Showing posts with label Famous People. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Famous People. Show all posts
R. Kelly Speaks Out About Child-Pornography Trial For First — And Possibly Last — Time
When asked by interviewer whether he likes teenage girls, Kelly says, 'I don't like anybody illegal.'
In the first — and what he claimed would be his last — interview regarding his recent child-pornography trial, R&B singer R. Kelly sat down with BET News for a special that aired Tuesday, to say he has had been punished enough and that people should respect the not-guilty verdict he received three months ago.
"It's time for me to move on," Kelly told interviewer Touré during "R. Kelly Speaks." "I can't keep answering these questions. If you was charged with something and you was found innocent, then you can't be found guilty for being found innocent."
However, with that statement, Kelly failed to distinguish the difference between not guilty and innocent — no jury has the power to declare anyone innocent, only the power to say that the state did not meet its burden of proof to find someone guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. And in this particular case, the members of Kelly's jury still had some doubts. Kelly expected his fans and public to have some doubts as well, but he hoped to overcome them with the interview, in which he claimed his sex-god image was just that, an image — not his real life.
"I wish people wouldn't connect the R. Kelly image — of champagne, girls ... sex, sex, sex — to Robert," Kelly said. "R. Kelly is an image, a brand. That's my job. There's a whole other side of me that's Robert, who is a father, a friend. But then I put on the game face and go into the studio and do the music. That's just another day at the office."
When asked directly if he likes teenage girls, Kelly asked in response, "How old are we talking?" Touré responded, "Girls who are teenagers." Kelly then asked, "Nineteen? I have some 19-year-old fans. I don't like anybody illegal, if that's what you're talking about." (The subject of his annulled marriage to a 15-year-old Aaliyah did not come up.)
(Head here for more questions R. Kelly could have been asked but wasn't.)
Touré countered that some of the singer's former employees (including an assistant and a publicist) and his brother Carey Kelly had raised "issues of concern" in this area. "Issues of concern?" Kelly asked. "What do you mean? Let me put it to you this way, man. People who don't work for me say that. The people who do work for me don't say that. The people who don't work for me were fired. ... Do not listen to the people who was fired. Don't even listen to the people who was hired. Listen to the facts."
But what about his own brother, who could hardly be considered just another disgruntled employee? "Doesn't matter," Kelly said. "I fired him too." Why? "I can't get into that," Kelly said. "But I fired him 1,000 times and I rehired him."
Kelly also claimed that he had been blackmailed, a claim he had made previously when a sex tape purporting to depict him and an underage girl was first made public, only now he said the blackmail attempts happened before, during and after the trial. (Kelly did not specify who had allegedly blackmailed him, but Kelly's own lawyer had dispelled the notion that ex-manager — and Aaliyah's uncle — Barry Hankerson was involved in any such attempt in his interview with MTV News immediately following the verdict.)
"I've been blackmailed a billion times," Kelly said. "I've been sued for ridiculous things. At one point in my life, I was an ATM machine. But I'm used to that. You don't get used to it, but I'm used to the fact that people will do this, even your own family members, and I don't hate none of them. A lot of people are out to get me, especially when I was vulnerable [because of the trial and public scandal]. When you're R. Kelly, they want a piece of you."
Kelly said the ordeal of the trial and the years leading up to it made him feel like he had already been given a guilty verdict. "I feel like I was in jail for the last seven years," he said. "A lot has been taken away from me. Going through that whole thing was hell, man. I wouldn't wish it on nobody."
Now that it's over, he wants to concentrate on his music (which he said would remain sexually explicit), his children (although he didn't mention his estranged wife) and humanitarian efforts. He's planning a trip to Africa — his first.
"I'm trying to put it all together," Kelly said. "I want to get over there not just to tour, but get into doing some humanity stuff. I don't know what that is yet."
Kelly said the trial and scandal experience has taught him a lot, including to be more humble, to be more spiritual and to separate his professional and private life.
"If it had an impact, I hope it to be a positive impact," he said. "If the 12 people who didn't know me, after hearing the facts and listening to everything, could find me innocent, [I hope that] people around the world could do the same thing."
Kobe Bryant Jumps Over A Pool Full Of Snakes
Kobe Bryant has done it again using his new Hyperdunks jumping over a pool full of snakes with the jackass crew.
Sarah Palin Sexy Photo, Real Or Fake?
Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin sexy photo has created a buzz in both media and blogosphere. But is this real or fake? View her sexy photo after the jump. 
Fake Sexy Photo Of Governor Sarah Palin
The Real Photo That Been Altered
Search For Me Baby, One More Time
I'm sure that Britney Spears would agree that, philosophically speaking, when one door closes, another opens--and I don't just mean driver-side car doors, either. There is a certain symmetry to finding out that, on the high heels of her successful (as in no one got hurt) appearance on MTV's Video Music Awards show a little over a week ago, the release of Spears' new CD has just been bumped up to an "Xmas stocking stuffer purchase opp" date of December 2--which just happens to be Brit's birthday.
