Stevie Wonder's music helped sign, seal and deliver Barack Obama all the way to the White House, and now the president and first lady are sending him a big shout-out.

The 58-year-old Motown legend will receive a Library of Congress award from the commander-in-chief and Michelle Obama on February 25. The concert will air on PBS the following day.

President Obama used Wonder's hit songs "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" and "Higher Ground" on the campaign trail. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter also performed at the Democratic National Convention on the night Obama accepted his party's nomination, at a concert during inauguration week and at The Neighborhood Inaugural Ball.

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The 29-year-old stepson of popular TV evangelist T.D. Jakes has been arrested on an indecent exposure charge. Dallas police say Jermaine Jakes is accused of exposing himself to undercover vice detectives last month (Jan. 3) at Keist Park. He turned himself in Thursday and was released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond. The police affidavit says that Jakes walked up to one of the two detectives at the public park near his stepfather's church with his pants unzipped. He then began to masturbate while making eye contact with the detective, according to the document. His lawyer, Faith Johnson, told Dallas-Fort Worth television station KTVT: "We are aware of potential allegations involving Jermaine Jakes and are undertaking our own investigation of these allegations at this time." Jakes' stepfather is the megachurch pastor of the 30,000-member Potter's House in Dallas, who gave a sermon at the prayer service for Barack Obama on the morning he was sworn in as president.

Dancehall sensation Grace Hamilton, who sings under the moniker Spice, has been the centre of attention in recent weeks.

The negativity and criticism she, along with ace DJ Vybz Kartel, has been facing for the single Rampin' Shop was somewhat overshadowed, as the artiste recently received four awards.

Spice copped the award for Female DJ of the Year at the EME's and then followed with three others at the Youth View Awards (YVA), which included Young Hot and Hype, Favourite Local Female Artiste of the year and Favourite Dancehall Female Artiste of the year.

Votes from the public

"I am extremely happy, what makes this moment so special is the fact that it was the votes from the public that determined who got these awards," Spice told THE STAR in an interview.

"I want to thank God, my very supportive mother and my son. Every time I look at him, I am motivated to work harder. Also to my husband, Nicholas Lall, who is my backbone, to the fans, nothing would be possible without them and to Karen Clarke, promoter of the YVAs. Sorry I wasn't there in person to collect them (the awards)," she added.

The road to this recent success was not an easy one as Spice often had to go to extreme measures to ensure that her dreams were brought to life.

"At times, I basically lived in my car, I carried everything in it, so from there to here, it has been a lot of hard work and am now reaping the benefits of that work that I put in. It all started with my first hit Fight Ova Man, special thanks to Dave Kelly and Baby Cham," she said.

Spice, in looking ahead, now has a new single out called No Matter What. "The song will basically show the softer side of Spice. I just want to show my versatility, as I am actually singing. The video shoot will follow soon, so I just want the fans to get familiar with Grace Hamilton. I also want a manager," she chuckled. Spice is also planning an upcoming tour for the United States and England.

The name 'Notnice'is being claimed by both a dancer and a producer, as both individuals claim to be the rightful owner of the name.

Dancer Kahlyl 'Notnice' Williamson says he has had the alias for years and has created a couple of dances with the name. He says he went abroad for about two months and when he came back a week ago, he heard that a producer also had the name.

"Mi have dat name deh before 2005, but it get highlighted at a time when mi do di dance name 'Killa Walk' and 'Prezy Bounce'. Mi nuh know why da yute deh a use di name and mek everybody a call me and a seh mi switch from Alliance when a Bounty Killer put mi to di worl'," said

the name

He added: "(Vybz) Kartel a hype him up but the ting haffi be known. Mi a di real Notnice and there is only one Notnice."

In addition, Williamson says he did a song with Boysie called Bung Bang under the name Notnice on Delly Ranks' Red Bull and Guinness rhythm.

When contacted, however, the other Notnice, producer Ainsley Morris, whose popularity soared after working on projects with Vybz Kartel, is not fazed by Williamson's comments.

When asked if he had copied the name, Morris said, "No man! A fake yute dat man. No man! A nuh so it go."

Morris says he had been using the name for about nine years.

"Mi hear bout dis dancer, but I have never met him. If him want a hype, him need fi go mek a new dance and stop saying I stole his name," Morris said, chuckling.

Williamson in an interview

AT LEAST one Jamaican family is now in mourning following Thursday night's deadly plane crash in New York.

The crash claimed the lives of 49 people aboard a Continental aeroplane and one person on the ground after it crashed into a house near Buffalo, New York, and burst into flames.

Among the victims were Jamaicans Danny Massop (42), Dawn Massop (43), their 13-year-old son, Shawn Massop, and Dawn's sister, Ferris Reid - all from one family.

Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States Anthony Johnson has described the crash as sad and unfortunate.

"We are very sorry to hear of the loss of lives and we hope that it is not more than the four persons who have Jamaican connections," Johnson told The Gleaner yesterday.

Norris Coke, who is married to another of Dawn's sisters, told The Gleaner yesterday that the family was shaken by the tragedy.

"It is pretty rough, but we are coming to grips with it. It is a big loss to the family," Coke said.

The Massops lived in New Jersey and were on their way to vacation with another family member in Canada. Coke recalls that they were "very loving".

"When you are around them you are comfortable, and when-ever you are around them, it is lovely. If you are going to the (United) States, that is where you go. You have to visit Danny and Cutie (Dawn)," Coke said.

Dawn, who along with Danny, Shawn and Ferris, visited Jamaica in December, had her last telephone conversation to Jamaica on Thursday.

"She called my wife and told her that she was heading to Canada ... We saw the news item but never for one moment did we ever think they were involved," Coke said.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Johnson said the accident should not be viewed as a reason to avoid flying.

flying still safe

"I am convinced that flying is still extremely safe. In fact, it is much safer to fly in a plane than to travel on the road. The number of people injured or hurt as a result of flying, as a percentage, is far far lower than what happens on the road," Johnson said.

"The loss of life is the very unfortunate part about it. We mourn with those who have had this unfortunate event with their relatives and we pray that the Lord blesses the souls of those who have passed on," Johnson said.

United States President Barack Obama expressed sadness and congratulated Americans for responding bravely to avert any further loss of lives.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones, and as always, our thanks go out to the brave first responders who arrived immediately to try and save lives, and who are still on the scene keeping people safe," Obama said.

The Jamaican family hails from Golden Spring, St Andrew.

Reports are that the Q400 B****ardier turboprop aircraft crashed into the town of Clarence Center, New York, about five minutes before it was due to land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

The Wall Street Journal quoted Laura Brown, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administra-tion, as saying that there was no distress call in the seconds before the crash. "It just dropped off the radar," she said.

latest dash 8

The Q400, which is the latest version of the Dash 8 series of planes, is designed to be flown in adverse weather conditions, such as light snow and fog.

The same model planes were ditched by Scandinavian Airlines after two non-fatal crash landings within days of each other in September 2007.

