Welcome back to the first annual Tournament of THG: Couples Edition, where fans vote on the most popular celebrity couple in the entire universe! The concept is simple: Pick your favorite of the two pairs in each poll. Done. YOUR VOTES will determine the winners of this tournament showdown. After eight hotly-contested first-round fights, the quarterfinal bracket is set. Tuesday, Robsten jumped ahead of JT and Jessica Biel in a #1/#9 matchup. Wednesday, the Obamas (#4) took on Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds (#12), then #3 Jay-Z and Beyonce took on #6 Prince William and Kate Middleton ! Today: Fan favorites Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez (#2) vs. Miley Cyrus and The Hunger Games ‘ Liam Hemsworth! You know what to do. Cast your votes below!
Ready for a look at Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart like you’ve never seen them before? Earlier this week, Rob (his buzzcut) and Kristen attended the birthday party of actor Scout Taylor-Compton, where they proceeded to cozy up in one of the more natural, simple embraces we’ve seen between the typically-private pair. A fellow attendee snapped this photo and posted it on Facebook, giving fans one of their most intimate looks yet at the tandem affectionately referred to as “Robsten.” Pattinson and Stewart, meanwhile, are the number-one seed in our couples-based Tournament of THG and have advanced to the quarterfinals as of this posting. Will they finish on top? Stay tuned!
Jon Gosselin says he is loving life these days as a single dad. That’s good, we suppose. Better than hating it, since it’s the current state of affairs either way! Jon recently split from girlfriend Ellen Ross, but unlike sad, lonely Kate Gosselin , he’s moving forward with his held head high, embracing his single status. “I am doing great, moving on with my life, focusing on my kids and work,” he told Star . “I’m in a much better place in my life … right now, I’m just hanging out with friends, meeting new people, working and trying to focus on my kids.” “Being a single dad with no interruptions has really brought me closer to my children: Truthfully, I feel it has improved my self-awareness and well-being.” Jon Gosselin said his eight children are flourishing, too. “They know that I love them, and it’s important that they enjoy their childhood,” he said. “I always made sure that I am the constant in their life.” Jon said despite being unlucky in love at times, he’s still got the idea of getting remarried in the back of his mind, but won’t rush down the altar. “I still have a lot of work to do on myself, and I am an extremely busy person, between work and the children,” the Pennsylvania native told Star . “My family is the most important thing in my life. I will strive to make it better for them, and to be a better person myself, each and every day.”
Song’s #1 bow is just the 20th in the 53-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. By James Montgomery Katy Perry Photo: Jeff Bottari/ Getty Images Katy Perry is back in a familiar place with her brand-new single: the top of the Billboard charts. After performing “Part of Me” — the first single off the deluxe reissue of her Teenage Dream album — at the 54th Grammy Awards, Perry sat back and watched as the song debuted at #1 on Billboard ‘s Hot 100, making it just the 20th track in the chart’s 53-year history to bow in the top slot. According to Billboard, Perry joins a list of stars that includes Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears and Eminem (not to mention a host of former “American Idol” champions) who have all accomplished the feat — the last was Lady Gaga, whose “Born This Way” opened at #1 nearly one year ago. In the process, Perry has notched her seventh career Hot 100 #1. “Part of Me” also rocketed to #1 on the Digital Songs chart, racking up more than 411,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That’s a career-best week for Perry, and is the highest opening number for any artist since Gaga sold more than 448,000 downloads of “Born This Way” last year. Perry wasn’t the only artist to benefit from the post-Grammy bounce; Adele, who, as you might have heard, did pretty well at the show , not only sold an astonishing (and record-setting) 730,000 copies of her 21 album last week, but becomes the first female artist in Hot 100 history to have three solo titles in the Top 10: “Set Fire to the Rain” at #2, “Rolling in the Deep” at #5 and “Someone Like You” at #7. Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown, who both received, uh, mixed reviews for their Grammy-night performances, also found their way into the Top 10: Minaj’s “Starships” is in at #9, followed by Brown’s “Turn up the Music,” which lands at #10. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Katy Perry Related Artists Katy Perry
