#FLOTUS’ Message to Future College Students: ‘Ignore the Doubters’
*Michelle Obama is known to many as the first lady of the United States, but for young students set to attend college, she doubles as someone who succeeded from ignoring her “doubters and “haters.”
Featured on the cover of the May 2016 issue of Seventeen magazine with high school students Gemma Busoni and Zaniya Lewis, FLOTUS referenced how her high school teachers tried to tell her that she was setting her sights too high upon discovering her desire to apply to Princeton.
“When it was time for me to apply to colleges there were some counselors who said, ‘Maybe, with Princeton, you’re reaching a little high,'” the first lady recalled to Seventeen. “And I thought, ‘You really don’t think I can do it?’ But here’s what I did: I decided to ignore the doubters. I plunged ahead and I got in. I went on to Harvard Law School and every step of the way I used those doubting voices as motivation.”
Continuing to examine her life, Obama provided more inspiration while telling young college hopefuls it’s OK to not know what you want to be after you graduate, a fact that she still struggles with to this day.
“I always tell people, the question of what you want to be when you grow up is one that you will eternally be answering,” she told Seventeen. “I’m still asking myself that question! What am I going to do when I leave here? How do I want to impact the world? I’ve gotten used to the fact that I don’t have to know. I’m always going to be discovering new parts of myself, and you’ll find that you will be too.”
While some may be intent on attending a well-known school, Obama encouraged students to go beyond the school’s name to find one that perfectly falls in line with what works best fort them.
“The one thing I’ve been telling my daughters is that I don’t want them to choose a name,” she says while mentioning her daughters Sasha and Malia, who is gearing up to start college this fall. “I don’t want them to think, ‘Oh I should go to these top schools.’ We live in a country where there are thousands of amazing universities. So, the question is: What’s going to work for you?”
In addition to Obama, readers will find Busoni and Lewis on the cover of the latest issue of Seventeen. The students secured their spot with the first lady after winning an essay contest about how they’re overcoming obstacles to guarantee a spot at their dream school. The contest was done in promotion of Obama’s Better Make Room campaign, which motivates young people to take control of their education and dreams.
The May 2016 issue of Seventeen featuring the first lady, Busoni and Lewis is currently on newsstands.
With 90% of the Democratic vote in at 11 p.m. ET, Clinton was leading Sanders 57.4% to 42.6%.
'Victory is in sight'
"We started this race not far from here on Roosevelt Island," Clinton said in her victory speech. "And tonight, a little less than a year later, the race for the Democratic nomination is in the homestretch and victory is in sight."
Sanders tweeted that he was looking ahead to the northeast and mid-Atlantic states that vote next week.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump win big in New York!
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton notched huge wins in New York Tuesday night, resoundingly answering questions about their command of the race as the front-runners moved much closer to their nominations.
For Trump, the win means he could sweep the state's 95 delegates and potentially position himself to win the GOP nomination without going through a contested convention in July. Clinton's win, meanwhile, could blunt Bernie Sanders' momentum once and for all.
The biggest question for Trump going into the night was whether his margin of victory would be high enough to clinch most of New York's 95 delegates. CNN projects Trump will clear the 50% threshold to take all of New York's 14 statewide delegates. He will need to win majorities in each of the state's 27 congressional districts to win all of the remaining delegates.
2016 delegate tracker
With 84% of the vote in at 11 p.m. ET, Trump was in the lead at 59.9% while Ohio Gov. John Kasich was at 25.2% and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was at 14.9%.
"We're going to end at a very high level and get a lot more delegates than anybody projected even in their wildest imaginations," Trump said in a victory speech from Trump Tower.
He added: "We're going to go into the convention I think as the winner."
The biggest question for Trump going into the night was whether his margin of victory would be high enough to clinch most of New York's 95 delegates. CNN projects Trump will clear the 50% threshold to take all of New York's 14 statewide delegates. He will need to win majorities in each of the state's 27 congressional districts to win all of the remaining delegates.
