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Celebrity May 2011 Quotes

Tuesday, 31 May 2011 0 comments

Celebrity May 2011 Quotes

Celebrity May 2011 Quotes. The world didn't actually end this month, but a few careers did . Read about those swan songs, plus see which international shockers and steamy scandals made headlines in May.

Harold Camping
"There is no possibility that it will not happen because our information comes from the Bible."

The Christian radio broadcaster was the key figure behind a popular doomsday prediction that did not come to pass.

President Barack Obama
"On nights like this one, we can say that justice has been done."

On May 1, the president announced the death of the world's most-wanted terrorist.

Arnold Schwarzenegger
"While I deserve your attention and criticism, my family does not."

The former California governor publicly admitted to having an affair and fathering a child out of wedlock . He made the admission after he and his wife announced they are separating .

Dominique Strauss-Kahn
"It is with infinite sadness that I feel compelled today to present to the Executive Board my resignation …"

The IMF accepted the resignation of its managing director after he was arrested for investigation of sexual assault charges.

Lars von Trier
"I understand Hitler ... I sympathize with him a bit."

During a press conference at a prestigious film festival, the Danish director — who's worked with the likes of Nicole Kidman and Bjork — joked about his German heritage.

Newt Gingrich
"I'm not commenting on stuff like that. ... I frankly don't want to play the gotcha games in Washington."

The GOP presidential candidate refused to address recent reports that he has carried significant debt to a luxury store.

Jennifer Lawrence
"We don't drink blood … that's sick."

This indie actress joked about her highly anticipated new movie role to David Letterman, who assumed the plot was just another "vampire deal."

Stephen Hawking
"There is no heaven. ...That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark."

In an interview with a British newspaper, the famed physicist expressed his belief that the afterlife doesn't exist.

Hillary Clinton
"These are not Western concepts; these are universal human rights."

The secretary of state voiced these words of support of individuals "fighting for equality and justice" on May 17, a significant day for a community working to end discrimination.

Ed Fleming
"It's a historic time we're in all along the Mississippi River."

The commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers explains plans to flood a region of Louisiana to reduce pressure from the rising river.

Kristen Wiig
"We wanted to write a comedy, not a female comedy, just a comedy that has a lot of women in it."

The "SNL" alum discussed the new film that she both co-wrote and starred in

Sugar Ray Leonard
"I realized I would never be free unless I revealed the truth."

In his forthcoming autobiography, the hall of famer claimed an unnamed Olympic boxing coach abused him as a teen.

Katie Couric
"Thank you so much for coming on this extraordinary journey with me."

On May 19, the evening news anchor signed off for the last time, leaving the post after five years.

Don Lemon
"An African-American male is taught that he has to be masculine."

The cable news anchor discussed the difficulty of revealing his homosexuality, an announcement he made public in his new memoir.

Lady Gaga
"My parents got me Stevie Wonder 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered' and the Beatles when I was younger. … Good choices, Mom and Dad."

During her MTV special, Lady Gaga recalls the music she listened to growing up.

Taylor Swift
"I was watching the coverage of the tornadoes backstage at rehearsals, and I wanted to do something for the families affected by the damage."

The influential young country star held a benefit for the residents of this hard-hit Southern town

Erik Spoelstra
"For us to have a chance to win, you cannot afford to get tired."

The Miami Heat head coach egged on one of his star players, who helped the team steal an NBA playoff win from their opponents.

Oprah Winfrey
"It is done."

After 25 years of hosting, Winfrey wrapped her daytime talk show with a star-studded finale.

Roots of the Well Known

Tuesday, 24 May 2011 0 comments

Roots of the Well Known

Roots of the Well Known.President Obama retraced some of his lesser-known ancestral roots to a village in Ireland .. One of the president's maternal great-great-great-grandfathers was a shoemaker who immigrated to the United States during the height of a crisis in his homeland. Crowds packed the streets to hear Obama speak as he kicked off a four-nation tour of Europe

Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler had some interesting finds in his family tree, according to DNA research. The revelation underscores the surprises many people often uncover when researching their genealogy. See what you can dig up about your own family.

