My BlackHawk Mines Music

The American Music Awards 2013 was held last Sunday at Nokia Theater and it was very easy figuring out who are the real w9inners were. "This is about the fans tonight," Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds said as the band collected for favorite alternative rock artist. http://my-blackhawkmines.com/ Winners naming Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake and One Direction who brought home several trophies during the night knew whom they owed it to. It was the fans that received the most impassioned gratitude amongst pop stars, there were even no academy thanked but still label brass and glam squads got shout outs and of course God was acknowledge. Award buddies such as the American Music Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards and the Billboard Music Awards to rely on the public to choose the night's winners as a counter to the prestigious industry inclusiveness of the Grammys, this has a long been tradition for the awards shows. Apiece of the declared telecasts has morphed into painfully unsurprising ordeal in the past years. While it is still driven by the fans, shows aspiring to grip the age of social engagement have incorporated digital social engagement - Tweeter, YouTube/Veve views, Facebook - to dictate nominations - and winners. And as a result the process has taken away what's left of the element of surprise. The madness that rang out among the audience at just the announcement of names like that of One Direction, Timberlake, Miley Cyrus and Swift, hurriedly predicted the night. Taking home four trophies was Swift winning big. Timberlake and One Direction both performed and also awarded multiple wins. Every appearance they drove panic to the teenage girls in the audience. The boys of One Direction fawned over those fans who probably spent hours logging their votes online and through Twitter, and on Sunday they were rewarded but Swift, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus were their heroines while Timberlake still pulled heartstrin

New Building Is a "Musicians Resource Center" Once more, the air conditioning went kaput at the MusicGarage's previous location on 1700 South in the middle of July this year, the sweltering heat was enough to make program founder/director Steve Auerbach seek out some new digs due to the blazing-hot glory of summer that made a major bummer The MusicGarage now is located at 250 W. 1300 South, it began in 2009 as an after-school program housed in a 12-foot-by-12-foot room at the Utah Arts Alliance, and it is just west of the 1300 South Trax station. "This place had more lint in the ducts than you can ever imagine," Auerbach says. Its prior use as an appliance-repair store might seem like a far cry from anything music-related, but with its spacious layout and convenient location, it's perfect for the big plans he has in mind for the space. http://updates.my-blackhawkmines.com/ Describing it as a multifunction, multipurpose music venue and "musicians resource center," Auerbach says the newly renovated 190-capacity, 2,700-square-foot building features a full sound system, a digital light system, a stage, a production/green room and several other rooms than can be divided into areas for local teachers to hold individual music lessons. The whole space can also be rented out for private events like the bar service is available by request or to those who needs a spot to host a wedding reception or wanting to shoot a high-quality video of a live performance by their band without a crowd of strangers jostling the camera. Auerbach says he'd also like to open the stage to more than just music acts, including comedy, theater and spoken-word performances, as well as feature local art in the foyer-complete with gallery-style track lighting. Regardless of all the changes and despite the fact that the MusicGarage is still a music-education program at its core it is devoted to providing accessiblehigh-quality, creativity-nurturing musical instru

et's predict the future by analyzing culture and trends today. Last year has been the year for the solo female pop vocalists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, etc. Solo male vocals were also hit last year like Psy, Eminen, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, etc. These guys churning out all Top 20 hits all over the world. There has been much collaboration with featured singers, with all the rapping, dub step and dance music. But what genre or style of music will be dominant this 2013. If 2012 meant to the dub step it is not the case this year because 2013 cannot come quick enough. Although it will just be a passing phase this year because the lasting strong points of the year seem to be turning to the indie alternative gone pop. It seems that 2013 will focus more on the artist which made 2012 only its transition. Some made the prediction that guitar music may return to radio playlist in the near future. It is expected that new guitar music is to be a fusion of something that will be playing in the radio stations this year. This is actually already been starting. More attention seems to be leaning towards the young singer-songwriter who plays the instrument and the hot tween pre-made dance talent is slowly vanishing. This could mean Justin Bieber may be on his way out sooner than expected. May this be a warning for him so that he can mature in terms of his music. Songs like his built trend for the next wave and pop music could use some wake-up call wit more artist that could make a mainstream impact. 90's R&B will go even more mainstream, this is due to almost every artist feels compelled to reel off their R&B influences. When you go night out, you will never fail to endure repeated plays of R Kelly's She's Got That Vibe. With many artists sprouting in every corner, attention span grows short regarding the choice or artist that listeners will listen to. Those who cannot reinvent

Let's predict the future by analyzing culture and trends today. Last year has been the year for the solo female pop vocalists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, etc. Solo male vocals were also hit last year like Psy, Eminen, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, etc.

