(I didn't want to even start your week with this hood banger, so I waited until tuesday hahahahahah.)
Video For Vordul Mega "Megagraphitti" Off Of "Megagraphitti" Coming Soon.
Monday, June 30, 2008
CITY OF MEN DVD
Aight here's the deal. This movie is the follow up to the tv show the CITY OF MEN which was the inspiration for the CITY OF GOD movie. Got it. Well the tv show is out now. The movie comes out july 1 2008. If you got a reason to stay in the crib, this it, after the purchase of that movie of course
Sunday, June 29, 2008
'WALL-E,' 'Wanted' team up as $100 million duo
Man I often forget how these disney movies always knockout a movie like WANTED out the #1 spot. I guess the kids always come first when it comes to the movies. Hancock should be a no brainer next weekend but you never know
A lonely little robot made millions of friends during the weekend and even outgunned Angelina Jolie.
"WALL-E," the Pixar Animation tale of a robot toiling away on a long-abandoned Earth, debuted as the No. 1 movie with $62.5 million in ticket sales, with Jolie's assassin thriller "Wanted" opening in second place with $51.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The two movies combined to keep Hollywood on a roll. The top 12 movies took in $179.2 million, up 22 percent from the same weekend last year, when Pixar's "Ratouille" opened with $47 million.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was the fifth straight weekend that revenues climbed. Revenues for the summer season that began May 2 are up 6 percent over last year's record pace, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
The sour economy and high gas prices may be helping to fuel Hollywood's boom, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. Movies tend to thrive when times are tough because they are relatively cheap compared to sports events, concerts and other outings.
"Audiences are obviously gravitating toward the movies as their first choice for entertainment," Dergarabedian said. "It doesn't take that much gas to get to the local multiplex. That might have a little something to do with this, as well."
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the Warner Bros. comedy "Get Smart," slipped to third place with $20 million, raising its total to $77.3 million.
"WALL-E" maintains the perfect track record of Pixar, the Walt Disney unit that has made nine films, all of them critical and commercial successes, including "Cars," "Monsters, Inc." and the "Toy Story" flicks. "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles" put up the biggest opening-weekend numbers among Pixar movies, both pulling in just over $70 million.
Set centuries in the future, "WALL-E" is the story of a rickety, walking trash compactor that humans left running after abandoning the over-polluted planet.
The movie overcame a dialogue challenge the two main robot characters barely speak, beyond each other's names using wildly inventive visuals and sound effects to propel much of the story.
Like other Pixar films, "WALL-E" packed in family crowds, as well as adults without children.
"The real secret is they're not children's movies. They're movies for everybody. Children absolutely adore them, but parents enjoy them on a different level," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group. "You can't be nine-for-nine like Pixar is without that."
The G-rated "WALL-E" was complemented by Jolie's R-rated "Wanted," which distributor Universal originally planned to release back in March. The studio decided the movie was too good to release at a slower moviegoing time and moved it to summer on a weekend when competition for a violent action tale would be light.
"We knew `WALL-E' would be huge, but it's not the same audience as `Wanted,'" said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal.
"Wanted" stars Jolie as a member of a secret society of assassins whose new recruit (James McAvoy) is trained to use his superhuman abilities to take out a rogue killer.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "WALL-E," $62.5 million.
2. "Wanted," $51.1 million.
3. "Get Smart," $20 million.
4. "Kung Fu Panda," $11.7 million.
5. "The Incredible Hulk" $9.2 million.
6. "The Love Guru" $5.4 million.
7. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $5 million.
8. "The Happening" $3.9 million.
9. "Sex and the City," $3.8 million.
10. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," $3.2 million.
___
On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com
A lonely little robot made millions of friends during the weekend and even outgunned Angelina Jolie.
"WALL-E," the Pixar Animation tale of a robot toiling away on a long-abandoned Earth, debuted as the No. 1 movie with $62.5 million in ticket sales, with Jolie's assassin thriller "Wanted" opening in second place with $51.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The two movies combined to keep Hollywood on a roll. The top 12 movies took in $179.2 million, up 22 percent from the same weekend last year, when Pixar's "Ratouille" opened with $47 million.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was the fifth straight weekend that revenues climbed. Revenues for the summer season that began May 2 are up 6 percent over last year's record pace, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.
The sour economy and high gas prices may be helping to fuel Hollywood's boom, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers. Movies tend to thrive when times are tough because they are relatively cheap compared to sports events, concerts and other outings.
"Audiences are obviously gravitating toward the movies as their first choice for entertainment," Dergarabedian said. "It doesn't take that much gas to get to the local multiplex. That might have a little something to do with this, as well."
The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, the Warner Bros. comedy "Get Smart," slipped to third place with $20 million, raising its total to $77.3 million.
"WALL-E" maintains the perfect track record of Pixar, the Walt Disney unit that has made nine films, all of them critical and commercial successes, including "Cars," "Monsters, Inc." and the "Toy Story" flicks. "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles" put up the biggest opening-weekend numbers among Pixar movies, both pulling in just over $70 million.
Set centuries in the future, "WALL-E" is the story of a rickety, walking trash compactor that humans left running after abandoning the over-polluted planet.
The movie overcame a dialogue challenge the two main robot characters barely speak, beyond each other's names using wildly inventive visuals and sound effects to propel much of the story.
Like other Pixar films, "WALL-E" packed in family crowds, as well as adults without children.
"The real secret is they're not children's movies. They're movies for everybody. Children absolutely adore them, but parents enjoy them on a different level," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group. "You can't be nine-for-nine like Pixar is without that."
The G-rated "WALL-E" was complemented by Jolie's R-rated "Wanted," which distributor Universal originally planned to release back in March. The studio decided the movie was too good to release at a slower moviegoing time and moved it to summer on a weekend when competition for a violent action tale would be light.
"We knew `WALL-E' would be huge, but it's not the same audience as `Wanted,'" said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal.
"Wanted" stars Jolie as a member of a secret society of assassins whose new recruit (James McAvoy) is trained to use his superhuman abilities to take out a rogue killer.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "WALL-E," $62.5 million.
2. "Wanted," $51.1 million.
3. "Get Smart," $20 million.
4. "Kung Fu Panda," $11.7 million.
5. "The Incredible Hulk" $9.2 million.
6. "The Love Guru" $5.4 million.
7. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $5 million.
8. "The Happening" $3.9 million.
9. "Sex and the City," $3.8 million.
10. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," $3.2 million.
___
On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com
Jay-Z Full 38 Min Performance @ Glastonbury 2008
Got this from worldstarhiphop. Jay Z showing and proving @ Glastonbury. Taking out the nay (Noel Gallagher of Oasis) sayers on their home court son!!!! I guess he got 98 problems and the respect of plenty
Saturday, June 28, 2008
STIC. MAN ON NAS ALBUM
My dude STIC. MAN of DEAD PREZ fame got 3 joints on the new NAS album on the production tip. Sly Fox, Untitled and We’re Not Alone. Throw that fist up and do your thing fam!!!
Venus Williams hits record serve in win over Martinez Sanchez at Wimbledon
With these high gas prices the speed of that serve wouldn't be suggested if her arm was a car. Whoa!!!!
LONDON - No slow start for Venus Williams this time.
After struggling in tight first sets in her opening two matches, the defending champion moved quickly to defeat Spanish qualifier Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-1, 7-5 Saturday and advance to the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Williams served out the match at love, finishing with a 127-mile-an-hour delivery - the fastest recorded by a woman at Wimbledon - for her 11th ace.
"Yeah, 127 is a good way to end it," said Williams, who holds the WTA Tour record at 129 m.p.h
LONDON - No slow start for Venus Williams this time.
After struggling in tight first sets in her opening two matches, the defending champion moved quickly to defeat Spanish qualifier Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-1, 7-5 Saturday and advance to the fourth round at Wimbledon.
Williams served out the match at love, finishing with a 127-mile-an-hour delivery - the fastest recorded by a woman at Wimbledon - for her 11th ace.
"Yeah, 127 is a good way to end it," said Williams, who holds the WTA Tour record at 129 m.p.h
Beanie Sigel & Freeway X Undrcrwn T-Shirts
I don't know if my dude Ron Diggy did the drawings but Undrcrwn conceived this new tee’s in honor of the upcoming State Property album
Mister Cartoon Store Opening
Man I love how Mr. Cartoon and crew got everything covered from tattoos, art to clothing in this shop. The best thing is they've been attacking the industry with the same format. Getting their people paid to do a projects their involed in and they tun around and suggest them to be a project there in and so on and so on. Everybody get's paid in their camp and that's how it should be, but the shop is isck with it
Killer Mike XXL Independence Day Interview
Killer Mike always shows he's more than a 15 minute of fame artist
Friday, June 27, 2008
Jay-Z - Unreleased “Roc Boys” Trailer
Rik Cordero is that dude for real. He got much love and maybe his major start based off the BLUE MAGIC trailer where he was told he couldn't throw jay z in the video or anything from the movie american gangster. I guess limited resources work well for Rik for real because the video came out crazy just like this Roc boy joint. Hopefully he have the sequel to the video for real for real
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Obama donates $4,600 to Clinton's debt relief
By NEDRA PICKLER and SARA KUGLER, Associated Press Writers
Barack Obama announced Thursday that he will help pay off Hillary Rodham Clinton's more than $20 million debt, personally writing a check in a gesture meant to win over her top financial backers.
