THE JUMPOFF RUNOFF

TERMINATION TUESDAY

2008-07-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

WOULD YOU EVER LET YOUR EX FIND YOU A NEW B/F OR G/F?
This show in Bravo - "Date My Ex" is all about finding a new mate for your former sig. other...but would you really expect your ex to really have the best intentions for you?

My thoughts...
If I were in the situation it would either have to a) be a woman who I was really really really desperate to get rid of. b) I want to show a woman how good she had it with me and c) that other guys suck!

To devote a whole show to this though, is quite invigorating...and it should answer one of the layers of the question "why?" I mean, it's better than Bobby and Whitney while not being as kick ass as temptation island! You be the judge.

FOR THE LADIES:
5 WAYS TO KNOW IF A GUY IS GOOD IN BED...

So I spend much of my time analyzing everything. I try to do everything I can not to be "that guy..." Sometimes it works out great and other times I know I look like nothing more than an archaic neanderthal...But for those of you men that are on a mission to be close with a woman...and I'm not talking about wearing her jeans emo's...but here are 5 things that you can learn from on how women view all of us!!!

He isn’t afraid to hold your gaze.

This guy is into you, and he’s not afraid to show it. The more he focuses on you, the more intent he is, and the more likely he’ll be interested in proving just how into you he really is. Mind, this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a great guy, or even a good one – in reality, these types are usually players. Nevertheless, they are usually very, very good in bed.

He’s a good kisser.

Good kisser, meaning, someone who doesn’t just shove their tongue in your mouth and expect you to do something with it. Nuh-uh. This guy takes his time, and uses more lip than he does tongue – and when the kiss ends, you aren't covered from chin to forehead in his saliva.

He’s good at talking dirty.

Most men don’t even attempt this, and those who do often sound silly. But the men who know they’re good in bed are usually very good at telling you what they plan on doing later. If he’s able to convey sexy things to you without sounding silly, he’s probably worth the time. It's worth noting this guy's probably been around the block a few thousand times as well, so make sure he suits up.

He’s tactile.

He wants to hold your hand, slide his arm around your waist (not your shoulders, this is something men do with their mates, not their women), play with your hair, touch your face. Especially when you are kissing. These are good indications he's fabulous in bed. Unless he's groping, in which case he's probably not.

He’s a good listener.

He listens. Even if you’re talking about something he really doesn’t give a toss about. That’s not to say he pretends – he listens because he gives a toss about you. If he doesn’t care about anything you have to say, he’s not going to care about anything you want, either. A man who listens to your words will also notice those unspoken nuances as well, which are very necessary when rolling around on a king-sized mattress.

Tomorrow...5 ways to know how bad he is in bed...blaaaaaah

LOCK IT OR DROP IT & HOLLYWOOD NEWS

2008-07-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

LOCK IT OR DROP IT

JIM JONES - THE GOOD STUFF

PARAMORE - THAT'S WHAT YOU GET

HOLLYWOOD NEWS AUDIO
FROM TONIGHT

ANTE UP!!!!!

2008-07-21T18:46:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the net...if ur a hip hop fan...you gotta love this...if not...you gotta love this!

THE MONDAY NIGHT BEAT DOWN!!!!

2008-07-21T17:46:00.000-07:00

So you have to wonder...how the hell did these two end up together....they're differences are so damn apparant in this pic...she's so damn on point and Nick is ummm...less on point with his 'fit than the valet holding the door open. Either way...I guess the shirt says it all...but I'm not hating; just pointing out the obvious!

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

The obviously can't...but the little kid in the next stall can! I mean I never went through the whole cooties thing...I've been lovin' the chicks since birth but I never got the opportunity to bathe next to a star of Rosario Dawson's caliber...I mean she's kind of an G list right now but still sexy!

Jackson's Wardrobe Malfunction Fine Dropped

a three-judge panel has thrown out a $550,000 fine over the broadcast.
Monday, July 21, 2008

Federal officials have dismissed an indecency fine TV bosses at CBS were charged after Janet Jackson flashed a breast during the 2004 SuperBowl half-time show.

Just days after Jackson's fellow SuperBowl performer Justin Timberlake poked fun at the 'wardrobe malfunction' controversy while hosting the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, a three-judge panel has thrown out a $550,000 fine over the broadcast.

The judges of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals have ruled that the Federal Communications Commission "acted arbitrarily and capriciously" in issuing the fine for the split-second image of nudity.

During the live show, Timberlake ripped open Jackson's bodice, revealing a breast. A red-faced Jackson quickly covered up.

More than 90 million people saw the live broadcast.

Baby For Williams?

"Pharrell is extremely private and won't release any details," said a source.
Monday, July 21, 2008

Hip-hop star Pharrell Williams is to become a dad, according to reports.

The N.E.R.D. singer/rapper is reported to have been dating an unnamed model, after meeting her several months ago in Miami, Florida. And the couple is now said to be expecting a baby.

A source tells gossip column PageSix, "(The model) is very pregnant and travels with him.

"She hangs out at the backstage area when he performs.

"Pharrell is extremely private and won't release any details."

Cyrus Offers Fans Chance to Meet Her for Charity

Cyrus has taken the first step to raise money for the organization by giving fans the chance to accompany her to the premiere of her forthcoming film Bolt.
Monday, July 21, 2008

Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus has launched a new charity in honor of her late grandfather - and is auctioning off a chance to meet her to kickstart the fundraising.

Spears Steps Out for Carrey

Britney Spears proved she has put her recent court battles behind her by stepping out for a charity event hosted by comedian Jim Carrey and his girlfriend Jenny McCarthy.

The "Toxic" hitmaker saw permanent custody of her two children handed over to ex-husband Kevin Federline on Thursday, following 18-months of court hearings, mental trauma, and a breakdown.

But she stunned onlookers on Saturday by arriving at the Los Angeles party in an elegant black evening dress, with perfect hair and make-up for her glamorous night out.

And the singer appeared to be in good spirits.

A source tells People.com, "She looked great and seemed really happy. She smiled and clapped during the video about autism."

Other stars to attend the charity fundraiser, in aid of Carrey and McCarthy's Generation Rescue, a foundation for autistic children, included Rose McGowan and newlyweds Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller.

The Pappy Cyrus Family Foundation is named after Cyrus' paternal grandfather Ron, who died in 2006, and aims to help deprived children across the country by providing improved health care, education and community support.

And Cyrus has taken the first step to raise money for the organization by giving fans the chance to accompany her to the premiere of her forthcoming film Bolt.

She is also auctioning off several items of clothing from her personal wardrobe.

The sale will begin on internet site eBay on Tuesday night with bidding closing on July 29, according to Foxnews.com.

Timbaland Promises Jay-Z Multicultural Sound

"You're gonna be like, 'Whoa!' But it's Jay on them. That means it reaches everywhere," Timbaland said.

Shawn 'Jay-Z' Carter's forthcoming album will shock his hard-core hip-hop fans - because superproducer Timbaland plans to feature bagpipes on the disc's tracks.

The hip-hop heavyweights are teaming up in the studio to record the "Big Pimpin'" star's new LP, and Timbaland insists using the Scottish instrument will lend the songs global appeal.

He says, "We want to go to the world. Some of the songs are gonna sound like (world music artist) M.I.A.

"You're gonna be like, 'Whoa!' But it's Jay on them. That means it reaches everywhere.

"I'm gonna have songs with bagpipes too. The music is gonna be so worldwide, he'll be able to tour the rest of his life, maybe, off just this one album."

AYO...the last time I actually said whoa was back in the day...

LIL WAYNE GETS MENACED BY
REAL GANG BANGER RAPPERS?

We never see Lil’ Wayne in this video, but it seems like 40 Glocc, Spider Loc and some of their friends found Lil’ Wayne at the video shoot of “A Milli” around the time of the BET Awards. They walked around an Escalade for several minutes looking to get Wayne to come out of an SUV.Wayne – if he was in the truck – never comes out. Then, 40 and Loc give everybody a look into the life they lead and what life is like in their neck of the woods. Now, there has been considerable dialogue about how real this is. One thing is for sure, the bodyguard in the “A Milli” video is in on this too. The only thing is, he doesn’t seem concerned one bit that he is surrounded by all this danger. And the bodyguard doesn’t seem to be more on alert to protect his client, supposedly in the vehicle. Check out that video on illseed.com.

BRAND NEW CHRIS BROWN!!!

FLO-RIDA - IN THE AYER

FINALLY...

KIDS..STAY IN SCHOOL AND DON'T GO TO PRISON...LOL

BIG WILLIE GOING TO THE MOTHA LAND!

2008-07-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

WILL SMITH TO MOVE TO AFRICA?

Will Smith is rumored to be moving to South Africa and taking his whole family with him. "We want to move to Africa. Actually, I found a house in South Africa, but it was before 9/11 and when that happened, we thought, being Americans, it was a time to be home. But I just loved South Africa," he said to Empire magazine. Will's no America hater though so all you "Young Republicans" don't jump the gun. Anyway, Will's looking to bounce, but I don't think we'll notice the difference since he's so caked up.

House of Pain switches the game to ride with the MUSLIMS

2008-07-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

EVERLAST TURNS MUSLIM?

I don't know exactly how true this is, but I have a source that is close to Everlast, the lead rapper in House of Pain. Yeah, the dude that wrote "Jump Around" and used to be down with Ice-T and the Rhyme Syndicate. So a friend of a friend just told me that Everlast is now a radical Muslim! I'm not exactly sure what constitutes "radical" so don't get your imagination in a frenzy. He's gone through many fazes as an artist, but now the label he's own is reportedly not fully behind him. He's not getting the Nas treatment. From what I heard, they were getting ready to start the publicity/marketing run for his new album, but the album has now been pushed back. They asked Everlast to tone down some of the views he was pushing forth on the project. Now I don't see what the issue is with an Irish b-boy with a predisposition to rock and Muslim religion.

ALLHIPHOP.COM

TOUCH ME TUESDAY

2008-07-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

25 Texting Terms You Need to Know
(FOR THE SOCIALLY SLOW!)

If you've ever sent a text message or instant message on your cell phone, you know how frustrating typing out long words on a tiny keyboard can be -- especially when you're in a hurry. To avoid tripping over your thumbs the next time you text, try using the rapid-fire shorthand 'language' known as texting lingo.

Texting lingo consists mainly of acronyms and phonics, which reduce the number of letters needed to write a comprehensible message. For example, the word 'you' is shortened to 'u' and "talk to you later" is simply "TTYL."

Below are 25 popular texting terms. Add some of these to your vocabulary and you'll be messaging like a teen in no time.

1. ADN = Any Day Now

2. AYS? = Are You Serious?

3. BFF = Best Friends Forever

4. BRB = Be Right Back

5. IDK= I Don't Know

6. IRL = In Real Life

7. ISO = In Search Of

8. JK = Just Kidding

9. K = OK

10. L8R = Later

11. LOL = Laughing Out Loud

12. MYOB = Mind Your Own Business

13. NIMBY = Not In My Back Yard

14. NP = No Problem

15. NW = No Way

16. OIC = Oh, I See

17. OMG = Oh My God

18. OMW = On My Way

19. POV = Point Of View

20. RBTL = Read Between The Lines

21. STBY = Sucks to be You

22. SWAK = Sealed With A Kiss

23. TTYL = Talk To You Later

24. UT? = You there?

25. WYWH = Wish You Were Here

WOULD YOU EAT THIS?
THE OFFICIAL KRISPY KREME CHEESEBURGER

WOULD YOU LIVE HERE?

AMY'S GONNA DIE!!!

We've all driven our parents to ridiculous levels of stress, but Amy Winehouse has taken it one step too far.

We blame the junkie's antics for her dad's hospitalization last week!

According to the British media, Mitch Winehouse collapsed and was rushed to a hospital.

A family friend said that Mitch has done all he can to keep Crackhouse at home following her hospitalization for an emphysema-like condition and has been suffering from stress-related panic attacks.

Poor Pops! We can't even begin to imagine what hell his life must be like.

A source close to Mitch says, "He has been taking a lot on and has been dedicating himself to trying to improve Amy's health. But his own health has suffered as a result. She told him not to worry about her – but that's easier said than done."

Children can be so selfish…especially the strung out ones!

Suzanne Somers Flashes HSN Viewers

(My fav. one night stand)Khloe Kardashian
Going to Jail for DUI

Khloe Kardashian isn’t really even famous, she just the sister of Kim Kardashian who is famous for hanging around Paris Hilton. Anyway, Khole got a dui, got probation, then failed to complete her community service and alcohol education program, so now she gets 30 days in jail. Kim then blogged about it, but it doesn’t even matter what Kim says. What matters is that Khole was irresponsible enough to drive drunk, then when she got probation she was too irresponsible to complete the terms of her probation. Khloe isn’t responsible enough to ever have a driver’s license.

MONDAY'S BOO BOO

2008-07-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

Death Row Records auctioned for $24 million

Death Row Records, the hip-hop label that released seminal gangster rap albums by Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, has been auctioned for $24 million.

The New York-based Global Music Group Inc. said in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday that on June 24 it purchased Death Row, including its enviable back catalog and current artist contracts.

The purchase concluded the roller-coaster saga of one of hip-hop's most famous labels. Under owner Marion "Suge" Knight, Death Row sold tens of millions of albums in the heyday of early `90s rap — its artists often flashing the spoils of the high life in music videos — before collapsing in debt and mismanagement.

A former couple, Lydia and Michael Harris, claimed they helped found the label, and won a judgment of $107 million, which they tried to collect in 2006. Unable to pay, Death Row and Knight filed for bankruptcy in April 2006, claiming debts of more than $100 million.

In 2006, a federal judge ordered a bankruptcy trustee takeover of Death Row Records, saying the label had undergone gross mismanagement. Knight's decision to file for bankruptcy protection staved off a move by the court to appoint someone to take control of the record label and his assets.

Global Music Group, an independent label, takes ownership of albums including Dr. Dre's "The Chronic," Shakur's "All Eyez on Me" and Snoop Dogg's "Doggystyle."

Other assets are believed to include unreleased material from Shakur that could result in another posthumous release from the rapper.

Knight has a history of legal problems. He was convicted of assault in 1992 and placed on probation, then jailed for five years in 1996 for violating that probation.

He was returned to jail in 2003 for again violating parole, this time by punching a parking attendant at a Hollywood nightclub. He was released the next year.

In 2006 under questioning from his creditors, Knight denied having money tucked away in foreign countries. His bank account then contained just $11.

Global Music CEO Anthony Davi, Jr., said the label planned to get "the best economic results of the catalog and provide long term stewardship of the artists' work." The company plans to later announce details of its plans for Death Row.

80 Y/O STRIPPER STILL GOIN IN!

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AP) -- Tempest Storm is fuming. Her fingers tremble with frustration. They are aged, knotted by arthritis and speckled with purple spots under paper skin.
Tempest Storm at the Burlesque Hall of Fame's annual All-Star Burlesque Weekend in Las Vegas.

But the manicure of orange polish is flawless and new, and matches her signature tousled mane.

She brushes orange curls out of her face as she explains how she's been slighted.

She is the headliner, you know. She is a star. She is classy.

"I don't just get up there and rip my clothes off," she says.

Indeed, the 80-year-old burlesque queen takes her clothes off very slowly.

More than 50 years ago she was dubbed the "Girl with the Fabulous Front" and told by famous men she had the "Best Two Props in Hollywood."

Since then, Storm saw the art that made her famous on the brink of extinction. Her contemporaries -- Blaze Starr, Bettie Page, Lili St. Cyr -- have died or hung up the pasties.

But not Storm. She kept performing. Las Vegas, Reno, Palm Springs, Miami, Carnegie Hall.

Her act is a time capsule. She knows nothing of poles. She would never put her derriere in some man's face. Her prop of choice is a boa, perhaps the occasional divan.

It takes four numbers, she says adamantly, four numbers to get it all off. To do it classy.

But the producers of tonight's show, just kids, they want her to go faster. She gets just seven minutes.

"I did seven minutes when I started," she says.

They gave her trouble last year, too. They even cut her music before she finished.

There may not be a next time for this show, she says. The threat lasts just minutes.

"No, no. I'm not ready to hang up my G-string, yet. I've got too many fans that would be disappointed."

Dated Elvis, other celebrities

Stardom and fandom feature prominently in Tempest Storm's life -- and in her neat, two-bedroom Las Vegas apartment.

Visitors are greeted by photos of a young Elvis, her favorite rock 'n' roller and, she says, a former lover.

He met her after her show in Las Vegas and fiddled with her skirt as he introduced himself. The relationship ended about a year later because Elvis' manager didn't approve of him dating a stripper, she says.

But she could not change who she was. Stripping already had made her famous.

It put her in the room with Hollywood's heavyweights. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mickey Rooney, Nat King Cole.

She dated some, just danced for others. The evidence is framed and displayed on tables and the living room wall.

That's Storm and Vic Damone. Storm teaching Walter Cronkite to dance. Storm and her fourth and last husband, Herb Jefferies, a star of black cowboy films who swept her off her feet in 1957 when such unions were instant scandals. They divorced in 1970.

"When I look at this picture I say, 'What the hell happened between this gorgeous couple?"' she says.

The moment is brief.

Storm is rarely wistful. She has no doubt she still is what she once was. Although she performs just handful of times a year, she would do more, if asked. She chides those who think age takes a toll on sex appeal.

"Ridiculous," she says.

There are just as many recent photos in the room: Storm and her daughter, a nurse in Indiana. Storm and her fiance, who died a few years ago. Storm and a beaming older gentlemen, just a fan who approached her for a photograph.

In others, the petite beauty with the long lashes and glamorous hair is alone, out of focus, in full makeup and smiling wide. In one, she is perched on her living room couch in a red hat and low-cut black suit.

"I took that picture of myself," she says proudly. "I have a self-timer. I took these, too."

Sharecropper's daughter fled abuse

"That stage saved me," she says as she leaves a sound check hours before the night's performance.

She had been expecting a much smaller space and she is relieved. She's a "walker," she explains. She needs room to move.

It is a direct and once-racy style, the signature work of Lillian Hunt, the choreographer at the Follies Theater in Los Angeles where Storm became a star.

She was Annie Blanche Banks then. The 22-year-old sharecropper's daughter had fled sexual abuse, two loveless marriages and poverty in small-town Georgia, she says.

She was working as a cocktail waitress but wanted to be a showgirl. First, she needed her teeth fixed.

"Do you think my bust is too big for this business?" she asked Hunt at her audition.

Hunt put her in the chorus line, told her not to gain a pound and called a dentist.

