Keepingitreal

Baggage Fees for the Troops

Morning News 02.10.11

1. Republicans Face Mutiny in the Ranks
   House GOP leaders have proposed deep budget cuts, but they don't go far enough for some Republicans.
   Read original story in The New York Times | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

2. Taliban Teen Kills 27 in Pakistan
   The boy in a school uniform walked into a Pakistani army camp Thursday and blew himself up, killing 27 troops.
   Read original story in AP | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

3. Egyptian Protesters Block Access to Parliament
   Protests continued to expand in scope Wednesday, with demonstrations, strikes, or attacks on government facilities in at least a half-dozen cities.
   Read original story in BBC | Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011

4. India and Pakistan To Restart Peace Talks
   Talks may resume for the first time since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
   Read original story in AFP | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

5. Fetal Spine Surgery Helps Children Walk
   Babies who had surgery for spina bifida as fetuses were twice as likely to walk by themselves than those that underwent the procedure after birth.
   Read original story in San Francisco Chronicle | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

6. Is Twitter Worth $10 Billion?
   Investors are drooling at the prospect of tapping Twitter's trove of user data, but the social networking service is playing hard to get.
   Read original story in The Wall Street Journal | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

7. Gabrielle Giffords Would Like Some Toast
   The wounded congresswoman has recovered enough to eat three meals a day - and make requests about what those meals are.
   Read original story in Politico | Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011

8. Activision Unplugs Guitar Hero
   After five years of hits, the popular video game will become a relic of the noughties.
   Read original story in Reuters | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

9. L.A. Seeks To Force Condoms on Porn Industry
   But producers say safe sex is a turn-off and will cut into sales.
   Read original story in The New York Times | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

10. Lindsay Lohan Charged With Stealing $2,500 Necklace
    "You're no different than anyone else, so please don't push your luck," a judge told the starlet.
    Read original story in Los Angeles Times | Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011

11. Sen. Jim Webb Won't Seek Reelection
    Republicans are salivating over the very real possibility of picking up a Senate seat from Virginia, but Dems hope they can hang on if they convince former Gov. Tim Kaine to throw his hat in the ring.
    Read original story in Politico | Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011

12. GOP Rep Resigns Over Shirtless Snapshots
    Rep. Christopher Lee hit the exit just hours after Gawker published e-mails and photos the "fit, fun, classy" married congressman exchanged with a lady friend he met on Craigslist.
    Read original story in Gawker | Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011

Morning News 01.06.2011

1. Obama Narrows in on New Advisers
   The president will probably choose Clinton-era officials to serve as White House chief of staff and chief economic adviser.
   Read original story in The New York Times | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

2. U.S. to Send More Troops to Afghanistan
   1,400 marines will be sent to boost the surge before troops begin exiting in July.
   Read original story in The Wall Street Journal | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

3. Passengers Foil Airline Hijacker
   A man on a Turkish Airlines flight declared he had a bomb, and was promptly restrained by his fellow passengers.
   Read original story in Reuters | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

4. Investors Clamor for Facebook Shares
   Goldman has had to start turning away frenzied investors hungry for a piece of the Facebook pie.
   Read original story in The Wall Street Journal | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

5. Obama's Oil Spill Commission: It Wasn't Just BP
   BP, Transocean and Halliburton were all guilty of mistakes that could happen again.
   Read original story in The Washington Post | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

6. Starbucks Changes Logo
   The coffee company is stripping "Starbucks Coffee" from its logo, leaving only the two-tailed siren to grace its cups.
   Read original story in Reuters | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

7. LinkedIn to Go Public in 2011
   The business networking site is hoping to hold an IPO before Facebook does.
   Read original story in Reuters | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

8. Ark Encounter Goes Green
   From geothermal heating to rainwater collection, the creation park in Kentucky will feature the latest in green building technology.
   Read original story in The Washington Post | Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011