Obama met with more than 200 of Clinton's biggest fundraisers at Washington's Mayflower Hotel, the first step in a two-day push to bring her supporters onboard his general election campaign. Behind the scenes, the two sides were negotiating her future involvement with the campaign.
Some Clinton donors had been frustrated that the Democratic presidential nominee-in-waiting had not done more to help her pay the bills even as they are expected to help fund his campaign.
Obama received a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 200 when he said he would enlist his supporters to help pay off her debt.
"I'm going to need Hillary by my side campaigning during his election, and I'm going to need all of you," Obama said, according to a report written by the only reporter allowed into the event and shared with other reporters afterward. He recounted how he had told his top fundraisers this week "to get out their checkbooks and start working to make sure Senator Clinton — the debt that's out there needs to be taken care of."
In a symbolic gesture, Obama delivered a personal check for $4,600, for himself and his wife, Michelle. The maximum individual donation allowed by law is $2,300.
Obama finance chair Penny Pritzker also wrote a $4,600 check for herself and her husband. Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe had it in his pocket and showed it to reporters waiting outside.
Clinton's debt includes $12 million of her own money. She has said she is not asking for help paying that back.
She told her donors they must make electing Obama a priority, as she acknowledged that hard feelings remain on both sides.
"This was a hard-fought campaign," the former first lady said. "That's what made it so exciting and intense and why people's passions ran so high on both sides. I know my supporters have extremely strong feelings, and I know Barack's do as well. But we are a family, and we have an opportunity now to really demonstrate clearly we do know what's at stake, and we will do whatever it takes to try to win back this White House."
Obama asked the donors for their support, but recognized their hearts may remain with her.
"I do not expect that passion to be transferred," he said. "Senator Clinton is unique, and your relationships with her are unique."
But he added, "Senator Clinton and I at our core agree deeply that this country needs to change."
Clinton and Obama plan to appear together publicly for the first time since the end of the primary on Friday in symbolic Unity, N.H. — where each got 107 votes in the state's January primary. Clinton won New Hampshire in an upset that set the stage for their long campaign, and it is now a critical battleground for the general election.
Obama told reporters Wednesday that he thinks she'll be extraordinarily effective in speaking for his candidacy and he'd like her to campaign for him as much as she can. "I think we can send Senator Clinton anywhere and she'll be effective," Obama said.
But the extent of her travel for Obama is unclear. Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said Wednesday that they have not scheduled any events after New Hampshire. "We don't have any specific knowledge of her schedule past Friday," Plouffe said.
Three Clinton confidants — Cheryl Mills, Minyon Moore and Robert Barnett — are in talks with Obama's campaign to work out details of her future involvement, including travel, her role at the national convention and resolution of her debt. Part of their argument has been that Clinton can spend more time helping Obama if she isn't raising money to pay her bills.
Obama told reporters Wednesday he wouldn't send an e-mail asking his small-dollar contributors to donate to Clinton because "their budgets are tighter" and they probably couldn't make much of a dent.
One of the biggest outstanding questions is Bill Clinton's role. The former president issued a one-word statement through a spokesman Tuesday offering to help, but the two men have not yet spoken.
McAuliffe said he spent Monday with the former president, who said "he will do whatever is needed."
"He will go 24/7 if he has to," McAuliffe said. "He's willing to do whatever it takes. Winning the White House is of paramount importance, not only to Hillary but of course to President Clinton."
An Associated Press-Yahoo News poll out Thursday shows Obama has won over slightly more than half of Clinton's former supporters. About a quarter of Clinton's backers say they will support McCain over Obama.
Obama ended Thursday's meeting by taking a few questions from the group, according to attendees. He didn't answer a question about whether he would support putting Clinton's name in for a roll call vote at the convention, but promised she would play a prominent role in Denver.
He also sidestepped a question about whether she would join him on the ticket.
He was asked about "misogyny" in the campaign and said his wife, Michelle, was now experiencing it and that he was sensitive to it, attendees said. He said his 86-year-old grandmother had been very inspired by Clinton's historic run and that his daughters now don't think it's a big deal for a woman to be president.
Bernard Schwartz, a New York businessman and longtime Clinton donor, said Obama won his support.
"You know how it is when somebody says to you, I'll never forget my first love? Hillary was my first love, there's no question about that," Schwartz said as he left the meeting. "Am I going to be passionate for Obama, and can I say right now that I'm passionately supportive of Obama and passionately wish him to win? Absolutely without any equivocation."
Hannah Simone, a Washington energy lobbyist and top Clinton donor, said she entered the meeting undecided but is now ready to help. She can't donate herself because Obama does not accept lobbyists' money, but she said she'll start raising from others.
"It was a big step forward for some of us who were very passionate about her campaign," she said.
But some attendees left feeling that Obama didn't go much beyond his standard talking points, and could have done more to win over her supporters. They declined to quoted by name.
___
Associated Press writers Beth Fouhy and Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
http://www.barackobama.com
http://www.hillaryclinton.com
RocknRolla - Trailer New!!
Guy Ritchie son!!!!!!He promised a action pack movie after making the we love and the critics hate REVOLVER. I'm just glad that the dude didn't let the reviews from the Revoler prevent him from making anymore movies. Snatch can be played like background music in the crib and i'll still rewind it at the end to beginning to watch it like the first time. RocknRolla looks like it's gonna fall in that classic edition also.
Traitor
I think this movie drops in late august. Hollywood is trying to put out some bangers!!!!It's always good to see a unexpected hit during the well deserve hype so far of these latest movies coming out. Don Cheadle is that dude and his movies are like automatic old school bought music back in the days. Worth every bit of that cabbage.
Facebook Surpasses MySpace as World's Most Popular Social Network
Head still trying to make their way on that facebook jumpoff. But it was bound to happen since facebook had all the extra stuff that myspace didn't and catered to a younger generation from the door but with all these ning sites making there way on the net they might have to watch their back also in the long run
by Tim Stevens
When it comes to online social networks, MySpace has long been the proverbial 800-pound gorilla. Lately that's been changing, with Facebook quickly bulking up and catching its rival, signing up far more people each month than MySpace. As of two months ago, the 'Book (founded by Marc Zuckerberg, pictured) finally surpassed its rival, becoming the most visited social network in the world.
MySpace still dominates in the U.S., where it attracts about 65-million visitors each month -- Facebook pulls in a relatively paltry 25-mil. However, both are attracting over 115-million worldwide, with Facebook now taking a slight lead. That trend is expected to continue, largely thanks to the site's integration with other online destinations via hundreds of applications. This is an area were MySpace is fighting back via its new data availability initiative, letting you access your MySpace info from other sites like Flickr.
However, since a security flaw in that same initiative helped to expose the private profiles of Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, we're putting our money on Facebook in the long run. [Source: TechCrunch]
by Tim Stevens
When it comes to online social networks, MySpace has long been the proverbial 800-pound gorilla. Lately that's been changing, with Facebook quickly bulking up and catching its rival, signing up far more people each month than MySpace. As of two months ago, the 'Book (founded by Marc Zuckerberg, pictured) finally surpassed its rival, becoming the most visited social network in the world.
MySpace still dominates in the U.S., where it attracts about 65-million visitors each month -- Facebook pulls in a relatively paltry 25-mil. However, both are attracting over 115-million worldwide, with Facebook now taking a slight lead. That trend is expected to continue, largely thanks to the site's integration with other online destinations via hundreds of applications. This is an area were MySpace is fighting back via its new data availability initiative, letting you access your MySpace info from other sites like Flickr.
However, since a security flaw in that same initiative helped to expose the private profiles of Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton, we're putting our money on Facebook in the long run. [Source: TechCrunch]
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
2 NEW VIDEOS
X-CLAN still doing they thing by kicking the truth to the young black youth about the prison system and WHALE is making some heavy noise with this artist Integrity joint from my favorite mixcd about nothing. Hip hop was based with balance in music and here it is peoples. enjoy!!
X Clan - Prison (Feat. Christian Scott)
Wale - The Artistic Integrity
X Clan - Prison (Feat. Christian Scott)
Wale - The Artistic Integrity
NEW PLUSH 357 and STUFF
You gotta show luv to other clothing lines in the ATL or else where, but these the homies right here and they put in crazy work with all their ventures and endevors so when you get a chance peep the site www.plush357.com
and get that new new son!!!!!!! The intro to the video is gangsta, hahahahaha
and get that new new son!!!!!!! The intro to the video is gangsta, hahahahaha
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Dame & Jimmy Talk Fashion & Music
Damn Dash don't need to be in the spotlight to make super power moves. Always something about to jump off or jumping off with dude, you just gotta respect that
FREE.99- The Radiant KIDS LIVE @ Artistry TOMORROW! - A BENEFIT SHOW!!
got this email from my peoples. anything for the kids
This One is For The Kids..Literally.
SMALL EYEZ///TENDABERRY///SPREE WILSON///L-MARR + MORE
4 ONE NIGHT ONLY...A BENEFIT CONCERT 4 THE KIDS!!!!
RAISING MONEY 4... SOCCER 4 THE STREETS
&
A YOUNG SOCCER PLAYER NAMED
Darwin Mercado from Honduras, Who left his country for A Better Life a few years ago, has dedicated his Life to Soccer,and has recently been badly injured (broken his FIBULA), He can no longer work nor play SOCCER, and is in NEED of Help with his Medical Bills (No Health Insurance) so that he can get back on his FEET!