In Storm's telling, she didn't stay long in the background. She got a new name. ("I really don't feel like a Sunny Day.") She took to the spotlight quickly. Then and now, she blossomed to the chorus of hoots and cheers.

The trick is having a warm presence, an inviting smile, she says.

When she takes the stage, she lets her mind float back to "Georgie." She imagines herself as a little girl, in her best dress, running down the road to meet her daddy coming home from work.

"I feel that I am that little girl dressed up out there. I got a picture in my whole mind of it. I can see that little girl," she says.

On stage, the image is frozen there.

But it's not the end of the story Storm tells. If she plays out the memory, the little girl is stopped in her tracks as an aunt blurts out a truth that pains her today.

"That's not your real father."

Doesn't smoke or drink, gets religion on TV

On Sundays, Storm tunes in to a televangelist who tells her anyone can overcome odds. It's the only religion she's ever taken to.

She believes this is the lesson of her life. Be a survivor. Never stop doing what you love, it makes you who you are.

"If you want to get old, you'll get old," she says.

There have been men who disappointed her, financial strain, brain surgery.

After it all, she sits on her couch and exercises in front of the television on a small stationary bike. She doesn't smoke or drink or eat much.

"I'm just blessed, I think. And I know when to push myself away from the table."

If some might see all this as chasing after lost youth, she says she cares little. Younger dancers tell her she is an inspiration to them, and she has no reason not to believe them.

"I feel good about myself. And I enjoy it," she says. "I have fun when I'm onstage, and the audience loves it. Nobody ever said it's time to give it up. Why stop?"

Cheers and whistles

Indeed, no one is dreaming of telling Tempest Storm to give up stripping when she slithers onto the casino nightclub stage for her seven minutes.

"Something in the way she moves ..." pipes through the speakers. Her live drummer, the Ringo Starr on loan from the Beatles tribute show on the Strip, picks up the beat.

The burlesque queen emerges stage right. A slinky purple gown hangs off her shoulders. A rhinestone necklace envelops her decolletage. The snakelike boa pours into her hands.

For a few seconds, her face flashes her nerves.

And then she hears the cheers.

When she performs, Storm smiles, leans back and walks on her heels, leading with her pelvis. Her hands float back and forth as if in water, until they fall below her hips and sweep up in tandem with a full frontal thrust.

More cheers. Whistles.

The boa disappears stage right.

The next number picks up the tempo, letting Storm cock a hip on the down beats. She loses the gloves and steps off stage to put on the negligee. It's gone almost as quickly as it came.

And with two flicks of her orange fingernails, the dress goes, too.

Two-finger whistle. Hollers. Applause.

Staring up at the 80-year-old woman in fishnets, a sheer rhinestone bra and a G-string, a young woman turns to a young man and declares:

"I want to look like that when I'm her age."

I'm not saying I'm for Obama...nor am I saying that I'm not...but this sh!+ right here is ridiculous!!!

C'MON CHRIS FA REAL?

In Nigeria, what would you do? If you tuned into the rumors over the weekend, you know all about Jay-Z, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell and others in Nigeria for a concert festival. Well, Chris Brown was there too and I heard he had himself a good ol’ time. He reportedly sat at the bar for about 2 hours or more watching cartoons on his laptop with all his friends. LMAO! Somebody told me, they can’t fathom know he and Rihanna work it out- she is too mature! Chris did do the press rounds, but nobody filled him in on Nigeria or why he was there. Also, the people were reportedly clamoring over the Rihanna stuff but no confirmation.

Do we need a confirmation? Not really. We know what it is.

YOU CAN'T TEACH AN
OLD CRACK HEAD NEW TRICKS

Amy Winehouse was reportedly caught with coke in her nose. Her dad has admitted we’re going to watch Amy die. He says, "She will die. But it won't be from a drugs overdose. She will die from emphysema. That will be the most likely scenario if she doesn't check her behavior. We are talking about a long, slow, painful death - gasping for air. I would like all the people who would give her illegal substances to think about that." What’s he smoking

THURSDAZE

2008-07-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

QUEEN LATIFAH IN SERIOUS WRECK?

According to the National Inquirer Dana Owens was vacationing in the Virgin Islands when the incident occurred. Details are sketchy, but what is known is that Queen Latifah was on a rented scooter when she lost control of the vehicle and 'went flying'.

A source tells the tabloid, "She's lucky she wasn't killed. Fortunately, there weren't any cars or other scooters behind her when the accident occurred."

The source also added: "Luckily, she didn't break any bones. But she was suffering and was prescribed painkillers."

Story Developing…

Rihanna Refuses To Pose Nude

"My mother would kill me if I posed nude!" she said.

R&B star Rihanna has vowed never to pose for a naked photoshoot - because her mother would "kill" her.

Although the singer has proved she isn't shy about shedding her clothes in the name of work - she appeared wearing just gold body paint for her 2007 "Umbrella" video - she refuses to strip off for a magazine.

She tells MTV.co.uk, "My mother would kill me if I posed nude!

"When I did that metallic body paint stuff for my Umbrella video, I didn't do it to show my body. I didn't do it for people to like me. I did it because it was a cool visual, unexpected, and it looked hot.

"I have done a lot of photoshoots for magazines but it's always great to be shot for a cover because you know that you are looked at as a fashion icon."

Katie Perry Still On Top

"I Kissed a Girl" is on top for the third week in a row.

LOS ANGELES, July 10 (UPI) -- Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" is No. 1 on the U.S. record chart for a third week, Billboard.com reported Thursday.

Coming in at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 is Rihanna's "Take a Bow," followed by Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" at No. 3, Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" at No. 4 and Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" at No. 5.

Rounding out the top tier are Chris Brown's "Forever" at No. 6, Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful of Sunshine" at No. 7, the Jonas Brothers' "Burnin' Up" at No. 8, Plies's "Bust It Baby Pt. 2" featuring Ne-Yo at No. 9 and Miley Cyrus' "7 Things" at No. 10.

Brother: Madonna is In Love With Herself

The superstar's brother writes that his big sis is self absorbed

According to Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone, A-Rod isn't the only person in love with his sister. In his new tell-all, Life With My Sister Madonna, he claims that the Material Girl is quite fond of herself as well.

Usher Wows With Touching Father, Son Spread

Usher is showing off his baby son in a new photoshoot for Essence magazine.

R&B cat Usher is showing off his baby son in a touching new photo shoot for Essence magazine.

Father and son, Usher Raymond V, appear together on the cover of the new magazine with the adorable tot sporting a wool one-piece and a country cap.

Inside the August issue of the magazine, Usher dances for his staring child in one lovely shot, and the pair poses topless for two stunning family photos.

The final portrait, taken by snapper Timothy White, features little Usher asleep in his father's arms.

In the accompanying article, the singer tells actor Hill Harper his baby son has changed his life.

He explains, "I thought I had felt love before. But the moment I heard my child's voice, I broke down and cried."

And now, Usher Sr. insists his leading goal in life is to become a role model for the tot: "He's gonna admire me, he's gonna look up to me. He's gonna say... 'I wanna be like my father.'"

The Essence article also features the printed lyrics of "Prayer For You," the touching poem Usher wrote for his newly-born son and then turned them into a song for his current album "Here I Stand."

Mariah: I Wanted to be Kidnapped

The newlywed says at one point she felt so low, she wanted to disappear

Before Mariah Carey wed Nick Cannon, the diva tells Elle magazine that she "dreamed" of being kidnapped.

"When I was in an unhappy place in my life ... I always wanted to be kidnapped," the singer tells the mag. "I just wanted a way out, but I didn't have one."

Well she's singing a different tune now.

The singer gushes about how hubby Nick Cannon proposed-twice!

On the rooftop of her Manhattan apartment he proposed with a 17-carat diamond hidden inside a candy ring pop.

"They've been calling me Cinderella since I first started out," she says of the fairytale-worthy proposal," she says. "Most people would think, Okay, please! This doesn't happen in real life."

Then only a few days later, he popped the question again.

"He sort of kidnapped me and took me on a helicopter ride," she says. "Then he re-proposed."

LIL WAYNE STILL ON TOP TOO

LOS ANGELES, July 9 (UPI) -- Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III is No. 1 on the U.S. album chart, Billboard.com reported Wednesday.

Coming in at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 is Coldplay's Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, followed by the soundtrack to Disney's Camp Rock TV movie at No. 3, G-Unit's T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight) at No. 4 and John Mayer's Where the Light Is: John Mayer Live in Los Angeles at No. 5.

Rounding out the top tier are the compilation CD Now 28 at No. 6, Kid Rock's Rock N Roll Jesus at No. 7, Usher's Here I Stand at No. 8, Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad at No. 9 and Disturbed's Indestructible at No. 10.

TOUCHIN' DOWN!!!

2008-07-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

THERE'S WASN'T A WHOLE HEAP OF WIRELESS @ THE OFFICE TONIGHT BUT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT I DO OUTSIDE OF THE SHOW...ENJOY THE MIX!

MONDAY MADNESS

2008-07-07T14:15:00.000-07:00

Nick Cannon is still in the honeymoon phase with new wife Mariah Carey.

"It's amazing!" Cannon, 27, told Usmagazine.com at the Christian Audigier nightclub grand opening in Las Vegas Thursday night.

"It's the best thing that's ever happened to me!" he continued.

The Wild 'N Out host tied the knot to Carey, 38, in a hush-hush ceremony in the Bahamas on April 30.

[Nick's] plan is to have one [wedding] every year," Carey gushed to Ellen DeGeneres two weeks later. "Instead of trying to be like, 'You're invited, but shhh, don't tell anybody,' we're just going to have another one [wedding] next year."

Up next for the lovebirds? Babies!

"I always said if I found the right person who I felt would be on the same page as me in term of raising kids and having the same belief system, [we'd have kids]," Carey said.

Reuben Cannon told Us his half-brother Nick, "definitely wants kids," and that he "loves [Mariah] more than any other girl."

The couple got cozy on the set of her steamy video "Bye Bye." Watch their chemistry.

A-ROD'S GETTIN A D-VORCE

Cynthia Rodriguez's lawyer tells TMZ, "A-Rod may be an All-Star baseball player, but he's flunked the All-Star team as far as marriage is concerned."

Earle Lilly is repping Cynthia in the divorce case, which will be launched tomorrow when she files legal papers in Miami. Lilly claims Alex Rodriguez, who's already banked more than $250 mil, and Madonna have been having an affair "and are still together." He says they were together after his game yesterday and together today as well.

Lilly says, "We're not gonna lose this case." He acknowledges a prenup exists but it's "too early" to decide if he'll challenge it. He says there will be a "huge settlement" in the case but "not hundreds of millions of dollars." Lilly says A-Rod's estate is "vast ... beyond what anyone knows."

He says, "Cynthia is tremendously traumatized and devastated," adding the legal papers he'll file tomorrow will claim she's the victim of "emotional abandonment." Lilly says A-Rod has seen his six-week-old baby "once, maybe twice, but that's it." He says there's no question -- when the ink is dry she will be the primary custodial parent.

Madonna will not be specifically named in the divorce papers. Lilly says infidelity is a "major cause" for the divorce, but not because of any one allegation. Rather, he says, there were a series of dalliances and "Madonna was the last straw."

Lilly says Cynthia did not have an affair with Lenny Kravitz and that her relationship with him is "totally innocent and puristic."

Will Smith did Hancock a solid.

Smith has star-powered the poorly reviewed superhero hybrid to a $66 million opening weekend, and a No. 1 finish, according to Exhibitor Relations estimates today.

WALL-E, last weekend's champ, stayed strong, grossing another $33.4 million, but finished a distant second.

Hancock goes down as Smith's seventh straight movie to open No. 1. If you count Shark Tale, the 2004 animated comedy, as a Smith movie, his streak stands at eight straight.

Overall, Hancock has grossed $107.3 million since "previewing" on Tuesday night and "opening" on Wednesday.

Looking strictly at the movie's first five days, Wednesday-Sunday, Hancock took in $100.4 million, per Box Office Mojo stats, far behind the pace of this summer's two leading movies, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull ($152 million) and Iron Man ($112.1 million).

Among Smith movies, Hancock becomes his top Fourth of July opener, a testament to the star's drawing power, yes, but also inflation.

Run the movie math (divide the opening weekend gross by the average ticket price), and the numbers show Independence Day, Smith's signature Fourth of July hit, sold nearly two million more tickets in its opening weekend in 1996 than Hancock did this weekend.

It's actually better not to run the movie math. Not if you want to enjoy the holiday weekend to the fullest.

Other box office notes:

* Where WALL-E remained hot and pushed its two-weekend total to $128.1 million, Angelina Jolie's Wanted (third place, $20.6 million; $90.8 million overall) cooled off considerably, with business down 60 percent.
* In its third weekend, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, the critically praised Abigail Breslin family film, opened wide and died—a doll-sized $3.6 million (eighth place) off nearly 1,850 screens.
* Speaking of the dearly departed, Mike Myers' The Love Guru ($1.7 million) dropped out of the Top 10 after just two weekends.
* Looking on the bright side of a big giant bomb, The Love Guru, at $29.3 million overall, is the highest-grossing Justin Timberlake movie of all time. As long as you don't count Shrek the Third as a Justin Timberlake movie. Which you really shouldn't.
* The 1990s-nostalgia trip The Wackness, starring Drake & Josh's Josh Peck, was the star in limited release, grossing $145,064 at six theaters. Its per-screen average of $24,177 was the tops for any movie of the weekend.
* Despite three movies taking in more than $20 million, the Hancock-led Fourth of July was 4 percent smaller than last year's Transformers-led Fourth of July. The setback set 2008's overall business once again behind 2007's.

Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Hancock, $66 million
2. WALL-E, $33.4 million
3. Wanted, $20.6 million
4. Get Smart, $11.1 million
5. Kung Fu Panda, $7.5 million
6. The Incredible Hulk, $5 million
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, $3.9 million
8. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, $3.6 million
9. Sex and the City, $2.3 million
10. You Don't Mess With the Zohan, $2 million

THE RELATIONSHIP IS A HOAX!!!

That’s what some are saying. The ever so "credible" Star Magazine is spreading rumors about Jermaine Dupri and Janet Jackson has secretly married.

According to the gossip rag the two didn’t want to deal with the stress and pressure of a huge wedding. From what I hear people close to the power couple know, but that’s about it.

Though the music mogul has been very clear about revealing this, saying when he and his superstar girlfriend Janet decide to tie the knot, the entire world will know, I still felt the need to email the mogul himself for a response. However, as of press time he hasn’t responded.

TRAVIS BARKER JAILED

Nearly 24 hours after being released on $500 bail for assaulting a fan, Gym Class Heroes’ front man Travis McCoy has a warrant out for his arrest.

According to TMZ, police have been ordered to take McCoy in for questioning after investigating his third degree assault charge. Arrested Tuesday evening after allegedly breaking his microphone in to a disgruntled fan’s head when reportedly called a “f*cking ignorant n*gger”, the lead singer was released on a bond the following morning.

Performing on the Vans Warped Tour, the rock-hop star initially requested the audience member to re-state his direct comment towards him before inflicting harm on to the victim.

Quickly apologizing for his reaction, McCoy also tried reasoning with the crowd before being arrested shortly afterwards.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “But when someone calls you something that ignorant and that offensive, you have to bash their head in with a microphone.”

The band is currently scheduled to perform at the Superpages.com Center in Dallas, Texas this evening.

ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL A HIT

The Essence Music Festival will be brought some of hip-hop and R&B’s biggest acts to to New Orleans this Independence Day weekend.

Kanye West, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Rihanna, and comedian Chris Rock headlined some concerts in the evening, while some of the nation's most influential speakers, artists, authors and leaders enlighten festival-goers in the day. Also on the bill are Frankie Beverly, Keyshia Cole, Jill Scott, J. Holiday, LL Cool J, Musiq, Morris Day & The Time and Patti LaBelle.

"The Essence Music Festival is truly the ultimate party weekend this Fourth of July; celebrating Black culture with an unparalleled combination of music, arts, and empowerment," says Michelle Ebanks, President, Essence Communications Inc. "We have an extraordinary line-up of A-List talent in the Louisiana Superdome and the daytime Essence Empowerment Seminars are covering the issues impacting our community with critical examination, motivation and inspiration."

The Essence Empowerment Seminar Series will feature Tyler Perry and friends, Soledad O'Brien, Dr. Bill Cosby, Reverend Al Sharpton, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Hill Harper, Bishop T.D. Jakes, and Tom Joyner, among other notable figures.

The Festival also offers the Essence Marketplace in the daytime, with quality fine arts & crafts by African-American vendors from all over the world.

THE OZZY'S MAKE IT TO FOX

Maybe it's time for Black Sabbath devotees to renounce their fanhood: Ozzy Osbourne is moving into Osmond territory.

According to Variety, Fox has given a six-episode pickup to an hour-long variety show hosted by the 59-year-old erstwhile Prince of F--king Darkness, 55-year-old wife Sharon, 23-year-old son Jack and 22-year-old daughter Kelly, that's said to be a throwback to such programs of yore as—gulp—ABC's Donny and Marie and CBS' The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour.

The untitled Osbourne project is being overseen by James Sunderland, the executive producer of NBC's America's Got Talent, on which the family matriarch serves as a judge.

Unlike their heady days on The Osbournes, the reality show that ran from 2002 to 2005 on MTV and earned the family Emmys, the new format will attempt to mix musical guests, comedy skits and game-show segments with in-studio audience participation and man-on-the-street-style bits.

One idea being bandied about, per the trade, is a segment titled "The Osbournes Meet the Osbournes," in which the heavy metal clan hang out with another Osbourne family.

The show will be shot in Los Angeles and Fox aims to kick things off with a Christmas special.

Speaking of variety, Spike Lee—who's tackled all sorts of genres on the screen—is reportedly headed for the Great White Way.

The Oscar-nominated helmer plans to film three performances of the Broadway musical Passing Strange for a future broadcast on a cable network.

Lee will record two of the black-themed production's shows in front of audiences and a third without. No word when shooting will get under way, but Passing Strange, about a young black musician on a spiritual journey to Amsterdam and Berlin, could use the added television exposure.

Even though it won a Tony for Best Book last month, the musical has played to half-empty houses and seen its ticket sales slip from $300,000 a week to $245,000 for the week ended June 29.

THE WEDNESDAY DELIVERY

2008-07-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

OOH...MADONNA AND HER HUSBAND
SPOTTED TOGETHER!!!

Madonna and Guy Ritchie reportedly were spotted holding hands as they dined out in New York, despite persistent rumors they are planning to divorce.

