I desided to raise this again cuz there has been some great riddims out in late 08 and i want to see which riddim (s) yall think is the best.

I personally think that Advocate, Beast, Beauty, Big league, Cricka, wibble woble and gyal farm.

lemme see what yall think

      

Dorothy Glenn decorates her home in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, with hundreds of festive lights every year, including a giant tree and a 4ft Santa Claus.

But this year she was astonished when an employee of South Tyneside Homes called at her house and informed her that the decorations she was displaying might be offending her neighbours.

The association has now apologised to Mrs Glenn and started an investigation but a spokesman insisted that removing Christmas lights was not part of their policy.

Mrs Glenn, a 41-year-old mother-of-three, said: "I put the lights up in the first week of November and then recently a uniformed housing worker was outside, and it looked like he was counting my decorations.

"When I went outside he said that the lights were 'offensive to the community'. If I was offending anyone I could understand why he was telling me, but nobody has complained.

"My neighbours are Bengali and Chinese and I know that they love the lights, the children will always point them out when they walk past."

She said: "I told him that I am far from a racist and that I wouldn't be taking the lights down. I'm shocked, annoyed and upset. At the end of the day, it's the festive season and they're staying."

Independent councillor Ahmed Khan, who represents Mrs Glenn's ward, condemned the employee's actions.

He said: "Every year this woman puts her Christmas lights up and I know how popular they are. It's great when people make an effort to decorate their houses.

"It's this kind of nonsense that sets race relations back 20 years. That woman did nothing more than decorate her house to celebrate Christmas."

A spokesman for South Tyneside Council said: "We would like to make it clear that South Tyneside Homes is happy for residents to put up Christmas lights to decorate their homes.

"Christmas lights bring a bit of festive cheer to everybody and we are delighted to see examples of tenants and leaseholders across the borough taking so much pride in the appearance of their homes.

"We have received no complaint about this alleged incident, but are investigating the matter and apologise for any upset this may have caused."

If we didn't see this with our own eyes we wouldn't believe it. MediaTakeOut.com has caught wind that the fast food chain Taco Bell is looking to sign rapper 50 Cent to an endorsement deal.

And under the terms of the deal, 50 would have to change his name from 50 Cent to 99 CENTS - to promote the price of Taco Bell's new "Why Pay More" value menu. Here's an excerpt from a letter written by Taco Bell President and CEO Greg Creed:

We know that you adopted the name 50 Cent years ago as a metaphor for change. We at Taco Bell are also huge advocates for change... We encourage you to 'Think Outside the Bun' and hope you accept our offer.

This may sound like some kind of joke - but we assure you - it's not. But as crazy as it sounds, this could open up the door for a world of possibilities for 50 and his G-Unit artists.

We can see it now .... G-Unit member Lloyd Banks could sign an endorsement deal with Nathan's hot dogs that would have him change his name to Lloyd FRANKS. And Tony Yayo could signing a deal with a toy company - his new name would be Tony PLAY-DOE..

The soaring cost of living has had severe consequences for many people in these economically troubled times. Among them is a Florida man accused of smashing up a grocery store in protest at the rising price of crack cocaine.

According to police, the man entered that Dixon's Food Mart in Fort Pierce, on the east Florida coast, and smashed a counter partition and DVD case.

When police turned up to arrest him, they say he smelled of alcohol, and was 'challenging people to fight.' He claimed he was angry about the fact that a rock of crack now cost twenty dollars, instead of ten. 

Authorities say that the man, identified as Gus Young Jr., then claimed he had actually been trying to punch a drug dealer in the store, but that the dealer ducked, causing him to hit the partition instead.

Young continued to bemoan that state of things when taken to jail, shouting about 'unfair the price of crack had become', according to TCPalm.com

'Stanky (expletive)! I brought me a ten and they're twenty tonight!' he added.

What's with these rappers? Is it the lyrics, or the bad man image they portray? Whatever the reason they have to get their acts together.

On the heels of Lil' Wayne's felony arrest on gun charges earlier this month, 50 Cent was recently kicked out of a mall in Scottsdale because members of his crew were allegedly packing heat.

According to eurweb.com police said security at Scottsdale Fashion Square Mall stopped 50 and his entourage asking that they remove their guns from the mall's premises.

The group quickly complied with the orders.

Later that same day, 50 Cent was back in the headlines for reportedly reducing Paris Hilton to tears during a pre-Super Bowl event.

AFTER eight years teaching at a primary school in eastern Jamaica, Rhona Allen wanted a career change.

She was interested in law and since her mother and siblings were already residing in Canada, in 1996 she headed north to study.
But life in the city of Calgary in the western province of Alberta has been far from the pretty picture she imagined. Although she has a diploma in secondary education (English) from Shortwood Teachers' College, she has been unable to get a "decent" job and has not yet been able to complete a first degree because of what she describes as a c****ination of indifference and ignorance within the Jamaican education system and a high level of racism and nationalism in Canada.

ALLEN... all things Jamaican are scoffed at in Calgary

"I got fired from good jobs because I didn't have the qualifications. They would say 'we don't have any problems with you or with how you work but you just don't have the qualifications'. So I had to take low-class jobs when I could do better," Allen told the Sunday Observer. "I can tell you that generally that is what happens to immigrants here. Doctors have to drive taxis and pack meat in factories or clean offices and wipe hospital floors. It is such a national problem that the federal government is trying to address it, but the thieves are always in the way and it is really not changing."
At the heart of her dilemma is that she hasn't been able to get the acceptable equivalent transfer credits from the University of Calgary where she was enrolled. The university insists Allen did not complete high school since she does not have A-levels and only agreed to grant her a year of transfer credits towards a BA in English. She would, therefore, have to complete three years of the university's programme.