Thursday's crash was the first fatal incident involving this generation of the Dash 8.

In 2007, the Canadian manufacturer advised airlines using the model to temporarily take them out of service to inspect their landing gear after the Scandinavian airline SAS reported landing-gear failures.

The cause of the crash is unknown, but investigators hope to recover clues from the plane's black box.

Americans for responding bravely to avert any further loss of lives.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who have lost loved ones, and as always, our thanks go out to the brave first responders who arrived immediately to try and save lives, and who are still on the scene keeping people safe," Obama said.

The Jamaican family hails from Golden Spring, St Andrew.

Reports are that the Q400 B****ardier turboprop aircraft crashed into the town of Clarence Center, New York, about five minutes before it was due to land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

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SAO PAULO (AP) -- A Brazilian doctor says Usher's wife was hospitalized last week in Sao Paulo after suffering a cardiac arrest shortly before undergoing plastic surgery.

Ellen Dastry, spokeswoman for plastic surgeon Silvio Sterman, says Tameka Raymond checked into the Sao Rafael Hospital last Friday for a "simple liposuction." Raymond suffered a cardiac arrest while being anesthetized for the procedure "but was revived in less than a minute by heart massage," Dastry said Thursday.

Raymond was then placed in an induced coma before being taken to the intensive care unit, a procedure Dastry said was done "in order to avoid unnecessary complications."

Raymond is currently recovering in Sao Paulo's better-equipped Sirio-Libanes Hospital, Dastry said without providing further details.

R&B star Usher was supposed perform at music mogul Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party last Saturday, but he backed out for what Davis called a serious family illness.

Posted here

Chris Brown's biological father, Clinton Brown, spoke to PEOPLE yesterday about his son's arrest. This was the first time that he had spoken to the media about the situation and wanted to let the world know that his son was full of concern. The 19-year-old singer was arrested last week before the Grammys for allegedly beating his girlfriend and fellow performer, Rihanna. He's very remorseful. He's very concerned about the situation and he wants to make sure that [Rihanna's] okay," the corrections officer told PEOPLE during their interview. Brown had planned to attend his son's Grammy performance but never made it to the show. "This is unfortunate, this stumble, this situation," he continued. "Hopefully, he will get past it. We all have our shortcomings. We all trip."

Rihanna has returned to the comfort of home to heal.

The R&B star is back in her native Barbados with her family and friends as she recuperates from what police sources have told E! News was a vicious attack at the hands of boyfriend Chris Brown.

"There is some bruising. She will be all right. I think so," her father, Ronald Fenty, told People magazine after seeing his daughter on Friday.

Fenty added that he hopes his 20-year-old daughter would "move on" from dating Brown.

"At some point, she will speak out. I hope she will stand up for women all over the world."

Fenty said that he "didn't believe when he heard that his daughter had been roughed up. "You think you know somebody," he said of Brown, "but you really don't."

The 55-year-old salesman and designer said he last saw his daughter and Brown together in July. "They seemed pretty happy," he recalls. "I don't know what went wrong."

Brown, 19, was arrested in Los Angeles last Sunday for suspicion of making a criminal threat. The district attorney has yet decide whether to file formal charges.

He is currently free on $50,000 bail, and has returned to his Virginia hometown to be with his family.

"He's very concerned about the situation and he wants to make sure that [Rihanna is] OK," his father, Clinton Brown, told People on Friday. "This is unfortunatethis stumble, this situation. Hopefully, he will get past it. We all have our shortcomings. We all trip."

TV and rapper, icon, record producer, entrepreneur and actor, Snoop Dogg today announced a first-of-its kind global deal that will bring the entertainers personality to television in a new variety talk show, Dogg After Dark, and his music to fans with a new album release and into the best-selling music video game Rock Band®.

Premiering on Tuesday, February 17th at 9pm ET/PT on MTV, Snoop Dogg will host Dogg After Dark, a new jam packed weekly variety talk show from Los Angeles hotspot Kress on Hollywood Boulevard. Dogg After Dark will bring his Doggystyle swagger to the airwaves with raw interviews with A-list celebrities and musicians, hilarious sketch-comedy segments and musical performances from the hottest artists. The show will air every Tuesday night for seven weeks and feature Snoops own in-house band, the Snoopadelics.

When Van Toffler and I sat down Boss to Boss, a global quintuple threat takeover was masterminded. As the world of entertainment keeps changing, we felt it was the right time to let Snoop Dogg back on MTV so we could continue to run thangs with music, movies, DVDs and bring Hip-Hop to Rock Band. said Snoop Dogg. So screw ya wigz on tight and tune in on Tuesday nights for the first step to the next level of Snoop D-O double G. Dogg after Dark is the only nightclub tv show hosted by you know who. So take a journey with me through the mind, body, soul and musical mind state of the most prolific, authentic game spitter. And tha sh*t is funny, so show me da money!

Snoop has been a mainstay across MTV screens for over a decade by pushing the boundaries of hip-hop with his signature antics, incredible catalogue of music, legendary videos, larger than life personality and even a little controversy, said Van Toffler, President, MTV Networks Music / Films / Logo Groups. I cant even begin to imagine MTV, my tumultuous career and several raging ulcers without the Dogg being such a big part of our history. He is an undeniable international superstar whose talent and work transcend music, tv and film and we look forward to launching this new multidimensional partnership with the Doggfather.

From iconic VMA performances to DoggyFizzle Televizzle and everything imaginable in between, MTV has always been a home for Snoops music and comedic expressions and will continue to be that through this exciting new partnership, said Amy Doyle, Executive Vice President of Music and Talent for MTV.

The Grammy-Award nominated rappers unprecedented deal with MTV will let loose Snoop Doggs upcoming, new album, Malice In Wonderland, with global distribution, marketing and promotion. Featuring some seemingly unlikely musical guests, the album will feature tracks by Dr Dre, Pharrell and Lalo Shifrin, is scheduled to be released later this year. In addition, songs from Snoop Doggs impressive catalogue of hits will be released on MTVs hot-selling Rock Band® music video game platform.

Dogg After Dark is Executive Produced by Snoop Dogg. Tony DiBari, Tim Healy and Karen Frank are Executive Producers for MTV. Matt Parillo is Executive in Charge of Production. Leslie Greif and Adam Freeman of the Greif Company are Executive Producers. Ted Chung and Constance Schwartz of Snoopadelic Pictures are Executive Producers.

Mavado - Nathaniel Stewart

In March 2009, dancehall artiste Mavado will be releasing his sophomore album, Mr Brooks ... A Better Tomorrow on VP Records.

Mavado - who was crowned Best New Reggae Artiste at the 2008 MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards and by Rolling Stone magazine (April 2008) - is making dancehall a big-screen production.

The talented singjay has crafted his strongest album yet - a bittersweet struggle over the dichotomies in his world - past vs present, hope vs despair and freedom from strife.

