Under The Shadetree

Shoe Personality of the Week: 9/21

2009-09-20T20:31:00.002-04:00

The theme of this week is leaning. But even on lean, it must be in style. Hence the "gangsta lean" and "cruisin' on lean." I can't just be off kilter and looking crazy.

This shoe represents the quest for balance to me. For some reason, it's unique shape is almost a mirror. Not physiologically, but just that I'm not regular. Stack that up on a heel, the body and its body of work, and you've got...maybe this shoe.

Everything feels like the rug has been pulled out from underneath me and I'm teetering closely to landing on my ass. Except...I'm a cat, and we always land on our feet. I will do my best this week to keep my feet on solid ground. If they come up, somebody's catching a heel in the eye. Maybe just saying that is enough to soothe the energy and remain cool, calm, and collected. I don't appreciate being taken off my center. I WILL regain my balance because I know no other way [anymore].

If you've got madness and mayhem going on in your life, teeter gracefully under fire. Do it in style and leave 'em all confused. Sometimes, I even confuse/amaze myself...

Watch me move.

And Still Undefeated but not Champion....?

2009-09-20T10:47:00.002-04:00

Mayweather pummels Marquez in ring return

By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer

LAS VEGAS (AP)—Money came back with a guarantee. Floyd Mayweather Jr. told the world he was still its best boxer despite taking 21 months off, and he backed up every boast with every jab in an impressive victory.

Although next time out, hopefully he’ll pick on somebody his own size.

Mayweather overpowered the smaller, lighter Juan Manuel Marquez for an unanimous decision Saturday night, maintaining his perfect record in his comeback from retirement.

Mayweather knocked down Marquez in the second round and then peppered him with countless damaging shots to remain unbeaten (40-0, 25 KOs). Still, his impressive effort couldn’t be viewed without weighing the obvious disadvantages in height and strength faced by the talented Marquez, a 130-pounder just 18 months ago who moved up two weight classes for this once-in-a-career payday at the MGM Grand Garden.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., hits Juan Manuel Marquez, of Mexico, during their non-title welterweight boxing match in Las Vegas, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009.

“Marquez is tough as nails,” Mayweather said. “He’s a great little man. He was really hard to fight, and he kept taking some unbelievable shots.”

At Friday’s weigh-in, Marquez (50-5-1) was four pounds lighter than Mayweather, who paid a $600,000 penalty for missing the bout weight of 144 pounds. Simple physics took over from there. Though Marquez stayed on his feet for 12 one-sided rounds, Money Mayweather’s win was never in doubt.

“He’s a great small man,” Mayweather said. “Don’t forget, I came from a small weight class too, so I know when you’re in front of a great fighter. I think he brought his best tonight.”

Mayweather had an astonishing edge in punch stats, landing 290 of his 493 blows (59 percent) while allowing just 12 percent of Marquez’s 583 punches to land. Mayweather landed more jabs in each round than Marquez landed total punches, and just 16 percent of Marquez’s power shots even got to Mayweather.

Mayweather often appeared to be toying with Marquez, who’s generally considered among the world’s top handful of fighters. Just 18 months ago, Marquez lost a narrow decision to unofficial pound-for-pound champion Manny Pacquiao—another mighty mite who’s likely Mayweather’s top choice for his next bout.

Pacquiao accepted a similarly mismatched challenge last year when he demolished Oscar De La Hoya, but the Golden Boy acknowledges his skills have diminished. Mayweather clearly is still at the top of his game.

“I’ve been off for two years, so I felt like it took me a couple of rounds to really know I was back in the ring again,” Mayweather said. “I know I’ll get better.”

Mayweather dominated his undersized Mexican opponent in his first fight since stopping Ricky Hatton in December 2007. He then took a lengthy break from the sport that’s dominated his life since he was a toddler, but returned for another eight-figure payday that should assuage the IRS while setting up another megafight.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, throws a left at Juan Manuel Marquez, of Mexico, during their non-title welterweight boxing match in Las Vegas, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, t…
AP - Sep 20, 1:10 am EDT

Mayweather refused to re-weigh himself Saturday night, so the true size of his advantage might never be known. Fighters often gain several pounds between the weigh-in and their bouts.

But his size advantage was obvious from the opening bell, when it became clear Marquez would struggle just to get close enough to throw good combinations.

“He surprised me with the first knockdown,” Marquez said. “He hurt me in that round, but not any other time. I don’t want to make any excuses, but the weight was the problem. He’s too fast.”

Judge Burt Clements gave every round to Mayweather, 120-107. Dave Moretti threw the eighth round to Marquez for a 119-108 total, while William Lerch gave two rounds to Marquez, 118-109. The Associated Press had a whitewash, 120-107.

Mayweather abruptly knocked down Marquez midway through the second round when Marquez walked into a left hook, but Mayweather largely stuck to his jab, leaned back in his familiar defensive posture and picked apart another opponent.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, throws a left at Juan Manuel Marquez, of Mexico, during their non-title welterweight boxing match in Las Vegas, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009.
Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, t…
AP - Sep 20, 1:09 am EDT

Marquez had a bloody nose by the bout’s midway point, and Mayweather landed several hard shots late in the sixth. Whenever Marquez appeared to land a combination, Mayweather invariably backed away with a grin.

“When I hit him, he laughed, but I knew he felt my punches,” Marquez said. “We tried to work the speed, but the difference was the weight.”

Marquez added a brave defeat to a career noted for its disappointments as much as its triumphs. Marquez still seethes over his 0-1-1 record in two fights against Pacquiao, and he followed Pacquiao’s path up in weight in search of bigger bouts, which he got in recent wins over Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz.

Mayweather chose Marquez for his return bout after flirting with Pacquiao, who will fight Miguel Cotto in the same arena less than two months from now.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao fight would be the biggest in the sport, but a more natural opponent also wants a little Money. Sugar Shane Mosley called out Mayweather in the ring immediately after the fight, with Golden Boy representatives forced to separate the two.

The lukewarm public response to the bout underlined industry concerns Mayweather can’t sell a pay-per-view on his own. The Grand Garden wasn’t sold out just a few days before the fight, and large swaths of empty seats greeted the undercard fighters, though they were mostly filled before Mayweather entered the ring.

Sen. Edward Kennedy

2009-08-26T09:22:00.001-04:00

Reuters – U.S Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) waves as he walks out of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, …

By Scott Malone Scott Malone – 1 hr 51 mins ago

BOSTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, a towering figure in the Democratic Party who took the helm of one of America's most fabled political families after two older brothers were assassinated, died at age 77, his family said.

"Edward M. Kennedy, the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply, died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port (Massachusetts)," the Kennedy family said in a statement early on Wednesday.

One of the most influential and longest-serving senators in U.S. history -- a liberal standard-bearer who was also known as a consummate congressional dealmaker -- Kennedy had been battling brain cancer, which was diagnosed in May 2008.

His death marked the twilight of a political dynasty and dealt a blow to Democrats as they seek to answer President Barack Obama's call for an overhaul of the healthcare system.

Kennedy was a longtime advocate of healthcare reform, a signature issue of Obama's presidency. Obama said on Wednesday he was heartbroken to hear of the death of Kennedy, a crucial supporter of his presidential candidacy.

"I valued his wise counsel in the Senate, where, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the Presidency. And even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've profited as President from his encouragement and wisdom," said Obama, who was elected last November and took office in January.

Kennedy had recently urged Massachusetts lawmakers to change state law so the governor, if necessary, could quickly fill a Senate vacancy as the chamber debates the contentious healthcare issue.

Known as "Teddy," he was the brother of President John Kennedy, assassinated in 1963, Senator Robert Kennedy, fatally shot while campaigning for the 1968 Democratic presidential nomination, and Joe Kennedy, a pilot killed in World War Two.

When he first took the Senate seat previously held by John Kennedy in 1962, he was seen as something of a political lightweight who owed his ascent to his famous name.

Yet during his nearly half century in the chamber, Kennedy became known as one of Washington's most effective senators, crafting legislation by working with lawmakers and presidents of both parties, and finding unlikely allies.

At the same time, he held fast to liberal causes deemed anachronistic by the centrist "New Democrats," and was a lightning rod for conservative ire.

He helped enact measures to protect civil and labor rights, expand healthcare, upgrade schools, increase student aid and contain the spread of nuclear weapons.

"There's a lot to do," Kennedy told Reuters in 2006. "I think most of all it's the injustice that I continue to see and the opportunity to have some impact on it."

After Robert Kennedy's death, Edward was expected to waste little time in vying for the presidency. But in 1969, a young woman drowned after a car Kennedy was driving plunged off a bridge on the Massachusetts resort island of Chappaquiddick after a night of partying.

Kennedy's image took a major hit after it emerged he had failed to report the accident to authorities. He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene and received a suspended sentence.

Kennedy eventually ran for his party's presidential nomination in 1980 but lost to then-President Jimmy Carter.

His presidential ambitions thwarted, Kennedy devoted himself to his Senate career.

A 2009 survey by The Hill, a Capitol Hill publication, found that Senate Republicans believed Kennedy was the chamber's easiest Democrat to work with and most bipartisan.

Republican Senator John McCain called Kennedy "the single most effective member of the Senate if you want to get results."

In January 2008, Kennedy endorsed Obama, who was serving his first term as a senator, for the Democratic presidential nomination. Many saw the endorsement as the passing of the political torch to a new generation. A year to the day before his death, Kennedy made an electrifying speech to the Democratic convention that nominated Obama for president.

'LION' BATTLED ON

Kennedy had been largely sidelined in Congress since becoming ill. The "Lion of the Senate" began to use a cane and often looked tired and drained as he mixed work with treatment.

Yet colleagues and staff said he remained determined to fulfill what he called "the cause of my life," providing health insurance to all Americans. He helped draft legislation to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.

Kennedy's interest in healthcare dated from his son's bout with cancer in the 1970s. More recently, he cited his own illness as he made a case for reform.

"I've benefited from the best of medicine, but I've also witnessed the frustration and outrage of patients and doctors alike as they face the challenges of a system that shortchanges millions of Americans," he wrote in a May 28, 2009, issue of the Boston Globe.

His charisma as "the last of the Kennedy brothers" was such that draft-Teddy drives were a feature of U.S. presidential election years from 1968 through the 1980s.

But he never fully escaped the cloud of the Chappaquiddick accident. A decades-long argument arose about whether he tried to cover up his involvement by leaving the scene while Mary Jo Kopechne's body remained submerged and whether police helped sweep such questions under the rug. All involved denied any cover-up.

Later crises involving younger Kennedys, notably the 1991 Palm Beach rape trial of his nephew, William Kennedy Smith, caught a bloated and weary-looking Uncle Ted in a media glare. Reports of heavy drinking and womanizing led to a public apology for "the faults in the conduct of my private life."