Documents filed by the attorney general in response to claims brought by Allen in the Supreme Court of Jamaica in 2001, note that coursework proposed by Calgary was "no higher than she already completed at Shortwood Teachers' College and the said Calgary programme fails to fully measure up to the equivalent of her teacher's diploma as it lacks depth and breadth".

The diploma Allen holds is the new diploma offered by the Ministry of Education. It comprises about 2,245 hours of coursework at the post-secondary level. The degree programmes offered by Calgary however, are less than 1,500 hours of post-secondary work, compared to the minimum 1,800 hours required to matriculate into a Jamaican degree programme.

"From the evidence presented," read part of the AG's response, "there are serious and debilitating misperceptions about the categorisation of the New Teacher's Diploma both locally and internationally and the local authorities must take steps to remedy the resulting situation from these misperceptions. Further, the said teacher's diploma being at least 2,245 hours of post secondary coursework, must be accorded the same status as any programme of similar status taken anywhere else and particularly in North America. Any assessment showing less status must be rejected by the Jamaican authorities."

This was in response to a suit filed by Allen in which she claimed she was a victim of a massive North American scam held in place by the ineptitude of local authorities.

"In the school year of 1995-1996, the Ministry of Education negligently approved my taking a course of study at the University of Calgary in Canada leading to a BA in English. The ministry informed me that the said university appears on its approved list of universities, meaning that the said university is of comparable standard to university in Jamaica," she said in the document. "I, therefore, went on a leave of absence from my job for three years. I was to return to my post on September 1, 1999. In this year, 2001, I am still in Calgary being required to complete coursework ranging from Jamaican fourth form to sixth form, only, Canada calls this level of studies a degree. Jamaica seemingly approves while demanding way more from students here. This is unjust and unlawful."

The matter was set for mention on April 16, 2002 and Allen flew from Canada to attend court here but there was no representation from the Attorney General's office. Allen said she was unable to fly back because of the expense involved and so "nothing came of it".

Today, 12 years after first enrolling at the University of Calgary, Allen has still not been awarded a degree because she refuses to accept the one year of transfer credit and the university in turn refuses to offer anything more. Determined to fulfil her educational goals, she is now pursuing a BA in Management at the University of Lethbridge, a programme for which she said she received more transfer credits than were being offered at the University of Calgary.

"Now I'm in school and I'm an old woman. Sometimes I get some grades, I just have to laugh," Allen said.

She does laugh and would sound merry, but for a slight hollowness.

"In the meantime, all things Jamaican are scoffed at in Calgary and other parts of North America and my pocket is emptied while the university has no intention of giving me my degree even though I have completed all requirements," she said.
But she's no stranger to fighting and says she is prepared to do so until she gets what is rightly due her.

In the early 1990s, she took the Ministry of Education in Jamaica to court so that her 11- year-old son could sit the Common Entrance exam. She won her case and her son passed his exam.

"Right now I'm fighting off the [Canadian] government for my citizenship because they are insisting that I do fingerprints but that's not what the law says," she told the Sunday Observer.
In addition to that, Allen is also putting legal pressure on a high school district in Calgary for having expelled her daughter "without due cause".

"When you're black, it's like you have 40 handicaps in this country but I'm not going to let them walk over me," she said. "The one thing that has happened that makes me not regret coming here (Canada) is the way people there (Jamaica) just shoot people and kill them. The crime is what makes me not even want to come home sometimes [because] even my kids' father was shot and killed," she said.

ONE Order gang member Napel Samuels was among the 135 people taken into police custody yesterday, following a joint police/military operation in Spanish Town.

Among the communities targeted in the operation were Chambers Lane, Railway Lane and Wellington Street, which are all aligned with the notorious gang.

Samuels, who is facing charges of shooting with intent and the illegal possession of firearm, was wanted for absconding bail.
Head of the St Catherine North Police Division, Superintendent Assan Thompson, said Samuels is one of the main players in the ongoing feud between the One Order and Klansman gangs which are based in the old capital.

"He is second in command to Negus (the reputed One Order gang leader). This is a man who is high on the pecking order, and we have more than a passing interest in him," Thompson told the Sunday Observer.

Meanwhile, the police yesterday processed, interviewed and released 10 of the people who were taken into custody during the operation, which also turned up a quantity of knives, scissors, ice picks and marijuana.

Life in the Gravel Heights and Tredegar Park communities has been severely disrupted in recent weeks as thugs have been engaged in a *lo**y fight for turf control. Last week, hundreds of Gravel Heights residents were forced to pack their belongings and flee the community after gunmen ordered them out of their homes, promising death if their words were not heeded.

But the police have said they would not allow the gunmen to maintain control of the communities.

"We will be keeping up the pressure until the place is fully stabilised and the lives of the citizens is restored to what it used to be or better," Thompson said.

The One Order and Klansman gangs have for years been at each other's throats, but a peace treaty inked a year ago has seen a lull in the violence until this most recent outbreak.

One Order is known to operate from Tawes Pen, Ellerslie Pen, Dempshire Pen, Shelta Rock, and Chambers Lane, among other communities in Spanish Town. Their Klansman rivals are known to have bases in De la Vega City, Fish Ground, Lakes Pen, Jones Avenue and Rivoli.

Police say both gangs run massive extortion rackets where they operate.

MAVADO DISSES KARTEL
How Mavado ah go so hard over West Kingston Jamboree and ah talk up a bagga tings say Kartel ah mind NunuP** pickney? The man get some ginormous forwards over de, Sting ah go mad!!!

D'ANGEL GONE OVERSEAS
D'Angel missed Jamboree this morning because she jumped on an early morning flight to go shopping for her store. But she will be coming back on Thursday.