Following Mavado's critically acclaimed debut, Gangster For Life: The Symphony of David Brooks (July 2007), Mr Brooks ... A Better Tomorrow is a true reflection of who Mavado (David Brooks) is today.

This second instalment of his latest hits and daring exploits are built on apocalyptic synthesiser progressions to which Mavado chats and sings simplistic yet profound lyrics with strong conviction and ease.

His contagious hook and clever outlaw antics from the album's first single, So Special, have already turned this number one Jamaican smash in into a US commercial radio hit, remaining on Billboard's Hot 100. Other tracks on the album include Overcome, Don't Worry, So Blessed andIn Di Car Back.

Mavado's first album remains in the Top 25 Billboard Reggae sales chart since its debut, and with major scores and endorsement deals, Mavado has gone from obscurity to ghetto super stardom.

http://www.rap-up.com/2009/02/13/chris-brown-flirting-with-disaster/

Soulful singer Terry Linen, aka Kiplin Simpson, is being sued by his management team Uplifting Music International Limited for a breach in contract.

Linen has been signed to Uplifting Music International since November of 2007 and is signed for a three-album deal. Thus far, Linen has only produced one album for Uplifting Music International titled A Better Man.

CEO of Uplifting Music International, who identified himself only as Africa,  "We're suing him for a breach of contract, we're suppose to be booking shows for him and he's not corresponding with us, is just a whole heap of disrespect."

Money for himself

He continued: "It's part of his contract that we are to get part of his bookings, he has space to book for himself but the company is suppose to be made aware of it, it's suppose to be booked under Uplifting Music International. Now he is booking under Terry Linen Music and keeping all the money for himself."

Terry Linen said: "Dem a sue mi still but mi lawyer a go tek care of dat. We will see when I go to court. I can't say anything else further about it for now. I want my fans to know that I'll let them know what's happening after I go to court." The artiste is currently in Cayman where he will be performing at a pre-Valentine show with singing group LUST. The singer recently came back into the public eye and on airwaves with the song Mood For Love.

According to Africa, Uplifting Music International has put a lot of work into Linen and his career, citing the artiste as being "ungrateful". Africa said: "We do a lot for him, we give him two number 1 hits, now he's one of the biggest artistes out there. Him coulda reach farther with his career wid that voice him have but he's lazy, but we did still try wid him."

Court Orders

Uplifting Music International is represented by D.O. Kelly & Associates. Attorney-at-law Sean Shelton has confirmed that Terry Linen has signed a three-year artiste management and record production agreement with Uplifting Music International Limited which ends on November 21, 2010. According to Shelton, Uplifting Music International Limited is seeking several court orders against Terry Linen, one of which is to compel Terry Linen to fulfil his obligations under the contract.

Shelton further stated that the case (between Uplifting Music International and Terry Linen) was mentioned in court yesterday.

However, Terry Linen failed to make an appearance. Therefore, Uplifting Music International has obtained judgment in default against Terry Linen. The next court date for the hearing of the default judgment will be on February 27, 2009.

At least 49 people have died after a plane crashed into a house in the US.

Continental Airlines flight 3407 from Newark in New Jersey to Buffalo in New York had 44 passengers and four crew on board when it crashed in the town of Clarence amid rain and sleet.

At least one house was destroyed and the authorities have evacuated another 12 properties.

Becky Gibbons of New York State Police said all 48 people aboard the aircraft were killed. At least one person on the ground also died.

A huge blaze engulfed the area of the crash site and crews of firefighters are battling to control the flames.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane crashed six miles short of the airport.

There is no word yet on the cause of the crash.

Resident Sean Wolf said: 'I was in my room, just sitting up there and the plane was just coming in and it was really low, it sounded like it was low and all of a sudden, I heard just like a big popping noise.

'I looked out my window and the whole sky illuminated with orange flames and I just saw the flames run up and I ran down my stairs to get my parents and we just left and went over to the site.'

The plane's operator, Colgan Air, said the plane was a B****ardier Dash 8 Q400 that can carry more than 70 people.

It was initially reported that Rihanna was not cooperating with the police. It now appears however, that shes had a change of heart. And according to E! news, what she claims happened that night is even worse than we could have imagined.

According to E! News, Rihanna told police that Chris not only punched and beat her but he choked her unconscious while threatening to kill her.

Shortly after midnight, things blew up. Brown pulled his silver Lamborghini to the side of a street in L.A.'s Hanc**k Park neighborhood. That's when, Rihanna reportedly grabbed the car keys and tossed them out the window, sending Brown into a rage.

He tried in vain to find the keys, then came back to the car, put his hands around her neck and, according to the insider, said, "I'm going to kill you!"

Allegedly the 20-year-old singer told police that she lost consciousness, and when she awoke, Brown had fled.

Her right eye reportedly was blackened and badly swollen and she had hand prints on her arms. The responding officers were so concerned about her, they drove Rihanna to the hospital in their squad car instead of waiting for an ambulance.


And it gets worse for Rihanna. According to the UKs The Sun, Rihannas injuries are so extensive that she may need to undergo plastic surgery.

A man accused of assaulting a woman after she refused his sexual advances was granted bail after weeks of being turned down when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday.

Charged with assault is Damion Osbourne, 25, of East Road, Kingston 12.

Choked victim

The allegations are that on December 20, the complainant went to a shop in the community where she was approached by the accused. It is alleged that he held on to her and made sexual demands. When she refused, he choked her and hit her in the face, causing bruising and swelling.

The court was further told by the investigating officer that since the accused man's detention, the complainant had received threats from his friends. It was also alleged that the accused had sent threats from behind bars. It was also revealed that Osbourne was charged with illegal possession of ammunition in another matter.

An attorney representing the accused told the court on a previous occasion that the allegations had been concocted by the arresting officer. He told the court that his client was under the impression that the complainant and the arresting officer were related in some way. Yesterday, the attorney told the court that his client did not even know the complainant, although she had claimed to know him from the community.

Osbourne was granted $30,000 bail with surety and was ordered to move from the community and live with a relative in Linstead.

The matter is to be mentioned again on February 26

An eight-year-old girl is one of two persons who lost their lives in car accidents in separate incidents in St Elizabeth and Manchester on Wednesday.

According to police reports, Shaniel Sinclair of Harman district in Manchester died as a result of injuries she received after she was hit by a Mitsubishi Pajero sports utility vehicle about 3:30 p.m.

Sinclair was reportedly walking along the John Robinson main road in the parish when she was hit.

She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. The driver of the Pajero fled the scene.

In the other incident, 19-year-old Jerow Cunningham of Hill Top district, St Elizabeth, died after a Honda Integra motor car in which he was a passenger ran into a utility pole before hitting a retaining wall.

Lost control

Police say about 11:15 p.m., while heading towards Lacovia in the parish, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle on the Park main road.

Witnesses told police that the impact sent Cunningham crashing through the window.

He was rushed to the Black River Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

An Indian national accused of practising medicine in Jamaica without a licence is to be tried on March 10.