But in a twist, it’s announced that one of four eliminated contestants will be welcomed back next week for the first Top 25. By Adam Graham Ryan Seacrest with the top 24 of “American Idol” Photo: Fox “American Idol” revealed its final 10 semifinalists Thursday (February 23), rounding out the Top 24 that will compete for America’s votes during season 11’s live episodes, which begin next week. The remaining 10 contestants were chosen from the pool of 42 sent to Las Vegas to compete for the chance to perform on the live shows. The first 14 , including Heejun Han ( Heejun Han! ), were unveiled during Wednesday’s episode. Thursday’s show picked up with the cliffhanger from Wednesday, regarding the fate of 27-year-old Adam Brock. The teary-eyed Brock made it, of course; “American Idol” can be cruel (see last week’s brutal “Gotcha!” twist), but it’s not cruel enough to let a contestant hang in the balance for a full day and then not let him through. Especially one with a cute little girl at home. The toughest cut Thursday was the one dealt to Jermaine Jones, the 25-year-old baritone-voiced “gentle giant” who took the news very hard, nearly collapsing in tears. Most shocking was the elimination of David Leathers Jr., the would-be heartthrob nicknamed “Mr. Steal Your Girl” who was thought early on to be one of the contestants to beat, despite the fact that the bow-tied 17-year-old looked like he was 12. But in a shocking final twist — “GOTCHA!” — it was revealed at the end of the episode that either Leathers, Jones, Richie Law or Johnny Keyser will return next week to join the show, making it a Top 25. Isn’t “Idol” fun? Here is the full list of the season’s Top 24 contestants:
UPDATE: A teenager wanted by the FBI on adult charges in Atlanta is in custody after turning himself in to Erie, Pennsylvania police on Wednesday night. Dareal Demare Williams, 17, turned himself in at 10:30 a.m., according to GoErie.com. He was turned over to the FBI. The FBI said he was believed to be staying with friends and relatives in the Erie area. PREVIOUS: FBI agents have identified the third Atlanta gang member who they say was videotaped beating a 20-year-old gay man in Atlanta’s Pittsburgh community earlier this month. The videotaped attack was posted online and went viral. The AJC reports that Dareal Damare Williams is wanted for his part in the Feb. 4 robbery and attack on Brandon White. FBI agents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania said they believe that Williams, 17, is hiding out in the Erie, Pennsylvania area and have issued an alert in western Pennsylvania. Mayor Kasim Reed raised an Atlanta Crime Stoppers reward several times. The reward is currently $25,000. Police said the responding tips led to the arrest of Christopher Cain, 19, a week after the incident. On Feb. 17, 19-year-old Dorian Moragne turned himself in to police. All three teens are said to be members of a neighborhood gang called 1029 Jack City or Pittsburgh Jack City. The 1029 represents the address of the gang’s hangout, 1029 McDaniels Street. Anyone with information of Williams’ whereabouts are asked to call Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-8477 or Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-472-8477. Anonymous calls are accepted, and anyone offering information leading to Williams’ arrest and conviction is eligible for the reward money. Read the full story at the AJC.com. RELATED: Suspects Identified In Viral Video Attack [VIDEO] Gay Atlanta Man Beaten In Viral Video Speaks Out [VIDEO] Bullying Is Not Hot! [VIDEO] G-Unit’s 40 Glocc On Getting Arrested For Beating His Girlfriend [AUDIO] Usher’s Brother Arrested For Beating Baby Mama & Abusing Child
W. E. B. Du Bois , the African American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, and editor, is most known for his pursuit of social justice and literary imagination. One of the best African American writers to date, Du Bois published over 1,000 essays and writings, some standing the test of over 100 years and still used in classrooms today. Click Here To Read W. E. B. Du Bois Bio Below is a list of the most influential writings of W. E. B. Du Bois. Feel free to add to the list below by adding your comment. 1. The Souls of Black Folk Said to be W. E. B. Du Bois’ most influential piece of writing, this classic piece of American Literature by W. E. B. Du Bois changed the perspective on African American writers, as well as the horrible social life for blacks in the early 1900′s. The Souls of Black Folk also holds an important place in social science as one of the early works to deal with sociology. 