People.com said the celebrity couple were seen holding hands when they arrived at and departed 'Cesca, an Italian eatery in Manhattan, Tuesday night.

One witness told the entertainment news Web site the pop star and her filmmaker husband seemed "like a normal couple that just wanted to have a nice dinner out."

"They looked very unassuming. Not like they were looking for attention," the observer said. "Everyone was whispering and saying: 'Wow, that was Madonna. She is supposed to be separating from her husband. I can't believe she is here.'"

Madonna's spokeswoman issued a statement Tuesday insisting there are "no plans" for the pair to split up, contrary to reports claiming the couple has been consulting divorce attorneys.

MILEY CYRUS DOES A MITZVAH

Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus stunned the crowd at a charity concert in Nashville, Tennessee on Sunday by making a surprise appearance alongside country star Jeffrey Steele.

Steele hosted the event in memory of his 13-year-old son Alex, who was killed in an all-terrain quad bike accident last year, to raise money for charity.

And the singer was just as shocked as the crowd when 15-year-old Cyrus appeared on the stage, asking to sing a duet with him, according to People.com.

The pair performed hit track "Simple Song," which was originally recorded by Cyrus - and was the only song written by Steel that appeared on his son Alex's MP3 player when he died.

And after a second duet - a rousing rendition of Steele's Hollywood Girl - the country singer paid tribute to Cyrus, telling the crowd, "Miley might live in Hollywood, but in her heart, she'll always be our Tennessee girl."

..BRITNEY SPEARS TO BE REINVENTED

Top music producer Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins is determined to "reinvent" Britney Spears and launch a successful career comeback for the troubled star.

The pop singer - currently celebrating the birth of her younger sister Jamie Lynn's daughter Maddie - has had a rocky year, which she has spent fighting an ongoing custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

But Grammy-winning producer Jerkins, who produced remixes for Spears' tracks "Overprotected" and "I Love Rock 'n' Roll," insists her new music will resurrect her troubled public image, according to People.com.

He says, "I'm trying some new things (with Spears)Â… I've always worked with Britney and I love working with her.

"I'm try to reinvent her and reinvent myself with her project. It's about to be her time again."

KANYE CAN GIVE A F$%! ABOUT WINEHOUSE!

Kanye West has laughed off Amy Winehouse's recent scathing comments about him - insisting he must have "really made it" if the troubled singer hates him.

Winehouse lashed out at the Stronger hitmaker during her set at British music festival Glastonbury on Saturday, telling the crowd she was pleased to be opening for rapper Jay-Z and not a "c*** like Kanye West!"

But West has refused to take the insult personally - dismissing Winehouse's rant in a post on his Web site.

He writes, "This just in... Amy Winehouse hates me!!! Now I've really made it!!! LOL (laugh out loud)!!!!"

Mom died after baby cut from womb: Police

Star News Services

Published: Wednesday, July 02, 2008

LOS ANGELES - A 23-year-old accused of killing a woman by cutting the baby from her womb was behind bars in northwestern Washington state Tuesday, local television KOMO reported.

The suspect, identified as Phiengchai Sisouvanh Synhavong, called police Friday, saying she had just given birth and feared her baby had died.She finally confessed that she had killed the baby's mother, whose body was found with "massive trauma to her stomach area."

Singer Opts for 'Black National Anthem' Over
'Star Spangled Banner'

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

A jazz singer shocked some Denver residents after replacing the words to the national anthem with those of the "Black National Anthem" during the annual State of the City address this week.

Rene Marie was asked to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper delivered the annual address on Tuesday. Instead, she sang the lyrics of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — a hymn commonly referred to as the "Black National Anthem" — to the tune of the national anthem, MyFOXColorado.com reported.

"If anyone has got a right to be angry it's probably me," Hickenlooper told the station. "I guess what I feel most is just deeply disappointed."

The mayor said only Marie, her husband and a musical adviser knew what the local jazz singer had in mind.

"What she said was that she was very sorry, that she meant no disrespect, that she was trying to make a creative expression of her love for the country," Hickenlooper said.

But the change in lyrics angered many residents, including City Councilman Charlie Brown.
"I was mad," he told MyFOXColorado.com. "I almost walked off the stage."

Brown said the matter needs to be addressed. "There is no substitute for the national anthem."

TUESDAY LOVE

2008-07-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

PLEASE NOTE: THE JUMPOFF IS MOVING...

thejumpoffshow.wordpress.com

LIL WAYNE HURTS FEELINGS IN CANADA

Lil' Wayne is gettin a little big headed...He was supposed to make an appearance @ th Tribe Hyper Club in Montreal. There's not telling whether or not he was to perform since he's bigger than night clubs. Still, promoters at the club told people all night he was on his way. A bouncer even said Wayne was at the airport on his way there. Never showed up. Now, they say Wayne was to do another show on the 30^th. I hope he makes it, because fans are quick to go from hurt to anger…

Heath Ledger's hometown to name theater after him

The Australian hometown of the late actor Heath Ledger named a theater in his honor Tuesday for his commitment to acting.

The $87 million, 575-seat Heath Ledger Theater in Perth is a fitting tribute because Ledger was always supportive of other young actors, Western Australia state Premier Alan Carpenter said at a naming ceremony.

Ledger died at 28 of an accidental prescription drug overdose in New York in January.

"Heath Ledger was totally dedicated to the craft of being an actor and that's what made him successful," Carpenter said. "I think what we're doing is continuing that support for young people who want to make a career in the arts and acting, stage and in film, whatever it happens to be."

Kim Ledger, the actor's father, called the tribute a pleasant surprise.

"He was such a giver to the arts right across the board. I really feel that there's not a lot of things he'd put his name to, but he'd put his name to that," said Kim Ledger, who attended Tuesday's ceremony.

Kim Ledger said family members would travel to New York later this month to attend a screening of "The Dark Knight" Heath Ledger plays the Joker in the movie, his final full film role. The actor's performance has already been lauded by critics.

The renewed attention on his son because of the film has made the family's grieving process difficult, Ledger said.

"It's just been a little more public and the films make it a little more public as well," he said. "It's been a little bit hard, but we've always been extremely proud of his work and that hasn't changed."

Ledger received a best-actor Academy Award nomination for his role in 2005's "Brokeback Mountain."

"The Dark Knight" opens in theaters July 18.

ALICIA KEYS TO RETIRE?

There's a word on the street that Alicia Keys is going to retire by the age of 30. It seems like more of an plot to store the perverbial nuts for the winter meaning that her real plans seems to be…is to work really hard from now until 30, so she can be straight on the money side. At that point, she will take some time to travel the world and see things you can’t see when touring. “I am working hard now so I have the choice to retire when I want. I would like to travel the world and stay in places instead of having to move on like I do now. I want to experience difference cultures,” she told contactmusic.com. I don’t see it happening. Her music is way to classic to just depart like that.

Did Reggie Bush propose to Kim Kardashian?

BLACK LAWMAKERS SEEK RESTRICTIONS ON
MENTHOL CIGARRETTES

The Congressional Black Caucus is calling for changes to a House tobacco-regulation bill, demanding that the legislation place restrictions on menthol cigarettes, the type heavily favored by African-American smokers.

The 43-member caucus is taking aim at a provision in the bill that would ban candy-, fruit- and spice-flavored cigarettes but that specifically exempts menthol. In recent weeks the exemption has become the focus of controversy because menthol brands are heavily used by black smokers, who develop a large share of smoking-related cancers and other health risks.

Donna M. Christensen, the Congressional delegate from the United States Virgin Islands who heads the black caucus’s health task force, said the caucus was working with Representative Henry A. Waxman, the California Democrat who is House bill’s sponsor, to address concerns about menthol.

“We are very aware and gravely concerned about the disproportionate incidence of lung cancer in the African-American community and, along with so many minority health experts, have long been concerned about the role menthol may play,” Ms. Christensen said in an e-mail response to a reporter’s query.

Ms. Christensen did not disclose the exact wording of any proposed changes to the legislation. But she said the group was working to strengthen the bill’s language on research and reporting about menthol and to give the Food and Drug Administration explicit authority to ban menthol.

On the other side of the debate, Lorillard, the cigarette company that would stand to lose the most from a ban on menthol, is mounting a counteroffensive. In e-mail messages sent on June 22 to smokers of its leading menthol brand, Newport, the company urged them to call their Congressional representatives.

“Urgent! Urgent!,” the message said. “Congress wants to make it illegal to smoke Newports and other menthol cigarettes. Call your member of Congress now and tell them to oppose any amendment to ban menthol cigarettes.”

A spokesman for Lorillard, Michael W. Robinson, said, “We think it’s important that consumers know what’s going in Washington and have an opportunity to make their voices heard.”

The legislation has passed crucial committees in both the House and the Senate, and supporters are hoping for floor votes this year. Mr. Waxman has predicted a House vote after members return from the July 4 recess.

With or without a menthol exemption, enactment of the bill is not a certainty.

Opponents of the proposal are hoping that opposition from the White House, as well as tobacco state senators, along with a series of delays in moving the bill to the House and Senate floors and an abbreviated election-year schedule, might mean the bill would not be adopted this year.

Menthol is a racially charged additive, in part because of the tobacco industry’s heavy marketing of mentholated cigarettes to African-Americans since the 1950s. The flavor helps to mask the harsh taste of cigarettes and may make it easier to start smoking,

Menthol brands account for 28 percent of the $70 billion American cigarette market. While only 25 percent of white smokers choose menthol cigarettes, an estimated 75 percent of African-American smokers do.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other public health officials have raised concerns about the possibility that menthol cigarettes might increase tobacco addiction and possibly cancer rates among black smokers.

There is also evidence that some menthol brands, including Newport, contain among the highest level of nicotine of leading cigarettes. Some experts believe that higher nicotine levels increase the addictiveness of cigarettes.

Some lawmakers have said the decision to exempt menthol from the bill’s flavorings ban was intended to win support for the legislation from Philip Morris, the country’s dominant tobacco company, whose Marlboro Menthol is the second-leading menthol brand.

Some smoking opponents have said they consider the menthol exemption as a necessary compromise to get the legislation passed. They have said that the bill as currently drafted would give the F.D.A. the authority to limit or eliminate additives, including menthol, if proved to be harmful.

The American Medical Association, in its meeting in Chicago in June, voted to ask its board to consider the question of whether menthol should be banned. The decision effectively rebuffed members who had wanted the group to speak out this year against the bill’s menthol exemption. Leaders of the organization cited the possibility that removing the menthol exemption might disrupt the compromise that has engendered broad support for the bill on Capitol Hill.

Some supporters of the bill’s current language on menthol have argued that, because menthol is widely used by many smokers, the effects of banning it outright are hard to predict. Among possibilities they have suggested is that menthol smokers would turn to an illicit cigarette market to obtain menthol cigarettes.

In a letter to several lawmakers on June 11, a coalition of health groups, including the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association, reiterated their support for the bill without changes to the menthol provisions.

“The impact of modifying or prohibiting such a large portion of the current cigarette market is unclear,” said the letter, sent to Mr. Waxman as well as John D. Dingell of Michigan and Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey, House Democrats who head the Committee on Energy and Commerce and its health subcommittee.

The Congressional Black Caucus took up the menthol issue in June after Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, an African-American who was the secretary of health under President George H. W. Bush, met with members of Congress and their staffs to voice concerns about the bill’s treatment of menthol.

Dr. Sullivan, president emeritus of Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, was one of nearly a dozen former federal health officials who had signed a letter expressing concern about the bill’s treatment of menthol.

A black antismoking organization, the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network, withdrew its support for the bill in late May, citing the menthol exemption.

4 day work week in UTAH!

Utah this summer will become what experts say is the first state to institute a mandatory four-day work week for most state employees, joining local governments across the nation that are altering schedules to save money, energy and resources.

Gov. Jon Huntsman, a first-term Republican, says he's making the change to reduce the state's carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, improve customer service and provide workers more flexibility.

RELATED STORY: Gas prices spurring switch to 4-day week

"The reaction (from the public) has been very much a willingness to give this a go," he says.

The change will apply to about 17,000 employees, roughly 80% of the state workforce, Huntsman says. Public universities, the state court system, prisons and other critical services will be exempt. Residents still will have sufficient access to state offices, many staying open from 7 a.m.- 6 p.m., and more than 800 state services are available online, he says.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Florida | Arizona | Alabama | Illinois | Michigan | South Carolina | Wisconsin | Utah | Birmingham | New York | Miami-Dade County | Brigham Young University | Suffolk County | Byers | National League of Cities | Avondale | National Association of Counties | Will County | Coconut Creek | Huntsman | Oconee County | Walworth County

Leslie Scott, executive director of the National Association of State Personnel Directors, says Huntsman's action is a first. "Most states have a four-day work week option for their employees, but Utah is the first to go to a mandatory four-day work week," she says. "A good number of the states are encouraging their agencies and managers to offer a four-day work week whenever possible."

The four-day work week is fairly common among city and county governments. Rex Facer, an assistant professor at Brigham Young University whose research team is studying the four-day work week concept, estimates that about one-sixth of U.S. cities with populations above 25,000 offer employees a four-day work week. His projection is based on the team's continuing survey of 150 city human resource directors.

Facer expects more cities to begin shuttering offices on Fridays. "The increasing pressures the American is facing around gas prices is certainly a significant factor, and the overall fiscal pressures governments are facing in general," he says.

Jacqueline Byers, director of research at the National Association of Counties, says the four-day work week is gaining in popularity among county governments. Marion County, Fla., has a mandatory four-day work week for employees; Oconee County, S.C., and Walworth County, Wis., have it for road work crews, while Will County, Ill., has it for the auditor's office. Oakland County, Mich., is seeking volunteers for a four-day work week, and Miami-Dade County, Fla., and Suffolk County, N.Y., are moving toward it, she says.

"They like it for a couple of reasons," says Byers. "They're not able to give raises, so this is like a bonus, to cut off one day's commute. Also, if they can close a whole department (for a day), they save money for the county."

It takes some adjusting. "One thing that has to be changed is the level of expectation from taxpayers, because they've always wanted five-day access," Byers says. "They have to adjust to offices that are open longer on weekdays, but closed on Fridays."

Cities offering employees condensed work weeks include Coconut Creek, Fla., Birmingham, Ala., and Avondale, Ariz., according to the National League of Cities.

In Utah, the new schedule starts Aug. 4. In the meantime, Huntsman says, the state is moving to iron out problems for employees with child-care concerns and those using public transportation that currently would not accommodate a longer workday.

Huntsman says the change will help Utah reach its goal of reducing energy use 20% by 2015.

Beyond the energy and financial implications, the four-day work week is a quality-of-life issue for many. Huntsman says it is especially popular among younger employees and that his action will make Utah more competitive in luring talent.

Facer agrees that an improved "work-life balance" often results from a shorter work week.

"More and more young workers are entering the work force," Facer says. "They're looking for ways to enhance their work-life balance. Alternative work schedules offer more of this work-life balance than do traditional work schedules."

What are the pros and cons of a four-day work week? Would you switch to a four-day week if you could? Would you rather have government offices open five days a week or open longer hours for four days a week?

AHHH MONDAY...AGAIN

2008-06-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

AMY WINEHOUSE BEATS UP A FAN...

DUMBASS!!!!

MUCHO IMPORTANTE:

LC from THE HILLS is not as bitchy as she seems!

So I guess a GLAMOUR reporter interviewed one of the broads from the OC and this is what was written about the said heifer...

She wants us to know the following about LC:

- As with all celebs, seemed way shorter/thinner in person. Also, tanner.
- Seemingly really sweet/almost a little shy. I wasn't getting stuck-up vibes. When I needed to find the ladies' room, she walked me there, despite 10 publicists who could have done so instead.
- Shockingly well-spoken considering the inane dialogue we generally see her involved in on The Hills.

Introducing Alan Patton.....the Urine Connoisseur! Eww!

"Police charged a northwest Columbus man with criminal mischief for allegedly planning to collect young boys’ urine and drink it. Alan Patton was recently spotted in restrooms at Sports Ohio two weeks ago. According to a police report, Patton, 56, the female employee recognized him as the same man she saw the previous week “putting Saran Wrap on toilets and cups in urinals.”

The employee called police and found Patton walking out of a restroom stall with a black duffle bag.

In 1994, Patton pleaded guilty to a charge of gross sexual imposition against an 8-year-old boy. He served four years in prison and was labeled a sex offender. Then, in 2006, Patton was caught at a Gahanna movie theater and was accused of watching little boys urinate. Police said that Patton admitted to collecting boys’ urine and even paid them for it. Patton was charged with voyeurism.

Police said that Patton would turn the water to the urinals off, place a cup inside and then collect the urine after a boy went to the bathroom.

Woah - this cat is highly deranged. Let’s get this straight, he’s a fan of the mellow yellow, who carries his contraband around in a duffel bag. Where have we heard this before?" Bossip.com

The 6 Most Annoying Coworkers:

Are You One?

Nearly every workplace has them: the Naysayer, who dismisses team members' ideas; the Spotlight Stealer, who claims credit for a colleague's efforts; and other annoying coworkers who make collaboration difficult. Following are six professionals whose irritating behaviors and irksome attitudes prevent them from forming productive relationships at work -- and what you should to do avoid following in their footsteps:

1. The Naysayer. This office dweller delights in shooting down ideas. Even during "blue sky" brainstorming sessions, where all suggestions are to be contemplated with an open mind, the Naysayer immediately pooh-poohs any proposal that challenges the status quo.

The right approach: Because great solutions often rise from diverse opinions, withhold comment -- and judgment -- until the appropriate time. Moreover, be tactful and constructive when delivering criticism or alternative viewpoints.

2. The Spotlight Stealer. There is definitely an "I" in "team" according to this glory seeker, who tries to take full credit for collaborative efforts and impress higher-ups. This overly ambitious corporate climber never heard a good idea he wouldn't pass off as his own.

The right approach: Win over the boss and colleagues by being a team player. When receiving kudos, for instance, publicly thank everyone who helped you. "I couldn't have done it without ..." is a savvy phrase to remember.

3. The Buzzwordsmith. Whether speaking or writing, the Buzzwordsmith sacrifices clarity in favor of showcasing an expansive vocabulary of cliched business terms. This ineffective communicator loves to "utilize" -- never just "use" -- industry-specific jargon and obscure acronyms that muddle messages. Favorite buzzwords include "synergistic," "actionable," "monetize," and "paradigm shift."

The right approach: Be succinct. Focus on clarity and minimize misunderstandings by favoring direct, concrete statements. If you're unsure whether the person you are communicating with will understand your message, rephrase it, using "plain English."

