The other night on the “O’Reilly Factor”, host Bill O’Reilly hosted a Monica Novoa, a woman who has created a movement (unnecessary in my opinion) called ” Drop the I Word Campaign”, moving away from using the word of “illegal” to describe those trying to come into the United States unlawfully. Apparently it’s a problem. O’Reilly, well known to the public as a racist, homophobic, sexist, bigoted pinhead Republican, challenged Novoa on her immigration stance and it turned out she didn’t have much of one. At all. O’Reilly is a nut and his political beliefs are too early nineteenth century for me, but when he sounds like the reasonable, knowledgeable one in a conversation… That’s when you know how badly inept this woman is for an interview.
Beverly Hills mansion. Ironically, I only love this house for the driveway and water fountain.
So, why not always be looking at things you want to have or do? I do this a lot apparently, and it took someone else to point it out to me to realize that I do it. In my binder for school, I have a portfolio type binder that has capabilities of putting a page/picture on the front of the binder. It’s the only upside of this very annoying binder that was the only one left at Staples the day before school started. Thanks Staples!!
Moving along, I could have put homework or other assignments on the front of the binder, but when I’m dying of boredom in 3rd period English [ just kidding Mrs. Loopkey, I love Shakespeare!! ], who wants to look at a math assignment? Instead, I put pictures of massive homes. Massive, massive homes. Usually in Beverly Hills or Malibu area. I like looking at houses, big ones. Probably a trait I got from my mom who also has a thing for real estate.
Although most of you aren’t 17 and have a something you’d need to carry around all day like a binder, you must have a unique place to put these photos, products or whatever in places that you’d look at more than once a day. This is a fool proof system! Put things you’d either like to be, own, or have done someday. For me, my thing is photos of mansions on the front of my binder. For you, maybe its a picture of an incredibly fit person on your mirror in your bathroom. A fake million dollar cheque under your pillow.It doesn’t matter how crazy or silly these reminders of what you’d like to attain in life (or reminders of how much your current lives sucks, whatever works), looks like to others, its your dream! Literally puts me in a better mood.
Are you swooning yet? Click the picture to see this Malibu beauty full size.
Much of Giuliana and Bill Rancic’s struggle to conceive a baby is documented on their E! reality show, “Giuliana and Bill”
Ever hear celebrity news and are generally thrilled for them? Doesn’t happen too often, but when it does, it does. Hearing this news today made me smile. Alright alright, I know, I need to get a life. It’s on my to do list. But…. For anyone that has watched or seen their show, you understand what this means to them and how long they’ve wanted this.
‘Its been a long time.. since I came around. It’s been a long time. But I’m back in town. And this time I’m not leavin without Drew’s News’…
If any of you recognize those lyrics minus the Drew’s News part I’ll be very impressed.
Enough teasing and more pleasing! Drew’s News let’s go!
The smile of a madman.
Another day, another hate filled Mel Gibson rant surfaces on the internet. The “Passion of the Christ” star, who has gained more notoriety for being an anti-semite nut job than being known for his films, is back in the headlines for a secretly recorded audio meltdown towards his producer in an upcoming project, “The Maccabees”. During the rant dating back to December in Costa Rica, Gibson can be heard exploding at the producer for not providing him with a screenplay, and nearly has a heart attack in anger and rage. His baby momma Oksana Gregorieva was also lucky enough to get a mention by ”I am earning money for a filthy little c**ksucker who takes advantage of me.” . Among other highlights include “Who wants to eat!? Who the f*** wants to eat?! Go have something to eat! Huraaaaay! F***!!!!!” You stay classy Mel. Below is the audio to the hate filled rant. The language is harsh so if you’re easily offended—— still watch it. Who wants to eat?
Chatter: Mel Gibson is such an asshole and everyone knows it. He knows it! When he was arrested in 2006 in Malibu for a DUI and started screaming anti-Semite slurs towards the police officer that was arresting him, wasn’t that enough of a red flag 6 (!!) years ago that this guy was a nut? Then comes the phone recordings of him verbally berating the mother of his child, Oksana Gregorieva, who, don’t be fooled, isn’t completely innocent and pure. She’s a nut job too, just on a much smaller scale. Then this happens. Come on now. What happened to this guy? He used to be one of the world’s most sought after actor! How do you go from being an Academy Award winner to a hateful drunk that is one step away from murdering someone out of rage? How much more shame and segregation does this a-hole need to realize what’s he’s done to himself? Sad.
