STOCKTON, Calif. -- On March 28th Jeanette Gaines was caught in the center of a gun battle in the area of Phelps Street and Ninth Street, according to police.
Police said that during the gunfire, Gaines, a bystander, was shot and died later at a local hospital. She was 56 years old.
Stockton police detectives said that during the course of their investigation they acquired information which implicated Terrell Lamont Washington, 18, of Stockton in her death. On Friday, police officers said that they located and arrested Washington in the area of Sixth Street and El Dorado Street. He was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of homicide and gang-related charges.
Detectives are still investigating the incident and request that anyone with any information contact the Homicide Investigation Unit at (209) 937-8323 or contact Crime Stoppers at 209-946-0600. Callers can remain anonymous.
Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/30810610/detail.html#ixzz1qkf8Cv5t
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Top 5 Things That Drive Men Crazy
Men love women. They do. But that doesn’t mean women don’t drive them crazy. Even after oceans of ink have been spilled about how the two sexes can better understand and accept each other, women still find ways to annoy men — and vice versa. Here are the top five ways she’s making you crazy right now. Ladies, are you guilty of any of these irritating behaviors?
1. Game-playing/manufacturing drama. There are lots of ways to create drama and excitement in a relationship, but men aren’t usually fans — unless said excitement involves clothing removal. “Asking too much too soon about his past relationships” is one way women drive men nuts and create drama, says Dr. Linda R. Young, Ph.D., a psychologist and relationship coach who blogs for Psychology Today. Making him late by taking too long to get ready is another. Getting irrationally jealous over platonic friends or running hot, then cold with no explanation are just a few more.
Whether the drama is minor or significant, men would rather skip it. “I think these [behaviors] exist because men and women don’t have the skills to live beyond the ‘game-playing’ they learned as adolescents, which is perpetuated by the media,” explains Marni Battista, expert dating coach and founder of DatingWithDignity.com. “It takes an entire toolkit of advanced skills to create truly win-win situations in relationships. A person who doesn’t have these skills will always go to those old ‘default’ tendencies to fill the void.” And thus, drama is born.
Ask yourself: Have I recently thrown either an object or a tantrum? If the answer is “yes,” you might be a drama queen. Take it down a notch by talking to your partner about why you’re feeling so angry and exactly what you need to feel calmer in the relationship. If you’re the one dealing with a drama queen, tell her you’re happy to discuss problems like an adult but you’re not interested in entertaining a whole restaurant with her shenanigans. If she doesn’t calm down, tell her to audition for a reality show and leave you alone.
2. Expecting the man to pay for everything. Most men don’t mind picking up the check early on in a courtship, but after a few dates, it’s nice for a woman to offer to contribute financially — especially if exclusivity has been established. Men like to be generous, but they don’t like to be taken for suckers, especially if the woman they’re seeing has a good job. As a corollary to this one, “Men are often put off by women trying to get a sense early on about what he does for a living and how much he earns,” says Dr. Seth Meyers, a Los Angeles-based psychologist and author of Dr. Seth’s Love Prescription. Men are people, too. If they feel they’re being sized up for more shallow, resume-type qualities, they’ll be annoyed.
3. “Wanting to know ‘where the relationship is going’ before he’s ready to say, or before he knows himself,” is a big one, according to Dr. Young. Dating is supposed to be a chance to get to know another person. It’s not a guarantee of finding a certain kind of relationship, and women who treat it this way drive men nuts. It’s almost as if the woman is selling herself short — after all, you can’t help but ask why a lady would want some kind of commitment from someone she doesn’t really know yet. Why is her “audition process” so short? Likewise, “Men often get bothered with women asking or talking about their beliefs about marriage and children early in the dating process,” observes Meyers. It puts too much pressure on what should be the fun part of getting to know someone when the end goal is the only thing a woman wants to focus on.
If the relationship isn’t likely to blossom into something steady and he’s upfront about that, a man wants the woman to hear what he’s saying and take him at face value. “Men are frustrated by women who don’t really believe them when they say, ‘I’m not in a place to have a relationship, but I really like hanging out with you,’” says Battista. “A man will give this ‘disclaimer’ and then be irritated when the woman finds she can’t change him, then begins to get angry that he hasn’t met her expectations.” If a woman wants to know how a man really feels and then gets hysterical after an honest response, it’s enough to — you guessed it — drive him crazy.
4. Being controlling. “Correcting him on little details when he’s got the big picture right,” adds Dr. Young, is another thing that drives men bonkers. It’s often true that women are better at multitasking, but that doesn’t mean they have to run every detail of the show. A man will get frustrated if a woman asks him to do something then won’t give him a chance to do it his way. The real show-stopper is when she then claims she “has to do everything around here!” If this situation sounds familiar, how can you improve it?
“If you want to put a stop to people’s annoying behavior, you first have to make them aware of it,” says Marc Muchnick, Ph.D., author of No More Regrets! 30 Ways to Greater Happiness and Meaning in Your Life. “Often, people don’t realize that what they are doing is bugging you, so when you tell them, it may come as a surprise.” So tell your significant other that she has to trust you if she doesn’t want to plan every meal, vacation and weekend you spend together, guys. Then do a good job with the task — in your own way, of course — and she just might back off.
5. Not getting enough “guy time.” In ancient cultures, men often spent most of their time with other men while the women socialized with each other. That, as we all know, has changed. And it’s hard for some men to accept. They want their guy time, and it’s rough when women don’t respect that. As long as “guys’ night out” isn’t a code for regularly losing thousands of dollars gambling or paying for strippers, men deserve to have time with their male friends. Deciding exactly how much time is appropriate should be left up to each couple. Remind her that time spent away from each other means the time you do have together will be that much richer — especially with funny stories about the ridiculous thing your buddy Paulie did last weekend. The key is, be reasonable. If you want more guy time than gal time, maybe having a wife or a girlfriend isn’t in the cards for you.
Laura Schaefer is the author of The Teashop Girls and The Secret Ingredient, two novels for young readers. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and has never once driven her boyfriend crazy. Not once! For the other side of this story, read Top 5 things that drive women crazy.
Author: Laura Schaefer
1. Game-playing/manufacturing drama. There are lots of ways to create drama and excitement in a relationship, but men aren’t usually fans — unless said excitement involves clothing removal. “Asking too much too soon about his past relationships” is one way women drive men nuts and create drama, says Dr. Linda R. Young, Ph.D., a psychologist and relationship coach who blogs for Psychology Today. Making him late by taking too long to get ready is another. Getting irrationally jealous over platonic friends or running hot, then cold with no explanation are just a few more.
Whether the drama is minor or significant, men would rather skip it. “I think these [behaviors] exist because men and women don’t have the skills to live beyond the ‘game-playing’ they learned as adolescents, which is perpetuated by the media,” explains Marni Battista, expert dating coach and founder of DatingWithDignity.com. “It takes an entire toolkit of advanced skills to create truly win-win situations in relationships. A person who doesn’t have these skills will always go to those old ‘default’ tendencies to fill the void.” And thus, drama is born.
Ask yourself: Have I recently thrown either an object or a tantrum? If the answer is “yes,” you might be a drama queen. Take it down a notch by talking to your partner about why you’re feeling so angry and exactly what you need to feel calmer in the relationship. If you’re the one dealing with a drama queen, tell her you’re happy to discuss problems like an adult but you’re not interested in entertaining a whole restaurant with her shenanigans. If she doesn’t calm down, tell her to audition for a reality show and leave you alone.
2. Expecting the man to pay for everything. Most men don’t mind picking up the check early on in a courtship, but after a few dates, it’s nice for a woman to offer to contribute financially — especially if exclusivity has been established. Men like to be generous, but they don’t like to be taken for suckers, especially if the woman they’re seeing has a good job. As a corollary to this one, “Men are often put off by women trying to get a sense early on about what he does for a living and how much he earns,” says Dr. Seth Meyers, a Los Angeles-based psychologist and author of Dr. Seth’s Love Prescription. Men are people, too. If they feel they’re being sized up for more shallow, resume-type qualities, they’ll be annoyed.
3. “Wanting to know ‘where the relationship is going’ before he’s ready to say, or before he knows himself,” is a big one, according to Dr. Young. Dating is supposed to be a chance to get to know another person. It’s not a guarantee of finding a certain kind of relationship, and women who treat it this way drive men nuts. It’s almost as if the woman is selling herself short — after all, you can’t help but ask why a lady would want some kind of commitment from someone she doesn’t really know yet. Why is her “audition process” so short? Likewise, “Men often get bothered with women asking or talking about their beliefs about marriage and children early in the dating process,” observes Meyers. It puts too much pressure on what should be the fun part of getting to know someone when the end goal is the only thing a woman wants to focus on.
If the relationship isn’t likely to blossom into something steady and he’s upfront about that, a man wants the woman to hear what he’s saying and take him at face value. “Men are frustrated by women who don’t really believe them when they say, ‘I’m not in a place to have a relationship, but I really like hanging out with you,’” says Battista. “A man will give this ‘disclaimer’ and then be irritated when the woman finds she can’t change him, then begins to get angry that he hasn’t met her expectations.” If a woman wants to know how a man really feels and then gets hysterical after an honest response, it’s enough to — you guessed it — drive him crazy.
4. Being controlling. “Correcting him on little details when he’s got the big picture right,” adds Dr. Young, is another thing that drives men bonkers. It’s often true that women are better at multitasking, but that doesn’t mean they have to run every detail of the show. A man will get frustrated if a woman asks him to do something then won’t give him a chance to do it his way. The real show-stopper is when she then claims she “has to do everything around here!” If this situation sounds familiar, how can you improve it?
“If you want to put a stop to people’s annoying behavior, you first have to make them aware of it,” says Marc Muchnick, Ph.D., author of No More Regrets! 30 Ways to Greater Happiness and Meaning in Your Life. “Often, people don’t realize that what they are doing is bugging you, so when you tell them, it may come as a surprise.” So tell your significant other that she has to trust you if she doesn’t want to plan every meal, vacation and weekend you spend together, guys. Then do a good job with the task — in your own way, of course — and she just might back off.
5. Not getting enough “guy time.” In ancient cultures, men often spent most of their time with other men while the women socialized with each other. That, as we all know, has changed. And it’s hard for some men to accept. They want their guy time, and it’s rough when women don’t respect that. As long as “guys’ night out” isn’t a code for regularly losing thousands of dollars gambling or paying for strippers, men deserve to have time with their male friends. Deciding exactly how much time is appropriate should be left up to each couple. Remind her that time spent away from each other means the time you do have together will be that much richer — especially with funny stories about the ridiculous thing your buddy Paulie did last weekend. The key is, be reasonable. If you want more guy time than gal time, maybe having a wife or a girlfriend isn’t in the cards for you.
Laura Schaefer is the author of The Teashop Girls and The Secret Ingredient, two novels for young readers. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and has never once driven her boyfriend crazy. Not once! For the other side of this story, read Top 5 things that drive women crazy.
Author: Laura Schaefer
Friday, March 30, 2012
Blunt World Music Fest Commercial
With all these names how you gone miss this? We about to set it off for the 209 by giving away a pair of 20" rims so come out and visit the Pill Musik Group booth.
