My thoughts on Etta James... JANUARY 20, 2012, 5:59 pm
Etta James was a force to be reckoned with. A true gift to music and a woman of great spirit and courage.
Her raw tone and the passion she put forth on a record spoke to me at a very young age and has continued to influence and inspire me throughout my career. She will NEVER be forgotten, her voice will forever live on and she will inspire talent for generations to come.
And today, when Google asked its users to sign a petition protesting two anti-piracy laws circulating in Congress, millions responded.
A spokeswoman for Google confirmed that 4.5 million people added their names to the company's anti-SOPA petition today.
Not too shabby.
The petition, which was available via a link from Google's homepage, states that although fighting online piracy is important, the plan of attack described in the SOPA and PIPA bills would be ineffective.
"There’s no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive, creating millions of U.S. jobs," the petition reads. "Too much is at stake -– please vote NO on PIPA and SOPA."
The search engine frequently delights users by toying with its homepage logo, but on Wednesday it did something it had never done before: it blocked out its logo completely.
A link below the blackout read "Tell Congress: Please don't censor the web!" and lead to a page with the petition.
Of course, Google's anti-SOPA and PIPA petition is not the only one out there on this day of mass online protest. As of this writing 1.458 million people signed a similar petition at the activist website Avaaz.org, and Fight for the Future said that between its two sites, Sopastrike.com and AmericanCensorship.org, at least 350,000 people have sent emails to representatives in the House and Senate.
A graphic put out by Google shows that before today's coordinated protests, 3 million Americans had signed various petitions against the two bills. In other SOPA number news, a spokeswoman from the popular blogging platform WordPress, said that at last count, 25,000 WordPress blogs had joined the SOPA and PIPA protest by blacking out their blogs entirely, and another 12,500 used the "Stop Censorship" ribbon.
Today, the White House Blog reports that 103,785 people signed petitions through the We The People website asking the president to protect a free and open Internet.
Obviously Karlos and I agree that AguileraOnline's content is priceless and we take these impending threats very seriously, as should you. If you have yet to sign the petition, CLICK HERE. Otherwise, this could be a very dark and depressing reality.
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Unfortunately, it seems that the legendary, Miss Etta James, is [terminally ill] has passed on after battling Leukemia, Dementia, and Kidney Disease in addition to many other ailments. Etta James is a true fighter. I had to do a small tribute to her because not only is she truly amazing - but she is a major influence on our very own idol. Who knows if Christina would be who she is if this phenomenal vocalist had never been apart of this lifetime. From the absolute bottom of our hearts may we extend to you a sense of comfort and instill peace in your remaining time with us your after-life. We do not want to let you go. :( Please send your positive vibes and energy to this extraordinary woman.
Every Straight, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, Asexual persons should 'Share' this spectacular, groundbreaking message to people everywhere in every community, in every city, in every region, in every state, in every country, in every fashion to effectively reach those for and against free and equal dignities and rights.
The following is a transcript of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Human Rights Day speech, delivered today in Geneva. Text posted with permission from the White House Office of Communications:
Good evening, and let me express my deep honor and pleasure at being here. I want to thank Director General Tokayev and Ms. Wyden along with other ministers, ambassadors, excellencies, and UN partners. This weekend, we will celebrate Human Rights Day, the anniversary of one of the great accomplishments of the last century.
Beginning in 1947, delegates from six continents devoted themselves to drafting a declaration that would enshrine the fundamental rights and freedoms of people everywhere. In the aftermath of World War II, many nations pressed for a statement of this kind to help ensure that we would prevent future atrocities and protect the inherent humanity and dignity of all people. And so the delegates went to work. They discussed, they wrote, they revisited, revised, rewrote, for thousands of hours. And they incorporated suggestions and revisions from governments, organizations, and individuals around the world. At three o'clock in the morning on December 10th, 1948, after nearly two years of drafting and one last long night of debate, the president of the UN General Assembly called for a vote on the final text. Forty-eight nations voted in favor; eight abstained; none dissented. And the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. It proclaims a simple, powerful idea: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. And with the declaration, it was made clear that rights are not conferred by government; they are the birthright of all people. It does not matter what country we live in, who our leaders are, or even who we are. Because we are human, we therefore have rights. And because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them.
In the 63 years since the declaration was adopted, many nations have made great progress in making human rights a human reality. Step by step, barriers that once prevented people from enjoying the full measure of liberty, the full experience of dignity, and the full benefits of humanity have fallen away. In many places, racist laws have been repealed, legal and social practices that relegated women to second-class status have been abolished, the ability of religious minorities to practice their faith freely has been secured.
