Beyonce (Party) ft Andre 3000 & Kanye

This song is on constant replay on my phone, computer, car...enjoy!

Who Helps Me?

So today I started thinking about the beginning of my successful career. True, it's only at the beginning stages, but many opportunities are truly starting to take flight. Besides the typical family support (and the love of the boyfriend), I wondered WHO really cheered me on over the years within the same industry. I've had a lot of help, but really only a few solid ones stick out.

1. Nu York - He was my mentor and producer when I was making music. I think he's the reason I held so much confidence growing up. I remember my first studio session at age 15. He told me I was really good and filled my head with big dreams! He encouraged education and every time I got the chance to visit New York, he be the first one I'd call. "Yeah, you already know I want to book a session." He always thought I would be the next to blow up big...

2. Slain - Slain been there for me since my young teenage years too. I always think about what would've happened if I had signed to YD Ent. Even though we were about the same age, he was a lot more mature than I was and had a very serious outlook on the music industry. He pushed me to keep grinding for what I loved. He produced and owned his own label...and made graphics. He was there to support me with new music and his grind is still strong today. He moved out to Cali to make a name for himself, just so that he could bring it back home to VA! I have much respect for him.

3. Robbie Ciara - He's the General Manager for one of the radio station's I work at---WODU :-) He definitely looks out for me and keeps me up to date with everything that's going on. No matter what, he knows that "Chay's got it"! It's rare to have an executive that's always in your corner, but I can say that I do. He works hard to make sure that I have the proper materials in order to further my career. From producing my radio show to any extra help on an event, he's there to guarantee I'm being as successful as possible.

4. BBass - Brandon Bassett has one of the most infectious personalities that I've encountered. He was my co-personality at WODU, but he has spread his wings and is playing with the big boys now! We share the same "proudness" for each other, and he always has advice to give me or tips on how to make it in this competitive industry. He's definitely a reason why I've started video blogging. Ever since my freshman year in college, he tries his best to ensure my increased growth in radio, and he's a great friend to have!

I'm sure more could have been added to the list (and I'm sure more will). Either way, I thank you, and I'll always remember the good things people do for me.

Beyonce takes over NYC?

MILLIONS of people---(well, it seemed like millions) took over Central Park on July 1, 2011 to experience the performance of a lifetime. This was New York's chance to get up close and personal with superstar Beyonce on Good Morning America! The concert was free, so die-hard fans and curious on-lookers fled to be part of the most anticipated summer mini-concert. I know I was excited because it was my first Beyonce concert, and I can tell by everyone else's faces that they were excited too!

There was a lot of pushing and shoving at 6am when they opened gates, but I was relieved to go right past the guards with my VIP pass ;-) I've never seen so many Beyonce fans in one place, but I'm sure if I'd been to more Beyonce events, then I would have.

While I was there, I got the opportunity to meet Good Morning America's Sam Champion and Robin Roberts. They are just as good looking in person as they are on television. Ha, am I allowed to say that? I also spotted Jaden Smith in the audience looking so adorable. And of course, Beyonce was gorgeous as always.

American Idol- 8 Contestants Left

Season 10 is so interesting! After my first favorite Pia left, I'm thinking Stefano is gonna win the whole thing...what do you think? Amazing voice, amazing look...amazing, amazing, amazing! ;-) I've never really been a fan of the show, but I can't help but be glued to my television at 8pm. I mean let's face it...each of these performers are guaranteed walking record deals. Some of them may not be my favorite, but I can't deny the truth. They each bring something different and unique to the show, and I'm loving it.

Happy Birthday- A Dedication

Happy Birthday
By Chanel Danette 04/09/11

I see your face in my dreams,
speaking to me.
Singing, "hush little baby don't you cry."
I wish I could still hear the exact tone of your voice
when I wake up.

I remember you sleeping on the floor next to my bed,
and Christmas' glow on your face.
There's a recollection of memories
that I hold dear to my heart.
Such as, a handprint smaller than yours,
but nonetheless, the same handprint.

I was your little princess,
your only pride and joy.
You were the joyous king that sat on his throne
in triumph because you felt like you conquered everything.
I was everything the world had to offer,
in your eyes.
And you achieved wonders.

I miss holding your hand and giving you hugs.
Saying I love you, didn't seem like enough.
Now I wish,
that the timeframe was repeated over and over.
Living the same scenes like dejavu
just so I can spend more time with you.

The only man I could ever hold to a high standard.
My life would surely be different, if I had not lost you.
When I lost you,
I lost half of what was me.
When I lost half of me, I lost the part of me I can't ever get back.
I want that back.
But it's not possible and it still hurts.
Happy Birthday.