4. The Inconsiderate Emailer. Addicted to the "reply all" function, this "cc" supporter clogs colleagues' already-overflowing inboxes with unnecessary messages. This person also marks less-than-critical emails as "high priority" and sends enormous attachments that crash unwitting recipients' computers.

The right approach: Break the habit of using email as your default mode of communication, as many conversations are better suited for quick phone calls or in-person discussions. The benefit? The less email you send, the less you're likely to receive.

5. The Interrupter. The Interrupter has little regard for others' peace, quiet or concentration. When this person is not entering your work area to request immediate help, the Interrupter is in meetings loudly tapping on a laptop, fielding calls on a cell phone, or initiating off-topic side conversations.

The right approach: Don't let competing demands and tight deadlines trump basic common courtesy. Simply put, mind your manners to build healthy relationships at work.

6. The Stick in the Mud. This person is all business all of the time. Disapproving of any attempt at levity, the constant killjoy doesn't have fun at work and doesn't think anyone else should either.

The right approach: Have a sense of humor and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself once in awhile. A good laugh can help you build rapport, boost morale, and deflate tension when working under stressful situations.

It's fairly easy to spot the qualities that make the above individuals irritating -- at least when the behaviors are displayed by others. It can be a challenge to recognize when you exhibit them yourself. You may not realize, for instance, that you always pepper your communications with industry- or company-specific jargon, even when speaking with new employees or outside contacts. Though you may not be a full-fledged Interrupter or Stick in the Mud, take care to avoid heading down their paths.

The best advice: Remember common courtesy and act toward others as you want them to act toward you.

Seven iPhone Disappointments

Apple's new iPhone promises to be 4.7 ounces of awesome.

It will do everything the iPhone does well--surfing the Web, serving up music and movies, and letting you flick through your voicemail messages with a fingertip--only faster and cheaper.

Yet imperfections still lurk, in spite of Chairman Steve Jobs' maniacal attention to detail. Even before its release, there are some niggling issues--some minor, others major--that make the iPhone a mere gadget, just like any other. Just ask those pesky bloggers:

The Cost
Those crafty phone companies! Yes, at $199, the new iPhone is cheaper up-front than the original, which first went on sale starting at $499 last year. It is not, however, less expensive to own. Do the math and you find out the iPhone will cost $160 more over two years than the original iPhone because AT&T (nyse: T - news - people ) put together a pricier data plan for the phone to help it subsidize the up-front cost of the handset. The gadget fiends at Gizmodo called that "a small price to play," but Bits, the technology blog at The New York Times, called it "a step backwards for consumers."

No Flash
The iPhone is a surprisingly capable Web browser. Its wide, high-resolution screen and the ability to bop around the Web by tapping links with a fingertip has turned mobile Web surfing from a chore into a pleasure. The biggest hitch: the iPhone still doesn't support Adobe's (nasdaq: ADBE - news - people ) Flash technology, which means many multimedia-rich sites remain off limits. While Adobe is working hard to make its technology iPhone-friendly, don't hold your breath.

No Replaceable Batteries
Hardcore road warriors don't have time to stop and recharge their phones. Instead they carry their batteries with them, clicking them into their BlackBerrys in the backs of cabs, or, if they're lucky, in a coffee shop. By contrast, there's no easy way to crack open the new iPhone's sleek case to pop in a battery, disappointing bloggers. And while kits are available for do-it-yourselfers, we wouldn't recommend trying it in between bites of your bagel.

Video Recording
Apple's (nasdaq: AAPL - news - people ) computers come preloaded with iMovie, a slick little application that makes video editing easy and fun. Apple's iPods, with the exception of the Shuffle, have evolved into snappy little video viewing machines. But if you want to record video, you'd better talk to Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people ). Despite its built-in two-megapixel camera, Apple isn't building the ability to take video into its new phone, a feature even many low-end so-called "feature phones" include.

No Cut-And-Paste
The inability to copy a chunk of text and paste it into another application has baffled geeks since the iPhone's introduction last year. It's a simple tool that would make blogging and zapping bits of text to friends via e-mail a breeze. And, yes, it can be done without screwing up the phone's interface.

No Multimedia Messaging Service
This might be the most interesting example of what makes the iPhone quirky: There are some things dirt-cheap phones cranked out by the tens of millions can do that the vaunted iPhone cannot. Forbes.com's David Ewalt sees the lack of support for Multimedia Messaging Service as one of the most maddening. Want to open an image sent to you via MMS by a friend from her (dirt-cheap) mobile phone? No dice.

Bonus: No Voice Dialing
No blogger we've seen has complained about this yet. Maybe that's because all the geeks who might whine about how tough it is to dial the iPhone died in fiery auto wrecks first, seeing as the iPhone doesn't have the voice-recognition smarts to let users dial verbally--the one feature makes the BlackBerry, with its nubby little plastic keyboard, usable on the road.

Jun 26 - Schoolboy found hanged after his father confiscated his new Wii

school tie after his father confiscated a computer game.

Jake Roberts wanted to play it on his Nintendo Wii console but couldn't because his sister was watching TV.

An argument developed and when his father confiscated the game Jake stormed to his room. Hours later he was discovered hanging from his bed by his father.

The talented teenager, described as a sensitive boy with a fantastic imagination enjoyed writing stories and poems and even had one verse published after his school entered it into a competition.

The inquest heard evidence from Jake's devastated parents, Andrea and John, who lived with their son and daughter in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Mrs Roberts a bank clerk, became tearful as she recalled how her son had stormed off to his room after being told he could not play on the game.

She said: 'We gave him some money for his birthday so he went out and bought a computer game.

'When he came back he wanted to play it but his sister was using the television.

'He had a temper tantrum and stormed off upstairs.'

Mr Roberts, a printer, said: 'The first thing I saw when I walked in to Jake's bedroom was all the paper he had ripped up on the floor during his tantrum.

'The door was open with his bed to my left behind the door. I was going to tell him off when I turned. It took me a few seconds to register what I was seeing.'

'His school tie was round his neck and he was hung from his cabin bed. I tried to lift him and his tie was attached to a bar on the bed.'

An ambulance was called and Jake was rushed to Scarborough Hospital, but he was pronounced dead two days later as a result of hanging.

Mr Roberts continued: 'I honestly don't think he meant to hang himself. I think he was mad about the computer game and just did something stupid.'

Mrs Roberts added that the family had watched an episode of the BBC drama Casualty together weeks, before which had featured a young person hanging themselves.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...t-new-Wii.html

THIS IS REALLY SAD!!!

BAYTOWN, Texas - A 14-year-old girl who secretly gave birth in a school bathroom was charged with capital murder Thursday by police, who said she killed the newborn by choking and flushing him in the toilet.

The girl was charged as a juvenile; Baytown police Capt. Roger Clifford said prosecutors will decide whether to certify her as an adult. She cannot be executed if convicted because of her age.

The girl gave birth April 2 in a bathroom at Cedar Bayou Junior High. Police said she stuffed toilet paper in the infant’s throat and submerged him in a toilet. An autopsy confirmed the baby was alive and cried before his mother tried to flush him, police Lt. Eric Freed said

“We have had enough evidence to determine that this action was done intentionally and knowingly,” Clifford said. “That means beyond a reasonable doubt in our mind and in mind of the district attorney’s office and in mind of the medical examiner’s office, that this was not an accident.”

'Very sad situation'
The girl’s attorney, Gerald Yoakum, said the teen didn’t realize she was giving birth. She was 35 to 36 weeks pregnant.

School officials in this city 26 miles east of Houston learned of her pregnancy when another student who was in the restroom while the eighth-grader was in labor went to ask the school nurse for help.

The nurse and an assistant principal ran to the bathroom, discovered the girl had given birth and called 911.

The Goose Creek school district said it was also investigating what school rules the girl might have broken.

“It’s a very sad situation,” district spokeswoman Kathy Clausen said. “We’re all very concerned and very upset about it.”

The infant boy died just three days after another 14-year-old girl delivered a stillborn fetus in the bathroom of an airplane on her way back to Houston from a middle-school field trip.

DA Boss does not want Foxy to Be the BOSS!

2008-06-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

Husky Miami rapper, Rick Ross, recently addressed the rumors of an engagement veteran female rapper Foxy Brown, and he says he's not wifing anybody any time soon.

The two rappers appeared on the cover of this week's glossy tabloid style hip-hop magazine, Hip Hop Weekly, which was supposedly an exclusive about their impending nuptials.

The report said that Fox was moving in with Rick Ross in Miami, which came after a pic of the pair hugging hit the internet.

When speaking with MTV earlier this week, Ross shot down the rumors of marriage. However, he did not deny if the pair are a couple though.

"Nah, nah, nah," he told MTV. "The engagement is just speculation. I'm married to the money."

Aside from rumors, Ross is teaming up with Cash Money CEO, Birdman, for a movie and a collaborative album to accompany it. There's no word when these two projects will begin or see the light of day though.

Published: Friday - June 27, 2008
Words by Liz "Red" Thomas

DUI for the Plastic Surgeon responsible for Kanye West's Mom

2008-06-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

Plastic surgeon who operated on Kanye West's mother before she died is arrested on DUI charge
Dr. Jan Adams was going the wrong way on a Bay Area freeway and his blood-alcohol level exceeded the state limit, the CHP says.
By Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 27, 2008
The Los Angeles plastic surgeon who operated on rap star Kanye West's mother before she died last year was arrested in Solano County early Thursday on suspicion of drunk driving and driving on a suspended license.

Dr. Jan Adams was stopped by the California Highway Patrol after it received calls about 2:41 a.m. of a car traveling south in the northbound lanes of Interstate 680 near Benicia after using an offramp to enter the freeway, officials said.

To CHP officers, Adams, who lives in Laguna Beach, appeared to have been driving his 2004 Jaguar XJ8 under the influence of alcohol.

He was booked into Solano County Jail on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with a blood-alcohol level above the state's 0.08% limit and driving on a suspended license from a 2006 DUI conviction, officials said.

When Donda West, 58, died in November after a breast reduction, tummy tuck and liposuction performed by Adams, the Medical Board of California was seeking to suspend or revoke Adams' license because of prior alcohol-related arrests.

Adams told The Times that nothing went wrong Nov. 9 when he performed the procedures.

An autopsy report found that she probably died of heart disease and complications from the plastic surgery.

richard.winton@latimes.com

SOME VIDS TO TIE YOU OVER!!!

2008-06-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

Rihanna - Disturbia

Ida Corr Vs Fedde Le Grand - Let Me Think About It

LET'S GO IN!

2008-06-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

KATY PERRY - I KISSED A GIRL

JAY Z's Gonna Own the Yanks?

The former Def Jam president has already made sports his business as a shareholder in the New Jersey Nets basketball team as well as his 40/40 sports club franchise - with locations in Manhattan, Atlantic City, Vegas, Tokyo and Macau. His other assets include his $150 million deal with Live Nation and his new advertising company with Steve Stoute, among other business ventures.

Jay had previously been in talks to invest in the London-based soccer team Arsenal Football Club but that fell through in '05.

"I had invested in the Nets, and they (Arsenal bosses) asked me if I was interested in investing. But I get that from time to time," Jay told London's Time Out magazine. "Someone told me yesterday that someone else had a piece of the New York Yankees, 'We wanna talk to you, yadda yadda yadda.' I mean, I love the Yankees so I'm in the middle of following that through, but sometimes it comes to be nothing. That (Arsenal) was one of the times it came to nothing."

HIP HOP CHARTS

Lil' Wayne "Played" Out, Plies Holds Down The No. 5 Spot, Rihanna Reloads

In this week’s Hip-Hop and R&B charts, Lil’ Wayne is cooled off by Coldplay, Plies keeps it real at No. 5 and Rihanna bounces back into the Top 10.

After his million-plus debut last week, Lil’ Wayne’s reign on the top was shorter than leprechauns, as his sixth studio album Tha Carter III, was dethroned from the top spot on Billboard 200, by rock band Coldplay. According to Nielsen SoundScan Weezy’s history making album landed at No. 2 this week, with a whopping 309,000 copies sold. After two weeks, the Cash Money star’s sales total is 1,316,000.

Entering the charts last week at No. 2, Plies sophomore studio album Definition of Real drops down to No. 5. Hit with a 68% decline in sales from its opening week, the set pushed 68,000 copies this week. The follow-up to 2007’s certified gold debut The Real Testament, the Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic Records disc is powered the smash single “Bust It Baby Part. 2” featuring Ne-Yo. After two weeks, the set has amassed 283,000 copies.

Usher’s sixth studio album Here I Stand slips one spot to No. 6 this week. Powered by the hit lead single “Love In This Club” featuring Young Jeezy and the rising second single “Moving Mountains,” the set moved 65,000 copies. In four weeks, Usher’s certified gold album has moved 754,300 copies.

Def Jam pop sensation, Rihanna takes a cue from her beau, Chris Brown, with the re-release of her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad, which soared up the charts from No. 124 to No. 7 this week. Experiencing a 930% increase in sales, the re-issue of the 2007 album shifted 63,300 copies. The repackaged disc comes with three additional tracks, on top of her smash hits like the Grammy award winning “Umbrella,” and her latest jam, “Take A Bow.”

British crooner, Leona Lewis’ Spirit drops three spots to No. 17. The sultry songstress is experienced a 14% decline in sales, but managed to move 28,700 copies this week. In eleven weeks, Lewis certified gold debut has sold 800,500 copies.

After debuting at No. 7 last week, the alternative rock/hip-hop trio N.E.R.D.'s third studio album Seeing Sounds, bows out of the Top 10 to No. 20. The group -consisting of members Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo and Shay Haley - was hit was a 70% decline in sales moving 23,600 copies this week for a grand total of 104,000.

After debuting in the Top 10, Ashanti's sophomore studio album The Declaration checks in at No. 21 this week. The Universal Motown album sold 22,200 copies.

R&B icon, Mariah Carey’s chart-topping album E=MC2 continues to sink, slipping two notches to No. 23. Hit with a 21% decrease in sales, Carey’s sixth studio album sold 21,300 copies this week. Despite the hit, after ten weeks, the newlywed songstress has sold 1,046,200 in total.

Fresh off of being named best male R&B artist at the BET Awards, Chris Brown falls back in standings two spots to No. 25. Experiencing 19% decrease in sales, the re-issue of Exclusive sold 20,600 copies this week. After 33 weeks, his platinum Jive set has amassed 1,628,000 copies.

After entering the charts at No. 88 last week with their debut Grindin’ For A Purpose, Texas-bred rap quartet, The TMI Boyz ascends 60 notches to No. 28 this week. The unexpected leap from the group—BC, Huskey, Dudella and Sayeed—produced 18,000 sales compared to their opening week sales number of 8.600. Powered by the Mannie Fresh produced lead single “I’m Fresh,” after two weeks the set has moved 27,500 copies.

Blood Raw's debut disc CTE Presents: My Life: The True Testimony enters at No. 30 with 17,400. The album from Young Jeezy’s newest protégé, is supported by the Snowman assisted lead single and street banger “Louie.”

Newcomer Florida rapper 2 Pistols’ debut album Death Before Dishonor enters Billboard 200 at No. 33 moving a paltry 16,000 copies in its opening week. Led by the smash hit “She Got It” featuring T-Pain, the album also features “You Know Me” featuring Ray J.

Madonna’s eleventh studio album, Hard Candy, slips six notches to No. 37. The set is hit with a 25% decline in sales, moving 14,300 copies this week. In eight weeks, the pop icon certified gold album has sold 558,500 copies.

Hopefully after nabbing two awards at the BET Awards, UGK member Bun B can end the sales slump that his sophomore solo release II Trill is in. Falling 14 spots to No. 43 this week. the Rap-A-Lot/Asylum album moved 13,300 copies. In five weeks, the Texas native’s disc has amassed 196,000 albums sold.

Honorable mentions go out to Diddy’s girls, Danity Kane, as their sophomore studio album Welcome to The Dollhouse reached certified gold status this week. Coming in at No. 134 all it took was 4,840 copies sold to push the group’s 14 week total to 506,000 copies.

And R&B crooner, Jaheim also attained a certified gold plaque with 3210 copies sold this week.. The baritone voiced crooner’s fourth studio album The Makings of a Man held down the 200^th spot on the charts. After 26 weeks, Jaheim has a grand total of 502,000 albums sold.

Next week Three Six Mafia and the Wackness Soundtrack make their marks on the Charts.

COLBY ODONIS - WHAT YOU GOT

THE BET AWARDS...

A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF PERFORMANCES

I gotta be real and say there were only a couple things that I loved about the BET awards last night...Rihanna really did what she does...even though she always looks so damn subdued or high or somethin'! Chris Brown really seemed like the highlight of the show...oddly enough, I enjoyed Ciara showing up on stage with him...especially since she wasn't lip syching one of her catchy little songs! Check out the pics below...

lol Rihanna, don't worry...if Chris is smart, he wouldn't take Bow Wow and Fif's leftovers!

Now Usher....USHER, USHER, USHER...My dude...what the f$#ck happened to you big homie? You used to dance, croon, and SING LIVE! Yeah the moves were good and so was the background but when the hell did you become Britney Spears...or Ciara? BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Is it neccessary for you to look like a one song set version of Kanye?

more to come....gotta start the show!

TUESDAY'S PIECE

2008-06-24T15:30:00.000-07:00

Sorry! the kid's been mad busy as of late...but alas...the blog is up before the show tonight!

SOULJA BOY DISSES ICE T?

DMX JAILED AGAIN...
THIS IS LAST TIME I MENTION THIS CAT ON MY BLOG

Rapper arrested in Miami yesterday afternoon (June 23) on a warrant for having no valid driver's license.

DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Institute, where a spokeswoman said he remained behind bars at about 5:30 p.m. His bond was set at $500.

DMX has had a number of scuffles with the law in recent years, most recently last month in Arizona, where he pleaded not guilty to felony drug possession and misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

A message left with a New York attorney who has represented DMX was not immediately returned. - AP

BUY ANGELINA'S CLOTHES...LOL

How hot does Angelina Jolie look in leather?

Yeah, way hot!

And now you can own one of the leather jackets that she wears in her new action flick, Wanted.

Bidding opened today at CharityFolks.com for Jolie's black leather number featuring a diagonal front zipper and tassels on the zipper pulls.

If you wanna actually wear it, ya better be teensy-weensy. It's an extra small.

Value is $1,000, and it's expected to fetch about $3,000.

Proceeds benefit Plan!t Now, an organization started by Jolie's Wanted costar Morgan Freeman that helps families and communities prepare for natural disasters before they occur. - eonline

If you really feel like touchin' down...
peek out the world's largest
swimming pool

If you like doing laps in the swimming pool, you might want to stock up on the energy drinks before diving in to this one.