In most cases, this progress was not easily won. People fought and organized and campaigned in public squares and private spaces to change not only laws, but hearts and minds. And thanks to that work of generations, for millions of individuals whose lives were once narrowed by injustice, they are now able to live more freely and to participate more fully in the political, economic, and social lives of their communities.
Now, there is still, as you all know, much more to be done to secure that commitment, that reality, and progress for all people. Today, I want to talk about the work we have left to do to protect one group of people whose human rights are still denied in too many parts of the world today. In many ways, they are an invisible minority. They are arrested, beaten, terrorized, even executed. Many are treated with contempt and violence by their fellow citizens while authorities empowered to protect them look the other way or, too often, even join in the abuse. They are denied opportunities to work and learn, driven from their homes and countries, and forced to suppress or deny who they are to protect themselves from harm.
I am talking about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, human beings born free and given bestowed equality and dignity, who have a right to claim that, which is now one of the remaining human rights challenges of our time. I speak about this subject knowing that my own country's record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect. Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home.
Now, raising this issue, I know, is sensitive for many people and that the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights of LGBT people rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural, and religious beliefs. So I come here before you with respect, understanding, and humility. Even though progress on this front is not easy, we cannot delay acting. So in that spirit, I want to talk about the difficult and important issues we must address together to reach a global consensus that recognizes the human rights of LGBT citizens everywhere.
The first issue goes to the heart of the matter. Some have suggested that gay rights and human rights are separate and distinct; but, in fact, they are one and the same. Now, of course, 60 years ago, the governments that drafted and passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were not thinking about how it applied to the LGBT community. They also weren’t thinking about how it applied to indigenous people or children or people with disabilities or other marginalized groups. Yet in the past 60 years, we have come to recognize that members of these groups are entitled to the full measure of dignity and rights, because, like all people, they share a common humanity.
This recognition did not occur all at once. It evolved over time. And as it did, we understood that we were honoring rights that people always had, rather than creating new or special rights for them. Like being a woman, like being a racial, religious, tribal, or ethnic minority, being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.
It is violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave. It is a violation of human rights when governments declare it illegal to be gay, or allow those who harm gay people to go unpunished. It is a violation of human rights when lesbian or transgendered women are subjected to so-called corrective rape, or forcibly subjected to hormone treatments, or when people are murdered after public calls for violence toward gays, or when they are forced to flee their nations and seek asylum in other lands to save their lives. And it is a violation of human rights when life-saving care is withheld from people because they are gay, or equal access to justice is denied to people because they are gay, or public spaces are out of bounds to people because they are gay. No matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we are, we are all equally entitled to our human rights and dignity.
The second issue is a question of whether homosexuality arises from a particular part of the world. Some seem to believe it is a Western phenomenon, and therefore people outside the West have grounds to reject it. Well, in reality, gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths; they are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes; and whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbors.
Being gay is not a Western invention; it is a human reality. And protecting the human rights of all people, gay or straight, is not something that only Western governments do. South Africa’s constitution, written in the aftermath of Apartheid, protects the equality of all citizens, including gay people. In Colombia and Argentina, the rights of gays are also legally protected. In Nepal, the supreme court has ruled that equal rights apply to LGBT citizens. The Government of Mongolia has committed to pursue new legislation that will tackle anti-gay discrimination.
Now, some worry that protecting the human rights of the LGBT community is a luxury that only wealthy nations can afford. But in fact, in all countries, there are costs to not protecting these rights, in both gay and straight lives lost to disease and violence, and the silencing of voices and views that would strengthen communities, in ideas never pursued by entrepreneurs who happen to be gay. Costs are incurred whenever any group is treated as lesser or the other, whether they are women, racial, or religious minorities, or the LGBT. Former President Mogae of Botswana pointed out recently that for as long as LGBT people are kept in the shadows, there cannot be an effective public health program to tackle HIV and AIDS. Well, that holds true for other challenges as well.
The third, and perhaps most challenging, issue arises when people cite religious or cultural values as a reason to violate or not to protect the human rights of LGBT citizens. This is not unlike the justification offered for violent practices towards women like honor killings, widow burning, or female genital mutilation. Some people still defend those practices as part of a cultural tradition. But violence toward women isn't cultural; it's criminal. Likewise with slavery, what was once justified as sanctioned by God is now properly reviled as an unconscionable violation of human rights.
