Pope John Paul II Beatification

More than one million people are expected in Rome this weekend for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, the biggest event in Vatican City since his death six years ago.

Hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful will gather in St. Peter's Square to witness the ceremony, the penultimate step towards John Paul II's sainthood.

Beatification means the candidate can be referred to as "blessed," and that one miracle has been confirmed in his or her name, according to CNN's John L. Allen, Jr. Another miracle is required for canonization, the formal act of declaring someone a saint.

While normally a person cannot become a saint until 50 years after their death, John Paul II was put on a fast track to sainthood by the current Pope Benedict XVI, who waived the normal five-year waiting period to begin the beatification process.

While Rome is used to hosting big crowds, there is something special about this weekend's celebration to commemorate the late pope's road to sainthood, according to the city's mayor.

"Pope Wojtyla was a friend not just of the faithful but of all of Rome," says Mayor Gianni Alemanno, referring to the pope by his birth name. "We remember him in our neighborhoods and our churches, unforgettable memories that we want to celebrate together."

An extra 120 charter planes will bring thousands of faithful from Poland and Spain to Rome for the ceremony.

On top of those extra charter planes, Alitalia and other airlines are laying on 30 more "special flights" to bring pilgrims to Rome. The city's Fiumcino airport has even set up monitors in the departure lounges displaying documentaries of the late pope's life.

While the image of John Paul is ubiquitous throughout Rome on a normal day -- his face finding its way onto rosaries, candles, T-shirts and trinkets -- pictures of the late pope are unavoidable ahead of Sunday's beatification.

Rome's city government has plastered 30,000 posters of John Paul II around the city on everything from coffee shop windows to taxicabs and buses. Streetlamps are draped with banners, and every major Italian newspaper and magazine has issued special editions.

Epoca magazine's retrospective issue even refers to John Paul II as a saint despite the fact he will remain one step away after Sunday.

Documentaries about John Paul II's life have dominated Italian airwaves in recent days, and the beatification will be broadcast in St. Peter's Square and in Italian city squares from Brescia to Bari.

In a rare move, the Vatican and the Italian government are both issuing stamps to commemorate the occasion.

In addition to the transferring of John Paul II's casket before the tomb of St. Peter and Saturday night's vigil at Circus Maximus, the city of Rome has also organized a series of events, including a Monday concert and the unveiling of a bronze statue of John Paul II in mid-May.

The city will also provide 3,000 police and traffic officers, thousands of volunteers and additional buses and metro services.

A no-fly zone will be in effect over St. Peter's Square, and field hospitals and medical assistance points will be set up.

The cost of the beatification ceremony to the city of Rome alone will be 3.5 million euros, according to government officials.

Mosley: I’m doing Floyd’s ‘dirty work’ vs Pacquiao

NEW YORK (AP)—Shane Mosley believes he’s doing Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s “dirty work” by facing Manny Pacquiao, and he has no intention of losing to the popular Filipino champion.

Pacquiao and Mosley were in New York on Monday to wrap up a three-city press tour promoting their fight, which will air on pay-per-view May 7 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Fans have been clamoring the past couple years for Pacquiao to face Mayweather in what could be the richest fight in boxing history.

But Mayweather has been reluctant to face Pacquiao, and he’s now in legal trouble that could prevent the matchup from ever happening.

“I don’t know what to make of Floyd not fighting this fight. It’s mind-boggling to me,” said Mosley, who lost a lopsided decision to the unbeaten Mayweather last year. “It’s like I said on Twitter, it feels like I’m doing Floyd’s dirty work.”

Mosley thinks part of the reason Mayweather hasn’t fought Pacquiao is that he’s a southpaw, and left-handers have caused Mayweather trouble in the past.

But the bigger issue appears to be legal: Mayweather is accused of felony grand larceny, coercion and robbery from an incident last September, and also faces misdemeanor domestic battery and harassment charges.

