RIP Cowboys Great "Dandy" Don Meredith

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Don Meredith, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback who served as a folksy foil for Howard Cosell on ABC's "Monday Night Football" and helped carve out the niche for colorful ex-athlete broadcasters, has died. "Dandy Don," as he was known, was 72.

Meredith's wife, Susan, told The Associated Press her husband died Sunday in Santa Fe after suffering a brain hemorrhage and lapsing into a coma. She and her daughter were at Meredith's side when he died.

"He was the best there was," she said Monday, describing him as kind, warm and funny. "We lost a good one."

Meredith played for the Cowboys from 1960 to 1968, becoming the starting quarterback in 1965.

While he never took the Cowboys to the Super Bowl, Meredith was one of the franchise's first stars. He led the Cowboys to three straight division titles and to consecutive NFL championship games in 1966 and 1967, where they lost both games to eventual champion Green Bay.

"Don Meredith was one of the most colorful characters in NFL history. He was a star on the field who became an even bigger star on television," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. "He brought joy to football fans, from his play in historic NFL games like the Ice Bowl to his great personality that helped launch the success of Monday Night Football."

Over his nine-year career, Meredith threw for 17,199 yards and 111 touchdowns. He retired unexpectedly before the 1969 season and just two years later joined Keith Jackson and Cosell in the broadcast booth as part of the "Monday Night Football" crew. Frank Gifford took over for Jackson in the second season.

"To say that Don was an instant success would be a gross understatement," Gifford said in a statement released by the New York Giants.

Meredith quickly became one of the most popular broadcasters in sports with a homespun humor that played off Cosell in particular. Meredith's signature call was singing the famous Willie Nelson song "The Party's Over" when it appeared a game's outcome had been determined.

Meredith left ABC after the 1973 season for a three-year stint at NBC. He returned to the "MNF" crew in 1977 before retiring in 1984, one year after Cosell left the team.

"He occasionally would try his hand as an actor, but it wasn't long before he realized that for millions of football fans, he would always be the one who 'topped' Howard Cosell with one-liners or a simple 'come on, Howard,'" Gifford said.

Meredith was one of the first athletes to make the transition from the field to color analyst and the move to calling "Monday Night Football" was an easy one for him. He was part of many memorable moments on ABC's landmark hit.

In 1970, Meredith was in the booth for the St. Louis Cardinals' 38-0 whitewashing of his former team. The Cotton Bowl crowd late in the game began chanting "We want Meredith!"

Meredith quipped, "No way you're getting me down there."

Another famous Meredith moment occurred in 1972 at the Houston Astrodome. The Oakland Raiders were in the process of beating the Houston Oilers 34-0. A cameraman had a shot of a disgruntled Oilers fan, who then made an obscene gesture.

Said Meredith: "He thinks they're No. 1 in the nation."

"Don Meredith was a Dallas Cowboys original. His wit, charm, and strength of personality were matched only by his wonderful leadership, toughness and athletic skill," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "Throughout 50 years of history, the Cowboys legacy has been built by dynamic and colorful personalities who could also compete at the highest level. No one fit that description better than Don Meredith."

Born April 10, 1938, Meredith was born and raised in Mount Vernon, Texas, about 100 miles east of Dallas. He never played a home game outside of North Texas.

Meredith was a three-year starter at quarterback for SMU and an All-America selection in 1958 and 1959. He was drafted in the third round by the Chicago Bears in 1960 and traded to the expansion Cowboys franchise for future draft picks.

Meredith shared time under center with Eddie LeBaron before winning the starting job in 1965 and the following year guided the Cowboys to their first winning season (10-3-1). He was named NFL Player of the Year after throwing a career-high 24 touchdown passes and 2,805 yards.

Meredith was one of nine Dallas players selected to the Pro Bowl that year -- the first of his two Pro Bowl years.

Although Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman made the Cowboys' quarterback job synonymous with greatness, both credit Meredith for launching that tradition.

"He did it without as much help as some of the other guys had," said Lee Roy Jordan, a former Cowboys linebacker. "Our offensive line was not very good early on. He got beat up pretty bad -- broken noses and collarbones and ribs, everything you can think of, Don had it. But he was one tough individual. He played with many an ailment and injury, and was very, very competitive. He and Bob Hayes really set the standard for the wide-open offense, the motion guys and big plays."

Meredith's last moment in a Cowboys uniform was painful. He threw three interceptions in a 1968 playoff game against the Cleveland Browns and was pulled in favor of Craig Morton.