In each of these cases, we came to learn that no practice or tradition trumps the human rights that belong to all of us. And this holds true for inflicting violence on LGBT people, criminalizing their status or behavior, expelling them from their families and communities, or tacitly or explicitly accepting their killing.
Of course, it bears noting that rarely are cultural and religious traditions and teachings actually in conflict with the protection of human rights. Indeed, our religion and our culture are sources of compassion and inspiration toward our fellow human beings. It was not only those who’ve justified slavery who leaned on religion, it was also those who sought to abolish it. And let us keep in mind that our commitments to protect the freedom of religion and to defend the dignity of LGBT people emanate from a common source. For many of us, religious belief and practice is a vital source of meaning and identity, and fundamental to who we are as people. And likewise, for most of us, the bonds of love and family that we forge are also vital sources of meaning and identity. And caring for others is an expression of what it means to be fully human. It is because the human experience is universal that human rights are universal and cut across all religions and cultures.
The fourth issue is what history teaches us about how we make progress towards rights for all. Progress starts with honest discussion. Now, there are some who say and believe that all gay people are pedophiles, that homosexuality is a disease that can be caught or cured, or that gays recruit others to become gay. Well, these notions are simply not true. They are also unlikely to disappear if those who promote or accept them are dismissed out of hand rather than invited to share their fears and concerns. No one has ever abandoned a belief because he was forced to do so.
Universal human rights include freedom of expression and freedom of belief, even if our words or beliefs denigrate the humanity of others. Yet, while we are each free to believe whatever we choose, we cannot do whatever we choose, not in a world where we protect the human rights of all.
Reaching understanding of these issues takes more than speech. It does take a conversation. In fact, it takes a constellation of conversations in places big and small. And it takes a willingness to see stark differences in belief as a reason to begin the conversation, not to avoid it.
But progress comes from changes in laws. In many places, including my own country, legal protections have preceded, not followed, broader recognition of rights. Laws have a teaching effect. Laws that discriminate validate other kinds of discrimination. Laws that require equal protections reinforce the moral imperative of equality. And practically speaking, it is often the case that laws must change before fears about change dissipate.
Many in my country thought that President Truman was making a grave error when he ordered the racial desegregation of our military. They argued that it would undermine unit cohesion. And it wasn't until he went ahead and did it that we saw how it strengthened our social fabric in ways even the supporters of the policy could not foresee. Likewise, some worried in my country that the repeal of “Don't Ask, Don’t Tell” would have a negative effect on our armed forces. Now, the Marine Corps Commandant, who was one of the strongest voices against the repeal, says that his concerns were unfounded and that the Marines have embraced the change.
Finally, progress comes from being willing to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. We need to ask ourselves, "How would it feel if it were a crime to love the person I love? How would it feel to be discriminated against for something about myself that I cannot change?" This challenge applies to all of us as we reflect upon deeply held beliefs, as we work to embrace tolerance and respect for the dignity of all persons, and as we engage humbly with those with whom we disagree in the hope of creating greater understanding.
A fifth and final question is how we do our part to bring the world to embrace human rights for all people including LGBT people. Yes, LGBT people must help lead this effort, as so many of you are. Their knowledge and experiences are invaluable and their courage inspirational. We know the names of brave LGBT activists who have literally given their lives for this cause, and there are many more whose names we will never know. But often those who are denied rights are least empowered to bring about the changes they seek. Acting alone, minorities can never achieve the majorities necessary for political change.
So when any part of humanity is sidelined, the rest of us cannot sit on the sidelines. Every time a barrier to progress has fallen, it has taken a cooperative effort from those on both sides of the barrier. In the fight for women’s rights, the support of men remains crucial. The fight for racial equality has relied on contributions from people of all races. Combating Islamaphobia or anti-Semitism is a task for people of all faiths. And the same is true with this struggle for equality.
Conversely, when we see denials and abuses of human rights and fail to act, that sends the message to those deniers and abusers that they won’t suffer any consequences for their actions, and so they carry on. But when we do act, we send a powerful moral message. Right here in Geneva, the international community acted this year to strengthen a global consensus around the human rights of LGBT people. At the Human Rights Council in March, 85 countries from all regions supported a statement calling for an end to criminalization and violence against people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
At the following session of the Council in June, South Africa took the lead on a resolution about violence against LGBT people. The delegation from South Africa spoke eloquently about their own experience and struggle for human equality and its indivisibility. When the measure passed, it became the first-ever UN resolution recognizing the human rights of gay people worldwide. In the Organization of American States this year, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights created a unit on the rights of LGBT people, a step toward what we hope will be the creation of a special rapporteur.