Rapper Tupac Shakur attending the MTV Video Music Awards in 1996. Wanna feel old? I was only 1 year old. Have a good day!
Tupac Shakur came back from the dead over the weekend, but only for a performance of course. Why else would he back? The rapper, killed back in 1997 by a drive by shooting in his black BMW, was resurrected over the weekend via Hologram for a performance with Snoop Dogg at an annual music festival Coachella in California. The crowd went absolutely wild, especially the intoxicated/stoned ones I could imagine. Thinking your hallucinating when you’re not sure you’re hallucinating from drugs could be troubling. “Pac” as I’ve heard him be referred to as, performed two of his big songs alongside Snoop Dogg, one being “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted”. After watching it a couple times, Snoop Dogg begins to look like the Hologram. Yikes.
And yeah, language is.. strong in the video.
Chatter: I don’t really have much to say since the whole “East Coast vs West Coast” thing is way before my time, but I think the Hologram thing is very cool and has great potential. When this story came out, I wasn’t even really concerned about the fact it was Tupac’s Hologram being shown at some sort of music festival. The first thing I thought of was the massive potential this could have for other artists much bigger than Tupac Shakur. Could you imagine a Michael Jackson tour with his performance on a 3D scale? Or Jimi Hendrix? Elvis Presley? Sure it isn’t the same as these icons still being here and performing live but isn’t it the next best thing? I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes a concert trend in the next couple years and the Hologram technology becomes more sophisticated.
I don’t have no fear of death. My only fear is coming back reincarnated.
-Tupac Shakur
Not only a pioneer in television, Dick Clark is also a member of the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”. Clark has gone down in history as one of the first men in media to feature black artists including the Jackson 5 and The Temptations on his television series, “American Bandstand”
Dick Clark, one of the entertainment industry’s most important player for decades, died on Wednesday (April 18th) at the age of 84 from a massive heart attack. According to Clark’s representative, Mr. Clark had already been admitted to St. John’s Hospital in LA as had just underwent an outpatient procedure the night before his death. Guess there isn’t a better place to have a heart attack then a hospital, but it just wasn’t enough to save the ailing icon. Deemed “americas oldest teenager”, Clark’s health had been on the downline since 2004 when he suffered a stroke and wasn’t able to fufill his television hosting duties at the level of excellence he had displayed his entire career. Most notably, Clark created and starred in “New Years Rockin Eve”, which requires no description. Who else was there qualified to watch do the Times Square countdown than Dick Clark?! Fast forward to 3:11 to watch Clark’s final New Years Eve Countdown, being the first one to welcome us into 2012. And 7:00 to hear Dick’s reaction to the new year.
Chatter: If you asked me a week ago what I know about Dick Clark, I would probably say (insensitively) that Dick Clark is that guy who created “Dick Clark New Year’s Rockin Eve”, and for some reason always does the countdown despite sounding like he has rocks in his mouth. I specifically remember this year, as I was watching the telecast, wondering why this orange dude (google it, he’s very “tanned” in this year’s show) still does the countdown when he can barely say the numbers. I understand it now. As a 17 year old, I guess I can’t really appreciate all that Dick Clark has done for the entertainment industry and the paths he has trailblazer. The past couple days, as with all celebrity deaths, the television news magazines have been airing stories about Clark and interviewing countless amounts of people, all reiterating Clark’s massive imprint on pop culture from the 1960′s to present. The scary thing is that I think I heard 100 times that “Nobody can fill the shoes of Dick Clark, but if anyone is a likely successor, it will be his biggest understudy Ryan Seacrest”. I hope not! Guess it’s true that you don’t really know what you got till its gone.
Are you seeing double? Good, me neither. Sorry Ryan.
Here are some of the thoughts other stars are sharing about the man and his legacy:
Ryan Seacrest: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Dick Clark. He has truly been one of the greatest influences in my life. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Snoop Dogg: “REST IN PEACE to the DICK CLARK!! U were pioneer n a good man!! Thank u sir.”
Denise Richards: “My heart goes out to Dick Clark’s family and loved ones…. we lost a legend.”
Neil Patrick Harris: “For ever, Dick Clark… So long.”
Joan Rivers: “Very sad to hear about Dick Clark. What a great life. What a great career. Relevant until the end. He will be missed!”