"I tried to talk him out of it," Dallas coach Tom Landry said after Meredith announced his retirement. "But when you lose your desire in this game, that's it."

In addition to his broadcasting career, Meredith appeared in several TV shows and movies after his playing career ended. He had a recurring role in "Police Story" and was a spokesman for Lipton teas. Meredith and Don Perkins were the second and third players inducted to Cowboys Ring of Honor in 1976.

Susan Meredith said a private graveside service was planned.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

TCU makes big leap, accepts invite to Big East

BY STEFAN STEVENSON
sstevenson@star-telegram.com
TCU, located "Where The West Begins," is joining the East. The Big East Conference, to be exact.
The school announced Monday it has accepted an invitation to join the 32-year-old conference. TCU has competed in the Mountain West Conference since 2005 but will officially join the Big East on July 1, 2012. The Big East will be the sixth conference in TCU's history, and fourth since the Southwest Conference dissolved in 1995.
TCU will be the 17th member of the Big East and will compete there in all of its sports. The conference has actively pursued Villanova, already a member of the Big East's 16-team basketball conference, to increase its total of football participants to 10 when TCU joins. Villanova competes in the lower-tier Football Championship Subdivision and has been weighing its options for months.
The move to the Big East, one of six football conferences with automatic qualification status to the BCS, gives TCU a more direct path in competing for a national championship. The Horned Frogs (12-0) have won the MWC title the last two seasons and are No. 3 in the BCS standings. The MWC does not have automatic-qualifying status, which has made it harder for its teams, even when undefeated, to earn invitations to one of the five big-money BCS bowl games. The MWC is two years through a four-year cycle in which it's trying to earn automatic-qualifying status, but the announced departures of Utah (Pac-10) and BYU (independent), two of the league's cornerstones since its inception in 1999, made the league less desirable for TCU.
"Losing BYU and Utah was a significant blow to the conference," TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte said. "It was not the same league that we joined."
Until Boise State lost last week, it was likely that TCU would have been snubbed from playing in a BCS bowl. In the eight-team Big East, the Frogs would have been guaranteed a BCS bowl berth. Still, TCU is likely headed to the BCS' Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
"I already felt like we could play with any of those schools," TCU football coach Gary Patterson said. "We were already 15-3 against automatic-qualifying schools. I don't think we'll change any. I've never done that in any league we've been a part of. We're going to have to win games whether we're in the Big East or the Mountain West."
Rumors of the move have been circulating since September, but TCU wasn't officially asked to join the conference until Sunday evening. Father John Jenkins, president of Notre Dame and chairman of the Big East CEO Executive Committee, made the offer to Del Conte by phone.
TCU's board of trustees held an emergency meeting Monday morning and voted unanimously to accept.
"In this moment in time, this was the best decision for TCU," board chairman Luther King said. "The subject was probably more exciting than tuition. It was a pretty long [meeting] for one subject. There were a lot of questions."
King, a member of the board for 18 years and the chairman for the last six years, said he can't recall a more heavily attended meeting. About 40 of the board's 49 members were present, either in person or by phone.
"I think it says something about the importance of today and what we're getting ready to do and the excitement around here," King said. "[The Big East] is certainly an enhanced platform. We appreciate being a part of the Mountain West. They've been very good to us. But it's time in this moment in history to move."
All of TCU's major sports coaches were on hand for the announcement. Two coaches -- men's basketball coach Jim Christian and baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle -- grew up on the East Coast. All were ecstatic about the prospect of joining the Big East. But the main and mutually beneficial ingredient between TCU and the Big East was the success of the TCU football team. The Big East's highest-ranked football team is No. 23 West Virginia.
"When the Big East looked to expand, we sought to add a member that would bring significant value to our current 16 outstanding member institutions," Big East commissioner John Marinatto said Monday. "A member that would make us not only bigger, but stronger and more competitive. Our focus was to add a quality institution to our football membership. Clearly, the tremendous success of the TCU football team adds enormous strength to the Big East roster."
The idea of TCU moving to the Big East was first broached Sept. 18 during TCU's football game with Baylor. Former TCU basketball player Jamie Dixon, now the head coach at Pittsburgh, talked to Del Conte about the Frogs coming to the league. The two met in the early '90s, when Dixon was an assistant coach at UC-Santa Barbara and Del Conte was a student.
"From that conversation, it was a dream and from that dream came a reality," Del Conte said. "The opportunity to be on ESPN and national exposure for our program is phenomenal....We are very fortunate to be in this position. If you play basketball in the state of Texas and you want to play against the best basketball in the country, you don't have to leave the state, you can come right here. Bring all comers to Fort Worth, bring it on. Everyone is going to have to pick up their game. If you're afraid of competition this is not the place to be."