Now, we must go further and work here and in every region of the world to galvanize more support for the human rights of the LGBT community. To the leaders of those countries where people are jailed, beaten, or executed for being gay, I ask you to consider this: Leadership, by definition, means being out in front of your people when it is called for. It means standing up for the dignity of all your citizens and persuading your people to do the same. It also means ensuring that all citizens are treated as equals under your laws, because let me be clear – I am not saying that gay people can’t or don’t commit crimes. They can and they do, just like straight people. And when they do, they should be held accountable, but it should never be a crime to be gay.
And to people of all nations, I say supporting human rights is your responsibility too. The lives of gay people are shaped not only by laws, but by the treatment they receive every day from their families, from their neighbors. Eleanor Roosevelt, who did so much to advance human rights worldwide, said that these rights begin in the small places close to home – the streets where people live, the schools they attend, the factories, farms, and offices where they work. These places are your domain. The actions you take, the ideals that you advocate, can determine whether human rights flourish where you are.
And finally, to LGBT men and women worldwide, let me say this: Wherever you live and whatever the circumstances of your life, whether you are connected to a network of support or feel isolated and vulnerable, please know that you are not alone. People around the globe are working hard to support you and to bring an end to the injustices and dangers you face. That is certainly true for my country. And you have an ally in the United States of America and you have millions of friends among the American people.
The Obama Administration defends the human rights of LGBT people as part of our comprehensive human rights policy and as a priority of our foreign policy. In our embassies, our diplomats are raising concerns about specific cases and laws, and working with a range of partners to strengthen human rights protections for all. In Washington, we have created a task force at the State Department to support and coordinate this work. And in the coming months, we will provide every embassy with a toolkit to help improve their efforts. And we have created a program that offers emergency support to defenders of human rights for LGBT people.
This morning, back in Washington, President Obama put into place the first U.S. Government strategy dedicated to combating human rights abuses against LGBT persons abroad. Building on efforts already underway at the State Department and across the government, the President has directed all U.S. Government agencies engaged overseas to combat the criminalization of LGBT status and conduct, to enhance efforts to protect vulnerable LGBT refugees and asylum seekers, to ensure that our foreign assistance promotes the protection of LGBT rights, to enlist international organizations in the fight against discrimination, and to respond swiftly to abuses against LGBT persons.
I am also pleased to announce that we are launching a new Global Equality Fund that will support the work of civil society organizations working on these issues around the world. This fund will help them record facts so they can target their advocacy, learn how to use the law as a tool, manage their budgets, train their staffs, and forge partnerships with women’s organizations and other human rights groups. We have committed more than $3 million to start this fund, and we have hope that others will join us in supporting it.
The women and men who advocate for human rights for the LGBT community in hostile places, some of whom are here today with us, are brave and dedicated, and deserve all the help we can give them. We know the road ahead will not be easy. A great deal of work lies before us. But many of us have seen firsthand how quickly change can come. In our lifetimes, attitudes toward gay people in many places have been transformed. Many people, including myself, have experienced a deepening of our own convictions on this topic over the years, as we have devoted more thought to it, engaged in dialogues and debates, and established personal and professional relationships with people who are gay.
This evolution is evident in many places. To highlight one example, the Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality in India two years ago, writing, and I quote, “If there is one tenet that can be said to be an underlying theme of the Indian constitution, it is inclusiveness.” There is little doubt in my mind that support for LGBT human rights will continue to climb. Because for many young people, this is simple: All people deserve to be treated with dignity and have their human rights respected, no matter who they are or whom they love.
There is a phrase that people in the United States invoke when urging others to support human rights: “Be on the right side of history.” The story of the United States is the story of a nation that has repeatedly grappled with intolerance and inequality. We fought a brutal civil war over slavery. People from coast to coast joined in campaigns to recognize the rights of women, indigenous peoples, racial minorities, children, people with disabilities, immigrants, workers, and on and on. And the march toward equality and justice has continued. Those who advocate for expanding the circle of human rights were and are on the right side of history, and history honors them. Those who tried to constrict human rights were wrong, and history reflects that as well.