WADDA AND ANDREW *lo** DISS DEVA
What a way Wadda diss up Deva Brat and ah call him child molester over Jamboree this morning. Deva fall inna one big hole over Jamboree afterwards though, first, him did a beg fi get pon the stage and then after when him get him chance, him no gwaan wid nothing over de till me all see some gal ah run him offa the stage. Mi hear a man say it better him did go prison fi murder than what dem accuse him of. It sticky bad!

ANTHONY B PAP DOWN AGAIN
Ah the second time this mi see Anthony B pap down? Mi see him run up inna one brick wall over Asylum anniversary and then pap down over Jamboree. The man need a tune star.



PEOPLE WAAN FI KNOW...
Why was there no Bounty Killer at the Jamboree show?

Whata way Shaggy forward big over de? When the MC call him name, mi see gal ah jump and waan kill demself when dem see him step out pon the stage.

Why Deva Brat look so hype when him come into West Kingston Jamboree this morning? The man inna full black and when him smile, crazy bling pon him teeth and around him neck and all these things. It look like him get a small hype after the attack pon him last week over Fresh Money Sundays.

Why Merciless ah close West Kingston Jamboree alongside Beenie Man? Him gwaan good over there still. Merciless say Anthony B say him ah run one dollar taxi, but anno dat 'him mouth fi glue up wid Epoxy' and the crowd rail up. Then him do a song say: 'ah mass mi a mass out, sex Anthony B gal till she pass out.

What a way dem boo off Zebra over West Kingston Jamboree?

Why Bling Dawg get boo over the event? Him nuh realize say him caan diss Kartel wid dem crowd de.

Why DI never perform earlier over the event?

Wha happen to Ifrica? She come in like she run inna one iron gate over Jamboree.

Whose Summer is it? - Beenie, Kartel, Mavado, Elephant Man

for this summer we are trying to find out which dancehall artiste is going to run the summer. We have decided that the best way to find out is to get you involved. Just leave a comment to let us know who you think will be sizzling hot this summer. Below is a synopsis of some of the artistes on our list.

Last year almost everyone readily agreed that Munga Honourable was sizzling. The Gangsta Ras had several smashing hits that cemented themselves onto the tongues of dancehall music lovers. However, Munga has lost that momentum and this year wont be considered for the pick of the summer list.

On our list, we have the fiery Vybz Kartel, the intense Mavado, the blazing Beenie Man, the relentless Assassin, the energetic Elephant Man, and new comers Bugle and Serani (Daseca).

Vybz Kartel has been one of the most consistent dancehall acts in recent time and has a plethora of hardcore dancehall hits under his belt. For this summer, we can expect a lot from the former Alliance member as his palette just keeps growing with songs that appeal to his ever-growing fan base. Some of Kartels more vibrant songs going into the summer are: Fatta Than a Pound, My Scheme, Trailer Load of Money, Money Fi Spend, Tightest Punanny, and Broad Daylight.

HOOKERS SELL SEX DOOR TO DOOR Visiting homes to promote their services

Police say a pizza delivery man fought back with the one weapon he had handy when a gun was pulled on him in a stickup: A large, hot pepperoni pizza.

Delivery man Eric Lopez Devictoria, 40, flung the steaming pie at the gunman, buying time as he ran for safety, police said.

At least one shot was fired as Devictoria fled, but the deliveryman wasn't hurt and was able to quickly call police, according to authorities.

Three teenage suspects were nabbed soon after Wednesday's run-in with the cheesy weapon, police said, adding they were charged with armed robbery.

Original here

 

Aiming to let his music speak for itself producer, promoter and owner of TJ Records, Linton White is taking the music business under the quiet.

Simply known as 'TJ', the producer started out in the business as a promoter, planning events such as the weekly Bembe Thursdays, Orientation, Secret of the Booze and 11:59.

With a natural love and passion for music TJ infiltrated the business through promoting before spreading his wings. He told THE STAR, "I did party planning and other stuff to get to know the artistes until I started production with a rhythm called 'Bill Back' in 2006." The rhythm featured popular songs such as Head Out from Sizzla, Dem A Bawl by Mavado and Bukam Bukam from Aidonia.

Success

More success followed for the producer with the 'Show Off' rhythm featuring Bullet Proof Skin by Bounty Killer and Last Night by Mavado. Outside of that he has produced singles such as Wine Gal by Beenie Man, Please by Bugle and Money, Power, Respect from Serani.

Presently, TJ is running the streets with one of the hottest rhythms of the summer - 'Unfinished Business', featuring No Games from Serani and So Special by Mavado.

While the producer has been making headway in music he doesn't want to saturate the music with rhythm after rhythm, preferring to give his songs time to marinate and become hits in their own right.

Time to breathe

"I try to give my riddims time to breathe, give it space before putting out a riddim so that the songs will have longevity. So my next riddim 'Beauty and the Beast' probably won't come out till December" he said.

Working from the DASECA studios, TJ cites the producing trio as well as Dave Kelly as persons he admires. "From about five to six years now me, Serani and Craig have been friends supporting me outside of parties and stuff. Serani worked on the 'Bill Back' rhythm with me" he said.

As for his inspiration it's all about one of the foundation producers, Dave Kelly. "From I was growing up I've been listening to 'Show Time' riddim, his music, mi learn a lot from him. He's the only producer where you can listen to like five or six songs on a riddim" he explained.

Preferring to stay outside of the limelight, TJ tries to keep as close to the dancehall as possible with his music and plans to continue making music for a long time.

Young artistes 'hype' too soon? - Managers, producers forced to sever ties

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This I need to know cause me see some old lady a move like them hotttt.