Now it probably should be noted that the new CD, entitled Circus, reportedly is not completely finished yet. And with the kind of track record Britney's had over the last few years, her label Jive Records must be pretty darned sure it'll be ready; either that or they've got a great insurance policy. In any event, Spears does seem to be in good, capable creative hands--or at the very least a good, capable small army of them. Working on the project are everyone from the Outsyders (who produced the first single "Womanizer," coming 9/22 to a ringtone near you), Keri Hilson, Sean Garrett, Rodney Jenkins, Guy Sigsworth, Dr. Luke, and Lil' Jon, and Nate "Danjahandz" Hills, to such past Brit content providers as Bloodshy & Avant ("Toxic," "Piece Of Me") and Max Martin ("Oops," "Baby One More Time"). One way or another, one presumes, that sucker will be out the door on time.
Of course, when it comes to Britney Spears, it is all about the buzz, isn't it? And proof of that comes with another (non-paparazzi-lensed) Britney flash--this time from none other than the Guinness Records people, who've just announced they're naming Spears "The Most Searched Person On The Internet" in the new 2009 Guinness Book Of World Records. Having not seen the book (it's out on 9/17), I can't tell you how they might quantify that assertion (and are there subdivisions for categories like, say, "holding clippers," or "driving over feet"?). Suffice it to say, however, that the proclamation comes with the telling additional info that Britney, who previously "won" the title in 2007, has reclaimed it from last year's champ: none other the uniquely and immensely Internet-searchable Paris Hilton. Click Here to Read More..
‘The Women’ star Eva Mendes used to force people to kill spiders because she was so scared of them.
Eva Mendes used to force people to kill spiders because she was so scared of them.
‘The Women’ actress suffered from arachnophobia – a profound fear of spiders – as a child and was so terrified of the eight-legged nasties she would ask her family to execute them if one came near her.
She would then insist on being shown the “dead carcass” of the arachnid to prove her wishes has been carried out.
Eva said: “Spiders scare me a lot, ever since I was a little girl. If I ever saw one I would have a physical reaction and just freak out. I was a real arachnophobe. I was like that up until about a year ago.
“If I saw a spider I would have to have somebody kill it and even then I could not take their word for it. I would have to see the dead carcass before I could relax.”
The 34-year-old actress – who admits her fear became so bad she would not even sleep in a room if she had seen a spider there - decided to visit a hypnotherapist to overcome the phobia.
She said: “There was no swaying clock or anything like that - so I was disappointed by that. I do not know what she did but it really helped because now I will see one and I will be cool with it.”
Eva added she was so pleased with the outcome of the treatment she is contemplating re-visiting her hypnotist.
She joked: “Now I want to do it for everything. I was thinking can she help me with road rage or snacking or foul language? It is amazing.”
Wall Street awakes to 2 storied firms falling
NEW YORK - When Wall Street woke up Monday morning, two more of its storied firms had fallen.
Lehman Brothers, burdened by $60 billion in soured real-estate holdings, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court after attempts to rescue the 158-year-old firm failed. Bank of America Corp. said it is snapping up Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. in a $50 billion all-stock transaction.
The demise of the independent Wall Street institutions came as shock waves from the 14-month-old credit crisis roiled the U.S. financial system six months after the collapse of Bear Stearns.
The world's largest insurance company, American International Group Inc., also was forced into a restructuring.
And a global consortium of banks, working with government officials in New York, announced a $70 billion pool of funds to lend to troubled financial companies.
The aim, according to participants who spoke to The Associated Press, was to prevent a worldwide panic on stock and other financial exchanges.
Ten banks — Bank of America, Barclays, Citibank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and UBS — each agreed to provide $7 billion "to help enhance liquidity and mitigate the unprecedented volatility and other challenges affecting global equity and debt markets."
The Federal Reserve also chipped in with more largesse in its emergency lending program for investment banks. The central bank announced late Sunday that it was broadening the types of collateral that financial institutions can use to obtain loans from the Fed.
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the discussions had been aimed at identifying "potential market vulnerabilities in the wake of an unwinding of a major financial institution and to consider appropriate official sector and private sector responses."
The European Central Bank, the Bank of England, and the Swiss central bank also made more short-term credit available to banks. European stocks fell sharply, with the FTSE 100 Index off 3.42 percent in London, the CAC-40 down 4.27 percent in Paris, and Germany's blue-chip DAX 30 falling 3.38 percent. Asian stock markets also tumbled, with India's Sensex sinking more than 5 percent. Japan and Hong Kong were closed for holidays.
Financial stocks were hard hit and the dollar fell against the pound and the euro.
Futures pegged to the Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 250 points in electronic trading Sunday evening, pointing to a sharply lower open for the blue chip index Monday morning. Asian stock markets also tumbled, with India's Sensex sinking more than 5 percent. Japan and Hong Kong were closed for holidays.
The stunning weekend developments took place as voters, who rank the economy as their top concern, prepare to elect a new president in seven weeks. It likely will spur a much greater focus by presidential candidates — Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama — and members of Congress on the need for stricter financial regulation.
Samuel Hayes, finance professor emeritus at Harvard Business School, said the Bush administration may get a lot of blame for the situation, which could benefit Obama.