I know that the thoughts I’ve shared today involve questions on which opinions are still evolving. As it has happened so many times before, opinion will converge once again with the truth, the immutable truth, that all persons are created free and equal in dignity and rights. We are called once more to make real the words of the Universal Declaration. Let us answer that call. Let us be on the right side of history, for our people, our nations, and future generations, whose lives will be shaped by the work we do today. I come before you with great hope and confidence that no matter how long the road ahead, we will travel it successfully together. Thank you very much.
We as fans, can't really ask for anything else from Christina Maria Aguilera. In ONE year, she has released a full LP, Bionic, a ball of bright bursting energy that truly is the greatest album of 2010 no matter what haters have to say about it. She stepped into new artistic territory with her very first feature film, Burlesque, in which she acted her ass off in a debut film. The crossover artists are few when it comes to achieving the kind of success she has in crossing over from singer to silver screen siren. Not to mention the Burlesque soundtrack in which Christina herself had executive producing rights to which gave us 8 more songs/videography from that alone. She has endured personal hardships, and has really come out the better person, striving for inner peace and happiness, and is ready to share her setbacks and triumphs with the entire world...mesmerizing. She is apart of a #1 television show, The Voice, in which she was placed at the forefront of all the promo, doing countless interviews, appearances, and has gained an audience of 12 million + people tuning in each week. She's everywhere. Late Night programs, magazine covers, real unscripted interviews where she's speaking from the heart, a hot new collaboration with Maroon 5. People everywhere are talking about her! We've got to see amazing live performances singing Gnarls Barkley, Queen, her own classics, not to mention the intense coaching snippets we've seen of her attacking songs and teaching her techniques to her apprentices. Speaking of, we've had the wonderful opportunity to see a whole new side to Christina. Her playfulness, her editing eye in regards to vocal gymnastics, her camaraderie with the other 'Voice' coaches, her feisty fiery side, her determination, her emotional investments about her passions, we are TRULY lucky to follow someone so perfectly flawed. What's to come you ask? A new music video for 'Moves Like Jagger' Season 2 of 'The Voice' a new album... astonishing. Thank you Christina! You truly are a godsend inspiration. You're human after all, and that's what we love and respect about you. You're your own person for better or worse. No matter what you're faced with, you get right back up and set an example for us all.
Upon arriving to the parking garage at the Overland entrance in Culver city at 4 pm, I was sitting in the back seat of Karlos's '97 Landrover next to Aiden Valenciano. Carlos Gomez was driving the newly dubbed "Xtina Safari" with Nathan Webster riding shotgun. Once we arrived at the security booth, Karlos told the guy that "We're in the audience for Christina Aguilera." The guy then told us that we'd have to go up to the folding tables where the people from Gotham Casting were located and to park on the fourth floor.
As soon as we drive into the parking garage we immediately saw the team from Gotham Casting as well as a few early bird fans that were seated waiting patiently on the left part of the garage. Karlos let me and Aiden out of the Landrover so we could get checked in for the event. A handsome black guy told us to "just hang out for a bit, then we'll call your names." So in the meantime while Karlos and Nathan were parking, I took the liberty to introduce myself to everyone who was there.
I was suddenly SWEPT AWAY because I was FLOODED WITH EXCITEMENT TO BE THERE. I could NOT sit any longer than 30 seconds! There were a total of eight fans awaiting and with our arrival we upped it to 12. I enthusiastically informed the fans I am a coauthor for AguileraOnline and told them the back story as to why we created the site and what purpose it serves. We also talked about when we became fans and the play by play of events that happened after receiving the confirmation email! Here's how it went down for me:
Roughly two weeks prior, I was closing up the store I work at and was walking out to the parking lot with my coworker. SUDDENLY I get a phone call from Karlos... "I'M GOING TO STORYTELLERS!" I immediately shouted out with excitement and I was tempted with an affair with jealousy. I NEEDED TO GET MY ASS HOME. So I finished chatting with my coworker and hauled it homeward bound. As I'm walking in through the front door to my house, I made my way up the stairs, down the hall, through my bedroom door, and into my chair, grabbed my laptop, and clicked GMail and read the subject header: "CHRISTINA AGUILERA STORYTELLERS: PLEASE RESPOND BACK!" I then started VIOLENTLY screaming at the top of my lungs! I woke up my mom and she was asking me what was wrong. I don't know that I really spoke words in reply to her, I just remember making different sounding screams. I went into her bedroom and told her the news and suddenly my legs fell right from under me! I collapsed on the floor, and my mom was like "I'm going to slap you." LOL I whispered that I was going to Storytellers because I was completely hyperventilating. So someway, somehow I made it to the kitchen to get some air. I called up my sister and told her the news. I started BAWLING my eyes out of my head. Then I started hysterically laughing like a hiena! I then called everyone else I could think of as well.
