Gomez Offering Inspiration

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images on Yahoo

I used to look forward to watching shows like the AMA's, but I must admit, it's not my thing anymore. I don't think I'm the target demographic anymore... I'm going to have to process that a bit! LOL

So, while I had to make sure I was saying D.J. Khald's name correctly today when reading the wrap up of the awards today on air, I was glad to see that one of the moments out of this year's show last night was a real moment.

Singer Salina Gomez had it all... and yet she wasn't happy. She has spent the last year out of the limelight repairing her soul. Last night she made her first public appearance since hitting pause on her career.

Gomez thanked her fans for being so loyal to her and offered words of encouragement, saying: 

"If you are broken, you don't have to stay that way."

I think it will be interesting to see the next steps of her young career. If she continues on this path and efforts to send a wholesome, encouraging message- she is going to be a powerhouse! I hope she does. 

For more on what she had to say CLICK HERE.

January's Top 5 Posts

As January comes to an end I thought it would be fun for you to see which stories got the most clicks this month. Do you agree they were the best? Did readers miss something you liked more? Let's count them down now. Leave a comment if there's a story that you liked that didn't make the list.

 

Did you see something fun that you think readers would enjoy seeing here on this site? Drop me an email JoDeeKenney@gmail.com 

 

5.

 



It seems a lot of you got a kick out of this story. Reviews for the Haribo sugarless gummy bears had us rolling on the ground in laughter. Did any of you buy some for your lawmakers.  

 

4. 

Crockpot cooking is soooo easy and the benefits are endless. A lot of you wanted to get the recipe for this tasty dish and also find out what my favorite crockpot cookbook was. Did you buy it yet? It is more than worth the money! If you love easy recipes join me every week for Foodie Friday. We make delicious recipes- like this, this and this.

 

3.

Giving back to your community can make you feel so good. A lot of you liked learning about a program I truly enjoy supporting. The YMCA Black and Latino Achievers program not only benefits the teens in the program but also the adults. Each month leading up to the June awards ceremony I will highlight some of the people involved in the program. 

 

2.

 
 
 

Hannah Curlee, Me and Olivia Ward

Don't you love it when people on tv live up to your expectations... and sometimes exceed them? Well, that was the case when I met Biggest Loser Season 11 runner up Hannah Curlee and her sister and Winner Olivia Ward! They shared with us tips on how to get started, stay motivated and live the healthy life we're truly meant to live.  Check out the video once again to stay motivated and be sure to visit their social media sites for more inspiration.

1.

 

With new years resolutions on the line and gyms packed to capacity we all could relate to someone in this viral video making fun at gym stereotypes. I've come to learn that many of us not only know these gym offenders but ARE these gym offenders. Which one are you? Leave a comment below!

 

Don't forget to follow me on Vine. I just posted my first video and am learning the ropes- this should be fun! Also- get lifestyle updates from me on twitter @JoDeeKenney and news updates from @JoDeeOfTWCNews .

 

 



Beyoncé Envy

Once there was this killer girl group called Destiny's Child. Remember them?


They broke on to the scene with songs that resonated with single girls in their 20s. Then a couple girls left in a feud and it was down to three.

That was also about the time Beyoncé started to step out in front. She was taking the lead in all the songs- front and center- the star. The writing was on the wall---- it was only a matter of time when Beyoncé would break away. It happened. She rocketed to mega stardom... Queen B. But what about her girls? Well, now we are finding out in a new article.


We all know Michelle Williams released her debut solo album  Heart to Yours which topped the US gospel album chart and became one of the best-selling gospel releases of 2002.

Thanks to a new song by Kelly Rowland called "Dirty Laundry" we are now learning she struggled. She struggled with envy over Beyoncé's success. She struggled with an abusive relationship that alienated her from her family and friends.

This song is pretty deep. WARNING: it contains very strong language. I will say this- I saw Michelle Williams at a theater production at Proctor's theater in Schenectady and she was AMAZING in person. And now... listening to Kelly Rowland's new song I see she has amazing talent too! All three of these women are so gifted it's unbelievable they all didn't rise to mega stardom. Perhaps it's Kelly's turn? Have a listen and tell me what you think. Were you upset over the break up of Destiny's Child? Do you think Rowland is primed for a resurgence? Weigh in.

Would You Do This?

Travis Barker, the Drummer for Blink 182 has to bow out of the Australian leg of the band's latest tour. He refuses to fly after surviving a September 2008 plane crash. That crash claimed the lives of four people, including 2 of his best friends.

Barker and the late Adam Goldstein were the only survivors. Goldstein died in 2009 from "acute intoxication" from a combination of illegal and legal drugs.

Barker says he still hasn't gotten over that plane crash and he won't fly. I don't blame him. While some people think the way you get over a tragedy is to face your fears- others are of the mentality that he was lucky or even blessed to cheat death- why put yourself in that position if it's unnecessary. He is likely traumatized for life. I fall along the lines of... after that--  don't fly.