"Just the psychological impact of this kind of failure is going to be significant," he said. "It will color people's feelings about their well-being and the integrity of the financial system."
Lehman Brothers' announcement that it is filing for bankruptcy came after all potential buyers walked away. Potential suitors were spooked by the U.S. Treasury's refusal to provide any takeover aid, as it had done six months ago when Bear Stearns faltered and earlier this month when it seized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Employees emerging from Lehman's headquarters near the heart of Times Square Sunday night carried boxes, tote bags and duffel bags, rolling suitcases, framed artwork and spare umbrellas. Many were emblazoned with the Lehman Brothers name. Its businesses in Britain were placed in administration Monday, said the administrator, accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, and employees carrying boxes and bags were walking out of Lehman's London offices.
TV trucks lined Seventh Avenue opposite the building, while barricades at the building's main entrance attempted to keep workers and onlookers from gumming up the steady flow of pedestrians flowing in and out of Times Square.
Some workers had moist eyes while a few others wept and shared hugs. Most who left the building quietly declined interviews.
People snapped pictures with cameras and their phones. Observers pressed up against a police barricade drew the ire of one man who emerged from the building and shouted: "Are you enjoying watching this? You think this is funny?"
Merrill Lynch, another investment bank laid low by the crisis that was triggered by rising mortgage defaults and plunging home values in the U.S., agreed to be acquired by Bank of America for 0.8595 shares of Bank of America common stock for each Merrill Lynch common share.
That values Merrill at $29 a share, a 70 percent premium over the brokerage's Friday closing price of $17.05, but well below what Merrill was worth at its peak in early 2007, when its shares traded above $98.
Charlotte, N.C.,-based Bank of America has the most deposits of any U.S. bank, while Merrill Lynch is the world's largest brokerage. A combination of the two would create a global financial giant to rival Citigroup Inc., the biggest U.S. bank in terms of assets.
Strategically, most industry analysts say it's a good fit. If the deal goes according to plan, Bank of America will be able to offer Merrill's retail brokerage services to its huge customer base. There is not a great deal of overlap between the two companies — Bank of America does have an investment bank already, but it has never been terribly strong.
Where there is duplication, however, the combination of the two companies could result in more layoffs. Both Merrill and Bank of America have already cut thousands of investment banking jobs over the past year.
The deal would not come without risks, however. Merrill Lynch, like many of its Wall Street peers, has been struggling with tight credit markets and billions of dollars in assets tied to mortgages that have plunged in value. Merrill has reported four straight quarterly losses.
Bank of America's own finances are far from robust. As consumer credit deteriorates, the bank has seen its profits decline, and the company is still in the midst of absorbing the embattled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, which it acquired in January.
Insurer AIG, hit hard by deterioration in the credit markets, said Sunday it is reviewing its operations and discussing possible options with outside parties to improve its business after a week when its stock dropped 45 percent amid concerns about the company's financial underpinnings.
The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times both reported early Monday on their Web sites that the American International Group is seeking an additional $40 billion in emergency funds — possibly from the Federal Reserve — to help it avoid a credit rating downgrade, which would make it more expensive for AIG to raise money. The insurer has already raised $20 billion in fresh capital this year.
AIG was working with New York Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo and a representative of the governor's office through the weekend to craft a solution that protects policyholders, according to Dinallo's spokesman David Neustadt.
"It's clear we're one step away from a financial meltdown," said Nouriel Roubini, chairman of the consulting firm RGE Monitor.
The meetings that began Friday night were a who's who of financial heavyweights: Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Fed, Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Christopher Cox, and a host of CEOs, including Vikram Pandit of Citigroup Inc., Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase & Co., John Mack of Morgan Stanley, Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and Merrill Lynch & Co.'s John Thain.
For all their efforts, Lehman had to file for bankruptcy.
The end of Lehman may not stop the financial crisis that has gripped Wall Street for months, analysts said. More investment banks could disappear soon.
The independent broker-dealers "are going the way of the dodo bird," said Bert Ely, an Alexandria, Va.,-based banking consultant.
That's partly because some of the firms, particularly Merrill, made bad bets on real estate. But several analysts said that investment companies will need the deep pockets of commercial banks to survive the next few years.
On Sunday, there was also an emergency trading session being held at the International Swaps and Derivatives Association to "reduce risk associated with a potential Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. bankruptcy." The ISDA, which arranges trades for derivatives, said it was allowing customers to make trades and unwind positions linked to Lehman.
Roubini said it's difficult to accurately gauge the health of companies like Merrill because their financial health depends on how they value complex securities. As a result, their finances aren't very transparent, he said.
That can lead to a loss of confidence in the financial markets, he said, which can overwhelm an investment bank even if it is financially healthy by some measures.
"Once you lose confidence, the fundamentals matter less," he said.
The common denominator of the financial crisis, analysts said, is the bursting of the housing bubble. Home prices have dropped on average 25 percent so far. Roubini predicted they could drop another 15 percent.
The crisis has begun to slow the broader economy as banks make fewer loans and consumers have begun cutting spending. Many economists are now forecasting that the economy could slip into recession by the end of this year and early next year.