I was alwas afraid to make this post, but I'm just curious as to how tall you guys really are. Well I'm really tall so I just want compare my height to you people. I think that I'm the tallest here, I'm 6ft 4 inches tall.

I RATHE THE ZONE MOSTLY BEACAUSE I CAN GET MY MUSIC HERE...NEW OLD..JUST AND PRE-RELEASE...

-- Edited by Dj Omari at 15:44, 2008-12-05

do u really think they wud diss each other

Eggs: While most eggs aren't going to make anyone sick, experts estimate that more than 2 million germy eggs (as in Salmonella infected) get into circulation each year, sickening 660,000 people each year and killing as many as 300. Um, maybe we should think twice about eating that cookie dough (or, judging by our conversation on Vitamin G, perhaps you'd rather take your chances?). How to buy cleaner eggs? Make sure the carton says they're pasteurized and never buy a dozen that contains any obvious cracks or leaks.

Peaches: They're pretty, but that's just skin-deep. Health experts warn that peach skins are doused in pesticides before they make it to grocery store to prevent blemishes. On average, a peach can contain as many as nine different pesticides, according to the USDA. This is one fruit you might want to buy organic (which may have blemishes, but won't have pesticides). (Here's How Peaches Can Help You Build Muscle.)

Pre-packaged salad mixes: Surprise! "Triple washed" doesn't mean germ-free say experts. Pathogens may still be lurking so be sure to wash your greens before tossing in your salad bowl. (Don't make these salad mistakes!)

Melons: Get ready to be grossed out. According to the article, "when the FDA sampled domestically grown cantaloupe, it found that 3.5 percent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter a bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs." Ewww. Your best bet: Scrub your melons with a little mild dish soap and warm water before slicing.

Scallions: Blamed for several recent outbreaks of Hepatitis A, and other bugs like the parasite Cryptosporidium, Shigella and Salmonella, scallions present a food safety problem because of the way they grow (in the dirt) and lack of proper washing. While you can't control what happens in restaurant kitchens, you can give them a super-duper washing at home before cooking with.

Other dirty foods in the article include chicken, ground beef and turkey, raw oysters, and cold cuts. Click here to read 5 more.

The bottom line: Don't be afraid to eat these foods, just be aware of the precautions you need to take before enjoying them. Most food-borne illnesses are the result of hygiene carelessness somewhere in the food chain. Protect yourself!

Posted here

''WWW.SENDSPACE.COM'' TO DI WURL

O.K, people, its that time of week again, Dagga Fridays, and the one876 ladies plan fi get mad and gwaan wid all kinda tings this weekend. DJ Avalon supreme dagger master third level has prepared a love tape for your daggering pleasure.Diamond, yu exam dem done so ah your time fi get mad, big up all mi real friends dem on one876, Raqs, Spanish Town, Da Man, Buck, Ms. Advocate, DJ Avalon, Sunnin, BLS, IP, Dija British and the whole entourage, wishing you all the best for the Xmas season. In the meantime, here is part one of the Friday Juice.

BEENIE BUYS AUDI VEHICLES FOR 20 MILLION
Everybody inna the industry ah talk how Beenie Man buy two 2008 Audi vehicles fi over $20 million. Mi hear say the car value 7.5 million and the SUV ah over 15 milly. How dem say the Doctor bruk and no have no money and him SUV alone cost more than Killa and Mavado dem Range Rover put together? Mi hear say the man nuh stop grin off him face and all these things. Booking agent Cabel Stephenson from Free People Entertainment helped to broker the deal saying that artistes must support Corporate Jamaica in these harsh economic times.


SHAGGY, ELE FOR REGGAE GRAMMY
Well, the nominations for the Reggae Grammy are in and the nominees include 1999 winner, Burning Spear, for Jah Is Real, first-time nominee Elephant Man for Lets Get Physical, Big Yard recording artiste Shaggy for Intoxication (he won in 1995), Jamaican-born rapper Heavy D, for Vibes, the 2002 winner, the eccentric and supremely talented Lee 'Scratch Perry for Repentance and Sly and Robbie's Amazing. Sly and Robbie last won in 1998. The 51st annual Grammy awards will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on February 8.

 STING POSTER LAUNCH TONIGHT AT ASYLUM
The unveiling of the STING 2008 poster takes place this Friday, December 5, 2008 at 7:00pm at the Asylum Nite Club and not at Bembe as previously announced.  There will be performances by STING artistes including Merciless, Laden, Pamputtae, TNT, I-Octane, Mikey Pelpa, Pretty Kitty plus many more.  Patrons have a chance to win giveaways from STING sponsors.

PEOPLE WAAN FI KNOW...
Why Foxy Brown ah diss up Vybz Kartel and her life far from perfect? She no memba how she almost get a straight right from a big time singer after she see him a sleep backstage and she throw cold water pon him and say him lazy, hahhahaa! Foxy, yu better just cool ya, yu nuh see your career run up inna one brick wall and nobody nuh waan see yu?

50 Cent has beaten off competition from international superstars MADONNA and BEYONCE KNOWLES to top a chart of this year's biggest earning musical performers.

The rapper and entrepreneur brought in an estimated $151 million (GBP102.7 million) from June 2007 to June 2008, according to U.S. magazine Forbes.

British rockers The Police came second on the money list; their reunion tour helped net the band $115.8 million (GBP78.8 million).

50's rap rival Jay-Z came third, bagging $82.6 million (GBP56.2 million), while his pop star wife Knowles was just behind with $80.5 million (GBP54.8 million).

And The Beatles proved they are still a big draw almost 40 years since splitting up - the Fab Four made $51.6 million (GBP35.1 million), placing them fifth on the earnings list.

