HIP HOPS TOP MODEL
I got the SCOOP....
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
BEAUTIFUL MOROCCAN WOMEN DANCE THE AFRICAN DANCE SOUKOUS
THESE BEAUTIFUL SISTERS ARE BRINGING IT!!! STRAIGHT OUT OF AFRICA!! THIS IS MY NEW WORKOUT!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
My totem counterparts.....what are yours?
For 37 % you are: You are...A WOLF! Your utmost priority is leadership and kindness. You make friends easily and steadily, learn quickly, and care about others, hurting as much as they do when they're having a hard time.
% of Quiz participants had this profile!
You could also get this result:
For 32 % you are: You are...AN EAGLE! You're serious, concentrated, calculating, and judging. You are a natural born leader, and can be compassionate towards close friends. You may come off rather bossy to some.
Or even this one:
For 26 % you are: You are...A DEER! You're artistic, creative, very compassionate, gentle, and kind. You like to delve into very complicated artistic activities such as drawing, sketching, or playing music. You're always there when a friend needs you.
Or even this one:
For 5 % you are: You are...A BEAR! You're laid back, rather easygoing, and compassionate. You are rather unorganized, like to eat, and may be overweight. You cry over trivial matters, often, but are also there when a friend needs a laugh.
% of Quiz participants had this profile!
You could also get this result:
For 32 % you are: You are...AN EAGLE! You're serious, concentrated, calculating, and judging. You are a natural born leader, and can be compassionate towards close friends. You may come off rather bossy to some.
Or even this one:
For 26 % you are: You are...A DEER! You're artistic, creative, very compassionate, gentle, and kind. You like to delve into very complicated artistic activities such as drawing, sketching, or playing music. You're always there when a friend needs you.
Or even this one:
For 5 % you are: You are...A BEAR! You're laid back, rather easygoing, and compassionate. You are rather unorganized, like to eat, and may be overweight. You cry over trivial matters, often, but are also there when a friend needs a laugh.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
INDIA'S HIP HOP SLUM GODS....U GOTTA SEE THIS!
Slumgods : hip hop in India
by channel APA
A few months ago, channelAPA.com posted a short documentary about Mumbai Golf, playing golf in the slums of India. Now, we get Slumgods – India’s 1st Hip-Hop COLLECTIVE, combining B-Boys, B-Girls, Emcees, DJ’s, Graffiti Writers, Activists, Soul Rebels, and much more. It’s the embodiments of emotions and vibrations that cannot be defined in a language foreign. These are some talented young kids from the street.
Hip-Hop in India. SlumGODS. cuz we were never dogs.
also check out Project P-Noise and Among B-Boys. See how people around the world are using hip hop for good.
Slumgods : hip hop in India
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Read more: http://www.channelapa.com/2011/06/slumgods-hip-hop-in-india.html#ixzz24Jd98Z00
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Friday, August 17, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Demi Moore in a New Beauty Campaign – Photoshop Overload or Acceptable?
49 year-old Demi Moore is the new face of beauty brand Helena Rubinstein and appears in a recently launched set of promotional shots – that is, after she paid a very long visit to Photoshop, where she received unreal skin, greener eyes, fuller lips and many more digital treatments.
Demi Moore in a New Beauty Campaign – Photoshop Overload or Acceptable?
Check more photoshopped images after the jump, including a Dita von Teese lookalike!
RON PALILLO DEAD AT 63 'Welcome Back, Kotter' Star Dies from Heart Attack
Ron Palillo -- the actor who played Horshack on "Welcome Back, Kotter" -- died this morning at his home near Palm Beach, FL from an apparent heart attack ... this according to someone close to the actor.
We're told Palillo was found by his partner of many years Joseph Gramm around 4:00 AM. Gramm called an ambulance and Palillo was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
We're told the heart attack was very unexpected. Palillo was 63.
According to one of Palillo's colleagues at G-Star School of the Arts, Palillo had appeared to be in good health ... but was a heavy smoker. We're told he had been suffering from a bad cough and had even scheduled a doctor's appointment for today.
Palillo was known for calling out, "Ooh ooh ooh, Mr. Kotter" as one of the Sweathogs on the show ... which he appeared on with John Travolta from 1975 to 1979.
After Kotter, Palillo appeared in "Laverne & Shirley" and voiced a character on the Disney cartoon, "Darkwing Duck."
Palillo's "Kotter" co-star Robert Hegyes -- who played Epstein -- also passed away earlier this year after suffering a heart attack.