What do you think? Do you think he should fly and try and get over the fear or do you agree with his decision to have a stand in for that leg of the tour?

Viral Video: All I Want For Christmas Is You

If you had ANY doubt that Mariah Carey is THE diva- not an imitation- please refer to the above video! I can't lie- my smile grew more and more as I watched this. When she hit THAT note- you know- the one where most artist only hit it with some electronic help- yeah, THAT note- I literally gasped YEAH!

Jimmy Fallon came up with this great idea to find an artist who will come and sing one of their popular songs with the accompaniment of children's instruments! Really- he's so creative. In this instance he got Mariah to come sing her wildly popular hit "All I Want For Christmas Is You". On the instruments you will find The Roots and as backup singers Fallon and some children.

LOVE IT! This is my favorite Christmas song. What's yours? Don't you think this was a creative take on a segment by Fallon?

What I love probably even more- is the Mariah Super Fan who posted his reaction to this recording! LOL This is Jimmy Fallon's reaction to the super fan- too cute. If you'd like to watch his 3 minutes worth of freak out (which it's pretty spectacular) click HERE.

Update: Did Psy Perform at White House After All?

UPDATE: ABC News is reporting Psy did perform in front of President Obama last night. No video has surfaced just yet on the internet- but if you're interested to see what happened you may want to check in with the national morning news shows. They're sure to have the scoop. Why is this interesting? See below story written this weekend:

The show will go on- and President Obama is expected to be there- when South Korean Pop Star Psy will take the stage tonight at a White House Christmas Concert. We were all expecting to see video of Obama and the first lady doing the Gangnam Style dance but now that might not happen. New video is out from a previous performance where Psy is on an anti-American rant. Say it ain't so.

The Washington Post reports he said the following in a 2004 concert protesting the US- in South Korea. “Kill those f------ Yankees who have been torturing Iraqi captive / Kill those f------- Yankees who ordered them to torture / Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers / Kill them all slowly and painfully,” 

This really stinks. Not since Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca has the world come together for a collective off beat shaking of the body! There are still several more hours for something to stop the show at the White House for Psy. He has apologized- but is that enough? Wow- the US  has helped him become a mega-star and now to see that he said those awful things- I'm sure a lot of people are feeling duped.

Hagman Dies

Larry Hagman, the actor who made J.R. Ewing and the television show Dallas famous has died. He died from complications of throat cancer. He had also suffered from cirrhosis of the liver in the 90s. 

Do you remember back in 1980 when the whole world tuned in to see who shot J.R.? Larry Hagman made you believe that iconic cut throat character could exist! It's hard to believe before he played one of the most well known bad guys in history he played Major Anthony Nelson- the man who had to keep genie in the show "I Dream Of Jeanie" in line. He recently made an appearance in the 2012 revival of Dallas.

Larry Hagman- dead at the age of 81. 
.

Twilight Means More Than Vampires

Yes- my inner teenage self is jumping for joy- but no, sadly I wasn't one to brave the lines and go to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn Part 2. The final installment of the Twilight series debuted at midnight in movie theaters across the country.

When I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to come to work my Facebook feed was peppered with friends (young and old) rejoicing about taking naps and being in line- and then eventual rave reviews of the movie. A little tinge of excitement helped me push out of bed for the day- as it puts me closer to seeing the movie.

My Twilight Sisters- yes, we have a group of us- will be lining up hours before our Saturday afternoon showing to ensure we get good seats. Do you doubt this? If so- please refer to just one of the many pictures I took of us lined up for Breaking Dawn Part 1 last year:

Yes- grown ladies wearing matching T-shirts... that we gathered to decorate with sparkles-- because vampires sparkle. We love it and we're not afraid to show it! When Breaking Dawn 1 came out on DVD months later-- yes- we had to gather to celebrate with an elegant wedding celebration dinner and of course watch the movie:

The books and movies are so enjoyable- but they translate to more than just a vampire flick for us. We've bonded in friendship over a common enjoyment of entertainment- but have learned we have so much more in common and this has been a special gathering of women. They are all genuine and loving individuals who come from good families, have great senses of humor and are so giving of themselves. I'm so thankful to have met them. The Twilight Saga has facilitated conversations about love, conflict, relationships- well, and yes of course the more simple discussion of whether we are "Team Jacob and Team Edward".  For the record- I'm Team Edward in the books, Team Jacob in the movies.

As the Twilight craze will eventually fade for us- we will remain friends and continue to find opportunities to gather and enjoy each other. This is not the end. It is just the beginning for us- as we get ready to gather to mark the end of Twilight this weekend.

Thank you Twilight for helping me find such wonderful friends... oh and yes some would also thank you for a shirtless Jacob.