Kennedy was remarried soon after that to Victoria Reggie, a 38-year-old lawyer with two young children from her first marriage. He poured renewed energy into the Senate, where he would become the third-longest serving senator in history.

Even his Republican foes recognized Kennedy's dedication as he worked to protect civil rights, give federal help to the poor, contain the spread of nuclear weapons, raise the minimum wage, expand health coverage and improve America's schools.

FAMILY STANDARDS

Born on February 22, 1932, Edward Moore Kennedy was the last of four sons and five daughters born to millionaire businessman Joseph Kennedy, who would later be ambassador to Britain, and his wife, Rose.

The Boston Irish family combined the competitive spirit of nouveau riche immigrants with acquired polish and natural charm. The sons were expected to mature into presidential timber and were groomed for that starting with the oldest, Joseph Jr., a bomber pilot who died in World War Two.

"I think about my brothers every day," Kennedy told Reuters. "They set high standards. Sometimes you measure up, sometimes you don't."

Like his brothers, Kennedy was known for his oratory, delivered in a booming voice at rallies, congressional hearings and in the Senate.

He drew praise from liberals, labor and civil rights groups and scorn from conservatives, big business and anti-abortion and pro-gun activists. His image was often used by Republicans in ads as a money-raising tool.

Tragedies dogged Kennedy throughout his life. They included a 1964 plane crash that damaged his spine and left him with persistent pain; bone cancer that cost son Teddy a leg; first wife Joan's battles with alcoholism that contributed to their divorce, and drug problems involving nephews, one of whom died of an overdose. His nephew, John Kennedy Jr., died in July 1999 when his small plane crashed into the ocean near Cape Cod.

In May 2008, Edward Kennedy collapsed at his Cape Cod home and was flown to hospital in Boston, where he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Brain cancer kills half its victims within a year.

Kennedy's illness kept him from attending the funeral of his sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a leading advocate of the mentally disabled, who died on August 11 at the age of 88.

(Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro in Washington and Patricia Zengerle in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts; Editing by Peter Cooney)

Today was a Good day

2009-08-25T21:22:00.000-04:00

Fluoride Warnings for Infants

2009-08-25T10:10:00.004-04:00

In contrast to recommendations adopted in the 1950s, fluoride supplementation is no longer recommended for newborn children. This includes both fluoride in drops, and fluoride in drinking water.

Not only is fluoride ingestion during infancy unnecessary, it can also be harmful - as suggested by a mounting body of evidence linking fluoride exposure during the first year of life with the development of dental fluorosis.

The American Dental Association recommend that children under 12 months of age should not consume fluoridated water while babies under 6 months of age should not receive any fluoride drops or pills.

Fluoridated drinking water contains up to 200 times more fluoride than breast milk. As a result, babies consuming formula made with fluoridated tap water are exposed to much higher levels of fluoride than a breast-fed infant.

A recent review describes fluoride as "an emerging neurotoxic substance" that may damage the developing brain. The National Research Council has identified fluoride as an "endocrine disrupter" that may impair thyroid function, while recent research from Harvard University has found a possible connection between fluoride and bone cancer.

Hormones in the Milk – Do You Know What Your Kids are Drinking?

2009-08-24T11:53:00.002-04:00

The food kids eat today will have a lasting impact on their health. Unfortunately much of the food kids eat today is produced with harmful chemicals, genetically engineered ingredients, and artificial hormones. We’ve got a great opportunity to affect what kind of milk is in the National School Lunch Program.

Roughly 15 percent of all dairies (mostly large dairies) in the United States inject their cows with an artificial, genetically engineered growth hormone called recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) that increases cows’ milk production. Besides the documented increase of infections in dairy cows injected with rBGH, which necessitates increased use of antibiotics, there are ongoing questions about links to cancer in humans.

Most of the industrialized countries in the world have banned rBGH. But here in the United States, we’re giving it to our most vulnerable citizens—our children! It is possible that at least 84 million gallons of milk from artificial hormone-treated cows were distributed through the school nutrition programs in fiscal year 2005-2006 – or about one out of five pints of milk offered in school cafeterias nationwide.

Cancer Alert: Is your Johnson & Johnson’s safe?

2009-08-20T13:32:00.004-04:00

Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, PEG-150 Distearate, Fragrance, Polyquaternium-10, Tetrasodium EDTA, Quaternium-15, Citric Acid, Yellow 10 and Orange 4.

Quaternium-15 is a preservative found in many cosmetics and industrial substances that releases formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde is one of the largest indoor pollutants in our homes. It is a recognized carcinogen, an immunotoxin, a reproductive toxicant, and a neurotoxin that can cause CNS & neurological disorders.

It is a common ingredient found in many products in your home such as air fresheners, rug cleaners, bubble bath, perfume, liquid scouring cleansers, toilet bowl cleaners, floor finishes, pressed board furniture, toothpaste, hair spray, soap, floor wax and furniture polish to name a few, but worst of all baby shampoo!

Symptoms caused by formaldehyde include allergies, cancer, asthma and cold like symptoms from immediate exposure.

“The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) classifies cosmetics and personal care products, but does not regulate them. In 1938, the FDA granted self-regulation to the Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrance Association (CTFA), the self-appointed industry organization.
With The exception of color additives and a few prohibited ingredients, a cosmetic manufacturer may use almost ANY raw material as a cosmetic ingredient and market the product WITHOUT an approval from FDA” (”Prohibited Ingredients”, FDA Office of Cosmetics Fact Sheet, Dec. 19, 1994)

The Health Risks of Perfume

2009-08-05T09:28:00.004-04:00

Did you know that perfume is made of toxic chemicals that can injure your health? Many of the chemicals in perfume are the same chemicals in cigarette smoke, and yet there is no regulation of the fragrance industry. Many people are "bothered" by perfumes - developing headaches, sinus problems, and even asthma from exposures. Many have gotten sick or even disabled from wearing (or being exposed to) fragrances and using other scented products (me included). And fragrances are now used in almost every cleaning, laundry, and personal-care product on the market! These chemicals go directly into the bloodstream when applied to our skin and are also absorbed into the skin from our clothing. We also inhale the chemical fumes, which then go straight to our brains where they can do major harm. Many even have a "narcotic" effect, which is why some people seem "addicted" to their perfumes.

What the nose knows - Think twice before buying a loved one perfume, cologne! - (article) “The way to the heart is through the nose,” asserts Haarmann & Reimer, a leading fragrance manufacturer. But lovers may want to think twice about giving a bottle of cologne or perfume for Valentines Day, say some health advocates. Certain fragrances and their chemical constituents might trigger an allergic — rather than aphrodisiac — response. And some perfumes contain hidden ingredients that may pose longer-term hazards.'

noFragrance.org - SO WHAT'S WRONG WITH TRYING TO SMELL NICE? Nothing in itself. But the chemicals that are used to propagate fragrance can be quite toxic to some people. This isn't a matter of taste or unpleasantness; people who suffer from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) become physically sick, often to the point of being incapacitated, when exposed to artificial fragrances. A minimal amount of exposure is enough to hurt. For instance, a trace of scented laundry detergent in a room can force an MCS sufferer in the room to flee—or get very sick.

Next time when you start to spray on that perfume or use some other scented product, remember all these chemicals you're exposing yourself and those around you to! There's absolutely nothing "romantic" about these chemicals! Perfume as something "romantic" is merely a line fed to you by the perfume industry - don't buy into it! We've been brainwashed by the industry that we must "cover up" our natural scents with toxic chemicals - that our own scents are not acceptable. Once you make the break and get away from toxic scents, the smell of "naturally clean" is simply wonderful!

*********************************************************

** * SPECIAL NOTICE * * *

The Environmental Health Network of California has filed a petition with the FDA to have the fragrance "Eternity" by Calvin Klein declared misbranded.The basis of this petition is the lack of a warning label on the product informing consumers that all the materials in the product and the product has not been adequately tested for safety. After an independently-funded analysis of this product, it was found to contain chemicals known to be on the hazardous waste list and that cause neurological and other problems. For more information about this petition and how YOU can tell the FDA that you're in favor of the petition, please see: "The Environmental Health Network of California files Petition with the FDA".

Stop Wasting Money On Dryer Sheets!

2009-08-03T11:48:00.002-04:00

Never buy dryer sheets or fabric softener again. These laundry products are not only costly, but they are incredibly harmful to your health as well. You would be surprised at some of the chemicals that are in these products as well as the warnings to go with them. Although they may make your clothes feel soft and smell fresh, dryer sheets are one of the most toxic products in your home. They are filled with so many chemicals that they have to be scented with an incredible amount of fragrance. If the sweet smelling fragrance was removed, there would only be a noxious chemical smell remaining. Some of the chemicals that are contained in dryer sheets are Benzyl acetate(linked to pancreatic cancer), Benzyl Alcohol(respiratory irritant), Ethanol(linked to central nervous system disorders), Limonene(carcinogen), A-Terpineol(respiratory irritant and damaging to central nervous system), Ethyl Acetate(narcotic), Camphor(central nervous system damage), Chloroform(neurotoxin, anesthetic), Linalool(central nervous system damage), and Pentane(respiratory irritant). Some of the symptoms experienced from prolonged exposure to the chemicals in dryer sheets include: headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, central nervous system disorders, blood pressure reduction, tiredness that is not cured by resting, difficulty breathing, skin irritation, difficulty concentrating and remembering, and cancer.

People with allergies are especially susceptible to the dangers of dryer sheets and fabric softeners. These people can break out in rashes and experience itching if they are exposed to the chemicals in dryer sheets in any capacity. I'm no expert, but if it causes trauma to a sensitive person , on contact, then it can't be all that good for the rest of us. Babies are also easily harmed by dryer sheets. It is recommended that baby clothes do not get washed with fabric softeners or dryer sheets as it can be harmful or even fatal for developing babies. There a number of cases of SIDS associated with the use of fabric softeners and dryer sheets. You are also contributing to pollution and ozone depletion whenever you pop a dryer sheet in your dryer. Various toxic chemicals are being emitted into the air through you dryer vent.

Dryer sheets leave an oil coating on your clothes, which don't really leave them softer or fluffy. This oil builds up on the fibers and takes the absorbency out (oil repels water). They are designed to slowly release their chemicals, in the attempt to "keep them fresh" all day. In reality, they are causing you to experience prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals. In the dryer, fabric softener leaves a sticky residue on all the components like the moisture sensors and drum of the dryer. This residue is very flammable, which is why on the back of some fabric softeners it tells you not to use on towels, terrycloth or fleece. The number one cause of house fires is the dryer. Fabric softeners even take the fire retardant out of baby's clothes.