So everyone got a good laugh at that after I shared my story. Finally, after making a lasting impression with Adam and Alex, we remained rather close knit for the remainder of the evening. While fans started to pour in, and Karlos and Nathan were joined up with us, the guy from Casting checked us off and we confirmed our guests. I was number 115 on the guest list. Karlos and I teamed up to introduce ourselves and tell people about the site, and take pictures of fans who wanted to be featured on the site as well. After awhile, the numbers were pretty seemingly overwhelming and we decided to cease photographing the attendees.
After about 50 or so fans had showed up, the Casting members called the names of those fans who had been handpicked to ask Christina questions. I was not among them, but no matter. The only thing was I had TEN well thought out questions and I was a little disappointed I wasn't granted the opportunity to present them. So I took it upon myself to present them to Gotham Casting who picked the questions. I walked up and said: "Now I understand you have preselected the questions to ask Christina, but I wanted for you to review these ones I have prepared." This girl replied back, "Well we didn't actually pick them, but HE did" and she pointed me to this stout gentleman who was evidently responsible for the selections.
"Will you review these for me?" I inquired.
"Wait, what am I supposed to do?" He asked.
"Just look them over. That's all."
After about 45 seconds, he responded that they were very good questions and I said thanks and rejoined the pod. Before you knew it, they were starting a security check of all the people attending and my group and I were first in line. Karlos had to leave! He had to return his camera to the Xtina Safari since the possession of cameras were restricted! So we were directed and then lined up in the studio's lot and we were the first group in line. Eagerly I awaited Karlos's return, but no sign of him still! So I returned back to the parking garage where they were checking people, and he was far back in line! My heart was racing! No WAY was this going to happen. We could NOT be broken up like that! I hustled back to my pod to fill everyone in that he was in fact, back in line. I waited a little bit, and went back for him. We were signaling each other to communicate. "Don't leave without me!" He mouthed. I wasn't going ANYWHERE without him. FINALLY he got through, and we hustled up to rejoin the group.
We were standing in the shadows of the surrounding buildings so despite it being a hot sunny day, it was quite cool. The excitement was building more and more and I couldn't contain it. YES I GOT EVEN MORE EXCITED! A couple fans of the blog were in attendance, and someone told me I should yell "AguileraOnline says hello!" Annnd I did. Lol. We ended up finding them and they were only a few people down from us which was really cool. Upon meeting them, a guy standing right by them came forward and said he follows our site religiously as well. Such a huge compliment and completely humbling to know we reach so many people we have not heard from!
So after a little while, Nathan informs us they are seating with no apparent order, so us being first didn't guarantee us close seats (front row). I wasn't too worried. It was declared as an intimate setting, so I figured there would be no "bad seats." We were enjoying each others company, and my excitement level was sky rocketing even more so. All of a sudden, a girl from Gotham Casting comes over and asks "How many of you are there in this little group?" So we were like, "Just us." So she ends up moving us to this other line, and I'm not exactly sure why we're getting moved, but as we reach this new line, we get advanced to go into the stage area, and she requests that we go "crazy" and keep up the energy. Um...I am definitely an outstanding member of the "Go Crazy For Xtina" squad. Check!
So our line moves to enter the stage and in the alleyway next to the stage, is a waist high metal fence with Bob the bodyguard on standby (6'5" Black Guy, Shades, Black Suit, and Nike Kicks). Behind him is a silver stretch limousine and on the left is Trailer 2 (Wardrobe) and Trailer 1. Christina's in Trailer 1. So while in line, someone yells, "You're the best bodyguard for my legend!" - Bob laughs. Then I said something and he went completely stone faced. LOL. Then I retorted that I must have come off as creepy and he laughed. Afterwards, Simone Harouche, Christina's personal stylist, exits Trailer 1. I yelled "SIMONE!!!" and she turns and we all wave to her and she laughed.