Britney Spears Home Sells For Big Bucks
As she gets ready to tie the knot with her fiance Jason Trawick and begin a new chapter of her life, Britney Spears has said goodbye to her luxury Beverly Hills estate. The singer has managed to sell the Mediterranean-style mansion for more than one million dollars over the asking price, showing just how far a little star power can go!
According to TMZ, the pop star listed her home, located in exclusive gated community The Summit, for $2,995,000. After receiving bids from multiple parties, the property eventually sold for a whopping $4,253,000! That hefty price tag pays for five bedrooms, six bathrooms, 7,500 square feet of living space, a back yard and a swimming pool.
Now that the home is off Brit Brit's hands, she's ready to find a new home with her husband-to-be Jason and sons Sean Preston and Jayden James. The coupe will be renting, until they find their perfect white picket fence.
209 Valley All Stars Vol. 1 & 2
Be on the look out for this comp coming out soon featuring a host of valley all stars. I myself will be on it along with some very talented young brothers
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Cali Swag District, Purp Reynolds & Mr. & Mrs. Fresh - In Stockton,Ca
McBride Entertainment Presents: Cali Swag District
Come bring your Swag out to Delta College Auditorium in Stockton Ca
April 7, 2012 Doors Open @7 Show Starts @8
TICKETS ALSO AVAIlABLE ONLINE AT dca.deltacollege.edu
TICKET ONLY EVENT $15 FOR ALL AGES
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT DELTA COLLEGE BOX OFFICE AND X-SPOT CLOTHING
TICKETS ALSO AVAIlABLE ONLINE AT dca.deltacollege.edu
Also Featuring Live On Stage:
*106 & Park's Mr. & Mrs. Fresh * Smoke Sqodd * Skinny E * Guda Mac * Flat_Line * Kolor Blind Souljas * Princess Shy * Jay Tru * Manie Tay and THE ENTIRE MCBRIDE FAMILY
Duv C Productions Will Be Fliming All Night With Lights Camera Action
Red Carpet Interviews Hosted By Prettty Blaq
Dj Ken Rockin The Wheels Of Steel
TICKET ONLY EVENT $15 FOR ALL AGES
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT DELTA COLLEGE BOX OFFICE AND X-SPOT CLOTHING
TICKETS ALSO AVAIlABLE ONLINE AT dca.deltacollege.edu
WE MAY ANNOUNCE THE AFTER PARTY LOCATION DURING THE EVENT!
Commissioner Stern Saves The Sacramento Kings Again
The NBA today came to the rescue of Sacramento's arena deal, agreeing to chip in $3.26 million in pre-development costs after the Kings' owners balked at paying the money. [UPDATE: The NBA will actually chip in the first two weeks' worth of predev funds. -- TZ]
NBA Commissioner David Stern, in a statement to The Bee, said those pre-development expenses must be paid quickly. "Those discussions have stalled, but I have advised Mayor Johnson that the NBA will advance pre-development expenses on behalf of the Kings pending our report to the NBA Board of Governors at its meeting on April 12-13."
A Maloof family spokesman in Los Angeles told the Bee today the team does not feel that it should share in predevelopment costs because the team is only a tenant in the building, which would be owned by the city.
Dale Kasler and Tony Bizjak, Sacramento Bee
NBA Commissioner David Stern, in a statement to The Bee, said those pre-development expenses must be paid quickly. "Those discussions have stalled, but I have advised Mayor Johnson that the NBA will advance pre-development expenses on behalf of the Kings pending our report to the NBA Board of Governors at its meeting on April 12-13."
A Maloof family spokesman in Los Angeles told the Bee today the team does not feel that it should share in predevelopment costs because the team is only a tenant in the building, which would be owned by the city.
Dale Kasler and Tony Bizjak, Sacramento Bee
Steve Erkel Accused Of Anger Issues
Jaleel White's ex-girlfriend is claiming that he's not the nice guy he appears to be on TV!
Jaleel has come a long way since his days as Steve Urkel on "Family Matters." These days the "Dancing With the Stars" contestant is super-cool in the ballroom and extremely suave. Not to mention he seems like a total sweetheart to be around.
But his babymama Bridget Hardy has revealed that looks can be deceiving. She told Star Magazine that Jaleel is an abusive cheater!
Supposedly, Bridget found naked pics of other women in his phone, and she came across some texts that suggested he hooked up with another woman the same week that she delivered their now 2-year-old daughter.
When she asked him about incriminating sexts, she claims Jaleel hit her in the chest and shoved her. "He pushed me into the toilet, and it broke. Water went everywhere, through the walls and even to the kitchen downstairs,” she charged, adding that the actor didn't stop at physical violence. “Verbally and emotionally, he’s abusive. He told me I’m not working; I have no money; I’m White trash. None of it was true."
The relationship got so bad that Bridget claims Jaleel tried to pay her off after kicking her out of their house. “He texted me and offered me $200,000 to leave our daughter with him and have me go and start my own family,” she said. “He basically tried to pay me off. I went home screaming and said, ‘We’re done.’”
Bridget said that after taking their daughter on a planned trip, she returned home to find that the locks had been changed and all of her stuff had been placed in storage.
RadarOnline.com reports that although Bridget has reported Jaleel to police in the past, she's largely kept the abuse under wraps and never filed charges.
Jaleel has yet to comment on the new allegations.
In the summer of 2010 there was word that Jaleel had punched Bridget in one of her breast implants. His rep told TMZ in a statement that “there was absolutely no battery … no abuse … and the incident never happened. This is just a ploy in an ongoing custody battle over their young daughter to tarnish his name.”
The actor was later cleared on the charges against him.
Author: Sonya Eskridge
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
"What does a pope do?" Fidel Castro asks Benedict
HAVANA (Reuters) - Pope Benedict and Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, both octogenarians, joked about their age in a brief meeting on Wednesday and then Castro popped the question: so what do you do?
The two world figures chatted for about 30 minutes at the Vatican embassy in Havana near the end of the pope's three-day visit to Cuba, where he called for greater freedom and a bigger role for the Catholic Church in the communist-led nation.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Benedict, 84, and Castro, 85, had an "exchange of ideas" in a "very cordial" atmosphere.
Castro led a 1959 revolution and transformed the Caribbean island into a communist state, ruling it for 49 years before stepping down due to poor health in 2008. Under his rule, Cuba for years called itself an atheist state, although relations with the Church have improved over the past two decades.
Castro arrived for his meeting with the pope on Wednesday in a green Mercedes SUV amid heavy security that included armed guards in a phalanx of surrounding black Mercedes cars.
He was helped out by two assistants, who supported him as he walked slowly up the steps into the stately white building where Benedict spent Tuesday night and where Pope John Paul II stayed during his landmark 1998 visit.
"What does a pope do?" Castro asked Benedict, who is just one year his junior. The pontiff told him of his ministry, his foreign trips and his service to the Church, saying he was happy to be in Cuba and with the welcome he received.
Dressed in a dark Reebok track suit and wearing a scarf despite the searing heat outside, Castro told the pontiff he had watched his whole visit on television. Two of his children were also presented to the pope.
Castro handed the reins of power to his younger brother, President Raul Castro, four years ago and he has since largely retired from government but he still writes columns and meets with visiting leaders. He told the pontiff he was spending most of his time reading and reflecting on the state of the world.
His columns are posted on the internet and read aloud on state television, and cover his fears of impending Armageddon, the evils of consumerism and his criticisms of arch ideological foe, the United States.
CASTRO SEEKS FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Castro questioned Benedict about changes in Church liturgy and asked the pope to send him a book to help him reflect. The pope said he would think of which one to send, but had not yet decided, Lombardi said.
The pair discussed the difficult world situation and the problems of mankind from a religious, scientific and cultural point of view.
And the pope also spoke to Castro about the problem of the absence of God in much of society today and the relationship between faith and reason.
As he was waiting for the pope, Castro said he had great admiration for Mother Teresa and for John Paul, whose visit 14 years ago marked a watershed in long-strained relations between the communist government and the Church.
Castro reinstated Christmas as a holiday ahead of John Paul's visit, and in talks on Tuesday with Raul Castro, the pope asked the government to consider also making Good Friday, the day Christians commemorate Christ's death, a national holiday.
(Writing by Jeff Franks and Simon Gardner; Editing by Kieran Murray)
The two world figures chatted for about 30 minutes at the Vatican embassy in Havana near the end of the pope's three-day visit to Cuba, where he called for greater freedom and a bigger role for the Catholic Church in the communist-led nation.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Benedict, 84, and Castro, 85, had an "exchange of ideas" in a "very cordial" atmosphere.
Castro led a 1959 revolution and transformed the Caribbean island into a communist state, ruling it for 49 years before stepping down due to poor health in 2008. Under his rule, Cuba for years called itself an atheist state, although relations with the Church have improved over the past two decades.
Castro arrived for his meeting with the pope on Wednesday in a green Mercedes SUV amid heavy security that included armed guards in a phalanx of surrounding black Mercedes cars.
He was helped out by two assistants, who supported him as he walked slowly up the steps into the stately white building where Benedict spent Tuesday night and where Pope John Paul II stayed during his landmark 1998 visit.
"What does a pope do?" Castro asked Benedict, who is just one year his junior. The pontiff told him of his ministry, his foreign trips and his service to the Church, saying he was happy to be in Cuba and with the welcome he received.
Dressed in a dark Reebok track suit and wearing a scarf despite the searing heat outside, Castro told the pontiff he had watched his whole visit on television. Two of his children were also presented to the pope.
Castro handed the reins of power to his younger brother, President Raul Castro, four years ago and he has since largely retired from government but he still writes columns and meets with visiting leaders. He told the pontiff he was spending most of his time reading and reflecting on the state of the world.
His columns are posted on the internet and read aloud on state television, and cover his fears of impending Armageddon, the evils of consumerism and his criticisms of arch ideological foe, the United States.
CASTRO SEEKS FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Castro questioned Benedict about changes in Church liturgy and asked the pope to send him a book to help him reflect. The pope said he would think of which one to send, but had not yet decided, Lombardi said.
The pair discussed the difficult world situation and the problems of mankind from a religious, scientific and cultural point of view.
And the pope also spoke to Castro about the problem of the absence of God in much of society today and the relationship between faith and reason.
As he was waiting for the pope, Castro said he had great admiration for Mother Teresa and for John Paul, whose visit 14 years ago marked a watershed in long-strained relations between the communist government and the Church.
Castro reinstated Christmas as a holiday ahead of John Paul's visit, and in talks on Tuesday with Raul Castro, the pope asked the government to consider also making Good Friday, the day Christians commemorate Christ's death, a national holiday.
(Writing by Jeff Franks and Simon Gardner; Editing by Kieran Murray)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Thank You All For The Continued Support
We get lots of visitors everyday now at It's Reynolds and i want to thank all of you for that. We try to keep the best stories in our opinion posted and available for you to check out. This is our 1 year anniversary and we have grown so much since the start of this journey.
I look forward to all the post that the many writers and journalist that research for us bring to the page. This is a place for all walks of life but is influenced heavily by music and the art of fashion. If you would like to be a journalist for It's Reynolds then message us at purpreynolds@yahoo.com for a consultation. Continue to visit us and support and we will keep the great media and visuals coming to enjoy.
