Monday, April 27, 2009

The Death of Print Media

For grins, next time you're in the mood for a movie, go rent "The Paper" with Michael Keaton and Glenn Close. Released in 1994, it involves a day in the life of a New York City tabloid newspaper.

A self-admitted tech geek, Chris Pirillo is president of Lockergnome.com, a blogging network.

A self-admitted tech geek, Chris Pirillo is president of Lockergnome.com, a blogging network.

What a difference a decade (and a half) makes.

It's a bit like a denizen of the year 1909 trying to fathom the relevance of what went on behind the scenes of 1894's cutthroat horse and buggy industry while Henry Ford's factories roll out Model T after Model T, dramatically changing the world's landscape -- for better and worse -- in ways we're still dealing with here in the 21st century.

Recently, someone asked me about the last time I'd picked up a newspaper, and I couldn't honestly remember when that was.

Actually, no -- I take that back. I picked up a local weekly from our driveway and tossed it into the recycling bin just the other day.

Why dirty up my hands with newsprint when I can just go see the same information presented in the more searchable and easier to share format of a Web edition?

And what if a so-called news agency doesn't have an online edition of its paper? Then I find its relevancy even more dubious and obsolete since it's failed to scoop this bit of hot news that should be apparent to anyone with brains in their noggins: print media is dying.

 

Click to read.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Lady Drama TV: Chingy and the Transvestite, Mario Shaves His Head

Lady Drama talks about Chingy and his alleged sex life, Mario shaving his head and Rihanna’s new decoy of a boyfriend.  Lady Drama breaks down all Black Celebrity gossip for you.  Click the image to watch!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Beyonce’s New Flick

By Reviews R Me

Most of us don’t expect much from Beyonce on the big screen.  I didn’t expect much either.  I only hoped that I could make it through the movie without throwing up or wondering who in the holy hell told her that she could act in the first place.  But this movie was different.  Beyonce did it right and did it well.  Also, with Idris on screen, you always had something good to look at.

Really, you could call this movie “Fatal Attraction for Black people”, since the white lady was the evil monster and all the black people were scared of her.  Shoot, as crazy as she was, I was scared of her too!

I give Beyonce a B on this performance, which is better than the failing grade she normally gets.  Check out the trailer by clicking the image below:

 

Your Black Health: The Swine Flu Panic is On

A group of nuns walk wearing surgical masks in the Zocalo plaza ...

The World Health Organization warned countries around the world Saturday to be on alert for any unusual flu outbreaks after a unique new swine flu virus was implicated in possibly dozens of human deaths in North America.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the outbreak in Mexico and the United States constituted a "public health emergency of international concern."

 

Click to read.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Black News: Jamie Foxx Got Therapy for Movie Role

Oscar-winning actor, singer, comedian and radio-show host Jamie Foxx found it hard to disconnect from his role as a homeless schizophrenic in the new movie "The Soloist." The part was so emotionally taxing that Foxx started therapy to help him cope with the role and keep himself separate from the character.

"It was something that I enjoyed, but it shredded me. I went to places that I never thought I would ever go," he said, according to Bossip. "I just remember being in my bathroom broke down, talking to my manager, like, 'I don't know if I'll be able to finish this.' "

 

Click to read.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Money and love: When Black Men Get Antsy

What does it mean when the man doesn’t make more money than the woman?  Should Gibson’s wife get half of his dough after the divorce?  What if Beyonce makes more than Jay-Z?

Click the image to watch!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Police Officer Under Fire for Joking about Killing a Black Suspect

The NAACP is telling the police department in Erie, PA to fire an officer who was caught on camera making jokes about shooting a Black man in the head.  Click the image to watch.

 

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Legal Problems for WWE: Boy Imitates Game, Jumps Off Building

 

Nine-year-old Domori Miles jumped 13 stories to his death with a makeshift parachute Tuesday evening in New York.

While his mother was away from the apartment, Miles took a makeshift parachute, made of a plastic bag and some rope, and went up to the roof of his Brooklyn apartment building. Then, police believe he jumped off the top of the building, plunging to his death, thinking that his parachute would support his weight.