Kanye West - Runaway Short Movie

Thank You, Rangers!

As I sit here still crushed... I reminisce over the #RANGERS season I'm proud of our guys we made history... thanks for the memories

Antlers Up: Thank You, Rangers!

TEXAS RANGER ALCS CHAMPS!!!!!

Final Playoff Series: Game 6 of 6
Yankees 1

Rangers 6

Coverage: TBS
8:07 PM ET, October 22, 2010
Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, Texas

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 -NYY
1 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 - 6 7 0 -TEX
W: C. Lewis (2-0)
L: P. Hughes (0-2)

New Music: Tech N9ne

“Bad Season” the first track to leak from Tech N9ne’s upcoming debut mixtape of the same name, is now available for download. Recently 50 Cent’s DJ, DJ Whoo Kid, confirmed that he would be putting together the Bad Season mixtape for Tech N9ne. The gritty sounding track is produced by DJ Whoo Kid and Red Sypda, not sounding anything at all like the bombastic beats that usually accompany bars of Tech N9ne. Krizz Kaliko is featured on the track, spitting a fiery second verse.
Tech N9ne:“Bad Season”

Tech N9ne leaked a new track from his upcoming Seepage EP. The song, entitled “Asshole”
Tech N9ne:“Asshole”

www.therealtechn9ne.com

Lifestyle

as i sit here at 4:46 in the morning drinking a Dr. Pepper eating mac & cheese and a star crunch smoking my 4th cigarette of the hour the 19th of the day and i slept most of the day away Im Pissed!!!, because i only have 1 cigarette left and for some reason people think im better because i dont do drug or drink anymore. that makes sense ??? i think i was better off when i was using a 8 ball and 20 beers a day well at least i felt better well until the next day but then i could start all over again. now i feel everything but nothing theres nothing more depressing then taking a "how long will you live" test and it turn out to be till my late 50's. WOW im at the halfway point of my life....and then you think to yourself DAMN 50's thats to long....I guess what im saying is Pick you Lifestyle, ive picked my.,.,.,

Tech N9ne "Seepage" Album Pre-order Now Available

"So I was laying in my hotel room in Paris when Kaliko got the news that his best friend since childhood Chris Buckles just died awaiting a heart. While I was trying to act like I didn't see Kali breaking down , my aunt Susie called crying saying mom was back in the ward. So then that’s when I went to my iPod to escape sadness. While going thru my playlist, I stumbled upon 5 paid for but unused beats from the K.O.D. collection. As much as I wanted to run from them, Seepage was born. To all the people that interview me, I would rather not talk about Seepage simply because I told fans on the Lost Scripts that those would be the last of K.O.D. I thought I could stay clear of K.O.D. but found out there's no way out totally. So until I can figure out how to balance this thing I'd rather not speak on it due my lack of understanding . Hope you enjoy it though! It's more anger than usual. Sorry n shit but thanx." - TECH N9NE pre-order

Jay Rock Signs With Tech N9ne's Strange Music

Video After The Jump

Officially released from his deal with Warner Brothers, Jay Rock has already found a new label home. The XXL Freshman has decided to go indie, aligning himself with Tech N9ne’s underground powerhouse, Strange Music, for a multi-album deal.

XXL recently traveled to the Strange Music headquarters in Missouri to document the partnership. [Watch below] “Man, I’m excited about this,” the Watts, CA rapper said. “Tech and Strange approached us once I became a free agent and we went to [Kansas City, MO] to see first-hand what we had been missing and saw why they’re the No. 1 independent rap label. The word had spread about me leaving Warner Bros. and I was getting offers left and right from majors wanting to sign me, but in the end, Dude Dawg and I had no doubts that Strange had the perfect situation for us.”

Rock’s Strange Music full-length debut, Follow Me Home, will feature appearances and production by a who’s who of hip-hop’s elite and is due out sometime next spring.

“I was hyped when I got the news that Jay Rock and Top Dawg Entertainment decided to go with Strange instead of any of the other many labels that were tugging at them,” Tech said. “I knew that Jay Rock, being the hardcore artist that he is, would add another wonderful dimension to our Strange roster.”

