WHITE FOLKS REALLY LOVE THEM SOME FACEBOOK . . . AND THEY HAVE NO BOUNDARIES ON HOW MUCH OF THEIR PERSONAL BUSINESS THEY PUT OUT THERE . . . TAKE THIS LADY FOR EXAMPLE!!

At 20 years old, most women are in the process of planning their professional lives, either by going to college or by entering the workforce. For Karen Dixon and her family, however, life is not that picture-perfect.

Dixon, faced with the responsibility of caring for her unemployed mother and her seven siblings, has been forced to turn to exotic dancing in order to meet the family's needs. "Mi nah hide and talk innuh, a dance me dance fi a living."

She explained that her mother, who used to care for an elderly woman, lost her job almost a year ago when the woman she was caring for died. She said since then, her siblings have been sent all over the island to live with various relatives, many of whom are threatening to send them back because they have not received any money.

Dixon explained that her mother is living with a friend as she does not own a home and cannot afford rent. She has been unable to find a job and so cannot afford to send money to the care-givers of her children. All these responsibilities have fallen on Dixon, who is the only employed family member. She said, "Mi mada nuh have no house, she nuh live anywhere, right now she kotching with a friend. Mi affi dance jus' so mi can tek care a mi bredda and sista dem."

earns $8,000

She explained that on average, she earns $8,000 a week and sometimes if she does additional work, she may earn $10,000. Of this amount, she said, she tries to send $8000 to her mother and also to her siblings, some of whom are in St Catherine, while others are elsewhere. She revealed that she sends this figure sometimes twice a week.

Dixon said she did not want to enter the field of exotic dancing, but felt she had no choice as her family was depending on her. She said, "Mi finish school innuh, mi finish high school. But mi never get any subjects because when mi did fi do dem, mi neva have nobody fi pay fi dem. Mi used to do bartending, but it neva work out, so a jus' dis mi affi do fi help dem out."

She pleaded, "Mi really waan fi help mi mada, if she coulda get a house, at least she coulda get back di pickney dem and mi woulda try help her out. Di likkle money wouldn't haffi send all bout di place."

Dixon said she is willing to stop dancing if she gets another job and said she is able to work in a supermarket or do any other job. She also said her mother is willing to work and is able to do domestic work.

She said, "Please, just see what you can do for us. Di condition is really bad."

Anyone willing to help Dixon may call her at 893-2795.

DRAMA!!! RAPPER TEYANA TAYLOR THREATENS TO QUIT MUSIC . . . AFTER R&B SINGER KELLY ROWLAND STEALS HER SONG!!!

Here's a report, from one of MediaTakeOut.com's FAITHFUL readers:

OK SO YESTERDAY ON MARCH 20,2010 A NEW SONG FROM KELLY ROWLAND LEAKED CALLED "SMOOCHES",WELL TO MAKE ALONG STORY SHORT,EVERYBODY ON TWITTER WAS TALKING ABOUT IT & THATS WHEN TEYANA TAYLOR FOUND OUT THAT KELLY'S LABEL LEAKED THE SONG,EVEN THO THE SONG WAS SUPPOSE TO BE TEYANA'S NEW SINGLE FROM HER UPCOMING ALBUM!

WELL SHE GOT ALL UPSET AND SHE RETWEETED A SARCASTIC TWEET KELLY MADE ,AND THEN ALL THE KELLY FANS ATTACKED HER ON TWITTER & a big ARGUMENT BEGIN, WITH TEYANA TALKING TRASH ABOUT KELLY ON USTREAM.

The Daseca Productions crew has a brand new riddim called the Genesis riddim, and it was premiered last night on Bobby Konders & Jabbas show on New Yorks Hot97 radio station. According to a Daseca spokesperson, the Genesis riddim was so-named because they hope that it will mark the rebirth or a new beginning for dancehall music.

How? Well, unlike most riddim releases coming out of Jamaica, Daseca has not leaked the riddim to numerous sound systems and radio deejays in order to give it that first push and get some buzz going. Invariably, that has resulted in the riddims being posted and made widely available online via file sharing and illegal music sites and on forums a factor that undoubtedly contributes to the genres typically weak [legal] sales figures. Beyond last nights premiere on Hot97, there will be a premiere on Jamaican radio later this week and on the Jamaican entertainment scene at the popular Alliance Happy Thursdayz event. That aside however, Daseca are keeping a tight wrap on this new riddim, as they seek to prevent its widespread piracy, and encourage actual sales of the riddim via legal channels.

The Genesis riddim is distributed by Rockstone Media, and features tracks by Assassin, Mavado, Serani, Bugle, Aidonia, Kibaki, Raine Seville, Charly Black and T-Nez. On March 23, 2010, it will be widely available for purchase via popular onlinemusic retailers such as Amazon and iTunes. Will it mark a new beginning for dancehall music? This ultimately lies in the hands of the Jamaican music fans. On March 23, we encourage you to preview the riddim via your favorite [legal] music retailer, and buy it (or individual tracks off it) if you like it.

Celebrity besties Katy Perry and Rihanna are as close as two mega-famous pop stars can get, so it is no surprise that Rihanna is throwing Katy Perry a bachelorette party. Sounds like fun! Oh, we're sure our invitation was just "accidentally" lost in the mail, right Ri-Ri?

Perry has been telling her fiance, Russell Brand, that her party is going to be "every bit as wild as any party he and his boys will throw," which is kind of a bold statement to make, considering that we are talking about bad boy Russell Brand here.

Perry has a reputation for wacky parties: previous party themes have included paint wars and Willy Wonka. We just hope Rihanna knows better than to invite that party-killer swastika boy to this particular fête.

She attacks assistants with bejewelled mobile phones and screams at airline staff . She's also defied a broken childhood to inspire a generation. But now approaching 40, Naomi Campbell appears to be changing from the selfish, ego-driven supermodel to the girl who Sarah Brown nominated as a '21st-century heroine' and who Nelson Mandela calls his 'honorary granddaughter'. The accomplished supermodel gave Live a credible impression of a diva desiring desperately to atone.

"I'm human, I make mistakes, but I've come clean on them all. I don't deny them. I've taken the heat and felt highly embar****ed by a lot of them. I'm not proud of the things I've done and the incidents that have happened in my life, and I would never say I was."

 

Sorry: I've worked very hard on correcting my previous wrongdoings, said Naomi Campbell. 1/1

Naomi says she's looking forward to turning 40, but she's chillingly aware of how close she came to becoming another casualty of the modelling world. Two months away from her 40th birthday (May 22), her skin is completely unlined and there are no telltale signs of Botox or discreet surgery.

"I thought I'd never actually make this birthday, the period from 1998 until 2005 was very difficult," she says. She is now dating Russian billionaire Vladislav Doronin -- the man for whom she has said she's quitting the UK. "We're leaving London, I live in Moscow now permanently and I really love life there.

CUTE COUPLE!!! WWE SUPERSTAR BOOKER T MARRIED HIS WRESTLING PARTNER . . . AND HE KNOCKED HER UP TOO!! (PREGGO PICS INSIDE)

	COMMENTS:

Vivian Blake is dead - Former shower posse leader dies at UHWI
Infamous Shower Posse founder and former leader Vivian Blake died last night at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), THE STAR understands. Blake died after being ill for some time and was reportedly suffering from diabetes. Efforts to get comments from the hospital and close relatives proved futile up to late last night. Blake arrived in Jamaica on January 29 last year, after spending more than eight years behind bars in the United States. Blake landed at the Norman Manley International Airport and was afterwards taken to the CIB headquarters where he was processed. He was sentenced to 28 years in 2000 when he admitted to racketeering and criminal conspiracy that allegedly culminated in about 1,400 murders. He never faced a jury after inking a plea-bargain deal, which resulted in the time he served while in Jamaica being used as part of his sentence.