Greatest Love Of All

Photo: nndb.com

Wow- this was a candid admission! Then again- you have to expect candid from Kirstie Alley! It's just who she is and you gotta respect that! She told Barbara Walters in an upcoming ABC interview that the "greatest love of my life" is  Look Who's Talking co-star and friend John Travolta.

the 61-year-old Dancing with the Stars Allstar says she fell hard for the star during the filming of the 1989 movie Look Who's Talking. 

She tells Walters "Believe me, it took everything that I had, inside, outside, whatever, to not run off and marry John. And be with John for the rest of my life." 

Nelson Brothers Interview

The newsroom was a buzz this morning! That's because 90's rock/pop group Nelson Brothers was here! I know you remember their hit "Love and Affection".  Gunnar and Matthew are on a heartwarming tour called "Ricky Nelson Remembered". It's a tribute to their father who was also a well known performer of his time.

Photo: Collie White

Vince Gallagher, our Entertainment Reporter was the one who set up the interview for YNN. Check back this afternoon to see it. Our technical crew set up a nice 2 camera shoot with lights in the newsroom and seeing it go up peeked our curiosity. I asked Vinny if he minded if I piggy-backed on his interview and he said if Nelson was game he didn't mind. So, with nerves right at the forefront I took the plunge and asked them for an interview and they said YES!

Photo: Collie White

I started the interview and guess what happened? MY PHONE RANG!!!! That stopped the video recording feature on my phone and I had to actually TAKE THE CALL!!! LOL- Imagine my embarrassment saying "Hey babe- ummmm, I'm in the middle of an interview- I need to call you back... and don't call me back". As I write this- I'm sure my hubby is still very confused! But it's the NELSON BROTHERS!!! The brothers then needed to show me how to put my phone on "Airplane Mode" so I couldn't receive any calls. I can't make this stuff up!

Photo: Collie White

What I found out is these guys are really nice. I mean really just nice guys. They made sure to say hi to all of us who were hanging around and they chatted us all up. I loved when Gunnar (the one on the left) gave our Sr. Web Producer Jill a compliment on her cute sneakers (she always has fabulous shoes). He was the flirty one- so all us girls (ok, Jill and I) bonded with him more! LOL  They took pictures with all of us and weren't in a hurry to leave.

When I asked if they would do an interview for my blog it was as if they had all the time in the world and they would love to do it. Chatting after the interview it was fun to hear their experiences. They were performing when Milli Vanilli hit scandal and said they had to actually prove they could sing! So, interesting.

While many of us may remember their long hair and outrageous outfits- they no longer dress that way but don't deny they did either. Gunnar joked no one looks better in spandex than Matthew! Matthew quipped "Not anymore!" LOL. They also joked about making an obligatory hair flip for us. Haha LOVE that they can make fun of themselves! Believe me guys- I have my crazy fashion choices immortalized too- just not internationally!

Photo: Collie White

I asked them what their thoughts were on the invention of shows such as American Idol and they said that what they really look forward to is bands or singers who not only can sing- but also write their own music (like they do). Matthew said of all the performers out there right now Adele blows his socks off.

They are performing in Troy New York tonight. Click HERE for a link to find out more. If you are looking for something to do you should go see this show.

Jessica & Justin's First Wedding Pictures

Photo: People.com

People Magazine scooped the competition and won the Justin and Jessica photos from their Italian wedding. You can see Jessica bucked the white wedding gown tradition and chose a beautiful color of pink! Justin went with the traditional black tux- and looked dapper as ever. Are you excited to get this weeks People? I have to admit- I am a little interested to see more from their wedding.

Fight For Blue Ivy

Photo: helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com
 

Shortly after Hip Hop and R& B Royalty power couple Jay-Z and Beyoncé had baby Blue Ivy- they applied for a trademark of her name. It was reportedly because they wanted to start a baby clothing line. Well, the U.S. Patient and Trademark office said not so fast. A Boston-based event planning firm has been operating by the name Blue Ivy Events since 2009. The owner of that company has no hard feelings apparently posting a picture and the words "Congrats to our SOUL MATE Couple with Baby Blue Ivy!!!"

New Apprentice Cast

Season 13 starts Next March. on NBC New All-Star cast was announced moments ago and it's going to be a circus!

Bret Michaels
Claudia Jordan
Gary Busy
Lisa Rhinna
Lil' Jon
Dee Snider
Trace Adkins
Dennis Rodman
Stephen Baldwin
Marilu Henner
Penn Jillette
Omorosa
La Toya Jackson
Brande Roderick


Who do you think is going to win?

Beiber Relations

Photo: Kevin Winter Getty Images

It's all in the blood! Ancestry.com looked into Justin's genealogy and found he's related to some other celebs! He is is a distant cousin of movie star Ryan Gosling and pop singer Avril Lavigne! He is also related to Celine Dion! But it's not like they would have seen each other at a family reunion. The link was made some 400-years back. Never the less--- some pretty good genes- huh?