Rock has been on tour with Tech, and his new SM family (Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Kalhoun, and Big Scoob) since September 15, as part of N9ne’s Independent Grind Tour. He will also appear on Tech’s new DJ Whoo Kid mixtape coming later this fall. —


i was in denver 9/24 were tech officially announced it place went crazy!!!

Madden Revolution

If your into Madden on PS3 and are tired of the bullshit online PSN leagues come fuck with my people at Madden Revolution very interactive and social. Games are set up on twitter and scores are posted on twitter also schedule and standing on the website. Very laid back, but dont join if you aint gonna play so if you want some good competition with people that got game hit em up at @MaddenRevLeague on twitter or maddenrevolution.com season 2 starts in a week or so... Lets Get It

Medal of Honor Controversy

Electronic Arts isn't wavering in its support of game developer DICE's decision to let gamers play as Taliban members in the upcoming Medal of Honor.
"At EA we passionately believe games are an artform, and I don't know why films and books set in Afghanistan don't get flack, yet [games] do," EA Games President Frank Gibeau told game developer publication Develop Online this week. "Whether it's 'Red Badge of Courage' or 'The Hurt Locker,' the media of its time can be a platform for the people who wish to tell their stories. Games are becoming that platform."
(Credit: DICE)
Gibeau acknowledged that allowing gamers to play as a Taliban solider is a "creative risk," but he won't allow media outcry to "compromise our creative vision and what we want to do."
That outcry has been gaining steam as of late. Earlier this week, U.K. Defense Secretary Liam Fox took aim at the new Medal of Honor title in an interview with the U.K.'s Sunday Times. He said that retailers should "show their support for the armed forces" and not sell the title. He went on to say that "it's shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban."
EA, which is publishing Medal of Honor, isn't breaking new ground with its desire to push the envelope of war gameplay. Last year, Konami found itself embroiled in a similar debate over Six Days in Fallujah. The company opted against publishing the game after critics took issue with the title being based on such a recent event--the infamous 2004 battle in Iraq. Critics have the same issue with Medal of Honor.
But to some extent, EA believes those critics should understand the franchise they're taking aim at. As Gibeau pointed out in his interview with Develop Online, the Medal of Honor franchise has always been set in war zones.
"That's always been a Medal of Honor concept--we put you in the boots of a solider, whether it's in the Pacific, Europe, Afghanistan; it's always been the story of the solider," he told Develop Online.
Medal of Honor is scheduled to launch on October 12 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20014691-17.html#ixzz0zUVS4pTh

Cee Lo Green- Fuck You

Happy Birthday Hip-Hop - August 11 -1973

It was 37 years ago to this very day that a young Clive Campbell aka DJ Kool Herc and a handful of kids in a small, sweltering rec room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on August 11, 1973 started a music and cultural revolution that changed the world forever!
It began from very humble beginnings in The Bronx. Cindy Campbell (Herc’s kid sister) decided to throw an end of summer, back to school jam. Her big brother, DJ Kool Herc, performed the ground breaking art form of the Merry-Go-Round, playing the same 2 records, isolating the funkiest percussion sections, extending those 5 second break beats into 5 minutes of dance fury.

He tapped his Jamaican roots where Island Djs at yard party’s would toast DJ Kool Herc individuals…Herc used the Mic to move the original Bronx house party crowd with photo by Joe Conzo shout-outs over the records, which began the element of Emceeing.


Herc's parties featured a new style of dance where people would up-rock or hit the ground to go off. Herc named these dancers “b-boys”. Soon DJ Kool Herc had to move the party outside from 1520 Sedgwick Ave. to Cedar Park.


Herc hot wired the base of a street lamp to juice up his Herculord speakers. Three thousand people showed up in complete darkness that summer night. Hip Hop would never be contained in-side again.
"August 11, 1973 changed the world. We wanted to celebrate the creativity, spirit and the magic of that night by unveiling limited edition product on this very date that includes rare images of DJ Kool Herc, The Herculords Speakers Driving Down Sedgwick Ave and Dj’s Spinning Vinyl at Cedar Park,” Ricco said of the images.