2016 delegate tracker
With 84% of the vote in at 11 p.m. ET, Trump was in the lead at 59.9% while Ohio Gov. John Kasich was at 25.2% and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was at 14.9%.
"We're going to end at a very high level and get a lot more delegates than anybody projected even in their wildest imaginations," Trump said in a victory speech from Trump Tower.
He added: "We're going to go into the convention I think as the winner."
With 90% of the Democratic vote in at 11 p.m. ET, Clinton was leading Sanders 57.4% to 42.6%.
'Victory is in sight'
"We started this race not far from here on Roosevelt Island," Clinton said in her victory speech. "And tonight, a little less than a year later, the race for the Democratic nomination is in the homestretch and victory is in sight."
Sanders tweeted that he was looking ahead to the northeast and mid-Atlantic states that vote next week.
Heading into Tuesday, Trump and Clinton found themselves in a similar position: hoping to gain validation and momentum after a string of disappointments and missteps.
ONWARD!
#RHOA: NeNe Leakes Breaks Down: Admits To Feeling Overwhelmed
NeNe Leakes decided to return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta after announcing her exit last summer. At the time, NeNe had been lining up work on Broadway, Bravo and other business ventures. She had plenty of things going for her, but it sounds like some of those plans started to fall through. The show she had been filming with Kim Zolciak for Bravo wasn’t going to make it on air. And Leakes may have lost a few deals along the way. So she decided to return to The Real Housewives of Atlanta near the end of the season.
According to a new tweet, NeNe Leakes is doing other things as well, including her one-woman show. For the past couple of weeks, Leakes has been doing shows across the country and she is selling out almost every venue. And it sounds like the love from fans is completely overwhelming for her.
“I got a little overwhelmed wit all the luv n Charlotte! My hubby Gregg Leakes was there 2 catch me tho,” NeNe revealed on Twitter, sharing a picture where she’s hugging her husband after a show.
I got a little overwhelmed wit all the luv n Charlotte! My hubby @greggleakes was there 2 catch me tho pic.twitter.com/LIVBAOtwQf
— NeNe Leakes (@NeNeLeakes) April 14, 2016
I am here Charlotte Nc! Mic check both shows completely sold out pic.twitter.com/3UChwCxFb1
— NeNe Leakes (@NeNeLeakes) April 13, 2016
Of course, Leakes has gotten plenty of support from fans, and it sounds like she’s completely overwhelmed with the support. While she was filming The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she was a strong woman who didn’t take anything from anyone. She was harsh, rough and strong. She could handle just about anything. But it sounds like NeNe is getting overwhelmed with the support, as she’s seeing how people are more than eager to support her away from The Real Housewives of Atlanta franchise. And as she explains, she’s happy that her husband is there to catch her and support her.
What do you think of NeNe Leakes breaking down to her husband after getting off the stage in Charlotte?
# EMPIRECOOKIEWATCH:SPOTTED! Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst , Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Monae and Octavia Spencer
Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer are in Atlanta filming “Hidden Figures,” and enjoyed a group dinner on Sunday night.
The movie, about African American women involved with NASA’s early missions, has filmed in area locations including East Point and Canton this month.
It is based on the nonfiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly, “Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race.”
The cast members met up for dinner at Ecco in Midtown on Sunday, feasting on the restaurant’s signature delicacy, fried goat cheese balls with black pepper and honey, in addition to dishes like the seared trout and risotto bianco.
#NEWMUSICVIDEO: Elijah Blake – Whatever Happened
Returning today with the visuals for his current single, “Whatever Happened,” the singer/songwriter reminisces about a past relationship full of lost potential while he sings on a canoe in the middle of a river!
During the verses of the song, we’re shown images of the girl he’s singing about while she smokes, drinks, and parties with him and her friends during a crazy weekend at SXSW. The images of the infamous festival in Austin, TX are characteristically blurry to mimic his memory of the relationship, and provide a sense of nostalgia that seems to be associated with the drug and alcohol filled weekend.