So...Stop Buying Dryer Sheets and try Dryer Magic Dryer Balls. These dryer balls are completely non-toxic and chemical free. Dryer Balls soften fabrics naturally without the need for fabric softener or dryer sheets. These two little Dryer Balls will take the place other fabric softeners without the use of chemicals, making them perfect for anyone with sensitive skin or allergies. Dryer Balls are reusable and hypoallergenic and come with a Lifetime Guarantee. These innovative balls tumble in the dryer to lift and separate laundry, so your clothes dry faster as hot air flows more efficiently. Soft tips massage fabrics to naturally fluff and soften without the use of chemical-laden dryer sheets or liquid softeners.

Save money with dryer balls. For just a little more than one fabric softener or dryer sheet purchase, you will have a fabric softening product that will last for years. Imagine the savings of never buying fabric softener or dryer sheets again. Plus with 15%-25% shorter drying times, you will save on energy costs and shorten the amount of time it takes to do laundry.

.......as little as once a week may increase your odds of developing asthma symptoms.

2009-07-30T11:30:00.001-04:00

Ask Dr. Weil: Air Fresheners

Are they bad for my health?

By Andrew Weil, M.D., Prevention

Find more

Q: I use air fresheners in my home, but have been told I shouldn't. Are they bad for my health?

A: It certainly looks like they are. Recent research strongly suggests that they raise your risk of a number of pulmonary diseases. Last year researchers found thatbeing exposed to chemicals from air fresheners as little as once a week may increase your odds of developing asthma symptoms by 71 percent. And a 2006 study showed that people with high blood levels of the chemical 1,4 dichlorobenzene—commonly found in air fresheners—were more likely to experience a decline in lung function.

Other studies point to a cancer link. University of California, Berkeley, researchers determined that, when used in small, poorly ventilated rooms, some air fresheners emit pollutants that create high levels of formaldehyde, a carcinogen shown to cause cancer in animals and respiratory irritation in humans.

Last year, the Natural Resources Defense Council evaluated 14 air fresheners, 12 of which had varying amounts of phthalates, chemicals that may affect fertility, cause cancer, and trigger developmental abnormalities in infants. The NRDC and other environmental groups filed a petition calling for all air freshener-related products to be tested for consumer safety and regulated by the government.

I recommend freshening the air by opening windows and eliminating the sources of unpleasant odors. If you enjoy aromas indoors, opt for natural items such as a lavender plant, potted herbs, or a bouquet of fresh flowers.

Andrew Weil, M.D., is a pioneer in the field of holistic health and founder and director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of Arizona. He received his medical training at Harvard University.

Provided by Prevention

Senior Adult Choir Hip Hop

2009-07-29T19:58:00.000-04:00

Why The F*ck Do You Have a Kid?!

2009-07-28T19:40:00.000-04:00

check out: http://whythefuckdoyouhaveakid.com

Adolescent exposures to cosmetic chemicals of concern

2009-07-28T11:24:00.002-04:00

During this window of vulnerability to toxic assault, adolescent girls typically experiment with an increasing number and variety of body care products. Teen study participants used an average of nearly 17 personal care products each day, while the average adult woman uses just 12 products daily. Thus, teens may unknowingly expose themselves to higher levels of cosmetic ingredients linked to potential health effects at a time when their bodies are more susceptible to chemical damage.

Cosmetics and other personal care products are an alarming example of government and industry failures to protect public health. Federal health statutes do not require companies to test products or ingredients for safety before they are sold. As a result, nearly all personal care products contain ingredients that have not been assessed for safety by any accountable agency, and that are not required to meet standards of safety. To protect the health of teens and all Americans, we recommend action:

The federal government must set comprehensive safety standards for cosmetics and other personal care products.
Teens should make healthy choices for themselves by reducing the number of products they use, and by using our Shopper’s Guide to Safe Cosmetics to select safer products.
Companies must reformulate products to protect consumers from exposure to potentially toxic chemicals, untested ingredients, and noxious impurities.

Wheel of Fortune Moron

2009-07-25T19:39:00.001-04:00

EMBED-Wheel Of Fortune Moron - Watch more free videos

the Secret Millionaires Club

2009-07-24T19:26:00.000-04:00

MCA/ Mr. Yauch has something important to say! [Serious as C _ _ _ _ R]

2009-07-21T02:53:00.001-04:00

the Glance?

2009-07-18T10:23:00.001-04:00

MJ r.i.p.

2009-06-25T23:54:00.002-04:00

Afra X DMC

2009-06-24T23:14:00.000-04:00

Natural Mystic Daggering

2009-06-11T22:34:00.000-04:00

KOBE > LeBRON

2009-05-30T22:35:00.002-04:00

Estevan Oriol

2009-05-29T06:18:00.000-04:00

Maestro knows LV

2009-05-28T09:52:00.001-04:00

Maestro Knows - Episode 10 (Las Vegas) from Maestro Knows on Vimeo.

This shit is crazy!!!

2009-05-27T08:50:00.001-04:00

Hawaii Chair

2009-05-27T08:46:00.001-04:00

We Should Be Ashamed By Christina Walker Battle

2009-05-25T00:23:00.000-04:00

In these hard economic times, we are all having to make major financial decisions. Nowhere is this being felt more than the areas of charities. Donations to the Salvation Army as well as major food banks across the nation have taken a major hit. African Americans have been notoriously known to be the least “giving” when it comes to charitable donations, but welcome recipients. Nothing has brought this point home to me more than my personal attempts to reach out and help some children in a low-income neighborhood in Chicago this past week.

I am a substitute teacher in an economically challenged school on the West Side of Chicago. I see everyday the plight of our youth whose parents are no longer parents. They have succumb to drug usage, prison life, and most of all, lack of self-esteem exacerbated by lack of education. The children of these “parents” come to school hungry, unkempt and with a general disregard for human life – their own in particular. I recently posted an ad on Craigslist, Facebook, and Myspace asking for small donations (not monetary, mind you) for three children in particular. Here is how the ad read:

Hi! I am a substitute teacher looking to help three kids in our school that REALLY need help! They are a 7th grade boy, 5th grade girl and 1st grade girl (who is extremely tall for her age). They are lacking basic necessities such as soap, hair products, and especially CLOTHES that FIT! The boy is kinda tall but should be about 32" in the waist, the 5th grader is about a size 14 in girls or a 0-1 in juniors, and the 1st grader is about a size 8-10 in girls just because of her height. They are siblings and the mother is doing just enough to not have her children removed by DCFS. These kids are being mocked at school by other children and it is effecting their academic performance (they are all extremely bright). PLEASE, if you have any gently used closed or find it in your heart to purchase something, it would be greatly appreciated. For the 5th grade girl, donations of "girly" items such as lip gloss, nail polish, body wash, any of those things that help during the first stages of puberty would really help. Also for the boy, AXE body wash, little cologne samples or any items like that would be appreciated as well. I will come and pick up any items that you have to donate. THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!!!!!!

Let me tell you, the response was somewhat overwhelming seeing that I am one person who was doing this on my own. I received replies from so many people, and I have to say that one particular person who I went to high school with jumped into action immediately and mobilized people in her place of work as well as called on personal friends. I can't thank those individuals enough. The donations we simply toiletry items, books, a few clothing items, and even a Target gift certificate.

NOT ONE DONOR WAS AFRICAN AMERICAN! No, I retract that statement, ONE DONOR WAS AFRICAN AMERICAN! You can imagine my dismay as I received email after email, and talking to individuals on the telephone, then making pick ups - I had one African American donor. I sat there thinking, “You have to be fucking kidding me!” I had to check my email accounts again to be sure that I didn't forget anyone or that I had no overlooked anyone, and no, I hadn't. I couldn't believe that all these people whom I had attended school with, who bragged on their “baller” status, and their commitments to community service, could not take the time out to just look in their bathrooms for things that they didn't need nor use and donate. NO MONEY WAS REQUESTED AT ANY TIME!

This could have been you growing up and for many of us, it may have very well have been. As much as we talk about taking care of our own, who came to these children's rescue - my Caucasian and Asian brothers and sisters. This was a reality check for me. As African Americans, we talk the talk, but how many of us are really walking the walk?

People, our children are hurting. We are not investing in our future, yet we will have plenty to say in 10 years when we receive our ROI (Return On Investment). Wake up and get to work – OUR CHILDREN ARE COUNTING ON YOU!

BAS1- [support the guiding Walker]

2009-05-24T01:19:00.004-04:00

my guy Roy Miles from Oakland hates doin' "typical/traditional" videos for rappers. Bas-One is his latest project. Don't sleep on BASONE! i may be biased [since we the homies & all] but peep for yourself.

FOOT CRIMES BAS ONE from Roy Miles on Vimeo.

FABELED TALE BAS ONE from Roy Miles on Vimeo.

R - U - N

2009-05-23T00:44:00.004-04:00

De La Soul - Potholes In My Lawn
by hushhush112

2009-05-22T13:47:00.001-04:00

RoddyRod feat Carlitta Durand and Phonte - "This Time Around" from Humble Monarch on Vimeo.

kanye komplex

2009-05-22T03:54:00.001-04:00

sneakR' FreakR's

2009-05-18T19:20:00.002-04:00

Soul 2 Sole from David Park on Vimeo.

COMEDY CORNER BY Tyler Dirton

2009-05-15T08:58:00.001-04:00

As promised, I call this one...New Sex Positions I Made Up (Female Version). Enjoy and comment.

Toilet Seat- Back in to sit on his face...then complain about the seat being up

Thighmaster- While getting eaten...squeeze the side of his head with your thighs and tell him to make a squeaking noise

Oil Spill- Drink 4 milkshakes...Ride him reverse cowgirl style...and diarrhea cha cha cha on his abs.

Pro Bowlers Association- Ride him as if sitting in a chair...put the middle 2 fingers of your hand in his nostrils and a thumb in his eye...then yell "Steeeeriiiike 3" ala Fred Flintstone

Tea Cup Ride-Tell him to lay flat...ride him and spin round and around until you cum...then hop off the bed and vomit in the corner

Swim Up Stream-Right before your man is about to climax...cover his hole wiith your thumb and whisper in his ear "Swim Up Stream"

Galaxy-In the 69 position...use your mates penis like an Atari joystick.. and his balls for buttons...and say "pew pew pew pew" as if shooting space ships

Car Wash- (Reserved for women over 40 or that have the sag from childbirth) While riding your man...dip your breasts in soapy water and rub them back and forth across his face

Sniper- Get behind your man, close one eye, look in his butt-hole, reach around to hold the barrel steady...then pull the trigger until it shoots the target (overboard I know, but I do it for yall)

Trick Flower- Tell him to put his nose by your vag to smell your "flower" then pee in his face and honk a clown horn

Thank You

Twitter @tylerchronicles.com

Ready For Her Close-Up With Natalie Naomi

2009-05-13T13:30:00.002-04:00

12 May 2009

It's the REMIX

More Drizzy!