One of Miles’ friends said the boy was a huge fan of the wrestling video game, “WWE Smackdown vs. Raw,” in which one of the characters swan dives. Some are speculating that Miles was trying to imitate a wrestling move.

“He played it all the time. That was what he was trying to do,” 10-year-old Shakar Murrel told The Associated Press. “If I would have seen him up there, I would have told him not to do it.”
In a statement, WWE expressed condolences to the boy’s family, but also asked that there be a full investigation before any conclusions are drawn, adding that none of the game’s characters use parachutes or jump from buildings.

 

Click to read.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Scurv’s Corner: Black Women, Black Men, and Black Love – What Happens when it Goes Bad?

 

 

Brandy Has a New Show!

Well it seems that everyone and their momma is getting a television deal. First off Brandy is going to be heading back to the small screen in a new sitcom on ABC called "This Little Piggy" where she will be playing the high-maintenance wife of a man who takes in his younger siblings. It also seems that Keisha Knight Pulliam and Fantasia will be getting reality shows of their own. Keisha's show will be about her and her boyfriend Kaseem Penn's life in ATL, and Fantasia's show will just be about her life as a performer and a mother. Now not to sound like a hater but when did Keisha Knight Pulliam become such a big deal, first people start making fake Twitters about her and now a reality show. WTF???
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Posted By LadyBaby to Your Black Gossip at 4/16/2009 12:36:00 PM

Black news: Drop in Black Male Drug incarcerations

For the first time since the war on drugs became a national law enforcement obsession in the mid-1980s, the number of African-Americans in state prisons for drug offenses has declined, a criminal justice reform organization said.

The number of whites in state prison for drugs rose 42.6 percent since 1999, while  blacks dropped 21.6 percent.

The number of whites in state prison for drugs rose 42.6 percent since 1999, while blacks dropped 21.6 percent.

A study released Tuesday by the Sentencing Project found a 21.6 percent drop in the number of blacks incarcerated for drug offenses, a decline of 31,000 people, from 1999 to 2005.

The corresponding number of whites in state prisons for drug offenses rose 42.6 percent, or by more than 21,000 people, while the number of Hispanics was virtually unchanged, according to "The Changing Racial Dynamics of the War on Drugs."

The study, authored by Executive Director Marc Mauer, found that the differences between black and white imprisonments for drug crimes are partly because of how police target suspects and court sentencing guidelines, which vary by state.

Also, there has been a decrease in the use of crack cocaine in predominantly minority urban neighborhoods and an increase in methamphetamine abuse in many primarily white rural areas, Mauer said Wednesday.

Click to read.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

S. Tia Brown: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships and More

relationship-banner

This week I look at issues of respect from both co-workers and your nearest and dearest.
I am 28-years-old and work in an office full of 45-56 year-old women. My issue is how to talk to them when they say things I do not like without being disrespectful. - Young & Angry In The Office

Dear Young & Angry In The Office,
I’m a firm believer of showing deference to elders, however the office isn’t the place to act out societal roles— you’re there to do your job. I firmly believe that the only way to get respect is to demand it. Some people have that certain thing about them that ensures people, whether they’re older or younger, never test them. Other people have to go get it. So how do you command respect? First, you always make sure that you’re on top of your game, for the work environment that means being efficient, punctual and dependable. Second, you have to speak up for yourself and address every infraction in a stern, tactful, professional way. That may mean giving a soliloquy about respect (such as, “we’re all on equal footing here, I give respect and I expect it,”) or taking people aside an individual when they say something that you deem is inappropriate. Only you can determine which approach will work best. Overall you want to make sure that you leave personal roles at home, these ladies are not your aunties, and they’re your co-workers –who likely take issue with working with someone 20 years their junior – so treat them as such.