That, in turn, could cause additional losses for commercial banks on credit cards, auto loans and student loans.
The Fed is widely expected to keep interest rates steady at 2 percent, below inflation, when it meets Tuesday. It was possible, however, that the central bank might decide in coming weeks to cut rates if such a move is seen as needed to calm turbulent financial markets.
The International Monetary Fund predicted earlier this year that total losses from the credit crisis could reach almost $1 trillion. So far, banks have only taken about $350 billion in losses.
Commercial banks are also starting to feel the pinch. Eleven have closed so far this year, including Pasadena, Calif.-based IndyMac Bank, which had $32 billion in assets and $19 billion in deposits.
Christopher Whalen, managing director of Institutional Risk Analytics, a research firm, predicts that approximately 110 banks with $850 billion in assets could close by next July. That's out of 8,400 federally insured institutions, he said, which together hold $13 trillion in assets.
Individual customers are starting to get nervous about the financial health of their banks for the first time in generations, he said. Whalen's firm analyzes the safety and soundness of banks for business clients, but began receiving inquiries from individuals in the past two months for the first time, he said.
"If we don't get ahead of this, we are going to face a run on the retail banks by election day," he said.
___
AP Business Writers Madlen Read, Tim Paradis and Stephen Bernard in New York, Martin Crutsinger in Washington, Ieva Augstums in Charlotte and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.
RIP David Foster Wallace
The writer David Foster Wallace was found dead at his home in Claremont, California on Friday evening. His wife told authorities that he hung himself.
There have always been two fairly well-populated camps of opinion about Wallace and his work.
There are those who consider him brilliant and perhaps the most important literary figure of his generation. And there are those who find him unreadable.
Cases can be made for both schools of thought.
But whatever you think, it's hard to deny that Wallace's was a unique voice in a literature that has grown somewhat homogeneous in the past decade. Whatever you might think about his opus, Infinite Jest, Wallace's work within shorter forms, in stories and essays, more often then not succeeded in blending absurdest observation with insightful comments on our culture and the way we live now.
And since this is a travel blog, I'll mention my favorite piece of Wallace writing, his hysterical lampooning of cruises and those who take them in the essay "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again." It's a masterwork of reporting and as a piece of travel writing -- which it most certainly is -- it's an example of just what the genre is capable of if given an imaginative writer bent on breaking new ground.
I just took his essay collection of the same name off the bookshelf and want to re-read the piece this afternoon as a sort of quiet tribute. For this essay alone I'll miss Wallace.
America’s Got Talent Chooses The Top 10 With America’s Help
America’s Got Talent gave us the first “Results Show” that we love, but they have been kind to us as they announce the Top 10 and have kept it shorter than most of its kind does. Jerry Springer announced that the Top 10 will be set tonight and than ten acts will see their journey end this evening. Here at RTM, we have our favorites and it has been surprising how America has not really shocked us too much with who has been sent home. There is a lot to do in a short period of time, so lets get to it.
With the group stretched across the stage, the group cheered with Jerry, even though ten of the acts would be gone soon. Jerry chatted up the judges quickly and then got to it and saw the Tuesday performances recapped. Jerry called forth The Wright Kids and Zooperstars, sans their costumes for the first time, and we saw The Wright Kids, who rocked the place the other night, advance over the cartoon characters.
In a huge upset, one of the favorites of the judges between Neal E. Boyd and Queen Emily looked like they were being sent home, which had Sharon Osbourne’s jaw dropping in disbelief. OK…I was just fooling you because they did it to us to make us think it to be true. Jerry announced that the next act was “Both of them.”
Extreme Dance FX and the James Gang were then paraded to the front of the stage and Jerry announced that after America’s vote, they were both leaving the competition.
The next two acts to come forward were the drummers, Cadence and Frank Sinatra clone, Paul Salos, to see who would be advancing to the Top 10 and in a bit of a shocker, Paul Salos advanced over the drummers.
The second group of ten acts, who performed last night, were now on stage and Jerry called SickStep and Kaitlyn Maher to the front of the stage for the results. I gotta admit it was a weird site to see all of these boys standing overshadowing the tiny four-year-old, but in the end it was like David and Goliath as she slew the Hip-Hop lads in their tracks.
It seems it gets tougher and tougher as The Taubl family and Nuttin But Stringz were pulled forward to find out their fate next. With the obvious talent going to NBS as far as performances go, America indeed got it right and sent NBS into the Top 10.
Sarah Lenore and Eli Mattson strode to the front and knowing that there was already one blond singer too many in the competition and that the obvious talent of Eli was overwhelming, Eli was indeed America’s choice.
For the final decision, the Baton Twirling, Jonathan Burkin and the Elvis wanna-be, Joseph Hall’s fate was left in the hands of the judges with what had to be the most difficult decision yet. Piers started it off saying it was a difficult decision but decided to go with Joseph because he saw more potential in him. Sharon quickly evened the vote up by saying she wanted Jonathan, leaving The Hoff with the unenviable decision for the last spot. Jerry went to a commercial to give the two contestants time to sweat even more and when the commercials ended, David gave the last spot to…Joseph Hall.