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008
COME SUPPORT THE KIDS!
@
ARTISTRY.
942 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 -> GET DIRECTIONS
ADMISSION IS FREE!
Doors Open @ 9:00PM
Show Starts @ 10:00PM!!
DONATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED!!!
18+
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The Radiant Kids
//Small Eyez//Spree Wilson//Tendaberry//L-Marr & YOU.
For Bookings & Whatnot..
email// theradiantkids/at/gmail/dot/com
#937-545-8211
WHO'S BITING J DILLA'S BEATS?
Wow! This is from the La Weekly and it's real sad to read about for real. I guess the internet can help and hurt a person, alive or dead. I think this going to be a extend issue with no resolution which I really hope not.
Hip-hop producer's legend ascends posthumously; estate struggles to maintain control
BY JEFF WEISS
No art form lionizes its fallen quite like hip-hop. Forget Biggie and 2Pac. Their reputations were sealed the moment the doctors zipped the body bags — though, to be fair, few can argue against their posthumous crowning in the pantheon. More telling is the postmortem red carpet rolled out for Big L and Big Pun, two prodigiously talented artists who released a mere single great album each, dying before they had a chance to ruin their reputations with the inevitable 2005 Houston bounce track. No, in hip-hop, molehills are turned into mountains, with even lesser talents like Dipset flunky Stacks Bundles earning a spate of po-faced eulogies and a prominent “R.I.P. Stack B, Ima keep you alive, kid” shout-out from Lupe Fiasco on last year’s The Cool.
J Dilla is a different case. Unlike the aforementioned names, when the 32-year-old beat-maker/rapper, born James Yancey, passed away at L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the winter of 2006 (due to a cardiac arrest stemming from complications related to Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare and incurable blood disease), he was neither savior nor supernova. Instead, he was an underground legend in those pre-Internet days, when the term actually meant something. Racking up a string of left-field hits capable of stacking up against any producer of the late ’90s/early ’00s, Dilla quietly dropped bombs working with the Pharcyde (“Runnin’”),” De La Soul (“Stakes is High,” “Itsoweezee”), A Tribe Called Quest (“1nce Again,” “Find a Way”), Erykah Badu (“Didn’t Cha’ Know,”), and Common (“The Light”). Meanwhile, with Janet Jackson, Dilla had his only brush with mainstream success, carving Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” into the lean proto-chipmunk soul of “Got Til It’s Gone,” his only single to ever reach the Top 40. In what would become a pattern, Dilla never saw full credit, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis “mistakenly” getting credit in the liner notes. Nonetheless, the track’s sonics directly influenced the next generation of crate-diggers, with Just Blaze, 9th Wonder and a certain college dropout all taking notes.
Like most great producers, Dilla’s mike skills couldn’t match his otherworldly ear, but he still managed to amass a respectable discography as one-third of Slum Village (whose Fantastic, Volume 2 is often regarded as a subterranean classic); a Jaylib collaboration with Madlib; and Welcome 2 Detroit, an uneven solo effort. Cumulatively, it wasn’t as eye-popping as it was a portent, a start to what would inevitably have made for a first-ballot Hall of Fame career, considering Dilla’s notoriously rigorous work ethic.
He died the same week that L.A.-based Stones Throw released Donuts, an impossibly soulful trip of head-nodding, hip-hop instrumentals that served as a gorgeous, plaintive requiem. It was also Dilla’s finest work,earning him the 2007 Plug Independent Music Awards for Artist of the Year and Producer of the Year. Donuts’ greatness and the sentiment engendered by Dilla’s passing helped to kick-start construction of the Church of James Yancey.
In the short span since, Dilla’s stature has increased exponentially, both critically and commercially. His higher-profile collaborators have ceaselessly kept his name alive, with Badu, the Roots and Common dedicating songs and/or entire albums to his memory and constantly praising him in lyrics and interviews. In turn, a new generation of producers and rappers has started taking cues from Dilla’s sound, chief among them two of hip-hop’s brightest stars: Black Milk, a fellow Motown native who got his start working with Slum Village; and Jay Electronica, a Badu-affiliated New Orleans native who has gotten the Internet crazy by kicking fierce rhymes over long-lost Dilla beats. To say nothing of the hordes of MySpace MCs aping Dilla’s style and in the process discovering what Kanye West found out on Finding Forever: how inherently difficult it is to mimic Dilla’s twisted alchemy of tweaked-out soul samples, black mountain drums and twinkling keys.
But as successful as the deification has been, the budding Dilla empire has foundered, thanks to astronomical health bills, which forced Dilla to go into hock with the government and die with high six-figure IRS debt and few tangible assets — save for a few hard drives of beats and a publishing deal with Universal Music. Ironically, as Dilla’s stock is at an all-time high, the executors of his estate have been bedeviled by a one-two punch: scrambling to pay his tab while fighting rampant Internet piracy of his material, both aimed at the ultimate goal of providing an inheritance for his two young daughters. “It’s frustrating,” says Arthur Erk, the estate’s executor and Dilla’s former business manager. “People have been cropping up left and right, trying to make money off Dilla’s name and likeness. There was something called the Dilla Foundation, which doesn’t even exist legally, yet it was trying to host charity events, claiming authorization from the estate. If there weren’t young children involved, we’d give up. No one needs this type of aggravation.”
Enforcing copyright in the Internet age is a Sisyphean task, and trying to protect one of the first big names to die young in the RapidShare world, Dilla’s estate has been beset with a dilemma that figures to plague families of all prematurely deceased musicians henceforth.
Explains Erk: “The problem is that Dilla was friendly with a lot of people — many of whom I know, many of whom I don’t — and there have been dozens of bootleg situations we’ve had to expend estate cash on to shut stuff down. If we don’t, it cheapens the value of his brand. We’re trying to protect his legacy and his heirs.”
Keeping track of the wealth of Dilla beats floating around the Web is practically impossible. Most notably, Busta Rhymes released a free Dillagence mixtape last year, featuring an introduction from Dilla’s mother, a matter that Erk claims is currently in mediation. This April, the recording masters of Pay Jay, Dilla’s never-released MCA record, were illicitly leaked to the Internet, sabotaging an estate plan to rerelease them at a yet-to-be-determined date. In a last-ditch effort to assert control over the heavily pirated material, the estate recently took out a full-page ad in Billboard, informing the industry that the only person, including friends and family, legally authorized to execute transactions or make any decisions regarding the commercial use of Dilla’s name, music, merchandise, photographs, video appearances, artwork, etc., is Erk.
“We’re not sure how many Dilla beats are floating around,” says Micheline Levine, Dilla’s former lawyer. “It’s been an absolute nightmare. [Erk] and I have been working without fees, and neither of us dreamed that copyright infringement would be so extensive and harmful to the estate. We’re trying to get the message out to third parties, who may in some convoluted way think they’re helping out the heirs but are really depriving them of income.”
A Dilla tribute is tentatively planned, as are several lawsuits against copyright infringers; both actions are meant to deliver at least a modicum of income beyond the modest royalties. With the gospel of Dilla secure and reasonably certain to grow, his legacy and brand certainly have the potential to provide for his children. Whether or not they do lies in his empire’s efficacy in striking back.
Hip-hop producer's legend ascends posthumously; estate struggles to maintain control
BY JEFF WEISS
No art form lionizes its fallen quite like hip-hop. Forget Biggie and 2Pac. Their reputations were sealed the moment the doctors zipped the body bags — though, to be fair, few can argue against their posthumous crowning in the pantheon. More telling is the postmortem red carpet rolled out for Big L and Big Pun, two prodigiously talented artists who released a mere single great album each, dying before they had a chance to ruin their reputations with the inevitable 2005 Houston bounce track. No, in hip-hop, molehills are turned into mountains, with even lesser talents like Dipset flunky Stacks Bundles earning a spate of po-faced eulogies and a prominent “R.I.P. Stack B, Ima keep you alive, kid” shout-out from Lupe Fiasco on last year’s The Cool.
J Dilla is a different case. Unlike the aforementioned names, when the 32-year-old beat-maker/rapper, born James Yancey, passed away at L.A.’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the winter of 2006 (due to a cardiac arrest stemming from complications related to Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare and incurable blood disease), he was neither savior nor supernova. Instead, he was an underground legend in those pre-Internet days, when the term actually meant something. Racking up a string of left-field hits capable of stacking up against any producer of the late ’90s/early ’00s, Dilla quietly dropped bombs working with the Pharcyde (“Runnin’”),” De La Soul (“Stakes is High,” “Itsoweezee”), A Tribe Called Quest (“1nce Again,” “Find a Way”), Erykah Badu (“Didn’t Cha’ Know,”), and Common (“The Light”). Meanwhile, with Janet Jackson, Dilla had his only brush with mainstream success, carving Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” into the lean proto-chipmunk soul of “Got Til It’s Gone,” his only single to ever reach the Top 40. In what would become a pattern, Dilla never saw full credit, with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis “mistakenly” getting credit in the liner notes. Nonetheless, the track’s sonics directly influenced the next generation of crate-diggers, with Just Blaze, 9th Wonder and a certain college dropout all taking notes.
