My name is Izabela. I have always been a belieber and I always had a dream. It was to actually meet and get an autograph or a picture with my number one idol: Justin Bieber. Not until a couple days ago (June 23 2011) after all these years of trying to, I finally met him. I have always been entering contests and every opportunity that I had to meet him, I tried to accomplish it. But sadly not one gave me a chance, except for Jingle Ball 2011. I begged my parents for about a month or so to actually get a chance to go, and I even gave up tv and my laptop for a week. Honestly, the only reason why I wanted to go to Jingle Ball so badly was because Justin Bieber would be there. Once I got to Jingle Ball I saved my batteries on my camera until I saw Justin Bieber, although he was last to perform I didn’t mind. I saw him and that’s all that actually counted. Once Justin Bieber came up on stage to perform I was probably the most enthusiastic out of all the fans there, I was screaming, shouting, singing every song, and I even let out a little tear. From then on I was the happiest anyone can be. Then I heard about his My World Tour at Madison Square Garden, but I was in Europe at that time with my grandparents. The year after that (June, 21 and 22, 2011) I heard about winning Meet and Greet Tickets for Justin Bieber at Macy’s on Z100 but of course no hope. On June 22 2011, I heard about him being on the Today Show. I got my group of friends and we planned everything out. The next morning I woke up an hour late but nothing stopped me from going. I briskly got dressed at ran to the train station. Finally June,23, 2011 he came out to the screaming crowd and I was there. Standing behind the barriers to meet him, I was waiting impatiently until he came up to me. My heart stopped for a few minutes and I don’t even remember him signing my paper, and I let out the first few words, “Can I please have a picture with you” and he just stood there and took a breathe and said “Sure” with a smile. My heart dropped, and I felt sort of bad because he was so tired and every girl was begging for something. One thing I do regret is not asking for a hug, but it’s okay, I’ll wait until next time! Excerpt from: My name is Izabela. I have always been a belieber and I always…
Yesterday, as I was walking back from the train station after a long day at work, I ran into someone I knew on the way home. After we exchanged greetings and we proceeded to chat, it quickly became hard to hold a conversation as we both seemed lost in our own worlds. We had both not been expecting this chance meeting and were tired from work, but I later realized that there was more to that encounter than just lethargy from the end of the day. I had spent most of the train ride on my phone surfing the internet and reading a book, which are both very solitary activities. The bulk of my job requires me to be on my laptop, so obviously I have become very accustomed over the years to communicating online. I even find myself making lunch plans through e-mail, even though the person I’m messaging is in the same side of the building. Ordinary face-to-face contact has become an alternate reality to sites such as Facebook and Twitter, where you can post your day-to-day thoughts and send messages instantly from person to person. You don’t even have to open your mouth or leave your chair anymore to be able to ask people questions or find out about their daily life. The addition of the internet onto cell phones has also become a gateway to instant gratification and can sometimes even spawn new friendships if you are too shy to speak to someone on a more personal level. However, if you really think about it, what is technology doing to the fundamental social skills that people have to learn and cultivate? If you can’t talk to someone in person and you resort to e-mailing or Facebook-ing them, is that really the start to a healthy relationship? While there are definitely some advantages to the technology that have made communication easier in the long run, there are still some drawbacks in the way people relate to each other with this changing technology. Is Social Networking Bad For Your Child? Thinking back to even ten years ago, cell phones were less advanced and