9. Boehner Elected House Speaker
   After being designated the Republican nominee for the Speaker of the House in November, Rep. John A. Boehner (R-OH) officially took over the role from Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) following his formal election this afternoon.
   Read original story in The Washington Post | Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011

10. Student Opens Fire at Omaha High School
    A student opened fire at an Omaha High School on Wednesday and wounded two adults.
    Read original story in Associated Press | Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011

11. Anti-U.S. Cleric Returns to Iraq
    After three years of voluntary exile in Iran, a radical Muslim cleric who led attacks against U.S. troops after the fall of Saddam Hussein's government in 2003 has returned to Iraq.
    Read original story in New York Times | Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011

12. Babe Creator Dick King-Smith Dies
    Dick King-Smith, author of the book that inspired the movie Babe, has died at age 88.
    Read original story in BBC | Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011

iphone Weekend Blog Buzz 04.23.10

After 32 years as a morning radio personality in Washington, D.C., Donnie Simpson bid an emotional farewell to his listeners. According to the Washington Post, Simpson wept as he played Lionel Richie's "Jesus Is Love," his traditional closing song. This followed a parade of calls from celebrity well-wishers and other supporters. His four-hour show on WPGC-FM (95.5) spilled over an extra two hours to accommodate the phoned-in farewells from Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Wyclef Jean and other musicians whom Simpson has championed during his decades on the radio and as host of Black Entertainment Television's 'Video Soul.'....Simpson, who will be 56 on Saturday, was gracious and warm throughout his final program on the air. He thanked his listeners repeatedly, as well as his wife, Pam, his producer-son, D.J., and his colleagues.... Following the show, he treated fans and friends to lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl, the same popular diner visited by President Barack Obama days before his inauguration.SOURCE: Washington Post

lyvain White's latest film, 'The Losers,' which stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Zoe Saldana, Chris Evans, Holt McCallany, Oscar Jaenada, Jason Patric, and Peter Macdissi, has debuted online.Based on the DC Comics/Vertigo comic books, 'Losers' centers around a Special Forces team, who are set up and betrayed by their enigmatic handler, Max, who soon discovers that you should never leave a bunch of black-ops commandos for dead. The Losers regroup for revenge, and to get their names off a pesky CIA death list. For issue after issue, they conducted covert operations against the CIA, and sought to uncover the plans and conspiracies of the powerful, secretive Max. Warner Bros. will release the film in theaters on April 9.Somebody in Lil Kim's camp must've had a come to Jesus convo with the hip-hop surged "I used to be afraid of the d*ck" poet. Kim recently appeared in public looking less like a Disney villain and more like an African-American woman with facial features that are movable. I must say, Kim is looking normal and damn good!Apart of Nightline’s “Face off” series, the much talked about debate “Why Can’t A Successful Black Woman Find A Man” airs tonight on ABC at 11:35pm (ET). Hosted by Vicki Mabrey and Steve Harvey, the panel features Sherri Shephard co-host of the “The View,” Jacque Reid co-star of VH1’s “Let’s Talk About Pep,” Jimi Izarel, author of “The Denzel Principle” and “CSI” star and author, Hill Harper. Umm…we can’t imagine what kind of new information will be shed on the issue. We’re all pretty exhausted with the topic. Are you watching? Check out some snippets her

Sistas sure do spend plenty of time putting our men in their places. Checkin’ them. Givin’ them the business. Letting them know when they’re wrong, how wrong they are and how quick they ‘betta’ get done with that wrongness. We have an arsenal of friends, sisters, Sorors and co-workers to dog them out with, ready to co-sign on black men’s trifling, no-good-doin’ ways. And we have a dozen or more media outlets we use to vent about their shortcomings and failings, their problems and issues, their failures and faults. (Essence for one, has a tumultuous love/hate relationship with them, always willing to dedicate a good amount of real estate vocalizing our collective complaints about black men and then giving us 12 instructional pages on how to find one.) SOURCE...CLUTCH MAGAZINE

Shocking news as the principal of Woodland Middle School in Henry County, New Jersey, has come under fire over rapper T.I.‘s recent appearance. Parent we offended that T.I. spoke to their children and were not notified. Clifford Harris is a great father and family man, he just happens to be the rapper T.I., it sounding like the parents just wanted to see the rapper. but the appearance has cause and huge issue at the school now.