Next Wednesday we will have our first glimpse of what they will all bring to the AGT stage.
Come back to Reality TV Magazine for all your America’s Got Talent news and be sure to come and chat about the show and your favorites on our message boards! For more great information please visit SirLinksAlot: America’s Got Talent. Click Here to Read More..
Who Is Asia Cruise?
Asia Cruise is a Caucasian-Filipino R&B/pop singer from Jacksonville, Florida. Who Is Asia Cruise? is her debut album, due to be released in spring 2008. Her current single is "Selfish". The song was produced by Tha Corna Boyz. Cruise has already released the music video for the song and is currently making new tracks for her album.
At 10, Cruise aspired to be a gymnast, but after a back injury, her mother decided it was time for her to find a new activity. The Jacksonville youngster found herself in a singing camp.
Cruise, now 18, spent the next several years making a name for herself at local talent shows. She got good enough to attract the interest of Jive Records executive Mickey "MeMpHitz" Wright (who previously signed T-Pain and Huey), who came to see her perform and signed her to his Hitz Committee/Jive Records label.
US Men's Basketball Team Wins Gold
"Redeem Team" Lives Up to Name and Avenges Disappointing 2004 Games
© Daniel Gilland
After an embarassing showing at the 2004 Summer Olympics which featured the United States team taking home a disappointing bronze medal, the NBA set out to revive Olympic basketball in the country. What resulted was a team which dominated the rest of the world arguably unlike any prior squad.
2008 USA Team Finds Intense Defense and Teamwork to be Main Keys
The United States improved on a dismal defensive performance in the previous Summer Games. The team held opponents to an impressive 40.3% field goal percentage. While exhibiting that stingy defense, the team of NBA stars shot a tidy 55% from the field. Keying the efforts at both ends of the courts was Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who shot a scorching 67% from the field, while snatching 2.6 steals per game, as well.
USA Returns to Familiar Position Atop World
In the five Summer Olympics held since the International Olympic Committee first allowed NBA players to compete in the Games, the USA has won gold every year but 2004. For LeBron James, the team's performance officially vaults it back to the top of the world basketball picture. "Much respect to Spain, but the U.S. is back on top again," James said after the gold-medal round against the European team.
USA Players Prove that Superstars Can Coexist
The USA's supremacy over international competition in talent has rarely ever been in question. What has been debated is whether or not a team of twelve high-scoring, multi-million dollar professional athletes. Early on in the Beijing Olympics, however, the USA silenced the many skeptics with an array of teamwork through pick-and-rolls, alley oops, and balanced scoring throughout the roster. All five of the team's starters reached double figures in scoring in the gold-medal game. In each of its eight games, the United States accumulated more assists than its opposition, underscoring a newfound national emphasis on passing and team play.
USA Coach Sees Gold Medal As Biggest Accomplishment
United States head coach Mike Krzyzewski has, to say the least, led a legendary coaching career. The Duke University coach has carried his NCAA team to three national championships and ten conference championships in 28 seasons at the school. However, when asked to compare his new Olympic gold medal with his previous collegiate championships, Krzyewski was blatant. "This tops everything I'v ever accomplished. There's no bigger achievement than to win a gold medal for your country," Coach Krzyewski said in a post-game press conference.
The copyright of the article US Men's Basketball Team Wins Gold in Basketball is owned by Daniel Gilland. Permission to republish US Men's Basketball Team Wins Gold in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
YouTube: Charice to sing with Celine Dion in Madison Square Garden
By Ramil Digal Gulle, abs-cbnNEWS.com |
"Hi Charice. Hi sweetheart. I have to tell you that I am speechless, to start with--and it's not a good way to start--I have, hmm, I have heard you sing. I have seen some, a little bit of your life story. And I am extremely ecstatic like the rest of the world who is watching right now. I can tell you that we have lots of things in common. And I also had a mother, still have a mother, who is my strength. My passion I carry in my heart. And so my beauty. And David Foster, you cannot even think of finding somebody even better than that to bring the best out of you. You have more talent than most people."
These were the words of a mother with a seven-year-old son who spoke to 15-year-old Filipina singer Charice Pempengco during an episode of Oprah. Charice, who has been the toast of music lovers all over the world, has probably heard similar praise before.
The difference is, the mother speaking via video conference from Washington, D.C. happens to be Celine Dion.
The magical moment, the words, the shocked expression on Charice's face when she realizes it's Celine Dion talking to her, are all captured in a YouTube link sent to abs-cbnNEWS.com. It's all there at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkLjVJOH41U
But that's not all. Dion goes on with her message to Charice with even more good news for the young Filipina:
"You can sing. You can speak and sing with your heart. You can play the guitar... And you can have dreams because your life story is quite a painful one. Thank God your strength comes from your mother and your heart will go on and I'm pretty sure of that.