social networks were not the ultimate gathering place. E-mail was still important and frequently used, but you couldn’t access it as easily as you can with today’s rash of Smart-phones. The latter has actually become something of interest to me as of late, as I just recently invested in an iPhone. Being able to access your Facebook account or e-mail on the run can be a blessing and a curse, as having so much connectivity can be helpful, as well as distracting. While it might be great to be able to look up street directions or a song that you heard on the radio, sometimes the urge to check one’s phone for new messages can end up replacing human-to-human interaction. Despite the new distractions, I was recently discussing the merits of cell phones and computers with a friend at lunch today and we were both in awe of how we survived without them for so long. Mailing letters and stopping by at people’s houses unannounced seems foreign to us in this day and age, since the fast-paced world has made people accessible at an instant. Ways of communicating are constantly changing, yet this new evolution has left the younger generation less likely to engage in true face-to-face conversation. According to the New York Times , college students have even started using text messages as a way of resolving roommate conflicts, despite the fact that they could be discussing it right in their own room! Have text messages become the new voice, making us strangers of interpersonal connection? It’s important to take yourself away from your technology once in a while, putting away your phone and simply sitting down for coffee with a friend without distractions. Basic communication skills like eye contact and a listening ear are vital in forming bonds with other people and something we should continue to cultivate, despite the changing times with new media replacing what was once commonplace interaction. When you “unplug” yourself from the web of technology, even if for a short amount of time, there is much to be learned from simply talking to others and keeping the human aspect of communication alive. Never forget the foundation of human interaction, which involves the bare bones of creating a relationship with the other person. It is very hard to find connections through simple text, as the words have to have some emotion that only the human voice, facial expressions, and general presence can provide. By breaking the barriers that technology has built around us, using our face-to-face times as serious communication can help bring us out of our awkward funk and back into a world where machines don’t dominate our social lives! The Importance Of Seeking Out Connections With People Nicki Minaj & Britney Spears Get Into Altercation At Femme Fatale Tour?! BLACK MUSIC MOMENT #44: Isaac Hayes Wins Academy Award For “Shaft” Score 1972 FACT OF THE DAY: Tupac Shakur Studied Ballet
Beyonce’s “Schoolin’ Life” song has hit the internet! The funky, 80s-inspired track channels Prince and was penned by The-Dream. On it, Beyonce schools everyone in their 20s to those in their 50s! She gets feisty and growls, “Mom and Dad tried to hide the boys / I swear that just made ‘em want me more / At 14, they asked me want I want to be / I said, ‘Baby, 21! So I can be the dream!’” The track is one of three additional songs that will be featured on the deluxe edition of her “4″ album, available exclusively to Target come June 28. So, look out for “Lay Up Under Me” and “Dance For You,” too! Beyonce Picks Top 7 Fashion Looks That Shaped Her Solo Career [PHOTOS] Who Runs The World? Beyonce’s Tour Hits Europe! [PHOTOS] Double Dose: Beyonce Poses For TIME & Cleo Magazines [PHOTOS]
I think that Salma Hayek is one of those weird exceptions where she actually looks like she may have gotten hotter after giving birth to her kid. Strange. She’s always had an ample bosom, but they just seem a whole lot more inviting these days. Here she is dropping some impressive tarted up cleavage at some party over in Europe the other day. Those Europeans always get the best boob shots. I don’t know if they motorboat over their, but someone should really introduce them to that American tradition. I would be more than willing to demonstrate if Salma would assist me.