The dude in this game is just under 7 feet, and only 16 years old . . . DAYUMMMM . . . he's gonna be a PROBLEM!!!

Vybz Kartel has upped the ante in the mushrooming battle over the closure of the Havendale, St. Andrew studio -- which was shuttered by the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation for zoning violations last week -- by alleging that the McGregors, owners of the Big Ship recording studio, had somehow played a role in the studio's closure.

"I heard from accurate sources that it was the "suck p**sy" Stephen McGregor and "bad mind" Freddie McGregor call dem police friend and dem friend in high places fi fight me studio but me want see if KSAC nah lock dung Freddie McGregor studio which is the same Havendale. Dem a gwaan like a dem alone have links inna high places," Vybz Kartel said.

The Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) closed the recording studio frequented by dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel in Havendale, St. Andrew last week. The studio was closed after a notice was served on Father Romie, the owner of the property. The police said no permit had been granted for the studio to be constructed in a residential area. The police and the KSAC have made periodic checks to see whether the owner had complied with the notice.

Freddie McGregor is a respected veteran of the music business whose career began at the age of seven. Known for hits such as "Big Ship", "Push Comes to Shove", and "Just Don't Want to Be Lonely", he started the Big Ship label in 1984.

He later established the Big Ship Recording Studio, and he has produced many artists including Luciano and Mikey Spice. His son, Stephen, has won the producer of the year title two consecutive years running. It is highly unlikely that a shrewd businessman like Freddie McGregor would not have applied for a permit.

THE finances of a well-connected Jamaican businessman, who heads a list of about 30 with massive unexplained wealth, is now the subject of intense scrutiny by the US authorities who have asked Jamaica to gather evidence about how the wealth was accumulated.

A Florida grand jury, which is investigating the activities of an investment organisation, made the request through the United States Attorney General's office to the relevant authority in Jamaica.

 

The Sunday Observer was told that the United States made the request to Jamaica late last year under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), and that that request was one of a few now before the Jamaican authorities.

Information reaching the Sunday Observer is that the businessman has long been under surveillance for illicit activities, including money laundering, as well as human and drug trafficking, even though he tries to operate below the radar.

US officials are said to have zoned in on the US$80-million he used to pay for a franchise, which has subsequently been broken down into several companies under one umbrella. One of the companies in particular has attracted the interest of the grand jury, necessitating the request.

The US believes that monies from the investment organisation were laundered through that specific company.

The purchase is said to have raised red flags in the United States, as although the fairly young businessman has access to immense cash, his personal wealth appears to be excessive.

The businessman has also been linked to the trafficking of Eastern European women between Jamaica and the Turks and Caicos Islands. The allegation is that he flew the women here, where they engaged in high-priced prostitution on the North Coast. After that, they were flown to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

On Friday, state officials declined to comment on the case, or any other, arguing that MLAT matters are confidential.

Contacted for comment on the MLAT process, former attorney general and minister of justice A J Nicholson referred the Sunday Observer to former National Security Minister Dr Peter Phillips who, he said, would be better able to provide information.

Dr Phillips told the Sunday Observer that he could not recall any MLAT request being denied by Jamaica during his tenure.

"I am not sure if there has been a change under this Government, but certainly up to my time, the designated authority in Jamaica was the DPP (director of public prosecutions). And there is a reason for this. This office is independent, and has investigating powers. A government must make sure that such investigations are carried out by such an office," Phillips said.

He said it was not automatic that the minister know of the requests, but out of courtesy, the relevant individuals may be advised by the ambassador of the requesting state before the request is finalised.

He said, however, that if the "particular situation is a sensitive matter, and one that will affect the country's reputation as a whole, the minister could be told by the DPP".

Under the treaty, the central authority in Jamaica is the minister of justice or his/her designee, while in the US it is the United States attorney general.

Before denying or postponing assistance, the central authority of the requested state is required to determine whether help can be given in whole, or in part, subject to such conditions it deems necessary.

However, if the requested state accepts such conditions, that state "is obligated to inform the requesting state as soon as possible of its reasons for denying or postponing assistance".

The treaty also requires that specific information be contained in the request, including but not limited to the law enforcement authority involved, the subject matter and nature of the proceedings for which the request is being sought, and the purpose for which the assistance is sought.

The central authority of each party to the treaty is also required to comply promptly .with a request or immediately advise the requesting state of any objections it has to its request.

However, a highly placed source here said that up to last Thursday the US has not received a response in relation to the businessman's case.

According to one source, the businessman is said to have boasted that he cannot be touched as he is protected by the Jamaican Government.

Last week, Dr Phillips lamented the damage being done to Jamaica's image in relation to treaty matters.

"We are not looking good at this moment with respect to respecting treaties," he said. "There is a growing question mark about the integrity of Jamaica's commitment to honour treaties or to be willing and committed parties in the effort against crime, money laundering, drug and human trafficking."

A Sunday Observer source said the US makes an average of three enquiries to Jamaica per month under the MLAT.

 

 

Twisted Kilt owner Andre Dixon (centre) is flanked by entertainers Ding Dong (left) and Chi Ching Ching (right). - Sheena Gayle

Western Bureau:

Despite the dark cloud of controversy that surrounds the Vybz Kartel-led Portmore Empire, he and his crew managed to illuminate Montego Bay with an entertaining performance at the recently concluded BritJam Spring Break event.

Looking laid-back and relaxed in his blue T-shirt, white shorts and matching blue sneakers, dancehall artiste Vybz Kartel made an effort to stay clear of the recent negative incidents in his camp during his more than one hour stint onstage.

With hits such as Bicycle, Go Go Club and Mr Officer, the controversial deejay enjoyed himself as he entertained his fans that waited dutifully to see his performance in a jam-packed Aqua Sol Theme Park in Montego Bay.

The week-long partying courtesy of BritJam saw Kartel bringing the events to a close during this BritJam Fantasy Island (Grand Escape) party.

Dancehall fans had the opportunity to see the entire Portmore Empire which came to perform onstage with Kartel, but at one point it seemed too small a stage to fit all.

Jah Vinci's vocals could not be missed nor could the three young men - Merital Family who made money 'laugh' through their hit song My Money (Ha Ha). Deejay Popcorn along with other upcoming acts in the Gaza camp performed well.

Bugle made sure Montego Bay never forgot where he was coming from and connected with the audience with each line of his songs. He showed that for him Anything Goes but asked What Have I Done To You as he brought his set to a close.

However, it was Ding Dong and his Ravers Clavers crew who reminded everyone that is was a Holiday and they partied the night away to Party Cup. As if that was not enough, he had the crowd skipping all the way with the popular hit, Skip to Ma Lou song and dance.

Several Montego Bay-based artistes entertained the audience well through their performances in the early segment, among them, White Knight, Major Lloyd, E-Silk and duo Tally and Dappa.

A police officer and an elderly man were shot and injured when gunmen fired at lawmen in the Charles Gordon Market in Montego Bay, St James, on Saturday night.