Like most great producers, Dilla’s mike skills couldn’t match his otherworldly ear, but he still managed to amass a respectable discography as one-third of Slum Village (whose Fantastic, Volume 2 is often regarded as a subterranean classic); a Jaylib collaboration with Madlib; and Welcome 2 Detroit, an uneven solo effort. Cumulatively, it wasn’t as eye-popping as it was a portent, a start to what would inevitably have made for a first-ballot Hall of Fame career, considering Dilla’s notoriously rigorous work ethic.
He died the same week that L.A.-based Stones Throw released Donuts, an impossibly soulful trip of head-nodding, hip-hop instrumentals that served as a gorgeous, plaintive requiem. It was also Dilla’s finest work,earning him the 2007 Plug Independent Music Awards for Artist of the Year and Producer of the Year. Donuts’ greatness and the sentiment engendered by Dilla’s passing helped to kick-start construction of the Church of James Yancey.
In the short span since, Dilla’s stature has increased exponentially, both critically and commercially. His higher-profile collaborators have ceaselessly kept his name alive, with Badu, the Roots and Common dedicating songs and/or entire albums to his memory and constantly praising him in lyrics and interviews. In turn, a new generation of producers and rappers has started taking cues from Dilla’s sound, chief among them two of hip-hop’s brightest stars: Black Milk, a fellow Motown native who got his start working with Slum Village; and Jay Electronica, a Badu-affiliated New Orleans native who has gotten the Internet crazy by kicking fierce rhymes over long-lost Dilla beats. To say nothing of the hordes of MySpace MCs aping Dilla’s style and in the process discovering what Kanye West found out on Finding Forever: how inherently difficult it is to mimic Dilla’s twisted alchemy of tweaked-out soul samples, black mountain drums and twinkling keys.
But as successful as the deification has been, the budding Dilla empire has foundered, thanks to astronomical health bills, which forced Dilla to go into hock with the government and die with high six-figure IRS debt and few tangible assets — save for a few hard drives of beats and a publishing deal with Universal Music. Ironically, as Dilla’s stock is at an all-time high, the executors of his estate have been bedeviled by a one-two punch: scrambling to pay his tab while fighting rampant Internet piracy of his material, both aimed at the ultimate goal of providing an inheritance for his two young daughters. “It’s frustrating,” says Arthur Erk, the estate’s executor and Dilla’s former business manager. “People have been cropping up left and right, trying to make money off Dilla’s name and likeness. There was something called the Dilla Foundation, which doesn’t even exist legally, yet it was trying to host charity events, claiming authorization from the estate. If there weren’t young children involved, we’d give up. No one needs this type of aggravation.”
Enforcing copyright in the Internet age is a Sisyphean task, and trying to protect one of the first big names to die young in the RapidShare world, Dilla’s estate has been beset with a dilemma that figures to plague families of all prematurely deceased musicians henceforth.
Explains Erk: “The problem is that Dilla was friendly with a lot of people — many of whom I know, many of whom I don’t — and there have been dozens of bootleg situations we’ve had to expend estate cash on to shut stuff down. If we don’t, it cheapens the value of his brand. We’re trying to protect his legacy and his heirs.”
Keeping track of the wealth of Dilla beats floating around the Web is practically impossible. Most notably, Busta Rhymes released a free Dillagence mixtape last year, featuring an introduction from Dilla’s mother, a matter that Erk claims is currently in mediation. This April, the recording masters of Pay Jay, Dilla’s never-released MCA record, were illicitly leaked to the Internet, sabotaging an estate plan to rerelease them at a yet-to-be-determined date. In a last-ditch effort to assert control over the heavily pirated material, the estate recently took out a full-page ad in Billboard, informing the industry that the only person, including friends and family, legally authorized to execute transactions or make any decisions regarding the commercial use of Dilla’s name, music, merchandise, photographs, video appearances, artwork, etc., is Erk.
“We’re not sure how many Dilla beats are floating around,” says Micheline Levine, Dilla’s former lawyer. “It’s been an absolute nightmare. [Erk] and I have been working without fees, and neither of us dreamed that copyright infringement would be so extensive and harmful to the estate. We’re trying to get the message out to third parties, who may in some convoluted way think they’re helping out the heirs but are really depriving them of income.”
A Dilla tribute is tentatively planned, as are several lawsuits against copyright infringers; both actions are meant to deliver at least a modicum of income beyond the modest royalties. With the gospel of Dilla secure and reasonably certain to grow, his legacy and brand certainly have the potential to provide for his children. Whether or not they do lies in his empire’s efficacy in striking back.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Salmonella: Frequently Asked Questions
Get Answers to Questions About the Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Tomatoes
Health officials are investigating the source of the salmonella outbreak linked to certain types of tomatoes from certain sources. Meanwhile, the FDA says the following types of tomatoes from any source are fine to eat and have not been associated with the outbreak:
Cherry tomatoes
Grape tomatoes
Tomatoes sold with the vine still attached
Homegrown tomatoes
Here are 16 questions and answers about salmonella, symptoms of salmonella infection, and how to avoid salmonella in the first place.
What is salmonella?
Salmonella are bacteria that can live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. There are many strains of salmonella; the tomato outbreak involves an uncommon strain called Salmonella Saintpaul.
What are symptoms of salmonella infection?
Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) can cause diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Symptoms typically start 12-72 hours after infection.
Who's at risk?
Anyone can get salmonella. Most cases aren't severe. Serious and potentially fatal cases are more likely in young children, frail or elderly people, and people with weak immune systems. Those cases can happen when salmonella infection spreads from the intestines to the blood and other parts of the body.
For the latest news on the number of cases in the Salmonella Saintpaul oubtreak, visit the CDC's web site.
Will rinsing fruits and vegetables get rid of salmonella?
Rinsing tainted fruits and vegetables probably won't get rid of salmonella, according to the FDA. In general, it's important to handle foods safely. That generally means rinsing raw, whole fruits and vegetables under running water and, if you choose, scrubbing them with a small vegetable brush to remove surface dirt. It also means that when you cook foods, you cook them thoroughly.
What if I wash fruits and vegetables with a detergent, too?
The FDA doesn't recommend using any kind of detergent to wash fresh produce, because "it is not yet known if their residues are harmful to humans," states the FDA's web site.
Does cooking kill salmonella?
Thorough cooking can kill salmonella. But when health officials warn people not to eat potentially contaminated food, or when a food is recalled because of salmonella risk, that means don't eat that food, cooked or not, rinsed or not. The stakes are too high.
Are all plum, Roma, and round red tomatoes unsafe?
No. Because some areas had not harvested or distributed its tomatoes when the outbreak began, the FDA has declared tomatoes from these areas to be safe.
Raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw round red tomatoes grown and harvested from the following areas are fine to eat and have not been tied to the outbreak:
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida from the counties of Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, and Charlotte
G eorgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Nebraska
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Baja California (Norte), Mexico
Belgium
Canada
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Israel
Netherlands
Puerto Rico
The FDA has been updating this list frequently. For the latest list, visit the FDA's web site.
What are the CDC and the FDA doing to track the outbreak?
On May 23, just before the start of the Memorial Day weekend, New Mexico health authorities first realized there was an outbreak. That's when they discovered that a cluster of salmonella cases had been caused by a salmonella strain with an unusual genetic fingerprint.
The CDC and the FDA soon became involved. Why haven't they figured out where the tainted tomatoes came from?
David Acheson, MD, FDA assistant commissioner for food protection, says tracing raw tomatoes back to their source isn't as easy as tracing a can of tomatoes labeled with a bar code.
"When someone gets sick, we ask them where they bought the tomatoes, and they say it was a local supermarket," Acheson explained in a news conference. "We ask the supermarket where they got them, and they say it's one of several suppliers. Each supplier tells us they get tomatoes from several distributors. The distributors say they came from several growers. So this multiplies out into a fan of information that has to be sorted through to see where the links cross over."
The CDC and FDA have been able to rule out certain tomato-growing regions. But they have not yet been able to identify the source of the current outbreak.
"The critical question is, Where did these tomatoes come from? We are not quite there yet," Acheson said. "We are getting very close, but today we do not know exactly where they did come from."
Besides tomatoes, what other foods may contain salmonella?
Any raw food of animal origin -- such as meat, poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs, and seafood -- and some fruits and vegetables may carry salmonella bacteria, states the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection web site, adding that salmonella bacteria can contaminate other foods that come in contact with raw meat and poultry. That's why thorough cooking and cleanliness are so important in the kitchen.
What can I do to prevent salmonella infection from tomatoes?
If you have any of the suspect tomatoes, get rid of them. Here are the FDA's tips for handling tomatoes -- and other fruits and vegetables, in general -- to prevent food poisoning:
Wash hands with soap and warm water before handling tomatoes.
Wash each tomato thoroughly under running water. Don't wash tomatoes in a tub or sink filled with water.
When finished washing a tomato, cut out the scar where the stem was, and throw it away.
Never cut a fresh tomato until it has been thoroughly washed.
Cut the tomato on a clean cutting board, using clean utensils. Don't let the tomato come in contact with other raw foods or the surfaces they have touched. Wash cutting boards and utensils in between each different type of food that is cut.
