Weekly Happenings

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Royal Wedding

On April 29, over 2 billion people woke up to watch the wedding of Great Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton. The viewing audience broke the record previously held by Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Over 1 million people tuned in for their wedding. The streets around Westminster Abbey were jammed with wellwishers. They held signs and wore British flag paraphanalia. The wellwishers were able to watch the wedding on large TV screens.

Kate Middleton's dress has been a topic of interest for many months. When she exited the car, she was wearing an elegant lace dress. The designer was Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. McQueen is arguably one of the most famous British fashion designers, and took his life last year. Her gown choice was especially poignant due to this fact. Her maid of honor was her sister Pippa. Pippa also wore a white gown by Sarah Burton. Traditionally, it is frowned upon for anyone but the bride to wear white. However, Kate chose the dress.

Guests at the wedding included members of the royal family, as well as Elton John and the Beckhams. After exchanging vows, the couple was introduced as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. They rode through the streets in the same carriage used by Prince Charles and Princess Diana. When the wedding party stood on the terrace at Buckingham Palace, the Duke and Duchess kissed twice. The crowd was overjoyed because this was an usual occurrence. Afterwards, the wedding party took their official photographs and attended two receptions. The bride and groom went away for the weekend, but are not going on a honeymoon. They plan to live in their small town rather than residing at the palace.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Zumba Fitness: Join The Party!

Zumba is the latest fitness craze to sweep across the U.S. and internationally. The original cardio dance program, Zumba, was developed in the mid 1990s by Beto Perez. The program uses different types of music, such as hip hop, in an hour long workout. There are currently over 110,000 locations teaching Zumba in 125 countries.
The class uses body resistance to tone and tighten muscles. Participants often burn upwards of 1,000 calories within the hour. The classes borrows dance moves from the tango, merengue, and the samba. Classes are taught by certified Zumba ionstructors. There are also Zumba DVDs and Wii video games using Zumba.
Besides the original class, there is also Zumba Gold, Zumba Toning, Aqua Zumba, and Zumbatonic. Zumba Gold is targeted towards older people or those with injuries who cannot keep up with the pace of a typical Zumba class. Zumba Toning combines dancing and weights. There are maraca-style weights available. The maximum weight available is 3.5 pounds. It sounds very light, but after an hour you can feel the burn. The class involves lots of squatting, lunges, and bicep curls. Aqua Zumba combines the energy of Zumba with water aerobics. The natural resistance of the water helps tone and condition muscles. Zumbatonic is the children's version of Zumba.
The class is very fun and energizing. It is perfect for people who hate to work out. It is so entertaining you hardly notice you are working out. It is also great for someone looking to switch up their exercise routine. The playlists and dances change constantly. Your body will always be challenged and you will never be bored!

Friday, April 22, 2011

What is happening in Libya?

Libya is one of the countries involved in revolts earlier this spring. The country has been lead by Muammar el-Qaddafi. He has been in power since 1969, and is one of the last dictators in power. When a rebel army formed, it seemed as though Libya was going to erupt into a war. The United Nations Security Council stepped in and authorized American and European forces to perform an airstrike on March 19.

In the last week, NATO, Arab and African leaders met with Libyan rebels to discuss possibilities for the future. France and Britain called for more airstrikes with more power. It was revealed that the U.S. was continuing airstrikes despite President Obama saying they were pulling out. Yesterday, France and Britain announced they would send in troops to help improve the techniques of the rebels and help them overthrow Qaddafi. Many Americans are concerned about the implications of aiding Libya. The nation is still deeply entrenched in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and many are afraid of a full-fledged war in Libya.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

President Trump?

Donald Trump is most commonly known as a real estate tycoon, author, and host and creator of The Apprentice. His catch phrase, "You're fired," has become a household joke. Trump is known for his pompous attitude, his beautiful much-younger wives, and his awful comb-over. Recently, he has created a stir in the political realm. Trump has come out swinging against President Obama, and has toyed with the idea of running in the 2012 election.