Russell Simmons: “Dick Clark was eternally young. No matter what culturally phenomenon was happening, he always embraced it. RIP.”
Dane Cook: “Rest in peace Mr. Dick Clark. Thank you for new years and new years of class, positivity & entertainment.”
Billy Ray Cyrus: “R. I. P. Dick Clark. Thoughts and prayers with the Clark Family.”
Melissa Joan Hart: “Rest in Peace Dick Clark!! Thanks for entertaining my family for decades! New Years won’t be the same ever again!”
Jared Followill: “R.I.P. Dick Clark? Say it ain’t so…”
William Shatner: “My condolences go out to the family of Dick Clark. My best, Bill.”
Tom Arnold: “#RIPDickClark. He was always nice to me. Even after I screwed up @TheGoldenGlobes.”
Sophia Bush: “RIP Dick Clark. What a legend.”
Rob Thomas: “The end of an era. R.I.P. Dick Clark.”
Jenny McCarthy: “RIP dick Clark. You were amazing to work with. U will be missed. Xxxoo.”
Marlee Matlin: “So sorry about passing of Dick Clark. A man with the gift of discovering talented musicians he also was a consummate producer/lovely man RIP.”
Brooke Burke: “So sad to hear the tragic news. My thoughts & prayers go out to all who loved him.”
Mario Lopez: “It was truly an honor to have worked with him, learn from him and to be able to call him a friend. He was a great man and an even better friend.”
Matthew Morrison: “A sad day as we have lost Dick Clark, an American Icon. You will be missed.”
Holly Robinson Peete: “#RIP Dick Clark. Always so nice Employed me many times. I will miss you Dick. Prayers to Kari and the family #Legend”
Seth Green: “So saddened by Dick Clark’s passing- an innovator, a legend, a man who believed in the greatness of humans. #ThankYou”
Billy Crystal: “DC gave us RocknRoll on tv made dancing cool,great producer,and host.New yrs eve Will never be the same.RIP Dick..”
Bethenny Frankel: “Dick Clark’s top 40 countdown was a part of my history. My head & heart are filled with memories. New year’s will never be the same.”
Tom Bergeron: “Fav Dick Clark memory: Merv Griffin, Dick and I measured our heads on live TV (FOX AB) to prove (and we did) that TV Hosts have big noggins!”
Katie Couric: “Dick Clark was such an institution and inspiration. Not ashamed to say I loved American bandstand when I was a kid!”
Carson Daly: “I will always cherish the personal time we had together. I am indebted to Dick Clark and his legacy. My heart goes out to his family. ”
Larry King: “Dick Clark was a great friend, true legend, & a master journalist. Nobody did what he did better. It was a pleasure to be in his company.”
Goldie Hawn: “We will miss Dick Clarke. May he rest well in heaven.”
Rob Lowe: “Had the pleasure to work with Dick Clark when I was 15. He was charming and kind; a true American icon that will live forever.”
Janet Jackson: “”Dick Clark changed the face of musical television. He was wonderful to many artists including our family. We will miss him. God bless.”
L.A. Reid: “Dick Clark’s profound contributions to music, television and popular culture will reverberate throughout time. R.I.P. Mr. American Bandstand.”
Jonas Brothers: “You’ll continue to be an inspiration to us all Dick Clark. Thanks for the amazing rockin years you were with us. You’ll truly be missed.”
Fergie: “Dick Clark will be truly missed. We will carry on his legacy every New Year’s Eve.”
Lisa Ling: “Rest in peace dear Dick Clark. A legend in entertainment and a truly lovely man. What an honor to have known you.”
Without a doubt, Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader (first two actors on screen) are invaluable members to the cast of “Saturday Night Live”. Click the photo to be re-directed to the video!
Although unseen in this video, but there are 42,000 pairs of shoes left at the camp. To quote the tour guide, “we could fill tens of these rooms with shoes left by the occupants of Auschwitz”.
After six kids (and counting) and seven years together, the Jolie-Pitt monarchy will finally be one.
Am I wrong in saying that this was the most downplayed story that had massive potential of being a headline story? Over the weekend, news broke that Pitt finally popped the question to Jolie after seven years together and x2 amount of kids, and…. it didn’t seem to be that big of a deal. Maybe it was because I was in Europe at the time and it just didn’t come up much? I’m not too sure. Even when I got home a few days ago on the 14th, it wasn’t tearing up the airways like a headline news story would. If the Entertainment Tonight Weekend show isn’t covering it for 43/44 minutes of their never (not) a dull moment in their programming, you know it isn’t a big story.