It is more than 1,000 yards long, covers 20 acres, had a 115 ft deep end and holds 66 million gallons of water.

The Guinness Book of Records recently named the vast pool beside the sea in Chileas the biggest in the world.

But if you feel like splashing out on one of your own - and you have the space to accommodate it - then beware: This one took five years to build, cost nearly $1 billion and the annual maintenance bill will be $2 million.

The man-made saltwater lagoon has been attracting huge crowds to the San Alfonso del Mar resort at Algarrobo, on Chile's southern coast, since it opened last month.
Its turquoise waters are so crystal clear that you can see the bottom even in the deep end.
It dwarfs the world's second biggest pool, the Orthlieb - nicknamed the Big Splash – in Morocco, which is a mere 150 yards long and 100 yards wide. An Olympic size pool measures some 50 yards by 25 yards.
Chile's monster pool uses a computer- controlled suction and filtration system to keep fresh seawater in permanent circulation, drawing it in from the ocean at one end and pumping it out at the other.
The sun warms the water to 26 C, nine degrees warmer than the adjoining sea.
Chilean biochemist Fernando Fischmann, whose Crystal Lagoons Corporation designed the pool, said advanced engineering meant his company could build 'an impressive artificial paradise' even in inhospitable areas.
'As long as we have access to unlimited seawater, we can make it work, and it causes no damage to the ocean.'

DON IMUS IN HOT WATER AGAIN!!!

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Radio host Don Imus said Tuesday he was making "a sarcastic point" that police often unfairly target blacks when he asked about Adam "Pacman" Jones' race on his show.

Imus, who lost his job last year after comments on the Rutgers University women's basketball team, said the latest controversy is fueled by people who are out to get him.

"No man has more discussions about race than I have," he said. "Why not report on that? I know some people want to get me, but this is ridiculous."

Imus pointed out that his show has a black producer and two black co-hosts.

Jones, a Dallas Cowboys defensive back who has had run-ins with the law and is serving a suspension from the National Football League, recently announced he wanted to be known by his real name, Adam or Mr. Jones, rather than his nickname.

Jones said his decision is an attempt to disassociate himself with his well-chronicled history of trouble.

The Imus controversy erupted Monday morning when sportscaster Warner Wolf told Imus that Jones wanted to swap monikers.

"He's been arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005," Wolf said.

"What color is he?" Imus asked.

"He's African-American," Wolf responded.

"Well, there you go," Imus said. "Now we know."

During his Tuesday morning show, the radio host said Jones was arrested six times because police were "picking on him."

"He's a football player. He is a lovely kid. He was out there having fun," Imus said

Imus said he was defending blacks with his Monday remarks.

"What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason, and I mean there's no reason to arrest this kid six times," he said. "They shoot blacks for no reason."

WABC and Citadel Broadcasting Corp. Vice President Phil Boyce told The New York Times it was unlikely Imus would face disciplinary action.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who last year called for Imus' firing over the Rutgers comments, said Tuesday that "I hope he meant what he said," referring to Imus' explanation.

But Sharpton said civil rights groups, including one that he leads, still would be taking a close look at the situation, adding it would be "less than responsible" not to question Imus about Monday's comment and Tuesday's explanation.

"If now Imus is saying he's joined the ranks of those that are raising the question of racial disparity in the criminal justice system, then he's taking a correct position. I don't have any record of him saying that in the past," Sharpton said.

Sharpton said he thought Monday's remark was disturbing "given Imus' background and his track record."

"Clearly, he did not [immediately] clarify what he meant. He left it out there," Sharpton said.

The NFL suspended Jones in April 2007, weeks after an incident at a Las Vegas, Nevada, strip club in which Jones allegedly got into an altercation with a exotic dancer and security guard. Witnesses said a member of Jones' entourage later returned to the club and fired a gun into the crowd.

In addition to Jones' six arrests, The Associated Press reported that he has been involved in 12 incidents requiring police intervention since 2005.

The Tennessee Titans traded Jones to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this year, and the defensive back is waiting to hear if he'll be reinstated to the NFL.

Known for decades for his outspoken comments and off-color humor, Imus was fired by CBS Radio over his comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team in April 2007.

He called the Scarlet Knights "tough girls" and "nappy-headed 'hos" during a national broadcast a day after the team lost the NCAA championship to the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers.

General Electric-owned cable network MSNBC, which simulcast the show, also canceled the program. Imus later apologized to the Rutgers team, which voted to accept his apology.

In August, Imus and his former employer reached a settlement over his dismissal, with both sides announcing they had "mutually agreed to settle claims that each had against the other." They did not disclose details of the settlement.

Imus' present morning radio show is broadcast from Citadel Broadcasting's WABC-AM in New York, syndicated by ABC Radio Network and simulcast on RFD-TV.

Editor's Note: Don Imus should never be confused with Don "EMAN" Emis. Emis is a kick ass radio personality, while Imus is a washed up has been that uses both his tenure in radio and old age to spew out stupid ass comments that piss people off which justifies advertisers spending money...because the old folks that feel the same way as Imus still listen....On the other side of things..."EMAN" just wants you to get home safely with some laughs and all of your favorite classic country songs...lol!

Firefox 3 Vulnerabilities Could
Affect Over 14 Million Computers

Since the new release of popular web browser Mozilla Firefox 3.0, over 14 million downloads have been registered by the counter posted on the Spread Firefox website. But just in a few hours (about five) after the Mozilla Firefox 3.0 was made available to the public, security flaws have been reported.
TippingPoint, a provider of network-based intrusion prevention systems, was informed about existing security issues in Mozilla Firefox 3.0 through its program Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) that rewards security researchers for exclusive information disclosing vulnerabilities founded in software products.

Even the new security features of Firefox 3.0 have the main priority to maintain personal information safe and to protect users from phishing and malware, TippingPoint confirms the existence of a critical vulnerability of high severity that affects Mozilla Firefox 3.0 (ZDI ID: ZDI-CAN-349) and prior versions of Firefox 2.0.x: "We verified the vulnerability in our lab, acquired it from the researcher, then promptly reported the vulnerability to the Mozilla security team shortly after. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code. Not unlike most browser based vulnerabilities that we see these days, user interaction is required such as clicking on a link in email or visiting a malicious web page."

In response to this security report, Mozilla Security Blog posted, "This issue is currently under investigation. To protect our users, the details of the issue will remain closed until a patch is made available. There is no public exploit, the details are private, and so the current risk to users".

If other security reports are taken into account, like the one found on SecurityFocus website which deals with an unspecified buffer overflow vulnerability (boundary condition error), the new security improvements from Firefox 3.0 are not powerful enough for present pishing and malware threats. In conclusion, having in mind that over 14 millions downloads of Mozilla Firefox 3.0 have been performed, users' computers are in potential danger until the security patches are released to fix the existing vulnerabilities.

House Prices, Consumer Confidence Dive

Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:04pm EDT

By Lynn Adler

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Consumer sentiment slid to a 16-year low in June while house prices suffered record annual drops in April, according to data Tuesday that suggested a retrenchment in spending that will keep squelching economic growth.

The Conference Board's monthly survey of consumers showed the overall index of consumers' mood fell to 50.4 in June, the lowest since 47.3 in February 1992.

The index has now dropped by more than half since 111.90 last July, before the housing market troubles triggered the most severe credit crisis in at least a decade.

"To put it in perspective, that's a bigger decline than what we saw after the September 11 attack and Hurricane Katrina," said Dana Saporta, economist at Dresdner Kleinwort Securities.

"It sends out the signal that the consumers are not about to ramp up their spending," she said. "We worry about the contraction in the economy once the tax rebates dissipate."

In addition, the survey showed an index measuring consumer expectations for the future sank to a record low as inflation forecasts matched an all-time high this month.

The inflation threat has been highlighted in the past 24 hours by massive price increases announced by some of the world's largest basic materials conglomerates.

First, mining titan Rio Tinto secured an agreement with China's largest steel maker to nearly double the price Rio gets for iron ore, and rival producer BHP Billiton is expected to follow through with similar price hikes.

Then early Tuesday, Dow Chemical Co. said it would raise prices up to 25 percent, just weeks after the largest U.S. chemicals maker implemented a 20 percent across-the-board price increase.

U.S. home prices in April, meantime, extended their record annual slump in April although the pace of decline subsided a bit in the month, according to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller data.

S&P's 20-city index for April posted a smaller-than-expected 1.4 percent drop from March, but it also slumped by a record 15.3 percent annually and by 17.8 percent since hitting its peak in July 2006.

By another measure, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, which gauges prices based on relatively low risk loans purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said its home price index fell 0.8 percent in April from March for a 4.6 percent annual downturn.

Both housing reports suggest consumers will be less in the mood to ramp up spending any time soon.

However, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Tuesday he thought that most of the slump in U.S. housing prices would be over by year end and that growth should be stronger by then.

In an interview on Mexican television, Paulson said the global economy was being strained by costly energy but said U.S. economic fundamentals were sound.

"I feel moderately optimistic that at the end of the year we will have signs of an economic recovery," Paulson said. "Hopefully the biggest part of the housing decline will be over by the end of the year."

WEDNESDAY WITH EXTRA HUMP FOR FULL FLAVOR

2008-06-18T16:10:00.000-07:00

EDWARD NORTON TRYING TO SABOTAGE HIS HULK FLICK (PAUSE)

Word on the street is the Eddie wasn't too cool with some of the changes made to the new Hulk movie in the cutting room....Not exactly sure how it all went down but as I ascertain more info I'll follow up!

BRITNEY'S L.A. HOME GOING ON THE MARKET

Jamie Spears, who has legal control of his pop star daughter Britney's interests, reportedly is planning to sell her hilltop Studio City, Calif., home.

Spears' father was granted conservatorship over his daughter's affairs after she was hospitalized for psychiatric treatment earlier this year. He reportedly will retain that control until a July 31 hearing.

People.com said it is not clear where the singer is to live once her high-profile house is sold.

But a source close to Britney Spears told the entertainment news Web site, Having more privacy and wide open spaces for her to raise her boys has been a goal for some time.

Spears is the mother of two toddler-age sons with her ex-husband Kevin Federline. Federline has temporary physical and legal custody of the children, while Spears has several monitored visits with them a week.

LIL' WAYNE BUSTS A MILLI ON THA CARTER III

The tattooed hitmaker has stunned chart watchers by debuting his new album Tha Carter III at the top of the new Billboard 200 chart with over one million first week sales.

It's the first time any artist has scored a sales week of over a million copies of an album since 50 Cent debuted big with The Massacre in 2005.

It's a good week for rap and hip-hop all round as Plies debuts Definition of Real at two, with 215,000 opening week sales.

Chart compilation Now 28, last week's chart topper from rockers the Disturbed and Usher's Here I Stand complete the new top five.

Other high new entries on the countdown include N.E.R.D.'s Seeing Sounds at number seven and Alanis Morissette's Flavors of Entanglement at eight.

And, after thrilling Bonnaroo Festival fans with a three-hour set on Friday night, My Morning Jacket score their first top 10 album - Evil Urges debuts at nine.

SWIZZ BEATS DENIES THAT ALICIA KEYS

WAS THE CAUSE OF HIS MARRIAGE ENDING

Rumors have been goin' on for a hot minute about Alicia and Swizz...but they both had/have signif' others...here, we find that Swizz is still living that that state...

The beatmaker - real name Kaseem Dean - announced he and his R&B singer wife Mashonda were splitting in April.

Rumors have since surfaced online suggesting Keys was involved in the break-up, but Swizz insists that is far from the truth.

He tells MTV.com, "That s*** just looks like drama. They got another big name involved. Only thing I'm commenting on is music-related. I don't comment on my personal life. Why start now? You start commenting on that s***, then they start twisting it out. I'm not gonna speak about nothing.

"I'm not hiding anything. I can see if I was hiding something. I'm a grown man. Nobody is living no perfect life... Nobody wants to look at that s***. They wanna look at Alicia Keys. That s*** is ignorant."

And Swizz has further played down reports of a rift between him and his ex by revealing they are still on good terms.

FIF (50 CENT FOR YOU SLOW PEOPLE):

"I'M NOT MARRIED TO CIARA"

Fiddy's always got some 'ol bullshit surrounding him about this, that, or the other...well at this point we have a new piece...His alleged marriage to Ciara...

Gossip sites went crazy after footage of 50 Cent, real name Curtis Jackson, wearing a wedding band first appeared online.

But his spokeswoman insists the rap star plays a married man in his new film Microwave Park, and the photos come from the Louisiana set.

But that hasn't stopped gossips from claiming the ring is a sure sign that the "In Da Club" hitmaker and "Goodies" singer Ciara are man and wife.

50 has been romantically linked to Ciara after the pair posed topless for their video "Can't Leave 'Em Alone" last year.

But a spokesperson for 50 insists the rapper is not a married man.

A statement reads: "50 Cent is not engaged or married. He is currently in production on a film where the character he plays is married."

Last year Ciara denied the romance rumors, insisting the rapper was "a really great friend," and adding, "Everybody turns everything into something else.

"They said we have a ranch in Atlanta. I just died laughing. It's amazing to hear the things people make up. It's funny."

WOMAN SUES OVER DEFECTIVE THONG

Los Angeles (KFI-AM) - A 52 year old Los Angeles woman is suing Victoria Secret after she claims a decorative piece from a thong flew off the underwear, and hit her in the eye.

Macrida Patterson says she was hurt by the defective "low-rise v-string." She filed a lawsuit last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.

According to Patterson's lawyer, a "design problem" lead to the decorative piece coming off, and striking Patterson in the eye.

The woman alleges her cornea was damaged, and had to miss a few days of work. Patterson is a traffic officer with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Her attorney also claims missing those days of work will be "affecting her the rest of her life."

The complaint did not specify monetary damages sought.

MAN PAYS ALIMONY AFTER HIS EX HAS A SEX CHANGE

A Florida man resents paying alimony to his ex-wife, now that his ex-wife is a man.

"I didn't marry a man. I didn't divorce a man. The law is making me pay to a man," Larry Roach told WSTB-TV in Tampa.

Roach said that he wishes the former Julia Roach -- now Julio Silverwolf -- luck. But he resents paying $1,250 a month to maintain Julio's gender identity.

The couple met on a blind date and married a few months later. He said that he wondered why his wife had cut her hair short, her voice had deepened and she needed to shave.

But he said he only realized his wife had a new sex-changed identity when she got into an accident after their divorce and he looked up the police report. He discovered that she was now Julio.

Roach has remarried and would like to get out from under his alimony payments. But a judge told him that legally his ex-wife is still entitled to them.

JAPAN MAKES ROBOT FOR LONELY MEN...LOL

TOKYO (Reuters)- She is big-busted, petite, very friendly, and she runs on batteries.

A Japanese firm has produced a 15 inch tall robotic girlfriend that kisses on command, to go on sale in September for around $175, with a target market of lonely adult men.

Using her infrared sensors and battery power, the diminutive damsel named "EMA" puckers up for nearby human heads, entering what designers call its "love mode".

"Strong, tough and battle-ready are some of the words often associated with robots, but we wanted to break that stereotype and provide a robot that's sweet and interactive," said Minako Sakanoue, a spokeswoman for the maker, Sega Toys.

"She's very lovable and though she's not a human, she can act like a real girlfriend."

EMA, which stands for Eternal Maiden Actualization, can also hand out business cards, sing and dance, with Sega hoping to sell 10,000 in the first year.

Japan, home to almost half the world's 800,000 industrial robots, envisions a $10-billion market for artificial intelligence in a decade.

PREDICTION: TONIGHT, THE CELTICS TAKE IT BACK TO BOSTON!

2008-06-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

PLEASE DON'T LET IT
SOUND THIS WAY TONIGHT!!

AND NOW A MESSAGE FROM

THE OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF THE JUMPOFF

KANYE GETS BOO'D...AGAIN

Allegedly, Kanye got the short end of the stick this past weekend in Manchester, Tenn. The crowd at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts festival that lasted 4 days boasting over 140 acts. All this went down because Ye's act was 2 hours late and considering that he was scheduled for 2:45 am I can see why the crowd would be pissed...I'd probably throw my glowsticks too! At the end of the day though, it wasn't his fault this time. Pearl Jam, who went on before him, played for an extra hour and the time it took to take their set down and put up Kanye's elaborate production, hours had passed. Needless to say, the big homie can't ever catch a break...Karma's a bitch!

So it is really true? Word on the street is that Reggae God Bob Marley really does have a sex tape out there...I don't know about you but there's something creepy about watching dead people do the damn thing...no matter how passionate and spiritual it may have been at the the time...this shit is not for ya boy!!! here's the report:

Bob Marley was the quintessential reggae musician. His music was full of life lessons, pain and passions; one of which was sex. However, the latest sex-related twist to the Marley progeny may not have been looked upon happily by the deceased legend if he were here to see. It seems one of his granddaughters has a sex tape that has been leaked onto the world wide web. Donisha Prendergast, daughter of Sharon Marley-Prendergast (one of the Melody Makers) has been identified as the young lady involved in the most recent home-porn to hit the net. The story is a big deal in Jamaica right now where Ms. Prendergast enjoys a bit of fame as a stage and screen actress. Some have suggested the two part flick was leaked onto the internet by her male lead, Christopher "Johnny" Daley; her boyfriend. But that's just suggestion. I guess as this point though, the path it took is irrelevant. It ain't where you're from, its where ya at, right?

PARIS IN LOVE WITH MADDEN!!!

In case you've been stuck in a cave for the past several months, Paris Hilton is smitten with Benji Madden—and for the millionth time, the heiress proclaimed her in-loveness to the world.

On his KIIS-FM morning show, Ryan Seacrest surprised his guest Benji by playing a prerecorded interview with Paris. But what could have turned into a sweet, touching moment following playback was cut short by Benji's twin brother and Good Charlotte bandmate Joel.

Here's what Paris had to say about realizing she had feelings for her current beau:

"When I heard [Benji] make a speech about Joel and Nicole and the baby [at the couple's baby shower], I thought he was cute then. And then when I saw him with Harlow, I just realized he had a really sweet, kind heart. Then we just totally had a crush on each other, and we fell in love right away."

Following Paris' touching, Lifetime-movie moment, Joel stepped in and set the record straight.

"[Benji's] speeches are not touching. They’re like—they always degrade me. They make fun of me. Like 'I never thought I’d see the day when Joel actually had sex with a girl and then make it count. But you did it, Joel.' It was a classic Benji-Madden-makes-fun-of-Joel speech."