Spread the word about us and tell your co-workers where they can grab some fresh news and music daily. www.PurpReynolds.com
I look forward to all the post that the many writers and journalist that research for us bring to the page. This is a place for all walks of life but is influenced heavily by music and the art of fashion. If you would like to be a journalist for It's Reynolds then message us at purpreynolds@yahoo.com for a consultation. Continue to visit us and support and we will keep the great media and visuals coming to enjoy.
Spread the word about us and tell your co-workers where they can grab some fresh news and music daily. www.PurpReynolds.com
Breaking Down the 2012 All-Star Race Format
The Budweiser Shootout has become somewhat of a running joke over the last few years thanks to its constantly changing eligibility rules.
Now, it's the Sprint All-Star Race's turn to change up the format.
NASCAR and Sprint announced at Charlotte Motor Speedway -- site of the All-Star Race -- Tuesday that the May 19 All-Star race would be 90 laps in five segments of 20, 20, 20, 20 and 10 laps each -- a total of 10 laps shorter than last year's race.
There is a mandatory pit stop before the final ten lap segment and no break like there has been in previous All-Star races.
That wasn't the only change. Now, the winners of each of the first four segments will lead the field to pit road before the mandatory pit stop before the final segment. Segment one's winner will be first, two second and so on. (If a driver wins two segments, the second place driver in the second won segment is awarded the "win" for pitting purposes.)
It's a nice carrot for drivers and teams to go for a segment win -- and in theory sets up for a great battle of wits between crew chiefs and pit crews. But here's where the dreaded track position argument comes in.
Ever since it was repaved, Charlotte Motor Speedway isn't exactly the most abusive of surfaces. Couple that with a durable Goodyear tire, and the decision for four tires, two tires or gas only isn't nearly as gut-wrenching as it could be.
Though Tony Stewart's crew chief Steve Addington was talking up the changes on Tuesday. From the AP:
"The guys in that top five or six are going to be the ones with the pressure on them to decide if they want tires or not,"
Addington said. "There'll be a guy in eighth, ninth, 10th that's going to gamble going for a million bucks, who will do a splash of fuel, a stop-and-go and get out and try to get clean air and get away from everyone else."
And while I'm not nearly qualified to be a NASCAR crew chief, I'm a tad wary of that statement. With little tire fall-off, a driver who wins segment one could pit before the fourth segment, save his tires and ride around the back. Then as the first car down pit road, a smooth gas only stop keeps the lead off of pit road and doesn't allow any other teams to take a calculated gamble to try to grab the lead for the final 10 laps, and the segment one winner starts the final segment on tires with a heat cycle and 20 fairly easy laps on them. A potential winning combination. (There will be a different right side tire used at Charlotte this ear.
Whether or not it's significant enough to seriously alter pit strategy remains to be seen.)
Last year's All Star Race was a bit of a snoozer, so kudos to NASCAR for a rules change that could put the night's four best cars at the front of the field for the final 10 laps. However, if clean air and track position are more of a factor than fresh rubber is, the mandatory pit stop will be a formality rather than a turning point.
Author: Nick Broomberg
Magic Johnson Group to Buy Dodgers for Record $2B
NEW YORK (AP)—A group that includes former Lakers star Magic Johnson and longtime baseball executive Stan Kasten agreed Tuesday night to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt for a record $2 billion.
The price would shatter the mark for a North American sports franchise, topping the $1.1 billion Stephen Ross paid for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in 2009.
Mark Walter, chief executive officer of the financial services firm Guggenheim Partners, would become the controlling owner.
The deal, revealed about five hours after Major League Baseball owners approved three finalists for an intended auction, is one of several steps toward a sale of the team by the end of April. It is subject to approval in federal bankruptcy court.
“I am thrilled to be part of the historic Dodger franchise and intend to build on the fantastic foundation laid by Frank McCourt as we drive the Dodgers back to the front page of the sports section in our wonderful community of Los Angeles,” Johnson said in a statement.
As part of the agreement, the Dodgers said McCourt and “certain affiliates of the purchasers” would acquire the land surrounding Dodger Stadium, including its parking lots, for $150 million.
“If they invested that much money, I’m sure they’ll invest to get us a winner,” said Tommy Lasorda, the Dodgers’ retired Hall of Fame manager. “I wish them all the luck, and I admire them. I know both of them. I know Magic from the day he came into Los Angeles as basketball player for the Lakers.”
The acquiring group, called Guggenheim Baseball Management, has several other investors, among them Mandalay Entertainment chief executive Peter Guber, Guggenheim Partners president Todd Boehly and Bobby Patton, who operates oil and gas properties among his investments. Kasten is the former president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.
“I am truly honored to have partnered with such talented individuals and to be associated with the Dodgers organization,” Walter said. “We look forward to building upon the legacy of the Dodgers and providing long-term stability to one of the most revered franchises in baseball.
The 52-year-old Johnson played 13 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five NBA championships and three MVP awards.
He retired from the NBA in 1991 after being diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. He briefly came out of retirement in 1995-96 season and did a short stint coaching the Lakers. Since leaving basketball, he has been hugely successful in business, investing in movie theaters, a production company and restaurants.
He has also been activist in the fight against HIV.
McCourt paid $430 million in 2004 to buy the team, Dodger Stadium and 250 acres of land that include the parking lots, from the Fox division of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., a sale that left the team with about $50 million in cash at the time. The team’s debt stood at $579 million as of January, according to a court filing, so McCourt stands to make hundreds of millions of dollars even after a $131 million divorce payment to former wife Jamie, taxes and legal and banking fees.
Kasten is expected to wind up as the team’s top day-to-day executive.
The other two finalists were:
— Stan Kroenke, whose family properties own the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids, and who is majority shareholder of Arsenal in the English Premier League.
— Steven Cohen, founder of the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors and a new limited partner of the New York Mets; biotechnology entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong; and agent Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group.
It remains to be seen whether Major League Baseball will challenge the deal in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, where the case is before Judge Kevin Gross.
Under an agreement reached by MLB and McCourt in November, a private auction was to be held among the finalists and McCourt was to select the winner by Sunday. The sales agreement is to be submitted to the bankruptcy court by April 6, ahead of a hearing seven days later, and the sale completed by April 30, the day McCourt is to make the divorce settlement payment.
“This agreement with Guggenheim reflects both the strength and future potential of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and assures that the Dodgers will have new ownership with deep local roots, which bodes well for the Dodgers, its fans and the Los Angeles community,” McCourt said in a statement.
The acquiring group would gain the ability to sell the Dodgers’ local broadcasting rights starting with games in 2014. The Guggenheim group likely would use money gained from the sale—or form the team’s own network with outside investment—and use those funds to pay down the acquisition debt.
“The amount of leverage is a big question,” said Marc Ganis, president of the Chicago-based consulting firm Sportscorp, which is not involved. “The likely scenario is that they have a broadcasting deal in mind so that they pay up now and pay themselves down from a big broadcasting up-front payment.
“The problem with this strategy is that the more paid upfront by the broadcast deal, the less money is available for team operations. The more debt they take on, the more debt service is required, the less money that’s available for team operations. With the only beneficiary being the man walking out the door. A challenging result that baseball tried to avoid.”
The current record for a baseball franchise is the $845 million paid by the Ricketts family for the Chicago Cubs in 2009.
Los Angeles filed for bankruptcy protection in late June, just days before the team was expected to miss payroll. The filing came after baseball Commissioner Bud Selig refused to approve a 17-year agreement between the Dodgers’ and Fox’s Prime Ticket subsidiary that would have been worth $2 billion or more. MLB feared McCourt would use about half of an intended $385 million cash advance to fund his divorce.
Los Angeles finished third in the NL West at 82-79, had just three sellouts and fell short of 3 million in home attendance in a full season for the first time since 1992.There was some concern among MLB officials about the financing of the Walter bid because some of the money was coming from insurance companies that are owned by Guggenheim. A person familiar with the baseball owners’ teleconference Tuesday said several team owners voiced that during the call. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because MLB did not make any announcements.
“The problem there is a fundamental problem as you go into an auction, and that is the absolute reliance on other people’s money,” Ganis said. “It means a lot of regulators. It means either shareholders or, depending on which insurance companies it’s coming from, the insured themselves.”
Author: RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
Octomom Poses Nude for Rent Money
Octomom is so desperate for money, she did what she swore she would never do -- pose nude for cash.
Nadya Suleman is days away from being homeless ... the house she owns that has been in and out of foreclosure for more than a year will be sold at an auction Thursday ... so Octo needs a new crib for her brood ... stat.
The dilemma -- getting first and last month's rent together, so Octo has gone naked. She posed for the European magazine, "Closer."
Sources tell TMZ ... Octo got $10,000 for the shoot, which is what she needs to rent a new place.
Octo is being very up front now about some misgivings about having 14 kids, saying, "I'm doing that (posing nude) because I need to feed my kids. I need to pay the bills. And I'm still very cognizant of the repercussions of my choices."
It's not the first time Octo has been offered cash for skin ... porn giant Vivid Entertainment offered Suleman a $1,000,000 contract back in 2009 ... which she rejected.
(via) TMZ
Why Do Successful Rappers Not Pay There Taxes?
Without a doubt, Nas creates some timeless music at an elite lyrical level. As a fan, you will find yourself purchasing his next or previous albums but what sucks the most is the fact that Nas won’t be enjoying your financial support for his work. In other words, when you buy a Nas album, you are actually paying the Government what he owes in taxes as apart of the wages that are now being garnished from his income.
There is a large debt to pay off and the garnishing of the rappers wages seem to be the best and only way to get somewhat of a direct payment out of him. Nas better get to hustling. We’re almost positive he’ll be able to make up for his loss by touring and hosting events.
From the child support money his ex-wife Kelis is sucking out of him to his tax problems, Nas has been taking a few L’s over the past year and counting. But never fear! We feel that the Hip Hop claimed “Gods Son” has a few tricks up his sleeve for a strong comeback to the top! Stay tuned…
(via) The Rundown
Monday, March 26, 2012
Watching t.v. for a Change
Trying to get used to blogging more from this phone app. I think I want me another phone with a keypad to speed up productivity of this. Had a good day got the money to press forward wit a marketing project so im juiced. How you all feeling out there?
WHAT IS THIS? It Washed Up In South Carolina
They saying it's a sturgeon but i think they don't know what they talking about so give us your thoughts below.
A Note By: Thomas Threats
Dear family, friends, supporters and fans,
We’d like to first and foremost thank you for your inspiration, patience and understanding of and for what we do. You’ve played a vital role in us making it this far and we appreciate it. But in order for us to go further, we need you in our corners. We need to you to assist in ways that may seem insignificant, but in reality even the smallest gestures have the hugest impact. When you show us that we are not alone on our journey it gives us the fuel that we need to keep these wheels turning even as we grind them down to the rims. Our determination comes from within but our energy is dependent on you in some cases, and when we lose that, or our focus, then you are who we rely upon to regain our strength and perseverance toward our goal(s). We do this for you.