Ravi Vatsavi appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown to answer to a charge of working without a permit.

Vatsavi told the court that his work permit was at the Ministry of Labour. He said he was not practising medicine, but was always in the company of a doctor who is a good friend of his.

The prosecution told the court that Vatsavi had signed a prescription for a patient. But he said the doctor was in surgery at the time and all the patient wanted was a pain killer, which he knew about.

For the past three years, Anthony Morgan has been living mostly on the streets of the Corporate Area, because he has no job, so he cannot afford to pay rent.

He is now pleading for the public's help to get a job and make himself independent again.

"I have to be living on the streets because I have nowhere. Right now, I am 'kotching' with a lady at Ransford Avenue, but I really need a job to get back on my feet," he said.

No money

Morgan said he is willing to do any kind of job. He said he had been attending the Heart Trust/ National Training Agency where he was doing some courses in baking, but had to stop because he had no money. Although he used to work in a bakery, he is willing to do any kind of work, even if it is in someone's yard.

"Is over three years now mi can't get any job. Everything mi do it fail, but I begging the people to assist me," he said.

Anyone wishing to assist Morgan can contact him at 403-0801

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is urging customers to be on the lookout for persons who have been pretending to be employees of the company.

The warning comes after the May Pen police launched an investigation into a report made Monday, where two men claiming to be JPS employees gained entry into a customer's home, which they robbed.

Allegations are that two men went to the house in the May Pen area and told the occupants that they were from JPS and needed to check on the meter. After removing the meter from its socket, the men asked to go into the house and this request was granted.

When they went inside, the men robbed the occupants. "In light of this recent incident, JPS is renewing its warning for customers to be on the alert for unscrupulous persons pretending to be JPS employees," the JPS said in a release.

The company also said that all its employees are properly identified and customers can ask to see their IDs, which the employees should present.

The release also said the JPS also urges customers to contact the nearest JPS office or its 24-hour customer care centre to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be an employee, who is not properly identified and demanding access to their premises or seeking to collect money on the power company's behalf.

Rosie Hardy and Aaron Nace are together for Valentines Day, which no doubt thrills their Flickr fans whove been following the couples 9 ½-month relationship via the photo-sharing Web site almost since the beginning.

Its the photos of the couple together that have enchanted a growing number of soft-hearted saps across the Internet because Rosie, 18, and Aaron, 24, are almost never in the same room when the photos are taken. Theyre not even in the same country. Rosie lives in Buxton, England, and Aaron in Chapel Hill, N.C. The photographers met on Flickr, and thanks to image-manipulating software, theyve created a growing collection of wistful, fairytale illusions in which they are together.

At least, if thats what you want to believe. As the cheer section that makes up the majority of comments on the couples photo blog demonstrates, plenty of people do. As the nastier comments on Rosie and Aaron fan blog entries reveal, there are those jaded, cynical haters who dont buy much of what we see online, this relationship least of all. The collision of fates that make their love story is too preposterous. The couple is too ridiculously attractive. The highly stylized photographs are far too polished and professional. On the Internet, nobody knows youre a dog.

More

Whether you live in separate parishes or separate countries, being in a long distance relationship is hard enough without the added pressure of Valentine's Day.

Put on top of not being able to see your beau regularly, you also get to witness all the romanticisms shared between your coupled friends. Here are a few tips to get you and your special someone through the day.

If you don't get to talk to each other regularly, that is whether through Instant Messenger or web-camming or phone calls, arrange to have a special date this Saturday night. Buy an international phone card and spend hours on the phone, or plan a special web cam session where you both dress up as if going on a date and just spend the night together via the internet.

If you do speak often, and think that spending the day together is just going to put more emphasis on how lonely you are without each other, then pretend as if the day doesn't exist at all. Make a pact to not speak to each other that night, but instead to go out and party with all your single friends, you know they need the company!

Send them E-cards. Since most E-cards are free, the best way to pull this off without looking tacky is to select roughly 24 E-cards days before, each with a special message stating how you feel. Then on Valentine's Day send a card every hour on the hour from 12 am Saturday to 12 am Sunday.

Mail them a real card. Yes, snail mail is outdated and not common among us TEENagers, but that is what makes it so special. Make this gesture even more special by putting a black and white picture of yourself with a little love note scribbled across the front (like lovers used to send to each other during the world wars) in the envelope.

Record a video of yourself reciting or singing a favourite or original love poem or love song, and then e-mail it to them to show them just how you feel about them, or upload it to Facebook or YouTube to show the world how you feel about them! (Be careful of the kind of videos you upload please, as this may haunt you for awhile.)

If it is possible to see them physically, make a concerted effort to do so. Surprise them with a visit on Valentine's Day, it's a present they will never forget. And since the best gift you can give is yourself, no candlelit dinner or bouquet of red roses is required!

Telecommunications service provider Claro is under more scrutiny today as the Bruce Golding administration's man in charge of local government, Robert Montague, has ordered a probe into its erection of cellular towers.

Local government officials yesterday confirmed the probe, but refused to provide details, saying the matter would be addressed by Montague when the findings are provided.

According to the officials, Montague is concerned about the numerous charges being levelled against the company by parish councils.

Disregarding rules

Already, The Gleaner has confirmed that several mayors have complained that Claro has been erecting towers without regard for the rules governing building permits.

Chairperson of the Manchester Parish Council, Brenda Ramsay, and her counterparts from St Mary and St Catherine are among those who have warned that they will be taking court action to put the brakes on the company.

Claro has reportedly already built 397 of the almost 600 cellular towers that it has projected to erect, but there is no evidence that the vast majority of these have been approved by the councils.

No green light

According to information reaching The Gleaner, in St Thomas, applications were submitted for 20 cell towers with only 12 getting the nod from the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA), but 22 are under construction or have been constructed.

It is a similar story in St James, where 31 applications were submitted, 17 approved by NEPA, eight given the green light by the council, but 32 towers are under construction or have been constructed.

In the Corporate Area, Claro has completed work on 38 cell towers, while the evidence suggests that only 23 were approved by NEPA.

However, Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie says Claro has been complying with the rules.

"I don't know when the list says only X amount were approved because that might relate to a time and the approvals are ongoing," McKenzie said.

"I won't say we are not having issues, but it is not as pronounced as before and the problem is with all the cellphone providers, not only Claro."

Problems with all providers

He said the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation has met with all the providers with another meeting scheduled for next Tuesday when the issue of construction beginning before approval is given will be discussed.

"We have had one or two cases where they start erection before the approval and we have made it clear that this is not the process," McKenzie said.

Officials of Claro have remained mostly silent on the controversy, but attorney-at-law Harold Brady, who represents the company, has claimed that it is not at fault.

According to Brady, any breach is to be laid at the feet of the company contracted to construct the towers.

However, checks by The Gleaner have revealed that where applications have been submitted for building permits, these are in the name Oceanic Digital Jamaica, the operator of Claro.

