Source: WENN

Shout out to Luke James because he just scored a major, potentially career-changing gig, as the opening performer for Beyonce’s Mrs. Carter Tour in Europe.

According to a news release, Luke was personally chosen for this opportunity by Queen Bey herself, who said:

“Luke James is a gifted singer and songwriter and what he does on stage with his pure falsetto is incredible.  I am excited to have him join the tour and to introduce this soulful singer to an audience in Europe that will be discovering a true star.”

Beyonce’s tour kicked off this Monday, April 15, in Serbia and she’ll be headed to Europe in a few more days, starting that leg of her tour in Paris, France, April 24 and ending it May 29 in Stockholm, Sweden. This isn’t the first time Bey and Luke have shared a stage together, the 2013 Grammy nominee for Best R&B performance was also the sole opening act for all four of Beyonce’s shows at Revel in Atlantic City for her “Back To Business” concerts last summer — and let’s not forget his feature role in her 2011 “Run the World” video. It’s pretty safe to say Luke James is on the major come-up, and he knows it too, saying:

“It is such an unimaginable honor to be sharing the light yet again with Beyoncé on her sold out Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. This is a blessing that I do not take lightly. Thank you Beyoncé.”

Check the soul singer out in the “Run the World” video below in case you missed him before. Are you a fan?

Stephanie Pilick/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

In the nearly three weeks since we first heard about traces of horse found in Burger King beef, there have been a number of stories about horse meat making its way into products across Europe. The latest is IKEA, which discovered horse meat in meatballs it was selling in Sweden. As a precaution, the company is removing meatballs from the shelves in 14 other countries, including France, Britain, Spain, and Italy.

“We do not tolerate any other ingredients than the ones stipulated in our recipes or specifications, secured through set standards, certifications and product analysis by accredited laboratories,” the company said in a statement.

An Icelandic horse. AP Photo/Gregory Payan

After the outbreak of mad cow disease across Europe in the 1990s, the continent cracked down on beef supplies. This latest horse meat crisis started about a month ago in England and has spread from country to country. The New York Times says the food giant Nestle had to remove items from shelves in Spain and Italy, and tons of burgers have been taken from the shelves in Britain. Other huge international food companies have also been impacted, shrink wrapped and ready for stew.

Authorities maintain that there is no health risk, but the scandal has got people worried about what exactly they’re eating.

The crisis hasn’t struck the US (we have our own food issues, thank you very much), but it should be noted, nonetheless, that there’s technically nothing wrong with eating horse. It’s just frowned upon. In Iceland for example, I went to a market where every part of the native Icelandic horse is sold as food.

But in case you’re concerned (the US doesn’t import from the companies that have been embroiled in the scandal), Businessweek gives you some info about how to tell if you’re eating horse.

“There’s a consensus that horse meat meat is softer, sweeter, leaner and even milder than beef,” the outlet says.

AP Photo/Carlsbad Current-Argus, Natalie Gross

According the CNN Money, Burger King announced Thursday that it has terminated its relationship with European supplier Silvercrest Foods after the discovery of “very small trace levels of equine DNA.” In other words, Burger King found out that one of the companies that provides it with its “100% Beef” burgers also had horse meat in its midst. Burger King stands by its claims that the tainted food never made it to restaurants or was sold to customers.

The Guardian has a statement from the burger chain:

“Our independent DNA test results on product taken from restaurants were negative for any equine DNA. However, four samples recently taken from the Silvercrest plant have shown the presence of very small trace levels of equine DNA. Within the last 36 hours, we have established that Silvercrest used a small percentage of beef imported from a non-approved supplier in Poland. They promised to deliver 100% British and Irish beef patties and have not done so. This is a clear violation of our specifications, and we have terminated our relationship with them.”

Burger King spokeswoman Kristen Hauser said in an email that Burger King’s U.S. restaurants don’t use meat from Silvercrest. However, the issue of horse meat making its way into beef products via Silvercrest is a big one overseas.

“We have stringent and overlapping controls to ensure that the products we sell to our customers meet our strict quality standards,” she said.

Ireland’s Food and Safety Authority noted that the products in question don’t pose a safety risk and that from its own tests of Polish-imported Silvercrest meat used for burger production, about four percent contained traces of horse.