CHAD JOHNSON APOLOGIZES 'I Love Evelyn to Death'
BREAKING NEWS....
Chad Johnson has broken his silence ... and has issued an apology "To everyone for the recent events that have occurred" involving his wife Evelyn Lozada.
Moments after Evelyn filed for divorce, Johnson released a statement on his website regarding his recent domestic violence arrest ... saying, "I would like to wish Evelyn well and will never say anything bad about her because I truly love her to death."
He adds, "To all the fans and supporters I have disappointed, you have my sincerest apologies. I will stay positive and get through this tough period in my life."
Even though Johnson was dropped from the Miami Dolphins, the 34-year-old wide receiver doesn't believe his football career is over ... saying, "I will continue to be positive and train hard for another opportunity in the NFL."
And now this ... Chad just changed his Twitter picture to a sign that reads "Rock ... Hard place" with arrows pointing in opposite directions. Wonder what he's trying to say ...
Chad Johnson has broken his silence ... and has issued an apology "To everyone for the recent events that have occurred" involving his wife Evelyn Lozada.
Moments after Evelyn filed for divorce, Johnson released a statement on his website regarding his recent domestic violence arrest ... saying, "I would like to wish Evelyn well and will never say anything bad about her because I truly love her to death."
He adds, "To all the fans and supporters I have disappointed, you have my sincerest apologies. I will stay positive and get through this tough period in my life."
And now this ... Chad just changed his Twitter picture to a sign that reads "Rock ... Hard place" with arrows pointing in opposite directions. Wonder what he's trying to say ...
Monday, August 13, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
NAS Say’s ..”F*CK Pop Music”
Should you say it too?
Something refreshing. Something very special. I couldn’t put my finger on it at first, but then I realized that “something” is what I like to call hip-hop.
Nas was the happiest I’ve seen him since he first met his now ex-wife Kelis and his energy was magnetic.
All I could think about was, “Damn, Nas is so happy.”
I even took the initiative to tap the stranger beside me to co-sign my thoughts by saying, “Doesn’t Nas look so f*cking happy?”
The perfect stranger and Nas fan confirmed my statement with a simple, “Cause his life is good.”
He was energetic, and seemed to be in a state of nirvana as he absorbed the hundreds of faces holding onto his every rhyme.
I’m going to keep it simple and just say, Nas was straight up electric in Tammany Hall.
He took it back to the ’90s when he brought out his musical partner in crime, AZ, who performed “Life’s A Bitch” with him.
But as they celebrated on stage, the irony of their “Life’s A Bitch” performance became apparent when Nas realized that he and his Doe or Die buddy were no longer trapped in life’s bitchy grasp.
For Nas, life is good.
And life is good for Nas because he’s finally at peace, and he’s back making what we true hip-hop heads call “real hip-hop.”
In the middle of his set, Nas decided to share a few of his thoughts and the few things that have been bothering him about the genre he helped build.
And then Nas said it. He said, “f*ck pop!”
There was no sugar coating. No fillers. And no words to soften the blow. Nas isn’t feeling the “hip-pop” mash up some of us have grown to accept, and when he said those two words, the crowd went wild.
Nas’ full speech went as follows:
“This is music that I just put together, I’m praying will be the inspiration for my brothers that’s in the rap game. I think a lot of us are confused about who we are. It’s important that we stay ten toes down at all time.F*ck pop, f*ck all that shit. We don’t imitate pop, pop imitates us! So that’s why we go back to the gutter. We’re number one in about 5 or 6 countries around the world. And none of this is pop. Stick to your guns, do what you do support the real sh*t.”
After Nas summed up his feeling about rappers and their willingness to go “pop” for commercial success, I realized I couldn’t have agreed more.
This isn’t my first realization that I hate hearing Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” or cringe at the fact 2 Chainz hopped on Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend (Remix).”
And this is no way an attack on Nicki or 2 Chainz, because I love them both. No seriously, I love them both.
But as Nas would say, “stay true to yourself.”
And hey, maybe Nicki’s been dying to be the next Madonna since she was a little girl, I don’t know, but one thing I do know is despite all the spins she’ll receive on Z100 over the next few years, no one will remember “Starships.”
“Starships” is disposable.
There’s nothing memorable about it. It’s watered down music, not meant for the people who held onto every beloved bar she spit on Beam Me Up Scotty.
I didn’t like how Hot 97′s Peter Rosenberg delivered his message to Nicki about her pop crossovers, but I respected his overall message.
Pop music is like fast food.