Livesteez is reporting that the Chris Brown camp is saying Rihanna is a seasoned victim and wont press charges; also, they are planning the Road to Redemption campaign already:

R&B singer Chris Brown held a secret meeting in Los Angeles on Thursday night with his family and close friends to discuss his b****shell arrest following an alleged altercation with Rihanna and the ensuing wave of bad press. A source exclusively tells RadarOnline.com that Browns mother was among the people there, and that he attempted to calm everyone down. The source says Brown told his family and friends that he and Rihanna have officially broken up. Brown does not think Rihanna will seek charges against him and that he will NOT go to jail. Instead, Brown thinks hell face fines. The source tells us Browns final words to everybody was Protect me. Im your homeboy.

SMH

Representatives of Chris Brown may be on the lookout for a crisis-management expert to help the R&B crooner rehabilitate his image in light of his arrest on felony battery charges for assaulting his girlfriend, Rihanna, multiple sources have confirmed. Among the experts who have been recommended to Browns people were Alan Nierob, the veteran Hollywood publicist who advised Mel Gibson in 2006 after he spewed anti-Semitic comments at an arresting officer during a drunk-driving incident; and Howard Bragman, who repped Isaiah Washington in 2007 after Washington used an antigay slur to refer to costar T.R. Knight on the set of Greys Anatomy, reports Entertainment Weekly. More

Also, the reports of Chris going at RiRi via Facebook are false:

A source close to Chris Brown tells Usmagazine.com that the singer hasnt been updating his Facebook status with messages about Rihanna. Reports surfaced in the New York Post that Brown who was arrested last Sunday after allegedly assaulting Rihanna wrote Youll begin to see her true colors. Believe it! But the source tells Us: Due to the dubious nature of the Facebook page, I dont know how anybody would believe this. Of course Chris did not comment himself and this is not his Facebook page. A little research shows that there are tons of Chris imposters on both Myspace and Facebook and none of them are Chris, including this one, continues the source.

MTV is already set to air a story on the love birds and this domestic violence case next week:

With Chris Brown & Rihanna: Love in Trouble, MTV News will take an in-depth look at the allegations of domestic violence that Chris Brown faces after an alleged altercation with Rihanna last weekend. For the special, which airs Monday, February 16, at 6 p.m. ET/PT, MTV News has gathered journalists, industry professionals and other experts as well as an in-studio audience of young fans to provide insight and commentary about what the incident means for both artists careers and lives, and society in general. The special will take a look at the couples year-long relationship and will also examine the influence the alleged domestic violence between Browns former stepfather and mother may have had on him. Chris Brown & Rihanna: Love in Trouble will also look at the events that took place on the night the alleged altercation occurred. Plus, it will look at how this incident has touched on issues that face young people in relationships every day and what can be done to avoid them. A relationship expert will be on hand to offer advice for young people who find themselves facing domestic violence issues

 

Wild winds with gusts topping 65mph (10kph) blew from the Great Lakes to the East Coast on Thursday, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of customers, disrupting travel and killing at least five people.

The high winds, attributed to a strong low pressure system, which started Wednesday night and moved east overnight, kicking up gravel and sand from construction sites and hurling garbage cans on to busy New York City streets on Thursday.

"I got more sand in my eyes than at a beach, and I almost got blown over backwards," said electrician Michael Lazzaro, who ducked into a bar on his way home from work in New York.

downed power lines

Utilities such as Jersey Central Power & Light in New Jersey reported downed power lines from wind-snapped trees. About 250,000 customers remained without power Thursday in Pennsylvania, and 140,000 more in Ohio. There were also about 109,000 outages in West Virginia, nearly 31,000 in New Jersey and 14,900 in Michigan.

"This is one of the largest power outages we've seen in many years," said Jimmy Gianato, West Virginia's director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. At one point, 220,000 customers were without power. At least six state parks also had no electricity.

Utilities in Ohio and West Virginia said electricity wouldn't be restored to some residents until the weekend or later.

women killed

In New Jersey, a 61-year-old motorist was killed early Thursday in Union County when a tree snapped, crashing through her car's windshield and impaling the woman. A woman in Newark died of massive head injuries after a tree branch fell and struck her Thursday afternoon.

Wind also was believed to be a factor in the Thursday death of a 59-year-old New York City construction worker who was killed when a wall collapsed, officials said.

A woman in West Virginia and a truck driver in Ohio also were killed in weather-related deaths Wednesday night when gusts topping 70mph (112kph) in Indiana and Ohio were reported as the system moved through.

Gusts disrupted the morning rail commute in the New York City area. Four people were hurt, apparently by flying glass, when the wind blew a crossing gate into a Long Island Rail Road train.

Firefighters look over the wreckage of Continental flight 3407 which lies amid smoke at the scene after crashing into a suburban Buffalo home and erupting into flames late Thursday, killing all 48 people aboard and at least one person on the ground, according to authorities. The 74-seat Q400 B****ardier aircraft, operated by Colgan Air, was flying from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey to Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Family members leave the Buffalo Niagara Airport on Thursday after Continental Airlines Flight 3407 crashed into a home in Clarence Center, NY. The commuter plane "basically dove" into a house while coming in for a landing, sparking a fiery explosion that killed all 48 people on-board and one person on the ground, an emergency official said yesterday.

Premier Michael Misick yesterday said he would step down as leader of The Turks and Caicos at the end of March. He cited a lack of support for his scandal-plagued government.

The surprise announcement came hours after the Caribbean nation's deputy premier and finance minister resigned, citing differences with the colourful Misick, whose jet-set lifestyle has helped turned The Turks and Caicos into a celebrity hot spot, but has fuelled corruption allegations.

"What the country and our party need now more than ever is stability and certainty," Misick said during a press conference at his office.

"I have tried in recent weeks to create this. It now appears to me that the divide within the party is too deep."

Misick said he would step down as party leader on February 28 and resign as premier on March 31.

Floyd Hall, the outgoing deputy premier, said Misick's decision to halt a legislative session in December as lawmakers moved to enter a no-confidence vote against him effectively brought the government to a standstill.

Misick's financial dealings are the focus of a British investigative commission that concluded hearings this week as it probes a range of corruption allegations, including that Misick and other officials profited from the sale of government-owned land.

Misick was elected in 2003 and is serving his second term. He is also the island's tourism minister. Since he took office, the gross domestic product in the territory of 22,000 people, has more than doubled to $750 million, largely through a resort-building boom.

While the global economy shrinks, so does the money allotted for and to TEENs to spend.

The economic crisis not only affects our social allowances, but also our education.

Have you noticed that the more food prices go up the more your lunch money goes down?

It is obvious that since the United States of America is going through a recession, adults and TEENs here in Jamaica will certainly feel the outer bands of this economic hurricane.

Students whose parent/s are abroad working to fund their education, especially feel the crunch as remittances have fallen off. TEENage is concerned about their education primarily.