Ray Ricco and Kool Herc own the clothing line Sedwick & Cedar. They recently unveiled a new line that features vintage images from the early days of Hip-Hop

Madden Nation

It's that time get@me PSN ID: killdino

oh and if you play Fantasy Football come join us!!!
Custom League URL: http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/fmp Password: dallas

NFL mulling microchips in footballs for those life-or-death goal line rulings

The NFL is serious business. So serious, in fact, that the idea of refs getting decisions wrong sends chills up and down Roger Goodell's spine. Yeah, we all know they do it habitually, but the League seems to be considering improving accuracy just a little bit with the help of some tech. Cairos Technologies, a German outfit that's been trying to sell its goal line technology to football (as in soccer) bigwigs for a while, has told Reuters that it's in discussions with the NFL about bringing its magnetic field hocus pocus to the gridiron. The idea would be for the ref to be alerted, via a message to his watch, any time the ball does something notable like crossing the goal line or first down marker. It should be a great aid for making difficult calls like whether a touchdown has happened at the bottom of a scrum, and might even help cut down on the number of frightfully dull replay challenges. Win-win, no

Mexican President, Felipe Calderon Considering Legalizing Drugs After 28,000 People Killed In Drug War Since 2006

President Felipe Calderon said he would consider a debate on legalizing drugs Tuesday as his government announced that more than 28,000 people have been killed in drug violence since he launched a crackdown against cartels in 2006.

Intelligence agency director Guillermo Valdes also said authorities have confiscated about 84,000 weapons and made total cash seizures of $411 million in U.S. currency and $26 million worth in pesos (330 million pesos).

Valdes released the statistics during a meeting with Calderon and representatives of business and civic groups, where attendees exploring ways to improve Mexico's anti-drug strategy called on the government to open a debate on legalization.

Calderon said he has taken note of the idea of legally regulating drugs in the past.

"It's a fundamental debate in which I think, first of all, you must allow a democratic plurality (of opinions)," he said. "You have to analyze carefully the pros and cons and the key arguments on both sides."

Three former presidents — Cesar Gaviria of Colombia, Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico and Fernando Cardoso of Brazil — urged Latin American countries last year to consider legalizing marijuana to undermine a major source of income for cartels. And Mexico's congress also has debated the issue.

But Calderon has long said he is opposed to the idea, and his office issued a statement hours after the meeting saying that while the president was open to debate on the issue, he remains "against the legalization of drugs."

In proposing the debate Tuesday, analyst and writer Hector Aguilar Camin said, "I'm not talking just about marijuana ... rather all drugs in general."

The most recent official toll of the drug war dead came in mid-June, when the attorney general said 24,800 had died. Valdes did not specify a time frame for the new statistics.

The government does not regularly break down murder statistics, but leading newspapers who kept their own counts say last month was the deadliest yet under Calderon: According to national daily Milenio, 1,234 were killed in July.

The Mexican government says most victims were involved in the drug trade.

Some attendees criticized the government for lacking consistent statistics on the drug war and an effective way to communicate its successes. They also said the government needs to do more to combat the financial arm of organized crime.

"There's no systematic policy for investigating or seizing the assets of organized crime," said Jose Luis Pineyro of Mexico's Autonomous Metropolitan University, "nor a system of locating the properties of organized crime."The Bad Guiy

INDEPENDENT GRIND TOUR 2010

Time: October 14, 2010 all day
Location: Trees
Street: 2709 Elm St
City/Town: Dallas, TX
Website or Map: http://Ticket info to come
Phone: (214) 741-1122
Event Type: concert
Organized By: Tech N9ne
Latest Activity: 34 minutes ago
Export to Outlook or iCal (.ics)
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Event Description
Door times subject to change.

STRANGE MUSIC continues to celebrate a decade of independently putting out the most genre-busting music in Hip Hop by hitting the road once again. Beginning September 2010, we proudly present “TECH N9NE’S INDEPENDENT GRIND TOUR 2010”! “TECH N9NE’S INDEPENDENT GRIND TOUR 2010” will bring together some of the most unique forces in independent Hip Hop. Strange Music co-founder TECH N9NE teams up for this outing with Hip Hop heavyweights E-40, Jay Rock and Glasses Malone, along with his Strange Music cohorts, Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun and Big Scoob. “TECH N9NE’S INDEPENDENT GRIND TOUR 2010” will present fans of Hip Hop a great opportunity to see a diverse range of styles in a format like no other.