Don’t Watch Entertainment Tonight? Headline Stories Like This Is What You’re Missing.
So, why is this a big story?
Theory #1:
Too Famous For the Fame
Can Celebrities Become Too Famous to Care About Their Fame?
Everyone knows that this couple doesn’t seek out attention and only want privacy for themselves and especially for their kids. And really, they don’t need the press and downplay the press they do receive about their relationship. They’re two of the most famous people on the planet, and they’re well aware of it. Announcing their inevitable engagement on the cover of a tabloid with a somewhat awkward picture of Pitt spontaneously embracing Jolie in front of a camera with the kids off to each side, smiling in approval. . . I don’t know. I just cannot picture it. Literally. They don’t owe this to anyone but their kids (let alone the media), and I think they get that. I wouldn’t bank on seeing their wedding photos in a special edition of People. Remember, this is the couple that donated 100% of the money they made from their twins Max and Vivienne baby pictures. That was about $4 million dollars. So that’s a good indication of where their priorities are.
Theory #2
Nobody Cares
This “love triangle” between Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston is so 2005. Can you believe it was 2005 when Pitt and Aniston got divorced? Crazy right? Wanna know why it seems hard to believe it was 7 (!!) years ago they divorced? The media won’t let it go! People are so bored of these three people and their fictionalized connection to each other. Brad Wants Jen Back, Jolie to Aniston, “Stay Away From My Man!”, Jen and Brad Have A Secret Love Child!!
Oh, spare me. I fall under the Theory #2 category. I really don’t care all that much. I’m actually a little disappointed in them. I wish they didn’t cave into the pressure of getting engaged, even if it was their kids pushing them in that direction. I don’t think they’ll get married for a few years, that’s just my prediction. The way their statement sounded to me (“It is a promise for the future, and their kids are very happy. There’s no date set at this time”), I think this will take a good amount of time to surface. Hesitation? Reluctance? Maybe. They’ve got the kids, have a great life together, and each other’s beautiful faces to look at. Why do you need the marriage? Why fix something that isn’t broke.
Throughout my travels in eastern Europe, I feel that I have gained perspective into a piece of history pertaining to the Second World War that is still very relevant in today’s world. Exploring museums, famous landmarks such as the Berlin Wall, hearing stories of of individuals directly involved in the persecution of the victims of Nazi terror, it’s all contributed to an unforgettably eye opening experience for me.
Being in these places and being able to speak to the people I was able to speak to, you really get the sense that this time in our history isn’t meant to be swept under the rug and left to be read in a history book. It’s a painful period for millions of families, yes, but they know that conversation is the best way to assure it never happens again. For me, it’s that old fashioned mentality of leaving things unsaid and left untouched is ruining things with people who are struggling. So wrong and ass backwards. Talking isn’t taboo, and these Euros get it. It really surprised me how the dialogue is so open over there and things aren’t sugar coated when pertaining to Hitler and the Nazi Regime. It’s overwhelming to take in but it’s important to learn. Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. And we need to make sure something like this never happens again.
So, where am I going with this? Simple. Keep the lines of communication open with the important people in your life. Every family and person has their own struggles and a past that isn’t something to recall with a smile, but you need to acknowledge it and own up to it. And learn from it! Voice your struggles. Educate your kids! Burying things behind a wall you put up emotionally won’t get you anywhere. Voice your real struggles. It’s so crazy how people will tweet about being on the toilet but won’t discuss speak about their anxieties of what’s going on in their lives with close friends and family. What’s up with that? It makes me depressed that there are kids are committing suicide out there because they felt alone and unaccepted.Nobody should feel alone in a world with so many unprecedented vehicles in which to connect with other people just like yourself. Keep your head up, be positive, and talk things out. You may be surprised how much of yourself you can find in other people if you take the time to look.
Ground View of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Front Gates
World War II has always been a very controversial event in recent history and has name recognition that can trigger overwhelming emotions in many of those connected to it. Over the years, as my history courses in my late elementary/current high school classes have become more sophisticated and blunt in the content being taught, the utter disregard for human life by the Nazi’s becomes more clear to me (more so now than ever). When I was approached to come along on a historical tour of Eastern Europe that surrounded the events of WWII’s destruction in these countries, I was excited at the prospect. I was always interested in history and love traveling so the two of them together sounded great to me.