"And if I may I would love to propose something. I would love to do something very special with you. Next week, I'm gonna be singing at Madison Square Garden and I would love to ask you to come and sing a duet with me. And we can sing together. Maybe we can sing "Because You Loved Me", and maybe we can dedicate this song to your mother. So I hope you can travel and come in New York to meet with me," Dion told Charice.
According to www.oprah.com, Dion will perform at Madison Square Garden on September 15 and 16. (For the complete list of tour dates and venues go to this link: http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080908_tows_celine)
Dream come true
Charice has met with a measure of international success but that moment with Dion is so far the peak experience for the former. Charice has always been open about her admiration for Dion, revealing that the very first song she learned to perform was the Canadian superstar's "My Heart Will Go On" which was the love theme of the Hollywood global blockbuster "Titanic".
It wasn't exactly God speaking to Charice, but that was probably the closest the Filipina singer could get to a similar experience. This was Celine Dion inviting her to sing a duet in Madison Square Garden!
No other Filipino singer has ever been bestowed with such an honor by a singer of such immense, global stature as Dion.
Dion in her message also told Oprah, "You have somebody amazing", referring to the Filipina.
Dion, who earlier told Charice that she could find no better person than David Foster to bring out her talent, then told Foster:
"David, take good care of that girl."
Dion is currently on a worldwide tour and will perform in every major city in North America. Dion's Madison Square Garden performance is part of that tour--and now Charice has received a personal invitation from the superstar to sing there as well.
Under wraps
abs-cbnNEWS.com a few months ago already received unconfirmed reports that there were talks for Charice to perform with "somebody really, really big" in the musical firmament. However, there was no way to confirm if the news was true, nor the identity of the "really big" music superstar.
All sources available to abs-cbnNEWS.com were keeping information about the talks very tightly under wraps.
Until the YouTube links were emailed to abs-cbnNEWS.com by an alert reader.
The Oprah episode did a substantial report about Charice, her career and the painful experiences in her life and her triumphs, including an exclusive performance with international tenor Andrea Bocelli in Tuscany. You can watch the report on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii4jUSmFwUA
Perhaps, this story of a young Filipina singer's success is just what we need to hear to make us feel better, especially with all the bad news coming to us about our Court of Appeals, which has begun to seem very unappealing by the day.
If only, like Charice, more of us could reach for better, loftier things for ourselves and our fellow Filipinos, at a time when even some supposedly honorable members of the judiciary seem to have become comfortable debasing themselves.
as of 09/10/2008 6:45 PM
Click Here to Read More..One-Armed Pianist
Mary Grace Gellekanao - a 28 year old pianist with an easy smile and sweet disposition. Grace was born on March 7, 1979, in Riverside Medical Center, Bacolod City, Philippines. When Grace showed interest in music and piano, her grandmother took it as a challenge. She sought teacher after teacher, but no one agreed to give her lessons. How could a girl without a forearm ever be able to master the keyboard? But both Grace and her grandmother were made of sterner stuff. They were not ones to easily give up. After months of walking up and down their town, their persistence paid off. One teacher wanted to be a part of the challenge, and she agreed to teach Grace, who was then only a child. She practices for at least four hours a day and can play many difficult pieces. She also plays the organ.
In 1994, Grace, encouraged by her teacher, Mrs. Sylvia Javellana, presented a solo organ recital. A year later, the country's Volunteers for the Rehabilitation of the Handicapped and the Disabled arranged for Grace's first public solo piano recital. It was a hit, but it was just the beginning.
In 1996, Grace started touring internationally and has been busy ever since with college studies and performances. She graduated in May 2001 from the University of St. La Salle, Bacolod City, with a degree in psychology. Grace hopes to use her musical talents to help others--especially those differently-abled such as herself--to accept themselves as God's special creation so that they can live productive, purposeful lives. She is currently volunteering with the 1,000 Missionary Movement in the Philippines.
Mary Grace performs practically every weekend all over the United States. She is open to performing for any church or organization. You can contact her at (225) 664-8174 or you can email her at revawall@bellsouth.net.
From Youtube To Fame!
Here are some Filipinos who became famous from youtube.com:
Arnel PinedaBorn September 4, 1967 (age 40) from Quezon City, Philippines is a song writter and vocalist of the band named "ZOO". They began appearing on youtube.com performing cover songs by Journey. They began appearing on youtube.com performing cover songs by Journey. In August 2007, Neal Schon wanted someone new to the music business, so he turned to youtube. He finds a new singer the old-fashioned way on the internet after hours of searching from youtube. He found Arnel singing "Faithfully," and then knew he had found the perfect frontman. Pineda was personally invited by Journey to audition for the band in San Francisco. Last December 5, 2007, Pineda was announced as the new lead singer of Journey.
Cebu Prison InmatesThe 1,500 inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) not only entertained spectators and visitors but have also started gaining worldwide popularity through the Internet. The "Thriller Video" from the Dancing Inmates of Cebu were ranked #5 from TIME Magazine's Top 10 Viral Videos. The video has been viewed and downloaded more than 9 million times. Wearing orange uniforms, they dance and groove in unison to the musical beat, swaying their bodies and acting out parts like professional performers, and drawing applause from the crowd.
