Michael Jackson hologram appearance

The Michael Jackson hologram appeared at the Billboard Awards, and it was weird- eWeekly.

By Kyle Anderson on May 19, 2014 at 10:12AM 

Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Billboard Awards 2014/Getty Images

For a guy who passed away nearly five years ago, Michael Jackson sure seems busy lately. His second posthumous album, Xscape, just hit stores (and is refreshingly not embarrassing), and Sunday night he appeared — via the miracle of modern hologram technology — on the Billboard Music Awards to perform “Slave to the Rhythm.”

Billboard Awards given OK to use Michael Jackson hologram

Album Review: Michael Jackson, 'Xscape'

Ludacris, Kesha, and Brad Paisley handled the introduction (well, after plugging their upcoming show Rising Star), noting that the performance was “something you have never seen before.” And boy howdy, was Ludacris correct.

It opened with a team of dancers dressed up like members of a SWAT team, which is consistent with a lot of the military-inspired garb that Jackson wore in the middle of his solo career. (Actually, the whole thing had a Dangerous-era feel to it, which makes sense, as “Slave to the Rhythm” was originally conceived during the Bad sessions and then revisited while Jackson was crafting Dangerous.)

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When the curtain was raised and the screen was revealed, the electronically-generated Jackson was sitting in a throne (apropos for the King of Pop), singing along to “Slave to the Rhythm,” one of the standout tracks from Xscape.

Eventually he got up and moved around — not necessarily dancing but providing enough MJ-esque hand and face movement to create a reasonable simulacra.

It made for some weird TV to be sure, though the effect in the building must have been overwhelming — the Billboard Music Awards cameras cut to quite a few people in tears. And it got the approval of Michael’s brother Jackie. “I’ve been hearing about the hologram, and people were talking about it, but to see it with my own eyes was incredible, amazing,” he told People. “When he got up and started walking around, when he started dancing, unbelievable. It took me back. “If Michael were here he would say thumbs up!”

10 Best Cities for Today’s College Graduates

10 Best Cities for Today’s College Graduates 

By Brianna Ehley,

The Fiscal Times

April 29, 2014

As more local institutions join the student loan game, college kids will have even more options for private loans

Attention, Class of 2014: It’s almost time to start ditching dorm life for the real world.

Though some soon-to-be degree holders may already have good jobs lined up, many more will be searching for some time to come. The unemployment rate for the class of 2013, after all, is at 10.9 percent – far above the national average. Still, that’s the lowest unemployment rate for new college graduates since 2007, when the rate was at 7.7 percent.

Related:  Millennials’ Joblessness Costs Government $8.9B a Year

With the job market improving for this group of Americans, especially in certain parts of the country, where should these new grads go?

A new study by NerdWallet examined criteria in each major U.S. city – such as the job market, average income, affordability and percentage of young people – all crucial to this cohort, and came up with the 10 places most appealing to new college graduates.

Of course, it's important for students to note that the job markets in these cities are extremely competitive. And since they're so popular for young people, even scoring an interview for an entry level job will be fierce.  So, if you preferred beer pong over books, these might not be the cities for you.​

The best cities for the class of 2014: 

1.     Washington, D.C.; Median Income for College Grads: $60,104

Though the nation’s capital is one of the more expensive places to live, it also has some of the highest wages. Recent college grads in D.C. earn, on average, $60,104, the second highest annual salary in the country. Washington also has a strong job market, with many opportunities in government as well as in business, science and the arts.

2.     Seattle, WA; Median Income for College Grads: $50,578

Seattle is the most educated city in the U.S.: More than 34 percent of its population holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. The top industries include aerospace, information technology, clean technology and health care. It also has one of the highest average incomes for recent college grads.

3.     Minneapolis, MN; Median Income for College Grads: $46,525

Minneapolis is home to the most Fortune 500 companies per capita in all of the metro areas in the country, so there are plenty of job opportunities for recent college grads. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul also have one of the highest populations of young people between the ages of 20 and 29, making this area an even more appealing place for recent grads.

4.     San Francisco, CA; Median Income for College Grads: $61,426:

Though San Francisco is one of the most expensive places to live, high wages and a strong job market make it incredibly attractive to new graduates.  The median income for those with bachelor’s degrees is $61,426, the highest in the country. Major industries include technology, science, media and financial services. The area is home to the country’s biggest tech giants, including Google and Twitter.