The Roots will kick off Philadelphia’s annual celebration of Black Music Month with their fourth-annual Roots Picnic on June 4th. The event will take place at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing in the band’s hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Black Thought, lead MC of The Roots spoke to TheUrbandaily.com about one of the Summers best shows. “The Roots Picnic every year is unique,” he says of the eclectic mix of performers. “[This year] we have the return of Esperanza Spalding , [who is] returning in her Grammy New Artist of the Year glory.” On the other end of the spectrum Black Thought also anticipates that fellow Pennsylvanian Wiz Khalifa , who is sure to give an energetic performance of his Rolling Papers debut. Other musicians and bands, such as Sweden’s Little Dragon and Man Man of Philly, will entertain the festival’s audience. However, there will also be plenty for the hip-hop purist. “There’s always an element of The Roots Picnic that’s tailored to our [musical] tastes as The Roots,” says Thought. “And for me, that part of the festival is going to be doing the set with Nas. I look forward to that.” His Grammy award-winning band will back Nas during his performance at the picnic. Even though the band and Nas have previously collaborated on unreleased material, Black Thought hopes that The Roots will record with Nas again soon. The Roots have been busy as the house band for “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” but are already working on their next album. The group members are tossing around creative concepts and a core idea for the upcoming project, which will be their tenth studio album. Their manager Rich Nichols allowed TheUrbandaily to preview some “roughs” on his iPod and from the sound of things, the time working on the show continues to pay off for the group. Their first Fallon-era project, 2010′s How I Got Over , is considered by many to be their best work. “The band is actually physically together for ‘x’ amount of hours a day, five days a week, and it affords us the ability to collaborate on whatever we might come up with,” Black Thought explains. ” And the means with which to record it immediately and be able to catalog it and refer back to it at a later date.” While looking ahead, Black Thought takes time to look back in honor of Black Music Month. He reflects on the recently deceased Gil Scott-Heron , who The Roots have toured with in Europe on various occasions. “Gil Scott and The Last Poets and what they brought to the table represents radical, youthful expression of the 60s and 70s. In many ways, it kind of reflects what’s going on right now. But it’s very different—there’s an innocence in what they were doing back then that I feel has been lost now.” Tarik’s words underline why we need to celebrate our artists while they are still with us, so any fan of The Roots should make their way to Festival Pier tomorrow afternoon to take in some of the best acts that Black Music has to offer. RELATED POSTS: BLACK MUSIC MOMENT #89: The Roots Release First Album ?uestlove Wants You To Cook For Him [VIDEO] Nas, Wiz Khalifa, Esperanza Spalding To Perform At 4th Annual Roots Picnic
Couple are planning a ‘big party’ to follow family-only ceremony. By Kara Warner Lily Aldridge and Caleb Followill Photo: Getty Images It wasn’t the heavily hyped, hours-long event that was the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, but on Thursday, a King married his queen. Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill married Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge early Thursday evening at an intimate ceremony held at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. According to People magazine, the couple exchanged vows before an audience of only family members at 5:30 p.m. but have plans to celebrate their nuptials by way of a “big party” at a later date. “It was a perfect day,” Followill said of the event. Followill, 29, met Aldridge, 25, when she appeared in the band’s video for “Use Somebody.” The couple had been together for more than two years when Followill popped the question last September. The magazine also reported that the bride wore a custom-made strapless Vera Wang gown with layers of chantilly and corded lace appliqu
The Violent Torpedo Of Truth tour is out. An Evening With Charlie Sheen is possibly in. During a radio interview with a Sydney station, the actor told host Scott Dooley he was planning to revamp his show a bit and take it overseas. “Why don’t I take this thing on the road to Australia, parts of Europe, parts of Asia. If I pick out six cities over two weeks and if it wasn’t about violent torpedoes and truth seeking but more about an evening with Charlie Sheen, if I told people what to expect maybe they wouldn’t heckle me like the drunk clowns that they are, ” Sheen said. The man really knows how to woo an audience, doesn’t he? Responding to criticism over his domestic tour, Sheen said it was “overbooked and it went on too long,” adding: “It wasn’t a question of my fatigue factor, but I had to keep digging a little deeper each night in the new cities to remind myself that it was new for them.” Now “relieved” to be done with it, Sheen concluded the discussion with a jab at Americans: “It would seem like the European mentalities would give me a little more time and a little more patience to actually listen and embrace a format like that, where they come in knowing what to expect.” To his credit, however, the star said all proceeds from any upcoming shows would go to his Torpedoes Against Tornados Foundation .