Charice PempengcoBorn May 10, 1993 in Cabuyao, Laguna, Philippines, is a Filipina singer who became a singing sensation throughout the world through YouTube. She started joining singing contests at the age of seven but became widely known in her native Philippines when she placed third in Little Big Star. Pempengco first attracted attention in the cyberworld when the FalseVoice channel of YouTube posted her Little Big Star performance of Whitney Houston's hit, "I Will Always Love You." Many viewers thought her singing was fake, and that she was only lip synching because of her unbelievable vocals. Another popular video was a face-off between Pempengco and America's Got Talent winner, Bianca Ryan. Pempengco's performance on Star King was featured on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on its November 28, 2007 episode, in which Ellen showed web videos of different people she would like to have as guests on the show. After showing the video, DeGeneres did a standing ovation and imitated Pempengco's gestures. She later personally invited the young singer to perform on the show.
Christine GambitoBetter known to her audience as "HappySlip," is an Internet celebrity and popular YouTube content provider. Born and raised in Virginia and of Filipino ancestry, Gambito moonlighted as an actress while earning a degree in nursing. She maintains one of YouTube's most subscribed channels. On January 25, 2008, Gambito was appointed ambassador for Philippine tourism by the Department of Tourism. In March 2007, Gambito's video Mixed Nuts was nominated for the 2006 YouTube Video Awards for Best Comedy,[3] resulting in the second place to Smosh. In May of the same year, she became one of the first YouTube users accepted into YouTube's revenue sharing program. Gambito's performances typically include comedy sketches in which she impersonates members of her family. She also sings and plays the piano or guitar.
Josh VerdesHe's a filipino song writer from Richmond, Virginia, United States. Since the age of 14, Josh has been writing songs and has been able to incorporate what he has learned through his experience with other instruments; a sound that instantly engages its listeners. Now at the age of 24, Josh is continuing to write and perform his music, hoping that his music will make a connection with the world.
Jeremy "Passion" ManongdoFilipino singer-songwriter born and raised in San Francisco, CA. He first gained notable acclaim with his covers of Ne-Yo's "So Sick," Usher's "My Boo," and his original composition "Lemonade." The name Passion was chosen by Jeremy for "the passion I had for music and the passion and love I had for my Lord and Savior Jesus. Without Him, I am nothing, and I'm forever thankful for His love and His blessings." His influences, as referred to on his Soundclick site, include: Jesus, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Craig David, Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, Dru Hill, 112, Justin Timberlake, my uncle Robert, Kenoly Brothers, Dawkings and Dawkins, John Legend, and church.
Happy Slip on Wowowee
Arnel Pineda
Cebu Prison Inmates
Charice Pempengco
Christine Gambito
Josh Verdes
Passion
Disclaimer: some of the articles in this entry came from wikipedia and from there respective website. Video's provided by youtube.com. Mabuhay ang Pinoy! Click Here to Read More..
Mariah Carey Topless!
Mariah Carey was spotted topless while vacationing in the Caribbean. Wearing a skimpy little bikini bottom and carrying a well-placed magazine. The scene looked staged. It was unlikely Mariah would allow herself to be photographed topless in candid shots without reason. She's really a Hottie!
A Tribute To Sir Edmund Hillary
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary died yesterday at the age of 88, almost 55 years after the ascent that made him and Tenzing two of the great heroes of the 20th century. For one who had reached such lofty heights he was a strange mix of confidence and modesty; bravado and reticence. A beekeeper and amatuer mountaineer from New Zealand, he figured in one of this century's defining moments: the conquest of Everest on May 29, 1953. His adventures in the Himalayas and Antarctica and his work for the sherpas of Nepal continued for more than four decades but he will be remembered always for his victory that Spring morning.
From Beekeeper to World Explorer
(American Academy of Achievement)
Sir Edmund Hillary was born in 1919 and grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. It was in New Zealand that he became interested in mountain climbing. Although he made his living as a beekeeper, he climbed mountains in New Zealand, then in the Alps, and finally in the Himalayas, where he climbed 11 different peaks of over 20,000 feet. By this time, Hillary was ready to confront the world's highest mountain.
Mt. Everest lies between Tibet and Nepal. Between 1920 and 1952, seven major expeditions had failed to reach the summit. In 1924, the famous mountaineer George Leigh-Mallory had perished in the attempt. In 1952, a team of Swiss climbers had been forced to turn back after reaching the south peak, only 1000 feet from the summit.
Edmund Hillary joined in Everest reconnaissance expeditions in 1951 and again in 1952. These exploits brought Hillary to the attention of Sir John Hunt, leader of an expedition sponsored by the Joint Himalayan Committee of the Alpine Club of Great Britain and the Royal Geographic Society to make the assault on Everest in 1953.
The expedition reached the South Peak on May, but all but two of the climbers who had come this far were forced to turn back by exhaustion at the high altitude. At last, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a native Nepalese climber who had participated in five previous Everest trips, were the only members of the party able to make the final assault on the summit.
At 11:30 on the morning of May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit, 29,028 feet above sea level, the highest spot on earth. As remarkable as the feat of reaching the summit, was the treacherous climb back down the peak.