My fiancé and I are planning a big, lavish, wedding and we have restricted our families to only inviting a certain number of people, so as not to exceed my parent’s budget. My fiancé’s family is insisting on inviting many more people than they are allotted and it has caused the price of the reception to soar. Do you think that I should demand that his family pay for some of the reception, or at least the head count of the additional people that they are inviting, or does that break some etiquette rules?Breaking the Bank for the Big Day

Dear Breaking the Bank for the Big Day,

Etiquette was out of the door once your future in-laws stepped on your toes and didn’t respect your parents’ budget. Since they —like many others—love to plan with other people’s money I would like to tell you to just make them pay for their extra guests, but that could potentially cause long-term strife with your hubby-to-be. Consequently, you need to speak with him first and make sure you’re on the same page about the finances and the numbers. If both families were given an equal amount of guests then it is up to him to make sure that he stands firm by your side when you speak with his family. During the conversation make sure to reiterate that the day is you and your fiancé’s, but you understand why it is to the family, but your parents – who are paying – have given you a budget and it is disrespectful to expect them to pay any excess. Let them know the precise number of people that they are allowed to invite and that any extra guests must be pre-paid for by specific date if they are to be seated. You can also opt to include your parents in on the meeting. I doubt that your future in-laws will speak recklessly or be callous about spending your parents’ money in their faces. With that said…standing firm is only possible if you are financially independent of your in laws. You don’t want to play hardball with someone who’s helping to pay your rent/mortgage or watching your kids for free. So make sure that you’re in a position where you can’t be penalized for standing up for yourself – and your parents – or you may end up paying a bigger price later.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Saudi 8 Year Old Forced to Marry 47 Year Old Man

A Saudi judge has refused for a second time to annul a marriage between an 8-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man, a relative of the girl told CNN.

The most recent ruling, in which the judge upheld his original verdict, was handed down Saturday in the Saudi city of Onaiza, where late last year the same judge rejected a petition from the girl's mother, who was seeking a divorce for her daughter.

The relative said the judge, Sheikh Habib Al-Habib, "stuck by his earlier verdict and insisted that the girl could petition the court for a divorce once she reached puberty." The family member, who requested anonymity, added that the mother will continue to pursue a divorce for her daughter.

The case, which has drawn criticism from local and international rights groups, came to light in December when al-Habib declined to annul the marriage on a legal technicality. The judge ruled the girl's mother -- who is separated from the girl's father -- was not the girl's legal guardian and therefore could not represent her in court, according to Abdullah al-Jutaili, the mother's lawyer.

 

Click to read.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Genma Holmes: Wait? Did Nancy Grace actually Give a Damn and Report a Missing Black Woman?


by Genma Holmes, YourBlackWorld


In today's world, many individuals can deliver the news. News anchors, reporters, journalists, bloggers and talent disguised as cable hosts and then there is Nancy Grace. Nancy Grace is in a genre by herself. She is the only person on television that covers missing kids with some facts and any rumor that can be found on the streets. I am convinced that CNN's Nancy Grace is obsessed with Caylee Anthony and needs psychiatric counseling immediately. With little objectivity and even less professionalism, Nancy conducts interviews equivalent to face offs. Nancy Grace, a former prosecutor, makes me wonder if she believes she can bypass the courts and send anyone straight to jail via her TV show.
Nancy Grace has a special way of making you hate to watch her and hate to miss the next show. Since July, her acid tongue has been fixated on the Anthony family complete with swirling pictures and videos on the TV screen. As a self professed news junkie, I can watch any show on any network with an open mind. But I can only watch Nancy Grace in short intervals. Nancy has become as creepy as a pedophile showing the pictures of Caylee throughout her show. Speaking of perverts, she closes the show to Michael Jackson’s song “Gone Too Soon”. The irony of that is too long to discuss in this posting. I often find myself begging my TV screen to show a child of color missing as if it would answer back.