Hmmm, guess it doesn't take much to win over Paris. We've heard positive things about Benji, but if that is a speech she believes revealed the rocker's good heart, we don't even want to hear what she considers a slam.

The CW hit received a leading—and whopping—14 nominations this morning for the Teen Choice 2008 Awards.

Chris Brown checked in with nine nods, Miley Cyrus (who will host the ceremony) scored four nods, and perpetual nominee Justin Timberlake racked up three.

Timberlake is the awards' winningest artist, having aggregated 21 surfboards—the event's laid-back hardware of choice—since 1999.

This is the 10th annual incarnation of the adolescent-friendly kudos, which spreads the wealth among film, TV, music, comedy, sports and fashion. Fox will broadcast the two-hour bonanza Aug. 4.

Musical guests and presenters will be added in the coming months. Here's the complete list of nominees:

MOVIES

Choice Movie: Action Adventure

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Speed Racer
The Forbidden Kingdom

Choice Movie: Drama

21
August Rush
Into the Wild
Step Up 2: The Streets
Stop-Loss

Choice Movie: Chick Flick

27 Dresses
Enchanted
Fool’s Gold
P.S. I Love You
Sex and the City

Choice Movie: Bromantic Comedy

Dan in Real Life
Definitely, Maybe
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Made of Honor
What Happens in Vegas

Choice Movie: Comedy

Baby Mama
College Road Trip
Juno
Semi-Pro
Superbad

Choice Movie: Horror/Thriller

30 Days of Night
Cloverfield
I Am Legend
The Strangers
Prom Night

Choice Movie Actor: Drama

Channing Tatum, Stop-Loss
Emile Hirsch, Into the Wild
Jake Gyllenhaal, Rendition
Mark Wahlberg, We Own the Night
Ryan Phillippe, Stop-Loss

Choice Movie Actress: Drama

Kate Bosworth, 21
Keira Knightley, Atonement
Keri Russell, August Rush
Reese Witherspoon, Rendition
Scarlett Johansson, The Other Boleyn Girl

Choice Movie Actor: Action Adventure

Emile Hirsch, Speed Racer
Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Jackie Chan, The Forbidden Kingdom
Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man
Shia LaBeouf, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure

Abigail Breslin, Nim's Island
Christina Ricci, Speed Racer
Diane Kruger, National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Gwyneth Paltrow, Iron Man
Rachel Bilson, Jumper

Choice Movie Actor: Comedy

Ashton Kutcher, What Happens in Vegas
James Marsden, 27 Dresses; Enchanted
Jonah Hill, Superbad
Michael Cera, Superbad; Juno
Will Ferrell, Semi-Pro

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy

Amy Adams, Enchanted
Cameron Diaz, What Happens in Vegas
Ellen Page, Juno
Kristen Bell, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City

Choice Movie Actor: Horror/Thriller

Will Smith, I Am Legend
Edward Burns, One Missed Call
Josh Hartnett, 30 Days of Night
Michael Stahl-David, Cloverfield
Scott Speedman, The Strangers

Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller

Brittany Snow, Prom Night
Jessica Alba, The Eye
Liv Tyler, The Strangers
Odette Yustman, Cloverfield
Shannon Sossamon, One Missed Call

Choice Movie: Villain

Cate Blanchett, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Jeff Bridges, Iron Man
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Samuel L. Jackson, Jumper
Susan Sarandon, Enchanted

Choice Movie: Breakout Female

Ellen Page, Juno
Briana Evigan, Step Up 2: The Streets
Jurnee Smollett, The Great Debaters
Kristen Bell, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Mila Kunis, Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Choice Movie: Breakout Male

Jim Sturgess, 21; Across the Universe
Ben Barnes, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
Drake Bell, Superhero Movie
Jason Segel, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Michael Cera, Superbad; Juno

TELEVISION

Choice TV Show: Drama

Friday Night Lights
Gossip Girl
Grey's Anatomy
House
One Tree Hill

Choice TV Show: Action Adventure

Heroes
Lost
Prison Break
Smallville
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Choice TV Show: Comedy

Desperate Housewives
Hannah Montana
How I Met Your Mother
Two and a Half Men
Ugly Betty

Choice TV: Animated Show

American Dad
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Family Guy
South Park
The Simpsons

Choice TV: Reality Dance

America's Best Dance Crew
Dance War
Dancing With the Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
Your Mama Don't Dance

Choice TV: Reality Music Competition

American Idol
Don’t Forget the Lyrics!
Making the Band 4
The Next Great American Band
Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious

Choice TV: Reality Beauty & Makeover

America's Next Top Model
Beauty and the Geek
The Biggest Loser
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Project Runway

Choice TV: Celebrity Reality

Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Life of Ryan
Rob & Big
Run's House
The Hills

Choice TV: Looking For Love

I Love New York
Flavor of Love
Rock of Love with Bret Michaels
The Bachelor: London Calling
The Bachelorette

Choice TV: Reality Competition

The Amazing Race
American Gladiator
Big Brother 9
Oprah's Big Give
Survivor: Micronesia—Fans vs. Favorites

Choice TV: Game Show

Amnesia
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
Deal or No Deal
Duel
The Moment of Truth

Choice TV Actor: Drama

Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl
Chad Michael Murray, One Tree Hill
Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy
Penn Badgley, Gossip Girl
Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night Lights

Choice TV Actress: Drama

Blake Lively, Gossip Girl
Hilarie Burton, One Tree Hill
Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy
Leighton Meester, Gossip Girl
Sophia Bush, One Tree Hill

Choice TV Actor: Action Adventure

Josh Holloway, Lost
Matthew Fox, Lost
Milo Ventimiglia, Heroes
Tom Welling, Smallville
Wentworth Miller, Prison Break

Choice TV Actress: Action Adventure

Hayden Panettiere, Heroes
Ali Larter, Heroes
Evangeline Lily, Lost
Kristen Kruek, Smallville
Summer Glau, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Choice TV Actor: Comedy

Barry Watson, Samantha Who?
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
Michael Urie, Ugly Betty
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Steve Carell, The Office

Choice TV Actress: Comedy

America Ferrera, Ugly Betty
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl
Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana
Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Choice TV: Personality

Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Lil Mama, America's Best Dance Crew
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol; E! News
Simon Cowell, American Idol
Tyra Banks, America's Next Top Model

Choice TV: Breakout Show

America's Best Dance Crew
Gossip Girl
Miss Guided
Samantha Who?
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

Choice TV: Breakout Star Female

Blake Lively, Gossip Girl
Leighton Meester, Gossip Girl
Olivia Wilde, House
Summer Glau, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Taylor Momsen, Gossip Girl

Choice TV: Breakout Star Male

Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl
Ed Westwick, Gossip Girl
The Jabbawockeez, America's Best Dance Crew
Thomas Dekker, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Zachary Levi, Chuck

Choice TV: Male Reality/Variety Star

Brody Jenner, The Hills
David Cook, American Idol
Rob Dyrdek and Christopher Boykin, Rob & Big
Ryan Scheckler, Life of Ryan
The Jabbawockeez, America's Best Dance Crew

Choice TV: Female Reality/Variety Star

Heidi Montag, The Hills
Kim Kardashian, Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Kristi Yamaguchi, Dancing with the Stars
Lauren Conrad, The Hills
Whitney Thompson, America's Next Top Model

Choice TV: Villain

Ed Westwick, Gossip Girl
Michael Rosenbaum, Smallville
Spencer Pratt, The Hills
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty
Zachary Quinto, Heroes

MUSIC

Choice Music: Single

Chris Brown, "With You"
Jonas Brothers, "When You Look Me in the Eyes"
Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake, "4 Minutes"
Miley Cyrus, "See You Again"
Rihanna, "Don't Stop the Music"

Choice Hook-Up:

Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain, "Low"
Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, "No Air"
Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown & T-Pain, "Shawty Get Loose"
Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake, "4 Minutes"
Nelly featuring Fergie, "Party People"

Choice Music: Male Artist

Chris Brown
Jesse McCartney
Justin Timberlake
Kanye West
Usher

Choice Music: Female Artist

Britney Spears
Fergie
Mariah Carey
Miley Cyrus
Rihanna

Choice Music: Rap Artist

Flo Rida
Kanye West
Lil Mama
Lil Wayne
Lupe Fiasco

Choice Music: R&B Artist

Beyoncé
Chris Brown
Rihanna
T-Pain
Usher

Choice Music: Rock Group

Boys Like Girls
Fall Out Boy
Linkin Park
Paramore
Simple Plan

Choice Music: Breakout Artist

Colbie Caillat
Flo Rida
Jordin Sparks
Leona Lewis
Taylor Swift

Breakout Group

Day 26
Girlicious
Jonas Brothers
OneRepublic
Paramore

Choice Music: Love Song

Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"
Colbie Caillat, "Bubbly"
Chris Brown & Jordin Sparks, "No Air"
Alica Keys, "No One"
Jonas Brothers, "When You Look Me in the Eyes"

Choice Music: R&B Track

Danity Kane, "Damaged"
Chris Brown, "Forever"
Bow Wow and Omarion, "Hey Baby (Jump Off)"
Mariah Carey, "Bye Bye"
Sean Kingston, "Take You There"

Choice Music: Rap/Hip-Hop Track

Kanye West featuring Chris Martin, "Homecoming"
Nelly featuring Fergie, "Party People"
Pitbull featuring Lil Jon, "The Anthem"
Lil Mama featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain, "Shawty Get Loose"
Lupe Fiasco featuring Matthew Santos, "Superstar"

Choice Music: Rock Track

Panic at the Disco, "Nine in the Afternoon"
Paramore, "crushcrushcrush"
Linkin Park, "Shadow of the Day"
OneRepublic, "Stop and Stare"
Boys Like Girls, "The Great Escape"

FASHION

Choice Male Hottie

Chace Crawford
Chris Brown
Jonas Brothers
Taylor Kitsch
Zac Efron

Choice Female Hottie

Blake Lively
Hayden Panettiere
Megan Fox
Rihanna
Vanessa Hudgens

Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon Female

Carrie Underwood
Hayden Panettiere
Jessica Biel
Kate Hudson
Lauren Conrad

Choice Red Carpet Fashion Icon Male

Chris Brown
Jonas Brothers
Pete Wentz
Shia LaBeouf
Zac Efron

COMEDY

Choice Comedian

Adam Sandler
Dane Cook
Jonah Hill
Michael Cera
Will Ferrell

SPORTS

Choice Male Athlete

David Beckham
Eli Manning
Kobe Bryant
LeBron James
Tiger Woods

Choice Female Athlete

Shawn Johnson
Candace Parker
Danica Patrick
Maria Sharapova
Serena Williams

Choice Action Sports Female

Dallas Friday
Gretchen Bleiler
Hannah Teter
Kristi Leskinen
Stephanie Gilmore

Choice Action Sports Male

Kelly Slater
Mick Fanning
Ryan Nyquist
Ryan Sheckler
Shaun White

GAYS RUSH TO THE ALTER IN CA.

SAN FRANCISCO - County clerk offices opened their doors Tuesday to hundreds of gay and lesbian couples with appointments to secure marriage licenses and exchange vows on the first full day same-sex nuptials were legal throughout California.

From San Diego to Eureka, couples readied their formal wear, local licensing clerks expanded their staffs and conservative groups warned of a backlash as the nation's most populous state prepared to join Massachusetts in sanctioning gay unions.

In San Francisco, a gay men's chorus was singing on the front steps, where a party atmosphere was lit up by rainbow flags and supporters handing out cupcakes to happy couples.

Helen Zia and Lea Shigemura sang "The Chapel of Love" as they walked to the city attorney's office to get married. The couple, clad in beige jackets and slacks, exchanged vows with Zia's mother by their side.

"This is the most meaningful day of my life. I've always wanted to get married," Shigemura said. "I just never thought it'd be possible."

Unlike Massachusetts, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2004, California has no residency requirement for marriage licenses. Many couples are expected to head west to wed.

The May 15 California Supreme Court ruling that overturned the state's bans on same-sex marriage became final at 5:01 p.m. Monday, and clerks in at least five counties extended their hours to mark the occasion.

Already, dozens of same-sex couples have seized the opportunity to make their relationships official in the eyes of the law. They included actor and gay rights activist George Takei, who arrived with his longtime partner, Brad Altman, at West Hollywood City Hall on Tuesday morning to get their marriage license.

"Today we are all here to give flesh and blood reality to that ruling. We are going to make history," said Takei, who played Sulu in the 1960s "Star Trek" television series. "Congratulations to all of us and may equality live long and prosper."

Every county was required to start issuing new gender-neutral marriage licenses Tuesday with spaces for "Party A" and "Party B" where "bride" and "groom" used to be.

As couples prepared to marry at the Contra Costa County clerk's office Tuesday morning, three opponents of gay marriage from the Westboro Baptist Church picketed outside, carrying signs with sayings such as "God is your enemy."

Members of the sect are most often seen at military funerals in demonstrations claiming U.S. combat deaths are God's punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

The protesters were easily outnumbered by about three dozen supporters of gay marriage, who held signs that read "Hate is not a family value" and "My marriage is not threatened by theirs, why is yours?" Police vehicles lined up near the demonstrators.

On Monday, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who helped start the series of lawsuits that led the court to strike down California's one-man-one-woman marriage laws, presided at the wedding of Del Martin, 87, and Phyllis Lyon, 83.

Newsom picked the couple for the only ceremony Monday in City Hall to recognize their 55-year relationship and their status as pioneers of the gay rights movement. More than 650 same-sex couples have made appointments to get marriage licenses in San Francisco before the end of the month.

Newsom called officiating the wedding "this extraordinary and humbling gift." After the mayor pronounced Martin and Lyon "spouses for life," the couple kissed, then emerged to a crowd of well-wishers who showered them with rose petals.

The celebrations are tempered by the reality that in a few months, Californians will go to the ballot box to vote on an initiative that would overturn the high court ruling and again ban gay marriage.

On Monday, three lawmakers and a small group of other same-sex opponents gathered outside the Capitol to criticize the Supreme Court decision. They urged voters to approve the ballot measure.

"This is an opportunity to take back a little bit of dignity ... for kids, for all of us in California," Republican Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa said. "It really disturbs me that the will of the people was overridden by four members of the Supreme Court."

In both San Francisco and Beverly Hills, where two women became the first same-sex couple in Los Angeles County to marry legally, small groups of protesters waved signs with sayings like "Repent or Perish," but they were outnumbered by supporters waving rainbow-striped flags.

Groups that oppose same-sex marriage have pursued several legal avenues to stop the weddings. On Monday, just hours before the ruling went into effect, a conservative legal group asked a Sacramento court to order the California agency that oversees marriages to stop issuing gender-neutral marriage licenses.

A hearing was set for Tuesday.

A UCLA study issued last week estimated that half of California's more than 100,000 same-sex couples will get married over the next three years, and 68,000 out-of-state couples will travel here to exchange vows.

TEEN DIES AFTER BEING TIED TO A TREE OVERNIGHT

MACCLESFIELD, N.C. -- Police say a 13-year-old boy has died after being tied to a tree by his father in Edgecombe County.

Edgecombe County Sheriff James Knight says the investigation is still in progress, and details are still coming out about the incident on Felton Farm Road in Macclesfield – about 15 miles south of Tarboro.

Police say on Tuesday, the boy’s father tied his son to a tree in the back yard and forced him to sleep outside. He says it was a way to discipline the boy for misbehaving. He then untied the boy Wednesday morning before tying him back to the tree Wednesday night.

The boy’s stepmother found him unresponsive around 4:30 Thursday afternoon. He was taken to Heritage Hospital in Tarboro and pronounced dead.

Police arrested the boy’s father – Brice Brian McMillan – and step mother – Sandra Elizabeth McMillan – and charged them with first-degree murder and felony child abuse. They’re being held in Edgecombe Co. Jail with no bond.

Neighbors say they can’t believe it happened in their community.

SOURCE

GORE ENDORSES OBAMA

DETROIT (AP) — Al Gore made his debut in the 2008 presidential campaign Monday night, encouraging voters to back Barack Obama because "take it from me, elections matter."
The former vice president's speech at the Joe Louis Arena was part endorsement and part blistering attack on the man who denied him the White House eight years ago.

"After eight years of incompetence, neglect and failure, we need change," Gore said. "After eight years when our Constitution has been dishonored and disrespected, we need changes."

In 2000, Gore won the popular vote but lost the disputed election to George W. Bush, who captured Florida and its electoral votes after a divided Supreme Court ended the re-count of ballots. Since then, Gore has made combatting global warming his signature issue, and has been recognized worldwide for his effort — from an Academy Award to the Nobel Prize.

Obama stoked lasting Democratic anger over the 2000 outcome when he recognized Gore as "the winner of the popular vote for president."

"You remember that," Obama said as the crowd of 20,000 erupted in raucous applause.

Gore is one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, but he stayed out of the primary campaign.

It's the second time Obama has rolled out a major endorsement in Michigan, where he did not campaign during the primary because its election violated the party rules. Obama is counting on a win in Michigan in November, but brought Gore and 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards to help validate him among Democrats in the state after skipping their primary.

"I'm grateful Al Gore came to Detroit tonight," Obama said. "But I'm ever more grateful for everything he's done in the last 40 years for this country."

SOURCE

THIRSSS DAY

2008-06-12T17:38:00.000-07:00

Timberlake: 'I'm Not Pregnant'

Justin Timberlake joked that he's not pregnant to Jay Leno, and his best pal says he's not getting married anytime soon.
Pregnancy may be the newest Hollywood trend (enter Jessica Alba, Ashlee Simpson, Jamie Lynn Spears, the list goes on...), but Justin Timberlake isn't jumping on that bandwagon.
The pop singer appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Tuesday night, where he squashed rumors that he might be engaged to girlfriend Jessica Biel - or pregnant, for that matter.
"Am I engaged? In what?" Timberlake joked to Leno, "I'm engaged in a conversation with you." He took the joke even further, insisting, "I'm not pregnant."
And Timberlake's longtime pal, Trace Ayala, told Usmagazine.com that the "SexyBack" singer isn't getting married anytime soon.
"I hope so," Ayala said when asked if Timberlake and Biel would tie the knot. He added, "To be honest, I don't see them in the future, but I hope so. I really do."
Ayala, for one, is pulling for a Timberlake/Biel union: "It is not just her, it is also him when he is with her — it is awesome," he told the magazine. "They are just awesome together. She is just a great girl."