Best I Ever Had Remix Featuring Swizzy

Source: Vlad TV

NN

Name That Sample

Young Jeezy - Inspiration (Follow Me)

Diana Ross - Muscles

NN

It's the REMIX

Turn My Scale On - Remix

Man Law BY Tyler Dirton

No man can sit at the edge of the pool and dip his feet in

No man can ask for Lavender Car Freshener

No man can say "Oh heyyyy" when answering the phone

No man can complain about his nails getting dirty

No man can turn pass a women's volleyball game on tv. (Must watch for at least 5 minutes)

No man can lay out by the pool

No man can eat cotton candy at the amusement park

No man can use toilet tissue that comes w/ Aloe

No man can have a large collection of keychains

By Tyler Dirton

Enjoy!

Viral Vlogs

Hey Guys!!

I dug up some videos for you all to check out. Let me know your thoughts!

CiCi & Justin on SNL - Check out the dance moves... very Beyonce/Janet-Like, no?

Melanie Fiona - "Give It To Me Right" (She's Dope!)

Kanye West featuring Mos Def & Freeway "Two Words" (Never released... from The College Dropout" Album)

Keri Hilson/Kanye on Letterman performing "Knock Me Down" - All the blogs have been raving about Ye and the booty smack... bump that!! Check out the theatrics in the dancing. Tight!!

My favorite part!

Keep Rockin', Keep Rockin'
Whether we Louboutin it up or Ree-Bokin'
You see the hate they servin' on a platter
So, what we gonna have? Dessert or Disaster?

NN

Keyco's New Man...I'm Hatin'!

I love Daniel "Boobie" Gibson. I wanted him to be my man. LOL! Keyshia seemed to have snatched him up. *sigh* Nothing has been confirmed that I know of. But, she's rocking his jersey in her new video "Trust." Great love song.Click here to watch the video.

Here are some shots from her King Magazine spread. (R.I.P King Mag)

She looks awesome! Lovin the white eyeliner!

Inglourious Basterds

2009-05-10T00:14:00.000-04:00

Ready For Her Close-Up By Natalie Naomi

2009-05-06T01:15:00.003-04:00

Hot Right Now!! DRAKE!

Could Drake be the best I ever had? (well, not yet)

Ooooh, he blows my mind!! *sigh* "Hi Drake!"

Isn't he hot? (I have a thing for light-skin brothers)

I've been hearing all kinds of goodness about this young tender they call DRAKE. Hailing from Toronto. Signed to Cash Money!! This new sensation is surprising EVERYONE!! I have a secret crush on this redbone.

Check out Lauren London in the new issue of Complex. I think she looks awesome!

New Music Alert: Teena Marie

Here at Sirius XM, we try to be the first to give new records burn!! (I said that like I'm in programming telling the DJs what to play...NOT!) Heart & Soul's Cayman Kelly has a segment called "Smoking or Non-Smoking," where he plays a new song and listeners call in with their thoughts. Smoking (I Like) or Non-Smoking (No Likey)!!

Here's Lady T with her latest single "Can't Last A Day"! (If you listen closely, you might pick up on Faith Evans' verse)

Smoking?

Now, you know Ima 80's baby!! Gotta post a classic Teena Marie joint!!

Square Biz

Lover Girl

Ok, now a slow jam...

Portuguese in Love

Finally, "Oooh La La La" Live on Soul Train!!

Needed that Teena Marie FIX!!

It's the REMIX

Love this record!! She's dope!!

Talib spits Fiyah!! Much Respect!

Melanie Fiona "Give It To Me Right" Rmx featuring Talib Kweli

New Video: Maxwell "Pretty Wings"

He's Baaaaccccckkk!!!!

Click here to read my concert review from last year.

90's Throwback!

All the Queen!!

Check out this old Arsenio episode!

Where were you? May 5, 2000, Jay-Z Fights Stabbing Allegations

2009-05-06T01:09:00.002-04:00

On this day in 2000, Shawn “Jay Z” Carter sent a video to the New York State Supreme Court that he hoped would exonerate him from first-degree assault charges for allegedly stabbing Untertainment Records founder Lance “Un” Rivera five months earlier, at a party for hip hop legend Q-Tip at Times Square’s Kit Kat Club in December 1999.

Reportedly incensed that Rivera was bootlegging his upcoming album Vol.3…The Life And Times Of S. Carter (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam,1999), Jay-Z stabbed the label head in the stomach with a five-inch blade.

The video, which was intended to show that Jay-Z wasn’t in the vicinity when the stabbing took place, didn’t do the trick. On October 17, 2001, Jigga pled guilty to the assault, receiving three years’ probation. The entire incident was seen by the music industry as largely out of character for Jay-Z, who had made it a point to showcase a more positive business-minded image.

“It was the dumbest thing I ever did,” he told Time in 2003. "That was the turning point for me. It was like, O.K., this can all go away fast. You work hard for years, and it can all go away in a night. Slow down, big boy. Think.”

Since then the respected Brooklyn rapper and executive has seemingly made a point of doing just that, expanding his empire to include fashion, cologne, hotels and restaurants (as well as music), marrying pop R&B powerhouse Beyoncé Knowles, and separating himself as much as possible from the 1999 incident.

Courtesy of Vibe.com

Man Law by Tyler Dirton

2009-05-06T01:06:00.001-04:00

No man can order a medium fruit cup

No man can have all men as his T-Mobile Fave 5

No man can say they dont like girl on girl porn

No man can utter the words, "damn I forgot a lime for my Corona"

No 2 men can go puppy shopping at the animal shelter

No man can be more excited about his wedding then he is his batchelor party

No man can buy another man a drink and tell the bartender, "Make it strong"

No man can walk another man to his car

No man can say an outfit makes him look chunky

No man can invite another man to is company Christmas Party

DKNY Sneaker Pump

2009-05-05T22:18:00.000-04:00

From the moment Coco Rocha and Jourdan Dunn stomped down the DKNY Spring 09 runway, I knew all of my sneaker problems would be solved. I rarely ever wear sneakers simply because nothing looks hotter than a woman in a pair of sculpted heels, although

I do slip into my worn-in black leather Marc Jacob sneakers from time to time [on tired day]. But DKNY has given me the best of both worlds, perforated leather hi-top kicks with pops of color, and...a heel. Perfection. $180; dkny.com.

Off The Court Presents "AJF 6"

2009-05-05T22:13:00.001-04:00

Air Jordan and Air Force I. The ultimate collaboration! A rare opportunity to see these two titans as "the best of both worlds," unite as one. The Jordan Brand is celebrating year 23 just as the Air Force I is coming off its 25th anniversary. As these two franchises join forces for the first time, the new visual expression is destined to become the ultimate statement for sneaker aficionados around the world. The vanguards of high performance and artistic expression have never been more united, but for every masterpiece, for every true expression of authentic merit, there are a dozen pretenders wanting a ticket to the dance. The result: an uncompromising path with access only authenticity can grant. The shoe game stands upon yet another threshold of change and this is your opportunity to be a part of the change to come. The Air Jordan Franchise and the Air Force I are joining forces, ready to establish new precedents for the future. Pushing the limits of what’s possible. To rise above, united. Created, designed and developed just for you will you be ready?

About Air Jordan 6 Rings
Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player that ever laced up a pair of sneakers, and during his time in the NBA he won 6 championship titles with the Chicago Bulls. The Jordan 6 Rings model commemorates that achievement by including elements of all 6 Air Jordan models that Jordan wore while winning his rings. This Jordan “hybrid” style has also been seen in the popular Spi’zike and Dub Zero models.

Check out these other "Off The Court" Suggestions

In a metropolis. In a super benz.

2009-05-05T21:39:00.000-04:00

New Busta Rhymes Mixtape (click here for download)

2009-05-05T11:10:00.001-04:00

17 years

2009-04-30T00:24:00.000-04:00

1, 2, 3 The Environment and Me

2009-04-22T08:45:00.004-04:00

1, 2, 3 The Environment and Me

Once again Mother Nature has forced us to pay attention to her. The main stream media has taken ‘Green’ and developed a phenomenal marketing term to sell more products, produce more shows and offer different media circuits.
Green has always been mainstream to many but was not a daily subject to the masses until Global Warming took the center stage. Then came recycling pleas, energy conservation gadgets, and electric cars.
United States is one of the last countries to promote a conservative lifestyle. President Obama has devoted millions to enhance awareness to a ‘GREEN’ lifestyle. The ‘GREEN’ concept soon will be in your child’s text book. The concept will change some rules at your job and your state will make new laws to adapt to the lifestyle.
A ‘GREEN Lifestyle will be demanded but not explained. The lifestyle does not require a certain income or education level. But the ‘GREEN’ lifestyle will save you money and knowledge is power.

3 Ways You Can Save the Environment.

1. Recycle
Check your local city's website to get days for recycle pick-up
Find out what items are accepted and how to prepare them
Find services to donate old electronics
Donate reusable house hold items & clothing to charity, goodwill or friends & family

2. Conserve
Turn all appliances off when you are not using them – unplugging them saves even more
Shorten your time in the shower
Commute a few days a week to work
Cancel catalog subscriptions & shop on-line

3. Reuse
Take your own shopping bag to stores or ask for paper bags – plastic bags can not be recycled
Reuse plastic bottles – or stop buying them
Make your own household cleaners and reuse the same bottles – ex. baking soda & vinegar & h20

Negusa Neghast

2009-04-12T03:20:00.000-04:00

My Life: An open Book - Written by Noiz

2009-04-05T15:34:00.003-04:00

The Book is finally here!!! My Life: An open Book - Written by Noiz.Join Noiz as he takes his readers on a poetical journey to discover the meaning of Love and Truth ... 4/6/09 ...

Only 15.00 USD - Major Credit Cards Accepted via PayPal

Dedication

I dedicate these things I write to the same person I dedicated my life to … God. I dedicate the air I breathe and the thoughts I think … to God. I dedicate my time and my strength, my spoken words and my very “Being” … to God.

I am thankful for James and Betty, Jamene and James, Talitha, Tiffany and Derek. Times weren’t always great, but I forever remain thankful. You’ve came through in so many ways, I couldn’t begin to name them all. I thank you for the honesty, laughs and the Love most of all.

I dedicate this book and my life to two others as well, although God comes first, and above all else. To my daughter Atiyana, I still remember your eyes, the first time I saw you was my first “True” cry. I cried in joy because I knew inside that for the first time in my life, I had done something COMPLETELY right. I look at your picture and smile every time; I'm like "That little girl has a face just like mine". I know we don’t talk and bond like we should but things will be better. I always told you they would.

Amari, my Angel, you always amaze me. You always say the right words and you’ve always been straight with me. My counselor and friend I can’t begin to count the days … the hours and minutes … the seconds I’ve been away. I know I've had to cancel too many visitations. But daddy always said we’d be together one day.So, I dedicate this book to the people I Love.