Click to read.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Your Black Money: The Cost of Raising Children



By: Sarah Horner
April 8, 2009
An article from MSNBC.com entitled, "Budgeting for Baby: What does it really cost?" outlines exactly how much having and raising a child will cost you.
"If you've never been a budgeter, now's the time for a financial reckoning. Experts recommend that parents-to-be and new parents dedicate themselves to whittling down their credit-card debt (ideally — and here's some tough love — to zero), while at the same time, building an emergencies-only savings account of six to nine months' worth of expenses. Do whatever it takes to meet this goal: Spend on a cash-only basis and write down every expense — or use a free online spending tracker like Quicken.Intuit.com or Wesabe.com — so you have a visceral idea of where your money goes. And be prepared to sacrifice. "If you want to prioritize the expense of a child, well, you may not need as many minutes on your cell phone and you may not need as many meals in a restaurant," says Chatzky. "And by the way, you're not going to be going to restaurants much once you have a child, anyway!""
To read the entire article, Click here

Your Black Health: Can Gay Men Now Have Children?

The UK’s Daily Mail is now claiming that:

British scientists are ready to turn female bone marrow into sperm, cutting men out of the process of creating life.
The breakthrough paves the way for lesbian couples to have children that are biologically their own.
Gay men could follow suit by using the technique to make eggs from male bone marrow.
Researchers at Newcastle upon Tyne University say their technique will help lead to new treatments for infertility.
But critics warn that it sidelines men and raises the prospect of babies being born through entirely artificial means.
The research centres around stem cells - the body's 'mother' cells which can turn into any other type of cell.
According to New Scientist magazine, the scientists want to take stem cells from a woman donor's bone marrow and transform them into sperm through the use of special chemicals and vitamins.

Diddy’s Girl Goes for Some Crazy Hair


Nope your eyes aren't playing tricks on you that's Diddy's chick Cassie all half shaved. Now I am not sure what the hell she was thinking maybe she was trying to be like Amber Rose or maybe she just got bored, but then again what else is a girl to do when she is irrelevant. Peep some more pics of her new look below.

I ain't even gonna hate on her she is definitely pretty enough to rock this look
Someone needs to tell her that the "Partying Like a Rockstar" trend is over

Friday, April 10, 2009

Ms. Genma Holmes Speaks on the Urgency of NOW

by Genma Holmes, YourBlackWorld.com

Last month, $2.7 million in federal stimulus money was awarded to the Nashville Career Advancement Center. Partnering with Meharry Medical College and the Oasis Center, 600 jobs created for teens needed to be filled through the grant. A sign up sheet was passed around at the Oasis Center board meeting asking for volunteers. This sounded like such a unique event that I could not help but put my name down.


I imagined all the possibilities and the huge difference this venture would make in the lives of so many teens. An idle mind is the playground for the devil; I can hear my grandfather muttering. Daddy kept folks busy by wearing us out down with work. This was his quick fix for the long hot days of summer and it kept us out of trouble.


With Daddy's words in my head, I volunteered not knowing what to expect. Information about the job fair was sent to schools and the media, but we had no way of knowing how many teens would attend. We are going to be ready for the unexpected I was told by our fierce leader, Hal Cato. I sensed from his tone, he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. The forecast was uncertain for the weekend and a first time job fair for teens had no room for the unknown.
Upon my arrival at Youth Opportunity Center @ 8:15am, I found the command center tent packed with teens. They came early and I sent up a prayer for the volunteers to get here soon. The job fair was scheduled from 10:00-3:00. By 9:00am, young people were everywhere. They were hungry for jobs. I looked outside and my heart skipped a beat and swelled with joy. As far as the eyes could see, folks were in line to snap up the ultimate teen prize, a summer job. It looked like an American Idol audition with kids from ages 14-19 wrapped around the building. How many jobs do we have, I questioned myself and everyone around me? After taking a second and third look outside, I wondered if we were "Jack" and the fast growing lines were going to become gigantic beanstalks.
Some of the vendors that participated at the unprecedented event were: Publix's, the Frist Center, BCN, Goodwill, Youth United, Metro Health Department, Hands on Nashville. Applications from Foot Locker, the Gap, Hobby Lobby, Aeropostle, Subway, Hibbet Sports, Sports Authority, Arby's, Shoe Carnival and a host of others were available for the teens to fill out and turn in. We even had a room filled with computers for writing resumes and several volunteers to assist. No details to finding a summer job were overlooked.

 

Click to read.