5.     Austin, TX; Median Income for College Grads: $45,023

Austin is hopping with young professionals – those ages 20 to 29 make up more than 21 percent of the population. It also has the lowest unemployment rate out of all major U.S. cities, with plenty of opportunities for young workers.  Major tech corporations like Dell and IBM are in Austin, and it’s one of the most affordable places to live out of all other major cities. It ranked the second lowest on NerdWallet’s Cost of Living Index, just behind Columbus, OH.

6.     Atlanta, GA; Median Income for College Grads: $50,862

Atlanta has a range of opportunity for new graduates. The city is driven by trade and transportation, business services, government, education and health services; Atlanta is home to Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines and The Home Depot.

7.     Raleigh, NC; Median Income for College Grads: $45,495

This city has the third most educated population on the list, with 31.9 percent of residents 25 and older holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. Major industries include manufacturing, aerospace, biotechnology and green energy.

8.     Boston, MA; Median Income for College Grads: $52,119

Young people apparently love Boston: It has the greatest proportion of young professionals of all large cities. Though the Massachusetts capital is an expensive place to live, young people tend to earn higher wages and the unemployment rate is relatively low. The largest industries are health care, finance and insurance and education.

9.     Denver, CO; Median Income for College Grads: $48,133

Denver has one of the most educated populations, with a large percentage of people holding a bachelor’s degree. The Mile-High City has a moderate cost of living, though degree holders tend to earn higher than average wages. The top industries are aerospace and aviation, broadcasting and telecommunications, energy and health care.

10. Columbus, OH; Median Income for College Grads: $44,392

Columbus is the most affordable city in the top 10, according NerdWallet’s Cost of Living Index. It also has one of the lowest unemployment rates.  Major industries include manufacturing, logistics, science and technology, and business and financial services. The largest employers include JPMorgan Chase & Co, and The Ohio State University.

NOW WHAT DEVELOPING NATIONS LIKE NIGERIA SHOULD KNOW FROM THE ABOVE:

·         Keep good statistics records of census populations without bias of one tribe or the other trying to manipulate a national human head counts.

·         Have a good data of the employed and unemployed people Youths/ (Adults).

·         Create a constitutionally recognized frame work that provides social welfare for the students and unemployed youths instead of just few people in the society embezzling wealth that is meant for a whole Nation.

·         Adopt true Federalism to allow competition among states to help speed up human and infrastructural development.

·         Revisit banking system interest percentages on loans and bring loan interest to a barest minimum of single unit to empower youths and the investing commercial populace and grow the peoples per capital income which will in turn grow the economy.

·         Diversify the Government investment and earning focus from only depending on crude oil income to refining, chemicals and petrochemical products, agriculture and machineries productions etc.

·         Add more craftsmanship and entrepreneurial curriculum to the institution of higher learning and post primary academic studies.

·         It is so disheartening that while the global unemployment rates soars and economies are drifting, the developing nations gets busy strategizing to cushion the effects on its citizens and their economies, the undeveloped economies has continued to stamped and concentrates on corruption thereby repeating one same practice of old and ready  to gaining same failed results.

·         The only thing that cannot change is change….There is no one Nation that can develop another Nation better than its citizens can do….a word is enough for the wise.

·         Let your home be sufficient enough for room and accommodates your youths, otherwise the future is not safe haven.

Additional Comments/Writing coiled from Prince Evans (Nigeria) Post, Top coiled from Fiscal Times.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:

- See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/04/29/10-Best-Cities-Today-s-College-Graduates#sthash.LQMwAHIB.dpuf

TOP BREAKING NEWS

TOP BREAKING NEWS NOW.

THANKS TO THE STAUNCH NEWS ONLINE.

While we celebrate the lunching and official release of STAUNCH NEWS BROADCAST ONLINE, we join the Good People of Nigeria in Condemning the activities of the Terrorist Sect Called Boko Haram and plead to the good people of the world to lend their voices in condemning the sect's activities. One Terrorist attack to one child is a terror attack to all.

NIGERIA:

President Good luck Jonathan Has Accepted US Offer To Help Rescue Abducted Girls In Nigeria, State House Says
President Goodluck Jonathan today accepted a definite offer of help from the United States of America to locate and rescue the girls abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok three weeks ago, a presidential statement has said.
“The offer from President Barack Obama which was conveyed to President Jonathan by the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry in a telephone conversation which began at 15.30 Hours today, includes the deployment of U.S. security personnel and assets to work with their Nigerian counterparts in the search and rescue operation.”

