Note to regular "Idol" commenters: I'm told our tech folks have ensured that once you are logged in once, you will be able to comment without having to do so again for two weeks. Please keep us informed to ensure this actually works.

The New York Posts reports that "The X Factor' has fired Khloe Kardashian after her mediocre stint as co-host to the much more polished Mario Lopez. On the bright side, Kardashian was better than season one host Steve Jones. Then again, Lindsay Lohan would have been a better host than Steve Jones, so that's not saying much.

The show has already nixed Britney Spears, a somnolent non-entity last season, and the somewhat aggravating L.A. Reid. Demi Lovato was actually a pretty good judge and of course, Simon Cowell isn't going anywhere.

Ratings were disappointing season two, which was down sharply from season one.

***

American Idol' top 40 finalist Gurpreet Singh Sarin, who grew up in Atlanta until age 15, quickly stood out on the show thanks to his turbans more than his soulful vocals.

He even had a nickname that goes back to middle school: "The Turbanator."

Gurpreet, who attended Northview High School for one year before moving to Maryland, owns about 50 turbans from India online for $10 to $15 and plans to get even more. (It takes about 10 to 15 minutes for him to put one on. "Some people have bad hair days. I have bad turbin days," he said.)

But it's his singing that will define how far he goes, not his headwear.

And he chose "Georgia on My Mind" for his solo in homage to his hometown, though he hasn't been back since he left seven years ago. (That performance made up for the fact he forgot the lyrics during the group round, a common malady in Hollywood round.)

He said he grew up listening a lot of Indian classical music.  His interest in English-language music is more recent: blues, jazz, R&B. (Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, Otis Redding in the classics mode and John Legend, James Morrison and Gavin DeGraw are more recent favs.) He likes to improvise and scat. Two years ago, he began a YouTube channel with covers. "I received constructive criticism the more I sang," he said. "I picked up a guitar a year ago. I began playing at a sandwich shop six months ago."

Hollywood, he said, was the first time he's ever sung publicly with a mic.

Gurpreet hasn't banked his entire life on music like a lot of his colleagues. He is currently studying computer science at the University of Maryland and plans to continue his studies to graduate this spring via two final online courses, even if he is competing on "Idol" during that time.

"Both singing and computer work involves thinking outside the box," he said. "You have to come up with solutions multiple ways when doing code or trying to solve a security problem. Music is the same way. A riff or turn while singing, and you can create great creative energy."

His memories of Atlanta are warm. He attended both Chattahoochee Elementary and River Trail Middle School. He recalls Fourth of July at Stone Mountain and visits to the Coca Cola Museum.

He was also clearly media trained. When I asked him for his favorites of the other guys he heard, he demurred.  His favorite judge, though, appears to be Nicki Minaj, who was a big supporter of his.

***

"Idol" ratings continue their downward spiral: 12.3 million viewers last Thursday night was easily the worst the show has seen since the early days of season one. The 3.6 18-49 number is also the worst I can ever recall. And it's way down from week one of this season, when the show was easily breaking a 5 share 18-49. Clearly, interest is continuing to flag. The question now: how low can they go? I'm certain the Fox executives are in mild panic mode.  Heck, I'd be if I were Nigel & Co.