It’s quick, it’s on every f*cking corner, and you love it at the moment, but shortly after you feel poisoned and less like yourself, and then you realize that you should’ve just waited to get some of your mama’s home cooking.
Don’t get me wrong, I love artists like Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and who could forget the king of pop, Michael Jackson, but I’m not too fond of rappers blending their heavy-hitting 808-riddled beats with Ke$ha-like dubstep tings and pops in the hopes of moving major units.
In the beginning, hip-hop was never in the business of imitating pop. Hip-hop was raw. Hip-hop was innovative. It had never been seen, and at the time, only the best were allowed to reign.
As a hip-hop fan, there’s nothing cool about Lil Wayne rapping on a Jonas Brother’s track – absolutely nothing.
I know these rappers need checks, but damn!
And this isn’t solely a hip-hop fan issue, rock fans hate when their favorite rock bands sell out to move a million records.
But artists in all different genres can’t sell their souls. Some have to “stick to their guns” and protect their music with their lives.
If some these artists could protect their music like they protect their homes or protect their pride, maybe, just maybe, music across all genres would be in a better place.
So when Nas says “f*ck pop,” I say, “only if she’s robbing me of my
Read more: http://globalgrind.com/music/nas-says-fuck-pop-should-we-blog#ixzz214gNM4uS
Ms. Melodie Of Boogie Down Productions Is Dead
Ms. Melodie Of Boogie Down Productions Is Dead
Melodie, ex-wife of KRS-ONE and a prominent member of the Boogie Down Productions crew, passed away today according to numerous news sources.
Ms. Melodie, born Ramona Parker, was a member of the influential Boogie Down Productions crew and released her first album, Diva, in 1989 on Jive Records.
She is best known for her hit video, “Live On Stage” and her hit single “Hype According to Ms. Melodie.”
Her most memorable performance was on the 1989 single “Self Destruction” and she also has a cameo in Queen Latifah’s video “Ladies First.”
Ms. Melodie was a native of Brooklyn, NY and is survived by two sons. At this time, her cause of death is unknown.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
ANCIENT HELLENISTIC HARBOR FOUND IN ISRAEL...
The remains of a magnificent ancient harbor have emerged from a dig in Akko (Acre), a city at the northern tip of Haifa Bay in Israel.
Dating back to the Hellenistic period (third-second centuries BC), the port was Israel's largest and most important at the time.
Archaeologists at the Israel Antiquities Authority made the discovery as they unearthed large mooring stones that were incorporated in the quay. They were used to secure sailing vessels that anchored in the harbor about 2,300 years ago.
In some of the stones the archaeologists found a hole for inserting a wooden pole -– probably for mooring and/or dragging the boat.
This was most likely a military harbor, according to Kobi Sharvit, director of the Marine Archaeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority,
"A find was uncovered recently that suggests we are excavating part of the military port of Akko. We are talking about an impressive section of stone pavement about 8 meters long by about 5 meters wide," Sharvit said.
Delineated on both sides by two impressive stone walls built in the Phoenician manner, the floor sloped slightly toward the south. The archaeologists found a small amount of stone collapse in its center.
"Presumably this is a slipway, an installation that was used for lifting boats onto the shore, probably warships in this case," Sharvit said.
"Only further archaeological excavations will corroborate or invalidate this theory," he added.
Along with the mooring stones, the archaeologists found thousands of pottery fragments, among which are dozens of intact vessels and metallic objects.
Preliminary identification indicates that many of them come from islands in the Aegean Sea, including Knidos, Rhodes, Kos and others, as well as other port cities located along the Mediterranean coast.
The dig also uncovered a mound of collapsed large dressed stones that apparently belonged to major buildings or installations.
"What emerges from these finds is a clear picture of systematic and deliberate destruction of the port facilities that occurred in antiquity," Sharvit said.
He added that the excavation will continue in the attempt to to clarify if there is a connection between the destruction in the harbor and the destruction wrought by Ptolemy in 312 BC. , or by some other event such as the Hasmonean revolt in 167 B.
Photo 1: A member of the Marine Archaeology Unit of the Israel Antiquities Authority standing on the ancient quay that was exposed in Akko. In the middle of the picture one can see the floor of the quay, built of large dressed stones. Credit: Kobi Sharvit, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority;Phoro 2: A mooring stone that was incorporated in the quay. There was a hole in the stone in which the mooring/anchoring rope was inserted. Credit: Kobi Sharvit, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority;Phoro 3: An imported bowl characteristic of the Hellenistic period. The bowl was found in a layer of harbor sludge. This layer contained thousands of intact pottery vessels, potsherds, etc. Credit: Kobi Sharvit, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
FORTUNE TELLING VERDICT RAISES THORNY CONCERNS.....