"Last year Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to file tax returns on more than $1.8 million of income between 2005 and 2007 and faced up to three years in prison. Hill has credited her failure to pay taxes to years of pressure she practiced as a recording star all at the same time with raising six children, causing her to go underground and shut away from the public eye. On the eve of her scheduled sentencing, Hill paid $504,000 in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and another $420,000 to the state of New Jersey, her attorney told the court. She still owes another $285,000 in interest and penalties."

Last Monday, U.S. magistrate judge sentenced Grammy-winning hip hop artist Lauryn Hill to three months in prison, three months in home confinement and a $60,000 fine for federal tax evasion. Last year Lauryn Hill pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to file tax returns on more than $1.8 million of income between 2005 and 2007 and faced up to three years in prison. Hill has credited her failure to pay taxes to years of pressure she practiced as a recording star all at the same time with raising six children, causing her to go underground and shut away from the public eye. On the eve of her scheduled sentencing, Hill paid $504,000 in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and another $420,000 to the state of New Jersey, her attorney told the court. She still owes another $285,000 in interest and penalties. "When the government is asking for 36 months and the judge gives three months, I think the judge gave a fair and reasonable sentence," Hill's attorney Nathan Hochman told reporters. Thirty months to the maximum of 36 months was asked by the prosecutors for a sentence. Hill's lack of a criminal record, her six children and her repayment of the back taxes as mitigating factors in the sentence, cited U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo. Hill, native of South Orange, New Jersey, must report on or before July 8. Her attorney asked the court to assign her a facility close to home. Part of one year of supervised probation is the three months of home confinement following the prison stay. Hill told the court she pulled away from society because her life was in crisis, received veiled threats and was blacklisted because she did not conform to the norms of the music industry. "I was being perceived as a cash cow, not a person," Hill said. Just this Friday, a new single by Hill, her first in several years, called "Neurotic Society," was posted on iTunes. "Here is a link to a piece that I was 'required' to release imm

Babies can hear sounds from the outside world as early as when they are still in the womb. Music is one type of noise that gets a lot of attention. According to preliminary researches it appears to indicate that your unborn child might enjoy and benefit slightly from a daily dose of music although the jury is still out on the true impact of prenatal exposure to Mozart and Bach. More or less at 17 weeks gestation a baby can start to hear sounds, normally just about the condition when the mother starts on feeling the first tiny flutters of movement and prior to the baby's sex is clearly identifiable. At the time when the baby is on his 26 weeks, his heartbeat will rate rapidly in response to sounds, including music that comes from outside the womb. Babies have been observed breathing simultaneously with the music, signifying consciousness of the beat happening during 33 weeks gestation and by 38 weeks, a baby in the womb responds in a different way to different types of music, showing different rates of fetal movement According to Baby Center, the true effect of music on prenatal development remains unknown. A loosely-controlled preliminary study in the "Music Educators Journal" in 1985 found that babies exposed to music before birth had longer attention spans than expected for their age and imitated adult sounds better. One more small study in 1997 in "Pre- & Peri-Natal Psychology Journal" looked at babies enrolled in a program called FirstStart, which exposed unborn babies to musical stimulation. These babies demonstrated better motor skills, language development and cognitive skills from birth to six months comparing to the control group of babies. On the other hand, since these studies were minute and have not been recurring, the query of whether and how much music influences unborn babies stays under investigation. Back in 1991, a study concerning six pregnant women and a broader follow-up study in 1993 both examined at whether babies coul