This is for the people who believed and the people whom I Trust. Especially, to all the fans and sites online …You saw it firsthand … I wrote it in front of your eyes.

THANKS SHADETREE FAM!!!

Battery Update

2009-04-02T17:41:00.000-04:00

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

'Shopping while Black'

2009-03-30T05:02:00.000-04:00

peep the story here

Sham-Ouch!

2009-03-28T02:41:00.003-04:00

TV pitchman battered a hooker in a South Beach hotel room.

NY State Tax Collectors Seize Method Man’s 2008 SUV over $50K+ Debt

2009-03-26T21:12:00.001-04:00

It used to be that money problems were cause for a public relations embarrassment for celebrities. But with a nosediving American economy sinking into a bottomless abyss, even the financial troubles of the wealthy are becoming less shocking and more frequent. Enter Method Man.

According to the New York Post, last week the WU Tang member had his 2008 Lincoln Navigator seized by New York state tax collectors over a reported debt in excess of $50,000 to the state. The vehicle was reportedly removed from his Staten Island home at 6 a.m. Last Wednesday (March 18.)

Two years ago these headlines would have topped every Hip Hop rag and even made the evening news but with money being what it is today, you can just add Method Man to the end of a very long list. You know they say Nature has a way of fixing itself? Well maybe the recession is her way of getting some of those who need to retire (and stay retired) out the game. Not saying Meth should…but I’m saying.

THURSDAY COMEDY CORNER (3/26) by Tyler Dirton

2009-03-26T21:09:00.000-04:00

This one is entitled "I Wonder"...because I wonder some crazy shit...enjoy!

I wonder what the Ice Cream man does in the Winter

I wonder if fish get offended when being compared to stank pu$$y

I wonder how people used to survive before toilet paper was invented

I wonder if the Chinese children that make our shoes know that they are selling for around $150

I wonder if Halle Berry's fart stinks

I wonder why Krazy Glue doesn't stick to the inside of the tube

I wonder if a chicken has actually ever crossed a road

I wonder if Barack curses people out behind the scenes

I wonder if bats know they have a Super Hero in their honor

I wonder if your loved ones that are up in heaven are looking down on you...while you masturbate

Betty Beauty

2009-03-23T04:12:00.000-04:00

Bay Area journalists detained by N.Korea

2009-03-21T05:22:00.001-04:00

Positive thoughts on a safe return go out to friend/ & cowrkrs Euna Lee & Laura Ling from Current -

German Mack Hand

2009-03-20T22:59:00.002-04:00

peep the uncomfortable silence between the camera man & the pimp.

Old tricks @ Old Navy

2009-03-20T02:25:00.001-04:00

Harry Allen broke the story. Peep it here

MTV sends Nick Lachey back to his old high school for 'Taking the Stage'

2009-03-19T23:31:00.001-04:00

By Cristina Kinon
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, March 11th 2009, 4:00 AM

Shaakira Sargent (l.) Malik Kitchen, Jasmine White Killins, Tyler Nelson and Mia Curruthers star in MTV's 'Taking the Stage'

Folks on "The Hills" and other reality shows have often been accused of performing for the cameras.

The stars of MTV's latest series, "Taking the Stage," would take such a comment as a compliment.

Set in Cincinnati's famed School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), "Taking the Stage" features a cast of kids from all walks of life trying to launch professional careers in dance, music and acting, all while dealing with typical teenage drama.

The show is produced by Nick Lachey, a school alumnus. He brought the idea for the show to MTV because he says SCPA played a large part not just in his career, but in his life.

"That school is not like any other place in the world," he told the Daily News. "It creates a whole world of learning that you don't see very often in this country, and especially on MTV."

"Taking the Stage" premieres Thursday night at 10. And like every other school, has a wide variety of characters.

Among the students are ballerina Jasmine, who dreams of dancing with Alvin Ailey but becomes distracted by her budding relationship with Tyler, a hip-hop dancer who wants to be in music videos. There's Malik, Jasmine's best friend, who does not approve of her interest in Tyler. And there's Shaakira, a dancer and aspiring actress who's trying to make it on behalf of her struggling family. And there's Mia, a singer-songwriter who wants a record deal by the time she's 18.

While Lachey insists that the show is "reality," he doesn't doubt that some of the cast members might be turning it on for the cameras.

"At the end of the day, they are performers," Lachey said. "But at the same time, I went to that school and I can vouch for what that experience is like, and whether there is a camera crew there or not, you are performing."

Unlike such other MTV reality series as "Laguna Beach," "Taking the Stage" is actually filmed inside the school. It also has a much more diverse cast.

"There are white kids, black kids ... but you don't see people for their color, or their sexuality or their economic background; you see people for their talent," said Lachey. "That's what I wanted to show - that there was a school out there, an experience out there, that was not about money or who's entitled, it was about talent."

Man Law By Tyler Dirton

2009-03-16T15:46:00.001-04:00

No man can drop something and say "oops"

No man can hug his pillow tight at night

No man can wear a single hoop earring unless you are Michael Jordan or a Genie

No man can ask another man to cook him his favorite dish

No man can say "I love being in the locker room"

No man can be mad that the show "Girlfriends" is no longer on the air

No man can complain about the way his feet look in sandals

No man can cry after watching Seven pounds

No man can own a dildo that doesnt smell like vagina

Thank you

Chimp gone Sav!

2009-03-16T00:24:00.000-04:00

(the audio says it all)

In Present Day, You Eat McDonalds [McDeath]

2009-03-16T00:14:00.001-04:00

Lounge

2009-03-13T03:25:00.001-04:00

Nike Air Yeezy

2009-03-12T23:08:00.001-04:00

We’ve been hearing about these for a while but, this spring, Hip-Hop’s foremost fashion expert, Kanye West, will finally have a pair of Nikes sporting his name.

Ye’ is stepping up his shoe game with the “Nike Air Yeezy,” a shoe that “draws upon the innovations from Nike’s rich sporting history and fuses them with original lines, materials, and design elements that reflect West’s unique style.”

The Air Yeezys will be available in three color patterns, each to be released a month apart.

The Zen Grey and Light Charcoal painted Yeezy will be released in April followed by the Black on Black in May and finally, the Net/Net (beige) combo in June.

The price tag for the shoes is said to be in the range of $200-$300, but no official numbers have been released yet.

Mr. West also has a line of Louis Vuitton kicks in the works which made waves when they debuted to the fashion world last fall.

Network Chairman Nick Cannon

2009-03-12T22:59:00.003-04:00

While some comedians are losing gigs (D.L. Hughley and David Alan Grier lost their shows earlier this week), others are just signing on to new deals. Namely, Nick Cannon, who just signed a two year contract today to become Honorary Chairman of Nickeloden’s TEENick Network (formerly The N). The rapper, actor, comedian, producer can now add executive to his list of titles; and he will oversee program development as well as act.

From his Twitter account, he linked to this announcement:

I’m runnin thangs!! This was my announcement, I am now the youngest Television Chairman aka CEO in television history! That’s right they gave your boy his own network. I’m getting my Oprah on. But my focus is the young folkz!! I am in charge of the new Teen network that is going to take the game by storm! News shows, new feel, real fresh!! This is a dream come true, I have been in the viacom family for over a decade and now to be an executive is truly a blessing! It’s full circle, I am allowed to flex my business muscle. It’s a game changer!!!! Thanks for all you the love and support!!!

“Wild ‘N Out?” Maybe. But, you can’t hate on the man’s grind.

Man Law by Tyler Dirton

2009-03-12T22:27:00.001-04:00

No man can try on a pair of jeans and look at his ass in the mirror to see how it fits

No man can tell another man "come here, I got a secret"

No 2 men can do their "special handshake" at the club

No man can read another man's lips for too long

No man wear a bluetooth if it is dangling from his ear (BK)

No man can be on the Hollywood Diet

No man can let out only silent farts

No man can order Strawberries w/ Chocolate sauce

No man can shave his legs to his thigh to make his legs look good in shorts

No man can have hard nipples

THURSDAY COMEDY CORNER By Tyler Dirton

2009-03-12T22:23:00.000-04:00

You know what it is! Back like I never left. This week, Things That You Think to Yourself, But Never Say Out Loud! Enjoy!

"Dem niggas on Law & Order are smaaaart"

"I wonder how Crack tastes?"

"Did she just fart from her face, or did her breath just forget to take out the trash?"

"I know she's 15, but she got a big ol ass though!"

"I wonder what came first, pu$$y or fish?"

"Ohhh, is that hair growing out her mole?"

"Why are there so many handicapped parking spots, at the damn gym?"

"I should wash my balls, but she did say she was leaving in 5 minutes...fuck it I'm goin in"

"How do you actually get black elbows?"

"Damn that retarded kid looks retarded as hell

Intense Workout by the: Bar Tendaz

2009-03-07T03:52:00.000-05:00

Man Law By Tyrler Dirton

2009-03-06T08:48:00.001-05:00

No man can watch a football game and go "mmmm"

No man can request to have his scalp greased

No two men can have a snowball fight

No man can grab the remote off another man's lap

No man can have a conversation in the men's bathroom

No man can put "it's complicated" as their relationship status

No man can cup his hand when doing the celebratory butt pat during a game

No man can drive a Dodge Neon

No man can know directions to a gay club

No man can wear oven mits for more than 5 minutes at a time

Thank You

"When Was The Last Time" By Tyler Dirton

2009-03-06T08:47:00.001-05:00

When was the last time a black person told you they were about to get off the exit, and aint even left the house yet?

When was the last time you seen a health food store in the "black mall"?

When was the last time you drove past a cop and didnt tap your brakes, no matter how slow you were already going?

When was the last time you heard a 50 cent song you actually liked?

When was the last time you went to work/class and didnt log on to FaceBook or MySpace?

When was the last time you left your cell phone at home and didn't feel like you were about to have a heart attack?

When was the last time you were in a gas station on the "Rich" side of town and they sold Black N' Milds?

When was the last time you cursed out loud when you got a "Fwd this to 10 other people or Jesus will disown you" text?

When was the last time you saw a dude with a pen and paper gettin phone numbers at the club?

When was the last time you were web surfing and didnt click on the Midget Porn Pop-Up?

Man Law By Tyler Dirton

2009-02-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

No man can wear a watch with a skinny band on his right wrist

No man can have an action figure collection

No man can wear dress shoes with the back or the toes out

No man can wear a sweater with no undershirt

No man can let the juice from fruit run down his mouth

No man can bend over in the shower...if you drop your rag...its just dropped, or try and pick it up like an eagle would its prey

No man can wear mid calf socks

No man can take a camera phone picture of John Legend at a concert

No man can wear a Tall T and boxers to bed

Tyler Dirton Comedy Corner

2009-02-23T14:51:00.000-05:00

Im baaaaaack!!!!! Here's some shit I just thought of. Something I like to call ......
THINGS YOUR MOM NEVER TOLD YOU....AS TOLD TO A 5-YR OLD BOY"
Enjoy!

