Oprah and the new students cut the ribbon on Oprah's leadership academy.

Photo:© 2007 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

On January 2, 2007, after years of planning, building and dreaming, Oprah and some very excited girls finally cut the ribbon…and the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls–South Africa was officially opened.

"I was trying very hard through the whole process not to be emotional. I didn't want to cry because I didn't want the girls to then start crying by seeing me crying," Oprah says. "I was thinking about [South Africa being] only 12 years out of apartheid and [having] only 12 years of real freedom. And now these girls who are 12 years old—the first of their generation to ever have this kind of freedom—will have an opportunity like no other. I thank everybody for your support for that."

More information on the academy:
The students at the leadership academy serenade Oprah.

It was a weekend of celebration before the official opening of The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. Oprah and 200 friends bid adieu to 2006 with a New Year's Eve celebration organized by master party planner Colin Cowie. As the evening continued, one guest after another took to the stage for impromptu performances—Mary J. Blige, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, India Arie and Tina Turner!

Before returning back home to Chicago, Oprah stopped by the academy one more time for "a conversation with all of the girls about giving their personal best," Oprah says.

Following Oprah to her car, the girls had a surprise ready…they all serenaded Oprah. "I'll do my best. I'll do my best, ma'am. I'll do my best for you. My very, very best," they sang.

Tune in to ABC on February 26 for a special primetime documentary on The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls–South Africa. Check your local listings.
Forest Whitaker discusses his big win at the Golden Globes.

In September 2006, Forest Whitaker was a guest on The Oprah Show to talk about his role in The Last King of Scotland—in which he played the infamous Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

Forest and Oprah discussed the massive buzz he was getting, and the possibility of him picking up some award hardware. After winning a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama, Forest is back!

"When you work so hard on something and you're giving something—all of your stuff with your heart—you hope people will be able to receive it," Forest says. "I feel like people received what I was trying to do. And that means a lot to me because I've been doing this a long time and I worked really hard on this one."

"I'm rooting for you in the Oscars®," Oprah says.
Simon Cowell live via satellite from London

Millions tuned in for the sixth season premiere of American Idol. One thing is for certain—love him or hate him, those millions can't wait to see what judge Simon Cowell will say next.

Oprah says she remembers Simon saying that he didn't know if the American version of Idol—now one of the biggest hits in television history—would even last even three seasons.

"I honestly thought your country would kick me out after three years," Simon says. "So the fact that I'm still here, it's a bonus."
Simon Cowell on the sixth season of 'American Idol'

Simon says that as American Idol has grown into a genuine cultural phenomenon, the contestants have become more savvy about how to gain popularity in ways other than just their performances. "It's almost as important what you say after singing as actually singing itself," he says. "And certain people do that better than others."

Asked if he's impressed with the level of talent he's seen so far, Simon has a simple answer: "Not really, no."

But that doesn't mean that he thinks great things won't come from this season. "I think it's a little bit more like Season 1," Simon says. "If we were having this conversation at this time on Season 1, I wouldn't have spoken to you about Kelly Clarkson. I would have mentioned, probably, Tamyra Gray or someone like that. There are two or three girls who have great potential [this season, but] they're not very confident. And there is one guy who does stand out but he doesn't look like an American Idol."
Clockwise from top left: James Denton, Ricardo Chavira, Josh Henderson and Doug Savant

Desperate Housewives's Felicity Huffman has received awards for her outstanding acting and has even worked as Tina Turner's back-up singer. What's next? Her new book, A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend, co-written with her friend Patricia Wolff.

"It was a culmination of a 20-year conversation with my best friend kind of going, 'Can't guys figure it out? Come on, get a clue,'" Felicity says.

Felicity took cameras behind the scenes on Wisteria Lane to ask probing questions of some of her male co-stars—James Denton, Doug Savant, Ricardo Chavira and Josh Henderson.

Felicity: So are all women crazy?
James: Oh, sure. Absolutely.

Felicity: So you grew up in a house full of women, right?
Ricardo: Yeah, a family full of women.
Felicity: So do you feel like you know women?
Ricardo: I know enough about women to know that I don't want to know any more.

Felicity: What does it take to make a man happy?
Doug: Sex, pretty much.
Felicity: And what does it take to make women happy?
Doug: God only knows.

Felicity: So you're single, right?
Josh: Yes. I get more and more confused it seems the more girls I date. I feel like they can just switch moods all of a sudden and you never know what you're going to get.
Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria ask some questions about men and women.

Felicity and her co-star Eva Longoria went to Universal Studios Hollywood to find out what men don't know about women…and what women wish men did know.

"Finish the sentence: Why do women…?" Felicity asks. "…Always ask your opinion and they get mad at you whenever you say it," one man says.

"So when it comes to foreplay, how much is enough? Do you always want more?" Felicity asks. "Not usually. Lots is good, though," a woman says.
Employees enjoying the perks at Google.

In 1996, Stanford PhD students Larry Page and Sergey Brin set out to revolutionize how we find information. Just a decade later, their Internet company, Google, is now worth $150 billion. Fortune magazine recently named Google the best place to work in America.

The company goes well beyond their motto, "Don't Be Evil," when it comes to employee respect. "I think Google was voted the best company because we go to amazing lengths to create the best possible work environment we can for our employees," says Susan Wojcicki, Google's Vice President of Product Management.

At the Googleplex—the company's sprawling headquarters—employees are free to enjoy eye-popping perks. These include 11 cafeterias serving gourmet food, a state-of-the-art gym, foreign language classes, a dry cleaner, concierge service and a hair salon—and most of it's free.

Suddenly feel a desire to switch jobs? You're not alone. Google says they receive 1,300 resumes every day!
Published 01/17/2007