As Blake questions “Whatever happened” of the relationship that blossomed out of the paradise that is Austin, the video gives us an inside look into the street culture of SXSW. He promises that if he had the chance, “I was ’bout to pull you out that dorm and put you up in a suite/ It could have happened.” In the end, when we see him in a series of shots alone, he sings, “Tried to show you love but I guess that’s some sh*t that you just can’t teach back.” All he can do is wonder what would have happened if she would have let him love her.
Check out Elijah’s new video below, and if you haven’t heard it yet, check out his recent mixtape Blueberry Vapors HERE.
WATCH HERE
Thoughts?
#NEWHIPHOP: Video:YG & Nipsey Hussle – ‘FDT (F**k Donald Trump)’
YG and Nipsey Hussle have no love for Donald Trump. Fresh off the release of their scathing “FDT (Fuck Donald Trump)” diss track, the West Coast duo drops a music video to match the cut’s aggression.
Filmed in Los Angeles earlier this month, the visual showcases the furor the two feel against Trump and his proposed policies. Fans and protestors joined the rappers, throwing up middle fingers at the camera while chanting the song’s title in unison and parading down Fairfax Avenue.
The clip also acts as an encouragement to vote. “The next leader of America will be a most pivotal president,” reads an intro message. “Register ASAP and choose wisely.”
Watch them take their message to the streets.
WATCH HERE
Thoughts?
BREAKING NEWS: No Jail Time for Ex-NYPD Officer Peter Liang After Manslaughter Conviction Of Akai Gurley. Has been Reduced to Criminally Negligent Homicide
A former New York City police officer who shot an unarmed man to death won't face any jail time after a judge today reduced his manslaughter conviction to criminally negligent homicide.
Peter Liang was 28 years old and 18 months out of the police academy when he was patrolling a public housing project in Brooklyn, New York, in November 2014. He fired once and the bullet ricocheted, killing Akai Gurley, who was also in the stairwell.
A jury convicted Liang of second-degree manslaughter in February for Gurley's death. The police department fired Liang shortly after the verdict.
While Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson had suggested a sentencing of six months of house arrest, probation and 500 hours of community service, Judge Danny Chun said today Liang will face five years of probation and 800 hours of community service, but no house arrest.
Upon hearing the decision, the overflow room broke out in gasps. One woman left screaming and crying while another said she was having a panic attack.
Gurley's girlfriend, Melissa Butler, who was with Gurley in the stairwell the night of the shooting, cried as she was escorted out of the courtroom today by Assemblyman Charles Barron.
"I never expected this to happen," Butler said. "I'm just confused about what happened. What made the charges be reduced?"
Some protesters outside the courthouse showed support for Liang, holding signs that said "tragic accident."
Others protested against the former cop's punishment, with a sign that read "jail killer cops."
Liang has already tried once to get his conviction thrown out, which was denied.
“There was no happiness in him today," Liang's attorney Paul Shechtman told ABC News. "It’s just been really hard.”
Liang and Shechtman are now deciding whether to appeal his conviction. “No decisions have been made and it’s a complicated chess board," Shechtman said.
District Attorney Thompson plans to appeal today’s reduction in the verdict.
Thompson said in a statement today his office "vigorously prosecuted" Liang for manslaughter "because the evidence established that his conduct was criminal and the rule of law demanded that he be held accountable for his actions in taking Akai Gurley’s life."
He continued: "The jury, the voice of the Brooklyn community, agreed and returned the verdict of guilty against Mr. Liang, who is now a convicted felon, forfeited his career as a police officer and must now always live with the fact that he recklessly caused Mr. Gurley’s death. While our sentencing recommendation was fair under the unique circumstances of this case, we respectfully disagree with the judge’s decision to reduce the jury’s verdict and will fight to reverse it on appeal.”
Liang could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison for the manslaughter conviction, but Thompson, who has said the officer should not have had his finger on the gun unless he was ready to shoot, told the judge last month that "a prison sentence is not warranted."