Pirates are not just hunting oceans' floor but also the music industry. There's still no way she can pay record companies the $222,000 judgment she owes said the Minnesota woman at the center of a long-running court fight over the unauthorized downloading of copyrighted music after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear her appeal Monday. The justices did not give remark on their decision. The amount was excessive argued by the attorneys of Jammie Thomas-Rasset, of Brainerd. In the early to mid-2000s, the music industry filed thousands of lawsuits in opposition to people it charged of downloading music without authorization and without paying for it. Most of these cases were settled for about $3,500 apiece. Only two defendants refused to pay and went to trial one of them is Thomas-Rasset while the other was former Boston University student Joel Tenenbaum. The later also lost and was ordered to pay $675,000. Back in 2006, the initial case was file against Thomas-Rasset. Ever since the case was filed has gone through three trials and several appeals. According to the evidences presented by the industry, Thomas-Rasset made available over 1,700 songs to other computer uses via the file-sharing service Kazaa, though the lawsuit targeted only 24 songs. "I'm assuming that since they declined to hear the case it's probably done at this point," she said. But she also said she needed to consult with her attorneys to determine what happens next. Thomas-Rasset at the age of 35 and who works for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe tribal government, maintained her claim that as she has all along can't afford to pay. "There's no way that they can collect," she said. "Right now, I get energy assistance because I have four kids. It's just the one income. My husband isn't working. It's not possible for them to collect even if they wanted to. I have no assets." She became a grandmother in June, Thomas-Rasset added. She refused

http://www.topix.com/forum/music/TAM6MOFBICKA3HHI9 The music industry has given a judicious endorsement to European Union moves intended at limiting Internet piracy. The copyright directive was "a workable proposal", said the industry's umbrella group, the International Federation of Phonographic Industries. IFPI, representing around 1400 major and independent record companies worldwide, said the newly-adopted UK legislation, requiring measures from ISPs to curb piracy on their networks, sets a powerful example to other countries. IFPI chairman John Kennedy said: "The passing of the Digital Economy Act in the UK recognizes that if a country is to have world-class creative industries, then it also needs laws that will effectively protect their rights from the crippling problem of digital piracy. "The new UK legislation is a decisive step towards dealing with P2P and other forms of illegal distribution in a way that can substantially reduce the problem. Most importantly, it recognizes that effectively addressing piracy needs active cooperation from internet service providers, in helping curb infringements on their networks. "The move by the UK creates momentum for the graduated response approach to tackling piracy internationally. Governments increasingly understand that, in the digital economy, creative industries like music, film, books and games can drive growth and jobs for many years to come if they are provided with the right legal environment and with a modern system of enforcement in which ISPs actively cooperate. "The UK has today joined the ranks of those countries who have taken decisive and well-considered steps to address the issue. We hope this will prompt more focus and urgency for similar measures in other countries where debate is underway." "There are enough elements here for the music industry to speed up the offering of music to consumers in a wider range of ways," IFPI Chairman Jay Berman said soon after the result was announced. "The dire

Black Hawk Mines Reviews - Let's predict the future by analyzing culture and trends today. Last year has been the year for the solo female pop vocalists like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, etc. Solo male vocals were also hit last year like Psy, Eminen, Bruno Mars, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, etc. These guys churning out all Top 20 hits all over the world. There has been much collaboration with featured singers, with all the rapping, dub step and dance music. But what genre or style of music will be dominant this 2013. If 2012 meant to the dub step it is not the case this year because 2013 cannot come quick enough. Although it will just be a passing phase this year because the lasting strong points of the year seem to be turning to the indie alternative gone pop. It seems that 2013 will focus more on the artist which made 2012 only its transition. Some made the prediction that guitar music may return to radio playlist in the near future. It is expected that new guitar music is to be a fusion of something that will be playing in the radio stations this year. This is actually already been starting. More attention seems to be leaning towards the young singer-songwriter who plays the instrument and the hot tween pre-made dance talent is slowly vanishing. This could mean Justin Bieber may be on his way out sooner than expected. May this be a warning for him so that he can mature in terms of his music. Songs like his built trend for the next wave and pop music could use some wake-up call wit more artist that could make a mainstream impact. 90's R&B will go even more mainstream, this is due to almost every artist feels compelled to reel off their R&B influences. When you go night out, you will never fail to endure repeated plays of R Kelly's She's Got That Vibe. With many artists sprouting in every corner, attention span grows short regarding the choice or artist that listeners will listen to. Those who cannot reinvent themsel