One of the locations involved in this history tour included the extermination camp of Auschwitz, located about an hour outside of Krakow, Poland. As Berlin and Prague flew by, I began to mentally prepare myself for what this camp would put onto my psyche. As we drove into the small town that inhabited the structure housing evil the thing that shocked me was that there were people that still lived there. Could you imagine? It’s essentially a massive gravesite of 1.3M people. That was weird to me.
The tour guide really hit home that this place was built from scratch. Other camps were originally built by the country it resided in to be used to store military possessions and prisoners that committed treason and things like that. No, this camp ‘was made to kill’. It was a death factory operating 24 hours of the day. The factory never closed.
When we pulled up to the infamous gates of Auschwitz Concentration Camp, it was very warm, sunny and unusually calm. Quiet. Smelt like firewood but that was the neighbors to the true north of the camp having a barbecue. Again, could you imagine? Anyway, the size of the camp was staggering. We actually visited two separate wings, one was Auschwitz I and the other one I’m explaining now was Auschwitz Birkenau II, where most of the death occurred. We walked the distance of the camp from the front gate to the memorial built at the opposite end and it was about a 20 minute walk. So you can picture how much area this camp was in length and width. It was mind boggling. Couldn’t help but imagine what I would have seen had I walked those same trails 60+ years ago.
I can’t really explain in words how devastating this camp was. The hardest part was seeing the ovens and gas chambers that were killing up to the 2000 people in single uses. The Nazi’s even made showers built to look like gas chambers and lock them in for as long as it took, just to toy with their emotions. Would they be gassed? Was this the shower? They didn’t know until the substance sprayed them. This seemed to be an excellent representation of what the Nazi’s were to the occupants of this camp.
If you needed prove that the Jews didn’t know they’re fate, just look at their luggage. They took all their most prized possessions, not typical of those being sent somewhere to die. Part of the museum has rooms filled with belongings of the ones that succumbed to the evil ways of their killers. 42,000 pairs of shoes, thousands of reading classes, suitcases, shaving brushes, everything a person would bring on a long trip away from home. They had no idea.
The beds were equally as disgusting. Up to 20 living on a single bunk, I’d guess about 30-40 of double bunk beds on each side of the wall. No insulation, so it was beyond freezing during winter. Written on the wall was a phrase, that when translated in English said to be quiet and make no noise. The adjacent wall had written something along the lines of be honest and kind to others, something sick like that. All mind games. The bathrooms weren’t any better. Each pot spaced apart as far as fingers for the person to relieve themselves. Apparently the stench was so bad that the guards would wait outside. The tour guide explained one short story of a woman who worked for 2 years scooping up feses from the toilet bowls as her job at the camp. It was a gret job to have because you’d always be indoors and would always have access to the toilet, sink and mirror. She credits those toilets for saving her life.
The eerie quiet gave me ample amount of time to think and reflect. I couldn’t help but to stare at the ground and think that countless lives had walked this walk, each with an uncertainty in their every step of what was next to come for them. It makes my mind go SOS to think this happened around the time my grandparents were toddlers. Yeah, maybe sometime during the 17th century in the French Revolution this stuff happened. Decades ago? Seems like worlds away from now.
Reflecting is all you can do at a place like that. What else can you really do. For myself over the duration of this tour, I’ve sorta done an inventory check of myself. By that I mean I have began to think about how I view others and (more importantly) how I treat others in my daily existence. One thing I hope I can provide for others in a sense of acceptance, normalcy and confidence in themselves. The goal of Adolf Hitler was to distinguish and extinguish the Jews, handicapped, gays, gypsies, and people of other faiths from the world, solely on the basis of being different. We need to celebrate what makes us ourselves and not be ashamed by what makes us stand out. This journey has made me understand and feel that virtue more than ever. Accept yourself and others for who they are and appreciate everything you have, because you never know what might happen. You could lose It all within no time at all. Anything is possible.
], who wants to look at a math assignment? Instead, I put pictures of massive homes. Massive, massive homes. Usually in Beverly Hills or Malibu area. I like looking at houses, big ones. Probably a trait I got from my mom who also has a thing for real estate.