One of the gunmen, who is unidentified, was fatally shot and a home-made shotgun and three 12 gauge cartridges taken from him. He is of brown complexion, medium build, about 167 centimetres (5 feet 7 inches) tall.

Police said about 8:30 p.m. lawmen responded to a call that armed men were robbing people in the market. On arrival, a group of men shot at them and a running gun-battle ensued.

After the shooting, one of the gunmen, the police officer and a 65-year-old man had gunshot injuries.

They were taken to hospital where the officer was treated and released, the elderly man admitted and the gunman died.

FORMER Shower Posse boss Vivian Blake died at the University Hospital of the West Indies yesterday after suffering a heart attack Saturday. According to a close associate, Blake had been ailing for some time.

Blake returned to Jamaica last year after spending eight years in a US prison. He was fingered as the mastermind behind the ruthless Shower Posse, which had established drug bases in more than 20 US cities, Canada and the United Kingdom and was reportedly responsible for more than 1,400 murders.

In December 1988, Blake slipped out of the United States on a cruise ship and entered Jamaica in Ocho Rios, St Ann. He managed to remain free for five years before he was arrested on an extradition warrant in 1998. He spent five years fighting extradition to the US before he was eventually handed over to US authorities.

United States President Barack Obama and House Democratic leaders struck a last-minute deal Sunday with abortion foes to secure the final few votes needed to remake America's health-care system, writing a climactic chapter in a century-old quest for near universal coverage.

The House argued its way through a thicket of Republican objections towards an evening vote on the bill to extend coverage to 32 million Americans who lack it, ban insurers from denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions, and cut deficits by an estimated US$138 billion over a decade.

Last night's final vote in the House was 219-212. Republicans were unanimously opposed. The bill now goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The action late Sunday capped a yearlong quest by Obama and Democrats to overhaul the system and reshape a sixth of the economy.

In the first of three showdown votes Sunday, a 'rule' to establish guidelines for the ensuing health-care debate was approved by a 224-206 margin. That indicated the Democratic leadership had the votes for later approving the Senate-passed bill and then the fix-it bill. Its passage will set up a final showdown in the Senate in the days ahead, where Majority Leader Harry Reid says at least 50 votes are in hand for its final approval under a fast-track procedure known as reconciliation.

Obama's legacy

The stakes could not have been higher for Obama's presidency. Obama has made health-care reform the defining issue of his first year in office. Republicans hoped that by blocking the legislation, they would be able to thwart Obama's ambitious domestic agenda, including immigration reform and climate-change legislation.

While national health care has long been a goal of presidents stretching back decades, it has proved elusive, in part because self-reliance and suspicion of a strong central government remain strong in the US.

A shouting band of protesters outside the Capitol dramatised their opposition, and one man stood up in the House visitor's gallery shouting, "Kill the bill!" before he was ushered out - evidence of the passions the yearlong debate over health care has stirred.

Obama, on the verge of securing one of the most significant legislative triumphs in decades, planned to make a statement to the nation Sunday night after the House took its final vote on the health-care legislation.

Republicans opposed the measure as a takeover of government health care that would cut Medicare for the elderly and raise taxes by nearly US$1 trillion combined.

JMA, JEA, Mandeville ministers troubled about Dudus impasse

 

LEADERS of the manufacturing and export sectors, as well as the Mandeville Ministers Fraternal, have expressed concern about the lengthy stand-off between the governments of Jamaica and the United States over the extradition request for West Kingston strongman Christopher Dudus Coke and its possible effect on Brand Jamaica and efforts to sell Jamaican products overseas.

President of the Jamaica Manufacturers Association (JMA) Omar Azan said every effort should be made to ensure that Jamaicas good name abroad is preserved.

Brand Jamaica is a very big name anywhere in the world and my fear is that this US/Jamaica extradition matter may have some effect. I hope that our Government and people realise how important it is to keep our name placed as high as possible. Anything we need to do so that our brand stays on top, we need to ensure our Government facilitates this, Azan told the Observer.

However, he said the extradition impasse is not being felt by the sector yet, despite rumours of the visas of wellknown business persons being cancelled.

Nothing has come to my attention, Azan said about the visa cancellations and their effect on plans for the JMA/Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) expo scheduled for June 17 to 20 in Kingston.

Meanwhile, JEA president Vitus Evans reiterated the need for the extradition matter to be resolved as amicably as possible.

The sooner that this is brought to some conclusion to the satisfaction of all, the better it will be for the business sector to feel more relaxed going forward, Evans told the Observer.

The JEA president said he had heard about the cancellation of visas of prominent private sector individuals but was heartened by the Governments statement that they were unconnected to the extradition issue.

The USA is a major market and most of our business people have to go over there, but we are somewhat comforted that the Government has said there is no link between what is happening and the cancellation of visas, Evans said.

And the Mandeville Ministers Fraternal has also joined the chorus of voices imploring Prime Minister Bruce Golding to tread carefully with his handling of the extradition request.

In a release to the media, the ministers said the manner in which the matter is being handled has given cause for grave concern and urged Golding to let the issue be decided by the local judiciary.

The leaders and members of the Mandeville Ministers Fraternal implore the prime minister to step aside and yield to the wisdom and expertise of the judiciary of the country to settle the legal matters that are at the heart of the controversies surrounding this case. The right thing to do is to allow the court or any other legally authorised body to play its role so that justice may be seen to be done in an impartial and unbiased way, the ministers said.

Cokes extradition request was sent to the Jamaican Government in August last year and eight months later, no progress has been made. The US Attorneys Office has accused Coke of gun running and drug-smuggling charges and has requested that the Jamaican government send Coke to answer to the charges in that jurisdiction. But Golding has expressed his willingness to pay a political price for refusing to send Coke, on the grounds that evidence collected against Coke was unconstitutional.

But the churchmen from central Jamaica expressed concern that Cokes influence in the prime ministers garrison constituency of West Kingston and the fact that his attorney, Tom Tavares-Finson, is a Government senator, exposed a deep conflict of interest.

The ministers also expressed fear that the countrys reputation was being sullied by the Governments inaction.

Jamaicas international reputation is being seriously damaged by the way this case is being handled both by the Jamaican and American governments, the ministers said.

The ministers also questioned whether the Golding government was serious about guarding against human rights abuses or if the state was succumbing to pressure from the criminal underworld.

Many Jamaicans have a sense that the resolute stance of the Jamaican political directorate is perhaps not a genuine defence of the human rights of a Jamaican citizen but rather an expedient move influenced by the power of underground political forces, the ministers said.

Jamaica has been recently lambasted in a US narcotics report as being a corrupt state unwilling to nip the umbilical connection between politicians and gang members.

The fraternals concern is that this stance of our prime minister may do much to support the widely held view that our political parties have formed unhealthy alliances with the criminal underworld, the ministers added.

Jamaican musical icon James Chambers (we know him as Jimmy Cliff) was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at a glittering ceremony in New York last week. Attorney- at-law Christopher Samuda, who along with his brother Milton and associate Dave McKenzie, was present for the historic occasion and reported that the response to Cliff's performance of Many Rivers to Cross was simply surreal. The fact is that many Jamaicans do not understand the kind of impact that some of our Jamaican musical legends have on modern popular culture. We have to journey beyond our shores to secure a better understanding of this phenomenon. It is interesting to note that questions were being raised about the appropriateness of having Swedish pop sensation Abba (reputed at one time to be more important to the economy of their Scandinavian nation than car manufacturers Volvo). No questions were raised about Cliff's eligibility, however; among the Rock cognoscenti he is the genuine article. The Jamaican Government had wisely awarded Cliff with the prestigious Order of Merit and the University of the West Indies has conferred an honorary Doctor of Letters on this distinguished Jamaican.