Stalled Spears Memoir Set For Autumn Release

The memoir Lynne Spears was forced to put on hold when her youngest daughter Jamie Lynn got pregnant last year now has a release date.

Spears had almost completed the book, about raising her famous daughters Britney and Jamie Lynn, when the teenager revealed she was expecting her first child.
The news and the furor which followed prompted Lynne to shelve her book plans, but now the tome will hit stores this autumn, according to publishers Thomas Nelson.
A spokesman for the company insists Spears never stopped working on the book: "She wants to express her love for her children and tell their stories through a mother's eyes."
The book will be titled Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World, and it's expected to include all the Spears family drama from 2008 as well as Lynne's experiences as a first-time grandmother.

Ne-Yo Crushing on Alicia Keys

R&B cat Ne-Yo has developed a crush on tourmate Alicia Keys but fears she has no idea he's smitten with her.

The "So Sick" singer admits he hasn't been obvious with his feelings for the R&B beauty.
The pair are currently on the road in the U.S. as part of the As I Am tour, alongside former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
He says, "I don't think she knows... When we're passing each other in the halls, I'm like, 'Hey Alicia.'
"I just think she's a beautiful person, inside and out. I mean she's gorgeous...and she's smart and she has a huge heart. She's the total package."
But Ne-Yo feels sure that her friends and bandmates all know how he feels about the sexy singer because of his gestures towards her when she's not looking: "She don't see me do it... I know because I watch her walk away."

Madonna's Brother To Pen Tell-All Memoir

Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone plans to release a tell-all memoir about his superstar sibling - set to be published without the singer's permission.

Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone plans to release a tell-all memoir about his superstar sibling - set to be published without the singer's permission.
Ciccone, 47, is penning the tome with infamous celebrity biographer Wendy Leigh, who has written intimate biographies on Liza Minnelli and Grace Kelly - and is due to be released next month.
The book, published by Simon & Schuster, is reportedly: "Ciccone's extraordinary memoir is based on his life and 47 years of growing up with and working with his sister - the most famous woman in the world."
However, the book is allegedly set to be released without the Material Girl star's consent, with the star's publicist Liz Rosenberg stating: "Madonna has not cooperated with any biography about herself."
Madonna's relationship with her younger brother is said to have become strained in recent years, even though the pair worked together intimately in the early 1990s, with Ciccone serving as artistic director on the star's 1991 documentary In Bed With Madonna, and designing and directing her Girlie Show tour in 1993.

Jennifer Lopez Drops By Obama's DC Office

Rumors are circulating that Lopez may be penning a song for the Presidential hopeful.

J-Ho reportedly dropped by presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama's Washington office for a meeting.
"I'm not ready to do any press yet," Lopez told The Hill Wednesday when asked what she was doing in the area.
The Washington political newspaper said rumors are circulating that Lopez may be penning a song for the Illinois senator.
The security detail guarding the presidential hopeful's door doubled from two to four during the course of the meeting.
After 90 minutes, an Obama staffer opened the door and told the crowd that had gathered outside, "She's gone," explaining she left the building with less fanfare than she entered.

LIL’ WAYNE DOES IT BIG WITH CARTER III

Lil’ Wayne is probably going to get the last laugh. The lil’ guy made quite a few mad after he dissed the DJ population. All that controversy might have helped his stature in the general population. Based on early sales trends, he is looking to push like 850,000 to 950,000 albums in his first week sales. WOW! If he hits those marks, he would have sold more than both Usher and Mariah Carey combined and have the highest debut this year. The reviews have been mixed but sales is what ultimately matters for Universal Records. Click here to read the AHH review of The Carter III.
Also, I have to commend Cash Money as an organization for not suing any of the alleged bootlegger DJs…what happens in the street is another thing. Still they did their thing on this one…wow.

HOW WAYNE CELEBRATED THE CARTER III

Well peoples, on 06/10/08 the good folk of the Hip-Hop community finally reached the day when owning the Carter III wasn't criminal; or at least unethical. Also, on that day we figured out Lil Wayne wasn't in re-hab (unless he took the 8-hour speed course) because he was gallivanting across the lovely state of Maryland celebrating the release of his latest and, according to some, greatest album. So, from what I've heard there was a concert at The 1st Mariner Arena and then an after party at a club called Sonar, both in downtown Baltimore. And well……. I don't know what you were expecting, but I deal in real. And the real is what my homes slices got (Who luvs ya B-More). Following a watch that would make CP time mad, he showed up over an hour late for the performance, brought a bus load of his best friends on stage and sounded a lil, a dash, a weeny bit, a tad……inebriated. If you get high off that syrup are you high or are you drunk? Hmmm…… Anyway, I was told his performance was so-so but the crowd didn't trip and all was well in the land of Wires and Corners and Homicide. I did not hear if he made it to Sonar. But I really hope he did, because standing in the vestibule was setting folks back $30.00. But as soon as I know, you know.

AIN'T NOBODY HUMPIN' AROUND DAY

2008-06-11T15:28:00.000-07:00

SORRY KIDS...NEWS IS KINDA WEAK TODAY!!

Scott Storch Wanted Over 40K Child Support Bill

Published Wednesday, June 11, 2008 4:43 PM By Tai Saint Louis Multi-platinum producer Scott Storch is wanted by the Miami-Dade police after missing a court appearance, the Miami Herald reports today (June 11). Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Marc Schumacher issued a warrant for Storch's arrest after he failed to appear at the latest hearing in an ongoing child support battle with the mother of his two-year-old son Jalen. The boy's mother, Dalene Jennifer Daniel, originally filed a complaint in 2006 stating that Storch owed $46,000 in back child support. The balance represents $30,000 in monthly payments and $16,000 in contributions to Jalen's Florida Prepaid College Plan, as set forth in a mediated settlement agreement between Storch and Daniel. Once in custody, Storch would have to pay the full balance in order to be released on bond. Otherwise the warrant authorizes police to keep him in jail until his next court appearance. Storch was also recently hit with a new paternity suit, this one by the mother of Steven Brandon Bedillo, a 16-year-old son whom he had acknowledged and willingly provided financial support for until January of this year. The plaintiff, Vanessa Bedillo, filed an emergency child support petition after she and her son were evicted from their Ft. Lauderdale-area apartment in May. Bedillo further alleges that Storch is $5,000 behind in tuition payments for Steven, who attends the American Heritage School in Plantation, FL. Steven's car, a gift from his father, was also recently repossessed. Bedillio is asking that Storch "be required to pay the monthly rent, private school, and child support." "While he drives around in his Ferrari and Cadillac, [Steven] is sleeping on a couch in the same room as his mother," Bedillo's attorney Paul Leinoff told The Miami Herald. While there is no word on Storch's whereabouts his attorney Guy Spiegelman maintains that his current financial predicament, which also includes a debt of $511,839 in back taxes, came about because Storch was a "victim of mismanagement of his business enterprises. Storch is currently in the process of refinancing his $10.5 million Miami Beach home and plans to fulfill all of his obligations.

LIL WAYNE SLATED TO STILL SELL OVER 900K

Despite Tha Carter III leaking on the Internet over a week ago, New Orleans, Louisiana rapper Lil' Wayne is expected to sell between 850,000 and 950,000 albums in his first week sales. According to Entertainment Weekly, the album is set to surpass both of 2008's highest-selling first week albums, Mariah Carey's E=MC2 and Usher's Here I Stand which sold 463,000 and 433,000. Executive VP of sales for Universal Motown Republic Group Pat Monaco explained the unexpected number of albums sold and why the leaking is helping rather than hurting Weezy's prospected totals. "The sales the first few hours were exceeding the rate that the Kanye album sold a year ago," he said. "[Tha Carter III] was one of these records that, because it was so highly anticipated, with the leaks and everything, it caused more people to go out at eight in the morning to buy the CD." With first week sales looking to possibly beat both Carey and Usher's albums combined, Monaco also explained the impact bootlegging unfinished recordings on mixtapes and Lil' Wayne's non-stop recording habit had on the album. "[We] were like putting a traditional set-up and street date on a guy that was just nontraditional," he affirmed. "It changed dates, changed titles, changed songs, changed the people that were working on it. But sonically, the record bears out." If the reports hold true and Lil' Wayne is able to pass Carey, Tha Carter III will not only be the biggest album of the year but will also regain the top spot for a hip-hop artist since Kanye West last September. As previously reported by SOHH, Tha Carter III was intentionally leaked by various mixtape djs including DJ Chuck T due to negative statements made against them by Weezy.

SOHH has learned that release date for the highly anticipated upcoming album LAX from Compton, California rapper The Game has been delayed yet again.

Black Wall Street New Media and Digital Marketing Director Grego confirmed to SOHH that the album release has been rescheduled to July 22nd. No explanation for the new date was given.

Game was originally scheduled for a June 24th release date along with G-Unit's Terminate On Site before being pushed back twice to July 8th.

"I will drop my album on July 8 in order to clean up the mess 50 made with his new release on July 1st," Game recently told SOHH.

LAX will follow-up the Compton rapper's '06 release, The Doctor's Advocate, and will supposedly be his final album before retiring from music.

Game's L.A.X. is set to release July 22nd and will feature artists including Lil' Wayne, Busta Rhymes and Common.

R. KELLY TRIAL UPDATE!

Testimony ended in the R. Kelly trial yesterday but the prosecution and defense were disputing the tape at the center of the trial, which is the key piece of evidence for both sides.

According to The Chicago Sun-Times, the dispute was initiated by a DVD copy of the alleged sex tape the prosecution gave to Kelly's team. Prosecutors told the defense it was an exact copy of the original when it was a lower quality duplicate. Kelly's team used this copy to question their DVD expert.

Judge Vincent Gaughan said, "This is the rotten tomato in the barrel."

Prosecutors called to the stand two rebuttal witnesses, including their video expert Grant Fredericks, who originally testified the man on the tape had a dark spot on his lower back which would correspond with the mole on Kelly's back.

Video forensic expert Charles Palm told jurors that the black mark on the lower back of the man on the tape is not a mole but a result of video distortion. Palm said since the video has been duplicated numerous times it appears and disappears. Fredericks testified yesterday, the DVD he analyzed during his first testimony was not an accurate reproduction.

"Half the information I was showing was not on Exhibit 78," Fredericks told jurors. "None of the detail I was presenting in court would be present."

While defense lawyer Ed Genson admitted he had "no doubt that it was a mistake," he also said "we used [the DVD] as a basis for putting Mr. Palm on the stand."

The prosecution and defense later resolved the dispute privately but it was not revealed how.

Atlanta prosecutor Bobby Wolf also took the stand yesterday to rebut defense claims that the prosecution's key witness, Lisa Van Allen testified in Kelly's trial as part of a plea bargain for her fiancée in a separate criminal case. Van Allen testified to having multiple three way sexual encounters with Kelly and the alleged victim. Her fiancé Yul Brown was arrested on gun and drug charges in February and faced up to 22 years in prison. He received probation after pleading guilty and the defense believed he then arranged for Van Allen to testify against Kelly.

Wolf said he was not contacted by anyone from the Cook County State's Attorney's Office about Yul Brown. He also said he recommended Brown receive prison time but an Atlanta judge gave him probation.

"There was absolutely no connection" between Van Allen's testifying and Brown's sentencing, Wolf told jurors.

When asked by Judge Gaughan if he knew he had the constitutional right to take the stand, Kelly told him, "I decided not to testify."

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin tomorrow.

The multi-Grammy award winning R&B singer faces 14 counts of videotaping, producing, or soliciting child pornography. He pled innocent to all charges and if convicted could face up to 15 years in prison.

10 Reasons Jermaine Dupri must be a Leprechaun a.k.a.

The Luckiest Little Man in Hip Hop

By Charlamagne Tha God (Fellow Shadyville DJ)

10) Money Ain’t a Thing Video - This video was all the Luck of the Leprechaun. Using his Leprechaun luck, a phone book, and pedal extensions, he was lucky enough to be able to reach the pedals of those hot ass cars he was driving in this video. This video did a lot for the Leprechauns image and had him mentioned in the same breath as Sean Combs, but only when people said damn JD trying to be like Puffy.

9) Kris Kross - This was one of the Leprechauns first pots of gold. He was lucky enough to discover two childhood friends, Chris Kelly and Chris Smith in 1991 at an Atlanta shopping mall. Dupri thought the two “looked like a rap group” and proceeded to gas these twelve-year olds to wear their clothes backwards. There debut album “Totally Krossed Out” went 4 xs platinum in the US and to this day nobody really knows why? I also always wondered if he encouraged them to wear there boxers backwards? If he did, with the hole in the back instead of the front, their album should have been called “Totally Assed Out”.

8) Whoever introduced him to Bow Wow - In 1998 at the age of eleven, Bow Wow was introduced to JD who sprinkled a little Leprechaun luck on Bow Wow’s young career. Now I don’t know who introduced Bow Wow to the Leprechaun but half of this pot of gold should have gone to them. Nobody gave a damn about Slow Slow Death in 1998. I mean nobody cares now, but they where damn near dead then. It was rumored that Bow Wow was a Leprechaun, but nobody would really knew until he got older. Those rumors have been shot down now that he’s older because he’s too tall to be a Leprechaun and has established himself pretty well in the music and film industry (without the Leprechaun’s assistance).

7) His Braids - JD was lucky enough to wear cornrows years after going bald. This combined with his natural Leprechaun height kept up his youthful appearance so he didn’t look like Bow Wow’s vertically challenged father in Bow Wow’s videos.

6) Da Brat - Now this is when rumors of JD being a lucky little Leprechaun really started. He swagger jacked Snoop and reincarnated his style in the form of a female MC and Da Brat was born. Even though much better MCs like Queen Latifah and MC Lyte came before her and had commercial and critical success none of them ever went platinum, but Da Brat did. She was the first female solo artist to ever go platinum. The Leprechaun strikes again.

5) The Street Single - This is what Greg Street was talking about when he said the Leprechaun was a BDS A&R. He goes and grabs pots of gold that are already out there and claims them as his own for example: Bone Crusher (Neva Scared), J-Kwon (Tipsy), Youngbloodz (Damn), Franchise Boys (I think They Like Me) and Rocko (Umma Do Me). A deaf man could hear these where going to be hits, but JD was lucky enough to sign these artists at key periods in Slow Slow Deaths existence. These records have served as life support for a label that should have been dead years ago.

4) Michael Mauldin - The Leprechauns father and former President of Columbia Records. What, you thought JD worked his way into the game? No! He was lucky enough to get handed his position in the game. This explains why he doesn’t really have an ear for talent most of his artist where introduced to him by someone else (see # 8) or they where more gimmick than talent i.e., Kris Kross, Da Brat and Bow Wow, or they already had a single buzzing (see # 5) and JD just stamped So So Def on it and called it his own. Who needs an ear for talent when your father was a president for a major record label? Lucky bastard!

3) The Emancipation of Mimi - Mariah Carey’s comeback record went 6 xs platinum, fueled by the singles “It’s Like That”, “We Belong Together” and “Shake it Off”, all co produced and co written by JD. This had to be the luck of the Leprechaun (see # 2).

2) Janet Jackson - This is the moment when people realized JD was not human, but was an actual real live Leprechaun living among us. How did he bag Janet Jackson? The Luck of the Leprechaun!! This is how we know the Emancipation of Mimi was pure leprechaun luck because he had two chances to bring Janet back with 20 Y.O. and Discipline and couldn’t do it. He used all his pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers to bag Janet in the first place. He had no more luck left as far as she was concerned to make pots of gold appear at the end of the rainbows of her last two albums.

1) DJs playing Slow Slow Death Records - If it wasn’t for the DJ, not one record JD produced or wrote would have ever been played! If it wasn’t for the DJ, Da Brat and Bow Wow would be nobodies! If it wasn’t for the DJ, he would have never established the So So Def DJs even though we know he did this just to have a coalition of people to force his latest batch of hot garbage down the world’s throats! Now since his, “The DJ is dead” comments, the Leprechaun’s luck has run out. The DJ has no reason to support a mediocre talent, with a mediocre roster of artist and a very mediocre label. R.I.P. to the Leprechaun’s career, sadly it was already dying a Slow Slow Death.

PLIES MAKES THE LADIES CRY!!

Plies might be the dirtiest rappin' ass cat in the game but the man has a good heart. Most of these new rappers come out of the gate so happy that they're makin' loot that they make it rain in strip clubs...Plies is cut from a different cloth!

He really is from the streets but is eloquent as hell when he speaks...either way a woman called into the interview to thank him because his music is keepin her goin through her rough time of being a single mother...then the big homie decided to come out of pocket to help out the family! real big!! The audio's below:

MONDAY MADNESS!!!!

2008-06-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

AMY WINEHOUSE:
OFFICIALLY A DUMBASS...AGAIN

MARIAH...ALWAYS RIDIN' THE T.I.P

There's a bombshell rumor brewing on the set of Mariah Carey's new music video. According to one member of the crew, the entire set is buzzing with the news that R&B singer Mariah Carey and rapper T.I. have begun a secret relationship.

The two platinum selling artists are currently in Hawaii filming Mariah's latest video - I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time. And word is - Mariah may be loving T.I. long time.

SuperThrowed.net, spoke with a member of the crew, who claims that the two snuck off the set together - and no one knew where they were for nearly 2 hours. The insider explained, "They both mysteriously disappeared and held up [production] for almost two hours ... When they came back, they were both smiling uncontrollably." The insider continued, "There's a lot of chemistry between them, everyone could see it."

T.I. is currently engaged to former Xscape artist Tameka "Tiny" Cottle and Mariah Carey is married to actor Nick Cannon. SuperThrowed.net has confirmed that neither Tiny nor Nick are in Hawaii.

WARREN G ARRESTED AFTER KANYE SHOW

According to TMZ.com:It was a clear black night, a clear white moon, Warren G was on the streets -- then got arrested for possession of A LOT of marijuana.G, real name Warren Griffin III, and a man named Ryan Butler were pulled over for running a red light around 2 AM PT this morning in Hollywood. Butler was driving. When cops searched the car, they found enough marijuana to arrest both men for possession of narcotics with intent to sell!Warren and Butler posted $20,000 bail each and were released at around 9 AM this morning.Calls to Warren's reps have yet to be returned.

It's a damn shame that my dude got caught up in this situation...so much for the next stop being east side moteeeh he he he he he he el. I mean what really gets me about this situation....just like T.I.'s case is that this ish could have been avoided...I mean how much chiefery does Snoop travel with at any given time? Willie Nelson? Busta Rhymes? Exactly...clean up your act and put out a better product...I mean you had an era of music named after you sucka!!!

