Be Back Soon!

Hello all, I’m in New York City for the National College Media Convention, so I am taking a short break from blogging while here. I will be back sooner than you think. Maybe I’ll see a show or two while I’m here and maybe you’ll see a post or two about said shows!

Cheers,
Aaron

Michael Jackson’s Doctor Charged

Involuntary manslaughter were not the words on people’s lips as Conrad Murray, doctor to the late King of Pop, walked into his courtroom hearing yesterday. But the doctor was, indeed, charged with the involuntary manslaughter of Michael Jackson. He pleaded Not Guilty. Jackson’s family has expressed their infuriation over the untimeliness of the charges, some calling Murray out for killing their loved one.

Wyclef Jean’s ‘Mistakes’

“Have I made mistakes? Yes. Did I use Yéle money for personal gains? Absolutely not. The books are open. We have a clean bill of health from an auditor.”

Haitian-born multi-platinum singer Wyclef Jean faced accusations last weekend that part of the money received from his now-famous “YELE” texting Haiti relief fund went to the singer himself. His response and audit investigation cleared his name and the star continues to push for evacuation and rescue in his native land. His intentions seem pure, his actions just and Jean’s attitude toward his efforts in the country strike with a fervor that is hard to come by nowadays. However, the accusations, nonetheless, make the charitable, NOW-generation-friendly program seem  a bit sketchy.

Though I normally see relief efforts as disorganized, non-stop clap-fests from the big wigs above, sitting comfortably in their plush velvet seats while they applaud announcement after announcement that “100% of funds of … will go to xyz,” it’s hard to not notice the particular dissidence in celebrities taking their own stands aside from national organizations, giving donors and supporters a more “at ease” feeling when they click through on their Web sites to send much-needed aid…but who’s to say which is more “reputable?” The American Red Cross or a George Clooney Telethon?

With estimates of rebuilding taking 10 years in Haiti, prospects just remind me and my peers that we need to give something to help…Lest we forget we have citizens on our own shores STILL begging for help.