Some of us are more serious than others and time will separate those who are from those who are not. We’ve made a choice to pursue our dreams and along the way something about it chose us. Understanding that it is hard to walk away from something you started is important to know when you are supporting us. It’s anchored into every fiber of our being and sometimes it can feel like it’s dragging us down and at other times it seems as if it keeps us from floating away. With you on our sides the burden is lifted and we get the feeling of relief knowing that we have a great and stable support system around us. We are not begging, pleading or demanding it from you, simply asking you for your commitment and unwavering stance with us. Nothing more, nothing less.
All we ask is for you to treat us the same as you would treat others who are in the position that we aspire and work to attain. Are we not worthy a $.99 download or a cd purchase? Is there a reason you can’t show up to our comedy shows? Our parties? Is it hard to hit a “Like” button, to follow us or to share us with the people that you know to help spread the word about our tattoo shops, studios, salons/barbershops or restaurants? If the roles were reversed would you not want us to do the exact same for you? Well, we would because we know how it feels. I only ask because all of those people, places and things had to start somewhere and without support they would not be here. We are entrepreneurs, artists, businessmen/women and visionaries. But we are people first.
We have families to care for, priorities and responsibilities just like the next person and this is how we do that. We’d like to think that you care about us taking care of ours just as we care about you and yours. We would never hold the thought of turning our backs on you once we “make it” because without you it would not have been possible. For those who don’t, there’s absolutely no love lost. We need you as well so that we can see who’s truly with us. We still wish you all the best and success in your life. If you do, consider this an informal contract or pledge to yourself, not to us, to be aware of your value in all of this. We promise to remember who and what got us here and to be there for you in any way possible. Whether we grab hold of our dreams or not, the journey is the real reward, not the destination. One love.
Sincerely,
Us
We’d like to first and foremost thank you for your inspiration, patience and understanding of and for what we do. You’ve played a vital role in us making it this far and we appreciate it. But in order for us to go further, we need you in our corners. We need to you to assist in ways that may seem insignificant, but in reality even the smallest gestures have the hugest impact. When you show us that we are not alone on our journey it gives us the fuel that we need to keep these wheels turning even as we grind them down to the rims. Our determination comes from within but our energy is dependent on you in some cases, and when we lose that, or our focus, then you are who we rely upon to regain our strength and perseverance toward our goal(s). We do this for you.
Some of us are more serious than others and time will separate those who are from those who are not. We’ve made a choice to pursue our dreams and along the way something about it chose us. Understanding that it is hard to walk away from something you started is important to know when you are supporting us. It’s anchored into every fiber of our being and sometimes it can feel like it’s dragging us down and at other times it seems as if it keeps us from floating away. With you on our sides the burden is lifted and we get the feeling of relief knowing that we have a great and stable support system around us. We are not begging, pleading or demanding it from you, simply asking you for your commitment and unwavering stance with us. Nothing more, nothing less.
All we ask is for you to treat us the same as you would treat others who are in the position that we aspire and work to attain. Are we not worthy a $.99 download or a cd purchase? Is there a reason you can’t show up to our comedy shows? Our parties? Is it hard to hit a “Like” button, to follow us or to share us with the people that you know to help spread the word about our tattoo shops, studios, salons/barbershops or restaurants? If the roles were reversed would you not want us to do the exact same for you? Well, we would because we know how it feels. I only ask because all of those people, places and things had to start somewhere and without support they would not be here. We are entrepreneurs, artists, businessmen/women and visionaries. But we are people first.
We have families to care for, priorities and responsibilities just like the next person and this is how we do that. We’d like to think that you care about us taking care of ours just as we care about you and yours. We would never hold the thought of turning our backs on you once we “make it” because without you it would not have been possible. For those who don’t, there’s absolutely no love lost. We need you as well so that we can see who’s truly with us. We still wish you all the best and success in your life. If you do, consider this an informal contract or pledge to yourself, not to us, to be aware of your value in all of this. We promise to remember who and what got us here and to be there for you in any way possible. Whether we grab hold of our dreams or not, the journey is the real reward, not the destination. One love.
Sincerely,
Us
Picking my Daughter up from School
I tried to get here early so I could get a good park but of course that did not work today. After this time to eat something and get back to work.
Talk to you all in a minute keep the peace
Karie Hill' Financial Freedom Coach For Women
Karie Hill is a financial freedom coach, speaker, and writer who believes financial freedom is one of the greatest gifts a woman can give herself. She teaches smart women how build healthy, wealthy money habits, remove their financial barriers, and create the kind of life they really desire. If you’re ready to ‘date’ instead of ‘hate’ your money, head over to http://kariehill.com/ and get her FREE guide.
Police Make Arrest In Brutal San Fran Slayings
The San Francisco Police announced Sunday evening that a suspect had been arrested that morning in connection to the brutal murders of five local residents, who were found dead days before in a scene described as among the worst officers had ever seen.
In a 5 p.m. press conference, Police Chief Greg Suhr announced that 35-year-old San Francisco resident Binh Thai Luc had been arrested that morning and booked on five counts of murder.
The announcement came just two days after the victims were found dead by a close relative inside their home at 16 Howth St., near the City College of San Francisco at 7:47 a.m. Friday morning.
Police described the murder scene as "very bloody" and among the worst they've seen. Suhr noted that a man was found in the threshold of the home, while a man and woman were found in the garage, another woman was found upstairs and a third woman was found downstairs.
There was bleach and paint all over the home, as if someone was trying to disturb the scene, police had said earlier.
"This was a complex crime scene. We had five deceased persons apparently from blunt force trauma. We didn't know what we had," Suhr said.
Evidence gathered during an intense investigation over the next two days resulted in SWAT teams executing search warrants Sunday in San Francisco and San Mateo counties, and finding the suspect Luc.
Suhr declined to release details of the arrest or what led investigators to Luc, but he was described as knowing all five of the victims and as having a criminal record.
According to Suhr, the murder investigation was still ongoing Sunday, and that San Francisco medical examiner was still trying to confirm the cause of death for the five victims, though it was evident that they had experienced blunt force trauma and that an "edged weapon" was used in their slayings.
Two police sources told KTVU Friday night that the murders appeared to have been a targeted attack, possibly over money, and not a murder-suicide, as previously thought.
Suhr said that investigators were looking into Luc's possible gang ties, though it was believed that these murders were not gang-related.
Suhr made it clear during the press conference Sunday that kilings were an isolated case.
"I want to continue to reassure the public that this incident was specific to 16 Howth St.," said Suhr.
All of the residents were Asian and four of the five people found dead in a home near were related, police officials said.
A relative of the victims said the family who lived in the home were immigrants from China: a couple in their 60s, the couple's 32-year-old son and 37-year-old daughter, along with a woman in her 30s who was in a relationship with the son.
Property records indicated that the homeowner was 65-year-old father Hua Shun Lei.
Another daughter in her 40s, who did not live at the residence, was described as the woman who discovered the bodies and called 911.
Miriam Mendoza-Moody, a neighbor, said she heard yelling from inside the home.
"I did hear around midnight some very loud male-voice person arguing or yelling," she said. "It was discomforting, and my dog became agitated."
Mo Iranmenesh rents the home next door to the victims' and said the family owns the home he lives in. He said the 37-year-old daughter named Jess was always helpful.
"She's friendly," he said. "Every time I need help, she's there. Every time I lock myself out, she'd let me in."
Iranmenesh said he heard the other daughter screaming after she found the bodies Friday morning.
"It was a woman shouting, 'Can someone help me?'" said Iranmenesh.
According to officials, the family moved into the home less than a year ago, and the father and son were in the construction business.
Howth Street between Ocean and Geneva avenues had been closed for much of Friday while police continued their investigation.
Saturday, the house where the crime took place and two adjacent houses remained cordoned off by police tape.
Several bouquets of flowers laid on the sidewalk near the house since the shooting, one with a note reading, "R.I.P. Seff, you'll be missed."
Todd Sidebottom worked with Jess Lei, one of the family members who lived at the house and was presumed dead.
“I worked with Jess. She was an engineer at our company,” Sidebottom said. “(She’s a) real sweet person. One of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet.”
Mayor Ed Lee released a statement about the deaths Friday afternoon, calling them "a terrible tragedy."
"I extend, on behalf of the city, our support and sympathy to all family members and friends of the victims involved in this crime," he said.
This article originally appeared in KTVU.com
Sleep Is Coming To Me Finally
Just decided that i'm going to start writing more blogs about how i feel and what i'm doing on here also. So be looking out for short little post that are just updating you on what i'm doing.
I'm a start using the phone app more to so that way i can keep you up to date with me as the days go by. If you have not supported it yet please go pick up my new album "My Own Lane" you can even click on the cover to the right and it will direct you to itunes. If you have an android phone like i do (DroidX) than you can go to amazon or emusic, rhapsody etc.
Man i ended up writing more than i thought down in this first blog. Good night, good morning & good day to all my supporters from around the world. I will be online networking tomorrow from the office.
I'm a start using the phone app more to so that way i can keep you up to date with me as the days go by. If you have not supported it yet please go pick up my new album "My Own Lane" you can even click on the cover to the right and it will direct you to itunes. If you have an android phone like i do (DroidX) than you can go to amazon or emusic, rhapsody etc.
Man i ended up writing more than i thought down in this first blog. Good night, good morning & good day to all my supporters from around the world. I will be online networking tomorrow from the office.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
James Cameron Reaches Deepest Spot on Earth
HONOLULU (AP) — Hollywood icon James Cameron has made it to Earth's deepest point.
The director of "Titanic," ''Avatar" and other films used a specially designed submarine to dive nearly seven miles, completing his journey a little before 8 a.m. Monday local time, according to Stephanie Montgomery of the National Geographic Society.
He plans to spend about six hours exploring and filming the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles southwest of the Pacific island of Guam.
"All systems OK," were Cameron's first words upon reaching the bottom, according to a statement. His arrival at a depth of 35,756 feet came early Sunday evening on the U.S. East Coast, after a descent that took more than two hours.
The scale of the trench is hard to grasp — it's 120 times larger than the Grand Canyon and more than a mile deeper than Mount Everest is tall.
Cameron made the dive aboard his 12-ton, lime-green sub called "Deepsea Challenger." He planned to collect samples for biologists and geologists to study.
"It's really the first time that human eyes have had an opportunity to gaze upon what is a very alien landscape," said Terry Garcia, the National Geographic Society's executive VP for mission programs, via phone from Pitlochry, Scotland.
The first and only time anyone dove to these depths was in 1960. Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Capt. Don Walsh took nearly five hours to reach the bottom and stayed just 20 minutes. They had little to report on what they saw, however, because their submarine kicked up so much sand from the ocean floor.
"He is going to be seeing something that none of us have ever seen before. He is going to be opening new worlds to scientists," Garcia said.
One of the risks of a dive so deep is extreme water pressure. At 6.8 miles below the surface, the pressure is the equivalent of three SUVs sitting on your toe.
Cameron told The Associated Press in an interview after a 5.1 mile-deep practice run near Papua New Guinea earlier this month that the pressure "is in the back of your mind." The submarine would implode in an instant if it leaked, he said.