Refrigerate fresh, cut tomatoes (or products made from them, such as salsa) at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less if they're not eaten within two hours.
Wash hands with soap and warm water after preparing the tomatoes.
Those basic principles of food safety and cleanliness go for other types of food, too. For instance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has this advice:
Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.
If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
Always wash cutting boards, dishes, countertops, and utensils with hot soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
Cook foods thoroughly and refrigerate them promptly.
Don't thaw foods at room temperature.
Use a clean food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and other foods.
How does salmonella spread?
Salmonella can pass from human or animal feces to soil, fruits, vegetables, water, or other surfaces. People usually get salmonella by eating contaminated foods. However, salmonella can also spread through contact with pet feces or by handling contaminated pet food.
Reptiles are particularly likely to harbor salmonella bacteria, and chicks and ducklings can carry them too, notes the CDC. The U.S. government bans the sale of small pet turtles because of salmonella risk.
How common is salmonella infection?
Salmonella is commonly found in birds, in reptiles, in chickens, and in humans. There are more than 2,000 types of salmonella.
Every year, the CDC gets reports of about 40,000 cases of salmonella illnesses. The actual number of cases may be higher because not all cases get reported to the CDC. In fact, the CDC estimates that for every reported case, 38 cases go unreported.
An estimated 400 people per year die of acute salmonella infection, according to the CDC.
But the St. Paul salmonella strain is rare in humans. Last year, there were 400 reported cases. And last year there were only 25 cases of infection with the specific Saintpaul subtype causing the current outbreak.
Are salmonella cases on the rise?
Not according to the CDC's preliminary food safety data for 2007, which show no significant change from 2004-2007 in the incidence of salmonella infection reported to the CDC. But the salmonella incidence rate is more than twice as high as the government's goal for 2010, so the CDC says "new approaches" are needed to curb salmonella infection.
How is salmonella infection diagnosed?
By a stool test.
How is salmonella infection treated?
Most people don't require treatment other than drinking plenty of fluids. People with severe diarrhea may require rehydration with intravenous fluids. Antibiotics are usually not used unless the salmonella infection has spread beyond the intestines.
What about other outbreaks of food poisoning?
The salmonella outbreak in tomatoes is the major national food safety issue at the moment. Other outbreaks you probably heard about in recent years include the 2006 E. coli outbreak in fresh spinach, the 2007 salmonella outbreak in Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter, the 2007 Veggie Booty recall because of salmonella risk, the 2007 recall of certain Banquet or generic store-brand turkey or chicken pot pies linked to a salmonella outbreak, and the 2007 recall by Topps Meat Co. of more than 21 million pounds of frozen ground beef products because of E. coli risk.
Health officials are investigating the source of the salmonella outbreak linked to certain types of tomatoes from certain sources. Meanwhile, the FDA says the following types of tomatoes from any source are fine to eat and have not been associated with the outbreak:
Cherry tomatoes
Grape tomatoes
Tomatoes sold with the vine still attached
Homegrown tomatoes
Here are 16 questions and answers about salmonella, symptoms of salmonella infection, and how to avoid salmonella in the first place.
What is salmonella?
Salmonella are bacteria that can live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals. There are many strains of salmonella; the tomato outbreak involves an uncommon strain called Salmonella Saintpaul.
What are symptoms of salmonella infection?
Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) can cause diarrhea (which may be bloody), fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Symptoms typically start 12-72 hours after infection.
Who's at risk?
Anyone can get salmonella. Most cases aren't severe. Serious and potentially fatal cases are more likely in young children, frail or elderly people, and people with weak immune systems. Those cases can happen when salmonella infection spreads from the intestines to the blood and other parts of the body.
For the latest news on the number of cases in the Salmonella Saintpaul oubtreak, visit the CDC's web site.
Will rinsing fruits and vegetables get rid of salmonella?
Rinsing tainted fruits and vegetables probably won't get rid of salmonella, according to the FDA. In general, it's important to handle foods safely. That generally means rinsing raw, whole fruits and vegetables under running water and, if you choose, scrubbing them with a small vegetable brush to remove surface dirt. It also means that when you cook foods, you cook them thoroughly.
What if I wash fruits and vegetables with a detergent, too?
The FDA doesn't recommend using any kind of detergent to wash fresh produce, because "it is not yet known if their residues are harmful to humans," states the FDA's web site.
Does cooking kill salmonella?
Thorough cooking can kill salmonella. But when health officials warn people not to eat potentially contaminated food, or when a food is recalled because of salmonella risk, that means don't eat that food, cooked or not, rinsed or not. The stakes are too high.
Are all plum, Roma, and round red tomatoes unsafe?
No. Because some areas had not harvested or distributed its tomatoes when the outbreak began, the FDA has declared tomatoes from these areas to be safe.
Raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw round red tomatoes grown and harvested from the following areas are fine to eat and have not been tied to the outbreak:
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida from the counties of Jackson, Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee, Hardee, DeSoto, Sarasota, Highlands, Pasco, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, and Charlotte
G eorgia
Hawaii
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Nebraska
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Baja California (Norte), Mexico
Belgium
Canada
Dominican Republic
Guatemala
Israel
Netherlands
Puerto Rico
The FDA has been updating this list frequently. For the latest list, visit the FDA's web site.
What are the CDC and the FDA doing to track the outbreak?
On May 23, just before the start of the Memorial Day weekend, New Mexico health authorities first realized there was an outbreak. That's when they discovered that a cluster of salmonella cases had been caused by a salmonella strain with an unusual genetic fingerprint.
The CDC and the FDA soon became involved. Why haven't they figured out where the tainted tomatoes came from?
David Acheson, MD, FDA assistant commissioner for food protection, says tracing raw tomatoes back to their source isn't as easy as tracing a can of tomatoes labeled with a bar code.
"When someone gets sick, we ask them where they bought the tomatoes, and they say it was a local supermarket," Acheson explained in a news conference. "We ask the supermarket where they got them, and they say it's one of several suppliers. Each supplier tells us they get tomatoes from several distributors. The distributors say they came from several growers. So this multiplies out into a fan of information that has to be sorted through to see where the links cross over."
The CDC and FDA have been able to rule out certain tomato-growing regions. But they have not yet been able to identify the source of the current outbreak.
"The critical question is, Where did these tomatoes come from? We are not quite there yet," Acheson said. "We are getting very close, but today we do not know exactly where they did come from."
Besides tomatoes, what other foods may contain salmonella?
Any raw food of animal origin -- such as meat, poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs, and seafood -- and some fruits and vegetables may carry salmonella bacteria, states the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection web site, adding that salmonella bacteria can contaminate other foods that come in contact with raw meat and poultry. That's why thorough cooking and cleanliness are so important in the kitchen.
What can I do to prevent salmonella infection from tomatoes?
If you have any of the suspect tomatoes, get rid of them. Here are the FDA's tips for handling tomatoes -- and other fruits and vegetables, in general -- to prevent food poisoning:
Wash hands with soap and warm water before handling tomatoes.
Wash each tomato thoroughly under running water. Don't wash tomatoes in a tub or sink filled with water.
When finished washing a tomato, cut out the scar where the stem was, and throw it away.
Never cut a fresh tomato until it has been thoroughly washed.
Cut the tomato on a clean cutting board, using clean utensils. Don't let the tomato come in contact with other raw foods or the surfaces they have touched. Wash cutting boards and utensils in between each different type of food that is cut.
Refrigerate fresh, cut tomatoes (or products made from them, such as salsa) at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less if they're not eaten within two hours.
Wash hands with soap and warm water after preparing the tomatoes.
Those basic principles of food safety and cleanliness go for other types of food, too. For instance, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has this advice:
Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.
If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
Always wash cutting boards, dishes, countertops, and utensils with hot soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
Cook foods thoroughly and refrigerate them promptly.
Don't thaw foods at room temperature.
Use a clean food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and other foods.
How does salmonella spread?
Salmonella can pass from human or animal feces to soil, fruits, vegetables, water, or other surfaces. People usually get salmonella by eating contaminated foods. However, salmonella can also spread through contact with pet feces or by handling contaminated pet food.
Reptiles are particularly likely to harbor salmonella bacteria, and chicks and ducklings can carry them too, notes the CDC. The U.S. government bans the sale of small pet turtles because of salmonella risk.
How common is salmonella infection?
Salmonella is commonly found in birds, in reptiles, in chickens, and in humans. There are more than 2,000 types of salmonella.
Every year, the CDC gets reports of about 40,000 cases of salmonella illnesses. The actual number of cases may be higher because not all cases get reported to the CDC. In fact, the CDC estimates that for every reported case, 38 cases go unreported.
An estimated 400 people per year die of acute salmonella infection, according to the CDC.
But the St. Paul salmonella strain is rare in humans. Last year, there were 400 reported cases. And last year there were only 25 cases of infection with the specific Saintpaul subtype causing the current outbreak.
Are salmonella cases on the rise?
Not according to the CDC's preliminary food safety data for 2007, which show no significant change from 2004-2007 in the incidence of salmonella infection reported to the CDC. But the salmonella incidence rate is more than twice as high as the government's goal for 2010, so the CDC says "new approaches" are needed to curb salmonella infection.
