Snooki Taken Into Custody After Driving Into Italian Cop Car

It takes talent to be able to get into trouble everywhere you go. No one exemplifies this statement more than our darling Snooki, who is currently in custody in Florence, Italy. She crashed into a car while driving and — because this is Snooki and life does this to her — the other vehicle just happened to be a cop car!

Fortunately for Snookums, she hadn’t been drinking. A source reported that “zero alcohol was involved,” which is a lucky break, but she’s still in trouble considering the city of Florence and the Jersey Shore cast don’t exactly get along. This occurred yesterday, and TMZ reports that no one’s been injured and this isn’t a formal arrest. Apparently Deena Nicole (of bridge hopping fame) was in the passenger seat at the time. Free Snooki, Italy! FREE SNOOKI! Priceless.

Author: Ambika Muttoo

A Title Means the World for LeBron James

MIAMI – LeBron James(notes) needs championships, a fistful of rings, and everything changes for him. Victory validates everything. People can disdain his decision to front-run with Dwyane Wade(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes), to talk of himself in the third person, but nothing else matters. Championships change everything.

James never wanted to be the villain, but bad advice and a worse sense of self delivered the black hat. Publicly, people started to see what those on the inside had always witnessed for themselves. From USA Basketball threatening to ban him from the 2008 Beijing Olympics to a behind-the-scenes diva act in Cleveland, his infomercial on his personal cable TV network had been the stunning culmination of a lifetime.

“We got a lot of flack this year, mostly because of myself,” James said.

These Miami Heat were always going to win championships. They’re too talented, too devastating a combination to be kept down. There was only the matter of whether the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers had a title or two left in them before the Heat took over. Only fools sold the idea that this could be a colossal failure over the long term. They don’t get to play this “we’re-proving-people-wrong” nonsense. They started slowly, struggled, because they believed it would be easy. Most of us did.

James sees it differently now, and that’s wise of him. He’s grown a little smarter, and presumably so have those surrounding him. He listens to people beyond his inner circle, and the benefits have been unmistakable this season. When James stopped saying things which necessitated apologies and clarifications, something amazing happened: The swirl surrounding the Heat subsided, the team played far more consistent ball and the James-Wade partnership galvanized on the floor.

Now, James marches into Game 1 of the NBA Finals with devastating playoff carnage left in his wake. Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowtizki has been the most spectacular scorer of this postseason, but James has been the best player. He’s defended four positions on the floor – including an absolute shutdown of MVP Derrick Rose(notes) in the Eastern Conference finals. His ability to score with such ease is an immense testament to playing with Wade, who makes it impossible for defenses to completely load up on LeBron.

Scottie Pippen dared compare James favorably to Michael Jordan, but clearly it isn’t an outrageous suggestion. Yes, James needs his championships, but he has something that Kobe Bryant(notes) never did: a superstar perimeter teammate to make his life easier. Winning six titles won’t make either of them Jordan, just as falling short of six doesn’t disqualify them.

The requisite burden for James becomes chasing the Jordan comparisons, but James has a much, much more difficult job. Everything makes it harder to win titles now – more teams, more global stars deepening the talent pool, more difficulty in keeping a team together. Coaching is better. Preparation to stop a great player is so much more sophisticated with technology and an ability to break down holes and weaknesses on teams.

Jordan was so fortunate to have as his general manager Jerry Krause, a man who surrounded Jordan in two different eras – pre- and post-baseball – with the perfect complements. James needed free agency to find his Pippen, but Krause flipped Olden Polynice on draft day in 1987 to give Jordan a top-50 teammate. It should’ve been so much harder for the Bulls to find a superstar sidekick, but Jordan – who wanted North Carolina’s Joe Wolf in the draft – had one of the best talent evaluators ever on his side.

So much about today’s NBA is still seen through the prism of the Jordan era, and the belief that Jordan never would’ve chased a fistful of rings by running with rival stars. No one will ever know because he never had to do it; Krause put the rosters together for him. James still believes his villainous reputation comes from leaving Cleveland for Miami, but no one outside of northeastern Ohio was that bothered with his bolting for Miami. It was the walk-up to the departure, the television show, the smoke-filled stage with his new teammates in mid-July. That stayed with the public, and it stayed with those within the league.

This delivered LeBron James the villain act, but that’ll change soon because winning changes everything. The narrative will change because it always evolves. However James acted, however he rubbed people, a fistful of rings forever validates and vindicates. Everyone says the pressure’s on Nowtizki to win his title at an advancing age of 32, but this is James’ second trip to the Finals and this is the burden he thrust upon himself with the formation of the NBA’s super team in South Beach.

For all the flack James says he brought on the Heat this year, the flip side comes now: Win a title and all the praise, all the adulation, comes for him. This has never been a complicated formula in American sports, and never will. James can behave how he wants – good, bad or somewhere between – and it won’t matter. Only now, it’s the scoreboard.

Pat Riley was right: There’s winning and there’s misery. That’s all that’s left for LeBron James now. That’s the NBA Finals for him.

Author: Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo Sports

LRG Founder Jonas Bevacqua Passes Away.

Today mark one of the saddest day in fashion history. Jonas Bevacqua founder of L-R-G has died. Karmaloop tweeted this morning: “Our thoughts & prayers go out to the loved ones of Jonas, co-founder of LRG. We’re deeply saddened by this news. Rest in Peace.”