There’s no telling how long it will take those issues to be resolved, and no guarantee Mayweather will ever step in the ring again, much less against Pacquiao.

“What I have done in boxing, I am satisfied, I’m happy, and I’m not really pushing that fight hard,” Pacquiao said Monday during an interview at The Associated Press. “If that fight happens, that’s good for me and the fans, because the fans are very eager to see that fight.

“People want to see a good fight,” he said moments later, “between me and him.”

For now, though, they’ll have to settle for one against Mosley.

The former five-time champion split with Golden Boy Promotions, of which he was part owner, just to land the opportunity against the sport’s most bankable star.

Mosley even lobbied at the home of Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum that he should be chosen for the fight.

Now, the 39-year-old Mosley is defending himself against fans and critics who believe he’s too far past his prime to give Pacquiao much competition.

After all, Mosley was nearly shut out by Mayweather last May and managed only an uninspiring draw against Sergio Mora in September.

“I’m sure there will be other opportunities,” Mosley said, “but this is a fighter who is supposed to be one of the best in history. To take him out would be remarkable.”

Mosley isn’t the only one coming to his defense.

Arum called him “the epitome of what we like a fighter to be,” and Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said that it’s hard to get motivated for a guy such as Mora.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao gushed over all that Mosley has accomplished, calling him one of the best of his generation.

“I respect and I really admire Team Mosley, because this is my first time to encounter an opponent where they’re not talking trash,” Pacquiao said. “In the ring, we’ll have to forget we’re friends and do our job and give everybody a good fight.”

Pacquiao plans to spend about four weeks training in the Philippines, which allows him to spend time with his family and tend to his political career; he was elected to Congress from the Sarangani province last year.

Then he’ll head to the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles for about three weeks, before jetting off to Las Vegas for the week of the fight.

It’ll be the first time Pacquiao fights in Las Vegas since 2009, after fighting twice last year at Cowboys Stadium near Dallas.

Tickets at the MGM Grand had nearly sold out by Monday, and closed-circuit tickets at casinos on The Strip are already on sale.

“I always said that the best matchup would be Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao,” said Nazim Richardson, who will train Mosley for the fight and who joined the chorus of praise for boxing’s current standard-bearer. “This guy has been one of the best in history.

“If you don’t like Manny Pacquiao,” Richardson said with a smile, “then he must have done something to you personally, because it’s impossible not to like Manny.”

source : http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ap-pacquiao-mosley

The Royal Wedding 2011

LONDON (Nov. 16) -- Thirty years after the fairy-tale nuptials with the unhappy ending, Britain will finally have another big royal wedding: its dashing helicopter-pilot prince - second in line to the throne - will marry the lovely commoner who may someday become queen.

Prince William and Kate Middleton bubbled with joy Tuesday evening in their first public appearance since the palace announced their engagement after more than eight years of dating. Their wedding will be next spring or summer.

In a poignant symbol for William, his betrothed wore the sapphire and diamond engagement ring that belonged to his late mother, Diana.

"I thought it was quite nice because obviously she's not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all. This was my way of keeping her close to it all," William said.


While the romance of the two 28-year-olds is the stuff that dreams are made of, it is no exaggeration to say that the future of the Windsor dynasty depends to no small degree on the success of their union.

"We're massively excited," William said in the televised interview that marked the first time they have spoken publicly about the trials and tribulations of their love affair, which dates back to their days as university freshmen. "We're hugely excited. We're looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together."

The interview reminded many of a similar TV appearance by William's parents, Prince Charles and Diana, shortly after they became engaged.

At that time, Diana seemed frightened of the limelight and withdrawn; by contrast, Middleton seemed at ease in front of the cameras. She said she wished she had met Diana, who died in a car crash in 1997.


I would love to have met her. She's an inspirational woman," Middleton said as William looked on.

The royal wedding represents a chance for the Windsors to start anew. Middleton brings youth and glamour to a monarchy tarnished by divorce and scandal. There is already warm public support for William.