According to AllHipHop, T.I., born Clifford Harris Jr., appeared at the school on March 5th and spoke to students.Parents of some students took issue with the fact that they were not notified of who would be speaking to their children. T.I., who was recently released from a halfway house to house arrest with a curfew, served a year in prison for attempting to buy multiple machine guns with silencers. As part of his probation, the rapper was sentenced to 1,500 hours of community service, 1,000 of which were completed prior to his prison sentence.He flew around the country visiting middle schools, recreational centers and various Boys & Girls Clubs, where he encouraged teens to stay away from drugs, violence and gangs.

Well FORBES Magazine just released the 10 wealthiest Black Americans in the US. Wow, this is shocking though guess who dropped off the top 10. No 50 Cent? And Jay Z jumps up…no Diddy and Russell Simmons doesn’t make the top 20 cut.

Flip it to get it….

1. Oprah Winfrey – Net worth of $2.7 billion

2. Tiger Woods – Net worth $600 million

3. Robert Johnson – Founder of BET – Net worth $550 million (he took a hit during the recession)

4. Michael Jordan – $525 million

5. Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Jr. – $500 million

6. Bill Cosby – $450 million

7. Sheila Johnson – Robert Johnson’s ex-wife – Net worth $400 million

8. Don Peebles – Runs Peebles Corp. a real estate development company – Net worth $350 million

9. Berry Gordy – Founder, Motown Records – Net worth $350 million

10. Quintin Primo III – Founder of real estate financing company Capri Capital – Net worth $300 million.

11. Don King – Net worth $290 million

12. Janice Bryant Howroyd & Family – Net worth $250 million

13. Herman J Russell – Net worth $200 million

14. Ulysess Bridgeman Jr. – Net worth $200 million

15. Tracy Maitland – Net worth $150 million

16. Alphones Fletcher Jr. – Net Worth $150 million

17. Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter – Net worth $150 million

18. Kobe Bryant – Net worth $140 million

19. Shaquille O’neil – Net worth $130 million

20. Kenneth Chenault – Net worth of $125 million

Below the line: (the ones who didn’t make the top 20 this year)

Russell Simmons – barely misses the cut with a fortune of $110 million.

Daily Blog Buzz Feed 03.16.10

Jackson’s estate signs $250M contract
Nine months after Michael Jackson’s death, his estate has signed one of the biggest recording contracts in history, giving Sony, Mr. Jackson’s longtime label, the rights to sell his back catalog and draw on a large vault of unheard recordings. The deal, for about 10 recordings through 2017, will guarantee the Jackson estate up to $250 million in advances and other payments and offer an especially high royalty rate for sales both inside and outside the United States, according to people with knowledge of the contract who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. It also allows Sony and the estate to collaborate on a wide range of lucrative licensing arrangements, like the use of Jackson music for films, television and stage shows and lines of memorabilia that will be limited only by the imagination of the estate and the demand of a hungry worldwide market. (Continue Reading…)

Wyclef paid mistress with Yele Haiti funds?

According to reports, former Fugee Wyclef Jean paid his mistress a six-figure salary using funds from his charitable organization, Yele. The alleged mistress, Zakiya Khatou-Chevassus, was paid $105,000 as an independent contractor, working on the charity in 2008. “She worked for Wyclef on all Wyclef matters,” a source, told website Gawker. “She did whatever Wyclef needed that day, whether it was related to Yele or not. She would do things like book flights, and she wasn’t very good at it. It’s a shame that she made that much money.” (Continue Reading…)