By coincidence, the conquest of Everest was announced to the British public on the eve of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The triumph of a British-led expedition combined with the inauguration of the young Queen did much to restore the confidence of a nation weary from long years of wartime hardship and postwar shortages. Edmund Hillary returned to Britain with the other climbers and was knighted by the Queen.
Now world famous, Sir Edmund Hillary turned to Antarctic exploration and led the New Zealand section of the Trans-Antarctic expedition from 1955 to 1958. In 1958 he participated in the first mechanized expedition to the South Pole.
Hillary went on to organize further mountain-climbing expeditions but, as the years passed, he became more and more concerned with the welfare of the Nepalese people. In the 1960s, he returned to Nepal, to aid in the development of the society, building clinics, hospitals and 17 schools.
To facilitate these projects, two airstrips were built. These airstrips had the unforeseen consequence of bringing more tourists and would-be mountain climbers to the remote region. The Nepalese cut down ever more of their forests to provide fuel for the mountaineers. Edmund Hillary became concerned about the degradation of the environment of the Himalayas and persuaded the Nepalese government to pass laws protecting the forest and to declare the area around Everest a National Park. The Nepalese could not afford to fund this project themselves and had no experience in park management. Hillary used his great prestige to persuade the government of New Zealand to provide the necessary aid.
Immediately after the successful Everest expedition, Hillary and Sir John Hunt published their account of the expedition, The Ascent of Everest. The book was published in the U.S as The Conquest of Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary's autobiography Nothing Venture, Nothing Win was published in 1975. In 1979, he published From the Ocean to the Sky, an account of his 1977 expedition on the Ganges river from its mouth to its source in the Himalayas.
Sir Edmund's life was darkened by the loss of his wife and daughter in a plane crash in 1975. He continued to occupy himself with environmental causes and humanitarian work on the behalf of the Nepalese people for the rest of his life. He died at home in New Zealand at the age of 88, mourned by his countrymen and by legions of admirers around the world. Click Here to Read More..
Worst Celebrity Drivers 2007
Ooops she did it again!!!Britney Spears - Spears' driving has been an ongoing problem for her. She hit the headlines for incidents including driving with her infant son Sean Preston sitting on her lap. Driving without a valid licence, running a red light and making an illegal turn, and crossing double yellow lines to overtake another vehicle while either talking or texting on her cell phone. A hit-and-run charge from a parking lot crash was dismissed after she paid an undisclosed amount to the car's owner.
She thought it was herbie!!!Lindsay Lohan - Lohan was arrested after crashing her Mercedes-Benz into a tree in Beverly Hills. She was arrested again in July after the mother of Lohan's former personal assistant called 911 to report that her car was being chased by an SUV. The chase ended in Santa Monica, where police arrested Lohan for being behind the wheel. In both cases, Lohan was found in possession of small amounts of cocaine.
Simple life: Drunk Intern!!!Paris Hilton - The trouble began January 15, 2007, California Highway Patrol pulled over Hilton, who was driving on a suspended license. He had her sign a court document acknowledging that she was not permitted to drive. Hilton was pulled over Feb. 27 for speeding and driving without her headlights down Sunset Blvd. She was charged with violating her probation. September 7, 2006, Hilton is arrested by police officers in Hollywood on suspicion of driving under the influence in her Mercedes-Benz SLR.
MadMax!!!Mel Gibson - Four years ago, Gibson was driving 74 miles per hour on Pacific Coast Highway, one mile from his house, when he was pulled over by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy. Approximately two years ago Gibson was stopped again, after driving 64 miles an hour on Pacific Coast Highway where the speed limit is 45. Last year, he was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu driving 87 miles an hour. In fact, The report states Gibson was abusive, violent and vulgar, and even attempted to escape.
Travelling without moving!!!Jay Kay - In September 2004 the singer and car enthusiast was banned for six months after being clocked driving at more than 100mph. The singer admitted driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle at 105mph on the A9 in Perthshire in February while overtaking. He was also fined £750. He happened to destroy his beautiful magenta Lamborghini Diablo SE30 (estimated $360000) while making a turn.
Faith!!!George Michael - His trouble began when London police found the 43-year-old singer slumped at the wheel of his car during the wee hours of Oct. 2. Witnesses said they had seen the vehicle weaving onto the wrong side of the road traveling at about 5 or 10 miles per hour. Blood tests showed a cocktail of drugs including an antidepressant, sleeping pill, cannabis and the illegal dance club drug GHB. The singer escaped jail when he appeared in court but was given 100 hours' community service after admitting driving while unfit through drugs.
Goal!!!Wayne Rooney - November 2004 when he was driving his Cadillac Escalade he had a collision with lorrie in Chesire. Then in May 2005 Rooney was driving in Stockport with his BMW x5 and had an altercation with a middle-aged woman’s Nissan Primera. In January 2006, Wayne and fiancee Coleen McLoughlin, crash their Range Rover. April 2007, he crahsed his Aston Martin after losing control of his car and clipped the kerb on a bend of a main road. Click Here to Read More..
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