But while he was a little apprehensive beforehand, he wasn't scared or nervous while underwater.
"When you are actually on the dive you have to trust the engineering was done right," he said.
The film director has been an oceanography enthusiast since childhood and has made 72 deep-sea submersible dives. Thirty-three of those dives have been to the wreckage of the Titanic, the subject of his 1997 hit film.
Associated Press
'Master Growers' cultivating a higher grade of marijuana
Behind the bolted steel doors of an old brick warehouse, Big Wes meets a nutrient company scientist to see if he can increase his crop yield. Rows of hydroponic marijuana plants soak up solution flowing through plastic troughs and light blazing from high-pressure sodium lamps.
Big Wes has spent more than half his life calibrating his system of growing high-grade marijuana to its utmost efficiency. At 50 years old, he harvests a crop of dozens of plants every week from five rented warehouses scattered along the rutted streets and alleys around the docks of Oakland.
His problem is that OG Kush, the ultra-popular strain he specializes in, produces notoriously low yields of bud per plant. For this reason the scientist has come with a nutrient solution made from deep-sea algae, which he promises will boost the output. Big Wes — who asked that his real name or certain identifying traits not be revealed because his career could land him in federal prison — is going to test it against his usual concoction, and try 15 different combinations of the two.
Big Wes is new breed of cultivator, a "master grower" who produces marijuana that is potent and mold-free, tastes smooth and has a pleasing aroma — the kind of product now expected by ever-more discriminating consumers who frequent medical cannabis dispensaries.
He and others like him have revolutionized weed in recent years, growing sophisticated new varietals with scientific precision and assembly-line efficiency. Their expanding role in the burgeoning industry is shifting cultivation from clandestine rural plots to highly controlled indoor grows in urban centers.
"It's kind of becoming the big leagues now," said Kyle Kushman, a writer for High Times magazine and a grower who teaches organic and "veganic" cultivation classes. "Just like any other industry, as it gets older, the talent gets better."
Pot connoisseurs can talk about the complexity of cannabis like vintners do wine. They detect sweet flavors, and musky ones, and hints of berries, sandalwood, citrus, mint, pine and almond. An array of more than a hundred chemicals called terpenes brings out the taste and aroma.
Dusting the buds like a light snow are resin glands full of 80 or more cannabinoids, most notably the psychoactive one, THC.
According to George Van Patten, a.k.a. Jorge Cervantes, a renowned grower and author of the 484-page "Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible," the many combinations of these chemicals produce a complex range of sensations.
"This explains why certain medical patients find more relief with specific varieties," he said. "The THC molecule is the same in all cannabis plants. It is the mixture of other elements that play a vital role in changing the psychoactive effect."
Two decades ago, most marijuana smokers bought whatever their dealer had. Now, in the retail environment that sprang up with California's legalization of medical marijuana, they can choose from hundreds of strains of high-quality cannabis.
"Consumers have quickly developed a sophisticated palate," said Andrew McBeth, publisher at the marijuana niche Green Candy Press. "Like fine wine, the marijuana must look amazing, have a distinctive bouquet and have the cachet of being a well-known and popular strain."
The title "master grower" is part of the new marketing. The true connoisseurs scoff at the use of the label except in reference to a handful of the best growers in the world, like Cervantes.
But none dispute the high level of craftsmanship going into cultivation these days, both indoor and outdoor.
"All boats are rising," Cervantes said.
Part of this is due to information. In the past, growers didn't admit what they did, much less discuss their techniques. Now they have written dozens of books and penned a steady stream of articles in print and online. They even teach classes at pot trade schools like Oaksterdam University in Oakland.
Wally, in-house grower for a warehouse dispensary in Long Beach, spent years honing his skills on the underground market after realizing pot helped tamp down the tics he suffered from Tourette's syndrome. A 36-year-old native of Santa Cruz, he first worked trimming the marijuana harvest for older hippies.
"I learned everything about growing, and I had a million questions and they were happy to share," he said. "So many little tricks: They would run molasses in the last weeks of flowering to have sweeter buds. Or they went into caves in Santa Cruz to get bat guano and make it into a tea to put in the soil."
Big Wes has spent more than half his life calibrating his system of growing high-grade marijuana to its utmost efficiency. At 50 years old, he harvests a crop of dozens of plants every week from five rented warehouses scattered along the rutted streets and alleys around the docks of Oakland.
His problem is that OG Kush, the ultra-popular strain he specializes in, produces notoriously low yields of bud per plant. For this reason the scientist has come with a nutrient solution made from deep-sea algae, which he promises will boost the output. Big Wes — who asked that his real name or certain identifying traits not be revealed because his career could land him in federal prison — is going to test it against his usual concoction, and try 15 different combinations of the two.
Big Wes is new breed of cultivator, a "master grower" who produces marijuana that is potent and mold-free, tastes smooth and has a pleasing aroma — the kind of product now expected by ever-more discriminating consumers who frequent medical cannabis dispensaries.
He and others like him have revolutionized weed in recent years, growing sophisticated new varietals with scientific precision and assembly-line efficiency. Their expanding role in the burgeoning industry is shifting cultivation from clandestine rural plots to highly controlled indoor grows in urban centers.
"It's kind of becoming the big leagues now," said Kyle Kushman, a writer for High Times magazine and a grower who teaches organic and "veganic" cultivation classes. "Just like any other industry, as it gets older, the talent gets better."
Pot connoisseurs can talk about the complexity of cannabis like vintners do wine. They detect sweet flavors, and musky ones, and hints of berries, sandalwood, citrus, mint, pine and almond. An array of more than a hundred chemicals called terpenes brings out the taste and aroma.
Dusting the buds like a light snow are resin glands full of 80 or more cannabinoids, most notably the psychoactive one, THC.
According to George Van Patten, a.k.a. Jorge Cervantes, a renowned grower and author of the 484-page "Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible," the many combinations of these chemicals produce a complex range of sensations.
"This explains why certain medical patients find more relief with specific varieties," he said. "The THC molecule is the same in all cannabis plants. It is the mixture of other elements that play a vital role in changing the psychoactive effect."
Two decades ago, most marijuana smokers bought whatever their dealer had. Now, in the retail environment that sprang up with California's legalization of medical marijuana, they can choose from hundreds of strains of high-quality cannabis.
"Consumers have quickly developed a sophisticated palate," said Andrew McBeth, publisher at the marijuana niche Green Candy Press. "Like fine wine, the marijuana must look amazing, have a distinctive bouquet and have the cachet of being a well-known and popular strain."
The title "master grower" is part of the new marketing. The true connoisseurs scoff at the use of the label except in reference to a handful of the best growers in the world, like Cervantes.
But none dispute the high level of craftsmanship going into cultivation these days, both indoor and outdoor.
"All boats are rising," Cervantes said.
Part of this is due to information. In the past, growers didn't admit what they did, much less discuss their techniques. Now they have written dozens of books and penned a steady stream of articles in print and online. They even teach classes at pot trade schools like Oaksterdam University in Oakland.
Wally, in-house grower for a warehouse dispensary in Long Beach, spent years honing his skills on the underground market after realizing pot helped tamp down the tics he suffered from Tourette's syndrome. A 36-year-old native of Santa Cruz, he first worked trimming the marijuana harvest for older hippies.
"I learned everything about growing, and I had a million questions and they were happy to share," he said. "So many little tricks: They would run molasses in the last weeks of flowering to have sweeter buds. Or they went into caves in Santa Cruz to get bat guano and make it into a tea to put in the soil."
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Does J-Lo Have Butt Implants?
I let you be the judge because she is over 40 and got a internet bottom! Leave your thoughts on this below people i'd love to hear you all.
Gun linked to Cop Shooting, Slaying
Chomrean Meas, 19
STOCKTON - The weapon used to kill 42-year-old Stanley Jones in north Stockton on Monday evening is the same one that injured Stockton police Officer Keith Berry on Wednesday night, according to police.
The weapon, a handgun of an undisclosed caliber, was used by Chomrean Meas, 19, to shoot Berry in the 1900 block of Colt Drive, said Detective Joseph Silva of the Stockton Police Department. Meas was shot and killed by Officer Thomas Heslin shortly after Berry was wounded, and investigators have linked the man to Jones' death.
"Meas was related to the (Jones) homicide," Silva said.
Berry remains in the hospital in stable but guarded condition and is receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to the lower abdomen, Silva said.
"There is no date on when he could return home from the hospital," Silva said.
Details on Berry's personal life, such as marital status and number of children, are being withheld at this time to offer his family some privacy, police said.
The extent of Berry's injuries have not been disclosed. The officer was shot when he and Heslin approached a group that Meas was a part of at about 9:40 p.m. Wednesday, police said. Meas did not cooperate with Berry and shot him in the stomach during a scuffle, Silva said.
A preliminary link to Meas' weapon and Jones' death was made Thursday, and Silva confirmed the connection Friday.
A motive has yet to be established in Jones' killing, Silva said. However, the victim's wife, Denice Jones, thinks the door-to-door salesman was the victim of a robbery that turned violent.
Jones was found in the 1900 block of Colt Drive, just a few doors down from where Meas exchanged gunfire with police Wednesday night, according to authorities. The homicide victim lived less than two blocks away from where he was killed.
While many of the details about the slaying are not being released because the investigation is still active, Silva said police wanted to share information about the weapon used in the homicide to help bring closure to Jones' relatives.
Young Verse - Never Stop
Check out one of the tracks that i recorded of Verse in Purple Studios. He doing a whole album here so be on the lookout for that people!
Friday, March 23, 2012
2-Chainz Interview at SXSW
2 Chainzzzz! Down at SXSW, One of the hardest working artist in rap talks to Karen Civil/Beats By Dre TV about his work ethic, appearing on MGK’s remix, How he came with T.R.U. Realigion, getting The Source cover and more.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
I love GrowSocials.com
If you are not familiar with this site i suggest you get over there asap. I have been using this site for some months now and they really do help you grow presence over the internet period. I have a few websites including this one your on, And my merch store running threw there system and it has been great.
It's easy to use and you will see results the first hour of signing up and running your links. What can you lose? But you can gain a lot for your business, blog, company brand etc. www.growsocials.com is definitely a hit in my book when it comes to internet marketing and promotions!
It's easy to use and you will see results the first hour of signing up and running your links. What can you lose? But you can gain a lot for your business, blog, company brand etc. www.growsocials.com is definitely a hit in my book when it comes to internet marketing and promotions!
Kris Jenner's Inappropriate Outfit Copies Daughter Kim Kardashian
Usually, when your mom does embarrassing stuff, you’re the only one who suffers. But in the case of the Kardashians’ mom, Kris Jenner, the world gets to see her cringe-worthy antics.
Most recently, the 56-year-old mother of Kim Kardashian wore an outfit that would be better suited for a 20-year-old (in fact, Kim and sister Khloe have worn similar outfits): hot-pink skinny jeans, black leather jacket, oversized silver handbag, and high-heeled, leopard print mules.
It’s an outfit that a teenager could probably pull off, but Jenner is pushing the fashion bounds in this overly trendy look for her age. The reality TV mom got low marks on the Web. One commenter at the Daily Mail opined the general feeling: “She is a garish attention-seeker. She dresses too young for her age.”