Lionel Richie
When Lionel Richie retraced his roots, he had a little help from a certain TV show. The legendary musician has ties to an old civil rights organization dating back to 1897 through his great-grandfather. Learn interesting facts about other famous family trees.

Vanessa Williams
The award-winning actress and former beauty queen has roots in the Tennessee legislature, where her great-great-grandfather served. Read her biography.

Tim McGraw
This country star found out in his teens that his biological father was this professional baseball player. He's also got ties to this former president, since an ancestor was actually mentioned in one of the former president's journals.

Emmitt Smith
Football great Emmitt Smith, who also happened to win this show, was able to trace his roots all the way to this West African country, whence his ancestors were brought to America as slaves.

Alex Haley
His 1976 historical novel "Roots" and subsequent miniseries ignited genealogical interest, especially among African-Americans. Haley's research revealed that his ancestors were slaves from this country. They landed in this Maryland town, which has a statue in honor of Haley telling the story of his family tree.

Sarah Palin
The Rev. John Lothrop, who came from England in 1634 and founded a New England town, is an ancestor of both Palin and the former president who expanded social services. The ex-Alaska governor is also a distant cousin of this late English princess.

President Barack Obama
Born in Hawaii, the commander in chief is the son of Barack Obama Sr. a Kenyan, and Ann Dunham a Kansan. On his maternal side, President Obama is related to his predecessor, a British prime minister and a handsome A-list actor.

Tom Hanks
Hank's family tree's maternal branch includes 1800s immigrants from a southwestern European country; the paternal branch includes a great American president. Via his stepmom, the California-born actor (clips) has Chinese-American siblings. Read Hanks' biography.

Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker originally thought her ancestors were German. But she got a surprise in the family tree. Parker's people are English, and her 10th great-grandmother was accused of wicked deeds.

Eva Longoria
"He's Mexican?" jokes the Tejana actress on learning that she and this Chinese-American cellist share an ancestor. Longoria made the discovery on Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s genealogy series.

Robert Pattinson
London native Pattinson,star of a certain vampire movie franchise, is a distant relative of the real-life count who inspired an influential Bram Stoker novel. On a less-gothic note, the actor is also a distant cousin of two British princes.

Tina Turner
On "African American Lives," Turner explores her multiracial heritage. Her great-great-grandfather was an African-American sharecropper and minister; she also has European DNA and blood from these tribes.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
Although not born in Hawaii, the wrestler-turned-actor is of Pacific islander ancestry, specifically here, on his mother's side. Johnson's African-Canadian father, also a wrestling champ, is from a province with a rich black heritage.

Soledad O'Brien
The CNN reporter's full name, María de la Soledad Teresa O'Brien, offers clues to her heritage. She was born in New York to an African-American mom from this island. Her dad? He's of Irish descent and an emigrant from Toowoomba in this country.

Hillary Rodham Clinton
The secretary of state has an exciting family tree, including:

* Madonna
* an Oscar-winning actress
* a Canadian diva
* the author of "On the Road"
* the singer of "Ironic"

The Situation Room photo

Thursday, 5 May 2011 0 comments

The Situation Room photo

The Situation Room photo. Just who were all the individuals watching the live raid on the Osama bin Laden compound? We've ID'd everyone in the room with President Barack Obama. Match the people to the numbers pictured.

1. Vice President Joe Biden

2. President Barack Obama

3. Brig. Gen. Marshall B. "Brad" Webb
He is the assistant commanding general of the Joint Special Operations Command, which targets top suspects, according to news reports.

4. Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough
The deputy national security advisor is among those who assist the president on national security and foreign policy issues.

5. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
The secretary of state plays a lead role in developing and implementing the president's foreign policy, according to WhiteHouse.gov.

6. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
The secretary of defense oversees the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the country.

7. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The chairman is the highest ranking officer of the Armed Forces and serves as the principal military adviser to the president.