Shortly thereafter, we move into the stage which was turning out the Christina tunes. We take our seats (second row, stage right) and me and Audrey are belting out the songs, letting them flow through and through, we're having a blast. When "Makes Me Wanna Pray" came on, I was stomping my feet and waving my hands in the air! A little while after, I get up to go to the restroom, and I get back, round the front row to get to my seat, and suddenly, I STOPPED DEAD IN MY TRACKS. Jeri Slaughter was talking to Karlos and Aiden! I completely froze! Everyone saw, including Jeri, and laughed at me. I snapped out of it after like five seconds of freezing up, introduced myself, shook his hand and sat down and continued on conversing. (I'm so So SO glad I came back down to Earth to talk to him. I didn't want to come off as a freak =] )
I asked him if Christina herself has ever seen the blog, and he says "Actually, yeah, I showed her that video you guys posted, the HRShow Experience, she loves the site!" I was like "Oh cool!" Which overjoyed me. I then asked if he could coordinate anything between ourselves and her, a signing/picture, what have you. He said he'd check into it with management, but I didn't get my hopes up. I was just happy to be there. After awhile, the producer from VH1, Mike Flanagan, says a few words and then thereafter, the show begins.
*Spoiler Alert*
CHRISTINA SWARMED IN FROM WHO KNOWS WHERE. She began with "Bionic" which I couldn't even hear fully because it was as if someone unleashed a wild fire of chaos! Everyone was going INSANE. "Not Myself Tonight" was the second song she performed. Completely nuts, bananas! Then she spoke a few words and took it back for a bit and whipped our asses with the "Stripped Intro!" Yeah, you read that right, she spanked our asses with a live version of "Stripped Intro." My jaw dropped. Then! She went into "DIRRTY" and she came stage right and dropped it low, squatted during the part where she says "On the floor" opened her legs and closed them again x2 right before my very eyes. O_O
Afterwards, several stage hands lifted a grand piano onto the stage for set-up for "Beautiful." Linda Perry came out on stage, and tested a few keys. Then her and X began telling us the story behind how it came about that Christina ended up being chosen to record it. Very cool back story behind it all! Can't wait for you to hear it.
After "Beautiful was performed, the producers came over to me, Audrey, and Karlos, and asked us if we wanted to sit front row center because of our "incredible energy." MY LIFE HAD BEEN MADE. I said "Of course!!" So we proceeded over to where we were directed and were closer than ever. I was hovering over the girls who had been occupying the seats at the time and was later revealed to me by Nathan, that they had almost ZERO energy. Sooo, better us than them. Who's going to go see Christina and not have the time of your life?! Those girls needed smacked.
After being relocated, Christina revealed she was going to do a song she's "never performed before." I immediately knew which song it was before she revealed the track title. I immediately looked over to Aiden, who had just revealed the night before the ONE SONG he has always wanted to hear her perform live, was "I'm OK." He was completely shaken to the core upon hearing Christina herself say she was going to perform it. It was fate that I picked him as my guest for Storytellers. We've known each other for three years, and was down for when we started the site too. So we go way back.
"I'm OK" was an overwhelmingly emotional moment. The song personally hits home metaphorically for me as it does literally/metaphorically for other Xtina fans. You could tell she had a difficult time getting through it, as she physically shook as she uttered the blatantly honest lyrics.
Christina then switched up the game with her Back To Basics section of the show, and kicked things off with "Back To Basics Intro." Then with the swing of things she dives into "Ain't No Other Man" and after the first note has to take another take. "Sorry guys I sang the wrong note." I exclaimed, "It's OK TAKE AS MANY TAKES AS YOU NEED" haha. I could listen to this girl sing 24/7. OMG let me just say, hearing her LIVE is 50x better than the studio recording. INSANITY! So with the second take, the song is on fire, and I'm dancing my ass off! This is the song that made me such a HUGE, HARDCORE, fan of hers ever since she performed it at the MTV Movie Awards back in 2006.
So the song is electrifying my soul, and I don't even know what time in the song she did this, but she POINTED RIGHT AT ME, LOOKED RIGHT INTO MY EYES, and kept on singing. I cannot even begin to describe the look she had in her eyes, but at that moment in time, EVERYTHING WENT SILENT. I couldn't hear the band, the people around me, the music blaring through the speakers, nothing. It was as if I experienced a divine intervention. Legendtina touched my soul. We were feeding off of each others energies, and it was pure magic.
After that happened, I honestly can't recall what happened afterwards with as much clarity. But she took things way back with a medley of "Genie In A Bottle/What A Girl Wants," (OMG I got to see her do her classic genie move!) and then dove right into "You Lost Me," which completely was the climax of the program. It was incredible. She was on the floor singing it which made it even more raw and heartfelt. She closed the show with "Fighter" and for this song, I was ON POINT with the choreography, move for move. I was like her mirror image, minus the gender difference, etc., LOL. After the finale performance of "Fighter," she came right off stage, and strutted right past me and flung out her hands to touch her fans, and then she disappeared like that.