Cliff was instrumental in launching the career of the other Jamaican artiste who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- Robert Nesta Marley. It was Cliff who introduced Marley to the powers that be at Beverly's Records (a label headed by Leslie Kong, now deceased). Marley recorded his first two singles, One Cup of Coffee and Judge Not for Kong. Marley would later leave Kong to record for Clement Dodd's renowned Studio One Label. Interestingly, Chris Blackwell notes that it was the departure of Jimmy Cliff from Island Records which perhaps paved the way for the phenomenal international success of Marley. According to Blackwell, he had identified Cliff as a potential megastar and had already set the wheels in motion for realising this objective. Cliff, however, left Island for a more lucrative deal and Blackwell would turn his attention to Marley. I believe a story about how the lives of these three great Jamaicans intersected has the makings of a great movie. Of course, we should point out that another important figure in this story is the great Ernie Ranglin, who not only served as Jimmy Cliff's musical director but was the head of A&R for Island Records. Blackwell has often reminded his audience that My Boy Lollipop is his favourite song of all time. This is understandable given the fact that it laid the basis for the unimaginable success of Island with the subsequent accomplishments of such legendary artistes such as Marley and U2, to name but a few. It was Ranglin who produced and arranged My Boy Lollipop.

 

I had the great privilege (which I shared with Nadine Sutherland) of interviewing Jimmy Cliff late last year as part of the CPTC Breakfast with the Stars series. I trust the public will soon be able to get a chance to learn a little bit more about Cliff, who shared some little-known aspects of his life with a live studio audience in this interview. When Cliff was asked to name which emerging Jamaican artiste has caught his attention. He simply burst into song: "No bwoy can't carry me roun' no kawna an show me no banana." Cliff was clearly referring to Queen Ifrica, whose father, Derrick Morgan, was intimately associated with his own career. Everything seems to be so connected.

Cliff made one of his greatest contributions to the spread of Jamaican popular culture through the film in The Harder They Come. The December 2000 edition of Entertainment Weekly lists the release of The Harder They Come in the United States among its One Hundred Greatest Moments in Rock History. The only other Jamaican-related entry was that of Kool Herc "creating hip hop". Rolling Stone magazine named The Harder They Come as "the best soundtrack of all time".

Bob Dylan described Cliff's Vietnam as the "greatest protest song ever written". It is worth noting that artistes are usually not very generous in their assessment of their peers and so Dylan's fulsome praise of Cliff, who is not an American, is truly worthy of comment.

Bruce Springsteen recorded Trapped, which was included on the We are the World album. Trapped was written by Cliff and actually appeared on the B side of one of his recordings. According to the story, Springsteen was walking through an airport and heard the song and the rest, as they say, is history.

Cliff has an amazing story which, sadly, in all likelihood, will be told by others. Since The Harder They Come, we have not had much to show by way of success in the motion picture business. This is not to say we do not have the talent to create great movies. We have cinematographers who are well-trained. We have produced actors who have enjoyed international success, and we have fascinating stories. However, the upfront (sunk) costs for making movies are prohibitively high. The biggest constraint to the development of our motion picture industry is funding. Trevor Rhone managed to get funding for his movie One Love( which introduced Jamaica and the world to the remarkable talents of Cherine Anderson) from overseas. Some of the money was accessed through the British Council, which provides grant funding for motion picture ventures. We need to establish similar mechanisms to the British Council in Jamaica to provide funding for talented creators.

The fact is that while the costs of creating movies have fallen considerably( due to the advent of digital technology) they are still quite hight. What is now happening is that in many instances moviemakers are now avoiding cinematic releases and going directly to DVD. In fact, some movies now have their cinematic releases after the DVDs have entered the market. Nigeria has spawned a massive motion picture industry through this direct-to-DVD approach. We can do the same in Jamaica. I was really thrilled to hear about the production of the movie Concrete Jungle by a group of Jamaican inner-city youngsters. Art serves the function of negotiating concerns. Through the process of creation the artiste seeks to gain control of his circumstances. The process of artistic production lends itself to empathy and role playing. If we are going to arrest the crime monster, which seems bent on destroying our nation, we should look to the art for solutions. Many prisons have been successfully utilising art in their rehabilitation exercises. There is much that we can learn from this.

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI yesterday urged Catholics to refrain from judging sinners a day after he rebuked Irish bishops for their handling of a half-century of sexual abuse of minors by clergy.

While the pope made no mention of the Vatican's widely criticised policy of cloaking abuse allegations in secrecy, a Swiss churchman called for the Holy See to start a registry of molester clergy to avoid more shuttling by bishops of pedophile priests from parish to parish.

The pontiff didn't mention his letter chastising Ireland's church hierarchy as he made his weekly appearance Sunday from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square. He cited the Gospel passage about Jesus' inviting those without sin to cast the first stone toward an adulterer.

"While acknowledging her sin, he does not condemn her, but urges her to sin no more," Benedict told English-speaking pilgrims in the square. "Trusting in his great mercy toward us, we humbly beg his forgiveness for our own failings, and we ask for the strength to grow in his holiness."

In Germany, meanwhile, the news magazine Focus quoted the head of the German Bishops Conference on Sunday as acknowledging that Roman Catholic church consciously covered up cases of sexual abuse.

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg said that while most cases happened outside the church, "assaults that took place in such numbers within our institutions shame and frighten me."

"Every single case darkens the face of the entire church," he said.

On Saturday, Zollitsch apologised personally for a sexual abuse cover-up that happened 20 years ago in a Black Forest community while he was in charge of human resources at the Freiburg diocese.

In the missive made public Saturday by the Vatican, Benedict said Irish bishops made grave errors of judgement about the abuse. But he didn't blame Vatican policies that kept the abuse secret for making the situation worse, as victims in Ireland, the United States and elsewhere have claimed. He also issued no punishment for derelict Irish bishops.

The pope said Jesus taught people to "not judge and not condemn one's neighbour. Let us learn to be intransigent toward sin -- starting with our own (sin) -- and indulgent with people."

Abuse scandals involving Catholic dioceses, monasteries and other institutions -- including a Regensburg, Germany, boys choir long led by the pope's brother -- have been exploding across Europe. Besides the pope's homeland of Germany, where Benedict once was the archbishop of Munich, other nations such as Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy have seen victims come forward recently with allegations of abuse as well as cover-ups.

Underlings in the Munich archdiocese have sought to spare the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger -- who became Pope Benedict in 2005 -- of any responsibility for the sex abuse scandal. Lower-ranking prelates have shouldered the blame for the poor handling of cases, including decisions to allow molesters to continue to have contact with children.

In Switzerland, Martin Werlin, abbot of the Benedictine Abbey at Einsiedeln, criticised the pope and other bishops for their reaction to the scandal. "I fear that the church leadership in Rome fails to take the situation seriously enough," he was quoted as saying by the weekly newspaper SonntagsBlick.

Werlen urged the creation of a central register at the Vatican for pedophile priests and other men in the church guilty of child abuse "because it is clear that moves (of priests) can take place from one country to another."

In many of the scandals, bishops have been accused by victims of having shuffled around molester priests after complaints were lodged.

For years now, Catholic churches in the United States, Australia and Canada have grappled with sexual abuse cases, cover-ups by hierarchy and huge financial payments to victims.