Trump has made no secret of his disstaste for Obama, and often makes comments about how the Obama administration has failed. It is unclear right now whether Trump would run as a Republican or Independent. Many are worried that if he ran as an Independent, Trump would take votes away from the Republican candidate and allow Obama another term. Recent reports say Trump has decided to definitely throw his hat in the ring. He is currently behind Obama in the polls by a mere six points.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Dayglow

The Dayglow tour will be in Providence, RI next weekend. Dayglow is "the largest paint party", according to the company website. It began in 2006 in Florida, and has become a part of the biggest house music festivals, such as Ultra Music Festival. The party combines music and art. It is a big dance party, and there are also performers. At some events, there are fire throwers, stilt walkers, and acrobats. Many of the shows have sold out. This weekend, the tour is in Philadelphia. It recently made a stop at UMass Amherst. The Providence show is being held at Lupo's, and tickets sold out in under an hour. All students and house music lovers were given the opportunity to purchase tickets. The weekend should bring in lots of revenue for the city, and keep the police force busy.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Person to Watch: Cory Booker

The University of Rhode Island's commencement speaker for this year's graduation ceremony has been a very popular topic of conversation in recent months. Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark, New Jersey, has been featured on several major news networks. Booker, a Democrat, campaigned for Obama during the 2008 Presidential Election. He is often compared to Obama, and there is talk Booker may run for President in 2012.

Cory Booker grew up in a wealthy town with parents who had high-paying jobs at IBM. He was one of the few African Americans in his town. Since his youth, Booker felt a strong desire to help others. He studied at Yale, Standford, and Oxford. After working with several organizations and coalitions, Booker became a member of the Newark Municipal Council. He gained attention by holding a 10-day hunger strike to protest drug dealing and violence. He also lived in a motor home and drove it around the city. He parked at corners where drug dealing was most prominent.

Booker is the third African American mayor of Newark. People debated if he was "black" enough when he ran. This was also a sentiment held by voters during Obama's campaign. Booker has drastically reduced crime in Newark, which was once a city with a horrible reputation. He is known to patrol the streets and reach out to citizens. Murders have dropped by 42%, rapes by 41%, and robberies by 12%. Newark had its first murder-free month in 44 years in March 2010.

Mayor Booker is also working to improve the Newark school system. He created the Newark Charter School Fund to pay for reforms and new schools. During his time as mayor, Booker has received over $100 million in private donations. He keeps Newark citizens and the general public updated with his Twitter page. Booker personally responds to each person's questions almost immediately. In one instance, a Newark citizen wrote to Booker about how her father needed someone to shovel his driveway, and Booker personally came and shoveled the driveway. It is his personal touches and proactive manner that are marking Booker a popular water cooler topic.

Monday, March 28, 2011

The "Queen of Hollywood" Dies

Many people called it the end of an era when Elizabeth Taylor passed away Wednesday at age 79. For seven decades, Taylor captivated the world with her talent, her love life, her extensive jewelry collection, and her legendary violet eyes. During her high-profile life, Taylor became a bride eight times, won two Academy Awards, and co-founded AmFar. She was also a smart business person. Her perfume, White Diamonds, earned more than $70 million last year.

Taylor began her career with the classic film "National Velvet" at age nine. She starred in movies with many classic film stars, such as Rock Hudson and James Dean. She became the highest paid actress in Hollywood when she earned $1 million for "Cleopatra". Besides her acting, Taylor also provided tabloid fodder.

At age 18, Taylor married Nicky Hilton, heir to the Hilton Hotel company. They divorced after less than a year of marriage. Her second husband was a co-star, Michael Wilding. They had two children together and were married for five years. Her third husband, movie producer Mike Todd, is one of the men Taylor considered a "true love". Their marriage ended when Todd died in a plane crash. Her fourth husband, Eddie Fisher, a famous singer, caused a controversy. They had a very public affair while he was still married to actress Debbie Reynolds. During the filming of "Cleopatra", Taylor began cheating on Fisher with her co-star Richard Burton, who she would marry two times. After their second divorce, Taylor went on to marry a Republic Senator, John Warner. Her last marriage was to a carpenter named Larry Fortensky.

Elizabeth Taylor was an eccentric, unique individual. Her famous friendship with Michael Jackson raised many eyebrows, especially when she supported him during his child molestation trials. Her last public appearance was at his much-delayed funeral in the fall. Taylor was loyal. When her friend Rock Hudson announced he was dying of AIDS, Taylor co-founded AmFar to find a cure after his painful death. For the rest of her life, Taylor devoted herself to that cause. She is a true Hollywood legend, but also a humanitarian. Elizabeth Taylor was as multi-faceted as her beloved Krupp diamond.