"Never talk to strangers"..................................Unless, they are offering you a $20 blow job or a $5 blunt of purp

"Don't put that under the bed"............................Unless your wife is walking in and that's the only place you can throw that earring ol' girl left over there the other night

"Always look both ways before you cross the street".................................But if you do fuck around and get hit, only get in the ambulance if you have to cuz they gon charge you bout $500 bones for dat shit

"Wipe behind yourself real good when you finish going #2................................But when you get older you gon have more hair in your ass so you probably need something wet to clean all dat up

"Never let anyone touch you in your secret spot............................................Unless she's a thick redbone w/ really nice lips

"Always wipe off your silverware before eating in a restaurant".......................Unless you are at the Waffle House, then you should soak dem shits in hot water cuz everybody that works in there looks like they spit when they talk and dont stop their cuts from bleeding

"Always wash your hands when you finish using the bathroom........................unless you just banged a really borderline chick, you probably want to wash your hands before you touch your dick

"Wait a half an hour after eating before you go swimming..................................But if she's in the jacuzzi butt naked thats a cramp you gon have to take

"Never swallow your gum....................................But if you are running from the cops w/ a pack that carries a felony, yea gon head and eat dat one shorty

"Keep your hands to yourself"...........................................But if you stick your thumb in her butt and she moans, keep the party going

Musician John Legend responded to the cartoon with the following open letter to the Post:

2009-02-23T14:38:00.002-05:00

John Legend to NY Post: Shame on You for Cartoon

The New York Post ran an editorial cartoon on Wednesday comparing the author of the federal stimulus bill to a crazed chimpanzee shot by police earlier in the week after attacking a woman in Connecticut.

Dear Editor:

I'm trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really?

Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our president has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon?

If that's not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can't imagine what possible justification you have for this. I've read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack the Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Sharpton. It's about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.

I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I'm personally boycotting your paper and won't do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.

You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.

I'm well aware of our country's history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don't need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new president, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.

Sincerely,

John Legend

Sunday Cool Out Session

2009-02-22T23:52:00.002-05:00

dumping Corn Syrup for real Sugar (a Snapple REfresh)

2009-02-21T04:42:00.006-05:00

click here after the jump.

You make the call !!!! Artist Sean Delonas 2/18/09 page 6 of the New York Post

2009-02-18T10:24:00.003-05:00

PosterBoy

2009-02-18T03:33:00.003-05:00

The following statement was issued by a spokesman on behalf of Chris Brown on Sunday (February 15):

2009-02-15T17:40:00.002-05:00

“Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God’s help, to emerging a better person. Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and/or reported in the media is wrong. While I would like to be able to talk about this more, until the legal issues are resolved, this is all I can say except that I have not written any messages or made any posts to Facebook, on blogs or any place else. Those posts or writings under my name are frauds.” [source]

As reported, Chris was charged with one count felony criminal threats (more charges could be added after the DA is finished reviewing the case) and is expected to attend court on March 5th in Los Angeles. The 19 year-old has hired popular defense attorney, Mark Geragos to represent him.

Do Stuff Foods

2009-02-14T23:36:00.001-05:00

Eat right. via foodproof.com

ALFIE (the baby daddy)

2009-02-14T22:23:00.004-05:00

Alfie was asked if he would be able to care for the child financially. His response, "What's Financially?"

Click here for the story.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

Jay-Z: “Chris Brown is a walking dead man”

2009-02-13T08:57:00.002-05:00

Or a dead man walking. Whichever you prefer. Us Weekly learned through a source that Jay-Z, Rihanna’s mentor, was not too happy when he heard what Chris Brown did to Rihanna. “He hit the roof,” the source said. “Chris is a walking dead man. He messed with the wrong crew.” Ruh roh.

TMZ adds that luckily for Chris, he will probably not be charged for making criminal threats which is more serious than the domestic battery he’ll be hit with. They also go into more detail about what happened that night.

Here’s how it went down, according to the police report. After Chris received a text message from a woman who wrote about getting together, an argument erupted. By the way, initially, Rihanna would not tell cops what started the argument.

She did, however, tell them that during the argument, he started hitting her. According to the police report, she ordered him to drive her home and “faked a call” to someone, saying things like, “He’s dropping me off. Make sure the cops are there.”

Rihanna told cops the fake call enraged Brown. He said something to the effect of “You are really fu**ed up now. I’m going to kill you.” This statement is the basis of the criminal threats charge.

At that point, according to the report, Brown allegedly began a violent attack with his fists. At some point, Rihanna took the keys out of the ignition and threw them outside.

Rihanna ended up with eyes so swollen that she couldn’t see out of them, contusions on her face, cut lip, bloody nose and bite marks on her fingers and arms.

And if you thought Chris couldn’t possibly make things any worse, think again. He’s spoken for the first time since that night. Not through his reps, but through Facebook. He updated his page with, “You’ll begin to see her true colors. Believe it!”

Oh and you ladies will be glad to know that Chris has changed his relationship status to “single.” You know, just in case there was any ambiguity at all.

Black List

2009-02-13T04:07:00.002-05:00

Dasan Ahanu: writer, emcee, and loyal Hip Hop head

2009-02-11T13:32:00.003-05:00

Chris Massenburg, better known as Dasan Ahanu, is a public speaker, organizer, workshop facilitator, poet, spoken word performer, writer, emcee, and loyal Hip Hop head. Born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Dasan has used his southern roots to craft his own brand of creative expression. Growing up in an environment that was forever changing, allowed curious eyes to see and analyze the things surrounding with unbridled imagination. It is this imagination that crafts deep spirited poems and good quality music.

Why this name?
My name is Native American. Dasan translates as "ruler" and Ahanu translates as "someone who laughs". I chose it to mean someone who commands with a sense of humor.

Do you play live?
I play live in cities across the east coast. I am also a regular on regional and national slam circuit. I live for the stage. I have recently signed to do a project on Amp Truth Records (www.amptruth.com).
How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
The internet and mp3 files have opened up the door for the indy artist. It expands the circuit and allows access globally for small bands and labels.
Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
I would if I could maintain my creativity.

Band History:
He has been a featured performer for many showcases and cultural events. A regular performer or host at Hip Hop shows, Dasan is often asked to also host many poetry, jazz, Hip Hop events, and arts festivals across NC. Having performed with a number of notable emcees, poets and writers who are from or have visited North Carolina, he has amazed audiences from the underground scene to the college circuit as well. He has also been a regular in popular venues in cities from St. Louis to Texas. As an actor, Dasan has also been a member of the cast of the Hip-Hopera, "Right is Right," and a Harlem Renaissance production, “Images”, which was featured at the National Black Theatre Festival. Finding a passion for slam poetry, Dasan has competed regionally and nationally and was a member of the 2004 Charlotte Slam Team that finished 5th in the country. He went on to start the first ever Bull City Slam Team in Durham, NC and lead them into competition in 2005. A lyricist with a thirst for being on stage, Dasan is truly an artist with “presence”

Since falling in love with the stage and mic, Dasan has also used his talents and connections within the arts circuit to aid in developing the community and pushing for change. He has worked as an organizer on such issues as war, social injustice, workers rights, domestic violence and sexual assault; taught with Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies; conducted creative writing and performance workshops for college and high school age artists; promoted Hip Hop as a tool for literacy with SCALE and it’s campaign with the University of North Carolina; and spent time working with at-risk/court-involved youth. A 2004 recipient of the Indy Arts Award (Independent Weekly Magazine) for his activism and service to the community, he continues to be involved with cultural arts as a creative consultant and artist resident at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, NC.

Dasan has promoted his own series of shows and collaborates with NC’s hardest working crews to keep the scene alive. His work is featured often on NPR’s “News and Notes with Ed Gordon” and in online and print publications. Currently he is working on recording projects with Amp Truth Records, and finishing two book projects. Dasan is seeking support to craft a one-man spoken word theatre piece entitled, “Confessions of a Lounge Singer”. This artist believes in the power of words and seeks to use it to revitalize creativity and imagination. Dasan Ahanu, a leader in the new renaissance of modern art and expression.

Your influences?
I'm a Hip Hop product with an passion for words and creative expression. I'm influenced by many different genres of music and artists who give their soul to their craft.

Shadetree Shoutout: Ayinde Kwaku Purell

2009-02-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

BIO: ARTLIFESTYLE is deemed a movement, “where music, art and cuisine are enjoined to accentuate the positive. An unforgettable experience for a true admirer of the arts.” It is a series of events that continuously intrigue one’s auditory, visual and flavor palates through live music, inspiring artwork and appetizing cuisine. ARTLIFESTYLE offers a refreshing break from the normal party scene. Since it's emergence in 2006, ARTLIFESTYLE has presented the east coast underground socially elite, the best in The Arts, from live music, fashion, culinary and an array of visual artists. No matter your aural palate, ARTLIFESTYLE offers it for you. With its diverse selection of residential and international guests, ALS continues to set the standard in social experiences. ALS hasbeen sponsored by such companies as Glaceau’s VitaminWater, VitaminEnergy, and SmartWater, and music/social web communities as Fusicology.com, NuFacesNC.com, and TheRealNC.com.
Bookmark this on Delicious

NAS confirms Kellis pregnancy and Eddie has to pay child support

2009-02-09T13:19:00.005-05:00

Nas confirmed to MTV news on Sunday at the Grammy Awards, that he and Kelis are expecting a child and they will find out the sex of the baby soon:

The news first broke out on US Weekly’s website last month that Kelis was currently in her first trimester. The two also celebrated their wedding anniversary in January.

Eddie Murphy has agreed to pay out $51,000 a month in child support to his former girlfriend Melanie Brown and their child together:

British tabloid the News of the World has revealed that Dr. Doolittle star Murphy has agreed to a support package totaling more than $10 million, following a 15 month court battle in Los Angeles.

Murphy sparked a war of words with Brown following their break-up when he suggested it was possible he wasn’t the father of the baby. He subsequently took a DNA test which determined daughter Angel Iris - born on Murphy’s birthday, April 3rd 2007 - was in fact his. SOURCE

Man Law Mondays featuring Tyler Dirton

2009-02-09T13:17:00.001-05:00

No 2 men can watch the Grammy's together

No man can take ice skating lessons

No man's profile name on Myspace can begin with an *, ~, or # sign.

No man can put one finger up while excusing himself in church

No man can sit in the bed in his t-shirt, shorts, and socks while eating ice cream

No man can utter the phrase, "I'm addicted to (Insert Reality Show name here)

No man can suck his teeth in disagreement

No man can complain about the price of facial cream

No man can use his girl's Bath and Bodyworks products

No man can send you a text that looks like this: "wHaT's uP mAn, wHeN iS yOuR sUpPoSeD tO jUmP??