How is salmonella infection diagnosed?
By a stool test.
How is salmonella infection treated?
Most people don't require treatment other than drinking plenty of fluids. People with severe diarrhea may require rehydration with intravenous fluids. Antibiotics are usually not used unless the salmonella infection has spread beyond the intestines.
What about other outbreaks of food poisoning?
The salmonella outbreak in tomatoes is the major national food safety issue at the moment. Other outbreaks you probably heard about in recent years include the 2006 E. coli outbreak in fresh spinach, the 2007 salmonella outbreak in Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter, the 2007 Veggie Booty recall because of salmonella risk, the 2007 recall of certain Banquet or generic store-brand turkey or chicken pot pies linked to a salmonella outbreak, and the 2007 recall by Topps Meat Co. of more than 21 million pounds of frozen ground beef products because of E. coli risk.
Lil Wayne’s “The Carter” Documentary Trailer
QD3 creator of all them fly underground videos plus the BEEF series joints and LIl Wayne, your favorite rapper favorite rapper by miles right about now until he stop rapping, then he's still be their favorite rapper for life, hahahaha sound about right to me. should be intresting
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Top Rap Acts Weigh Options As Record Deals End
LAWWWDDDD, ARTIST GOT TO MANY OPTIONS NOW. THE RECORDS COMPANY ARE SHOOK DADDY. THE SAGA CONTINUES!!!!!
Hillary Crosley, N.Y.
As a string of high-profile hip-hop artists near the end of their record contracts, a question looming over their pending free agency isn't which major label they'll sign with but whether they should sign with a major at all.
One prominent rap artist has already jumped ship: Jay-Z signed a long-term recording, publishing and management deal earlier this year with Live Nation. A Def Jam spokeswoman says Jay-Z has one album left on his contract with the label, but Def Jam head Shakir Stewart recently told Billboard "we're still working it out."
While few rappers can match the pull and marketability of the former Def Jam president, big names like 50 Cent, LL Cool J and OutKast will soon be on the market as well. Although they may ultimately re-sign with major labels, their camps have indicated that they are at least contemplating the possibility of a future without a major-label deal.
LL Cool J will complete his three-album deal with Def Jam with the Aug. 5 release of "Exit 13." By the end of the year, 50 Cent is expected to put out "Before I Self Destruct," the fourth and final album on his Interscope deal. OutKast owes LaFace/Zomba three more albums under the duo's four-album contract, with all three releases expected out later this year and next year.
Representatives for Def Jam, Interscope and LaFace/Zomba declined to comment on the contracts.
Tiphanie Watson, co-manager for OutKast's Big Boi, says the duo hasn't decided yet whether to seek another deal with a major, but adds, "It's much more beneficial to do it on your own. For an artist with an established fan base, there's more than one way to come up with strategic branding."
Signing with an indie label is the best option for hip-hop stars nearing the end of their deals, says Alan Grunblatt, GM/executive VP of Koch Records, which has charted with Jim Jones, DJ Khaled and Yung Berg. "With a major you'd get an advance, no masters and the deal would be based strictly on royalties," Grunblatt says. "Koch would do a licensing and/or a P&D deal."
Selling music independently via such distribution partnerships has appeal, but majors are creating those partnerships too. In 2007, rap duo the Clipse signed a joint-venture deal with Columbia Records and retained ownership of its masters.
Atlantic A&R executive Jean Nelson says not to discount the majors, arguing that 50 Cent, LL Cool J and OutKast would all be appealing signings. "It's about how much a label can support you, not the advance money," Nelson says.
Additional reporting by Keith Caulfield, Ed Christman and Raphael George.
Hillary Crosley, N.Y.
As a string of high-profile hip-hop artists near the end of their record contracts, a question looming over their pending free agency isn't which major label they'll sign with but whether they should sign with a major at all.
One prominent rap artist has already jumped ship: Jay-Z signed a long-term recording, publishing and management deal earlier this year with Live Nation. A Def Jam spokeswoman says Jay-Z has one album left on his contract with the label, but Def Jam head Shakir Stewart recently told Billboard "we're still working it out."
While few rappers can match the pull and marketability of the former Def Jam president, big names like 50 Cent, LL Cool J and OutKast will soon be on the market as well. Although they may ultimately re-sign with major labels, their camps have indicated that they are at least contemplating the possibility of a future without a major-label deal.
LL Cool J will complete his three-album deal with Def Jam with the Aug. 5 release of "Exit 13." By the end of the year, 50 Cent is expected to put out "Before I Self Destruct," the fourth and final album on his Interscope deal. OutKast owes LaFace/Zomba three more albums under the duo's four-album contract, with all three releases expected out later this year and next year.
Representatives for Def Jam, Interscope and LaFace/Zomba declined to comment on the contracts.
Tiphanie Watson, co-manager for OutKast's Big Boi, says the duo hasn't decided yet whether to seek another deal with a major, but adds, "It's much more beneficial to do it on your own. For an artist with an established fan base, there's more than one way to come up with strategic branding."
Signing with an indie label is the best option for hip-hop stars nearing the end of their deals, says Alan Grunblatt, GM/executive VP of Koch Records, which has charted with Jim Jones, DJ Khaled and Yung Berg. "With a major you'd get an advance, no masters and the deal would be based strictly on royalties," Grunblatt says. "Koch would do a licensing and/or a P&D deal."
Selling music independently via such distribution partnerships has appeal, but majors are creating those partnerships too. In 2007, rap duo the Clipse signed a joint-venture deal with Columbia Records and retained ownership of its masters.
Atlantic A&R executive Jean Nelson says not to discount the majors, arguing that 50 Cent, LL Cool J and OutKast would all be appealing signings. "It's about how much a label can support you, not the advance money," Nelson says.
Additional reporting by Keith Caulfield, Ed Christman and Raphael George.
'Get Smart' gets audience with $39.2M debut
To be honest I didn't think this movie was going to be #1. Get Smart is classic to heads that know about it but I guess you never know with the public and good promotion
LOS ANGELES (AP) Audiences still get Maxwell Smart. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway's "Get Smart," the Warner Bros. big screen update of the 1960s spy sitcom, raked in $39.2 million to debut as the No. 1 weekend movie, according to studio estimates Sunday.
But movie-goers did not get Mike Myers' "The Love Guru," the weekend's other new wide release. The Paramount Pictures comedy about a self-help mentor took in just $14 million to open at No. 4.
In limited release, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" opened strongly with $222,697 in five theaters, averaging $44,539 a cinema, compared with $10,012 in 3,911 theaters for "Get Smart."
"Kit Kittredge," released by Picturehouse and based on the popular line of American Girl dolls, stars Abigail Breslin as a 9-year-old aspiring newspaper reporter during the Depression. The film expands into wide release July 2.
The weekend's No. 2 spot was a photo finish between DreamWorks Animation and Paramount's "Kung Fu Panda" and Universal's "The Incredible Hulk."
In its third weekend, "Kung Fu Panda" pulled in $21.7 million, raising its domestic total to $155.6 million. "The Incredible Hulk" was right behind with $21.6 million in its second weekend to lift its total to $96.5 million.
"Panda" and "Hulk" were close enough that their rankings could change when final numbers are released Monday.
Hollywood's summer surge continued, with total revenues climbing for the fourth straight weekend compared to last year. The top 12 movies took in $136.9 million, up nearly 10 percent from the same weekend in 2007, when Carell's "Evan Almighty" opened at No. 1 with $31.2 million.
The industry is on track to beat the revenue record set last summer, when receipts topped $4 billion for the first time.
"While the country may be suffering with a so-called recession, people are finding movies a fairly inexpensive way to get their entertainment," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "This proves the conventional wisdom that, during tough economic times, the movies flourish."
In "Get Smart," Carell re-creates the bumbling Max Smart character created by Don Adams, with Hathaway playing the capable Agent 99 as the duo try to stop a plot to arm unstable governments with nuclear bombs. Dwayne Johnson co-stars as a superstar spy colleague.
Critics picked apart the movie for emphasizing action over the crisp verbal comedy of the TV show, but Warner Bros. figures that was a wise commercial move. While 60 percent of the audience was 25 or older, that still meant a sizable younger crowd that was more keen on the movie's action, said Dan Fellman, the studio's head of distribution.
"We were very pleased to have 40 percent under 25, because they did not grow up on the television show," Fellman said. "The filmmakers did a great job in making that happen. They broadened the audience and brought it into a modern-day bent."
Myers who dreamed up the "Love Guru" character, co-wrote the script and was a producer on the movie has been accustomed to blockbuster openings with the three "Shrek" flicks and his two "Austin Powers" spy sequels.
"Mike Myers, the master of the spy spoof, opens his movie against a spy comedy, and the spy movie genre was obviously a lot more appealing to audiences," Dergarabedian said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Get Smart," $39.2 million.
2. "Kung Fu Panda," $21.7 million.
3. "The Incredible Hulk," $21.6 million.
4. "The Love Guru," $14 million.
5. "The Happening," $10 million.
6. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $8.4 million.
7. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," $7.2 million.
8. "Sex and the City," $6.5 million.
9. "Iron Man," $4 million.
10. "The Strangers," $1.9 million.