A US-based group of advocates for clergy abuse victims said two American women among its members would arrive in Germany on Monday to "offer help to adults who were sexually assaulted by Catholic priests, nuns, seminarians, brothers and bishops." Two male members would head to Rome soon, according to the statement from SNAP, or Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

"SNAP is sorely disappointed in the pope's recent letter to Ireland," the statement said.

In his letter to the Irish faithful, Benedict apologised to victims but cited no specific punishments to bishops. Investigations sponsored by the Irish government accused the bishops of covering up abuse of thousands of children in parishes, orphanages, workhouses and other church-run institutions from the 1930s to the 1990s.

A top Vatican official yesterday brushed off those who insist the Holy See take some blame.

Critics, including victims advocacy groups, point to a 2001 policy, directed by then-Cardinal Ratzinger at the Vatican, which cloaked church handling of cases in secrecy. That in many instances effectively granted impunity to child molesters.

Monsignor Rino Fisichella, rector of a pontifical university in Rome, contended the pope's letter to Irish faithful signalled a "decisive" break with the past.

"The pope uses very harsh words toward those who betrayed their vocation and just as harsh words toward those who maintained silence and hid crimes," he told the Avvenire daily.

In Regensburg, Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller likened media coverage of the abuse scandal in the Catholic church to the Nazis' hostility toward the Catholics, Bayerischer Rundfunk radio reported yesterday.

Separately, in a letter to the community, Mueller wrote that "those who want to discredit the reputation of the Catholic Church by any price have chosen the Regensburger Domspatzen as their victims."

Mueller was referring to the choir rocked by a physical abuse scandal in recent weeks. The choir was run by the pope's brother, the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, for 30 years.

The turritopsis nutricula species of jellyfish may be the only animal in the world to have truly discovered the fountain of youth.

Since it is capable of cycling from a mature adult stage to an immature polyp stage and back again, there may be no natural limit to its life span. Scientists say the hydrozoan jellyfish is the only known animal that can repeatedly turn back the hands of time and revert to its polyp state (its first stage of life).

The key lies in a process called transdifferentiation, where one type of cell is transformed into another type of cell. Some animals can undergo limited transdifferentiation and regenerate organs, such as salamanders, which can regrow limbs. Turritopsi nutricula, on the other hand, can regenerate its entire body over and over again. Researchers are studying the jellyfish to discover how it is able to reverse its aging process.

Because they are able to bypass death, the number of individuals is spiking. They're now found in oceans around the globe rather than just in their native Caribbean waters.  "We are looking at a worldwide silent invasion," says Dr. Maria Miglietta of the Smithsonian Tropical Marine Institute

Blackwallstreet Member Runs After 40 Glocc Pulls Out The Gun On Them? Footage Of 40 Glocc At The Video Shoot & Affion Crockett

Women and children as young as 2, already traumatized by the loss of homes and loved ones in the Haitian earthquake, are now falling victim to rapists in the sprawling tent cities that have become home to hundreds of thousands of people
[video=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCqrb****zREA]


PPL DI DUTTY INTERNET POLICE DEM SEH MI A SWEAR SO SI DI CODE YA...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCqrBL 0zREA
DEM KILL MI VIBES.....


-- Edited by *~*~Sweet Applezz*~*~ on Wednesday 17th of March 2010 07:15:17 AM



-- Edited by *~*~Sweet Applezz*~*~ on Wednesday 17th of March 2010 07:21:14 AM

CAUGHT SLIPPING!!! DEELISHIS BOYFRIEND CAUGHT CHEATING . . . JUST ONE WEEK AFTER SHE GIVES BIRTH!!! (DETAILS PLUS BABY PICS INSIDE)

MediaTakeOut.com received some GOOD NEWS . . . and BAD NEWS!!! The good news is that Deelishis and her fiance Orlando welcomed their first child together, a daughter (photo'd below) into the world.

The bad news - is that Orlando's been CHEATING on Dee. Word is that dude was getting it in while Dee was pregnant, and even AFTER she gave birth.

Don't believe us? Well check out wht Dee said on her FACEBOOK page:

Deelishis: Karma is real, believe that! You continue to **** over the wrong ppl in life and I guarantee it will come back to destroy you and all that you attempt!

Deelishis: Thank u all, but I'm cool. A real one always bounce back. And to you Cassie, I thank you!


Deelishis: Thank u all, but I'm cool. A real one always bounce back. And to you Cassie, I esspecially thank you and pray that God has mercy on your soul, cause after I drop this baby I got ya ass, believe that!

Deelishis: Now that I have vented and performed a few "Woosah's", I can carry on with my day with my beautiful children & peace of mind knowing God has always had me and will take even better care of me now. Thank u all again, be blessed and enjoy the remainder of your day....and remember Karma is So Real!

Deelishis: Never knew so many beautiful souls could exist on FB lol. Esspecially women! I sincerely thank u all. Honestly my heart is fine, its not the 1st time some chick has tried to step in on our union, but this time its my daughters I worry about. I worry about what kinda world I've brought them into. A world where even when ur doing ur best & at ur happiest, u can still be hurt & devastated. I never want them to experience that type of disappointment.

Hold your head up Dee . . .

RED ALERT!!! DOWNLOW MAN IS ACCUSED OF KNOWINGLY INFECTING MEN AND WOMEN WITH THE HIV VIRUS . . . HE'S ON THE LOOSE . .. AND HE'S DEADLY!! (PICS AND INFO INSIDE)

MediaTakeOut.com just received word that Shreveport, LOUISIANA police are looking for a 36 year old man by the name of Quacy L. Francis. According to them, dude has HIV and they say dude has been knowingly exposing people to his PACKAGE for over a decade.

And it gets even WORSE. Quacy is reportedly ON THE DOWNLOW, so hes exposed both MEN and WOMEN to the deadly disease.

There is currently a WARRANT out for his arrest, on the charge of HIV exposure.

Quacy rarely uses his government name when approaching his victims. In the past, hes used the alias Quacy Frances, Lekelvin Francis, Quacie Francis, Terry Johnson, Dion Scott and Eric Scott

Please send around this article in an email to EVERYONE you know. It may save their LIVES!!!

NUH UHHHHHHHH!!! MAN TRIES TO DANCE WITH A BIG GIRL . . . AND NEARLY LOSES HIS LIFE ON THE DANCEFLOOR!!!

	:

UMMMMM . . . WHY DOES ONE OF THE DUDES ON OXYGEN'S NEW DATING SHOW BEAR A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO A POPULAR GAY DIRTY FILM STAR!!! (SEE PICS AND DECIDE IS IT HIM)

MediaTakeOut.com has been hearing for weeks about Oxygen's new dating show Love Games, where 3 women chose between dozens of men.

But ... ummm ... one of those men . . .

PHOENIX A group of people were seriously injured when they were attacked by a swarm of bees in north Phoenix.

It happened at about 8 p.m. at a Wal-Mart store in the area of 3rd Avenue and Bell Road. The victims were rushed to the hospital after the attacks.

Two people are in critical condition and a third person who jumped in to help was also hospitalized.

3TV has learned two women were walking down the street when they were attacked by the swarm of bees. Witnesses say there were so many bees that at one point they could not see the womens faces.

Heather Laroc, who saw the bee attack, tells 3TV, We hear screaming from outside and theres two ladies laying in the street and theyre covered with bees from head to toe. You could just not see their skin and screaming Help, help, help. That woman called the police and the fire department.