Getting an education surely has its price, as even though government subsidies are provided, the auxiliary fees and other forms of miscellaneous charges make the 'abolition of school fees' seem like a joke.

The needed school supplies are also adding to the cost of education. Textbook prices unceasingly seem to get more expensive at the beginning of every school year. This has led to the photocopier at your parents' offices or respective schools becoming the new and improved bookstore. The fact is, no matter how illegal this action is, the fear of the law does not circumvent the need for the books.

Another problem resulting from the state of the economy is the cost of transportation. With rides from parents or others declining, due to gas prices and taxi fares rising, the seat on a bus has never felt more comfortable. The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Smart Card has become every TEENs new BFF.

Basic necessities such as food, water and clothing at times feel as if they are luxury items. The days of buying lunch and a snack after school seem to be coming to an end. In fact, more and more we see the resurrection of the Power Rangers lunch kit and 'the brown paper bag' filled with a sandwich from home. It is, afterall, the cheaper option.

Whether mentally or physically, the health of citizens will deteriorate as the economy does. Healthy foods are expensive, and although the same can be said for fast food items, it is still cheaper to buy potato chips than a box lunch.

TEENs are finding it harder to afford means of entertainment, as with the high cost of movies and parties nowadays, some of us have had to wipe the dust from our board games and put them to use.

Jamaican TEENs studying abroad are also feeling the economic pinch.

With the demise of several alternative investment schemes and the out-of-control exchange rate, which affects the cost of tuition, many have had to return home.

Abroad, the picture isn't prettier.

Jamaican students who are scholarship holders are told that the university's donors are feeling the economic crunch and have withdrawn the funds they had previously pledged.

These students are left to fend for themselves as the universities have no obligation to rectify a foreign student's monetary problems.

And yet still, after all the struggles associated with receiving that degree or diploma are completed, TEENs then have to enter the current job market in an environment that is far from secure.

How many times have we heard, "your qualifications are impressive, but you have no experience".

TEENage recommends that we learn from these times by becoming more aware of current affairs and how they affect us both directly and indirectly. Now is the time to be more responsible and innovative as TEENs. Create budgets for your finances and increase your income by seeking part-time jobs.

The Child Development Agency (CDA) is appealing to persons to open their homes to children eight years and under who need the care of foster families.

Making the call on February 8 at a national church service, held at the Ridgemount United Church, in Mandeville, Manchester, to mark Foster Care Week, Allison Anderson, chief executive officer of the CDA, said foster parenting would make a marked difference in the lives of over 350 children.

attract more persons

She added that if the CDA was going to realise its objective of significantly reducing the number of children in residential care on the basis that the family is the preferred environment for raising children, it was essential that the programme attract more persons.

The CDA also commended the support given to the foster-care programme by religious institutions.

Foster Care Week ends today and persons between 25 and 65 years of age can be foster parents.

Net Buzz
The Internet is ablaze once again with news of another Miley Cyrus photo scandal. This time the Hannah Montana star is being lambasted for mocking Asian features in a picture leaked late last week. The Disney actress has defended herself as only making a 'goofy face', with no malicious intent behind it.

Lily Allen's highly anticipated sophomore album It's Not Me, It's You has been making the rounds online in its entirety, a full week before its slated release date.

Soul singer Erykah Badu recently took the increasing popularity of Internet social networking to a higher level when she used the popular status updating website Twitter to inform fans of the birth of her daughter while she was in labour.

Kelly Clarkson's hailed 'comeback' single My Life Would *u*k Without You has been very successful since its initial release a week ago, holding the number one spot on the iTunes top 10.

Entertainment News
Troubled British singer Amy Winehouse is rumoured to be planning to write a long-awaited new album while in Jamaica. The Rehab-artiste has been on an extended vacation in the Caribbean island of St Lucia.

Rapper TI is in the process of shooting and editing the music video for his next single Dead and Gone, which features ex-NSYNC member Justin Timberlake
Olympic gold-medallist Michael Phelps is in hot water as a result of evidence that he partook in the smoking of marijuana. The swimmer has since lost endorsement deals with Kellogg Cereal and Subway.

CHILDREN FIRST visited Montego Bay yesterday to promote HIV/AIDS and STI awareness with the help of a mobile bus that administers testing and counselling services.

'Bashy Bus' is Children First's mobile health clinic and was created in response to reports of adolescents engaging in sexual intercourse in buses and other public-passenger vehicles.

The performing arts and youth-targeted reading material are used to increase vulnerable adolescents' awareness of sexual and reproductive health, promote safer sex, and make them aware of the sexual-health services that are available to them.

Since Sunday, the bus has been travelling around the island to promote Safe Sex Awareness Week.

no coincidence

It was no coincidence that the visit was planned for the lover's holiday, according to Safe Sex Awareness Week representatives.

"We wanted to remind people of the importance of safe sex since it's so close to Valentine's Day," said Cheryl Belcher-Peart, a regional HIV-prevention technical officer. "This is a time when sexual activity increases."

Although the focus of the organisation is adolescents, persons of all ages visited the Safe Sex Awareness Week booths to participate in the activities and live entertainment that Bashy Bus counsellors and youth provided.

"The process is simple and confidential," said Claudette Richardson-Pious, Children First executive director.

According to Richardson-Pious, interested persons participate in pre-counselling services. Then, the HIV/AIDS test is administered. Finally, there are post-counselling services provided by health-care professionals. Test results are available within 30 minutes.

ongoing campaign

Bashy Bus is particularly interested in the parishes of St Catherine, St Ann, and St James where there are high rates of internal migration and population movement due to tourism and urbanisation.

Although Safe Sex Awareness Week ends on Valentine's Day, the mobile health clinic plans to continue its visits. The next stop for Bashy Bus is Maroon Town.

FALMOUTH, TRELAWNY: As preliminary work for the re-development of the Falmouth Wharf gets underway, expectations are high that the US$200 million project, will serve as a catalyst towards restoring the historic Trelawny capital to its former glory.

Mayor of Falmouth, Colin Gager, told JIS News that the volume of development the project will bring to the town of Falmouth will undoubtedly have a positive effect on the economy of the town and by extension, the entire parish.

The mayor urged residents of the town, especially young people, to develop an interest in the project, and to grasp every opportunity for training in order to access the job opportunities created by the development.

preparations necessary

Gager also advised the police, health department personnel, representatives of the agricultural sector and the business community, to do the necessary preparations in order to capitalise on this "grand economic opportunity".

President of the Trelawny Chamber of Commerce, Dennis Seivewright, said the entire business community was looking forward to the project with "great anticipation".

Seivewright also encouraged citizens to prepare themselves so as to exploit the opportunities that will present themselves.

The preliminary works, which started last week, include the demolition of some structures and removal of debris and the construction of a new fisherman's beach to facilitate the relocation of the existing facility.

Construction works are expected to begin within a matter of weeks and should be completed by June 2010, after which the wharf will receive one of the world's largest cruise ships Genesis of the Sea.