Thank you

Facebook friends share '25 Things' with the world

2009-02-06T13:07:00.001-05:00

By Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Thanks for sharing.

If you are a member of the 150-million-strong Facebook nation, you have probably learned some fascinating — or, let's face it, some not-so-fascinating — facts about your friends as part of the latest fad, the pass-it-forward viral game "25 Random Things About Me."

Like a mutating chain letter, though more artful and less threatening, 25 Things arrives as a Facebook note from a friend. That friend posts 25 facts about himself and "tags" 25 people and asks them to do the same thing.

The phenomenon continues to snowball. Facebook can't quantify activity specific to 25 Things as it does applications such as Flixster. But spokeswoman Brandee Barker says that over the past week the number of daily "notes" has more than doubled and the number of daily tags of a Facebook member in a note has grown by five times.

"I would say that anecdotally I've never seen a note spread as quickly as this has on Facebook," Barker says. "What is really unique about this is it's a really meaningful piece of content. Some of the these notes are touching and frankly very insightful."

Unlike most unsolicited (and unwanted) e-mail chains, 25 Things is usually welcomed. "It's one of my favorite Facebook things," says Pete Hines, vice president of public relations and marketing at Bethesda Softworks. "I've learned a lot about people I've known for a long time and people I only know a little."

A random thing about Pete: "I am one of the least organized people I know. I don't do well with paper, or filing things away, but I am religious about my e-mail inbox."

Should you choose to join in the 25 Random Things craze, media consultant Shelly Palmer recommends that "you shouldn't put anything online that you would not want to see on the front of the newspaper or that you would not want a potential client or your boss to see," says Palmer, whose book Get Digital: Reinventing Yourself and Your Career for the 21st Century Economy is due this spring.

Social networks represent a paradigm shift in communicating. "This is the beginning of what will be a never-ending raft of social network games like this," he says.

How true. Already appearing in Facebook pages is a new note: "A Bunch of Questions — Share."

THURSDAY COMEDY CORNER (2/5) : HARDEST $H*T IN THE WORLD

2009-02-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

By Tyler Dirton

The following are some of the things I think are the hardest shit in the world to do! Enjoy, comment, be good!

Opening a new CD

Not looking directly at a chicks titties when they bounce everytime she says a consonant

Talk to your mom on the phone while you're high, Mom: "Hey baby, how was class today?" You: "Yea the shoestrings in them joints was too long, so I just decided to tuck them in"

Pull Out

Get your drawers out of your ass in public

To tell someone that they have a white spit wedge in the corner of their mouth

Not to do the Harlem Shake for 3 seconds when you hear "Grindin" by the Clipse

Not to laugh when a grown woman rolls her ankle on the sidewalk

Not to look at the ball of meat on the back of a niggas ear that has encountered a bad earring day

To pour Muhammad Ali some of your Skittles

Thank You

Man Law Monday

2009-02-05T11:21:00.001-05:00

No man can have a beard and no mustache

No man can request a blanket

No man can turn up the volume on a love song when riding w/ other men

No man can ask another man to bring him something back from vacation

No man can ask another man what type of lotion he uses

No man can ask who won the Super Bowl

No man can open a phone conversation w/ another man with the phrase, "Whatchu doin?"

No man can ask another man if he wants a spot while doing squats

No man should know what ANTM means

No man can blow on his soup

Thank you

Black Eyed Peas Brother Murdered

2009-02-05T11:15:00.001-05:00

The brother of Black Eyes Peas mastermind apl.de.ap, otherwise known as Allan Pineda Lindo, was gunned down in the northern Philippine town of Porac, Pampanga.

Joven Pineda Deala was the youngest and purportedly favorite brother of apl, who was born in the Philippines and grew up in the barrio before he was adopted by an American and moved to the United States, where he eventually formed the Peas with will.i.am.

Per the Philippines Inquirer, Deala, 21, was sitting in his car outside his girlfriend's home at approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday when he was shot in the head by an unidentified gunman.

Police are still searching for a suspect and do not yet have a motive for the killing, though various media outlets have reported the murder may have been the result of a love triangle.

Apl, 34, is expected to fly to the Philippines to attend his sibling's wake and burial.

Congratulations Jay Electronica and Erykah Badu

2009-02-03T10:50:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Jay Electronica and Erykah Badu, who just had their first child together, a baby girl.

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHO THE HELL Jay Electronica is

Heartbreak

2009-02-03T10:46:00.001-05:00

(Independent America:Rising From Ruins Trailer)

A Day In The Life Of Richard Branson

2009-02-03T10:40:00.001-05:00

toke Up

2009-02-03T10:33:00.003-05:00

the picture is damaging. Yes. But is there anything wrong with a good rip off the bong. No. Peep the story.

(anyone who can swim half the length of the pool with out coming up for water...is guaranteed to take a good bong pull).

Human Nature (circa '92)

2009-01-31T04:22:00.001-05:00

Thursday Comedy Corner (1/29)

2009-01-29T20:27:00.000-05:00

This goes out to all my favorite Ni99as in the world. A Ni99a comes in all colors, ages, genders, and backgrounds. These are just the ones that we all know and love. Enjoy

Da Ni99a dat feels like he has to talk to everyone on speaker phone no matter who is around

Da Ni99a dat pays for everything with a bag of change

Da Ni99a dat is always drunk and fed up with the stuck up women in the clubs You: "Man what's wrong w/ you? MFN: "Man I'm tired of these greedy ass chicks that come to the club and only want a baller, I asked her did she want me to buy her a drink, and she talkin bout 'nah I can't right now I'm with child, Bitch I aint buyin 2 damn drinks!!!

Da Ni99a dat does crack but always manages to get his hands on the newest shit

Da Ni99a dat works at the Black Wendy's that get's mad at you for ordering a "Special Made Sandwich"

Da Ni99a dat always has the New Jordans on but won't pay the $10 cover charge at the bar

Da Ni99a dat gets mad at old people when they walk to slow in front of them

Da Ni99a dat has sex w/ 3 different chicks a week but gets mad at his main chick for having too many male friends on MySpace

Da Ni99a dat was singing I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T hard as hell in the club, but waited 30 minutes to get in free, waited 20 minutes to get a free drink, then left and got smashed for 10 minutes...you guessed it...for free

Da Ni99a dat no matter what, always has a story that tops the one you just told. You: "Man I knew this dude back in college that jumped off the 2nd floor on campus into the pool, shit was crazy" MFN: Shiiiiiiit, I know this dude that could jump so high, I saw him grab a squirrel out a tree, on my momma!"

F.D.R’s Example Offers Obama Cautionary Lessons

2009-01-27T07:10:00.003-05:00

By STEVE LOHR
Published: January 26, 2009

In 1933, as today, a new president stepped into the White House, vowing change and decisive action at a time when a banking crisis posed a grave threat to the nation’s economy.

New Yorkers waited for food in 1934. In the ’30s, total government spending as a share of the economy was less than 20 percent and the unemployment rate averaged more than 17 percent.

The economic morass that confronted Franklin D. Roosevelt 76 years ago was undeniably deeper and more ominous than the trouble President Obama is facing. Yet, according to economists and historians, there are also some telling similarities and cautionary lessons to be drawn from the experience of the Roosevelt years in the 1930s.

Roosevelt had his triumphs. He stemmed panic and stabilized the banking system with a combination of deposit insurance, government investment in banks, restrictions on banking practices and his “fireside chat” radio addresses, which repeatedly steadied the national mood and bought Roosevelt time to make changes.

Still, even after the government assistance, the surviving banks were shaken and lending remained anemic — much as the nation’s banks today are reluctant to make loans again, despite receiving more than $300 billion of taxpayers’ money in Round 1 of the federal banking bailout.

So, throughout the 1930s, economic recovery remained frustratingly elusive and arrived only with the buildup for World War II in the 1940s.

The shorthand verdict on Roosevelt, economists and historians say, is that he was an eloquent and skillful politician, and an innovator in jobs programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps and in regulatory steps like the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission to police Wall Street. But Roosevelt, they say, while brilliant in many ways, did not have a sure grasp of how to guide the economy as a whole.

“Roosevelt had some successes, but we hope that Obama is going to do better,” said Kenneth S. Rogoff, a professor of economics at Harvard. “Otherwise, we’re in trouble.”

Roosevelt’s New Deal is often portrayed as an embrace of Keynesian economics, which advocates increased government spending to combat economic downturns and generate jobs.

Yet despite New Deal programs and some aid to the states, total government spending — federal, state and local — as a share of the economy throughout the 1930s remained at just under 20 percent. (Today, total government spending is more than 35 percent, a larger buffer against weakness in the private sector.)

During the 1930s, the unemployment rate fell somewhat under Roosevelt, but remained stubbornly high, averaging more than 17 percent for the decade.

In 1934, the British economist John Maynard Keynes visited Roosevelt in the White House to make his case for more deficit spending. But Roosevelt, it seems, was either unimpressed or uncomprehending. “He left a whole rigmarole of figures,” Roosevelt complained to his labor secretary, Frances Perkins, according to her memoir. “He must be a mathematician rather than a political economist.”

Keynes left equally disenchanted, telling Ms. Perkins that he had “supposed the president was more literate, economically speaking.”

It would not be until the early 1940s, with the beginning of World War II, that a strong dose of Keynesian medicine was administered to the American economy. By 1942, total government spending as a share of the economy rose to 52 percent, and peaked at nearly 70 percent in 1944, when unemployment fell to 1 percent.

One lesson from the 1930s, economists say, is how difficult it is to engineer a recovery when an economy has spiraled down as far as it had by 1933. Swift and effective steps early in a downturn, they say, can enable an economy to avoid further slippage and joblessness. And Mr. Obama has the advantage of taking over far earlier in an economic descent than Roosevelt did.

In 1933, the United States economy had shrunk by one-third in real terms since 1929. Industrial production had fallen by 40 percent. Unemployment had soared to 25 percent, from 3 percent in 1929.

“Mute shoals of jobless men drifted through the streets of every American city in 1933,” wrote David M. Kennedy of Stanford, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning history of the Depression, “Freedom From Fear” (Oxford, 1999).

Roosevelt was inaugurated on March 4, 1933, amid a nationwide bank panic — the impetus of his memorable line, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Roosevelt may have been lacking as an economist, but he was an extraordinary crisis manager. The next day, he declared a national bank holiday, and set the Federal Reserve and the Treasury to work on a phased program to sort good banks from bad ones, provide financing and restore confidence in the banking system.
click here for full story

‘Crack Babies’: The Epidemic That Wasn’t

2009-01-27T07:00:00.003-05:00

By SUSAN OKIE
Published: January 26, 2009
NY TIMES

BALTIMORE — One sister is 14; the other is 9. They are a vibrant pair: the older girl is high-spirited but responsible, a solid student and a devoted helper at home; her sister loves to read and watch cooking shows, and she recently scored well above average on citywide standardized tests.

