Grammy Winning Producer, Phil Ramone Dead At 72

Ramone won 14 Grammy Awards and worked with Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, Elton John and Tony Bennett. He produced three records that went on to the championship of music taking home Grammys for album of the year. Our prayers and condolences are with the Ramone family.

Quake measuring 6.1 shakes Taiwan, no reports of damage

(Reuters) - An earthquake with a magnitude of at least 6.1 shook Taiwan on Wednesday, official agencies said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey registered the quake with a magnitude of 6.3. The epicenter of the quake was near central Taiwan at a depth of about 15 km (9 miles), said Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau, which uses the Richter scale. In September 1999, a 7.6 quake killed more than 2,400 people and destroyed or damaged 50,000 buildings. (Reporting by Faith Hung)

PLEASE VOTE FOR ME TO BE ON THE 2013 UNSIGNED ARTIST TOUR

Here go the email i just got people i need you to repost that vote post i did. (Congratulations, You have been short listed for the 2013 Tour. We're counting your votes this week so you Must get extra people voting for you now.) Please vote for me "Purp Reynolds" to be accepted for The Unsigned Tour. Visit: http://www.unsigned201.com/vote

Father Kills Son, Self In Pennsylvania

A father killed his two-year-old son and then himself during a custody exchange in Pennsylvania this weekend. According to the Lewistown Sentinel, Kenneth Ayers shot his estranged wife multiple times, killed his two-year-old son Michael, and then took his own life. The woman, Hollie Ayers, is expected to survive. Police said that the tragic incident happened during a routine custody exchange. Hollie Ayers and Michael went to meet Kenneth at his mother’s house in Huntingdon County for a supervised visit. Kenneth and Hollie started arguing and eventually Kenneth pulled out his gun and started shooting. Ayers killed his son and injured his wife. He also reportedly fired shots at his mother before fleeing the scene in his truck. Officers found him dead in the truck several hours later. The Altoona Mirror says that Ayers used a .40 caliber handgun. He shot Hollie once in each leg and then again in her right arm. Ayers then loaded the boys body into his car. When Hollie tried to stop him from leaving he shot her again in the face then fired several shots at his mother. Hollie and her mother-in-law, Mary Olive, were both able to give statements to police. Hollie and Mary said that the boy was killed intentionally by Kenneth and not by stray bullets. Huntingdon County District Attorney George Zanic said: “Words can’t describe the scene … heartbreaking.” Zanic said that Kenneth was under a protection-from-abuse order that forbid him from making contact with his wife. The 56-year-old man was still allowed to have supervised visits with his son once a week at his mother’s house. Police are currently investigating to see what sparked the rampage. An autopsy will also be conducted to see if Ayers was using any drugs or alcohol at the time of the shooting. Sadly, this isn’t the first murder suicide involving a child this year. A woman in Connecticut killed her two young grandsons before taking her own life last February. Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/587535/father-kills-son-self-in-pennsylvania/#4MVLXCaQIQRqjjvZ.99

Wall at University Of Pacific in Stockton (at Don and Karen DeRosa University Center)

Airport sign falls on family, killing boy

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A sign at the Birmingham airport fell on a family Friday, killing a 10-year boy and injuring other family members. Deputy Coroner Derrick Perryman said 10-year-old Luke Bresette was pronounced dead at Children's of Alabama. Two other children were being treated there, and the mother, Heather Bresette, was taken to University Hospital, where spokeswoman Nicole Wyatt said she was in critical condition. Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Derrick Perryman confirms the family is from Overland Park, Kan. Firefighters estimated the arrival-departure sign weighed 300 to 400 pounds. Albert Osorio, 46, of Birmingham told al.com (http://bit.ly/XvWV7p) that he was close by when the sign fell. He said a loud boom was followed by screams from the family and witnesses. Then he and five other passers-by lifted off the sign. "The whole thing flipped down on those kids. It took all of us here to stand it up," he said. Airport spokeswoman Toni Herrera-Bast said officials aren't sure how the sign fell. She said it happened about 1:30 p.m. Friday in a pre-security area of the airport. The airport continued operating while rescue workers tended to the family. The airport completed the first phase of a more than $201 million modernization effort and opened newly renovated concourses last week. Mayor William Bell issued a statement saying the city offered its full support to the Airport Authority in investigating.