Kanye West's series of concerts in Atlantic City last December 30, 2012 came to be a surprise for everyone. Every night he managed to surprise everyone, on the first night he played dress-up, second night he ranted. But the third and final night was the night he shocked everyone, he declared that he is a father-to-be. This was the first time we ever saw him with a genuine happiness on his face, he couldn't take that smile off. At 35, Kanye is as excited as a kid on his Christmas presents. During a freestyle of "Lost in the World" he revealed that Kim kardashan, 32, will going to be his "baby's mama." Kanye was really happy when he heard about the news. "He's known this for some time now," according to reliable source. "You don't even know how f**king excited this [guy] is about being a father." So blackmail is not a question here because he is genuinely happy. Kanye was overcome with emotion when Kim told him the good news, the source added. The sorce also revealed, "He's like really on one right now and I don't know if I should say this, but [Kanye] was crying when Kim told him she was knocked up." The source also adds, "I heard he got on his knees in front of Kim, she rubbed his head while he was crying and he was kissing her stomach. Guess he was overwhelmed at that point and couldn't believe he's about to be a father." This is all maybe because Kanye in fact grew up without his father by his side. His parents got divorced and Kanye and his mother moved to Chicago when he was 3. He will only go and see his father on Christmas, spring break and summer. He considers his father as his everything although most of the time his mother was his everything. He once said to an interview, "It gets to the point that when you go to high school and you wasn't out in the streets like that, and you ain't have no father figure, or you wasn't around your father all the time, who you gonna act like

Taylor swift continues to step a notch everyday, country-pop singer started at a very young age and from then on she struggled on her way up. Her hardships didn't last long. She found her big break and here she is as how we know her. Hardships are really paying off, singer's album "Red" topped the U.S. album chart for a second week despite a big percentage drop. Singer-songwriter Swift has undoubtedly paved the way to stardom on her own. She gained the respect of her fans by being one of them. Teen girls idolize her by being her, she's reasonably gorgeous even in ballet flats. She's awkward but speaks her mind through her song. She's a geek chic oozing with sex appeal. And above all, she's a star but she is approachable. It was not a surprise that her forth album "Red" is another big hit. Released October 22, 2012 through Big Machine Records, Red is the fourth studio album by singer-song writer Taylor Swift. According to Nielsen SoundScan data for the week ending Nov. 4, "Red" retained the apex with 344,000 copies sold, may sound much but actually it has a decline of 72% from 1.21 million sales on the first week. Despite the big difference in terms of sales, Red maintained to be on top on the second week and until now on its third week. There is no stopping "Red", industry forecasters put forward that the album will spend a third straight week atop the Billboard 200 chart next week. The new Billboard 200 chart's top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 14. Red is a 16-song geyser of willful emotions, Swift's songs grows with her as well. As she ages her songs matures with her. Album includes songs entitled, 1. "State of Grace" - a not typical Taylor at all is what you will see in this song, she was blindsided by love. Lush and dreamy, a drum driven song is what you can expect in "State of Grace". 2."Red"- this song is a different shade for Taylor, it talks about how impossible it is moving on from a

There is no doubt that Psy's "Gangnam Style" has taken over the world, it is a Phenomenon! It has been topping the hit charts of every country. Psy's quirky dance moves and the songs upbeat music make the whole world addicted to the song. Although the song is in Korean it is so catchy with its sing-a-long chorus making the whole world sing and dance to it. In a span of merely few weeks, Psy (real name Park Jae-Sang), a chubby 34-year-old, made everyone a Gangnam Stylists. South Korean singer has become an overnight international sensation with his bizarre-but-amazing 'Gangnam Style' clip, in which he does a "horse dance" in toilets, saunas, elevators, carparks and even a horse stable. The catchy tune, an endearing, if hopelessly draft, dance became an overnight viral sensation. Instead of feeling aggrieved at his rapid, effortless rise, appearances on the US TV chatshow circuit and myriad copycat routines, they must thank Psybecause he shoved open the door for other Korean pop artists hoping to make it to US market as well. Gangnam Style breaks Guiness world book of records, when this viral song smashed a world record, it became the most popular video in YouTube history. The singer was presented with a certificate by Guinness World Records in London on Thursday for the achievement. Singer even signed with Justine Bieber's manager. Racking up nearly 48 million Youtube streams Psy beats up Justine Bieber's "As Long as You Love me" to number 1 on the US iTunes chart, and spawning internet cover versions and flash mobs, this surprise Korean singer because he didn't think that the song would be a smash. English speaking listeners handled the song very passionately even though the lyrics contain only one English line "Hey, sexy lady!" Gangnam is a hipster district in South Korea's capital city, Seoul. Here is part of the song translated in English: "Girls, your big brother is Gangnam Style". A girl who loo