QUEEN LATIFAH MARRYING HER GIRL

The alleged lesbian lovers have never officially confirmed they're a couple, but now they've been rumored to have been planning to wed in an intimate ceremony for family and close friends to attend.Marriage definitely is on the card for Queen Latifah. The alleged lesbian is said to have been planning to wed her rumored fiancee, personal trainer Jeanette Jenkins, soon now that California recognizes gay marriage.

Now all we need is MC Lyte to come outta the closet...Why can't we have any decent female rappers that like men? I mean there's enough male rappers that like men...but that's last week's news

Bobby Brown's Son nails Lindsey Lohan
in a private party bathroom!

Or so he says...and she ain't denied it! Read on....
Thanks UK tabloid The Sun!Bobby Brown’s so Brandon is claiming that he got intimate with the actress in a toilet. Apparently Lindsay – who most recently has been seen cosying up to female DJ Samantha Ronson – couldn’t resist the reality TV star’s charms. He boasts:“Me and Lindsay got really, really close. She followed me to the bathroom during a private party, and, well, we basically got together. I think she knew who I was when she first saw me. We were just staring at each other and she walked by. I walked into the bathroom and she followed me in.” (Source)

With her attached to Samantha Ronson’s hip 24/7 nowadays, sometimes we forget just how c*ckhungry Lindsay Lohan can be. This dude basically seduced her with eye contact. Not a “hi,” not a “hello,” eye contact. If hooking up with random dudes in bathrooms was an Olympic event, Lindsay Lohan would have 900 gold medals. She’s the United States, Paris Hilton is Russia, and every other chick in L.A. is Burundi." Celebslam.com"

Meanwhile there are at least two guys who claim to have done the deed in separate bathroom incidents years ago with another notorious party girl. Nicole Richie, whose much calmer lifestyle seems more permanent than Lindsay’s, had both Busta Rhymes and Jason Mewes of “Jay and Silent Bob” bragging about their quickies with the skinny socialite in bathrooms. You wonder which other random guys these two had in drunken bathroom sessions. There are undoubtedly more than just the few we’ve heard about." Celebbitchy.com

JANET'S DISCIPLINE PROJECT DROPPED

Janet Jackson's label, Def Jam, has reportedly bailed on the pop icon's latest release Discipline. Execs ad the label have ceased promoting album and there are no more single releases planned. The CD produced just one lukewarm his with the single "Feedback.""We started off with Feedback and the label and myself haven't quite seen eye to eye since the Feedback single so they've kind of basically stopped all promotion," Jackson wrote in an email to a media outlet."I'm trying to figure out a way to say this, but just to say it and to be quite honest, they just stopped all promotion whatsoever on the album, so I don't think you're going to hear another single off this album."Janet has had no luck with her recent releases: Damita Jo and 20 Y.O., both of which were considered flops. By contrast, at her peak, Jackson scored 19 hit singles from just three albums. She still holds the record for successive #1 hits in the U.S.

EXPAND YOUR IPOD

While it’s true, all MP3 players aren’t made the same, from iPod mini, to Archos and even the Zune, they all have the same basic function. Carrying a boat load of tunes for our listening pleasure. So what sets one device apart from another other than name brand? The playlists! With expanding capacities most people can download and listen to every song they can remember with the touch of a button… but what if you did miss a song? Forget to upload Rhianna’s new joint? Or even Ashanti’s? Didn’t know Usher had a new song? But your co-worker did?… No worries, Belkin has you covered, with the newest accessory geared to but not limited iPods of all generations. Although, the item is not yet available, it was designed to allow for connection of up to five headphones, and your iPod, to start sharing. Or add another iPod to mix songs and listen together (Additional 3.5mm-to-3.5mm cable to connect another iPod). It’s not just for iPod it works with all MP3 and DVD players, as well as other portable media devices. It’s current price is $19.99, so if your friends always have all the “cool songs”, this may be an accessory you’ll wanna keep an eye out for.

SUPER TUESDAY!!!!

2008-06-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

RIHANNA & CHRIS BROWN BREAK BREAD...

R&B stars Rihanna and Chris Brown have celebrated their love by treating one another to $200,000 diamond necklaces.

The couple - who is still refusing to confirm their romance, despite having been photographed kissing on numerous occasions together - bought the expensive gifts from jeweller Jason Arasheben's exclusive Beverly Hills store.

Arasheben tells Britain's News of the World tabloid, "Chris went for the heart theme while Rihanna chose a diamond-encrusted cross to give to him."

SOURCE

YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER IS PROBABLY GAY

If you thought the picture of rappers Lil Wayne and Baby kissing on the lips caused a stir in the hip-hop world, just wait till the book Hiding in Hip-Hop: Confessions of a Down Low Brother in the Entertainment Industry drops in 2008.

Written by former MTV producer Terrance Dean, Hiding in Hip-Hop has already lit up the internet -- no doubt with hot searches for sample chapters and excerpts from the memoir.

Already author of spiritually fluffy-sounding books Be Empowered: 30 Days of Meditation for Men of Color and Reclaim Your Power!: A 30-Day Guide to Hope, Healing, and Inspiration for Men of Color, Terrance Dean sold Hiding in Hip-Hop: Confessions of a Down Low Brother in the Entertainment Industry to Atria recently.

A Publishers Marketplace report titled "Publishers Lunch Deluxe: Lunch Weekly for Monday, January 29" gave this description of Terrance Dean's book deal:

"Terrance Dean's HIDING IN HIP-HOP: Confessions of a Down Low Brother in the Entertainment Industry, detailing the author's life as a closeted homosexual working in the film and music industry and his relationships with other closeted homosexuals -- film stars, rap artists, and music producers, to Krishan Trotman at Atria at auction by Karen E. Quinones Miller of Liza Dawson Associates. "

After the Hiding in Hip-Hop deal was officially announced, the net has exploded with folks hot on the trail for the names of those undercover famous people included in Dean's tell-all.

However, reports claim that Terrance Dean will not actually tell all in Hiding in Hip-Hop, and that Dean will not name names in his book, unlike his female predecessors, Karrine Steffans and Carmen Bryan.

Yet an Atria spokesperson has reportedly claimed that the real-life personas of down-low men that Dean describes in Hiding in Hip-Hop will be easy to decipher.

"Let's put it this way: You'll know who they are," she said, according to various online sources.

"It's a no-holds-barred look at Hollywood and hip-hop and who's living on the down-low."

SOURCE

What can your cell phone really do?

"The song recognition works by recognizing a 'musical fingerprint' from the music being sent, and matching it to a database of more than 2.5 million songs," Khanifar said. "The service uses patented technology from Shazam that can recognize songs even when cell phone audio quality is very low."

Once the song is matched, your cell-phone service provider -- which renames the service to suit its brand -- will also tell you how to obtain related content, such as ring tones and wallpaper.

Of course all this costs money. Identifying a song ranges from 99 cents to $1.99 on most services; a monthly all-you-can-ID subscription is $3.99 via your service provider.

But you probably didn't even know your phone could recognize songs, did you?

There are other things your cell phone can do that you probably didn't know it could. And there are also things you might have heard can be done but really can't. Let's separate truth from rumor:

In case of

MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT WHAT UR CELLY CAN DO

Rumor: If you call 112 from anywhere, you are connected to an emergency operator who will respond to your call. This will work even if your key guard is on.

Truth: Um, first, the keyguard wouldn't open on our LG enV when we pushed 112. When we manually took off the key guard, all we got was a "call cannot be completed as dialed" message. Best hope 911 is available.

Pardon this interruption

Rumor: Your cell phone can cut short a meeting or a date or other unpleasant activity.

Truth: When you register with www.popularitydialer.com, you can program it to call your cell phone at a specific time. Your phone rings, you answer it, and then you go through a prerecorded, entirely fake conversation with prompts on the other end. You get five calls for free.

Unlocking your car

Rumor: If you lock your keys in your car, call someone who has the spare key fob with the remote lock-unlock button. Have them press the unlock button while you hold your phone up to the car, and the doors will open.

Truth: Boy, wouldn't this be great if it worked? Sadly, it did not, several times on our Suburban and Prius. Luckily, we were just testing it and not actually stranded somewhere.

Need a reminder?

Rumor: You can send reminders to yourself to take your medicine. Or buy bread. Or anything.

Truth: Jott.com is a dictation and transcription service that lets you call in messages to yourself; after you've dictated a 30-second message, it turns it into an e-mail or text message to your chosen end destination. So when you dictate "Pick up the kids from preschool" into your phone while you're driving, it winds up as an e-mail on your office computer. The service is currently free.

Low on batteries

Rumor: Your battery is low, and you are nowhere near a recharging power cord. Just dial *3370#, and your battery will, somehow, get half of its juice back.

Truth: The online posters of this rumor never say what you hit after the code: Send? OK? Pwr End? We tried them all with a somewhat low battery, and nothing happened. Oh, wait, a second number to try is *4720#. Guess what? More of the same. What does work, sometimes, is to turn off your phone for a few minutes and turn it back on. You often get just enough power to call to say you're going to be late.

Hit by lightning

Rumor: If you are hit by lightning while carrying your cell phone, injuries will be more severe.

Truth: Examinations of folks hit by lightning who were carrying a cell phone or other electronic device -- iPods, too -- showed more severe burns than usual. There even have been trace burns that follow the trail of the wires to the earbuds.

Updating your blog

Rumor: You can update your blog from your cell phone.

Truth: Yes, once you set up an account at www.blogger.com, you can post updates and photos via your cell phone by sending missives to goblogger.com. From there, you get additional routing directions. You can also create a new blog via cell as well. The service is free.

Want to bet?

Rumor: You can settle a wager or dispute with your cell phone.

Truth: All you have to do to get the answer to anything, at any time, from any place, is to register with www.mosio.com. Members of the Mosio "Qniverse" (question universe) are standing by to look up your answer. You can ask about locations, recommendations, trivia and more. Pretty cool, and it's free.

SOURCE

Sean Kingston Preps New Album With Pharrell & Timbaland

After his self-titled debut produced two singles which ended up in the top five of Billboard's Hot 100, Sean Kingston is looking to change his formula. For his sophomore set Kingston hopes to take a page from Madonna's book and enlist the help of Virginia beatsmiths Timbaland and Pharrell Williams. The 18-year-old, who jumpstarted his career via MySpace, gave HipHopDX some exclusive information about working with the two production giants.

"I'll be going in the studio with them, and I can't wait," Kingston tells HipHopDX. "It's gonna be crazy. I think their styles are so dope, and we can make some magic over those beats. I write all my own music, and all my own stuff, so it's gonna be dope."

Epic, which is the parent company of Kingston's label, Beluga Heights, originally had to sell many urban stations on their artist's first single "Beautiful Girls." Although Pop and Top 40 markets embraced the song, Epic outsourced Koch to market "Beautiful Girls" specifically to urban outlets. Since that songs release and subsequent success, Sean Kingston has performed material with The Game, Rick Ross and Bun B, among others. Although the recording for his next album has yet to begin, Kingston says he thinks the new material will be more well-rounded than expected.

"This album is gonna touch everything—the urban, the pop...everything," adds Kingston. "My first album was cool on the urban side, but it ended up being a huge pop album. This time I want to build Sean Kingston as a brand and not just somebody with a couple songs out. I've been writing everyday and coming up with new ideas to release different stuff out there. I'm grinding and I just put my mixtape out there too."

Kingston's "I'm Just Warmin' Up" mixtape is hosted by DJ Khaled, DJ Envy and DJ Felli Fel, and features guest spots from Three-6 Mafia, Plies, Red Cafe and Busta Rhymes.

Pasted from <http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.7012/title.sean-kingston-preps-new-album-with-pharrell-timbaland>

LONG TERM SHRUBBING

CAUSES BRAIN TO SHRINK

Long-term heavy use of marijuana may cause two important brain structures to shrink, Australian researchers said on Monday.

Brain scans showed the hippocampus and amygdala were smaller in men who were heavy marijuana users compared to nonusers, the researchers said. The men had smoked at least five marijuana cigarettes daily for on average 20 years.

The hippocampus regulates memory and emotion, while the amygdala plays a critical role in fear and aggression.

The study, published in the American Medical Association's journal Archives of General Psychiatry, also found the heavy cannabis users earned lower scores than the nonusers in a verbal learning task -- trying to recall a list of 15 words.

The marijuana users were more likely to exhibit mild signs of psychotic disorders, but not enough to be formally diagnosed with any such disorder, the researchers said.

"These findings challenge the widespread perception of cannabis as having limited or no harmful effects on (the) brain and behavior," said Murat Yucel of ORYGEN Research Centre and the University of Melbourne, who led the study.

"Like with most things, some people will experience greater problems associated with cannabis use than others," Yucel said in an e-mail. "Our findings suggest that everyone is vulnerable to potential changes in the brain, some memory problems and psychiatric symptoms if they use heavily enough and for long enough."

Among the 15 heavy marijuana users in the study, the hippocampus volume was 12 percent less and the amygdala volume was 7 percent less than in 16 men who were not marijuana users, the researchers said.

The researchers acknowledged that the study did not prove it was the marijuana and not some other factor that triggered these brain differences. But Yucel said the findings certainly suggested marijuana was the cause.

"STONED" FOR 20 YEARS

While about half of the marijuana users reported experiencing some form of paranoia and social withdrawal, only one of the nonusers reported such symptoms, Yucel said.

The heavy marijuana users, average age 40, said they had used other illicit drugs less than 10 times, the researchers said.

A U.S. group supporting legal sales and regulation of marijuana took issue with the findings, particularly because they were based on men who were such heavy, long-term users.

"These were people who were essentially stoned all day every day for 20 years," Marijuana Policy Project spokesman Bruce Mirken said by e-mail. "This study says nothing about moderate or occasional users, who are the vast majority -- and the (study) even acknowledges this."

"The documented damage caused by comparably heavy use of alcohol or tobacco is just off-the-charts more serious, and you don't need high-tech scans to find it," Mirken added.

Yucel said the researchers have begun new research on the effects of both short-term and long-term and moderate and heavy use of marijuana.

SOURCE

TEEN BLAMES DUI ARREST ON KISS WITH DRUNK BOY

One New York teenage driver may not have been drunk with love, but that didn’t stop her from claiming it was the reason she swerved in and out of her lane in Manhasset last Friday night.

Gianna Vigliotti, 17, claimed she had not been drinking but had been kissing a boy who was, after police pulled her over and found her blood alcohol limit to be almost twice the legal limit, Newsday reported.

According to the police report, Vigliotti told the officer, "I didn't drink! I was kissing a boy who was drunk."

Newsday reported Officer Michael Pallazzo found four bottles of beer under the passenger seat of her Volkswagen and an empty beer can in her purse.

Vigliotti was arrested and pleaded not guilty the following day. She is due in court again on June 18.

"To now have it publicized is not only embarrassing, but demeaning as well," Vigliotti's attorney, Dennis Lemke, told Newsday. "We expect it to be resolved in the near future."

HILLARY ON VICE PRESIDENCY: OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton told colleagues Tuesday she would consider joining Barack Obama as his running mate, and advisers said she was withholding a formal departure from the race partly to use her remaining leverage to press for a spot on the ticket.

On a conference call with other New York lawmakers, Clinton, a New York senator, said she was willing to become Obama's vice presidential nominee if it would help Democrats win the White House, according to a participant who spoke on condition of anonymity because this person was not authorized to speak for Clinton.

Clinton's remarks came in response to a question from Democratic Rep. Nydia Velazquez, who said she believed the best way for Obama to win key voting blocs, including Hispanics, would be for him to choose Clinton as his running mate.

"I am open to it," Clinton replied, if it would help the party's prospects in November.

Clinton also told colleagues the delegate math was not there for her to overtake Obama, but that she wanted to take time to determine how to leave the race in a way that would best help Democrats.

"I deserve some time to get this right," she said, even as the other lawmakers forcefully argued for her to press Obama to choose her as his running mate.

Joseph Crowley, a Queens Democrat who participated in the call, said her answer "left open the possibility that she would do anything that she can to contribute toward a Democratic victory in November. There was no hedging on that. Whatever she can do to contribute, she was willing to do."

Another person on the call, Rep. Jose Serrano of New York City, said her answer was "just what I was hoping to hear. ... Of course she was interested in being president, but she's just as interested in making sure Democrats get elected in November."

Rep. Charles Rangel, a devoted booster of Clinton who helped pave the way for her successful Senate campaign, said he spoke to her Tuesday and got much the same answer.

"She's run a great campaign and even though she'll be a great senator, she has a lot of followers that obviously Obama doesn't have, and clearly the numbers are against her and so I think they bring all parts of the Democratic Party together and then some," Rangel said.

Aides to the Illinois senator said he and Clinton had not spoken about the prospects of her joining the ticket.

Obama effectively sewed up the 2,118 delegates needed to win the nomination Tuesday, based on a tally of pledged delegates, superdelegates who have declared their preference, and another 18 superdelegates who have confirmed their intentions to The Associated Press. It also included five delegates Obama was guaranteed as long as he gained 15 percent of the vote in South Dakota and Montana later in the day.

Word of Clinton's vice presidential musings came as she prepared to deliver a televised address to supporters on the final night of the epic primary season. She was working out final details of the speech at her Chappaqua, N.Y., home with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, their daughter Chelsea, and close aides.

Earlier, on NBC's "Today Show," Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said that once Obama gets the majority of convention delegates, "I think Hillary Clinton will congratulate him and call him the nominee."

Clinton will pledge to continue to speak out on issues like health care. But for all intents and purposes, two senior officials said, her campaign is over.

Most campaign staff will be let go and will be paid through June 15, said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to divulge her plans.

The advisers said Clinton has made a strategic decision to not formally end her campaign, giving her leverage to negotiate with Obama on various matters including a possible vice presidential nomination for her. She also wants to press him on issues he should focus on in the fall, such as health care.

Universal health care, Clinton's signature issue as first lady in the 1990s, was a point of dispute between Obama and the New York senator during their epic nomination fight.

In a formal statement, the campaign made clear the limits of how far she would go in Tuesday night's speech. "Senator Clinton will not concede the nomination," the statement said.

Clinton field hands who worked in key battlegrounds said they were told to stand down, without pay, and await instructions. Speaking not for attribution because they didn't want to jeopardize their jobs searches, many said they were peddling resumes, returning to their hometowns or seeking out former employers.

Clinton officials have said they would not contest the seating of Michigan delegates at the convention in Denver this August. The campaign was angry this past weekend when a Democratic National Committee panel awarded Obama delegates it thought Clinton deserved.

SOURCE

You kids be good until tomorrow...don't let the beginning of summer hit you this hard