Mariah Carey’s Wedding Will Be Televised In Her Upcoming Reality Show
Mariah Carey is getting ready to say “I Do” once again — only this time, it’ll be captured on primetime television.
The R&B icon’s wedding to James Packer is said to be featured on her upcoming reality show, Mariah’s World. An insider tells Us Weekly, “Her team wants it on the show. Her manager is a reality TV producer and got her the deal. It’s nuts. Mariah is very funny on camera.”
Mariah is currently filming her docu-series, which will give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at her Las Vegas residency and European tour. As of yet, there is no set date on the wedding but sources say it’s happening sometime this season.
Melissa Harris-Perry Is ELLE.com's New Editor-At-Large!
Out with old (MSNBC) and in with the new! Melissa Harris-Perry is ELLE.com's new Editor-At-Large. It's a big move, and the professor, scholar and former TV host isn't letting it go to waste.
Melissa said in a statement:
"Joining ELLE.com is an opportunity to combine my expertise as a scholar, my commitments as a public intellectual, and my interests as a woman. Politics, economics, and inequality will be important to the stories we tell, but so too will culture, community, family, and even fashion. I am thrilled to tell my loyal television audience where they can find me and to introduce myself to brand new audiences, all while telling the stories of extraordinary women and girls."
Currently, Melissa is a professor and founding director of the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University, an interdisciplinary center that supports and generates innovative research around gender and race in pursuit of a national dialogue and positive outcomes.
She's now taking her talents to ELLE.com where she will "focus on the intersection of race, gender, politics, and yes, even fashion, telling the often-overlooked stories of women and girls of color."
Melissa tweeted the good news saying:
One of her first pieces for the website: Where are the Rest of the Black Feminists in @HBO's #Confirmation? And it's good.
Here's a lesson in going where you're celebrated, not where you're tolerated.
Michael Strahan ‘Live’ To Join ‘Good Morning America’
Michael Strahan is leaving Live with Kelly and Michael to go full-time on ABC’s Good Morning America, starting in September – to “fend off a Today show comeback in the ratings.”
TMZ reports: Sources connected to Strahan’s blockbuster deal — going full-time at ‘GMA’ — tell us Disney CEO Bob Iger himself made the call to grab Kelly Ripa’s co-host because he’s an “everyday man” who connects with the audience.Truth is, ABC is doing everything it can to fend off a ‘Today’ show comeback in the ratings.
As a result, we’re told ‘GMA’ will be “reformatted in September” to play to Strahan’s strengths. Our sources say, despite the changes, George Stephanopoulos and Robin Roberts are absolutely safe and ABC sees Michael, Robin and George as the “three musketeers.” And if you’re wondering why Iger would get involved — we’re told the network is paying very, very handsomely … as in well into 8 figures.
The site adds that one source called the deal “life changing” for Michael, who joined “Live” In 2012, after a 10-month search for a replacement for Regis Philbin
Vivica A. Fox ROCKS CinemaCon She wins an Award With cast of Independence Day: Resurgence!
Hollywood actress Vivica A. Fox is working it out at the 2016 CinemaCon film festival in Las Vegas. The sista rolled up to Caesar’s Palace for the Big Screen Achievements Awards looking FAB and striking a few poses on the red carpet.
As she made her way down the carpet, she was joined by her sexy upcoming Independence Day:Resurgence co-star Jessie Usher, who also stars on the hit STARZ series "Survivor's Remorse."
The cast of the upcoming Independence Day: Resurgence film came out on stage with Vivica to accept The Ensemble of the Universe Award for their roles in the upcoming blockbuster thriller. Aunt Viv proudly waved the award in the air in excitement.
Prince Announces Piano & Microphone Tour Surprise
Over the weekend rocker Prince Tweeted fans about a surprise at Paisley Park studios amid reports he had been rushed to the hospital after having a mid-air emergency
The surprise is a new live album...