Jennifer Capriati charged with stalking, battery

Jennifer Capriati, now 36, has had a tough road since her days as a teen tennis prodigy and a stint atop the world rankings. Although she's a three-time major winner and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, she's had difficulties off the court, with arrests ranging from shoplifting to marijuana possession. And the problems continue. Capriati now faces battery and stalking charges in Palm Beach County, Florida stemming from an incident with an ex-boyfriend on Valentine's Day. According to North Palm Beach police, Capriati approached her ex-boyfriend, Ivan Brannan, at a gym and began screaming at him. When he tried to leave by going to the men's locker room, Capriati allegedly blocked his path and punched at his chest. The summons indicates that she "actually and intentionally touch[ed] and [struck]" Brannan and "willfully, maliciously and repeatedly follow[ed], harass[ed]" him.

Brian Urlacher says contract offer from the Bears was an ultimatum

The Chicago Bears announced on Wednesday that they were unable to reach agreement on a new contract with longtime middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and that the two sides were moving on from one another in 2013. According to the report, the Bears offered Urlacher, who earned $8 million in 2012, a one-year contract worth $2 million, with only $1 million in guaranteed money. Urlacher's camp had been seeking a two-year contract worth $11.5 million, but they would offer the Bears a counter proposal worth $3.5 million for one season.

Pic of the day

There shirts say it all for me about the deadly disease.

Mac Duna - Make It Work (feat. 2 Chainz, J-Diggs, Philthy Rich)

LIONFEST 2013 at SXSW

112 year old Lodi Zinfandel

Another major development signaling the maturity of Zinfandel, says Byers, was the 2013 ZAP’s inclusion of “a Terroir Tasting Area to compare and contrast flavor profiles between different Zinfandel growing regions like Dry Creek, the Sierra Foothills, or Lodi.” In a ZAP Flights seminar, taking place the day before the Grand Tasting, the Historic Vineyard Society – dedicated to the preservation of heritage vineyards throughout the state – put on a terroir-focused tasting of three of California’s major Zinfandel regions (including Lodi, presented by Turley Wine Cellars’ Tegan Passalacqua). With increased sophistication of Zinfandel lovers comes increased appreciation of the specific vineyards from where the finest Zinfandels are sourced. Says Byers, “Perhaps the two wines that impressed me the most were the McCay Cellars Truluck’s Vineyard Zinfandel from Lodi and the Andis Winery Estate Zinfandel from Amador. Both of those wines broke the mold of their regions. While words like rustic and tannic are often attached to the wines of the Sierra Foothills, and raisined and ripe to those of Lodi, both these wines were fruity, stylish, flavorful, and balanced.”

Earthquakes that make Gold

Water in faults vaporizes during an earthquake, depositing gold, according to a model published in the March 17 issue of the journal Nature Geoscience. The model provides a quantitative mechanism for the link between gold and quartz seen in many of the world's gold deposits, said Dion Weatherley, a geophysicist at the University of Queensland in Australia and lead author of the study. When an earthquake strikes, it moves along a rupture in the ground — a fracture called a fault. Big faults can have many small fractures along their length, connected by jogs that appear as rectangular voids. Water often lubricates faults, filling in fractures and jogs. About 6 miles (10 kilometers) below the surface, under incredible temperatures and pressures, the water carries high concentrations of carbon dioxide, silica and economically attractive elements like gold.