A dominant male mouse does not just turn a female on - he makes her brain grow. Just a whiff of his odour is enough to make her brain sprout new neurons, and this growth drives her to want to mate with him, new research has found.

Samuel Weiss at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and his colleagues exposed 8- to 10-week-old female mice to soiled bedding from males of the same age.

Two weeks later they found that the brains of females exposed to dominant male pheromones had grown significantly more new neurons in two key regions of the brain than those exposed to subordinate pheromones and control odours.

What is more, these females would then pick the dominant male over the subordinate when presented with a choice of mates. Females that had not grown new brain cells did not.

The researchers think the new neurons encode trace memories of dominant males. The two brain regions in which the growth took place were the olfactory bulb, which processes smell, and the hippocampus, which is involved in memory.

These have been hailed as main sites for neurogenesis across many species, but the two had not been linked to the same stimulus before, says Weiss.

Posted here

Mi seh Deadline still pon drumline riddim

These wrecked cars are the leftovers of the nasty car accident that left one person in the hospital yesterday afternoon, and involved the young daughters of Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards.

No arrests have been made yet.

Ho
 

She has a stunning figure, remembers your favourite drink and can have an orgasm on demand.

Not only that but Aiko is polite to your family and is great with travel directions. Sounds like a nice partner?

Canadian Le Trung certainly thinks so and he should know because he made her.

The inventor, 33, said he never had time to find a human girlfriend and so put together the £14,000 'fembot'.

She reads him the newspaper when they have breakfast and they go out for drives together but Mr Le denies he built his 'partner' for sex, although he does admit she could be programmed to climax.

'Aiko is what happens when science meets beauty,' he said.

'She doesn't need holidays, food or rest and she will work almost 24 hours a day. She is the perfect woman.'

Aiko, whose name means 'love child' in Japanese, can do almost anything except walk and smell things.

'Her software could be redesigned to simulate her having an orgasm,' said Mr Le, from Toronto, Canada.

'Men want to touch her. If they do it the wrong way she slaps them.'

He added: 'Some people accuse me of playing God. Once, someone threw a rock at Aiko. That really upset me.'

THE Government is moving to stimulate thousands of jobs, especially through construction activities, to compensate for massive employment losses linked to prevailing economic conditions.

VAZ... says an estimated 70 development projects have been identified for fast-tracking

Junior minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Daryl Vaz who has been assigned the task of spearheading the job thrust, has launched a two-pronged approach he hopes will create job opportunities for Jamaicans expected to lose their employment in the coming months.

Vaz commissioned a parish-by-parish breakdown of development projects awaiting government decision for start-up as one means of job creation. So far, an estimated 70 development projects, most of them labour-intensive and in the construction industry, have been identified for fast-tracking.

There were another 200 potential projects in the pipeline, he added.

In a companion measure, Vaz, the minister of state with responsibility for project implementation and service delivery, has taken an inventory of state-owned lands - 5,000 acres already identified - to be made available at affordable rates to interested and qualified housing developers.

"We are being very proactive about job creation and not waiting for the losses in employment which are most likely to hit us as a fallout from the global economic crisis," Vaz told the Sunday Observer in an interview.

His disclosure came just ahead of a national broadcast scheduled for tonight by Prime Minister Bruce Golding who will unveil an economic stimulus package, in direct response to the grim economic news.

Vaz said he had been given a commitment by the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to convene its board and its technical review committee for more meetings than usually programmed, in order to aggressively push development projects through the system.

NEPA is the state agency which receives approved projects from the island's parish councils to vet them for environmental soundness. Over the years, businesses have complained they were forced to abandon plans, and lose money, due to long waits for the agency's vaunted seal of approval.

The junior minister said he was well on the way to achieving the 90-day processing timeline for projects his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) had promised on the election campaign trail when it had also vowed to create 'jobs, jobs and more jobs'.

He said the 70 development projects already in the fast lane were awaiting decision by the NEPA technical review committee, or its board or the town planner.

"This approach makes sense because we provide jobs and at the same time have an impact on crime because people have gainful employment. That is why the emphasis on the construction industry which captures a significant amount of the unskilled labour," Vaz noted.

At the same time, Vaz urged developers who were not satisfied they were getting adequate attention from any government agency, to contact him immediately for speedy resolution.

"I encourage them to contact me and I assure them that I will do everything I can to resolve their situation in the shortest time possible," Vaz pledged.

He gave as example an unnamed housing developer who had a 2000-unit project in Trelawny turned down on the basis that the site was zoned for agriculture.

"We got everyone together at the site and after going through the matter thoroughly, we all agreed that the project could go ahead with a rezoning of the land, with no loss to agriculture.

"What it sometimes takes is a new approach and not the one where someone sits in an office and says 'that can't be done'. In the end it might still be a 'no' but we have to make the effort first," he added.

On the question of affordable land especially for housing, Vaz noted that the growth in hotel construction on the island's north coast had not been accompanied by adequate housing solutions.

That had spurred squatting on prime public and private lands.
"The question of affordable housing has always been uppermost in the mind of this government. We are going to have to look at these properties to see where we can make an impact by making land available at affordable prices," he said.

The state minister emphasised that the government lands to which he was referring were those under the Commissioner of Lands and not those owned by entities such as the National Housing Trust, the Urban Development Corporation or the National Housing Agency, formerly the National Housing Development Corporation.

He noted that the 5,000 acres of land so far identified ranged from a low of 20 acres to 800 acres and were to be found from Portland in the east to Hanover in the west.

Vaz said the employment being targeted would be for both the skilled and unskilled but emphasis would be on the unskilled, who were likely to be most affected by the economic fallout.

Asked if he was experiencing any resistance in his effort to prod government agencies along, Vaz said he was mostly pleased with the response.