The publicity-hungry mom made waves recently by wearing nothing at all. In “honor” of her son Rob’s 25th birthday, she posted a racy photo of herself when she was pregnant with him. One horrified reader on Yahoo! asked, “What normal person would do that to their son on their birthday? It's one thing to show the picture amongst the family but to post it online for the world.
Starving for attention much?!?”
Another added: “Kris, it is not all about you. Why would you post such a private picture on your blog for all to see and why on HIS birthday? No shame whatsoever.”
Not everyone minded it. One gushed: “I think it’s fantastic she posted this… A pregnant woman is beautiful no matter who she is.”
Author: Claudine Zap
Whitney Houston Died from Drowning, Coroner Says
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston was a chronic cocaine user who had the drug in her system when she drowned in a hotel bathtub, coroner's officials said Thursday after releasing autopsy findings that also noted heart disease contributed to her death.
The disclosure ended weeks of speculation about what killed the Grammy-winning singer on Feb. 11 on the eve of the Grammy Awards.
Houston was found submerged in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, and her death was ruled accidental. Several bottles of prescription medications were found in her hotel room, but coroner's officials said there weren't excessive quantities.
"We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure," Patricia Houston, the singer's sister-in-law and manager, wrote in a statement to The Associated Press.
Beverly Hills police said in a statement there was no evidence of wrongdoing in connection with Houston's death.
Coroner's Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said cocaine and its byproducts were found in Houston's system, and the drug was listed as a contributing factor in her death. He said the results indicated Houston was a chronic cocaine user.
Toxicology results also showed Houston had marijuana, Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril, and the allergy medication Benadryl in her system. Houston died just hours before she was scheduled to appear at producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy Awards bash.
The singer also had buildup of plaque in her arteries that can restrict blood flow. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said the condition is common in drug users, although he said it wasn't clear whether Houston had a heart attack on the day she died.
"It just beats up their heart and they will go to use and they will have a heart attack," he said.
The exact amount of cocaine in Houston's system was not disclosed Thursday but will be contained in a full autopsy report to be released in about two weeks, officials said.
Cocaine use has been known to cause damage to the heart and could have cause Houston's death, said Dr. Michael Fishbein, professor of pathology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He had no role in the investigation.
He said a likely scenario was that Houston's cocaine use interfered with the normal function of her heart.
"There's no reason to drown in a bathtub unless you're incapacitated," Fishbein said.
Family and friends said after Houston's death that they didn't believe she was still abusing drugs.
"I don't think drugs was an issue for her before her death. I don't know what happened that day," Patricia Houston said in a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Houston, 48, was buried in a New Jersey cemetery next to her father after an emotional four-hour funeral service that was attended by friends, family and superstars such as Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Roberta Flack
Houston, a sensation from her first, eponymous album in 1985, was one of the world's best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, turning out such hits as "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," ''How Will I Know," ''The Greatest Love of All" and "I Will Always Love You." But as she struggled with drugs, her majestic voice became raspy, and she couldn't hit the high notes.
Interest in her music skyrocketed after her death, pushing her songs back on to charts and into heavy rotation on the radio.
She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, but Houston's drug use derailed her career and took a heavy toll on her once pristine voice.
But by the end of her career, she was a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming. Her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills and was eventually unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.
"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 television interview with then-husband Bobby Brown by her side.
She had been attempting a comeback when she died. She had finished filming a remake of the movie "Sparkle" in which Houston sang the gospel hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow." Producers of the film have said the singer was a complete professional on the set.
___
Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
The disclosure ended weeks of speculation about what killed the Grammy-winning singer on Feb. 11 on the eve of the Grammy Awards.
Houston was found submerged in the bathtub of her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, and her death was ruled accidental. Several bottles of prescription medications were found in her hotel room, but coroner's officials said there weren't excessive quantities.
"We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure," Patricia Houston, the singer's sister-in-law and manager, wrote in a statement to The Associated Press.
Beverly Hills police said in a statement there was no evidence of wrongdoing in connection with Houston's death.
Coroner's Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said cocaine and its byproducts were found in Houston's system, and the drug was listed as a contributing factor in her death. He said the results indicated Houston was a chronic cocaine user.
Toxicology results also showed Houston had marijuana, Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril, and the allergy medication Benadryl in her system. Houston died just hours before she was scheduled to appear at producer Clive Davis' pre-Grammy Awards bash.
The singer also had buildup of plaque in her arteries that can restrict blood flow. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said the condition is common in drug users, although he said it wasn't clear whether Houston had a heart attack on the day she died.
"It just beats up their heart and they will go to use and they will have a heart attack," he said.
The exact amount of cocaine in Houston's system was not disclosed Thursday but will be contained in a full autopsy report to be released in about two weeks, officials said.
Cocaine use has been known to cause damage to the heart and could have cause Houston's death, said Dr. Michael Fishbein, professor of pathology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He had no role in the investigation.
He said a likely scenario was that Houston's cocaine use interfered with the normal function of her heart.
"There's no reason to drown in a bathtub unless you're incapacitated," Fishbein said.
Family and friends said after Houston's death that they didn't believe she was still abusing drugs.
"I don't think drugs was an issue for her before her death. I don't know what happened that day," Patricia Houston said in a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Houston, 48, was buried in a New Jersey cemetery next to her father after an emotional four-hour funeral service that was attended by friends, family and superstars such as Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Roberta Flack
Houston, a sensation from her first, eponymous album in 1985, was one of the world's best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, turning out such hits as "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," ''How Will I Know," ''The Greatest Love of All" and "I Will Always Love You." But as she struggled with drugs, her majestic voice became raspy, and she couldn't hit the high notes.
Interest in her music skyrocketed after her death, pushing her songs back on to charts and into heavy rotation on the radio.
She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, but Houston's drug use derailed her career and took a heavy toll on her once pristine voice.
But by the end of her career, she was a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming. Her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills and was eventually unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.
"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 television interview with then-husband Bobby Brown by her side.
She had been attempting a comeback when she died. She had finished filming a remake of the movie "Sparkle" in which Houston sang the gospel hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow." Producers of the film have said the singer was a complete professional on the set.
___
Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP
FUNKMASTER FLEX & DJ CLUE PUBLICIZE THEIR FEUD OVER NICKI MINAJ SONG
According to Hot 97's Funkmaster Flex, he recently stole an email from DJ Clue. The email contained a file of Nicki Minaj's latest song "Beez In The Trap," which was set to be played on Clue's radio show. Instead, Flex dropped a bomb on the track while also speaking about why he decided to hack Clue's account. "Let me talk to you once more. You was talking yesterday [like] you want to go. Make sure you're ready to go-pause button-'cause you lost your exclusive tonight. You guys been tweeting about it all day and I took it. Okay? Now, don't make me have to talk to you like this again [laughing], you clown. I'm so built for this. Listen to me June-June, and you listen to me good. I ain't hold this crown for so many years for some box-head cornball to get a record tonight that you thought you was gonna get. Now, you just shut up." He also said that he was competing and added more jabs for Clue. "This is not your arena," he went on. "This radio thing is not your arena. Okay? People sometimes have faith in you because they're hoping you'll be the next Flex. I put a stop to that ten years ago. You can't keep up with me, boy. New York City, I'm so not being disrespectful. I just like to compete." Clue responded with two tweets following the rant. One of them referred to Flex as an "fat old dude" and another to show his ratings. @DJCLUE So this Fat Old dude saying he hacked my email & took a record that never got emailed to me? #CompulsiveLiar Mar 20 via Twitter for BlackBerry®
@DJCLUE I know one thing I'm first in ..The Ratings #1 at Nights 6-10 pm & rated higher 7-12pm Hold That! http://t.co/vGo3QPX6 Mar 20 via Instagram
@DJCLUE I know one thing I'm first in ..The Ratings #1 at Nights 6-10 pm & rated higher 7-12pm Hold That! http://t.co/vGo3QPX6 Mar 20 via Instagram
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Police Shot In Stockton California
More details coming in but so far i done heard a cop was shot on the northside on the 1900 Block of Colt. We will have more for you as the info comes in from our sources out there on the scene people. The shooter is not in custody and there has been 4 shootings in stockton this week.
Purp Reynolds - Can't Help It (feat. D'Anna)
Reppin the Pill (PMG) cuz that's what's real, The labels first female singer of many to come gets on this track with me and does her thing. Support it and if you want the download it will be available for those that sign up to the mailing list.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Skydivers: Hot-Air Balloon Pilot Saved Their Lives
ATLANTA (AP) — As the hot-air balloon rose into the blue Georgia sky, skydiver Dennis Valdez remembers seeing a thunderstorm brewing in the distance. Pilot Edward Ristaino seemed concerned but not panicked as he maneuvered the balloon above a field and told the five skydivers to jump.
It wasn't until Valdez was in midair that he realized how dangerous the weather had become. He looked up and saw Ristaino's balloon rising into a treacherous-looking storm cloud.
"I thought this wasn't a good situation for him," the 36-year-old former Navy officer said, "but there was nothing I can do."
As lightning spidered across the sky and wind buffeted their parachutes, the five skydivers floated safely to the ground.
Ristaino's balloon, meanwhile, was sucked into the clouds and then sent crashing to the earth about eight miles away. His body was found at the bottom of his gondola Monday, nearly three days after the flight.
"If we would have left a minute later, we would have been sucked into the storm," skydiver Dan Eaton said.
The group had taken off Friday evening, ascending from a festival in Fitzgerald, Ga., about 175 miles south of Atlanta. From the air, they could see only a haze that soon turned menacing.
"It started off as just a red dot on the radar, and then it mushroomed very quickly into a big storm," said Ben Hill County Sheriff Bobby McLemore. "This one just popped up out of the blue."
As the storm brewed, the 63-year-old Ristaino spotted a 15-acre clearing and told the skydivers to get out. Three skydivers jumped first, followed shortly after by Valdez and a buddy from about 5,200 feet.
"At least with a plane you can turn around. Or even a helicopter. We were at Mother Nature's mercy and we had nowhere to go," Eaton said. "It was just houses and power lines and trees below us. Then he found a 15-acre field and he says, 'There you go. Get out."
Eaton said he didn't realize how bad the storm had become until he landed and looked up to see lightning cracking and winds howling.
"That's when we started getting nervous," Eaton recalled. "I just said, 'That's turned into something bad.'"
An updraft took Ristaino into the clouds, 17,000 or 18,000 feet up, he told his ground crew via walkie-talkie. Then the storm apparently collapsed the balloon and twisted it into a streamer. He radioed in his altitude changes as he free-fell, apparently hoping to aid ground crews.
"He told them he was in trouble," the sheriff said. "He didn't think he was gonna make it. He kept counting down."
In his last transmission, he said he was at 2,000 feet and saw trees beneath him, the sheriff said.
Sunday evening, Valdez was holding out hope that the pilot was still alive, his basket perhaps hanging from a tree in the heavily wooded area.
After searching the pines and other woods with helicopters, airplanes, horses and all-terrain vehicles, crews found Ristaino's body Monday afternoon. The storm's chaotic crosscurrents had complicated searchers' efforts to figure out where the balloon crashed.