Why i will not be in Dubai anytime soon

If you're taking your first holiday in Dubai, remember you're visiting a different culture to that you may be used to in the US, UK, Europe or other Western countries. It's an Islamic culture and different rules and laws apply, so take note of the following things not to do. Linked to this page on behaviour you'll also find our pages on Dress, Drink & Drugs, Water, Necessities and other Information Sources that will be of use to you especially if you're a first-time visitor to 'Plastic Fantastic' Dubai. Some basic behavioural rules must be obeyed: Islam is the official religion. Do not criticize it or distribute material that speaks against it. Eating in public during the Holy month of Ramadan is prohibited from sunrise to sunset and visitors should consume meals in the confines of their hotel or residence. Visit our page on Ramadan for more information about it. Men and women should not kiss or show overt affection in public - holding hands, hugging and kissing is not recommended and public sexual acts can lead to prison and deportation.. Cross dressing should also be avoided. However don't be surprised to see Arab men rubbing noses and Indian men holding hands - it's just a sign of close friendship, nothing else. Shaking hands is only acceptable between two men. It is generally considered unacceptable for a man to shake hands with a Muslim woman or a woman to shake hands with a Muslim man. Don't photograph Muslim women and families or indeed anyone in national dress without permission, or any government buildings. Don't put your feet up on chairs or tables or sit in such a way that the soles of your feet or footwear show or point at anyone. If you swear at or insult somebody or make an offensive gesture and they complain to the authorities about this, it could lead to a fine or imprisonment. If you're caught smoking in any government facility, offices, malls and shops, you're likely to be fined. Smoking in restaurants and bars is usually OK. Members of opposite sexes living together if not married, pre-marital sex and homosexuality are all illegal in Dubai and are punishable by prison and deportation! In fact, any sexual relationship outside marriage is illegal. Ladies, topless sunbathing or wearing micro bikinis is not permitted on beaches, even the private beaches of hotels. In Sharjah, women are not even allowed to wear swimwear on beaches! Blokes, it is not appropriate to walk along the street bare-chested. If you're driving, don't cross a red light, you could be sentenced to a month's detention and be fined! If you're walking, do not jaywalk or cross roads where there are no clear pedestrian markings. If you're consuming, holding, buying or selling drugs, this is a crime in Dubai and on entering Dubai when thorough baggage screening is carried out - jail or even the death penalty beckons! It's against the law to walk in the street drinking alcohol or be drunk in a public place. There's a zero-tolerance policy to drink driving, including the day after the night before - it's simple, if you're driving or likely to drive, you just don't drink - jail beckons! Take a taxi! In Sharjah all alcohol is totally banned. Don't drink alcohol in the open, in public places or in vehicles and don't be found to be 'under the influence' of drink or drugs in any of these places - jail beckons again! Don't criticize the ruling royal families of any of the seven emirates or prominent business families. Be aware that the UAE does not have any formal relations with Israel and the government publicly supports any cause involving the Palestinian people or Palestinian statehood. Do not be critical of this.

U.S. stumbles again in World Baseball Classic, losing to Mexico in opener

PHOENIX – As grim and grisly as the first two versions of the World Baseball Classic turned out for the United States, the possibility now exists for 2013 to set an almost-unbeatable level of futility: Team USA may well be done after its second game. Such ugliness would take a little bit of help and a little more ineptitude, though after watching Mexico coast to a 5-2 victory over the Americans in front of a raucous Chase Field on Friday night, a sobering truth resonated: In WBC games, the country that invented the sport has lost more than it has won. It's true. Three WBCs, 15 games, seven victories, eight losses. And few as costly as Friday night's. The Americans buried themselves under an early deficit and were suffocated by bad plate discipline, runners stranded and subpar starting pitching. And by the end of the night, amid "Olé" chants from Mexican fans still sponging in a delicious win, Team USA, perpetual favorite and historic underachiever, found itself staring at WBC Gag 3.0. "In tournament play, talent does not always win," said U.S. starter R.A. Dickey, who allowed four runs, including a pair on the third-inning Adrian Gonzalez home run that broke the game open. "That's just the way it is." Indeed, and a duality sprouts from the format: The best team may not win, but the games themselves take on far more gravity. The Americans find themselves in an ugly spot of their own doing. With their ace pitcher on the mound and a lineup populated by All-Stars, they lost to a team with two stars, Adrian Gonzalez and Yovani Gallardo, and a potpourri of fill-ins, fringe guys and flameouts. It was, actually, pretty typical for Team USA in the WBC. Considering everyone in the sport, including commissioner Bud Selig, believes the Americans must win the tournament in order for it to evolve beyond this cute little thing baseball tries to shove down fans' throats every four years, the U.S. played Friday like it was activating a little-known provision in NAFTA that called for the country to give away ballgames to Mexico. Now the U.S. faces a number of scenarios, none of which is altogether desirable. Two teams out of the U.S.-Mexico-Italy-Canada foursome will advance to Miami. Italy is 2-0, Mexico 1-1 and Canada and the U.S. 0-1.