A strong, stable marriage - one that lasts decades and produces heirs - could go a long way toward undoing the damage from the ugly squabbling and televised confessions of adultery that marred the final years of Charles and Diana's tortured marriage, which began on such a high note with their spectacular wedding in 1981.

"This is their chance to rejuvenate the dynasty," said Patrick Jephson, former private secretary to Princess Diana. "This is an opportunity for a welcome national celebration."

News of the engagement was greeted with enthusiasm - and relief - in Britain. Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, said they were "absolutely delighted for them both," Buckingham Palace said. Prince Charles said he was "thrilled." Middleton's parents, Carole and Michael, also gushed.

"We all think he's wonderful. We're extremely fond of him," Michael Middleton said, standing near the couple's large house in the affluent Berkshire countryside.

Royal officials said that while Middleton is commonly known as Kate, her official name is Catherine Elizabeth. She will be named Queen Catherine if William, as expected, eventually takes the throne.

Middleton, in a royal blue dress that matched the engagement ring, said she had suffered when their relationship was in trouble - including a separation that left her unhappy - but that they had grown stronger in the years they've been together.

"You go through the good times, you go through the bad times," she said, promising to "learn quickly" in her new royal role.

William proposed during a vacation in Kenya last month and gave Middleton the oval blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds from the jeweler Garrard that Charles had given his mother.


William said he carried the ring around with him for weeks as he sought the right moment to pop the question. Middleton showed the ring with obvious pride.

She described the proposal this way: "It was very romantic, and it was very personal."

The union has important implications for the monarchy's line of succession. Kate and William's first child would move ahead of his younger brother, Prince Harry, to become third in line to the throne.

Middleton acknowledged that being queen was "a daunting prospect." She declined to say whether the prince had gone down on bended knee when he proposed.

The two met as freshmen at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, starting out as just friends but quickly becoming boyfriend and girlfriend.

"Obviously we both have a very fun time together, both have a very good sense of humor about things. We're down to earth ... and she's got plenty of habits that make me laugh that I tease her about," William said as he and Middleton faced photographers earlier Tuesday.

There is no firm date for the wedding, and the venue has not been specified. Speculation focused on St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.

It is not yet clear whom the elegant Middleton will choose as a dress designer, and the royal titles the couple will assume when they become man and wife have not yet been revealed.

The marriage will link Middleton - whose parents, self-made millionaires, founded a successful mail-order party supply business after working in the airline industry - with William, scion of one of the richest families in the world.

Midddleton attended Marlborough College, an elite private school, where she played tennis and field hockey, before studying art history at St. Andrews. After graduating in 2005, Middleton worked as a buyer for the fashion chain Jigsaw. She is now employed by her family's party-planning business.

William has tried to lead a normal life, training to become a military helicopter rescue pilot, but has also become accustomed to extravagant vacations at the world's most exclusive hideaways.

As a boy, he was traumatized by his parents' very public divorce and the tragic loss of his mother. Diana died with her boyfriend, Dodi Al Fayed, in a car crash as frenzied paparazzi chased the couple through the streets of Paris, causing their inebriated driver to lose control of the vehicle.

Both William and Harry enjoy tremendous public goodwill in Britain, in part because they remind many of their mother.

While Charles and Diana often seemed tense at times during their brief courtship, William and Middleton seem relaxed and comfortable together. They are both the same age - unlike Charles and the much younger Diana - and they have lived together in shared student housing, giving them plenty of time to really know each other.

Many in Britain welcomed the royal engagement as a rare piece of good news in a time of economic uncertainty and cutbacks - a time much like 1981, when millions watched Charles and Diana's wedding.

Prime Minister David Cameron wished William and Kate "great joy in their life together," and said that when he announced the news during a Cabinet meeting, it was greeted by cheers and "a great banging of the table."