Ristaino operated a balloon sightseeing company out of his home in Cornelius, N.C., about 20 miles north of Charlotte. He was described as a superb balloonist, and his passengers said Ristaino was also an accomplished skydiver himself.
"He could take that balloon, blow it up in his front yard and take it up, missing all those power lines and everything," said Carole White, a neighbor. "He's been doing this for years and years. He loves it."
Eaton, who had flown with him about a half-dozen times before, said Ristaino had expertly navigated his passengers through other rough conditions.
"I've seen him put the balloon down in someone's front yard," he said. "That takes skill."
His passengers were still shaken up on Monday with the news that Ristaino's body had been found.
Valdez said he would have strapped the pilot in with him when he jumped had he realized how dire the situation was. And Eaton said he would always owe a debt to the pilot who put his passengers' safety first and ultimately gave his life.
"None of us ever thought this would be the outcome," he said.
Author: GREG BLUESTEIN
It wasn't until Valdez was in midair that he realized how dangerous the weather had become. He looked up and saw Ristaino's balloon rising into a treacherous-looking storm cloud.
"I thought this wasn't a good situation for him," the 36-year-old former Navy officer said, "but there was nothing I can do."
As lightning spidered across the sky and wind buffeted their parachutes, the five skydivers floated safely to the ground.
Ristaino's balloon, meanwhile, was sucked into the clouds and then sent crashing to the earth about eight miles away. His body was found at the bottom of his gondola Monday, nearly three days after the flight.
"If we would have left a minute later, we would have been sucked into the storm," skydiver Dan Eaton said.
The group had taken off Friday evening, ascending from a festival in Fitzgerald, Ga., about 175 miles south of Atlanta. From the air, they could see only a haze that soon turned menacing.
"It started off as just a red dot on the radar, and then it mushroomed very quickly into a big storm," said Ben Hill County Sheriff Bobby McLemore. "This one just popped up out of the blue."
As the storm brewed, the 63-year-old Ristaino spotted a 15-acre clearing and told the skydivers to get out. Three skydivers jumped first, followed shortly after by Valdez and a buddy from about 5,200 feet.
"At least with a plane you can turn around. Or even a helicopter. We were at Mother Nature's mercy and we had nowhere to go," Eaton said. "It was just houses and power lines and trees below us. Then he found a 15-acre field and he says, 'There you go. Get out."
Eaton said he didn't realize how bad the storm had become until he landed and looked up to see lightning cracking and winds howling.
"That's when we started getting nervous," Eaton recalled. "I just said, 'That's turned into something bad.'"
An updraft took Ristaino into the clouds, 17,000 or 18,000 feet up, he told his ground crew via walkie-talkie. Then the storm apparently collapsed the balloon and twisted it into a streamer. He radioed in his altitude changes as he free-fell, apparently hoping to aid ground crews.
"He told them he was in trouble," the sheriff said. "He didn't think he was gonna make it. He kept counting down."
In his last transmission, he said he was at 2,000 feet and saw trees beneath him, the sheriff said.
Sunday evening, Valdez was holding out hope that the pilot was still alive, his basket perhaps hanging from a tree in the heavily wooded area.
After searching the pines and other woods with helicopters, airplanes, horses and all-terrain vehicles, crews found Ristaino's body Monday afternoon. The storm's chaotic crosscurrents had complicated searchers' efforts to figure out where the balloon crashed.
Ristaino operated a balloon sightseeing company out of his home in Cornelius, N.C., about 20 miles north of Charlotte. He was described as a superb balloonist, and his passengers said Ristaino was also an accomplished skydiver himself.
"He could take that balloon, blow it up in his front yard and take it up, missing all those power lines and everything," said Carole White, a neighbor. "He's been doing this for years and years. He loves it."
Eaton, who had flown with him about a half-dozen times before, said Ristaino had expertly navigated his passengers through other rough conditions.
"I've seen him put the balloon down in someone's front yard," he said. "That takes skill."
His passengers were still shaken up on Monday with the news that Ristaino's body had been found.
Valdez said he would have strapped the pilot in with him when he jumped had he realized how dire the situation was. And Eaton said he would always owe a debt to the pilot who put his passengers' safety first and ultimately gave his life.
"None of us ever thought this would be the outcome," he said.
Author: GREG BLUESTEIN
Monday, March 19, 2012
Whopiano - Walk It Bad (feat. Purp Reynolds)
Check out this new joint i got with the homie Whopiano out of the Bay Area. This got that real west coast feel to it that kinda reminds you of that G-Funk
Sunday, March 18, 2012
U.S. Man Convicted In 'Enormous' Tax Scam that Involved Hundreds of Canadians
SEATTLE - A California man has been convicted in a scheme that saw hundreds of Canadians file fraudulent tax refund claims in the United States.
Ronald L. Brekke was found guilty this week of conspiracy and wire fraud after helping nearly 1,000 people falsely claim millions of dollars in tax refunds.
"There were around 630 Canadians who sought fraudulent refunds from the IRS under this (scheme)," said Daniel Wardlaw, spokesman for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation office in Seattle, Wash.
The "enormous" scam reveals the public's vulnerability when it comes to fraudsters, he said.
While tax fraud schemes are common, "the idea on the part of the promoter is to find new victims who aren't aware," he said. However the notion that anyone who could claim a tax refund equal to their personal debt is absurd, Wardlaw added.
Brekke told his victims the U.S. Treasury would pay out tax refunds equal to their personal debt _ a deception known as "1099 OID" fraud, after the form used to claim the refund.
He prepared fraudulent claims worth more than $763 million, though only $14 million or so worth of the claims were paid out by the U.S. government, the IRS said.
A government trial brief shows the ploy earned Brekke more than $400,000 between February 2009 and his arrest in November 2010.
The scam started to fall apart after two of Brekke's co-conspirators, both Canadians, tried to cash refund cheques worth more than $350,000 each at a bank in Bellingham, Wash.
Donald Mason of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., and John Chung of Kelowna, B.C were arrested in October 2009 and the investigation led authorities to Brekke, whose promotional materials were found in Mason's hotel room. They were convicted of fraud in connection with the case.
"The promotional material made clear that Brekke was the mastermind of the scheme," American court documents read.
Emails obtained by IRS investigators showed at least two others organized seminars in Canada to draw more people into the scam, the documents read.
Wardlaw said the IRS typically seeks to recover the full amount doled out in fraudulent refunds. "There can be penalties involved," he said.
"Our goal is to keep any people in the future from being victimized," he said, noting that preventing even one case can save a family from financial ruin.
Brekke faces up to 20 years in prison and is set for sentencing on June 15.
Author: Paola Loriggio in Toronto
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version wrongly misquoted Wardlaw as saying "penalized" in referring to the effect on people's families.
Ronald L. Brekke was found guilty this week of conspiracy and wire fraud after helping nearly 1,000 people falsely claim millions of dollars in tax refunds.
"There were around 630 Canadians who sought fraudulent refunds from the IRS under this (scheme)," said Daniel Wardlaw, spokesman for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation office in Seattle, Wash.
The "enormous" scam reveals the public's vulnerability when it comes to fraudsters, he said.
While tax fraud schemes are common, "the idea on the part of the promoter is to find new victims who aren't aware," he said. However the notion that anyone who could claim a tax refund equal to their personal debt is absurd, Wardlaw added.
Brekke told his victims the U.S. Treasury would pay out tax refunds equal to their personal debt _ a deception known as "1099 OID" fraud, after the form used to claim the refund.
He prepared fraudulent claims worth more than $763 million, though only $14 million or so worth of the claims were paid out by the U.S. government, the IRS said.
A government trial brief shows the ploy earned Brekke more than $400,000 between February 2009 and his arrest in November 2010.
The scam started to fall apart after two of Brekke's co-conspirators, both Canadians, tried to cash refund cheques worth more than $350,000 each at a bank in Bellingham, Wash.
Donald Mason of Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., and John Chung of Kelowna, B.C were arrested in October 2009 and the investigation led authorities to Brekke, whose promotional materials were found in Mason's hotel room. They were convicted of fraud in connection with the case.
"The promotional material made clear that Brekke was the mastermind of the scheme," American court documents read.
Emails obtained by IRS investigators showed at least two others organized seminars in Canada to draw more people into the scam, the documents read.
Wardlaw said the IRS typically seeks to recover the full amount doled out in fraudulent refunds. "There can be penalties involved," he said.
"Our goal is to keep any people in the future from being victimized," he said, noting that preventing even one case can save a family from financial ruin.
Brekke faces up to 20 years in prison and is set for sentencing on June 15.
Author: Paola Loriggio in Toronto
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version wrongly misquoted Wardlaw as saying "penalized" in referring to the effect on people's families.
‘Unhappy’ Alex Smith met with Dolphins, will visit Seahawks
If you take your eye off the ball for a second this week, you'll probably miss something big happening in the wackiest NFL free-agency period we can remember. That's why we've been staking the situation out, and there are several new developments in the Alex Smith story.
On Saturday, Smith flew to Miami to visit with the Miami Dolphins in what turned into a 5 1/2-hour meeting. He was met at the airport by head coach Joe Philbin, offensive coordinator Mike Sherman and general manager Jeff Ireland, and left Sunday morning. That was an expected response after Smith recently turned down a three-year, $24 million deal from San Francisco, and the 49ers jumped into the Peyton Manning sweepstakes as a result.
Last Tuesday, Manning worked out in North Carolina for San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh (the quarterback he replaced in Indianapolis) and offensive coordinator Greg Roman. It was the first of three throwing sessions Manning has conducted for NFL teams this week -- he threw for the Denver Broncos on Friday, and for the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.
According to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee, 49ers' continued pursuit of Manning has disturbed Smith enough that he's taking further steps on behalf of his NFL future -- not only will he be visiting the Seattle Seahawks in the next few days, but he's also considering changing agents from CAA's Tom Condon, who also represents Manning. The Seahawks tried to entice Manning, but never heard back in a serious fashion.
Smith may have a good case if that's what he's thinking. While Condon is masterfully driving up the price for, and interest in, Manning's services, he also extracted a three-year, $16 million contract from the Titans for the services of former Minnesota Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson. It was a nice little combo package on Condon's part -- insuring that the Titans would get Manning's equal attention, while also getting a new deal for a player in Hutchinson, who has obviously seen better days.
Meanwhile, Smith's getting overrun by the Manning frenzy and most likely feeling that Condon can't help but have a conflict of interest at this point. The Dolphins tried to position themselves as major players for Manning, but it didn't work out.
While Smith's distress is understandable to a point, he also must realize that a seven-year NFL career in which he's enjoyed just one above-average season puts him well below Manning in the food chain. He excelled as never before in Harbaugh's offensive system last season, helping the 49ers come very close to their first Super Bowl since 1994, but he's also the very definition of a system quarterback. Much like Green Bay's Matt Flynn, Smith will have to wait until Manning makes his decision for the dominoes to fall.