___
On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com/
LOS ANGELES (AP) Audiences still get Maxwell Smart. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway's "Get Smart," the Warner Bros. big screen update of the 1960s spy sitcom, raked in $39.2 million to debut as the No. 1 weekend movie, according to studio estimates Sunday.
But movie-goers did not get Mike Myers' "The Love Guru," the weekend's other new wide release. The Paramount Pictures comedy about a self-help mentor took in just $14 million to open at No. 4.
In limited release, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" opened strongly with $222,697 in five theaters, averaging $44,539 a cinema, compared with $10,012 in 3,911 theaters for "Get Smart."
"Kit Kittredge," released by Picturehouse and based on the popular line of American Girl dolls, stars Abigail Breslin as a 9-year-old aspiring newspaper reporter during the Depression. The film expands into wide release July 2.
The weekend's No. 2 spot was a photo finish between DreamWorks Animation and Paramount's "Kung Fu Panda" and Universal's "The Incredible Hulk."
In its third weekend, "Kung Fu Panda" pulled in $21.7 million, raising its domestic total to $155.6 million. "The Incredible Hulk" was right behind with $21.6 million in its second weekend to lift its total to $96.5 million.
"Panda" and "Hulk" were close enough that their rankings could change when final numbers are released Monday.
Hollywood's summer surge continued, with total revenues climbing for the fourth straight weekend compared to last year. The top 12 movies took in $136.9 million, up nearly 10 percent from the same weekend in 2007, when Carell's "Evan Almighty" opened at No. 1 with $31.2 million.
The industry is on track to beat the revenue record set last summer, when receipts topped $4 billion for the first time.
"While the country may be suffering with a so-called recession, people are finding movies a fairly inexpensive way to get their entertainment," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "This proves the conventional wisdom that, during tough economic times, the movies flourish."
In "Get Smart," Carell re-creates the bumbling Max Smart character created by Don Adams, with Hathaway playing the capable Agent 99 as the duo try to stop a plot to arm unstable governments with nuclear bombs. Dwayne Johnson co-stars as a superstar spy colleague.
Critics picked apart the movie for emphasizing action over the crisp verbal comedy of the TV show, but Warner Bros. figures that was a wise commercial move. While 60 percent of the audience was 25 or older, that still meant a sizable younger crowd that was more keen on the movie's action, said Dan Fellman, the studio's head of distribution.
"We were very pleased to have 40 percent under 25, because they did not grow up on the television show," Fellman said. "The filmmakers did a great job in making that happen. They broadened the audience and brought it into a modern-day bent."
Myers who dreamed up the "Love Guru" character, co-wrote the script and was a producer on the movie has been accustomed to blockbuster openings with the three "Shrek" flicks and his two "Austin Powers" spy sequels.
"Mike Myers, the master of the spy spoof, opens his movie against a spy comedy, and the spy movie genre was obviously a lot more appealing to audiences," Dergarabedian said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. "Get Smart," $39.2 million.
2. "Kung Fu Panda," $21.7 million.
3. "The Incredible Hulk," $21.6 million.
4. "The Love Guru," $14 million.
5. "The Happening," $10 million.
6. "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $8.4 million.
7. "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," $7.2 million.
8. "Sex and the City," $6.5 million.
9. "Iron Man," $4 million.
10. "The Strangers," $1.9 million.
___
On the Net:
http://www.mediabynumbers.com/
BINKIS HAS JUST ENTERED THE BUILDING!!!!!
Binkis Recs was putting in work @ the mic club last night in the ATL. This is the second Mic Club venture since their departure from the apache cafe. The crowd wasn't as large as past shows, but the buzz will be back in know time. Why? because the mood was still present in the new spot and did I fail to mention BINKIS PUT IN WORK LASTNIGHT
Lupe Fiasco & Others Speak On The Sate Of Black Skating! "Its Not Only For The White People"
The urban youth keep it real and emotional about their love that's becoming a fad. Skate boarding
AUTOMATIC CLASSIC AS USUAL
The Mic sound very nice friday night at the automatic classic show at the Drunken Unicorn. I got to the scene pretty late but still caught some fly hip hop acts like a out fielder in the 8th inning. That's always a good thing. What more can you ask for. Peep out some the videos and the rest of the pics right here
www.flickr.com/photos/jungle45
Serius Jones - Back To The Gutta
Sometimes life is the perfect blueprint to create some hiphop. You dig!!!!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
US Airways to charge $2 for soda, juice, water
Better get used to carrying lots of singles next time you fly. US Airlines is now terminating free drink service. No, not free mini bottles of Jim Beam and cheap Chardonnay, we're talking about all drinks, including soda, fruit juice, coffee, and bottled water, which will soon cost $2 each. Presumably tap water, which may or may not be contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria, will still be free.
The move is the latest way airlines are attempting to fight rapidly rising fuel prices in a disastrous economic climate. In recent months, the extra fees have come fast and furious. First came extra charges for your second piece of luggage, then came a charge for your first bag. That's not to mention extra fees for choosing your own seat, curbside check-in, booking using frequent flier miles, and the cost of the Santa Fe chicken sandwich.
The beverage fee is even more annoying than most, since you can no longer bring liquids through security at airports. You are really at the mercy of buying them on the plane, or at least buying them once you're in the terminal (which is doubtlessly no cheaper than on the plane). Alcoholic drinks will also go from $5 to $7. That's a lot for a can of Budweiser.
The fee goes into effect August 18, leaving plenty of time for the airlines to come up with other fees to nickel and dime their way to profitability. Can pay toilets be far behind?
Friday, June 20, 2008
Credit card fees: Some gas stations say 'no more'
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - When gas station manager Roger Randolph realized it was costing him money each time someone filled up with $4-a-gallon gas, he hung a sign on his pumps: "No more credit cards."
He may be the first in West Virginia to ban plastic, but gas station operators nationwide are reporting similar woes as higher prices translate into higher credit card fees the managers must pay, squeezing profits at the pump.
"The more they buy, the more we lose," said Randolph, who manages Mr. Ed's Chevron in St. Albans. "Gas prices go up, and our profits go down."
His complaints target the so-called interchange fee — a percentage of the sale price paid to credit card companies on every transaction. The percentage is fixed — usually at just under 2 percent — but the dollar amount of the fee rises with the price of the goods or services.
As gas tops $4 a gallon, that pushes fees toward 10 cents a gallon. Now stations, which typically mark up gasoline by 11 to 12 cents a gallon, are seeing profits shrink or even reverse.
In a good month, Randolph's small operation would yield a $60 profit on gasoline sales. But that's been buried as soaring prices forced the station to pay about $500 a month in interchange fees.
"At these prices, people aren't making any money," said Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the Alexandria, Va.-based National Association of Convenience Stores. "It's brutal."
Lenard's group reports convenience stores paid roughly $7.6 billion in credit card fees last year, while making $3.4 billion in profits.
The way interchange fees are structured has long annoyed retailers, prompting calls for relief.
Legislation pending in the U.S. House and Senate would allow merchants to bargain collectively with major credit and debit card companies.
The National Retail Federation says gas prices point to the unfairness of the system: Gas stations are paying more in interchange fees because the price of gas has gone up, while the cost of processing credit or debit cards remains the same.
"We have always contended that it doesn't cost Visa and MasterCard any more to process a $1,000 transaction than it does a $100 transaction," said J. Craig Shearman, vice president of government affairs at the retail federation.
The credit card companies say fees are just part of the cost of doing business.
MasterCard has capped interchange fees for gas purchases of $50 or more, said company spokeswoman Sharon Gamsin.
Accepting MasterCard also gives gas stations "increased sales, greater security and convenience, lower labor costs, and speed for their customers at the pump," Gamsin said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
Visa argues that the fees are offset "by the tangible benefits to stations and their customers, such as the ability to pay at the pump," the company said in a statement to the AP.
Absent congressional action, gas stations are seeking other relief, including discounts to customers who pay in cash.
Shipley Energy, which owns 23 Tom's Convenience stores in Pennsylvania, has partnered with a new credit card company, Revolution, which charges smaller interchange fees.
Bob Astor, wholesale fuels business manager for Shipley, said those savings get passed on to customers as cheaper prices at the pump. Customers who pay with the card get an automatic 10 cent discount.
Gas stations in South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey and Arizona are among those offering cash customers a discount, with savings from four cents to 10 cents per gallon.
The Connecticut General Assembly recently passed legislation to make it easier for stations to offer discounts for cash purchases, bidding to cut consumer prices by 10 to 12 cents on average.
Discounts for cash customers may not, however, be the stations' salvation.
The National Association of Convenience Stores reports about two thirds of transactions at gas stations were with credit or debit cards in 2007, a figure expected to rise this year.
"The problem with cash discounts is, if people don't have the cash or don't want to spend the cash, you've inconvenienced them," Lenard said.
The experiment at Mr. Ed's Chevron, though, has paid off so far.
The station has been in business for 44 years and the ban on plastic hasn't scared many people off, Randolph said.
"We've got generations of customers who come here," he said. "Most of them have accepted it."
Thursday, June 19, 2008
SON OF BEZERK
Yo! for the love of god, i don't know what spark this dude to catch wreck like this, but whoa!!!!!