For pomp, the ceremony is likely to fall between the extraordinary spectacle of Charles and Diana's wedding in St. Paul's Cathedral and Charles' subdued second marriage to Camilla, duchess of Cornwall, at Windsor Guildhall in 2005.

The formal engagement is likely to turn the poised, brunette Middleton - already depicted approvingly in the fashion pages - into a global fashion icon. With her confident good looks and long brown hair, Middleton has already become one of the most photographed women in Britain.

William and Harry have spent a lifetime in the spotlight, with their drunken nights out and female friends the subject of constant tabloid gossip. William, who turned 28 in June, once told an interviewer he wouldn't marry "until I'm at least 28 or maybe 30."

Prince Harry issued a statement saying he is "delighted that my brother has popped the question!" The soldier prince said the news means he gets a sister, "which I have always wanted."

Palace officials said only that the wedding would be held in London. It was too early to estimate its cost.

Mark Niemierko, a luxury wedding planner based in London, said a high-end ceremony in the capital typical costs from a quarter-million pounds to a half-million pounds. ($397,000 to $794,000)

Funds will likely come out of the Civil List - money provided by Parliament to meet official royal expenses, the queen's household allowance, or drawn from her personal wealth. That is, unless Parliament votes to give the royal couple extra money for the wedding.

Taxpayers will, at the least, have to pay for security at the event, which will require large numbers of police officers.

Jenny Jones, a Green Party lawmaker at London's City Hall, said the royal family should be asked to contribute to the likely high cost of policing the wedding.

"In this age of austerity, it's unrealistic to expect the taxpayer to pay millions of pounds for policing a wedding, however beautiful. We can keep costs down by making it a low-key event or the royal family can contribute. That would seem the fairest solution," she said.

Others refused to let financial concerns mar a nearly perfect day.

"We've been waiting a long, long time for this," said Felicity Thompson, who rushed to St. James' Palace clutching a newspaper with a front-page report about the engagement. "It's a piece of history."


source: http://www.aolnews.com/2010/11/16/prince-william-engaged-to-be-married-palace-says/

TAYLOR SWIFT'SSPEAK NOW WORLD TOUR

I think people are looking for innocence and applaud or appreciate it when they find it. I believe this is one of the many factors attributing to Taylor Swift’s success and all new wholesome-rising sensations (until they turn). It’s refreshing in a world of hedonism and the inescapable sexual inundation present.

Though it’s been said many times before, I think Taylor Swift is the real deal. The very fact that her innocent songs were mostly, if not entirely, written by her, reveals the true princess heart and mentality of the singer. She places value on morality and purity. She exudes beauty from the inside out, reminding girls and women of all ages that you can be hopeful and “fearless”, beautiful and tender.

I’m so glad I had the opportunity, and night off, to see her concert. Thus far, my favorite concerts have been Tom Petty 2007, Lifehouse 2008 and this one.

Possibly due to her inexperience of stage performing, or just adolescent awkwardness; her body movements were uncomfortable head throws and embarrassing frolics. Unfortunately, allowing her band members to out stage her quite often. This can, and probably will, be easily finessed.

The video clips in between songs, while funny, lost some of the energy of the show. Not to mention the two times she stopped to walk through the crowds and sign autographs or hug fans. While endearing, it left the rest of the thousands to watch the screen and listen to her band continuously play melody.

She sat often during the first few numbers, with the first few songs sounding strained and a little squeaky.

But it was her lyrics and personality that left an indelible impression. She was very comfortable with showing her sincere gratitude for her fans and being frank about song inspirations and personal stories.

With that said; this I can guarantee, if you get to see a concert with Taylor Swift then that’s what you’ll get. Nothing fake, nothing staged, nothing practiced, just plain, in-the-moment genuine Taylor. Knowing this makes you second guess if she should, in fact, smooth her jarring body movements or perfect her stage presence; in fear of losing/compromising the bigger treasure of who she is, awkwardness and all.

Source: 

http://hubpages.com/hub/Taylor-Swift-Concert-Review