Back to school with What’s the Mashup!
To celebrate, here’s a mashup of 100 scenes of dance made in Hollywood and elsewhere !!
Can you identify the 100 movies?
Pink reveals her new role as a UNICEF ambassador on Good Morning America
Pink has been appointed a UNICEF ambassador.
And the proud pop star appeared on Good Morning America on Monday to share her big news.
The 36-year-old singer – who shares three-year-old daughter, Willow with husband Carey Hart – will focus on children’s health initiatives, including fighting global malnutrition, which impacts 159 million children.
Celine Dion sings L’Hymne a L’Amour in tribute to Paris attack victims at American Music Awards 2015
The American Music Awards took a sombre turn on Sunday when Celine Dion sang in tribute to the victims of Paris’s terror attacks.
The Canadian singer covered Edith Piaf’s L’Hymne a L’Amour after actor-musician Jared Leto delivered an emotional speech about the deadly events.
Leto spoke about an impromptu show his band Thirty Seconds To Mars had performed at Le Bataclan in Paris, the scene where 89 people lost their lives in the attacks 10 days ago.
He said: “Seven months later that same venue was under siege, one of a series of attacks that changed the world forever.
“Tonight we honor the victims of the unimaginable violence that took place in Paris and around the world.
“France matters, Syria matters, Russia matters, Mali matters, the Middle East matters, the entire world matters and peace is possible.”
Introducing Dion’s performance, Leto added:
“Many of us here are the sons and daughters of immigrants and Steve Jobs, the son of a Syrian immigrant, and President Barack Obama.
“The American Music Awards wanted to show its support for the people of France and the entire world.”
Jenner was this year’s recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, named for the African American tennis star who died of AIDS in 1993.
‘Trans People Deserve Your Respect’
Caitlyn Jenner accepted her first formal award on Wednesday since announcing her transition, receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS and giving an emotional speech in the process.
“The real truth is that before just a few months ago, I had never met anybody else who was trans,” she said. “Now as you saw, I dealt with my situation on my own, in private. It’s been eye-opening, inspiring, but also frightening.”
She went on to talk about trans youth, mentioning late trans teenagers Mercedes Williamson and Sam Taub.
“They’re getting bullied,” Jenner said of trans youth. “They’re getting beaten up. They’re getting murdered.
I must truthfully say that I didn’t think that I would be looking for information, reviewing and listening to Jenner’s acceptance speech at the ESPY’s.
I remember, back in 1976, when Jenner was the darling of the media because of his incredible feat in the Olympics and winning the Olympic decathlon men’s event champion.
Throughout all of her journey, even before she announced what she intended to, I never followed her as an American television personality. I did watch the Diane Sawyer interview where Jenner described what he had gone through all his life, her “confusion, her living up to someone she wasn’t’.
It all seemed so phony and fake to me. I wasn’t thrilled like some seemed to be. I wondered what she could bring to the table in the current situation of the trans community, the “T” in LGBTQ. I even thought this may be damaging to the advances that have been made in the acceptance of the LGBTQ community and the monumental decision of SCOTUS in making marriage equality the “law of the land”.
Some of you may be confused, since some may know that I am a proud member of the LGBTQ community, recently married and now recognized as married nationwide, that I’m not offering unconditional support to Jenner.
I watched Caitlyn Jenner’s acceptance speech at the ESPYS last night. I must say that I’m still somewhat “leery” of her intentions but I must also say that her acceptance speech was powerful, intense, heartwarming and very touching. She’s setting quite an agenda for herself.
For the sake of the LGBTQ community and for Caitlyn Jenner’s sake, I do hope that this is all real, not any kind of publicity stunt or attention seeking action. I don’t think that anyone would go through all of the jeering, abuse, anguish, medical and surgical treatment that she has gone through for publicity’s sake.
I truly got a better glimpse of her and I hope and wish only the best for her at this stage of her life.
“In her first major appearance since coming out as transgender, Caitlyn Jenner took the stage at the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles to a standing ovation. And in front of some of the world’s biggest athletes and celebrities, she told the world what the transgender community needs.”
FOR THOSE WHO CARE TO WATCH, HERE’S THE FULL ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
~~Caitlyn Jenner Full Speech~~
2015 ESPY Awards
Arthur Ashe Courage Award …. this is a different kind of courage
~~Published on Jul 15, 2015~~
Caitlyn Jenner accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS on Wednesday night while urging acceptance for others who are transgender.
She received a standing ovation from some of the sporting world’s biggest stars after her 10-minute speech during the annual awards honoring the year’s top athletes and moments.
Pass the award on to four other bloggers. Tell them the rules and a specific Monday to post. Answer four questions about your creative process which lets other bloggers and visitors know what inspires you to do what you do.
Compose a one-time post on a specific Monday. Today is March 30, 3015. (date given by your nominator).
If you please, choose the next Monday …. which would be convenient for you.
1. What I’m working on at the moment?
At this moment in time, I’m following several topics related to human rights. I work on different themes and topics. Every day I do “Image Of The Day” and “Thoughts for Today“. Like many bloggers, my topics vary. I try to be on the look out for world events and decisions that may affect those who need a voice.
2. How does my work differ from others in my genre?
“My views are liberal in almost every sense. My knowledge is “eclectic” – a bit of everything. Music and reading are my passion. Blogging has also become a very interesting endeavor. Metaphysical topics attract me. I’m interested in news – reporting human issues like injustice, discrimination and abuse – the “wrongly” affected.”
“Wrongly affected” includes minorities, animals, homeless, the forgotten.