2. The Philadelphia Negro In 1897 W. E. B. Du Bois worked as the Assistant in Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he conducted a social experiment of the Negro community in Philadelphia. His publication that would soon follow his experiment would turn out to be one or the greatest writings on the “Negro” in America. Du Bois gathered information by traveling house to house and conducted personal interviews with each individual head of household. 3. The Negro This non-fiction writing was the first comprehensive history of African and African-derived people, from their early cultures through the period of the slave trade and into the twentieth century. Published in 1915, this book influenced both white and black communities of its time, bringing a better awareness to the plight of the African American. This book was also highly instrumental in helping to inspire generations of people to see things from an African perspective. 4. The Talented Tenth , second chapter of The Negro Problem , a collection of articles by African Americans The talented Tenth is a term that was created by W. E. B. Du Bois to give name to a group of African Americans who had the distinct duty of lifting African Americans from poverty and discrimination to a middle class standard. Du Bois used the term “the talented tenth” to describe the likelihood of one in ten black men becoming leaders of their race in the world, through methods such as continuing their education, writing books, or becoming directly involved in social change. He believed that this was the only way for African Americans to strive in an environment that was set up for failure in the black community. Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of the schools — intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the world that was and is, and of the relation of men to it — this is the curriculum of that Higher Education which must underlie true life. On this foundation we may build bread winning, skill of hand and quickness of brain, with never a fear lest the child and man mistake the means of living for the object of life. 5. Black Reconstruction in America Published in 1935, Black Reconstruction In America took an in-depth look at the Reconstruction of the south after its defeat in the American civil war. Du Bois’ basic argument was one of rich vs. poor and how Black and White laborers, who are the proletariat, were divided after the civil war on the lines of race, and as such were unable to stand together against the white propertied class, the bourgeoisie. Du Bois stated this was the reason for the rise of Jim Crow Laws and the failure of reconstruction. What makes this book so important is how relevant it is when you look at the problems in today’s society.
Former Pennsylvania senator now has 4 wins in his primary column. By Gil Kaufman Rick Santorum Photo: Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images Just as former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney was gaining a head of steam after winning two primaries in a row, he was dealt another major setback on Tuesday. The man who appeared to be back on track as the leading Republican presidential nominee was bested in the day’s three contests former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. Following a convincing win in Florida last week, Romney was shocked by losing to Santorum in caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota, as well as a non-binding vote in Missouri where no delegates were at stake. Santorum won Colorado with 40 percent of the vote to Romney’s 35, with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich in third at 13 percent and Congressman Ron Paul in last place with 12 percent; 33 delegates are at stake in that race. In Minnesota the gap was much wider, as Santorum rolled up 45 percent of votes to 27 for Paul, 17 for Romney and 11 for Gingrich. According to unofficial results, Santorum handily took the Missouri vote with 55 percent to Romney’s 25 and Paul’s 12; Gingrich failed to make the ballot in that state. Santorum won every one of Missouri’s 114 counties in a stunning rebuke of Romney. “Conservatism is alive and well in Missouri and Minnesota … Tonight was a victory for the voices of our party, conservatives and Tea Party people,” Santorum told his excited supporters at a St. Charles, Missouri victory rally. “I don’t stand here and claim to be the conservative alternative to Mitt Romney … I stand here to be the