Dr. Harolyn M. Belcher, a pediatrician, doing a checkup on Cornell Wright, a young patient.

There would be nothing remarkable about these two happy, normal girls if it were not for their mother’s history. Yvette H., now 38, admits that she used cocaine (along with heroin and alcohol) while she was pregnant with each girl. “A drug addict,” she now says ruefully, “isn’t really concerned about the baby she’s carrying.”

When the use of crack cocaine became a nationwide epidemic in the 1980s and ’90s, there were widespread fears that prenatal exposure to the drug would produce a generation of severely damaged children. Newspapers carried headlines like “Cocaine: A Vicious Assault on a Child,” “Crack’s Toll Among Babies: A Joyless View” and “Studies: Future Bleak for Crack Babies.”

But now researchers are systematically following children who were exposed to cocaine before birth, and their findings suggest that the encouraging stories of Ms. H.’s daughters are anything but unusual. So far, these scientists say, the long-term effects of such exposure on children’s brain development and behavior appear relatively small.

“Are there differences? Yes,” said Barry M. Lester, a professor of psychiatry at Brown University who directs the Maternal Lifestyle Study, a large federally financed study of children exposed to cocaine in the womb. “Are they reliable and persistent? Yes. Are they big? No.”

Cocaine is undoubtedly bad for the fetus. But experts say its effects are less severe than those of alcohol and are comparable to those of tobacco — two legal substances that are used much more often by pregnant women, despite health warnings.

Surveys by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2006 and 2007 found that 5.2 percent of pregnant women reported using any illicit drug, compared with 11.6 percent for alcohol and 16.4 percent for tobacco.

“The argument is not that it’s O.K. to use cocaine in pregnancy, any more than it’s O.K. to smoke cigarettes in pregnancy,” said Dr. Deborah A. Frank, a pediatrician at Boston University. “Neither drug is good for anybody.”

But cocaine use in pregnancy has been treated as a moral issue rather than a health problem, Dr. Frank said. Pregnant women who use illegal drugs commonly lose custody of their children, and during the 1990s many were prosecuted and jailed.

Cocaine slows fetal growth, and exposed infants tend to be born smaller than unexposed ones, with smaller heads. But as these children grow, brain and body size catch up.

At a scientific conference in November, Dr. Lester presented an analysis of a pool of studies of 14 groups of cocaine-exposed children — 4,419 in all, ranging in age from 4 to 13. The analysis failed to show a statistically significant effect on I.Q. or language development. In the largest of the studies, I.Q. scores of exposed children averaged about 4 points lower at age 7 than those of unexposed children.

In tests that measure specific brain functions, there is evidence that cocaine-exposed children are more likely than others to have difficulty with tasks that require visual attention and “executive function” — the brain’s ability to set priorities and pay selective attention, enabling the child to focus on the task at hand.

Cocaine exposure may also increase the frequency of defiant behavior and poor conduct, according to Dr. Lester’s analysis. There is also some evidence that boys may be more vulnerable than girls to behavior problems.

But experts say these findings are quite subtle and hard to generalize. “Just because it is statistically significant doesn’t mean that it is a huge public health impact,” said Dr. Harolyn M. Belcher, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician who is director of research at the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Family Center in Baltimore.

And Michael Lewis, a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J., said that in a doctor’s office or a classroom, “you cannot tell” which children were exposed to cocaine before birth.

click here for full story

Man Law Monday

2009-01-26T15:34:00.001-05:00

No man can order Harvest Grain Pancakes w/ fruit garnish (DN)

No man can share an armrest on a plane with another man

No man can call himself or another man "shawty"

By Tyler Dirton

No man can tell another man he needs to lick his lips

No man can be afraid of thunder

No man can ask another man to scratch a "hard to reach" area

No man can ponder putting a relaxer in his hair to make conrows easier to take

No man can give another man his own personal ringtone (SA)

No man can wear socks with the furry ball on the back

No man can wear Reebok Classics

Thank you

Dear First Lady Obama,

2009-01-24T20:51:00.001-05:00

Congratulations! The focus, for the last two years has been on your husband being the first African American man to run for and win the presidential election for these United States. I'm as excited as the next African American about this historical feat. I am proud to be able to say that I have finally witnessed some significant bit of history directly related to the people I am of and love so dearly. This has been the modern day movement of my lifetime and it fills me with great joy, pride, and optimism for the future of Black people in America. Yet, I am not of the ilk that believes the "dream" has been realized. In my opinion, we've only just now remembered that we have to continue to show up for work because so much more not only needs to, but must be done.

A Black man in the White House is not my only source of pride. For me, as a Black woman, it is far more important that YOU are in the White House, along with your daughter and your mother. For far too long, the images of Black women have been watered down by a comfort with light skin and an obsession with long hair and "softer" features. The rainbow that we come in has been underrepresented in a positive light, giving credence mostly to those who possess or are willing to pay for more...acceptable features based on the social climate we live in. As an educator on the elementary level, I see firsthand how the issues of race and class continue to clash with the spirits and self esteem of little Black girls. My heart is broken every time a little Black girl in my class draws herself with long blond hair. My heart is broken every time a little Black girl in my class mentions her desire to be Hannah Montana. Television and music are lacking in examples of how diverse and beautiful we are.

Your presence in the White House, and your role as the wife of the most powerful man, a Black man, in this country speaks greater volumes than I can even articulate at this time. I can only hope that the symbolism and the reality isn't lost on the masses who look like me. Your family is a live and in living color version of the hope and ideals The Cosby show provided. They served as a reminder to shoot for more, to value our families, to relate to each other in a loving and positive manner, to cherish our children and our elders. Black Love day is now bigger than a bootlegged day before Valentine's Day, but a picture that is created and recreated on a daily basis and visible each time a picture of you and the President is taken or aired. You have reminded us of the strength of women and the beauty of interdependence. You have given us permission to be tender and loving with our men. Your husband's ease with your role in his life gives Black men permission to accept that love and tenderness and to be open about how beautiful and necessary it is in their success. The example that you are setting for your daughters, for our daughters, reminds them that they are valuable as well and deserve to be treated with respect. The collective self-esteem of Black girls in this country, as evidenced by the ones I encounter in schools and on the block, is in the toilet. Now, they can see that it isn't necessary to be other than who they are to find the treasures that life has in store for them individually.

While it is the example that is being set, consciously or unconsciously for our girls, I am no less moved or affected by your example as a woman. I have learned the beauty of patience and perseverance. I understand those concepts as an individual, but it's often difficult within a union. We don't see enough examples of it or women who are willing to tell the truth about the work they've done to secure and maintain the love in their lives. When it is my turn again, I can only hope that I will approach my relationship with the same steadfastness and willingness to trust in the work. I hope that my sisters are picking up on the same example and incorporating it into their own lives and approach to loving Black men, as well as becoming examples for Black children.

I am bursting at the seams with excitement over what the future holds. I am certain that the political climate in this country will never be the same. At the same time, I'm more concerned with the future of Black people and the ways this country affects our lives. First and foremost, if we can find a rise in our collective esteem, we will be able to affect how we relate to each other and then how we allow the country to relate to us. This is not your job, but every cause has an effect. I can't wait to see what effects having the First Family being a Black family will have on Black people and the U.S. I can't wait to see how the First Lady being a Black Woman effects face and feel of Black women in this country. I can't wait to see how little Black girls who are loved and revered by their family effects the expectations that little Black girls in this country have of themselves, their families, and eventually the men they accept into their lives.

This is a shiny time in our lives and I hope we all have presence of mind to bask in the glow.

Congratulations once again to you and your family and best of luck in whatever active work you choose to do in your role as First Lady. I, and many others, will be rooting for you and willing to give a hand.

With great appreciation,

Ndygo Sunshyne

What happened to dating?

2009-01-24T08:56:00.001-05:00

By Walt Charles

“Dating exists not for mating; it exists for collecting data. I believe that the biblical design would be friendship, courtship and then marriage.” - taken from anonymous email on choosing Mr. Right

I agree with the first sentence. One of the primary functions of dating is data collection. I think that dating is the easiest way to get to know someone without having to make a commitment.

Have you ever wondered what happened to dating, though? For those of us brought up in the church, we were taught that dating was wrong. I remember a book entitled. “I Kissed Dating Goodbye”. For some reason, the church decided that dating was wrong, and that anyone who practiced dating was tantamount to disobeying one of the Ten Commandments.

I do remember one problem with dating – women assumed that if they went on one date with a guy that they were officially together, even if the date didn’t go well. Women would then become very upset if the guy they were dating the week before was going out with someone else the following weekend.

So here’s my idea. Instead of singles’ parties where everyone acts like they don’t want to be in a relationship, why not institute a dating policy at your church? Even better, why not set up a church-to-church dating weekend or speed-dating event? The trick is setting expectations, especially surrounding 1st dates. Each person should have the opportunity to talk one-on-one with someone with no strings attached and no hard feelings. I think that this will be one of the easiest ways to get singles talking again instead of standing around.

There’s nothing wrong with dating. Meeting new people is fun, especially when it doesn’t take a year to have the first conversation.

O'Reilly Factor On Hate Filled Anti Bush Rant From Jay Z At Inaugural Ball

2009-01-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

Thursday Comedy Corner (1/22)

2009-01-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

You know what time it is...Comedy Corner time...enjoy and comment. New Day...same me! I just decided to write about some things I find funny in life.

How a stripper will wipe down the pole with alcohol but will let people throw dirty dollar bills right on their cooch!

How white men won't wash their hands in the bathroom but always want to shake hands when they meet you

How the response to a chick saying, "I'm on my period" used to be "Damn", when you get older the response is "Is it light or heavy?"

How Waffle House took advantage of the fact that poor people eat breakfast at all hours of the day. When was the last time you saw a nice car in the parking lot? I'll wait...

How a chick will get mad when you bust in their mouth, Her: "I said tell me when you are bout to cum. You: "I said...ahhhhhhh!!!"

How they found somebody in NOTORIOUS that looks just like Craig Mack

How older women keep their Carpel Tunnels brace on during sex like, "You goin bowlin after this or somethin?"

How little kids want to come up to you and show you their coloring book, and I'm like, "Man...this shit is gahhhhhbage, you all outside the lines and shit, you need to start over fam!"

How a homeless man can ask for money when he has on an iPod, "Yo, you can sell that and eat for a month"

How some girls still buy Apple Bottom Jeans when they should probably go cop them new Watermelon Bottom Jeans

How if somebody's car breaks down in front of you, you choose to curse them out instead of help!

How some chicks come to the club thinkin they fly and still have baby powder residue in the middle of their chest

How you are reading this at work/library/lab trying not to laugh out loud

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