David Cook is the seventh American Idol

On May 21, 2008, David Roland Cook was crowned the seventh American Idol, with the teenage David Archuleta as the runner-up. American Idol judge Simon Cowell was rooting for him anyway. Cook then sang "The Time of My Life", the winning song of American Idol season 8. "The Time of My Life" was written by Regie Hamm and produced by Steve Lipson.

Son of Beth (née Frye) and Stan Cook, David Roland Cook was born in Houston, Texas, on December 20, 1982. He was raised in Blue Springs, Missouri. His younger brother Andrew attends the University of Central Missouri, and his older brother Adam resides in Terre Haute, Indiana. Cook's parents divorced during his childhood. His mother remarried and became known as Beth Foraker. His father relocated to Indianapolis, India.

Cook's interest in music began during childhood. He received his first guitar at the age of 12. He began singing in second grade, when his elementary school music teacher had him sing solo in a school choir performance. He proceeded to perform in virtually every Christmas and PTA program. He also participated in choir and drama programs and middle and high school. He performed various musicals, such as West Side Story (which is based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet). He was also an avid baseball player in high school. He lost interest in sports and began to focus more on music. He attended the University of Central Missouri. When he was in college, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa. After graduating from college,
he relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to pursue a music career, telling his family, "I just want to give myself until I'm 26 years old to get a job."

Cook was the lead singer of the band called Axium, a Missouri-based band, from 1999 to 2006, when Axium disbanded. He formed the band during his junior year in high school with drummer Bobby Kerr. One of Axium's songs, "Hold", was selected by AMC Theatres Movies Tunes and was played before previews on over 20,000 screens across the United States. After Axium disbanded, Cook relocated to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and joined the regional touring band called Midwest Kings, as a guitarist, bassist, and backup vocalist. He recorded an EP entitled Incoherent with Desire to Move On, with Midwest Kings in 2006. He worked as a bartender in Tulsa clubs such as Blank State and Rehab Lounge.

Cook released an independent solo album, entitled Analog Heart, in 2006. He designed the artwork for the album. The album was declared the fourth-best CD released in 2006 by the website Music Equals Life. Cook also won the Urban Tulsa Weekly's "Absolute Best of Tulsa" award for "Best Locally Produced, Independent Album" in 2007. Before he auditioned for American Idol, he finished recording his second album. During the weekend of April 18, 2008, Analog Heart was listed as the no. 1 album for "Today's Top MP3 Albums" on Amazon.com. Shortly thereafter, Analog Heart was deleted from Amazon.com.

Cook's musical influences include Our Lady Peace, Alice in Chains, Big Wreck, and Pearl Jam.

Celebrate Ramiele Home

Ramiele Macrohon Malubay was finally voted off American Idol on the night of April 2, 2008, giving her 9th place. She was the shortest contest on American Idol Season 7. She was my least favorite contestant for that season. Unfortunately, she was voted off right after Chikezie.

Malubay was born on September 6, 1987, in Damman, Saudi Arabia, to Roger Malubay and Alicia Macrohon, Filipino parents who worked in Saudi Arabia. She was raised in the Philippines and the United States, and graduated from Zephyrhillis High School in Zephyrillis, Florida. She spent most of her childhood in the Philippines, but currently resides in Miramar, Florida. She is currently a nursing student at Broward Community College.

Celebrate Chikezie Home

Another taste of bad news has come when it comes to American Idol. After the biggest vote in the nation, America has controversially decided that on the night of March 26, 2008, my favorite season 7 contestant Chikezie Ndubuisi Eze (more commonly known simply as Chikezie) would come to fame by arriving at 10th place on American Idol season 7. He was on the bottom three with Syesha Mercado and Jason Castro. The bottom three contestants of tonight are a mixed bag. I was rooting for Chikezie, and it is a shame that he got early elimination. The elimination song is "Celebrate Me Home", in the style of American Idol winner Ruben Studdard. It was originally recorded by Kenny Loggins.

Simon Cowell said that he chose the wrong song and that his performance was unoriginal (because he copied Ruben Studdard's take on the song). The song he chose was "If Only For One Night", which was originally recorded by Luther Vandross, and was also covered by my favorite American Idol winner Ruben Studdard. Randy Jackson said that Chikezie's performance was "very old school" and was not "hip and cool."

A typical American Idol winner is a Caucasian female. Only two American Idols are male, who are Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks. This is not the first time my favorite contestant is voted off. All too often, my favorite contestant on American Idol gets voted off early. The first time that happened with me was when Tamyra Gray got voted off. It also happened on Season 3, when Jennifer Hudson got voted off to 7th place.

Chikezie was born on September 11, 1985. The name Chikezie means "something well created by God" in Nigerian. He was born and raised in Inglewood, California. He previously auditioned for American Idol season 6, but was cut before the top 44. Before he auditioned for American Idol, he was a Transportation Security Administration screener and cashier. He also studied singing at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California.

However, there is good news, Chikezie will return for the American Idol tour this coming summer. Another good news is that American Idol castoff Josiah Lemin is getting a second chance at fame with Warner Bros. records. Maybe one day Chikezie will get a record contract too, possibly J Records under Ruben Studdard's tutelage, for winning American Idol is not everything.

On a side note, Clay Aiken is the most successful second-place finisher of American Idol.

Update:
On the following night, Fox Carolina news explained Chikezie's elimination. Simon Cowell scolded Chikezie for singing the Luther Vandross ballad "If Only for One Night", which was covered by Ruben Studdard in 2006. Chikezie told news reporters: "I already knew that [Simon Cowell] wasn't going to feel [the song] no matter what. I came in knowing that and I did the song anyway. I just had to do what I felt was right."

The tour lasted from July 1 to September 13, 2008. Chikezie is now working on his debut album, entitled Chikezie Eze.

Video game censorship on "Supernanny"

I have been a fan of Supernanny since 2006, and it seems funny. I like most of the episodes. However, there is one episode, which aired on this day, but filmed in 2007, that I have a low opinion of. I has video game censorship content, which is potentially offensive to gamers. It is of the Tafoya family, especially Holly Tafoya. I have a very low opinion of Holly Tafoya. What is worst is that she ruled out T-rated games, which is worse than ruling out M-rated games. I got offended when I saw that scene. I do not condone enforcing that rule on an adult son or daughter, for that is divisive. I will not and cannot condone divisive parental rules, which lead their children to leave the home. If I see Holly Tafoya in person, I will teach her a lesson about video game censorship if she continues to apply it to her sons beyond their teenage years. On that episode, Holly attempts to kick Jo Frost, the star of Supernanny, out of their house after she used poisonous means to discipline her son James. Another thing is that she has short hair, which I have drawn the line against at TZ Doctrine tenet no. 1, and has an angry tone of voice. That episode of Supernanny is divisive. To make matters worse, it was broadcast in standard definition.

Pro-censorship organizations are well-funded, and their members vote. They actively call for stricter governmental regulation of video games, which is not the answer to crime or violence in society. Those organizations are evil. Those laws regulating games can discourage the voluntary media content rating system.

Video game censorship is defined as the use of state or group power to control the consumption, purchase, sale, or distribution of electronic games based on the evaluation of the game's content. It is imperious, divisive, and economically destructive. It is not the answer to crime or violence in society. A warning should be stamped on any television program containing references to video game censorship, because video game censorship references may be offensive to gamers. Gamers usually do not re-enact whatever evil things they see in the video games.