Donald Trump quits casino company's board

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. Donald Trump fired himself Friday from the casino company that bears his name.

Spurned by bond holders who rejected his effort to buy Trump Entertainment Resorts, the real estate mogul and his daughter Ivanka are resigning from its board of directors.

He called the troubled casino company he once controlled "worthless to me now." He is the largest shareholder, owning more than a quarter of its stock, yet stressed that it comprises "substantially less than 1 percent of my net worth."

The company won a fourth extension Wednesday on restructuring $1.25 billion in debt, and some analysts have predicted it will file for bankruptcy protection for a third time if it doesn't work out a deal with its bond holders.

"If I'm not going to run it, I don't want to be involved in it," Trump told The Associated Press Friday night. "I'm one of the largest developers in the world. I have a lot of cash and plenty of places I can go."

Trump said he recently offered to buy the company, which he used to control before relinquishing his grip as part of a bankruptcy restructuring.

For now, his name will remain on the company's three Atlantic City casinos, although Trump said he may seek legal avenues to removing his name from the business.

"I don't like that my name is still going to be on it," he said.

He also said he wants to sell his shares in the company, although it was not clear when that might happen, or whether he would even be able to under securities laws if he possesses information about the company that is not publicly known.

The company would not identify the bond holders or who represents them.

Trump said allies of the bond holders have a 5-to-3 edge on the board of Trump Entertainment Resorts, leading him to believe he was not likely to prevail any time soon in talks on the company's future direction.

The company skipped a $53.1 million biannual payment due bond holders last Dec. 1. That triggered talks on restructuring the debt, which have been extended four times. The next deadline is Tuesday.

Mark Juliano, the company's chief executive, said talks are ongoing, adding he expects them to continue through Tuesday. He declined to respond to Trump's criticism of the way the company has been managed.

"While The Trump Organization grows and flourishes, Trump Entertainment Resorts, of which I am a stockholder, has languished," Trump said. "The Trump Organization's portfolio of residential, commercial, hotel, and golf properties has expanded all over the world, while Trump Entertainment Resorts has yet to diversify outside of Atlantic City.

"I have watched the collapse in enterprise value of the Atlantic City Tropicana, where bondholders' values have been reduced to almost nothing," he continued. "I do not want to take part in a similar fiasco here."

The Tropicana Casino and Resort has been run by a state-appointed trustee for 14 months after its former owners were stripped of their casino license. It is due to be sold soon at a bankruptcy auction, but creditors may try to block such a sale, fearing it wouldn't fetch enough of a price to pay them back much.

Trump Entertainment owns three Atlantic City casinos but is in the process of selling one, Trump Marina Hotel Casino, to a former protege of Donald Trump. Its other properties are the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino.

A female suicide b****er has killed 32 people and wounded 84 others in Iraq.

Most of the victims of the attack in Iskandariya, which lies 30 miles south of Baghdad, are believed to be women and children.

The atrocity happened as Shia pilgrims flocked to a religious festival.

The attack comes a day after a b**** killed eight people in the holy city of Kerbala in the south of the country.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are heading to the city to mark Arbain, one of the most important dates in the Shia religious calendar.

CNN) -- A second teenager has reportedly claimed to be the father of a child born to a teenaged girl in a case which has caused an outcry in Britain.

According to reports earlier this week Alfie Patten was only 12 when the baby was conceived with his girlfriend, Chantelle Steadman, 15.

The Sun tabloid newspaper reported their daughter, Maisie Roxanne, was born on Monday.

It carried photos and interviews with the pair and their child on Friday and Saturday.

Alfie told the newspaper that he thought "it would be good to have a baby."

While Chantelle said they wanted to "prove to everyone" that they could give Maisie a "great future" and that they both planned to stay in school.

However, on Sunday the Sun's sister paper, the News of the World, reported that Richard Goodsell, aged 16, was claiming he was Maisie's father.

"I know I could be the father. Everyone thinks I am. My friends all tell me that baby has my eyes -- even my mum thinks so.

"Only a DNA test is going to sort this out properly. If I am the father, I have the right to know," he told the News of the World.

The situation has provoked a wide response, with Conservative party leader David Cameron telling the British Press Association that parenthood should not be something the teenagers should even have been contemplating.

Spice, as it is known on the street and in school playgrounds, has already been banned by at least four European nations including the Netherlands, where smoking small amounts of cannabis is tolerated.

But in Britain it remains "under review", according to the Home Office.

Spice contains JWH-018, a synthetic psychoactive substance which gives what the Royal Society of Chemistry has described as a "marijuana-like high".

However, packets of the herbal mixture which bear names such as Spice Gold, Spice Tropical Synergy and Spice Yucatan Fire are being sold as harmless incense.

JWH-018, a cannabinoid receptor, was created by an American academic purely for research purposes in 1995.

Since then it has been manufactured outside official laboratories. Chemists believe large quantities are now being made in China.

Its popularity has soared in the last year.

Last month Christian Steup from THC Pharm, a German company that makes legal painkillers from cannabis, detected JWH-018 in several packets of Spice, according to the RSC's Chemistry World magazine.

He said the substance was four to five times more potent than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive substance in cannabis.

He told Chemistry World that JWH-018 was "fascinating because the chemical structure does not look at all like THC, but it produces the same effects".


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/4611523/Teens-in-Britain-getting-legally-high-on-synthetic-cannabis-banned-across-Europe.html

CNN) -- Saudi King Abdullah has for the first time appointed a woman to the council of ministers as part of a Cabinet reshuffling, Saudi owned Al-Arabiya television station reported Saturday.

King Abdullah announced a new supreme court chief, a new minister of health, a new justice minister and a new information minister as part of the reshuffling, Al-Arabiya reported.

King Abdullah appointed Noor Al-Fayez to the Saudi Council of Ministers. She will serve in a new position as deputy minister for women's education.

"People are very excited about this," said Khaled Al-Maeena, editor-in-chief of Arab News, an English-language daily newspaper in Saudi Arabia. "This sends a clear signal that the King means business. Instead of appointing some bureaucrat, he appointed a woman."

US President Barack Obama rejects Israel's call for staying away from a UN conference on racism to enter a new phase in ties with Tel Aviv.

The US State Department said late Saturday it would send diplomats next week to participate in preparatory meetings for the World Conference Against Racism.

Earlier, US officials said Israel has been pressing the Obama administration to stay away from the meeting.

"The intent of our participation is to work to try to change the direction in which the review conference is heading," the department said in a statement.

"We hope to work with other countries that want the Conference to responsibly and productively address racism around the world," it added.

However, the statement stressed that US attendance at the planning meetings "does not indicate - and should not be misconstrued to indicate - that the United States will participate in April" in the meeting.

During the Bush administration the US and Israel walked out the first UN conference on racism in Durban, South Africa in 2001 over efforts to pass a resolution comparing Zionism to racism.

Those efforts failed but there are signs the resolution may be reintroduced at the so-called "Durban 2" meeting in Geneva.