 

Mothers and relatives of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamist militants in Nigeria. Photograph: Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters

Terrorists from a religious cult so reactionary you don't have to stretch the language too far to describe it as fascistic attack a school. The assault on a civilian target, filled with non-combatant children, has a grotesque logic behind it. They call themselves "Boko Haram", which translates as "western education is forbidden". The sect regards learning as oppression. They will stop all teaching that conflicts with a holy book from the 7th century and accounts of doubtful provenance on the life and sayings of their prophet written hundreds of years after he died.
A desire for sexual supremacy accompanies their loathing of knowledge. They take 220 schoolgirls as slaves and force them to convert to their version of Islam. They either rape them or sell them on for £10 or so to new masters. The girls are the victims of slavery, child abuse and forced marriage. Their captors are by extension slavers and rapists.
As you can see, English does not lack plain words to describe the foulness of the crimes in Nigeria, and no doubt they would be used in the highly improbable event of western soldiers seizing and selling women.
Yet read parts of the press and you enter a world of euphemism. They have not been enslaved but "abducted" or "kidnapped", as if they will be released unharmed when the parties have negotiated a mutually acceptable ransom. Writers are typing with one eye over their shoulder: watching their backs to make sure that no one can accuse them of "demonising the other".
Turn from today's papers to the theoretical pages of leftwing journals and you find that the grounds for understanding Boko Haram more and condemning it less were prepared last year.
Without fully endorsing Boko Haram, of course, socialists explained that it finds "resonance in the hearts of many poor and dispossessed" people, who are revolted by "the corruption and flamboyant lifestyle of the elites". Islamism is recast as a rational reaction to local corruption and the global oppression of "neoliberalism", one of those conveniently vague labels that can mean just about anything.
Once, rightwing newspapers or ultra-Catholic or orthodox Jewish writers would have been the least concerned about the subjugation of women and the most willing to find excuses for religious persecution. But with the reliability of a speaking clock, it is leftwing writers of the 21st century who seek to minimise violent reaction if – and only if – the reactionaries are anti-western. (They speak out against the lesser crimes of the US religious right, without a thought for their own double standards.)
"The mechanical denunciation of the west," wrote the French political theorist Pascal Bruckner in 2010, "forbids the western bloc, which is eternally guilty, to judge or combat other systems, other states, other religions. Our past crimes command us to keep our mouths closed." He might have been writing today, so persistent is the belief that the west is the root cause of the only oppression worth mentioning.
But the appearance that nothing has changed is deceptive. It was always absurd, and in its own way racist, to blame the problems of the world on "the west". Leftists came to resemble American neoconservatives. The US right, or an element of it, thought American military power could solve any ill. The left, or an element of it, talked as if the west was responsible for all ills. Both were self-obsessed. Both believed that the west remained the motor of history while the rest of humanity were bit players.
The most grievous offence was the failure of solidarity. You cannot ally with what liberal and leftwing forces there are in any country from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe if your are blaming their oppression on colonialism, neoliberalism or any other "ism" that is buzzing around in your head. You will end up excusing your comrades' enemies instead.
If occidentalism was absurd in the past, it's preposterous now. Boko Haram is not reacting to western intervention in Nigeria, for there is none. The only way you can pretend the west is to blame is by agreeing that knowledge is "western knowledge", rather than the property of the entire human race, and that the education of girls is "western cultural imperialism" – a road that leads you to nihilism as soon as you step down it.
Meanwhile, we are moving faster than anyone expected to a new age in which China will be the world's largest economy. For the first time since the 18th century, the dominant power will not allow internal opposition or the Chinese equivalent of the campaigns on behalf of the victims of its foreign policy that we saw in Britain, France and the US in the last 200 years. We have not begun to understand the turn for the worse the cause of global human rights is taking as empires shift.
On the few occasions western leftists feel they have to justify themselves, they say they must dedicate their energies to challenging what they can change. They cannot influence the Taliban or Boko Haram, but can lobby their own governments. Even if you take these explanations at face value – and I don't – they have a Tory feel to them. Until recently, it was conservatives, not leftists, who said that "charity begins at home" and quarrels in faraway countries were no concern of ours.
Peter Singer, a great radical philosopher, made the old distinction clear with a thought experiment. Imagine you are passing a shallow pond and see a child going under. You know that if you save the child you will ruin your clothes. Should you wade in? Of course you should, everyone replies: "It would be obscene to put your desire to save spending £50 on a new outfit before the life of a child."
Why then, asks Singer, do you not give money you can afford to spare to save the life a child in Africa?

The majority of conservatives say the deaths of children they know nothing of are not their business. Leftists, and again I accept I am generalizing, revolt against such parochialism. Yet when it comes to violence against civilians and, most notably, the denial of women's rights, they change the conversation to anything except the deeds of the criminals in front them. The girl can drown or be enslaved and raped. They have more pressing concerns.