There are people around the world (and throughout history) who have enjoyed horsemeat. But ewwww. I’m not quite sure what horse tastes like, but with all the processed food most people eat now a days I don’t’ know if anyone would have been the wiser.

WENN.com

From ESSENCE

After living in Zurich, Switzerland for nearly 20 years, Tina Turner is officially ready to make the northern European country her home.

According to Fox News, the 73-year-old will surrender her U.S. passport and adopt a Swiss one. “I’m very happy in Switzerland, and I feel at home here,” Turner told the German paper, Blick. “I cannot imagine a better place to live.”

Turner’s rep told the Zuerichsee-Zeitung, a local Zurich paper, she will “give back her U.S. citizenship.”

The Zurich council where she lives voted to grant the legendary singer and dancer citizenship; however, it will need to be approved at the state and federal level.

You can read the rest over at ESSENCE.

Are we the only ones more surprised that she actually hadn’t done this a long time ago?

WENN.com

Clearly, neither Naomi, her boyfriend nor his wife are concerned about their arrangement.  Those of us who follow celebrity culture are the only ones still scratching our heads about it. Meanwhile, Naomi has just nabbed her third house from her boo.

According to Gizmodo, Naomi’s billionaire boyfriend, Vladislav Doronin, commissioned  architect Zaha Hadid to create the spaceship, Jetsons-like mansion for his current lady love. This will be a 28, 524 square foot mansion that will also have two 65 foot towers (presumably, they’ll be bedrooms) that will overlook trees and valleys and all types of greenery. Where’s the house located? Moscow, of course. It should come as no surprise that the mansion is being built overseas; the penthouse he bought her is in Brazil and the “Eye of Horus” mansion he had built for her is in Turkey.  I suppose she can buy her own domestic homes.

I don’t think we’ll ever know the true nature of their relationship or Vladislav’s relationship with his wife but he has no problem going to red carpet events with Naomi and openly spending big bucks on her.

Check out more pictures at Gizmodo.

Do you think, if people on the outside looking in had no problems with it, you’d date a married man? Not just any married man; would you date a financially loaded married man?

Recent gas prices in California. AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Huzzah! Gas prices are dropping. If I had a car, I’d be even happier. Gas prices! Can someone do something about the Metrocard price now?

Gas prices are falling at the fastest rate in years, going down 12 cents in the past week. The national average is now about $3.65 a gallon with AAA expecting prices to go down to possibly $3.25 per gallon by Thanksgiving. Gas prices typically fall this time of year as demand drops; summer travel pushes the need for gas up. “[S]upply shortages and refinery woes on the West Coast and Midwest” actually kept gas prices high from the summer and through autumn, says USA Today.

Also falling are stock prices, which were driven down by earnings reports from major companies that indicate economic problem here and abroad. The Dow Jones was down 245 points, the S&P 500 down 24 points, and the Nasdaq was down 39 points this morning following news from a number of companies that are considered “bellwethers” for the economy. 3M, which makes everything from tape to construction products to items used for medical care said “current economic realities” were giving them pause. Dupont is cutting jobs. And Xerox stock is down 19 percent for the year.

Yesterday, Caterpillar lowered it profits projections for the year and predicted unchanged demand in its earnings report, though the company is moving forward with plans to build new plants. “As we’ve moved through the year, we’ve seen continued economic weakening and uncertainty,” said the company chairman and CEO Doug Oberhelman in this Wall Street Journal article. The company has already shut down plants and laid off workers. Caterpillar is so important because, as a construction and machines company, its sales reflect the health of a number of industries including mining and building.

The AP reports that the recession in Europe is playing a big role in the bad news, which is exactly why the region should’ve been a topic of discussion during last night’s debate. Also, companies are playing it cautious over fears about an increase in taxes due to the new healthcare law and the Great Recession.

Still… gas prices.

thelocal.de

The recession’s financial hardships as well as the turbulent topic of women’s healthcare in the upcoming election can force a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy to make an irrational decision or no decision at all.  Facing an unplanned pregnancy can quickly become a complicated process of emotions, values, the opinions of a partner and family influence and before a woman knows it, abortion may no longer be an option.