HTC revealed its latest high-end Android smartphone offering on Tuesday, the Sensation 4G. With the launch of the phone, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer will debut its new mobile media rental/purchase service, HTC Watch. The Sensation will debut in Europe in mid-May alongside HTC’s tablet offering, the Flyer. HTC Watch will be available on both devices, Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Gadget Lab Discovery Date : 12/04/2011 18:14 Number of articles : 3
TV One original series “Love That Girl” airs its season finale tonight with a special appearance from producer/ comedian Martin Lawrence. Tatyana Ali stars in “Love That Girl” as a “a recent young divorcee returning to Southern California in search of new independence, a new career and a brand new chapter in her book of this next phase of life. Tyana’s new move reconnects her with old friends, especially her best friend Nefertiti (Kendyl Joi) who is happily single and ready to help her friend get her groove back. There are many other characters in Tyana’s world and they all know that she is smart, sexy, fun- loving and far from perfect.” -LoveThatGirlTV.com This is the first time Martin Lawrence will be making an appearance playing a character other than himself since his own show “Martin.” Tatyana talked to me about the season finale and working with Martin. Tatyana Ali On Working With Martin Lawrence: “Working with Martin was amazing. He’s really dedicated and 200 percent prepared. I felt like I was working with a master.” Her favorite Love That Girl Episode thus far: “My fav “Love That Girl!” episode so far was the episode with guest star Christian Keyes. We find out the he was Tyana’s college boyfriend. She thought they would get married, but he left to play ball in Europe for a year and never came back. In the episode it’s revealed that Tyana was pregnant. She lost the baby and never told a soul, not even her best friend Nef. I love this episode because it revealed so much about the secrets that make us who we are. We all walk around carrying our own burdens. You never know what someone else has been through.” ****Love That Girl SPOILER**** “Martin’s character will get will have a romantic rendezvous with someone in the cast.” ****End Spoiler**** The Finale airs tonight on TV One at 9pm EST Here’s A Clip From The Finale: Martin Lawrence Producing New Series For TV One, “Love That Girl!” TV One Founder Cathy Hughes Speaks On Images Of Black Women In Film [VIDEO]
What is this? The Dark Ages? France just passed a law that bans women from wearing veils on their faces — a move that has already resulted in protests by Muslims along with two arrests for the so-called offense: French police arrested two veiled women this morning just hours after the country’s new ban on wearing the burka in public came into force. The women were arrested along with several other people protesting in front of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris against the new law. Jourrnalists at the scene said the arrests came after police moved in to break up the protest which had not been authorised. On Saturday police arrested 59 people, including 19 veiled women, who turned up for a banned protest in Paris against the draconian new law, the first of its kind to be enforced in Europe. Earlier, French police said they will be enforcing the country’s new burka ban “extremely cautiously” because of fears of provoking violence. They fear Muslims extremists will use the law to provoke fights with officers, while rich visitors from countries like Saudi Arabia will also cause trouble . All garments which cover the face were officially banned from first thing this morning, with offenders facing fines of 150 euros (£133). The law will be very difficult to apply on certain estates,” said Patrice Ribeiro, of the Synergie police union. Referring to two Paris suburbs where riots regularly break out because of alleged discrimination against Muslims, Mr Ribeiro said: “I can’t see police going to book dozens of veiled women doing their shopping in Venissieux or in Trappes. “It will be the same when a police officer is about to arrest a veiled Saudi who is about to go into Louis Vuitton on the Champs Elysees. In all cases, the forces of order will have to be measured and cautious in their behaviour.” Synergie has already instructed its members to view the ban as a “low priority”, and Mr Ribeiro said there would “inevitably be incidents”. Police have already been warned not to arrest women “in or around” mosques, and “citizen’s de-veilings” are also banned. The strict instructions, from Interior Minister Claude Guent, are contained in a nine page circular issued to officers. As well as a mosque, Muslims will also be able to put on a veil in the privacy of their own homes, a hotel room, or even a car, as long as they are not driving. The ban means France is officially the second country in Europe, after Belgium, to introduce a full ban on a garment which immigration minister Eric Besson has called a “walking coffin”. While French women face the fines and ‘civic duty’ guidance if they break the law, men who force their wives or daughters to wear burkas will face up to a year in prison, and fines of up to 25,000 pounds. Posters have already gone up in town halls across France reading: “The Republic lives with its face uncovered.” Belgium introduced a full ban last year, although it has not been enforced with any vigour. A ban also looks likely in Holland, Spain and Switzerland. We heard Muslims had it bad in France but this is the most racist isht we’ve ever heard of. How are you gonna pass a law against somebody else’s religious law? SMH. Source