"I don't take the heavy-handed approach and I find that people prefer the way I do it. They want to help too and they know what I am trying to do.

In the rare case when it is necessary, I unfortunately have to use the big stick, but it is definitely a last resort".

Posted by Bossip Staff

This is a pic of Trick Daddy at the Gucci Pucci at Club Karu & Y in Miami.  Wait a minute, Gucci Pucci?  SMH

Trick Daddys face looks like it hurts and your boy is in need of an emergency rejuvenation day at the spa. F*ck that, more like a month after taking a gander at those lips and dirty ass hands.

Pop the hood for more hard living by Trick, Irv Gotti and other fellas.

Posted by Bossip Staff

Awwwlook at the little love birds, Breezy and Princess RiRi, on stage together singing songs from the heart to each other. Damn, it looks like Breezy is making his Barbados bust-it-boo weak in the knees. Get it, boy.

More pics of RiRi and Breezy, Leona Lewis, and Brandy from the Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden below.

Here is what she (Emma Watson) had to say...

"I'm at a strange age... I'm not a woman yet, but I'm not a girl any
more. [Film companies] say, 'Oh, in a couple of years you'll be perfect
for this.' I'll be like, yeah, but I want to be studying English then,
so it's going to be quite tough to choose between the two...


"I have enough to hold me together without fame," she says. "I
have a really supportive family and a full life away from Harry Potter.
It's unlikely that I'll be part of anything this big ever again, so I
need to deal with that. I'm not going to take a job just because, shit,
I'm not doing anything else." She still loves acting, naturally -- she
would even, steady chaps, go nude. "Yes," she says. "For Bernardo
Bertolucci. It . . . depends. I'm not getting my kit off any time soon,
but it is part of my job."

Posted here

It was only a matter of time. You can get plastic surgery when you're a spoilt teen, an image conscious middle ager and a shrivelled old hag. So why not have some when you're dead?

Undertakers say more and more people are asking to be tucked and smoothed out for their funeral to look good for their friends and family.

"People used to say, 'Just throw me in a pine box and bury me in the back yard'," said Mark Duffey, head of Everest Funeral in the US.

"But that's all changing. Now people want to be remembered. A funeral is their last major event and they want to look good for it.

"I've even had people say, 'I want you to get rid of my wrinkles and make me look younger'."

Undertakers use a similar technique to Botox to smooth out wrinkles, and lips are plumped and cheeks are filled out.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona is reportedly offering a $5,000 reward to anyone with information that could lead to the capture and arrest of rapper DMX.

As reported earlier, DMX missed a scheduled court appearance in Maricopa County on Friday (December 5) and a local judge issued a warrant for the rapper's arrest.


It was the second time that DMX had failed to appear in court and the judge also raised the rapper's bond to $ 120,000.

"This guy is a major annoyance to the criminal justice system," Arpaio said. "But we will track him down, and he will face a different kind of music in a court of law."

Arpaio promotes himself as 'America's Toughest Sheriff' and is controversial for the way he runs Maricopa County jails. Arapio makes inmates wear pink underwear and pink handcuffs.

DMX is facing a slew of charges in Arizona including drug possession, identity theft and animal cruelty.

Charles Kolzelka, DMX's lawyer, revealed Friday that the rapper missed his court appearance last week because he is currently in drug rehabilitation at an undisclosed location.

A woman who hid a sedated monkey under her blouse on a flight from Thailand to Los Angeles - pretending she was pregnant - has been convicted of smuggling charges.

Gypsy Lawson, 29, from Spokane in Washington state, successfully passed through U.S. Customs in Los Angeles with the rhesus monkey hidden in her shirt after the November 2007 trip, according to The Spokesman-Review newspaper.

Her mother, Fran Ogren, 55, of Northport, Washington, accompanied her on the flight from Bangkok and was also convicted.

A jury found the two women guilty Monday on separate charges of conspiracy and smuggling goods into the United States. Sentencing is set for March 3.

They were arrested after Lawson boasted to a clothing store clerk about the airport escapade.

The monkey is now at a primate rescue facility in Oregon.

A policeman watches as these residents move their belongings from Gravel Heights, St Catherine, following a warning by gunmen yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn

SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine

Almost 200 residents of Gravel Heights, St Catherine, fled their homes yesterday after they were labelled as informers and ordered to leave the area by gunmen.

The residents, for whom the police provided security, hurriedly packed whatever they could of their belongings into a number of trucks as they hastily left the community. Clothing, furniture and household items, including bags, pots, stoves, refrigerators, cupboards and even a coal stove, on which a pot of rice and peas was being cooked, were hurriedly placed on the backs of the trucks. Residents expressed mixed emotions - some cried, some sang while others just looked blank - as they removed their belongings. Many residents said they owned the land, which they are paying for under the Operation PRIDE programme. "Oh, Lord have mercy upon us, what next Lord Jesus!" exclaimed a young lady, as she walked to a truck with a barrel on her head and a small child holding on to the hem of her skirt.

Rush and chaos

The residents, despite the rush and chaos that were created as they moved, told THE STAR that early yesterday morning gunmen entered the community and warned them to leave immediately or risk being killed. The gunmen, they said, claimed they were behind a massive raid on the community by members of a police/ military team on Saturday night. A helicopter was used in the operation. As a result, the residents were given marching orders by the gunmen, and none was apparently waiting to see if the thugs would act on their threat.

"The man dem claim seh we a informer and we must leave the area. So all of us who buy wi land, do all kind of work to build the house and send we children a school, now have to start all over again. In fact, some can't even start over as we not working," said Marcus Ranglin, one of the residents.