By the time first responders arrived the two older women were still blanketed with bees. They had been stung almost 100 times each. Two men who jumped in to try to help them were also stung. The women and one man were rushed to the hospital.

Firefighters searched for the hive and eventually found it and took it down.

The incident is a reminder for people to be on high alert, say fire officials, because at this time of year bees are rapidly reproducing and easily provoked.

Scott Walker, with the Phoenix Fire Department, explains, This week we expect these bee calls to significantly increase from about 20 a dayjust general callsto over 200 due to the fact of all the rain, all the *la*hm weve got out there that bees are actually rapidly reproducing. Theyre doing what they do.

With this being the high season officials say to be especially aware. If you see swarms of bees you are urged to stay away, do not make any loud noises or wild movements.  If you find yourself being attacked, you should cover your eyes, nose and mouth and run away as fast as you can.

GROUPIE TALES!!! POPULAR GROUPIE GIVES ALL THE DETAILS ON HER FIRST DATE WITH RAPPER BOW WOW . . . AT HIS PLACE!!! (WARNING - EXPLICIT CONTENT)

MediaTakeOut.com's FAVORITE GROUPIE, a young lady named Kat sent in some EXPLICIT details about one of her ENCOUNTERS - this time with rapper Bow Wow.

Here it is [WARNING - VERY EXPLICIT CONTENT]

After the Police took my Baby's father in custody a week before I gave birth, I couldn't take the stress anymore so I found a new way to keep my mind clear from my crazy life and it was with Twitter.

I set up an account on December 2009, and days later I had @BowWow614 (new username @BowWow) following me. We exchanged numbers through Direct Messages and made plans to go over his house sinse I live down the street from him. I remember in the 4th grade most of the girls in my class were obsessed with him, plus I would tell the DJ to play some of his songs while I pole danced on stage. Meeting him actually brought me back a smile to my face after a horrible year of spending 4 months in jail pregnant and loosing everything I once owned.

I was a bit insecure and nervous before I went over to his condo, I had recently given birth and my stomach wasn't as flat as it use to be plus I had an ankle monitor so I couldn't wear heels instead I wore boots to hide it so he wouldn't get scared.

When he first opened the door he was only wearing a brown towel wrapped around his waist which meant there was no talking involved just straight to business. His condo was big and beautifully furnished, I followed him to his room and he sat on his leather black chair in the corner, we exchanged a few words and I told him to lay on the bed.

I kissed his lips and rubbed his body down with my tongue as he massaged my C-Cup breasts with his hands. By the time my tongue reached his d*ck he was already h*rd. He wasn't too big or too small it was just right.

The only person I've ever gave head without a condom was my Babys father for 5 years but I wanted to make an impression with Bow Wow so he will call me back so I decided to go through with it. I kept licking and sucking him like there was no tomorrow, but no matter how many tricks I did with my tongue he still wouldn't c*m not even after 30 mins.

We switched places and he sat back on his chair again, my p*ssy was dripping wet as I licked on his n*ts and j*cked him off, I wanted to jump on top and ride him but I couldn't have sex with him because it had only been 3 weeks sense I had gave birth. I stopped for a moment and asked him if he had sex with another girl before I came over sense he's taking so long to cum

"No that's just how I am even when I first lost my virginity I took long" he answered. An hour & a half later finally his legs started shaking and I sw*llowed his c*m. This was new to me also, I always spit when I s*cked off my Babys Father and I hated the taste.

"Alright you got me, you got me!" he said smiling. He went to take a shower as I washed my face and put my purple corset back on. I sat on the bed and waited quietly feeling awkward. He claimed he had a flight in 45 mins and that he will be back on the weekend so he gave me money and called me a Taxi.

He was a gentleman and very sweet to my surprise.

This girl is OFFFF THE CHAINS!!!!!!

Crime Scene Investigation at Home of 'CSI' Star

Gary Dourdan of "CSI" fame was the alleged victim of domestic violence Tuesday afternoon, and his much smaller girlfriend was cuffed and taken into custody ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.



Cops were called to a Venice, CA home in the early afternoon. We're told when they arrived they found Dourdan scratched up. They arrested Maria Asis del Alamo where she was taken to the station and booked on misdemeanor domestic battery.

Maria is 5'8", 110 lbs. Gary is 6'2" and his fighting weight is 190.

Maria is now free on bail.

WTF?????? WILL.I.AM FROM THE BLACK EYED PEAS PHOTO'D WEARING A PURSE . . . AND NOT JUST ANY PURSE . . . A SEQUINS EVENING PURSE!!!

Remember when Perez Hilton called him gay . . . well . . . he may have been onto something . . .

THERE is growing fear among some members of the island's security forces that if Christopher 'Dudus' Coke has to be extradited, elements of the criminal underworld could put aside political differences to wage a united battle against law and order.

Three senior lawmen with understanding of how local gangs operate, Wednesday said they believed such a situation was very possible. The cops requested that their names not be disclosed, as they were not authorised to speak to the Observer.

"We are not ruling out anything at this time," said one of the lawmen who, at the same time, warned that the police would not cower in fear in the face of any such assault.

The other two cops, each with over 10 years' experience in the force, referred to the incident that occurred in 1998 when Donald 'Zeeks' Phipps, then PNP strongman from the Matthews Lane area, was first held by police, as evidence of a scenario that could be re-enacted.

The cops recalled that over 1,000 angry, placard-bearing protesters converged on the Central Police Station in downtown Kingston where Zeeks was being held, shouting "Justice for Zeeks!" and demanding his release.

"The angry mob, some of them not PNP (People's National Party) supporters, protested for two days demanding that if Zeeks was not released, life would not return to normal," one of the senior lawmen recalled.

The incident resulted in the death of one person and the injury of several others. Phipps was later brought onto a balcony where he was allowed to address his supporters, calling for calm from a police megaphone.

The lawmen said they believed that the Zeeks incident would pale in comparison to what could take place in the case of 'Dudus', the Tivoli Gardens don.

"Right now, there is a strong belief that Tivoli Gardens is a 'stronghold' revered by gangs from all political corners," one of the senior officers suggested to the Observer.

Another member of the group shared the same view but believed that other gangs from across the island could get involved for other reasons.

"What you have to understand is that many of the criminals, because of 'assistance' that Tivoli may have provided for them in the past (in terms of equipment), might want to join hands and help to create diversions to draw the police attention away from the area," said the cop.

National Security Minister Dwight Nelson has gone on record as saying that high-level police intelligence revealed that 268 gangs were operating throughout Jamaica.

He said Government was focusing on preparing strong anti-gang legislation that would target, infiltrate and dismantle criminal gangs.

The legislation, Nelson said, would also identify and arrest members of criminal gangs; ensure long sentences for gang members; conduct a thorough historical and proactive investigation into the activities of gang members; and develop intelligence as to each member's association with and participation in gangs

A known obeah man in St Elizabeth recently had a number of persons in a church for a funeral, begging for mercy after he threatened to cast a spell on them.

THE WEEKEND STAR heard that the man, Mr Jacko*, was angry with his family after there was a disagreement as to where his mother was to be buried. She reportedly died in February after suffering from cancer.

After her death, family members who reside in the United States and United Kingdom, came to Jamaica for the funeral.

It is said that they agreed to bury the woman at a family plot.

The decision is said to have angered her only son, Mr Jacko, who then threatened that if his mother was not buried at his home, he would put a curse on everyone who attended the funeral.