African Americans get fewer heart-protecting drugs
Even within the Veterans Affairs health system, where everyone should have the same access to care, African Americans are less likely than their white counterparts to be prescribed heart-protecting medications or undergo bypass surgery to treat blocked heart arteries, a new study finds. The findings, based on data for nearly 475,000 VA patients, found that African Americans had lower rates of prescriptions for cholesterol-lowering statins, as well as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers used to treat high blood pressure and certain heart problems. They were, however, more likely than white patients to be on aspirin. (Continue Reading…)

Blackberry Entertainment Blog Buzz

Kobe Bryant slam-dunked Spike Lee right before the taping of “Kobe: Doin’ Work” by demanding creative control over the documentary and forcing the director to drive to his house to beg for a meeting to save the project, after Lee had worked for months to get permission from Bryant, the Lakers team, coach Phil Jackson, the NBA and ESPN, for the day-in-the-life documentary.Source: Bossip Internet rumors have been circulating that Jennifer Hudson is pregnant. While her manager and publicist deny the rumors, two sources close to the Oscar and Grammy winner confirm exclusively to ESSENCE.com that she is indeed expecting. This would be the first child for Hudson. Source: Bossip Fans of Mo’Nique who fretted over her departure from radio may just be in luck. Word is that BET is offering a new late-night show to advertisers next week that will be hosted by the “Queen of Comedy” and called “Breakin’ Up With Mo’Nique,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Source: Bossip “Hell no,” is what the NYPD said when Fat Joe, cameras, and hordes of questionable characters and law abiding citizens alike flocked to peep the shoot for his new video, Hey Joe. Source: Bossip The day that being gangsta is seen as a negative aspect is a day we can all rejoice. According to Jay Z, that day is coming thanks to Obama being elected as the President. The hip-hop icon says that President Barack Obama’s election marks a decline of the “gangsta” image in the black and Latino communities. Source: Bossip

Blackberry Entertainment Blog Buzz

Prince pulled off his scheduled three concerts in one night on Saturday, but it came with a number of sound problems that irritated the singer and a calling out of executives that he felt were responsible.T-Pain is said to have broken four teeth and suffered several cuts and abrasions on his face during a freak golf cart accident that took place on Friday. Hours after receiving a one year federal prison sentence for gun possession, rapper T.I. took the stage in Atlanta Friday night for a surprise appearance with his Grand Hustle artist B.o.B. RNC Chairman Michael Steele said he is "done" reaching out to President Obama, having apparently been rebuffed in his previous attempts to start a dialogue, reports Huffington Post. It appears that Saturday's final episode of CNN's "D.L. Hughley Breaks The News" included the legalization of marijuana controversy. The segment takes viewers on a tour of some of the stores in Cali where you can purchase the herb with a prescription, but something about it was a bit too uncomfortable for the news network. As expected, Chris Brown and Rihanna did not attend the Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday. Incarcerated NFL star Michael Vick is looking to make some quick cash by writing a book that would likely detail his road from poverty to becoming the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.So who was the man in the "Tonight Show" audience that was handed Prince's guitar by the artist himself? Damon Dash said he was so caught up in making sure the people around him were succeeding that he took his eye off the ball regarding his own financial well-being.Queen Latifah has been cast in the upcoming film "Just Wright," a romantic comedy that had been set up six years ago at Disney, but was put into turnaround and picked up by Fox Searchlight, reports Variety. Ben Vereen is suing a toothpaste company claiming it used unauthorized footage of him to promote the product without his permission. Method Man is blaming his love of weed for the recent repossession of his 2008 Lincoln Navigator due to unpaid back taxes.The hip hop documentary "This is the Life" will make its TV premiere April 4 on Showtime.TV One's "Who's Got Jokes" returns for its 4th season, this time taking their search for the hottest comics to Sin City.

Today's Papers: A Comeback for Saddam's Baath Party?