I also post a MEDICAL CORNER where medical conditions are explained at a level that the lay person can understand and relate to.
3. Why do I write and create what I do?
I started blogging because I retired from a full time job and had plenty of time on my hands. Through the help of a very dear friend, I discovered this wonderful world of blogging. I found it to be an amazing experience.
I want to offer any knowledge that I have to anyone “out there” who is interested. My views are liberal in almost every sense.
4. How does my writing and creative process work?
I don’t have a set creative process. I have general ideas and the pulse of world events, special celebrations, new music videos, old music videos and topic I find while surfing the net or going through my Facebook feed provide the inspiration to what I blog about.
Ideas and topics lead to more ideas and topics. There are times when I want to cover so much that I literally don’t know which one to work on.
~MY NOMINEES~
I would like to nominate the following four fellow bloggers. If you like doing it and it is possible, you may post on this by Monday April 13 …..
(there is a Schedule for a certain day option in WordPress)
Patricia Arquette calls for equality at Oscars acceptance
Patricia Arquette won the Oscar for best supporting actress Sunday for her role in coming-of-age drama “Boyhood” — and embraced the moment to make an impassioned plea for gender equality.
It was Arquette’s first Academy Award and she used her precious few seconds on the Oscar stage to demand equality for American women — a gesture which saw the Dolby Theatre roar in approval.
It’s time for women.
Equal means equal. The truth is the older women get, the less money they make. The highest percentage of children living in poverty are in female-headed households.
It’s inexcusable that we go around the world and we talk about equal rights for women in other countries and we don’t. One of those court judges said two years ago in a law speech at a university that we don’t have equal rights for women in America and we don’t because when they wrote the Constitution, they didn’t intend it for women.
So the truth is even though we sort of feel like we have equal rights in America right under the surface there are huge issues at play that really do affect women.
It’s time for all the women in America, and all the men that love women and all the gay people and all the people of color that we’ve all fought for to fight for us now.
To every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else’s equal rights. It’s our time to have wage equality once and for all and equal rights for women in the United States of America.
“It Is What It Is” has been nominated by dearkitty1 for this award. It’s always exciting to be selected because, to me, this is a way to “gauge” that “someone out there” is stopping by, reading and leaving comments. It’s like a confirmation that what I try to do, while sitting at the PC, has some effect in the blogosphere.
As I see it, “I drop a pebble and get a small ripple started”. Where is goes, I only know through the feedback I receive.
“I have made this new award: The Real Neat Blog Award. There are so many bloggers whose blogs deserve more attention. So, I will try to do something about that.
It is the first award that I ever made. I did some computer graphics years ago, before I started blogging; but my computer drawing had become rusty.
The ‘rules’ of The Real Neat Blog Award are: (feel free not to act upon them if you don’t have time; or don’t accept awards)
1. Put the award logo on your blog.
2. Answer 7 questions asked by the person who nominated you.
3. Thank the people who nominated you, linking to their blogs.
4. Nominate any number of bloggers you like, linking to their blogs.
5. Let them know you nominated them (by commenting on their blog etc.)
~My seven questions are~
(I will include my answers here)
1. Where do most visits to your blog come from?
When I look at the stats, I see that most of the visits are from the USA. However, it’s very surprising to me to see that many others come from all parts of the world.
2. What is your favorite sport?
I don’t practice any sport. Basketball is my favorite to watch.
3. What has been a special moment for you in 2014?
Related to blogging, a special moment was when I received the “one year badge” from WordPress.
4. What is your favorite quote?
“You have to be the change you want to see in the world”
5. What was your favorite class when still at school?
Biology
6. Anything you had wished to have learned earlier?
Computer skills
7. What musical instrument have you tried to play?”
I thank all of my nominees. You don’t have to accept, follow the rules or prepare your own post. Only know that I really appreciate your work and follow you, looking forward to all your posting. You blogs are fun, educational and deeply inspirational.
“It Is What It Is” has been nominated and honored as a one of the first recipients of “The Harmony & Peace Award” by the IdealisticRebel”.
~IN HER OWN WORDS~
“I created this new award to celebrate all those who promote Harmony & Peace, and who add Love & Beauty to the world through their Blogs and through their lives. Their Positivity makes the world a better place for all of us.
~Rules~
As most of you know by now, I am not big on rules, but here they are
Give this award to seven bloggers who have added Harmony & Peace, Love & Beauty and Positivity to the world you live in.
Let them know that you nominated them.
Acknowledge the blogger from whom you received this award
Display your award on your blog, because you have earned it!
I was surprised this morning with this notification from WordPress. I have to say that I’m very excited about this number.
I started blogging in February 2013 after retiring from a full time career. I had to find something to fill my time with. A very dear friend gave me the initial push … and here I am.
~FROM WORDPRESS~
Congratulations on getting 500 total follows on It Is What It Is.
Your current tally is 501.
…. all of you who have stopped here, connected with me, interacted with me and stayed after deciding to follow. Without you. “It Is What It Is” wouldn’t be what or where it is today.
I have made great connections. I have great friends from all over the world. I have learned so much …. information, culture, causes, technology, politics, kindness, wars and conflicts, different points of view, how to work with wordpress … and so much more!! The very same way “It Is What It Is” has grown because of you …. I have grown as a person and as a blogger too.
I sincerely hope that you continue to enjoy your visits here.
For this and more …. I thank each and every one of you!
It’s that time of day for me, on this side of the world. I’m still doing “sitting chores”. Put the kid to bed and I come back to say good night to all of you!
It Is What It Is 