The situation caught the ears of the police who say that although no formal report was made, the police had to speak with the family in an effort to maintain the peace.

warn them

"It caused a big fuss between the son and the rest of the family so we had to warn them ... He is a well known obeah man here ... ," Corporal Matthew Jackson of the St Elizabeth police told THE WEEKEND STAR.

It is said that on the day of the burial, however, Mr Jacko walked into the funeral proceeding armed with a list of names, a bible and a bottle of rum.

The daughter of the deceased woman, when contacted by THE WEEKEND STAR yesterday, said that Mr Jacko, after entering the church, immediately started chanting the names on the list and spoke in 'tongues' while smoking.

Fearing the possibility of being cursed, as promised, a number of persons including some relatives, left the church in a hurry while begging to be spared.

"All a who did a mek chat seh mommy ago bury a ... (the family plot) get scared and all run out a di church a bawl and a beg," she said.

She further said that it was then that they decided to change all plans and let Mr Jacko has his wish. The obeah man is said to have promised that as long as his mother was buried at his home then everybody would be alright. THE WEEKEND STAR tried to get a comment from Mr Jacko but when contacted he only said, "everything cool".

O . . .M . . . GEEE!!! NEW CLOSE UP PICS SHOW THAT NBA BALLER DENNIS RODMAN HAS SOME KINDA SKIN DISORDER!!

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Police are searching for a man accused of offering to sell his son on Craigslist for $5,000.

In the ad, the father identified himself as a single parent dad by the name of "Rick" who has run out of child care options.

"Gavin is a great kid but I can no longer afford to take care of him," the ad said. "I don't know what else to do other than find a good family with kids or a couple that wants a son. I just won't give him to anyone."

"loves playing with balls, but doesn't really like to play with cars and refuses to eat vegetables."

"He doesn't fuss very much but when he does, he just screams for hours. I usually just put him in the closet until he stops, and that usually works,"the posting said.

The posting was only up for a short time, but long enough for a concerned woman to copy and forward the ad to sheriff's detectives.

MTO WORLD EXCLUSIVE: WE'VE GOT PICS OF REAL'S NEW WIFE . . . SHE'S CUTE . . . AND SURPRISINGLY SMART!!!

MediaTakeOut.com EXCLUSIVELY obtained photos of Real, from Real Chance Of Love's new BRIDE. The couple is expecting their FIRST child together in April.

CONGRATS GUYS!!!

MTV REAL WORLD SHOCKER!!! CASTMEMBER GETS LIFE THREATENING VIRUS . . . AFTER ANOTHER CASTMEMBER URINATES ON HIS TOOTHBRUSH!!! (EXCLUSIVE PICS OF DUDE WITH THE DEADLY PEE INSIDE)

This season of MTVs Real World (in New Orleans) hit a NEW LOW!!! MediaTakeOut.com learned that a few days ago, one castmember a dude named DYLAN came down with a life threatening VIRUS. And he claimed that he contracted it from ANOTHER castmembers PEE!!

Here's how everything popped off. MediaTakeOut.com obtained a police report that shows that officers were called to the Real World Mansion, owned by NBA star Baron Davis. According to the report, excerpts you can see below, Dylan blames Charles pee for his infection.

Here's a piece of the report:

[Officers] were dispatched to investigate a disturbance at [MTVs Real World House in New Orleans].

Upon arrival, the officers spoke with the reporting person Dylan Leslie. He stated that his roommate Charles Roberson put his toothbrush in the toilet, scrubbed the toilet with it, and URINATED on it.

The incident happened because the two got into an argument and they called each other names. Leslie stated that Roberson called him a @#$got and that he sucks d*ck. He stated that his throat started to hurt and got progressively worse and had to go to the hospital . . .

He went to urgent care on St. Joseph St and was treated for a VIRAL INFECTION in his throat. He also stated that he used the toothbrush prior to and after it was placed in the toilet.

Word is that the VIRUS - if gone untreated - may have been DEADLY!!! Its not clear whether MTVs cameras CAUGHT Charles peeing on dude's toothbrush, or what CRIMINAL charge Charles faces.

Virgin Mobile and Citi cardmembers will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Tuesday, March 16, at 10 a.m. local time. For details, visit www.virginmobileusa.com and www.citiprivatepass.com.

The Monster Ball Tour - 2010 North American Dates

June 28 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre - On sale TBA
July 01 - Boston, MA - TD Garden - On sale March 22
July 04 - Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall - On sale TBA
July 06 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden - On sale March 19
July 11 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre - On sale March 19
July 14 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena - On sale TBA
July 15 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse - On sale TBA
July 17 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center - On sale TBA
July 20 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Center - On sale TBA
July 22 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center - On sale TBA
July 25 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center - On sale TBA
July 28 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center - On sale TBA
July 31 - Phoenix, AZ - US Airways Center - On sale TBA
Aug. 03 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center - On sale TBA
Aug. 11 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center - On sale March 20
Aug. 13 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand - On sale TBA
Aug. 16 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion - On sale March 19
Aug. 19 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden - On sale TBA
Aug. 21 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome - On sale TBA
Aug. 23 - Vancouver, BC - General Motors Place - On sale March 19
Aug. 26 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place - On sale TBA
Aug. 30 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center - On sale TBA
Sept. 01 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center - On sale TBA
Sept. 04 - Detroit, MI - The Palace Of Auburn Hills - On sale TBA
Sept. 05 - Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center - On sale TBA
Sept. 07 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center - On sale TBA
Sept. 08 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena - On sale TBA
Sept. 14 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center - On sale TBA
Sept. 16 - Hartford, CT - XL Center - On sale TBA
Sept. 18 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena - On sale TBA
Sept. 19 - Raleigh, NC - RBC Center - On sale TBA
Source: www.rap-up.com
Posted by Dancehallreggaeweseh.com

contributed - I-Maroon

Reggae singer I-Maroon is indeed 'salt', as he was severely beaten in Portland on Thursday night because of his unwillingness to do some dubplates for a group of men.

The artiste, whose real name is Barrington Dixon, said he visited Charles Town in the parish to do some recording at a studio. But before reaching the location, he parked his car to walk along a path to go to the studio.

bully attitude

"On the way mi buck a portion a yute and dem a seh, I-Maroon mi a beg yuh a dubplate'. I tell dem that I willing to give everybody a special but dem at least have to buy back my gas. But the bully attitude mek mi walk off," said the Mi Salt singer.

He said he went to the studio, did his business and left at midnight. With some car trouble, I-Maroon said he proceeded to fix the vehicle when a man on a bike tried to bully him.

Eventually, he got into his car and tried to leave but was stopped by the man, who now had company.

"Di man hold on pon mi and drag mi out of the car. Dem hold mi by mi locks and draw off mi turban. Half hour straight di man a beat mi fa. Is like mi see death," I-Maroon told THE STAR.

Surrender to escape

"After him beat mi breathless, a couple man hold him and tell mi fi get inna mi car. I get chest, hand and knee injury. So much injury that I can't even walk more than the normal."

While being beaten, he said he was afraid to retaliate because there were more than a dozen men there. "I just surrender to escape. If I never do that, I wouldn't deh here today," he said.

But I-Maroon said he was more than thankful that he was still alive.

"I give thanks to know that I am alive. I neva know I could get so much beating from people I don't even know. Di man vex and almost kill me off. Dem pop out all one strand a mi locks. A just the Most High, Jah; save mi," he said.