Of course, the real danger for the 49ers is that they could enter the 2012 season with Manning and Smith off their roster. At that point, they'd be looking at 2011 second-round pick Colin Kaepernick, and possibly former Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Johnson, a free agent whom Harbaugh coached in college at San Diego. It's a worst-case scenario that could be fairly disastrous for a franchise expected to make a very deep playoff run again in 2012, but that's how risky the Manning chase is for all three teams still involved -- while the jilted suitors aim for the "leftovers," the remaining contestants continue to go all-in on Manning, and damn the consequences.
Author: Doug Farrar
Mr. Peebodie - D-Boys & B-Boys Samples
This is a real B-Boy that i have known for years. We used to rock house parties back in the day freestyling to beats and just all around having fun. That is what Peebodie represents and brings to rasp. That feeling of when a B-Boy was to rock a cypher spitting whatever came to mind. That element is lost and needs to be regained in rap music. Support the homie and listen to his upcoming album taking you back to when it was fun to rap!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Is Now Your last Chance To Get An HDTV Deal?
One reason is that this is normally the time of year (March and early April) when the new 2012 TV models start to arrive in stores, so many retailers may be looking to sell off any inventory of older 2011 sets to make room for the newer models.
But this year there's another compelling reason: Several major manufacturers are moving away from MAP (or Minimum Advertised Pricing) to something called Unilateral Pricing Policy (UPP), which penalizes retailers for selling a TV below the manufacturer's preset price.
Our friends at HD Guru first reported that both Samsung and then Sony are moving to UPP-style policies with step-up 2012 models. Apparently, the new policies go into effect on April 1st of this year.
Here's the big difference between the two pricing policies: With MAP pricing, a manufacturer can cut off co-op advertising funds if a retailer advertised a TV below a minimum price, which is why you often have to actually go through an online retailer's checkout before the price become visible. If the retailer is willing to lose those funds, it can sell the TV for whatever price it wants.
But with UPP, a manufacturer can cut off a retailer's product supplies if the retailer advertises or sells the TV for less than the predetermined minimum price. So basically, the TV's actual selling price is being set by the manufacturer, leaving little wiggle room for dealers to out-discount their competitors.
The move to UPP is seen as way to help brick-and-mortar storefronts, which have higher operating costs, remain competitive with online retailers, which can generally afford to sell TVs at lower prices. Both Samsung and Sony are imposing UPP on higher-end products with features that benefit from presentations and demos that can be done in showrooms and on sales floors with trained salespeople. These products typically have higher margins for both the manufacturer and retailer.
According to industry sources, the Samsung TVs that will be affected are in its step-up UNES6000, UNES7000, and flagship ES8000 LED-backlit LCD series, as well as E6000, E7000, and E8000 plasma models. All are 3D-capable Smart TVs. Sony's policies apply to similarly featured EX-, HX-, and flagship XBR models.
In addition to the UPP moves by Samsung and Sony, Panasonic recently cut the number of dealers it sells directly to and has restricted the sale of its products via third-party resellers. Once again the goal is to provide some pricing stability for its products in the market.
What all this means for those of us looking for a new TV is that prices on certain 2012 sets from a number of manufacturers will soon be "fixed," much the way products from Apple and Bose tend to be sold at the same prices, regardless of the retailer. Of course, we'll have to wait and see if these companies stick to their guns, especially if other major competitors don't adopt more rigorous pricing policies and the companies' market share starts to suffer.
The good news for those of us now in the market for a new HDTV is that if you're willing to consider a leftover 2011 set, you probably won't have to live without any key new features, as most of the improvements we saw at CES from 2012 models were largely incremental. And the first really novel advances, such as the first "4K" sets and OLED TVs, won't hit until later in the year. And sets with these features are expected to command significantly higher prices.
If you're looking for a new TV, let us know what you think about the move to one-price policies, and whether it will spur you to make a purchase before April 1st instead of waiting. And if so, let us know what you decide to buy.
Author: James K. Wilcox, Consumer Reports
Friday, March 16, 2012
GPS Tracking Disaster: Japanese Tourists Drive Straight into the Pacific
Three Japanese tourists in Australia, misled by their GPS device. Fairfax Media/Getty Images
Three Japanese tourists in Australia found themselves in an embarrassing situation after their GPS navigation system lured them down the wrong path.
The three, who are students from Tokyo, set out to drive to North Stradbroke Island on the Australian coast Thursday morning, and mapped out their path on their GPS system.
The road looked clear, at low tide - but the map forgot to show the 9 miles of water and mud between the island and the mainland.
As the three drove their rented Hyundai Getz into Moreton Bay, they found the GPS device guiding them from a gravel road into thick mud. They tried to get back to solid ground, but as the tide rose they were forced to abandon their car. Passengers on passing ferries watched in amazement.
"It told us we could drive down there," Yuzu Noda, 21, told the local Bayside Bulletin. "It kept saying it would navigate us to a road. We got stuck . . . there's lots of mud."
Noda and her friends made it about 50 yards offshore before they realized they were stranded. A tow truck driver eventually gave them a lift back to the mainland. The students decided not to have the car repaired because of the damage. The car was insured, though Noda will still have to pay about $1,500 that was not covered.
The students will fly back home to Tokyo this weekend, but they said they plan to try a trip to the island again some time in the future.
"We want to come back to Australia again," Noda told the Times. "Everyone is very nice, even today."
Author: Akiko Fujita
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Houston Teen Killed at 'Project X' Inspired Party
A spring break rave in a Houston mansion that was meant to emulate a movie turned deadly early Wednesday morning after several attendees fired guns, killing one person as police tried to break up the party.
The unidentified male victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston police told ABCNews.com.
The party, which attracted between 500 and 1,000 guests, was meant to copy the party thrown in "Project X".
The 2012 movie follows three high school students who throw the ultimate "anything goes" party that spirals out of control. While a damaged home and a bad hangover may be the only consequences partygoers faced in the movie, a string of copycat parties have caused over $100,000 in real damage, handfuls of arrests and the Houston fatality.
Daniel Menjivara, a 22-year-old college student, said "Project X" and the fact it was spring break were the reasons he and many others attended the Houston house party. Menjivara said he was "the exception" at the party and was surprised to find the crowd was mostly composed of teenagers.
"The house got pretty full. You could barely move around," he said.
Trash cans full of spiked punch were set out for partygoers. Wet foam blanketed the floor. Women who wore bathing suits were granted free entry to the party, according to the flyer.
News of the party spread quickly on Facebook and Twitter, attracting a large turnout to the home, which is surrounded by a field. It's not clear if it is occupied during the day. The nearest neighbor is down the street.
Around midnight, police responded to a noise disturbance at the home and shut down the party.
"Kids took to the streets, but the parking lot was overpacked so you couldn't get out," Menjivar said. "It was just people in the actual street. They got into arguments and started shooting each other."
Willie Armstrong, who was at the party, told ABC affiliate KTRK he witnessed the shooting.
"[The gunman] was just walking, and he pulled out a gun and started shooting, like for no reason," Armstrong said. "He shot the boy in the back of the head and fell on the ground. He started shooting at the crowds, but then he ran through the field."
Officers pursued the gunman on foot but were unable to catch him.
"At this time, it has not been determined if the male pursued by officers is the suspect in this case, as it appears several people discharged weapons at the scene," the Houston Police Department said in a statement.
The copycat party wasn't the first in Houston.
Thirteen teenagers were arrested after trashing a new 4,000-square-foot home last Thursday. Nearly every window was smashed. Sheet-rock had been torn out and was left all over the floor of the half-million dollar house.
Police caught up with the teens the next day when they were throwing another party in the new home development.
"I asked some of the kids why, and they said 'Project X.' And I said, 'O.K., what's 'Project X'?'" Mark Stephens, a private investigator working for the home builder told ABC affiliate WFAA. "When you look at the movie, and you look at what happened here, the parallels are uncanny. It was a copycat. They did everything that I saw in the movie."
In Miramar, Fla., Christopher Dade, 18, allegedly caused $19,000 worth of damage to a foreclosed home before he even had the chance to throw his "Project X" inspired party.
The teen posted a four-minute video on YouTube of the house, which he had prepped for the party, complete with "Project X" spraypainted on the walls and "break me" written on a window. Despite arresting Dade on charges of burglary and vandalism, nearly 2,000 people showed up for the all-nighter and were turned away by police.
"We've never had anything of this magnitude," Miramar detective Yesenia Diaz told Channel 10 News of the party.
Author: Alyssa Newcomb
The unidentified male victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston police told ABCNews.com.
The party, which attracted between 500 and 1,000 guests, was meant to copy the party thrown in "Project X".
The 2012 movie follows three high school students who throw the ultimate "anything goes" party that spirals out of control. While a damaged home and a bad hangover may be the only consequences partygoers faced in the movie, a string of copycat parties have caused over $100,000 in real damage, handfuls of arrests and the Houston fatality.
Daniel Menjivara, a 22-year-old college student, said "Project X" and the fact it was spring break were the reasons he and many others attended the Houston house party. Menjivara said he was "the exception" at the party and was surprised to find the crowd was mostly composed of teenagers.
"The house got pretty full. You could barely move around," he said.
Trash cans full of spiked punch were set out for partygoers. Wet foam blanketed the floor. Women who wore bathing suits were granted free entry to the party, according to the flyer.
News of the party spread quickly on Facebook and Twitter, attracting a large turnout to the home, which is surrounded by a field. It's not clear if it is occupied during the day. The nearest neighbor is down the street.
Around midnight, police responded to a noise disturbance at the home and shut down the party.
"Kids took to the streets, but the parking lot was overpacked so you couldn't get out," Menjivar said. "It was just people in the actual street. They got into arguments and started shooting each other."
Willie Armstrong, who was at the party, told ABC affiliate KTRK he witnessed the shooting.
"[The gunman] was just walking, and he pulled out a gun and started shooting, like for no reason," Armstrong said. "He shot the boy in the back of the head and fell on the ground. He started shooting at the crowds, but then he ran through the field."
Officers pursued the gunman on foot but were unable to catch him.
"At this time, it has not been determined if the male pursued by officers is the suspect in this case, as it appears several people discharged weapons at the scene," the Houston Police Department said in a statement.
The copycat party wasn't the first in Houston.
Thirteen teenagers were arrested after trashing a new 4,000-square-foot home last Thursday. Nearly every window was smashed. Sheet-rock had been torn out and was left all over the floor of the half-million dollar house.
Police caught up with the teens the next day when they were throwing another party in the new home development.
"I asked some of the kids why, and they said 'Project X.' And I said, 'O.K., what's 'Project X'?'" Mark Stephens, a private investigator working for the home builder told ABC affiliate WFAA. "When you look at the movie, and you look at what happened here, the parallels are uncanny. It was a copycat. They did everything that I saw in the movie."
In Miramar, Fla., Christopher Dade, 18, allegedly caused $19,000 worth of damage to a foreclosed home before he even had the chance to throw his "Project X" inspired party.
The teen posted a four-minute video on YouTube of the house, which he had prepped for the party, complete with "Project X" spraypainted on the walls and "break me" written on a window. Despite arresting Dade on charges of burglary and vandalism, nearly 2,000 people showed up for the all-nighter and were turned away by police.
"We've never had anything of this magnitude," Miramar detective Yesenia Diaz told Channel 10 News of the party.
Author: Alyssa Newcomb
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