When I’ve lead discussion groups about pregnancy options, young women repeatedly cited one of two reasons for not choosing adoption: the fear of bodily changes and pain that comes with giving birth and not being able to live with the idea that somewhere in the world their child is growing up without them. In Europe, their practice of “baby boxes” may offer a solution for women who don’t believe in abortion, but feel they would be unable to handle the legality and complex process that comes with pursuing adoption. With it being National Baby Safety Month here, I thought this would be an interesting concept to share…

With Europe experiencing a debt crisis of their own, local charities are reporting a growth of young children and babies being abandoned throughout the region.  As a response, Europe has increased the number of “baby hatches” throughout the country where babies can be left anonymously.  This practice was once favored by immigrants, but is being increasingly taken advantage of by financially desperate members of the population.  A baby hatch is a place where mothers who feel they are unable to properly care for their newborn can anonymously leave them so that they can be picked up by a “carer” or social worker.  The hatches are heated and insulated and a sensor goes off to alert a caretaker to come retrieve the infant.  Although the practice dates back to medieval times, since 2000, baby hatches have spread through Germany where they are known as Babyklappe (baby hatch or flap), Italy where they are known as Culla per la vita (life cradle) and in Mandarin Chinese as a “baby safety island.”

Historically, baby hatches were once used by women who had children out-of-wedlock, but today, they are a viable option for women who feel unable to handle the financial and emotional burden of becoming a mother.  And for thousands of European women, the economic crisis has just gotten a bit too real. SOS Villages is a European charity whose purpose is to intervene for families experiencing financial hardships before abandonment starts to become an attractive option.  The organization reports that last year, 1200 children in Greece, and 750 babies in Italy have been abandoned.

Baby hatches aren’t a practice that is specific just to Europe. In response to increasing situations where newborn babies were being abandoned in dumpsters and public restrooms, Pennsylvania created the “Safe Haven Law,” which allows a woman to leave a child in one of 270 hospitals as well as municipal facilities like police stations and firehouses. Children may be left with a staff member anonymously and won’t be asked questions unless the baby is injured or sick.  For women who are especially anxious, some agencies even provide a crib for the child to be left in so the mother does not have to interact with anyone.  In a world of IUD’s, emergency contraception and safe haven laws, there is no reason why children should be in situations where they are abandoned or neglected.

But many critics argue that baby hatches just give sexually irresponsible women an easy way out and they violate the human rights of a child to be loved and cared for by their parents.  I mean, if a pregnancy can push an already financial fragile lifestyle to the point where you are choosing between feeding your child and yourself, you have to wonder why birth control isn’t a top priority.

Although some may say that baby hatches and safe haven laws deny a child the right to be loved and cared for by their birth parents, the sad truth is that the birth parents aren’t the best people to always care for a child.  Camden mother Chevonne Thomas recently decapitated her son before killing herself while under the influence of marijuana and PCP.  Thomas wasn’t ever exactly mother of the year after facing a charge of child endangerment when she left Zahree alone in a car. She was unable to remember where he was after “blacking out” high off drugs.  Zahree was taken away but Thomas regained custody this past April. Not everyone that can carry a pregnancy should be a parent, but when abortion or adoption isn’t an option, children should still have a choice. We aren’t doing children any justice by forcing mothers on the clock who don’t want the job.  Safe Haven laws and practices like it may have actually saved hundreds of “Zahrees” in a system that clearly failed one.

Do you think “baby hatches” do children a disservice?

Toya Sharee is a community health educator and parenting education coordinator who has a passion for helping young women build their self-esteem and make well-informed choices about their sexual health. She also advocates for women’s reproductive rights and blogs about everything from beauty to love and relationships. Follow her on Twitter @TheTrueTSharee or visit her blog Bullets and Blessings .

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If you watched HBO’s hit drama, Oz, you will no doubt remember Adebisi, the tough as nails African prisoner who intimidated almost everyone at least once, played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Well,  the England raised actor recently did an interview with The Guardian in which he discussed his new project, Farming, a movie based on his own life.  Sounds a bit much for an actor and perhaps even a little cocky? You might not think so when you hear this.