After his horrific experience, I-Maroon reported the matter at the Buff Bay Police Station. And already, he says he has plans of putting his story into song.

At some point last night, March 19 2010, rumors started circulating that Deva Bratt had been shot and killed at his gate. Friends and fans began congregating at his gate crying and pleading for answers, police were even called to the scene. It was total chaos for well over an hour.
The truth of the matter is, while there was an incident close to his home, it did not involve him nor anyone in his home. These rumors are totally false


Deva Bratt is very much alive and has been recording under his Krucial Konflict label. His most recent tracks include "Tribute" on the Triumph Riddim, a dedication to his late Father C and "Figure You Out" on the Candlelight Riddim. Look out for more new music from Deva Bratt as he is in the studio day and night voicing.

source: dancehallmadness.com

Posting on behalf of crazy shooting in Toronto Jamaican man got 9yrs apparently
Watch an learn waa nuh fi do a foriegn !!!

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100318/ oakwood_shooting_100318/20100318/?site_codename=Toronto

Oakwood bus shooter gets nine-year sentence

 

A man who fired a shot on an Oakwood Avenue bus last year has received a nine-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempted murder in an incident captured with stunning clarity by on-bus security cameras.

Im not a gangster. I dont walk around with a gun, Richard Haynes, 29, told the court Thursday, according to the Toronto Star. I tried to take it off the bus. I apologize for that ... Id never hurt anybody.

Haynes pleaded guilty Monday.

"Once he saw what was on (the tape), he found it difficult to accept that he was someone who was capable of that," said defence lawyer Sean Robichaud.

The Crown and defence supplied a joint submission to Justice Carole Brewer.

The incident occurred on Feb. 23, 2009. The target was a 17-year-old boy, who had been shot in the hip at one point during the attack. He has since recovered.

Haynes, a second man and the victim knew each other. They got into an altercation as Haynes and an accomplice tried to get the teen off the bus. The teen wouldn't budge.

The security footage -- the result of a $17-million upgrade to TTC bus security that began four years ago -- shows Haynes getting off the bus, getting back on, unwrapping a .45-calibre handgun from a red bandana, saying something to the driver -- and then firing a shot.

The bullet ricocheted and then ended up in the lining of a woman's winter coat. She could be seen walking up to the driver to calmly say she thought she'd been shot. However, she suffered no serious injuries.

By then, the teen had been pulled off the bus. His hip wound came from a second bullet fired while the three fighting were outside.

No one else was injured.

Court heard Thursday that the 17-year-old had stabbed Haynes in the midsection earlier in the day. Haynes said he wanted an apology from the teen and that the earlier incident had filled him with rage to the point where he zoned out.

Haynes had no previous criminal record. Upon completing his sentence, he will face deportation to Jamaica.

Marlon Cooper, 22, the second man involved in the attack, pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm for his role and was sentenced to two years less a day. He was given credit for time already spent in custody.

He said nothing after leaving court. Daniel Brown, his lawyer, said all his client did was attempt to push the victim off the bus.

-- Edited by *~*~Sweet Applezz*~*~ on Sunday 21st of March 2010 05:46:41 PM

BABY MAMA DRAMA???? NEW REPORT SUGGESTS THAT COMEDIAN CHRIS ROCK HAS A SECRET BABY!!! (PICS OF HIS ALLEGED DAUGHTER INSIDE)

Did Chris Rock get somebody pregnant??? Well MediaTakeOut.com just read a report in today's NY POST - and that's what it SOUNDS LIKE they're saying.

Our peeps over at the NY Post published a story today that STRONGLY SUGGESTS that Chris was carrying a SECRET child. Here is a piece of it:

The comic was spotted Monday coming out of the Trump International Hotel carrying a little girl, about 1 or 2 years old, in his arms. He was with Zahra, 5, the younger of his two daughters with wife Malaak Compton-Rock, and a nanny handling an empty stroller. In 2006, Rock denounced "untrue rumors and lies" that he and Malaak were getting divorced. The following year, an actress filed a paternity suit claiming Rock was the father of her son, but DNA testing proved he wasn't. Rock's rep, Leslie Sloane, declined to identify the child he was carrying on Monday or explain why he was with her.

WOWZERS!!!

New York State Tax Refunds Put On Hold

Gov. Paterson Freezes $500 Million, Says Financial Situation The Case, Won't Start Sending Again Until April 1

Embattled Governor: $1.5 Billion In School Aid Next To Be Halted

For hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, the check won't be in the mail -- at least not on time. New York State has stopped paying tax refunds and won't start again until next month.

The tax refund delay is part of a bigger cash crunch.

Message to New Yorkers: don't start spending your tax refund money because it's going to be delayed.

Half a billion dollars' worth of refund checks were put on hold last Friday, and state beancounters won't start sending you your money until at least April 1.

"I apologize that we had to do this. I hope it serves notice on the public of how serious our financial situation is," Gov. David Paterson said.

Several hundred thousand New York taxpayers will be affected with most getting an average refund of $1,000. People who filed in late February and early March might have to wait as long as six weeks till the checks are in the mail.

The governor said the move was unavoidable. He's also planning to withhold $1.5 billion in school payments and aid to local governments.

"The damage at this time would be far worse because if we do not pay our debts on time, it thrusts the state into a downgraded credit rating," Paterson said.

Tell that to people who were counting on the refund money to get them through these tough economic times.

You got to pay them, you got to pay them, but when they got to pay us? Don't worry about it," said George Cedalvi of Astoria.

"I don't think it's fair. People need the money," said Anthony Gatti of Greenpoint. "Seems like they're pulling out all the stops to dig into the people's pockets to make up for the mismanagement of state funding."

Withholding the tax refunds is sure to anger the legislature. The State Senate, which rarely agrees on anything, has unanimously passed a resolution opposing the move.

Just because the state is going to be late getting you your money doesn't mean you can be late paying the state. The deadline for filing New York State tax returns is April 15.

And if you are late, you pay a penalty.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - A woman accused of strangling her daughter on a college campus apartment in Purchase, N.Y., told them she did it because the daughter was "disrespectful all the time," according to court papers made public Thursday.

Police accounts filed with a murder indictment quote Stacey Pagli, 37, as saying that Marissa Pagli, 18, had "pushed my last button." Police say Pagli admitted to killing her daughter and also tried to kill herself because she said they were "too much baggage" for her husband.

Stacey Pagli is accused of strangling her daughter Feb. 22 in the family's staff apartment at Manhattanville College. Marissa was a freshman at the school. Her father, John Pagli, was a maintenance supervisor. He found his wife unconscious and his daughter dead.

According to the police account:

When police asked what prompted Marissa to be disrespectful, her mother said, "I asked her where she was going." She said she told her daughter, "Don't ever speak to me like that. This will be the last time you speak to me like that."

She said she choked Marissa with her hands and knew she had killed her.

Pagli expressed regret, saying, "I wish I could take it back, but I can't. I can't make it better, she's not here anymore."

She also said she killed her daughter and tried to kill herself because they were "too much baggage" for her husband. "Me and Marissa, we ruined his life," the mother is quoted as saying, without elaborating.

The documents are police accounts of recorded interviews at White Plains Hospital and police headquarters.

Pagli's lawyer, Allan Focarile, would not comment on the indictment or the police accounts.

Pagli tried to commit suicide by cutting her left wrist and hanging herself on a doorknob, the Westchester district attorney's office said. Her arraignment is pending.