has been found dead in the very same Los Angeles home in which she died.

The Los Angeles County coroner's office confirmed early Monday morning that the 39-year-old screenwriter died shortly after emergency services received a 911 call at 9:24 p.m. PT Sunday night.

"We have detectives at scene," Sgt. Louie Lozano told the Los Angeles 
 Times. "They are conducting their investigation. Once we have further information, we will provide it."

Monjack was pronounced dead by emergency personnel. Although the exact cause of death is still unknown, police said it appears to be natural causes.

Back in December, Monjack's wife died of pneumonia complicated by an iron deficiency, anemia and multiple drug intoxication. The two had been married since 2007.

Lost Redux : See You In Another Life, Brotha

Never before has a TV breakup hurt so much. And left us blubbering like such idiots.

Tonight we Lost fans lost our "Constant" for the past six long years. The show we connected with on such a soul-grippingly deep level, it feels as if we haven't lost a TV series, but a true friend.

So did the series finale live up to expectations? And what did it all mean? Let's dig in...

One glance at Twitter, Facebook etc. tonight shows that the fans are pretty divided on Lost's final episode. Some loved it, some hated it and some are still trying to figure out what the bejeezus happened. I'm most definitely in the first camp: LOVED IT, as tonight's finale was perhaps the most emotionally gratifying series ender of all time, and gave us exactly what Damon and Carlton promised--resolution on the things that mattered most to the characters.

Jack, Kate, Locke, Desmond, Sawyer, Juliet, Claire, etc. all ended up in a happy place...but what exactly was that place?

WHAT WE LEARNED

The Sideways World Was a Road to "The Light": Charlie's (Dominic Monaghan) iconic question from the very first episode--"Guys, where are we?"--came full circle tonight, as Jack Shepard (Matthew Fox) asked that very Q of his father Christian Shepard in Lost's epic final scene.

Jack: Where are we?
Christian: This is a place you all made together so you could find one another...Nobody does it all alone. You needed them and they needed you.
Jack: For what?
Christian: To remember and to let go.

Obviously, precisely "where" these characters were and where they were going will be long debated, but for what it's worth, here's my take: Damon and Carlton told the truth when they said the island was not purgatory. It wasn't, and what happened there happened, and everyone was alive. However, the Sideways world was a place of limbo (a blissed-out one, that lead to "the light"). Jack was waiting until he was ready to "let go" and cross over to some form of heaven. The Losties who appeared in the church all died at different times in different places (some much later on), and came together in that space to help Jack make the journey. Throughout the season, the blood that appeared on Jack's neck was an indication that Jack was already dead/dying and on his way to "another life, brotha." (A little Sixth Sense-ish, perhaps.)

Time didn't matter. Space didn't matter. What mattered was that Jack moved on to where he was meant to go. And the people who mattered most to him where there to help him do it

So What Is Lost's "Heaven?" It's That Other "L Word": Lesbians! (I keed.) Boss Damon Lindelof told me several weeks back that Lost is, at its very core, a LOVE story. "Always has been. Always will be." And tonight, as each set of "constants" reconnected in the Sideways world--Sun and Jin, Charlie and Claire, Jack and Kate, Juliet and Sawyer--it's safe to assume that they were able to accept their destiny, let go and "move on" to the other side...a place that's like heaven, where they can be with the ones they love. These connections--Sun and Jin at the ultrasound; Charlie and Claire holding Aaron; Juliet and Sawyer at the vending machine; Kate touching Jack at the concert--were some of the most spine-tingingly romantic moments ever seen on television. Beautiful, Darlton. Just beautiful.

Jack Was Supposed to Die--From the Very Beginning:  "There was an early version of the script in which my chracter was killed off in the first or second act," Matthew Fox told me way back at Lost's first premiere party. Jack was to be a guest star such as--can you picture this?--Michael Keaton. "The network hated that idea," a Lost insider told me. "They said you can't have an audience invest in a leading man and then off him so quickly." So instead they let us invest for six seasons only to find out that it was all about Jack's death after all?! Gaaaah! Of course, we should have seen it coming the second Rose told Jack in the season opener: "It's OK. You can let go."

On Kimmel tonight, Matthew Fox backed up Jimmy's theory that Jack's island experience was real, and really happened (Christian Shepard told him so), but the final season (and the Sideways world) was Jack's "test" to determine whether he would go toward the light or...not.

"There's room for interpretation based on your spiritual beliefs," Matthew said. That would explain the stained-glass window in the church with all of the major religions of the world represented--and the donkey wheel. We gotcha, Darlton! Very on the nose.

"I knew that the final image would be [Jack's] eye," Matthew told Kimmel. "And I knew that he would die."

But did you know that Vincent would lie down next to Jack to keep him company while he passed over? Cause JESUS that was a tearjerker. So well done.
                                                                            

Hurley Got to Be the New Jacob! Yes, Jack fulfilled his destiny by drinking the wine, replugging the cork down in the light cave and saving the island (and everyone we love), but it was Hurley who ended up as the next protector of the island. Anyone else choke up as Hurley asked Ben to stick around and help him, finally giving Ben what he wanted all along: a real purpose?

Of course, we should have seen that it would be Hurley, as he is the one true, pure spirit who never once lied to anyone, and carried a simple, but sizeable heart...just like Jacob. To quote that awesome West Wing woman CJ Craig: "It was always you. I see that now."

And by the way, that scene with Jack down at the replugged cork, sobbing as the water and the light started rushing back in, is arguably Matthew Fox's finest work to date.

Even Claire Got a Happy Ending.
Kate convincing Claire to get on the plane, and that
"no one knows how
to be a mother at first, but I'll show you" was certainl one of the most satisfying moments of the finale--at least for this mom. After so much heartbreak--and the recent abandonment of Ji Yoeon--Claire got to go home and be a mother to Aaron, whom we were told long ago should not be raised by another. And Kate got to stay close to the boy she raised for three years. Nice.

WHAT LIES AHEAD

Damon Lindelof just tweeted what he has said will be his last words about Lost: "Remember. Let go. Move on. I will miss it more than I can ever say."

Clearly, it's the message the producers would like us to carry from tonight. And though the debates will rage on over what Lost was about, why Kate ended up with Jack and not Sawyer, and why Josh Holloway runs like a girl (kidding...sorta), I think we all can agree that Lost was ground-breaking television unlike anything we've seen before--or will probably ever see again.

Lost, you will be sorely missed. Thanks for one hell of a ride. Or you know, whatever you want to call that dark place.

Please check back later to see my answers to lingering questions such as the Man in Black's name (yes, he had one), what happened to Walt and more, plus reactions from me and the fans--straight from my Lost finale party tonight.

The Lost stars have lingering questions--and we got Damon and Carlton to answer 'em right here!