Earth gets a rush of weekend asteroid visitors

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., March 9 - An asteroid as big as a city block shot relatively close by the Earth on Saturday, the latest in a series of visiting celestial objects including an asteroid the size of a bus that exploded over Russia last month, injuring 1,500. Discovered just six days ago, the 460-foot long (140-meter) Asteroid 2013 ET passed about 600,000 miles from Earth at 3:30 p.m. EST. That's about 2-1/2 times as far as the moon, fairly close on a cosmic yardstick. "The scary part of this one is that it's something we didn't even know about," Patrick Paolucci, president of Slooh Space Camera, said during a webcast featuring live images of the asteroid from a telescope in the Canary Islands. Moving at a speed of about 26,000 miles per hour, the asteroid could have wiped out a large city if it had impacted the Earth, added Slooh telescope engineer Paul Cox. Asteroid 2013 ET is nearly eight times larger than the bus-sized asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, on February 15. The force of the explosion, equivalent to about 440 kilotons of dynamite, created a shock wave that shattered windows and damaged buildings, injuring more than 1,5000 people. Later that day, another small asteroid, known as DA14, passed about 17,200 miles from Earth, closer than the orbiting networks of communications and weather satellites. "One of the reasons why we're finding more of these objects is that there are more people looking," Cox said. Two other small asteroids, both about the size of the Russian meteor, will also be in Earth's neighborhood this weekend. Asteroid 2013 EC 20 passed just 93,000 miles away on Saturday - "a stone's thrown," said Cox. On Sunday, Asteroid 2013 EN 20 will fly about 279,000 miles from Earth. Both were discovered just three days ago. "We know that the solar system is a busy place," said Cox. "We're not sitting here on our pale, blue dot on our own in nice safety ... This should be a wakeup call to governments." NASA has been tasked by the U.S. Congress to find and track all near-Earth objects 0.62 miles or larger in diameter, and estimates about 95 percent have been identified. However, only about 10 percent of smaller asteroids have been discovered, NASA scientists have said. The effort is intended to give scientists and engineers as much time as possible to learn if an asteroid or comet is on a collision course with Earth, in hopes of sending up a spacecraft or taking other measures to avert catastrophe. About 100 tons of material from space hit Earth every day. Astronomers currently expect an object about the size of what hit Russia to strike the planet about every 100 years. (Editing by Tom Brown and Todd Eastham)

Juelz Santana - Nobody Knows (feat. Future)

Valerie Harper Has Terminal Brain Cancer

Valerie Harper is facing a devastating diagnosis: terminal brain cancer. The television icon – beloved for her role as brash New Yorker Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off, Rhoda – received the news on Jan. 15, she reveals to PEOPLE in this week's exclusive cover interview. A battery of tests revealed she has leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a rare condition that occurs when cancer cells spread into the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the brain. Her doctors say she has as little as three months left to live. Resolved to face her last days with courage and humor, "I don't think of dying," says the actress, 73, who previously battled lung cancer in 2009. "I think of being here now."