Last week a federal judge in Alexandria, Louisiana, overturned a law banning fortunetelling on the basis that it is free speech protected by the First Amendment.
U.S. District Judge Dee Drell struck down an ordinance outlawing fortunetelling, astrology, palm reading, tarot, and other forms of divination on the grounds that the practices are fraudulent and inherently deceptive. The case involved a fortuneteller named Rachel Adams who sued to overturn the law and won.
About one in seven Americans have consulted a psychic or fortuneteller, and their services are in high demand, especially during hard economic times. This curious case raises issues about the boundary between freedom of speech and fraudulent (or at least unproven) claims.
There are, of course, exceptions to free speech that go beyond yelling fire in a crowded theater. People who lie on their tax returns can be convicted of tax evasion, and those who lie in a court of law can be convicted of perjury, which under federal law is a felony. Companies, also, are legally prohibited from making false statements about their merchandise; Ford cannot claim its cars get 200 miles per gallon, and vitamin manufacturers cannot advertise that their pills cure cancer. But other cases are murkier.
Free Speech and The Right to Lie
Last month the Supreme Court ruled that Xavier Alvarez, a public official who falsely claimed that he had received the Medal of Honor, could not be prosecuted under the Stolen Valor Act, a 2006 law that made it a crime to falsely claim “to have been awarded any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces of the United States.” Alvarez admitted that his statements were false, but claimed that his lies were free speech protected by the First Amendment. The Supreme Court agreed and overturned the law.
The First Amendment freedom to lie and misrepresent matters of fact was even invoked by top Wall Street credit rating companies including Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service, and others. In the months and years leading up to the global financial crash, these companies routinely inflated the ratings of billions of dollars worth of investments they bought and sold. When investors and investigators demanded to know why companies that were given stellar confidence ratings one day went bankrupt the next, the agencies claimed that their investment ratings were merely “opinions” not necessarily based on truth or fact, and as such wereprotected by the First Amendment.
Psychics and fortunetellers try a similar strategy, often offering their services “for entertainment only,” a tacit acknowledgement that the information they provide may not be reliable. Yet the fact is that—like clients of credit rating companies—the clients of psychics often do take the advice they get seriously, making life, love, and career decisions based upon fortunetelling. If clients truly are seeking only entertainment, for the $40 to $100 per hour psychics typically charge there are far cheaper ways to be entertained.
Some fortunetellers offer readings for fun and pleasure, and for the most part it’s not palm reading per se that police are concerned about, it’s the confidence schemes, theft by deception, and fraud that often accompany fortunetelling. One common scam involves luring clients in with inexpensive readings, then convincing them that a recent misfortune is the result of a curse put on them by an enemy. The imaginary curse can be lifted but it won’t come cheap, and some victims have been robbed of tens of thousands of dollars. In one recent case a “psychic” misused the influence and trust placed in him to sexually exploit several women.
The issue of fortunetelling is a tricky legal and ethical area. Although psychic powers and prediction have never been proven to exist (and indeed have failed in well-controlled scientific tests), psychics themselves often genuinely believe in their powers. Other professions can at least provide concrete proof of ability: a mechanic can prove to clients he can fix a transmission by doing it; a doctor can prove to patients she can perform heart surgery by being certified (and doing it). Psychics, on the other hand, cannot prove they can accurately predict the future; if they could, they should be making a killing on Wall Street or in highly-paid positions protecting national security.
Is it ethical to accept money for a service you cannot scientifically prove you can provide, even if you believe you can? How is that different than a lawyer who takes on a case knowing she can’t win (but pretending she can), and gets paid either way? Perjury and fraud only make it a crime to knowingly lie or misrepresent matters of fact, and fortunetellers—like Wall Street credit rating firms—can always say that their claim to psychic abilities is their (Constitutionally protected) opinion. Caveat emptor.
MY COUSINS ARE REVEALED ON MARS...
July 17, 2012 -- We may be looking forward to Mars rover Curiosity kicking up some Martian dust when it lands inside Gale Crater on Aug. 5/6, but as the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO)continues to show us, there's a lot more of Mars to explore.
This spectacular photograph shows what looks like a strange extraterrestrial campsite -- little tents with their doors all facing the same way. Sadly, we're not looking at an aerial view of a Martian Woodstock Festival, it is in fact an impressive swarm of dunes spread over a north polar plain.