Reasoning

Reasoning
by Chanel Danette 4/6/11


I wish that I could tell you
that it would all be okay in the end.
This is just another stepping stone,
in the journey called life that we must endure.
I wish that I could tell you that hearts dont break,
or the water wont fall from these things called eyes.
I would be lying, so I don't.


I've been down the road before,
but I feel as though there are boundaries.
Walls that I can't cross, doors I can't seem to reach
to get in touch with you.
I wish that we didn't have to learn on our own,
the hard way out.
It kills me to see your pain the way you try to hide it.
I know you miss her, I miss him too.


It's been years, and we can't get over the fact that
a piece of our soul is missing.
I look into your eyes and see the same child,
lost and cold, the one I see in myself.
I wish that it wasn't me,
and I wish that it wasn't you.
But it was, it is, it will be.


The fact that I don't know who I am when I wake up
drives me crazy every morning.
I wish I had that smile to tell me,
everything happens for a reason and not to worry.

You Can't Half Love Someone

You Can't Half Love Someone
by Chanel Danette
3/14/11

You can't half love someone,
or can you?
One of my most confusing relationships,
isn't with another man.
Believe it or not, it's with another woman.
But don't be shocked.
This day in age, why is that so shocking to hear?

But yeah, another woman who I have mixed feelings about,
constant confusion about.
I swear she drives me up the wall.
Not knowing if those feelings are real, fake, made up,
maybe somewhere in between.
Not sure, but I am stuck.
Not even between a rock and a hard place.
More like dried up super glue on the inside of an acrylic nail broken off after weeks of attachment.
Stuck.

She always knew how to take advantage of the love I've given her,
heck I even felt like her mother.
Covering up the dirt she did on me,
lied to shield my hurt eyes from the infant she had become,
lacking the efficiency of stability in our home.
Where is the love?

She like every other man made me cry,
toss and turn at night.
I'm grown, but why do I still keep a nightlight?
So many nightmares of her leaving me,
cheating on me with a man.
Abandoning me, the one who was there from the beginning.
I am suppose to be her main priority.

I guess I don't understand.
I guess what makes me upset is the fact that
when I needed her, she was never there.
She was there but, not really.
It's kinda blurry.
Only when she got tired of chasing the others around.
That's when she'd come back to me.
When she had NOTHING, I was there.
Waking up at 3 oclock in the morning to an empty bed,
shaking my head.
All i could do was shed, another tear.
And another, and another.

Didn't have a father figure,
so I don't exactly know what love is.
I could be close but,
I'll never fully experience it how I want to.
I was neglected, I was forgotten.

Somehow we're still together.
Our relationship been struggling for over 20 years,
and we are hanging on by a thread.
Don't know if I can let this one go.
Take it slow but,
remain emotional.
Should I stay in the ring and lose my pride?
Don't know how much longer I can accept,
the fact that she is you, and you are she.
And she as her is being you, my mother.
Where do I draw the line if you can't half love someone?

We CANT Live Without SNSs!!!

Okay, so the fact of the matter is, this generation that we live in today cannot live without their social networking sites. Whether it be Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter, everyone has their "thing" and are helplessly attracted to it. These sites are a great way to keep in contact with our loved ones and long lost friends. The problem though is that many people nowadays have substituted the art of good old fashioned communication into a short instant message (IM) or direct message. It's rare that people even pick up the phone anymore to call. Instead, they send a quick text message or "go to Facebook" to see if they are online. It has indeed become a daily routine to keep these sites updated and keep everyone in the loop about what they are doing. It's kind of sad, but hey, as technology evolves, we can't live without it. *shrugs shoulders*

The above video is something funny called "The 25 Things I Hate About Facebook"

You can check out the following social networking sites to be involved in a social community.

FACEBOOK

MYSPACE

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

National Scholar!

Of all the scholars we had to choose from, I found Sonia M. Livingstone to be the most interesting! She studied and received a degree in Psychology within the field of Communications. I thought that this was interesting because I am a Mass Media major and she works a lot with kids. I'm glad that she takes pride in teaching about Internet safety and the dangers of the online world. Kids are now exposed to a lot more stuff than when I was a kid ten years ago. She also is an advocate of directing younger people to healthier food choices. I can tell that she cares a lot about future generations and the greater being of our world.



This video below is Mrs. Sonia Livingstone talking about the opportunities and risks for children onine. To find out more about her resume and what she accomplished, make sure you check out this site: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/researchAndExpertise/Experts/s.livingstone@lse.ac.uk

Tech Tweeting?