conservative alternative to Barack Obama.” In one of the most unpredictable GOP presidential primary races in memory, Romney has been unable to seal the deal and pundits concluded that the low turnout in all three of Tuesday’s contests signaled that the party’s base has not gotten excited about any of the candidates yet. Though Santorum now officially has four wins to his credit — he was awarded the Iowa caucus win following a recount — the real news was that Romney failed to seal the deal after campaigning hard in Colorado and outspending his rivals by a large margin. But with the campaign going into a quiet period for much of the month, Romney has a chance to reload and get his house back in order before the Michigan and Arizona primaries on February 28. The next big test will come on Super Tuesday (March 6) where 10 states will offer up more than 400 delegates. Check back for up-to-the-minute coverage of the primaries and stick with
I. Friday evening, a conference opened at the University of Pennsylvania, devoted to speakers, clinics, workshops and teach-ins on the Global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign , initiated on July 9th, 2005, by 171 Palestinian non-governmental organizations, in protest to continuing Israeli incursions upon Palestinian rights, particularly in the occupied West Bank. As one might expect, Zionist… Broadcasting platform : Vimeo Source : Progressive Alaska Discovery Date : 04/02/2012 19:23 Number of articles : 2
ID Labs producer E. Dan tells MTV News, ‘There’s definitely a sound within the people that work out of here.’ By Rob Markman Sayez and Mac Miller Photo: MTV News Contrary to popular belief, Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller didn’t grow up together. Though they both hail from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, are signed to Rostrum Records and have jumped out into the national spotlight, the bond that they share didn’t start in the streets of the ‘Burgh — but instead at ID Labs music studio. E. Dan opened ID Labs in 2003, and since then he’s recorded some of the city’s biggest hits inside the dusty, vinyl-laced studio. Wiz Khalifa’s classic 2010 mixtape Kush & Orange Juice and a huge chunk of his gold major-label debut Rolling Papers were recorded in ID Labs, as was Mac’s Best Day Ever mixtape and his #1 debut Blue Slide Park. The studio has been pivotal in Mac’s development, so a few hours before his first homecoming show on December 9 , he took MTV News on a tour of ID Labs. “There’s definitely a sound within the people that work out of here,” E. Dan says of his studio and its in-house producers, Big Jerm and Sayez. “It’s hard for me to say what an actual definitive sound of Pittsburgh is; I think it’s probably a combination of a lot of stuff. We’re not in New York; we’re not in L.A.; we’re not in one of the epicenters of hip-hop. I feel like, we’re, if anything, a combination of all that.” Mac Miller returns to Blue Slide Park. Sledgren, who isn’t technically a part of the ID Labs production team but frequently works out of the studio, remembers what it was like coming up with a sound for Wiz’s Kush & Orange Juice . “We were just young goin’ to the club, knowing what everybody wanted to hear, and we just gave that our own twist,” he said of how he and Wiz came up with tracks like “Never Been.” For Sayez to think that two artists of Wiz and Mac’s magnitude just so happened to come out of ID Labs is mind-blowing. “That’s just crazy that two of the major players in today’s hip-hop culture, music culture are doing it so big that they just happened to come through this building,” he said. “Everybody who worked in this building … put in ridiculous amounts of work and sacrificed so much to be able to put out good music and be there and try and get the city movement goin’.” Wiz Khalifa motivates Pittsburgh’s up-and-coming artists. The fact is, both Khalifa and Miller have the option of working in higher-end studios with more notable producers, but the fact that they choose to keep coming back to the ‘Burgh to work in ID Labs speaks fathoms. “It felt great, Wiz coming back to work on his album because he could’ve worked with anybody,” Big Jerm said of the Rolling Papers sessions that took place in ID Labs. “He could’ve been in with Pharrell, but he chose to come back here. I think it’s just comfortable for him, he’s comfortable with us. I think it’s a good situation for everybody really.” Stick with MTV News all week as Mac Miller takes us back to the ‘Burgh and spotlights the city’s vibrant hip-hop scene. Related Videos Back To The ‘Burgh With Mac Miller And Wiz Khalifa Related Artists Mac Miller