Office Worker Goes Absolutely Insane - Watch more free videos
Office Worker Goes Absolutely Insane - Watch more free videos
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Toyota hybrid battery outpaced by demand
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer
Mon Jun 16, 1:44 PM ET
Toyota is struggling to keep up with booming demand for its hybrid vehicles because it can't make enough of the batteries that are key parts in the hit "green" cars, a senior executive said Monday.
The crunch is likely to remain the rest of the year, as battery production can't be boosted until next year, said Toyota Motor Corp. Executive Vice President Takeshi Uchiyamada, who oversees production at Japan's top automaker.
"Hybrids are selling so well we are doing all we can to increase production," he told The Associated Press. "We need new lines."
Battery production is critical in determining how many hybrid vehicles Toyota can produce, Uchiyamada said at the company's Tokyo office.
Hybrids, including Toyota's top-selling Prius, offer better mileage than comparable gas-only cars by switching to an electric motor whenever possible.
Toyota leads the world's automakers in hybrids sold at about 1.5 million vehicles since the first mass-produced hybrid Prius came out about a decade ago. The company now offers other models in a hybrid version.
Prius and other hybrids are soaring in popularity around the world amid surging gasoline prices, and other automakers are also rushing to produce hybrids. Hybrids also boast a green image in reducing emissions linked to global warming.
But Uchiyamada, who is leading Toyota's effort to make auto production greener, acknowledged such efforts hadn't yet extended to battery production because of the problems keeping up with demand.
"That has to settle down first," said Uchiyamada, an engineer who helped develop the Prius.
Toyota said last week its hybrid-battery joint venture with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which makes Panasonic products, will begin producing next-generation lithium-ion batteries in 2009, and move into full-scale production in 2010.
Toyota also said it's setting up a battery research department later this month to develop an innovative battery that can outperform even that lithium-ion battery.
Toyota has also announced its third plant in Japan for producing current hybrid batteries, called nickel-metal hydride, that run the Prius and other hybrid models on sale now.
Lithium-ion batteries, now common in laptops, produce more power and are smaller than nickel-metal hydride batteries. Toyota has said lithium-ion batteries will be used in Toyota plug-in hybrids, which can be recharged from a home electrical outlet.
Other automakers are also revving up hybrid production.
Honda, Japan's second-biggest automaker, said it will boost hybrid sales to 500,000 a year after 2010. Honda said it will introduce a new hybrid-only model next year for a total lineup of four hybrids.
Nissan Motor Co., which still hasn't developed a hybrid for commercial sale, said that it will by 2010. Nissan says its joint venture with electronics maker NEC Corp. will start mass-producing lithium-ion batteries in 2009 in Japan.
Toyota plans to sell 1 million hybrid vehicles a year after 2010.
MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA TRAILER
I read this book a while back and thinking it would be a fly ass movie if done right. It's in spike lee hands, yess!!!!!
Monday, June 16, 2008
BMW GINA Light Visionary Model
Shape-shifting concept car made from cloth.
BMW just unveiled its latest design philosophy — via a radical concept car — that will sure to raise some eyebrows in the automotive industry. Touted as the "game changer" for the "development of tomorrow's mobility," the new concept centers around the GINA principle, for Geometry and Functions In "N" Adaptions. What this means is the ability for BMW to think outside the box and innovate maximum ideas with mininum amount of the usual constraints associated with car design.
The first translation of the GINA philosophy into physical being is demonstrated in the Light Visionary Model concept. The only specs that may be familiar are the car's realistic 8-cylinder powertrain package residing in a roadster built from an aluminum space-frame chassis with two double tailpies and 20-in. alloy wheels at the corners. Other than that, it is the Visionary's exterior body that will catch all of us by surprise. It is skinned by four large pieces of flexible material that can stretch and contract based on a number of substructures that can move about on the chassis with electro and electrohydraulic controls.
There are four main pieces of skin that make up the Visionary's body: The largest component starts at the front of the car and extends all the way to the base of the windscreen, then down and across the two doors, ending at the rear edge. The next two fabric-like skins begin at the front lower rocker panels, then run across the rear wheel arches to the back. The last piece of skin makes up the rear deck. The roadster's scissor-type doors open with its outer skin wrinkled in a very clearly defined pattern, but they are stretched back into a silky-smooth surface when the doors close.
The fabric that covers the Visionary's body is constructed from a waterproof and temperature-resistant mesh netting on the outer layer, supported by a flexible metal- wire structure underneath to maintain the skin's tension and smoothness. Around a few areas where curvatures of the skin are called for, carbon struts are added to allow for higher flexibility while keeping the rounded contours.
The Light Visionary Model is striking not only because of its fabric outer skin, but also its utility in form following function. Because of the flexible skin, the headlights can be hidden or exposed when necessary. The side markers to signal lane changes are not visible on the outside until they are turned on during use — their light shines though the translucent (but not transparent) cover. Airflow around the car can be managed actively as the skin can be closed, opened or stretched based on need; the rocker-panel shape can be adjusted for better aerodynamics. And because the rear deck is covered by one single piece of fabric, the spoiler can be completely hidden when it is not in use.
Chris Bangle, Head of BMW Group Design, says, "Personal customer requirements will broaden the context of our products and change the core values that define our industry along the way." That's why BMW is focused on breaking new ground and finding innovative design solutions. And by the looks of the GINA Light Visionary Model, BMW is in the forefront of ingenious automotive design.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
SideStreet KED does it again!!
On friday the 13th, a night of many shows and badluck, my dude ked and the whole dungeon family east came with that heat to match the very weather heads in the ATL has been teying to avoid all week. I didn't stay for the whole show but from the youtube clips as was very much entertain before my departure http://www.myspace.com/ked
Obama tells black fathers to engage their children
By CHRISTOPHER WILLS, Associated Press Writer
Sun Jun 15, 3:31 PM ET
Barack Obama celebrated Father's Day by calling on black fathers, who he said are "missing from too many lives and too many homes," to become active in raising their children.
"They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it," the Democratic presidential candidate said Sunday at a largely black church in his hometown.
Reminding the congregation of his firsthand experience growing up without a father, Obama said he was lucky to have loving grandparents who helped his mother. He got support, second chances and scholarships that helped him get an education. Obama's father left when he was 2.
"A lot of children don't get those chances. There is no margin for error in their lives," said Obama, an Illinois senator.
"I resolved many years ago that it was my obligation to break the cycle — that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father to my girls," added Obama, whose daughters, Sasha and Malia, and his wife, Michelle, watched from the audience.
Obama's appearance at the Apostolic Church of God was his first address to a church since he ended his membership at Trinity United Church of Christ, where he had worshipped for 20 years, following inflammatory remarks there by his former longtime pastor and others.
Obama frequently emphasized the importance of God in his life and ended the speech by asking the congregation to "Pray for me. Pray for Michelle."
Obama often speaks about the importance of parental involvement. In Washington, he sponsored legislation to get more child support money to children by offering a tax credit for fathers who pay support, more efficient collection and penalties for fathers who don't meet their obligations.
The issue adds to his family values credentials and lets voters see him delivering a stern message to black voters.
"We can't simply write these problems off to past injustices," Obama said Sunday. "Those injustices are real. There's a reason our families are in disrepair ... but we can't keep using that as an excuse."
Obama urged black parents to demand the best from themselves and their children.
He compared it to his own presidential campaign and early comments from black voters who said they liked him but didn't think a black man could ever be elected president. He said they were admitting defeat before the competition had even begun.
"That was when I wasn't black enough. Now I'm too black," he said in a joking aside.
He said parents who proudly tell him their child gets great grades, all B's, should encourage them even more.
"All B's? Is that the highest grade?" Obama said. "It's great that you can get a B, but you can get a better grade. It's great that you've got a job, but you can get a better job."
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Father's Day Special: (The Game, Juelz Santana, Busta & Big Boi Speak About Fatherhood )
Yo! I can dig this tough for real. Be that dude to your child
Lil Wayne Within Reach Of Million-Copy Debut
Keith Caulfield, L.A.
The magic million is within sight of Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III." The Cash Money/Universal album continues to lead Nielsen SoundScan's Building chart, released today (June 13). Based on the new tally, the album could sell a million copies by the time SoundScan closes out its tracking week on Sunday night.
Unweighted sales of "Carter" through the close of business yesterday stood at 630,000. That's the largest number the Friday Building chart has seen since it began in September.
The last album to rack up a similar number on a Friday Building chart was Kanye West's "Graduation" (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam), which posted a 600,000 figure the Friday of its release. "Graduation" would go on to shift 957,000 in its first full week.
The last album to sell a million copies in a week was 50 Cent's "The Massacre" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope), when it bowed with 1.1 million in March 2005.
Billboard estimates the nine merchants who report to Nielsen SoundScan's Building chart -- Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Circuit City, iTunes, Starbucks, Borders, Target, Anderson Merchandisers and Handleman Co. -- comprise about 80% of all U.S. album sales.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Fox News Making Obama Look Ghetto "Michelle Is Barack's Baby Mama"
The media on fox always shows their true color. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing because alot of people actually believe what they see on tv, whoa!!!
Celtics storm back, beat Lakers 97-91 in Game 4
In their comeback season, the Celtics saved the biggest one of all for the NBA finals. Boston rallied from a 24-point deficit and beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 on Thursday night to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this history-rich series and move within one victory of a 17th championship that seemed impossible a year ago.
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