The New York Times leads with word that "up to 35" officials, including four generals, from Iraq's Ministry of the Interior have been arrested and some have been accused of trying to reconstitute Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. There's talk that some of them were in the early stages of planning a coup, but details are scant. The Washington Post leads with Chrysler's announcement that it will suspend production at its 30 U.S. factories for one month, beginning Friday. The automaker was already planning to stop production for two weeks, but extended it in order to save cash at a time when it's struggling to survive and Washington has yet to award the company the billions of dollars in loans it said it needed to continue operating. "If I were a Chrysler worker, I'd be worried that the plant won't reopen," an industry analyst said. USA Today leads with an analysis of the federal government's first ratings of nursing homes that found non-profit homes generally provide better care. The new ratings system assigns homes one to five stars based on a complicated formula that takes into account several factors. Overall, 27 percent of for-profit homes were given one star, while 13 percent of non-profit homes received the same rating. Also, 19 percent of non-profit homes received five stars, compared to only 9 percent of for-profit homes. The Wall Street Journal leads with President-elect Barack Obama choice of a veteran regulator to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mary Schapiro, the chief executive of the National Association of Securities Dealers, will take over an agency that has been under heavy criticism lately for failing to prevent the financial crisis and not catching Bernard Madoff's alleged Ponzi scheme. In addition, Obama will nominate Rep. Ray LaHood, an Illinois Republican, to head the Department of Transportation. The Los Angeles Times leads locally and goes high with a look at Teodoro Garcia Simental, one of Mexico's most feared crime bosses. Even though he's thought to be responsible for most of the gang-related violence that has been plaguing Mexico, most people have no idea what he looks like and many police officers and prosecutors don't even dare utter his name for fear of reprisal. To continue reading, click here.

BlackBerry Daily Blog Buzz 11.11.08

After months of courtship, HBO has closed a reported seven-figure deal for the U.S. rights to an untitled Barack Obama documentary produced by actor Edward Norton, according to the Hollywood Reporter.The Oprah Winfrey Show" scored its best ratings of the season on Wednesday, when the TV host was finally able to celebrate her support for Barack Obama and his historic election victory the night before.The 27-year-old man questioned in the killings of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew could be released from jail today following a 9 a.m. parole hearing if an administrative officer finds no reason to hold him.Comedian Katt Williams nearly missed his scheduled Carnegie Hall concert on Thursday after he was arrested on weapons charges just hours before show time.Chris Rock is putting his weight behind a re-imagining of the 2007 comedy "Death at a Funeral" from Screen Gems and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment (SKE) reports Variety.One nephew of R&B star R. Kelly is in intensive care and another is in custody after both were arrested as suspects in an armed-robbery attempt at a Chicago-area barber shop, reports MTV News.After years of searching for the right opportunity to work with Will Smith, director Steven Spielberg thinks he may have found the perfect project - an update of the 2003 Korean drama "Oldboy."Mariah Carey has revealed that she and her husband Nick Cannon did not engage in sexual activity until their wedding night.Four days before Roy Jones Jr. stepped into the ring to face Welsh fighter Joe Calzaghe Saturday night, he was in tears as Barack Obama's election night victory was being celebrated outside of his window and around the world.Dave Chappelle, one of the more memorable guests to ever appear on Bravo's "Inside the Actor's Studio," will take over the show for one day as host James Lipton's takes a turn in the hotseat.Avid Hillary Clinton supporter Maya Angelou says she has been inspired to write a poem in honor of president-elect Barack Obama, who will be the first African American to hold the nation's highest office when he is sworn in on Jan. 20.Funeral services have been announced for Jheryl Busby, the longtime music industry veteran and former President/CEO Motown Records who died Nov. 4 at the age of 59.BET Networks and Marvel Comics have recruited Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou to voice the lead character in their upcoming animated series "The Black Panther," reports Variety.If the nation has evolved enough to elect its first black president, surely it would accept an African American woman in the role of white superhero Wonder Woman. At least, that's what Beyonce is banking on.O.J. Simpson lost his bid for a new trial during a hearing Friday before the same judge who oversaw his recent conviction in the armed robbery of two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room. SOURCE:EURWEB.COM