Rumor is there's an iPad coming to Verizon? Welp I guess AT&T's monogamous relationship with Apple's iPad has officially ended. Sources say that a wi-fi version of the iPad will lauch October 28th ranging between $630-$830. I personally think that it's a waste of money because there are many compact laptops that have the same features at a much cheaper price. I think apple is getting redundant as well. The ipod touch looks just like the iphone, and now the ipad just looks like a bigger version of both. Who really needs a touch screen anyway? I guess when it comes down to it, the tech savvy people will want it just because it's a new thing on the market.

For more information about the release check out this Washington Post article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/14/AR2010101404366.html

Beautiful Stranger

Beautiful Stranger
by Chanel Danette 11/30/10

Beautiful stranger,
my beautiful stranger,
too beautiful to speak one's name.
I find myself staring from afar,
waiting for you, to recognize my sole being.
Waiting for you, to recognize me.

See, I am a huge fan,
although it hasn't been that long.
I admire your ability to keep me longing for more
even though you've given me so little.
I wonder how I am infatuated with your smile in a matter of seconds.
In a matter of minutes,
I have given you my heart.
This is truly unexpected and quite strange.

I don't mind if you walk away though.
But if you walk away, keep an ear to my fading words.
Know that my heart skips a beat,
and I inhale your scent into my life.
Beautiful stranger,
please don't be scared.

I am the one afraid.
Afraid to speak to you,
for these butterflies will run you in a different direction than what was intended.
I am already planning on giving you what I see in the mirror,
so please don't take advantage.
You are the most beautiful of God's creations,
I believe I have fulfilled life's purpose.

The moment I met you, I knew I couldn't forget you,
a face, that lit me up inside.
I really don't do this too often.
Matter of fact, rarely did I think this could be.
Another human being is causing me to dream love's dream.
Take my hand because I promise to not let this go.
Hundreds of miles between us,
are only now a few feet to me.
Beautiful stranger, beautiful stranger.

Second Life

Is it possible to have a second life without having a first? It sure is! But wait, how is that possible? There is this virtual reality world that caters to your every need and provides you with a realistic life outside of your own.

Coincidentally, it's called "Second Life", and it is a program that was launched in 2003 by Linden Lab. The virtual world started out as just an idea that developed into a major three-demensional universe with over 18 million users or "residents".

With the ability to travel to different places, you can interact with millions of users and host conferences. You can also swim underwater, visit museums, attend an event, and so much more! The opportunities that Second Life gives you are endless and many use these experiences to their advantage. People actually partake in special events that they wouldn't normally be able to do in real life.

Like some other amazing features, the video below invites you to actually watch live performances and concerts in Second Life. So why pay money for expensive tickets to be pushed all the way to the back by crazy fans? At a concert in Second Life, you could potentially have a front row seat to great music absolutely FREE!

I know that when I first was introduced to this amazing new phenomenon, it was shocking to see all of the features it possessed. I was fascinated at how you can create a personalized avatar to fit your description and give it the qualities that you want it to have. However, I'm still afraid that people may get too comfortable with the program and not explore life outside of the computer screen. We already have enough technology that separates humans from interacting with other humans in a personal setting. Second Life can very well get too addictive, and too much of anything isn't good.

You can learn more about how to play at http://www.secondlife.com/

Heart Murmurs

HEART MURMURS
by Chanel Danette
09/15/10

Beating inside my chest,
its a pain I cannot cure.
What's the sound of love?
What's the sound of hurt?

Eyes will close so the tears won't fall.
The mouth will close so the heart won't speak.
What's the sound of love?
What's the sound of hurt?

Days go short and the nights grow long.
Winters are colder and the mid-summer breeze is crisper.
What's the sound of love?
What's the sound of hurt?

There's a laughter in my voice,
but a soreness in my chest.
Beating, beating, beating...
What's the sound of love?
What's the sound of hurt?

No Title

No Title
by Chanel Danette
7/30/10

I want to write a poem about nothing.
No meaning, no subject,
no purpose, no topic.
No adjectives, no hyperboles,
no alliterations, no rhymes.
This poem is strictly about nothing.
It means that it doesn't speak to an audience, it doesn't feel.
It has no way with words.
It can't be turned into a song, a love letter, or an essay paper.
It doesn't care that it's being written right now or saved for later.
It doesn't feel or determine a personal battle within.
It's just a pencil to a paper, a little piece of nothing.
It has no wounds to heal, or a voice of its own.
It can't be interpreted because nothing can't have a meaning.
It has no smile, no tears,
no laughs, no face.
And if you looked at it, it would stare back with an invisible blank.
No characteristics, no personality.
The inside is empty like...
(and I would put a simile here) but something can't be compared to nothing.
The funny thing is, although I say this poem is about nothing,
it's still pertaining to a certain someone, something,
thought, or action.
Because the poems that I write feel like I feel,
sometimes more than I feel.
And if this really is a poem about nothing,
then I guess this isn't a poem then.