Although he was born in Nigeria, Adewale’s parents gave him to a white family in a practice called farming which is defined as informal fostering.  His foster parents who sometimes housed up to 10 African children at a time were what he called “ignorant” because they didn’t understand how to take care of them.  They also appeared to harbor certain racist views which lent to their ignorance. Adewale grew up wanting to be accepted in a neighborhood full of Skinheads who beat up anyone who even remotely looked non-white.

So in an attempt to avoid those beatings and also a way to let out his own anger about his birth and foster parents as a confused teen, Adewale became a member of the Skinheads. He hated the fact that he was Black because not only did he not fit in to his “European” world, but he also did not fit in to the “African” world since he hadn’t grown up there. Adewale took on the racist views (and the bald head) of the Skinhead group and participated in various crimes.  As he put it:

“When a child wants to be accepted,” he explains, “he’ll do anything. And if it means you’re getting a certain amount of notoriety from a fight, that’s what you’ll do. If all you’ve known is racism, abuse and persecution, then all of a sudden you’re getting some recognition, that’s your new drug. That’s what you want. By the time I was 16 I was someone to reckon with. I was so eager to repudiate any connection with any immigrant race I would go above and beyond. I was desperate to belong to something. That was my drive as a teenager.”

Wow. The story is absolutely compelling and continues to dig deeper about how he got out of that life and the roles both sets of parents played in his life, if any, as he got older.  I’ve heard some pretty radical things over the years but it would have never crossed my mind to think that someone could hate themselves so much that they’d join a gang to hurt the very people who look like him.

Please make sure you read the article right here.

London, Paris, Prague, and Rome are incomparable cities and are some of the most sought out tourist destinations in Europe, and while these places are definitely worth seeing in your lifetime, during a trip to Europe, take some time stray off the traditional path and instead spend time on the road less traveled by visiting some of the continent’s most prized yet hidden gems. In all countries within Europe there are plenty of smaller cities that are just as fun and picturesque as those that are more popular.

eng.namonitore.ru

To help you uncover some of the finest hidden gem cities in Europe, here are six relatively uncommon places that are still fun, exciting, rich in culture, and most importantly, safe vacation locations for you and your family. Here are six of the less common must see cities in Europe.

Pat Cleveland, a New York native of black, Cherokee and Irish descent, was born in 1952 to artistic parents. Her mother was well known American artist, Ladybird Cleveland, and her father was saxophonist, Johnny Johnston. The couple’s relationship didn’t last too long as Ladybird would go on to raise Pat by herself.

Pat’s modeling career started randomly one day as she was getting off the subway on her way to school. Carrie Donovan, the editor of Vogue at the time saw Pat and invited her to Vogue’s studio to do a trail shoot.

From there her career took off. Ebony Magazine’s Eunice Johnson invited a 15-year-old Cleveland to participate in Ebony Fashion Fair. Unlike many models in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, Cleveland enjoyed success as both a print and runway model. Her mother often served as a chaperone for her teenaged daughter, often crafting many of her outfits. In addition to her modeling career, Cleveland also danced on Broadway and incorporated her dancing abilities on the runway. Her unique walk would go on to become one of the most memorable in fashion history. Her walk was not the only thing that stood out about Cleveland. The model and dancer described her bountiful curly hair as a “flying carpet.”

In 1971, Cleveland moved to Europe and worked for some of the biggest names in the business.  Her blackness worked to her advantage. She walked in the legendary runway show that would come to be known as the “Battle of Versailles”. In 1973, unknown American designers used all African American models to outshine their French competitors. It was at this point European designers started to embrace black models.

In her personal life, Cleveland was good friends with artist Andy Warhol, fellow model Grace Jones and designer Stephen Burrows.

Eventually Cleveland put her career on hold to have a family with her husband Paul van Ravenstein. She has two children, Noel and Anna. Anna is following in her mother’s footsteps is also working as a model.

Though you doesn’t shut down the runways like she used to, Cleveland is still involved in the business. She appeared on the 14^th season of “America’s Next Top Model” and in 2003 she walked the runway with her daughter at a Chanel show.

People have often described Cleveland as having a zest for life as well as her career. In 2002, she told Honey Magazine, “ Fashion gives you that extra something. It helps make the world an interesting place to live in because it is part of life. Thank God for fashion.”

Source

Source

Check out some of Cleveland’s looks throughout her impeccable career.