A look into Whitney Houston's life by Blackhawk Mines Updates Whitney Houston, along with the late Michael Jackson, has helped in paving the way for black artists to utilize mainstream media and gain global support in the music industry. The cousin of singer Dionne Warwick, Houston shot into international fame after her discovery in the 80s. In 1992, she got married to another artist, Bobby Brown, who seem to have the opposite upbringing than her. However, her career made a turn for the bad after her marriage. During the late 90's, she was already notorious for cancellations of appearances, late arrivals and no-shows. Rumors started to circulate that she was doing drugs with her husband. Houston was arrested in 2002 for having marijuana but during a prime-time TV interview, she denied ever having or using drugs. Houston's marriage ended in 2007 and she entered a rehab for drug use. But she admitted herself that her drug use was not halted even after finishing the rehab program. After 2 years, Houston launched a comeback album (after seven years), 'I Look To You' and promoted it during an interview with Oprah Winfrey. But as the events of the past several years have proven, rehab had not been effective for Houston as opposed to how it had redeemed Robert Downey Jr. Recently, people are speculating that her fall from fame has dried out her fortune. Having no planned albums in the future, her only comeback appearance was the film Sparkle which will be released in August. She played a supporting role alongside singer Jordin Sparks -- her first in almost 6 years. There were also rumors that Houston was one of the possible choices as a judge in the singing competition, 'The X Factor' but those were flatly denied by Simon Cowell. Just hours into the 54th annual Grammy Awards, Houston was found dead in her hotel room with the cause of death remaining unknown. Coroner's officials are not going to release details regarding the autopsy on Sunday due to the request of

Whitney Houston, along with the late Michael Jackson, has helped in paving the way for black artists to utilize mainstream media and gain global support in the music industry. The cousin of singer Dionne Warwick, Houston shot into international fame after her discovery in the 80s.

The one-time leading social networking site Myspace has reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over the privacy probe recently conducted. Myspace was charged with representing its privacy policies to its users, which brings to mind similar deals agreed upon by Google and Facebook on respective FTC investigations involving them. FTC announced last week that despite Myspace's telling users that it will not share personally identifiable data with others; it gave advertisers "Friend ID" numbers of users. This enabled advertisers to search the users' publicly available personal data such as full names and could even lead to discovery of their web activity. The terms of the settlement specified that Myspace is not going to misrepresent its privacy policies while implementing a comprehensive privacy program. In addition, the two parties agreed to a regular independent privacy audits every other year for 2 decades. Myspace had been the most popular social network since it launched in 2003 but was overshadowed by the arrival of Facebook. Specific Media of Irvine California is the current owner of Myspace after News Corp sold it for USD 35 million last year. Black Hawk Mines said that it had already conducted a complete assessment of Myspace's privacy and advertising practices after its acquisition and had "successfully improved upon its historical practices", taking the now social media platform to the forefront of industry's best practice for ad delivery. Moreover, any questions about Myspace's pre-acquisition ad practices were apparently put behind. Back in 2011, FTC and Google also reached a settlement over charges that the search engine a breach of its own privacy policy had happened in launching the now defunct social platform named Buzz. Their agreement will require Google to get user permission first before sharing consumer data with third parties or if it is going to change a service and use the data in a

Taylor Swift walks around with a constant expression of shock at her swell luck and good fortune. As well she should, as the pitch-challenged, confessional sweetheart is doing phenomenally well in the singing business. She doesn't do as well in the relationship business, but her prolific taste in celebrity men has served her and supermarket magazines fine. "Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right," she sings on State of Grace. I would argue that Swift plays the game ruthlessly - "good and right" being adverbs open to interpretation, or even meaningless to a doe-eyed pop careerist whose open-book romantic life is grist for the mill, an attention-getting supply of gotcha-good inspiration. Red, her fourth album, is full of big, errorless music - arena-pop that is just country enough to keep the CMT crowd happy. But even if there are very few missteps, excitement and soul are decidedly lacking. Swift's lyrical style lacks for ambition; someone like Canada's Liam Titcomb, a complete unknown in comparison, has much more of a clue how to write a poppy relationship song with wordy charisma. The pigtailed set will enjoy the 22-year-old woman-child who giggles at the end of the plucky-cute Stay, Stay, Stay. "Before you I only dated self-indulgent takers, who took all of their problems out on me," she sings, resisting the urge to rhyme "Jake Gyllenhaal" with "darn it all" or "John Mayer" with "hey, that's not fair." The album's catchy first single We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together is Avril-bratty, complete with a resolute girlie army on the chorus. But beyond the adolescent stuff, the platinum-selling Kennedy-clan befriender branches out - sometimes moving in less-than-mysterious U2 ways. While State of Grace uses chiming guitars and bold dynamics, All Too Well doesn't at all try to hide its With or Without You tension-building methods. Lyrically it represents Swift's best work, involving broken p