The dunes are created by a prevailing northwesterly wind blowing sand into 100-meter wide mounds called barchans over what appears to be a permafrost region. As described by HiRISE's Virginia Gulick, the dunes sit atop polygonal patterns and "numerous meter-scale boulders are strewn throughout the region." The plain is located at a latitude of over 73 degrees -- higher than the landing site for NASA's 2008 Mars Phoenix lander at 68 degrees north.
Barchan dunes are a known feature on the Martian surface, and there are similar examples on Earth. The pointed "horns" of barchans are created on the downwind slope of the dune that project from a sharp falloff of sand. The leading edge of the dune is typically more rounded and has a gentle slope. As time goes on, these dunes will likely be observed to drift with the wind.
Mars is far from being a static, geologically "dead" world. It may not play host to dramatic tectonic events that Earth is accustomed to, but the Red Planet's landscape continues to be shaped by winds and seasonal changes, ensuring that any future Mars traveler, be it robotic or human, will have a dynamic and fascinating world to explore.
-- by Ian O'Neill
Images: Detail of the barchan dunes (top) and a wide-field view of the plain (bottom). Photo credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
FIRST-EVER HIV PREVENTION PILL APPROVED
The first-ever daily pill to help prevent HIV infection was approved Monday by US regulators for use by healthy adults who are at risk for getting the virus that causes AIDS.
Truvada, made by Gilead Sciences in California, has been on the market since 2004 and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for a new use as a tool to help ward off HIV, in combination with safe sex and regular testing.
The pill as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been hailed by some AIDS experts as a potent new tool against human immunodeficiency virus, while other health care providers are concerned it could encourage risky sex behavior.
In addition, the regimen is estimated to cost around $14,000 per year, making it out of reach of many.
"Truvada alone should not be used to prevent HIV infection," said Debra Birnkrant, director of the division of antiviral products at the FDA.
"Truvada as PrEP represents another effective, evidence-based approach that can be added to other prevention methods to help reduce the spread of HIV."
The FDA said Truvada should be used as "part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy that includes other prevention methods, such as safe sex practices, risk reduction counseling, and regular HIV testing."
Truvada was previously approved as a treatment for people infected with HIV to be used in combination with other anti-retroviral drugs.
The decision by the FDA followed the advice of an independent panel in May that supported Truvada for prevention in uninfected people, after clinical trials showed it could lower the risk of HIV in gay men and heterosexual couples.
One study of men who were sexually active with other men but were not infected with the virus that causes AIDS found 44 percent fewer infections in those taking Truvada versus a placebo.
Those in the study who took the drug regularly had almost 73 percent fewer infections.
A second study on heterosexual couples in which one partner was infected with HIV and the other was not showed that Truvada reduced the risk of becoming infected by 75 percent compared with a placebo.
Common side effects were the same as experienced by people with HIV who were taking Truvada, and included diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, headache, and weight loss.
However, the adherence rate -- meaning how often people in the study actually took the drug daily -- was low in the study of men who have sex with men, at just 30 percent, Birnkrant said.
In the study of heterosexual partners, adherence was much higher, at between 80 and 90 percent.
Therefore, the drug label must include special instructions for health care providers on how to counsel potential users of the drug.
The drugmaker must also include a warning that Truvada for PrEP "must only be used by individuals who are confirmed to be HIV-negative prior to prescribing the drug and at least every three months during use."
As to concerns about whether the pill might boost risky sex practices and lead people to abandon condoms as a first line of protection, Birnkrant said the studies have not shown that so far.
"We don't really have any strong evidence to show that condoms were not used or that there was a decrease in condom use when Truvada was used," she told reporters.
The goal of the approval is to eventually cut back on the rate of new infections in the United States, which have stayed steady in recent years at about 50,000 annually, she said.
A key goal of the US strategy against HIV/AIDS, set forth in 2010, is to decrease the number of new infections by 25 percent by 2015.
"The hope is that over time it will decrease the rate of new infections or incidence in the United States," Birnkrant said.
The FDA approval drew the support of amfaR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.
"We know that Truvada, when taken as directed, works. Now we need to figure out how to properly use it to change the course of the epidemic," said a statement by amfaR chief executive Kevin Robert Frost.
However, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation described the move as "reckless," largely because the FDA recommends but does not explicitly require a negative HIV test prior to use.
"The FDA's move today is negligence bordering the equivalence of malpractice which will sadly result in new infections, drug resistance and serious side effects among many, many people," said AHF president Michael Weinstein.
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