Bewilderment

Bewilderment, fear and concern were evident on the residents' faces. Some just looked into space as they waited to move, while others were pensive, obviously wondering what to do next. Whenever a truck returned to the area, they rushed to get their belongings into the vehicle. Many said it was a really sad situation, but all were glad their lives had been spared.

The residents said there were mostly women and children living in the community as most of the men had fled because of the violence which had erupted. Police confirmed that for months now, they have been patrolling the area due to an upsurge in gun violence. They plan to make their presence felt in the community and have taken a man into custody, whom they say can assist with their investigations into the violence.

Despite this, the fleeing residents, even those with furniture left behind, say they have no intention of returning.

NEW YORK The accolades keep coming for Chris Brown this time, he's been named Billboard's top artist of 2008.

"It's bigger than what I can ever imagine. It's unexpected totally, so it's a surprise," Brown said in an interview Thursday.

It shouldn't be too much of a surprise for Brown. He not only nabbed the Billboard honor in 2006, he had a great '08, with solo hits like "With You" and "Forever" as well as successful collaborations, like the Jordin Sparks duet "No Air." Last month, he won three awards at the American Music Awards, including artist of the year.

But the 18-year-old Brown says he's still not used to all the accolades.

"I've had a good year but I still feel like a little insecure in those parts. I'm like, `There's little ol' me getting an award' that's incredible," he said.

The artist's rankings are determined by album sales as well as digital downloads, radio airplay and Internet streams. The No. 2 artist was Lil Wayne, who had a huge year thanks to hits like "A Milli" and "Lollipop"; No. 3 on the list was Rihanna, whose hits included "Take A Bow" and "Disturbia," which was co-written by boyfriend Brown.

Rounding out the top five were Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift.

Billboard named Flo Rida's "Low" as the year's top song, followed by Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love," Alicia Keys' "No One," Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" and "Apologize" by Timbaland featuring OneRepublic. Brown had three songs in the top 10: "With You," "Forever" and "No Air" with Sparks.

Nudity
Youre walking down the street, going to work, or just standing in a crowd naked. Youre mortified that you forgot your clothes, but nobody seems to notice. Sound familiar?

According to Gustavus Hindman Millers 10,000 Dreams Interpreted, dreaming that youre nude in public foretells scandal and unwise engagements.

Dream Moods, a popular dream interpretation Web site, says dreaming about being naked shows youre feeling vulnerable or shameful. You could be feeling inferior at work, or feel unguarded or exposed in a situation.

Storms
My storm of choice in dreams is always a tornado. I look outside, see a funnel cloud forming, and for some reason, I run right to it. For other people, it can be hurricanes, avalanches, or rain storms.

This ones pretty simple to crackdreaming of a storm symbolizes an internal storm in your life.

Dream Moods says storms signify overwhelming struggle, shock, devastating loss, and catastrophe in your personal affairs.

Miller says storms in dreams mean continued sickness, unfavorable business, and separation from friendsall things that will cause great distress. The good news is if the storm passes before you wake up, the stress wont be as bad.

Stand & deliver - Mom claims baby fell to ground during childbirth - Jubilee nurse said she should've caught newborn

Published: Tuesday | December 9, 2008

Politician and Miss World 1993, Lisa Hanna, is concerned about an explicit viral email titled ' PNP Candidate from South East St.Ann'. The e-mail consists of 14 pictures, most of which show a woman and two men engaging in various sexual acts.

The email suggests that the woman in the photographs is Hanna. While the woman does bear a slight resemblance to the former beauty queen, a close look at the images shows that it is not her.

When THE STAR contacted Hanna, she said she was aware of the e-mail and revealed that it had been circulating since last July, while she was campaigning. While not being overly disturbed about the misrepresentation of her name and image, she expressed concern for the women in the message and emphasised the need for the implementation of legislation against cyber crime.

LONDON - Usain Bolts stunning world record in the Olympic 100-metre final is still a long way from how fast the human body can go, according to a study by a U.S. professor.

Shortly after Bolt ran 9.69 seconds in Beijing, Stanford University biology professor Mark Denny set out to estimate just how fast humans will be able to run.

He concluded that male sprinters could eventually get the 100 record down to 9.48 seconds and women could run the distance in 10.39.

My results tell us that speed has limits, but not what accounts for these limits, writes Denny, whose conclusions were published last week in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Bolt surely could have gone faster at the Olympics in August.

The tall Jamaican slowed down over the races final metres and even banged his fist off his chest in celebration before crossing the line three hundredths of a second faster than the record he had set a few months earlier.

In September, Norwegian physicist Hans Eriksen analyzed TV footage of the Olympic final and estimated that Bolt could have run 9.55 seconds if he had not slowed down.

The womens record in the 100 is 10.49, set by the late Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988. But Denny used 10.61 seconds in his study because of compelling evidence that the (10.49) race was wind aided.

Denny used historical records dating back to the 19th century to track the progress of speed in humans, horses and dogs. He found that speeds in horses and dogs at the major races in the United States and Britain peaked, mostly in 1970s but some earlier, while most of the human races had not.

In each case, an absolute speed limit is definable, and the current record approaches that predicted maximum, the 57-year-old Denny says in his summary.

But while Denny, like other experts in the past, concludes that speed has limits, he says it is impossible to know what those limitations are. He writes that it is unlikely that athletes speeds are constrained by a single physiological or mechanical factor.

Denny, an avid marathoner, says the pattern of these limitations on speed could help scientists figure out how to break them.

At the Olympics, Bolt followed up his record in the 100 with another in the 200, running 19.30. Denny predicts that record could be lowered to a staggering 18.63.

In the marathon, where Haile Gebrselassie holds the mens record of 2:03:59, Dennys study says that time can be lowered by more than three minutes to 2:00:47. According to the research, the womens record of 2:15:25 set by Paula Radcliffe could be trimmed to 2:14:97.