Lopez, Kardashian to host 'The X Factor' LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian Odom are officially joining "The X Factor." After weeks of speculation, Fox announced Tuesday that the "Extra" host and the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" co-star will indeed host the second season of the talent competition. Lopez and Odom will first appear as hosts during the show's live broadcasts next month, the network said. "The worst kept secret in Hollywood is out," said "X Factor" creator and judge Simon Cowell in a statement. "Mario and Khloe are our hosts. They will debut on our first live show in November, and I couldn't be happier." British television personality Steve Jones served as the sole host for the first season of the U.S. edition of the show. The addition of Lopez and Kardashian is the latest shift for the underperforming singing contest. Britney Spears and Demi Lovato joined Cowell and L.A. Reid on "The X Factor" judging panel at the start of the second season. The pair replaced Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. "I'm very excited to be joining 'The X Factor' team," said Lopez, who has also hosted MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" for the past seven seasons. "I love the show, and I've been a big fan of Simon Cowell and the judges for a long time. Khloe and I have been friends for years, and I know we'll be a great team and have a blast." The current second season of "X Factor" is earning solid ratings for Fox, but NBC's "The Voice" continues to perform better. Last week, 12.55 million people watched "The Voice," while "X Factor" was seen by 9.71 million, according to the Nielsen Co.

Black Hawk Mines Music (Blogspot News) - - Mario Lopez and Khloe Kardashian Odom are officially joining "The X Factor." After weeks of speculation, Fox announced Tuesday that the "Extra" host and the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" co-star will indeed host the second season of the talent competition. Lopez and Odom will first appear as hosts during the show's live broadcasts next month, the network said. "The worst kept secret in Hollywood is out," said "X Factor" creator and judge Simon Cowell in a statement. "Mario and Khloe are our hosts. They will debut on our first live show in November, and I couldn't be happier." British television personality Steve Jones served as the sole host for the first season of the U.S. edition of the show. The addition of Lopez and Kardashian is the latest shift for the underperforming singing contest. Britney Spears and Demi Lovato joined Cowell and L.A. Reid on "The X Factor" judging panel at the start of the second season. The pair replaced Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. "I'm very excited to be joining 'The X Factor' team," said Lopez, who has also hosted MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" for the past seven seasons. "I love the show, and I've been a big fan of Simon Cowell and the judges for a long time. Khloe and I have been friends for years, and I know we'll be a great team and have a blast." The current second season of "X Factor" is earning solid ratings for Fox, but NBC's "The Voice" continues to perform better. Last week, 12.55 million people watched "The Voice," while "X Factor" was seen by 9.71 million, according to the Nielsen Co.

MIDDLE EAST: PRESIDENT Barack Obama has condemned a rocket attack on an American Consulate which left the US Ambassador to Libya dead. Ambassador Chris Stevens, 52, died alongside three guards, as he went to the Benghazi consulate to try to evacuate staff as the building came under attack by a mob firing machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades. MIDDLE EAST: Muslim anger over perceived Western insults to Islam has exploded several times. The violence, fuelled mostly by religious zealots, reflects the tension between Muslims and the secular West that followed the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. MIDDLE EAST: A film-maker whose movie attacking Islam's prophet Mohammed sparked assaults on US missions in Egypt and Libya, where an American diplomat was killed, said today he had gone into hiding. California-based writer and director Sam Bacile remained defiant, saying Islam was a cancer and he intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion. EUROPE: Eurozone countries have been asked to hand control of their banks to the EU in an attempt to solve its crippling financial crisis. In a proposal that represents one the most significant surrenders of national sovereignty since the creation of the euro in 1999, the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, wants to make the European Central Bank the single supervisor for all 6,000 banks in the 17 countries that use the currency. GREECE: A fresh wave of anti-austerity strikes has hit Greece as its leaders struggled to agree further spending cuts for the coming two years - without which the country will lose its vital rescue loans. State hospital doctors, teachers and local authority employees walked off the job to protest over planned salary and funding cuts. AMERICA: Americans marked the anniversary of the September 11 2001 attacks with tearful messages to loved ones and moments of silence, but the smaller ceremonies gave a sense of moving on 11 years after nearly 3,000 people