Home ownership back on the rise in US

Home sales are slowly climbing back, thanks to investor demand, improving consumer confidence in housing, and the surprising return of former homeowners who once walked away from their commitments. These so-called, "strategic defaulters," some of them investors and some owner-occupants, are coming back to the market, despite damaged credit, and apparently the market is welcoming them back. A new survey of past clients by YouWalkAway.com, a website that assists borrowers in the legal pitfalls of strategic default, found that nearly 80 percent expressed a desire to buy a home again within the next twelve months. It also cites data by Moody's analytics, showing that the number of eligible home buyers who have had a previous foreclosure will be 1.5 million by the first quarter of 2014. Crashing home prices and sketchy mortgage products caused millions of Americans to default on their loans and eventually lose their homes. For some, it was a tragic fight to the end to keep their single largest investment; for others it was a conscious decision to walk away from their mortgage commitments, given the real fact that they would likely not see home equity again for many years to come. Some saw this as morally reprehensible, others as a sensible business decision. While home ownership has fallen dramatically since the recent housing boom, from a high of 69.2 percent in 2004 to 65.4 percent at the end of 2012, according to the U.S. Census, the desire to own a home is still strong. 70 percent of Americans surveyed by online real estate website Trulia.com said homeownership was still a part of the "American Dream." 65 percent of those surveyed by Fannie Mae in January of 2013 said that if they had to move, they would buy a home, rather than rent. Coming back to home ownership may not be as difficult as some think. Consumers who only defaulted on their mortgage during the recent recession were far better risks than those who went delinquent on multiple credit accounts, like credit cards and auto loans, according to a 2011 study by TransUnion. "There appears to be a pocket of opportunity among mortgage-only defaulters that is not the result of excess liquidity, but rather the unique circumstances of the recent recession," said Steve Chaouki, group vice president in TransUnion's financial services business unit in the study release. "This new market segment that the recession created is an important one for lenders to understand. They have the potential, today, to be stronger and more reliable customers." Not surprisingly, given this potential, YouWalkAway.com is launching the "AfterForeclosure.com Pass/Fail App," which claims to tell potential borrowers in just one minute, "if they have a shot at home ownership." "We want people to know that it's possible and, in a lot of cases, it's advantageous," says Jon Maddux, former CEO and co-founder of YouWalkAway.com. It is possible, but mortgage underwriting is far more strict today than during the housing boom, and there are varying waiting periods before former homeowners who went through foreclosure can qualify for a new loan. The Federal Housing Administration, the government insurer of home loans which now backs just over 20 percent of new loan originations, requires a three-year wait. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which own or guarantee the bulk of the remaining new loan originations, require up to seven years for a strategic defaulter to qualify again for a mortgage.

Japanese jeweler selling gold replica of Leo Messi’s foot for $5.25 million

Ginza Tanaka held a special launch event in Tokyo with the help of Messi's brother Rodrigo. The Golden Foot, which commemorates Messi's world-record 91 goals in 2012 record fourth Ballon d'Or win, will be on display at various Ginza Tanaka stores in Japan through June.

Super heroes have come out

LONDON (KABC) -- A British man suspected of fraud and handling stolen goods was escorted to a police station by a person dressed up as Batman. The Feb. 25 incident was all caught on security camera at a West Yorkshire police station. The Dark Knight showed up with the suspect, handed him over and left without a word. Police said they are glad to have the man in custody, but they have no idea who that was in the Batman outfit. (KABC-TV/DT.)

HEADS UP

TSA will allow small pocketknives, golf clubs, hockey sticks & plastic Wiffle Ball-style bats onto US planes starting 04/25

Scientists Report First Cure Of HIV In A Child, Say It's A Game-Changer

Scientists believe a little girl born with HIV has been cured of the infection. She's the first child and only the second person in the world known to have been cured since the virus touched off a global pandemic nearly 32 years ago. Doctors aren't releasing the child's name, but we know she was born in Mississippi and is now 2 1/2 years old — and healthy. Scientists presented details of the case Sunday at a scientific conference in Atlanta. The case has big implications. While fewer than 130 such children are born each year in the U.S., an estimated 330,000 children around the world get infected with HIV at or around birth every year, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. And while many countries are striving to prevent these mother-to-child infections, many thousands of children will certainly get infected in coming years.

Portia Jenkins TRUTHS: DO WEARING NAME BRANDS MAKE YOU LOOK BETTER THAN S...

Portia Jenkins TRUTHS: DO WEARING NAME BRANDS MAKE YOU LOOK BETTER THAN S...:     Ok so what is going on with this red bottom craze? i have seen some pretty funny stories when it comes to red bottoms lol. You really ha...

R. Kelly Spits A Few Bars

The king of R&B performing live in the Bahamas