Jonas 34 year old, was found dead in Los Angeles Today.
An Insider said he died in his sleep.

Jonas Bevacqua founded LRG in 1999 with Robert Wright and was one of the fastest growing apparel company ever. Jonas Bevacqua inspired all of us. He was a true innovator and his vision of bringing all the different culture together was something that will live on forever. It’s safe to say that if there wasn’t LRG there weren’t going to be ENTREE LS. Today, streetwear suffer a big loss and the game will never be the same. For anyone that don’t respect LRG for what they were and what they’ve become.. you need to do your research before you hate. If you don’t respect what they’ve done for the streetwear game then you just a poser. If you own a brand, you already know. Don’t front like LRG didn’t inspire you, all those before him such as stussy, haze, fuct, freshjive etc made streetwear… LRG made it a lifestyle. Jonas, Big brother, idol, and biggest inspiration to a lot of us..REST IN PARADISE JONAS, we know you’re fresh up there with your LRG on – Team Entree.

Author: Entree

Sean Kingston Hospitalized

MIAMI - Hip-hop singer Sean Kingston has been stabilized and moved to the intensive care unit at a hospital after crashing his watercraft into a Miami Beach bridge, his publicist said Monday.

The publicist, Joseph Carozza, said Kingston's family is grateful for everyone's prayers and support.

Kingston and a female passenger were injured when the watercraft hit the Palm Island Bridge around 6 p.m. Sunday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesman Jorge Pino said.

The Miami Herald reports that a passing boater saw the accident and took the two on board his vessel.

Both were hospitalized early Monday at Ryder Trauma Center, but Pino said he didn't know their conditions.

Authorities are investigating the crash, and "nothing at this point would indicate that alcohol played a role," Pino said.

Kingston rose to fame with his 2007 hit "Beautiful Girls" and was also featured on songs by artists including Justin Bieber. His self-titled debut album sold over 1 million copies worldwide.

On Twitter, Bieber posted a message of support for Kingston.

"Got my friend Sean Kingston in my prayers tonight," Bieber tweeted early Monday. "A true friend and big bro. Please keep him in your prayers tonight as well."

A number of hip-hop musicians were in Miami Beach over the weekend for Urban Beach Week.

In a 2007 interview with The Associated Press, Kingston described his music as a fusion of reggae, pop, rap and R&B.

"It's Sean Kingston genre. I have my own genre," Kingston told the AP at the time. "No disrespect to no artist or dudes out there. I feel like I am my own person. I am doing my own thing."

His music has been unique among hip-hop offerings, as Kingston refused to use profanity.

"To put it in my music, that's not the message I am trying to send out," he said in the 2007 interview. "That's not the type of artist I am trying to be."

Woman shot to death Saturday night in San Jose

Police are investigating the Saturday night murder of a 35-year-old San Jose woman, who died of gunshot wounds in a black Mercedes-Benz sedan.

San Jose police officials did not release the identity of the woman, who was killed in the 4000 block of Ambler Way.

At 10:37 p.m., police responded to reports of a "disturbance" and gunfire. When officers arrived, they found a woman with gunshot wounds in a Mercedes-Benz. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the San Jose Police Department.

About 20 minutes later, police were notified that a 20-year-old San Jose man walked in to the emergency department of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose with gunshot wounds. The man, whose name also was not provided, was treated and released for non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and taken to the police department for questioning. Police said the man was struck by gunfire near the location of the murder.

The relationship between the woman and man is unknown. It is unclear if the woman and man were involved with the disturbance on Ambler Way or if the incident is gang-related or tied to other recent killings or stabbings, police said.

The investigation has been hampered by the fact that potential witnesses have been uncooperative with investigators, police repored.

Big Sean - "Finally Famous" Album Cover

This Guy Has Been Making A Name For Himself In Hip hop. Stated To Drop June 28th Here Is Big Seans Cover Art! Below Is His Song That Might Familiarize Him With You!

Pink pork won't kill you according to the USDA

If you're one of those pork connoisseurs who prefers your chop or tenderloin to be pink in the middle, rest assured: As of Tuesday, the USDA says you're in the clear as far as food-borne illness is concerned.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service has lowered its temperature recommendation for cooking pork to 145 degrees -- down from 160. (This means that pork will be held to the same standard as beef, veal, and lamb.) Moreover, it is recommended to let the pork rest for three minutes after removing it from the grill or oven; the temp will continue to rise slightly while killing any remaining pathogens.

Of course, there's an inherent irony in the fact that the USDA is lowering pork's minimum temperature ...

It's that professional chefs have been cooking pork this way FOR YEARS! Now home cooks and backyard barbecuers can finally catch up to the restaurant standard without worry. But the question is: Will they?

The USDA's longstanding 160 degrees recommendation is so ingrained in our minds, it may be difficult for some to adjust to the new temp, explains Rob Weland, a chef at an upscale restaurant in Washington:

People have been taught this for generations and it's going to take a long time to get this removed ... It will be good for the next generation not to be so fearful so they can enjoy pork in a way they may not have been able to in the past.

Pork producers have been lobbying the USDA for years to lower the recommendation, arguing that improved feed and housing methods -- namely, moving hogs into bird- and rodent-proof buildings -- reduced the risk of pathogens and disease. From the consumer point of view, it's surprising to learn they were successful this time around given all the recent horror stories in the media about how factory farms are harmful to animals, the environment, and most important, the public.