It was honestly the most magical time of my life, and I can't wait for you all to experience it once it airs tonight. It is truly remarkable.
Hey everyone! So, I gave Christina some promotion tonight. I posted her "Keeps Gettin' Better" video on a Billboard in DOWNTOWN San Antonio, TX! It's kind of dark, but it was fun showing it to people that were exiting the Nutcracker Ballet! My great friend Mr. Dennis Obama and myself did this for all you Christina Aguilera Fans! Hope you all enjoy it!
I just wanted to thank all of the Christina fans that have been supporting our blog.
Us guys got together from different parts of the United States to create this site so that fans like ourselves can be kept up to date with anything and everything Christina...
We each live in different time zones so the Christina News is updated as the news breaks around the country...
So you can bet your sweet little asses it's fast!
We strive to become the #1 Christina Blog/Fan site! We invite you to stay with us
and make this happen! Thanks again & make sure to visit us regularly...
Last night, I sat down with my hubby and tuned into watch "E! Entertainment Special: Christina Aguilera" it was a 2hr special, about her entire life, her goals and her accomplishments and I noticed several things! One she wrote a song about max and I THINK got part of the lyrics from that song which go something like this "our night to remember And I promise i will love,love,love now and forever" maybe its a song about Max or a song about Jordan, either way I can't wait to hear her sing the song! Another thing I noticed was that before the went to commercials in parts of the special they played a very different beat to what they were playing before, maybe it's the instrumental version of a new Christina song! the producers and collaborators said that this new album will be GROUNDBREAKING! If so, our ALREADY POP ICON Christina Aguilera is going to make our ears very happy in these upcoming months!! I honestly cant wait to listen to the new album!
"Christina Aguilera is a musical Genius, everything she does is just perfection"- Aiden Valenciano
I made this small video, that shows how proud her family and friends are of Christina! and so am I.
We as fans, can't really ask for anything else from Christina Maria Aguilera. In ONE year, she has released a full LP, Bionic, a ball of bright bursting energy that truly is the greatest album of 2010 no matter what haters have to say about it. She stepped into new artistic territory with her very first feature film, Burlesque, in which she acted her ass off in a debut film. The crossover artists are few when it comes to achieving the kind of success she has in crossing over from singer to silver screen siren. Not to mention the Burlesque soundtrack in which Christina herself had executive producing rights to which gave us 8 more songs/videography from that alone. She has endured personal hardships, and has really come out the better person, striving for inner peace and happiness, and is ready to share her setbacks and triumphs with the entire world...mesmerizing. She is apart of a #1 television show, The Voice, in which she was placed at the forefront of all the promo, doing countless interviews, appearances, and has gained an audience of 12 million + people tuning in each week. She's everywhere. Late Night programs, magazine covers, real unscripted interviews where she's speaking from the heart, a hot new collaboration with Maroon 5. People everywhere are talking about her! We've got to see amazing live performances singing Gnarls Barkley, Queen, her own classics, not to mention the intense coaching snippets we've seen of her attacking songs and teaching her techniques to her apprentices. Speaking of, we've had the wonderful opportunity to see a whole new side to Christina. Her playfulness, her editing eye in regards to vocal gymnastics, her camaraderie with the other 'Voice' coaches, her feisty fiery side, her determination, her emotional investments about her passions, we are TRULY lucky to follow someone so perfectly flawed. What's to come you ask? A new music video for 'Moves Like Jagger' Season 2 of 'The Voice' a new album... astonishing. Thank you Christina! You truly are a godsend inspiration. You're human after all, and that's what we love and respect about you. You're your own person for better or worse. No matter what you're faced with, you get right back up and set an example for us all.
Editor's Note:
Last night, I sat down with my hubby and tuned into watch "E! Entertainment Special: Christina Aguilera" it was a 2hr special, about her entire life, her goals and her accomplishments and I noticed several things! One she wrote a song about max and I THINK got part of the lyrics from that song which go something like this "our night to remember And I promise i will love,love,love now and forever" maybe its a song about Max or a song about Jordan, either way I can't wait to hear her sing the song! Another thing I noticed was that before the went to commercials in parts of the special they played a very different beat to what they were playing before, maybe it's the instrumental version of a new Christina song! the producers and collaborators said that this new album will be GROUNDBREAKING! If so, our ALREADY POP ICON Christina Aguilera is going to make our ears very happy in these upcoming months!!