8. Tom Donilon, national security adviser
The national security adviser acts is the president's go-to person on all national security issues.

9. Bill Daley, chief of staff
The chief of staff is the highest-ranking member of the executive office.

10. Tony Blinken, national security advisor to the vice president
The national security post is often described as the vice president's right-hand man on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

11. Audrey Tomason, director for counterterrorism
This director advises the president on counterterrorism efforts.

12. John Brennan, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
As a member of the Homeland Security Council, this assistant advises the president alongside the heads of several other federal agencies.
Biography

13. James Clapper, director of National Intelligence
The national intelligence director serves as the top adviser to the president for intelligence matters relating to national security.

Famous commencement speeches

Sunday, 1 May 2011 0 comments

Famous commencement speeches

Famous commencement speeches
The world of academia is abuzz over one university's decision to pay a big fee for a reality TV celebrity over a renowned author to headline their 2011 graduation. Celebrity commencement speeches have become commonplace. The fad can be traced to the infamous "sunscreen speech." Check out the most interesting commencements in academic history.

Toni Morrison
At a 2004 liberal arts graduation, the prolific writer said:

"You are your own stories and therefore free to imagine and experience what it means to be human without wealth. What it feels like to be human without domination over others, without reckless arrogance, without fear of others unlike you, without rotating, rehearsing and reinventing the hatreds you learned in the sandbox."

Steve Jobs

Apple chief Jobs offered no-nonsense advice to the 2005 Stanford grads. His health issues may have added weight to his speech.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice."

Dolly Parton

Parton spoke to 2009 University of Tennessee grads about brains, dreams and breasts.

"I think people will remember us for who we were, not how many records we sell, or how much money we make. Because I have always said that I have always counted my blessings far more often than I've counted my money."

Bono

When the U2 front man spoke to 2004 University of Pennsylvania grads, he used humor to lead into a vital topic.

"Wishing for the end to AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa is like wishing that gravity didn't make things so damn heavy. We can wish it, but what the hell can we do about it? Well, more than we think. We can't fix every problem … but the ones we can, we must."

Will Ferrell

Ferrell delivered a hilarious speech at Harvard in 2003.

"One of the challenges you will be faced with is finding a job in our depressed economy. In fact, the chances of landing a decent job are about as good as finding weapons of mass destruction in the Iraqi desert. Slim and none. And Slim just left the building."

Sacha Baron Cohen

Baron Cohen, who graduated from a top university, produced hilarity and provoked security at Harvard as his Ali G persona.

"What did Lincoln give American, apart from the Town Car?"

J.K. Rowling

The "Harry Potter" author spoke candidly and topically to Harvard grads in 2008.

"We do not need magic to change the world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: We have the power to imagine better."

President Barack Obama

President Obama took some heat for his view on a big issue prior to this 2009 Notre Dame speech.

"You are about to enter the next phase of your life at a time of great uncertainty. You will be called upon to help restore a free market that is also fair to all who are willing to work; to seek new sources of energy that can save our planet; to give future generations the same chance that you had to receive an extraordinary education."

President John F. Kennedy

President Kennedy got down to the basics during his rousing speech at American University in 1963.

"For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's futures, and we are all mortal."

Ellen DeGeneres

The multi-Emmy winner returned to her hometown to give the Class of 2009 some real-world advice.

"Life is like one big Mardi Gras, but instead of showing your boobs, show people your brain, and if they like what they see, you'll have more beads than you know what do with."

Conan O'Brien

O'Brien reminisced at his alma mater in 2000 and gave grads a wake-up call.

"As you leave these gates and re-enter society, one thing is certain: Everyone out there is going to hate you."

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

The Tibetan spiritual leader comprised the importance of education with a compassionate worldview in his 1998 speech at Emory University.

"A good person means someone with a good heart, a sense of caring for the welfare of others, a sense of commitment, a sense of responsibility. Education and the warm heart, the compassion heart—if you combine these two, then your education and knowledge will be constructive. Then you are yourself on the way to becoming a happy person."