According to Dr. Funkenberry Prince performed at at a dance party hosted by DJ Purple Pam at Paisley Park Studios Saturday night were he told the crowd to disregard recent media reports while confirming his Piano and Microphone tour was being recorded for a live album.
Wendell Pierce On Playing Opposite Kerry Washington, Reviving ‘The Wire’
Wendell Pierce, is an acclaimed producer, author (The Wind In The Weeds: A Storm, A Play, and the City That Would Not Be Broken) and actor who has played in films and TV shows such as Waiting to Exhale, A Rage In Harlem, Selma, The Wire and Treme. In his latest role as Clarence Thomas in HBO’s Confirmation, the New Orleans native explains just how significant this role was for him. Peep a few excerpts from his conversation with Vulture.
On his opinion on who was telling the truth:
"I do have an opinion, but all the change that came about became of the events is more important, that’s why I choose not to distract from it by giving my opinion. I hold it close to vest."
Pierce states he tried to reach out to Thomas through different channels but wasn’t able to. Pierce says he would be fascinated to meet him now, being how they were similar.
"We both come from families in the South who lived through slavery and Jim Crow and put a premium on education as the key to success in life. And we’re both Catholics, which is rare."
On co-starring with Kerry Washington, but not sharing any scenes with her:
"It was fuel for me to step into the room and begin my work. It really helped me watch her. So while I didn’t have any scenes with her, I was able to play off her work."
"As #CONFIRMATION premieres on @HBO , I want to thank my executive producer & the talented star @KerryWashington pic.twitter.com/PRrBkB0lBC"
"— Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) April 16, 2016"
On if he would like to revive his role as Bunk in The Wire:
"Yes I would, but I know for fact David Simon would never do it. But, I will always meet someone somewhere in the world who says, I just watched The Wire for the first time and I loved it. I wear that with honor and I will forever be Bunk."
Read his full VULTURE interview HERE
Cast of Tupac Biopic Share Wrap Party Photos
All Eyez On Me*Production on the Tupac biopic “All Eyez on Me” recently wrapped, with the cast sharing pics of the wrap party on social media. Hollywood has been eager to push out this film, following the stunning box office success of Universal’s “Straight Outta Compton” (which has earned more than $200 million worldwide).
Directed by Benny Boom, “All Eyez on Me,” originally titled “Tupac,” stars Demetrius Shipp, Jr., Danai Gurira, Jamal Woolard, Kat Graham, Lauren Cohan, Jamie Hector, and Annie Ilonzeh. Principal photography began in mid-December 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.
In case you don’t already know it, “All Eyez on Me” happens to be the title of the fourth studio album by late rapper Tupac Shakur. It was released on February 13, 1996 under Death Row Records and distributed by Interscope Records.
According to Global Grind, the cast wrapped up the final scenes in Las Vegas last week. Producer LT Hutton shared a few videos of Demetrius Shipp Jr., who portrays the late rapper, riding around with Dominic L. Santana (Suge Knight) on Instagram.
The story will chronicle Shakur’s upbringing and rise in hip-hop and Hollywood. Boom also confirmed that the biopic will highlight his family’s connections to the Black Panther party and his relationship with his mother Afeni Shakur. Speaking with Vibe in March, actor Jamie Hector (who plays the rapper’s stepfather Mutulu Shakur) discussed Danai Gurira’s portrayal of Afeni in the film.
“She [Gurira] did an amazing job so I look forward to seeing her performance, he said. “It’s a full-out expression of Afeni Shakur.”
The movie is expected to be released in September in correlation to the 20th anniversary of the rapper’s death and the “All Eyez On Me” album. The rapper was shot on the Vegas strip following his attendance to a Mike Tyson fight on Sept. 7, 1996.
Check out a few moments from the cast’s celebration below.
NICE!
#EGGPLANT NATION! Meet Caramel Thunder.
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN any images posted on this blog. All images are found online or submitted.
ENJOY!
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES?
‘NINTENDO 64’
Ugggghhhh, unfortunately just like a regular N64 I think you’ll have to turn her upside down and blow into her to get her to start working.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