In November, Israel announced that it would boycott the conference. Tel Aviv has been actively lobbying the US and European countries to stay away from this year's meeting.

The Bush administration had left a decision on whether to attend to the next administration, but voted in the UN General Assembly last year to protest the conference.

The World Conference Against Racism is set to be held in Geneva, Switzerland in April.

"Known to the world as Mavado, the singer behind behind the eerie wails of "Anywayyy!" and "Gangsta fi life!" which have recently dominated the airwaves was born David Constantine Brooks in the gully called "Cuba"-a micro-ghetto within Kingston's "Cassava Piece" community, famous to reggae fans from the haunting Augustus Pablo melody of the same name. In an era when dancehall MCs replaced the ranking dreads of Pablo's day, the two main influences on the direction of Brooks' young life were his grandmother and the music of Bounty Killer. "To tell the truth" he explains, "it was me gran'mother that first really bring me inna studio, 'cause she bring me inna church to sing. She always tell me to sing for her and that really give Mavado the courage to get fe love music an' t'ing." But if the sweet sounds of gospel provided the motivation, it was the gruff voice of Bounty Killer that proved to be the more powerful influence. "As a youth, Sanchez an Wayne Wonder are really my two singer dem, Sanchez have the voice of the angel. But me an' my friend always say 'Yo, Killer are the wickedest!' So long as it's Killer, it's just my song, trust me!"" Vp-records

their lives and opinions. Every young person needs at least one adult to take a genuine interest and give sensible advice. Many find that adult in a schoolThe installation of metal detectors in Toronto high schools may be inevitable, city councillor Michael Thompson said yesterday. But Mr. Thompson (Scarborough Centre) cautions that were not there yet. Some recommendations from a school safety report conducted after a 15-year-old boy was shot in a high school corridor last spring still have not been implemented, and Mr. Thompson said it is worth giving those initiatives time to yield results.Id hate to see the whole innocence of school lost, he said of the consequences of metal detectors. We may well be moving down that road.One student was shot outside Bendale Business and Technology Institute in Mr. Thompsons Scarborough ward on Tuesday, forcing four schools to go into lockdown as police looked for the assailants. Yesterday afternoon, Victoria Park Collegiate Institute was locked down after reports a gun was spotted inside the school, located near the Don Valley Parkway/Highway 401 interchange.  Since Tuesdays shooting, Mr. Thompson said he has noticed stark differences between how adults and young people have reacted to the shooting.Young people seem to think of it as a matter of fact that there are people who carry guns, he said, adding he finds that chilling.The violence comes the same week police officers took up posts in 27 high schools across the city an initiative that trustees say originated with police, who are keen to foster good relations with youth. Toronto District School Board trustee Scott Harrison, who represents Bendale, enthusiastically welcomed the program, but says metal detectors would go too far. Ive had parents ask me before about it, but metal detectors, I think, are a reactionary thought. We need to really look at the situation at large, he said. He said Toronto is hardly as violent as some American cities that have used the security measures in schools.We need to do anything reasonable to protect our schools, said trustee Josh Matlow, but it should not include metal detectors. We havent moved towards hiring the type of staff who can see early warning signs and take a childs hand when they see a warning sign and not let go until they graduate. City councillor Rob Ford (Etobicoke North) says that while metal detectors may not hurt, more meaningful solutions need not be so oppressive. For example: football. Its proven that if these kids play sports, its natural that these kids have to get to class, have to get the grades to go to university, said Mr. Ford, who coaches the football team at a Rexdale high school. Lets try all the other ways before we start treating them like criminals and inmates in a jail."

Metal detectors use electromagnetic induction to detect metal. Uses include de-mining (the detection of land mines), the detection of weapons such as knives and guns, especially at airports, geophysical prospecting, archaeology and treasure hunting. Metal detectors are also used to detect foreign bodies in food, and in the construction industry to detect steel reinforcing bars in concrete and pipes and wires buried in walls and floors.

In its simplest form, a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field. If a piece of electrically conductive metal is close to the coil, eddy currents will be induced in the metal, and this produces an alternating magnetic field of its own. If another coil is used to measure the magnetic field (acting as a magnetometer), the change in the magnetic field due to the metallic object can be detected.

 

Toward the end of the 19th century, many scientists and engineers used their growing knowledge of electrical theory in an attempt to devise a machine which would pinpoint metal. The use of such a device to find ore-bearing rocks would give a huge advantage to any miner who employed it. The German physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove invented the induction balance system, which was incorporated into metal detectors a hundred years later. Early machines were crude, used a lot of battery power, and worked only to a very limited degree. Alexander Graham Bell used such a device to attempt to locate a bullet lodged in the chest of American President James Garfield in 1881; the attempt was unsuccessful because the metal bed Garfield was lying on confused the detector.^[1]Advantages and disadvantages of metal detectorsSome advantages of security metal detectors are:

• The immediate and most obvious advantage of metal detectors is enhanced office security.
• They play a very important role in preventing workplace violence by picking out persons bringing in weapons to an office.
• They help in pilferage prevention, especially of precious metals.
• Hand-held body scanners for body search eliminate the need for physical pat-downs during weapon screening, avoiding embarra**ment to clients/ employees.

Some disadvantages of metal detectors could be:

• They may sometimes give a false alarm if someone is carrying even harmless metallic objects (e.g. toys), or say gold jewelry/coins as a personal belonging, causing a lot of embarra**ment and inconvenience to the person.
• They may not always be safe for people fitted with a pacemaker.
• They may interfere with magnetic recording media like cassettes and CDs.

 

 

Adults, not metal detectors, are what schools need, says Nicki Mason

Carrying a knife is never a good idea when not on a camping trip. Most children learn this easily at an early age outside school and often without discussing it. Circumstances lead them to discover it is good to be alive, and they begin to value their own and others lives. For the majority of schools therefore, knife crime is absolutely not a problem, and knives feature only on the long list of items not allowed in school, along with drugs, alcohol, fireworks, chewing gum and dangly earrings.

Not all children hear the message, however, and a small minority of schools do have to deal with incidents involving knives and the circumstances surrounding them. In my experience the young person who carries a weapon does it for their own 'protection' because they feel threatened. Few have given any consideration to the most likely outcome of a confrontation - that a person or group of people bigger and stronger than them take it and use it against them. Once this is brought to their attention by an adult it is often enough to change their behaviour on the spot.

Children are capable of reason. Introducing metal detectors is to abandon reason and to send the wrong messages:

• A metal detector at the school gate says it is acceptable to carry a knife on the street.
• A metal detector at the classroom door says it is acceptable to carry one in the corridor.

They do not teach that carrying a knife is never a good idea, and is likely to lead to crime or death. Metal detectors do not change behaviour. Inspirational and passionate teaching of subjects, together with consistent enforcement of clearly expressed rules and discussion of reason, does. Young people are guided by the adults around them. They are inspired by adults who take a genuine interest in