Predicted maximum speeds for women are 9.3 per cent to 13.4 per cent slower than those for men, Denny writes. The present gender gap between men and women will never be closed between 100 metres and the marathon.

Denny also mentions performance-enhancing drugs and their ability to make a human, or animal, go faster.

For present purposes, let us define a greyhound, thoroughbred or human (male or female) as an individual performing without drug or genetic enhancement, Denny writes. If drugs have contributed to the winning speeds in the races used here, speeds in the absence of these drugs would presumably have been slower.

Elderly car thief on the loose

In this village some girls are very stupid! Hey Pamputae!!! That line is easily one of the most popular ones in the dancehall arena at this time and, it is because of one of the genres newest stars, Eveana Henry, known also as Pamputae.

Hailing from Fletchers Land, one of Jamaica's toughest ghetto communities, she has emerged with a familiar raunchy lyrical flow and content, manifested through her singles, "Good Gold," "Goody Good," and "No Lovy Dovie" - songs which have all connected well with the hardcore lovers of Dancehall music.

The rising sensation has become such a hot commodity in the customarily rough 'n' tumble industry that her name is even linked to rumors of a rivalry with longstanding icon, Buju Banton. In recent times, Buju has been heard using Pamputae's second hot slang, "They are all up in the Kool Aid and dem nuh know di flavour!" The slang highlights the inability of some women to display the sensual prowess to be a consistent talking point amongst males.

What Pamputae has done is to take courage from the occasion that an international icon like Buju Banton finds her slang effective enough to use it. "Although Buju has never given me recognition as being the originator of the slang, I have taken encouragement from the fact that he of all persons is using it," Pamputae reasoned.

The manner that she has dealt with this controversy seems to be synonymous with her character. The 23-year-old dropped out of school after getting pregnant; however, she said she never lost sight of her dreams and aspirations. The song "Goody Good" she said, is testimony of how she remained focused and maintained her self-esteem. "I voiced that song because every woman is good. Some men do not appreciate us women, but regardless of our faults, without us humans would become extinct."

She added, "I lost my mother at age 10 and my big sister age 11, but instead of having 10 babies I only made the mistake once, and have been taking good care of the one child. Things could have been worst with me, but I kept focused."

She loves watching African movies in her spare-time, and that's where her current slang derives, "In this village some girls are very stupid! Hey Pamputae!!!

She confesses her love for music and says she will only continue working towards becoming the best musical ambassador she can.

A former radio DJ is dead after a confrontation with Minneapolis Police.

Officers were called to a domestic assault in north Minneapolis on the 1000 block of Knox Avenue N just after 12:45 a.m. Tuesday. A man reportedly was armed with a rifle.

Police had to use a taser to subdue the man when he fought with officers who were trying to arrest him in the street. Afterward, police noticed he appeared to be having a medical problem.

The suspect was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where he died.

While the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office has only identified the victim as a 24-year-old man from Minneapolis, FM radio station KMOJ Radio has confirmed the suspect as former DJ Quincy Smith.

Smith, whose DJ name was 'Q the Blacksmith,' used to be on-air five times a week up until a year ago.

"We don't know what the cause of death was...[the taser] was not the only force option used against him," said Minneapolis Police Sgt. Bill Palmer.

The Minneapolis Police Homicide and Internal Affairs Units are investigating.

The five officers at the scene--Officers Carlos Baires-Escobar, Shawn Brandt, Timothy Devick, Christopher Humphrey, and Nicholas McCarthy--are on standard paid administrative leave during the investigations.

Video:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6ed_1228875771

Teddy Phillips left the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court in shock on Tuesday when the allegations against him were outlined.

Phillips, who is accused of assaulting his elderly mother, appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown. The court was told that on December 6, the complainant, who seemed frail and weak when she appeared in court, was choked by her son and during the process, her shirt was torn. He is also accused of threatening his mother.

Assaulting a female

It is further alleged that while at the August Town Police Station, Phillips assaulted an officer. He is facing charges of assaulting a female, malicious destruction of property, damaging an officer's uniform and assaulting an officer.

In an attempt to explain himself, Phillips told the court that his mother had told him some hurtful words. He said, "Words sharper dan knife your honour. She tell mi some tings." In response to RM Brown's question about whether he was on drugs, his response was a terse, "Never."

He also said he did not choke the complainant, saying, "Mi neva choke har, mi jus shake har up."

RM Brown then set the matter for sentencing on December 16, telling the accused, " All right, next week, I will shake you up."

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Billie Watts said she was tempted but couldn't bring herself to keep $97,000 she said she found in a Cracker Barrel restroom. The 75-year-old Murfreesboro woman told The Daily News Journal that she discovered the money inside a tapestry bag hanging from a hook on a stall door last Thursday.

But five days later, the money and its anonymous owner remain something of a mystery in the community, where police said they have no report of the find.

While digging through the bag to figure out its owner, Watts said she found a bundle of neatly stacked bills.

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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. A white social studies teacher attempted to enliven a seventh-grade discussion of slavery by binding the hands and feet of two black girls, prompting outrage from one girl's mother and the local chapter of the NAACP. After the mother complained to Haverstraw Middle School, the superintendent said he was having "conversations with our staff on how to deliver effective lessons."

"If a student was upset, then it was a bad idea," said Superintendent Brian Monahan of the North Rockland School District in New York City's northern suburbs.

The teacher apologized to the mother who complained and her 13-year-old daughter during a meeting Thursday that also included a representative of the local NAACP. But the mother, Christine Shand of Haverstraw, said Friday she thinks the teacher should be removed from the class.

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