Esham - Suspended Animation Official Tracklisting

1. All The Time
2. Closed Doors
3. Subatomic
4. Ronald McDonald
5. Ssmd
6. Suspended Animation
7. Triggernometry
8. Designer Drugs
9. RLP Logo
10. ?????
11. You Don't Luv Me
12. Electromagnetic
13. Horrible
14. Poultry
15. Sinsory Deprivation
16. Get A Room
17. U Can Die
18. Private Hotel Party
19. Worst Place To Be
20. Killa Pussy
21. American Made
22. ??????
23. Don't Wake Me up
24. Gumball 3000
25. Thanx
26. But No Thanx
27. Police
28. How Come
29. Home
ESHAM "SUSPENDED ANIMATION" IN STORES AUGUST 3RD

ESPN's Super Bowl XLV coverage to originate from Sundance Square

Football fans across the world tuning in for ESPN's coverage of Super Bowl week in February will get a huge taste of downtown Fort Worth and its historic Sundance Square.
Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief and Sundance Square developer Ed Bass made the official announcement Wednesday morning, saying that the network has chosen the city's popular entertainment and shopping district as its production headquarters for coverage of Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
In terms of exposure, landing ESPN is almost as big as the game itself. The network's 80-plus hours of coverage, broadcast in the United States and internationally, will provide unprecedented TV time for Sundance Square and Fort Worth.
"I get goose bumps when I think about it," said Tracy Gilmour, Sundance Square's marketing director, who confirmed the announcement late Tuesday. "It's a perfect fit for Fort Worth. It's a perfect fit for Sundance Square. What better way to show off North Texas than Sundance Square?"
Moncrief and Bass made the announcement before several hundred people on the patio of the 8.0 restaurant, at 111 E. Third St.
The network will set up a studio, a demonstration field and a radio booth in the Chisholm Trail mural parking lot at Third and Main streets in the heart of Sundance Square.
ESPN will begin broadcasting from the sheltered outdoor set Jan. 31. The game is Feb. 6.
At the 2010 Super Bowl in south Florida, ESPN anchored its television and radio coverage on Miami Beach, including a special game-day edition of Sunday NFL Countdown. ESPN also broadcast daily editions of SportsCenter, NFL Live and popular Mike & Mike in the Morning radio program from the location.
The outdoor studios typically draw high-profile current and former athletes, celebrities and many onlookers. Shows in Fort Worth will be free and open for the public to watch.
Fox Sports will broadcast the Super Bowl, but ESPN and NFL Network always have a big presence during the week leading up to the game. ESPN will likely have a set at Cowboys Stadium as well.
In addition to its numerous networks nationwide, ESPN broadcasts to more than 100 countries through ESPN International and across its 750 radio affiliates nationwide.
Organizers have worked to involve several North Texas cities in Super Bowl events. Dallas will host the Super Bowl Media Center and the NFL Experience. In addition to being ESPN headquarters, Fort Worth will host Taste of the NFL and is the host city for the American Football Conference champions.



Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/21/2349831/espns-super-bowl-xlv-coverage.html#ixzz0uQoX64Mj

Esham- Gumball 3000

18th-Century Ship Exhumed at World Trade Center Site

Earlier this week, workers excavating the site of the future World Trade Center unearthed an ancient wooden plank. Then another. Then an entire row, comprising what remains of a 30-foot long wood-hulled vessel, over 200 years old.

It's the biggest find of its kind since 1982, when an 18th-century cargo ship was discovered on Water Street. According to the NY Times, this new boat measures a full 30 feet long, and had been at rest 20 to 30 feet below the surface.

The excavation site—which is near, but not on the same ground as the original WTC—is apparently close to where Lindsey's Wharf and and Lake's Wharf used to be. They're currently trying to take as many measurements as they can before sun exposure degrades the remains inexorably. And while it doesn't appear to be the dubloon-carrying kind, it couldn't hurt to warm up those metal detectors. [NY Times, Images courtesy of Port Authority via Gothamist]

WHY???? well i know why

i fucking HATE the heat see you use the same letter to spell both....yeah i might be still bitter about 06, but shit!!!

Dirk stays in DALLAS!!!

Dirk agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract -- $16.2 million less than a max deal he could have demanded. And he did so without even flirting with another franchise...

"The Super" Movie Trailer w/ NECRO

The Super - Red Band Trailer from Alex Lugones on Vimeo.

VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV

(CNN) -- A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and HIV.
John Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis has recently mailed letters to 1,812 veterans telling them they could contract hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) after visiting the medical center for dental work, said Rep. Russ Carnahan.
Carnahan said Tuesday he is calling for a investigation into the issue and has sent a letter to President Obama about it.
"This is absolutely unacceptable," said Carnahan, a Democrat from Missouri. "No veteran who has served and risked their life for this great nation should have to worry about their personal safety when receiving much needed healthcare services from a Veterans Administration hospital."
The issue stems from a failure to clean dental instruments properly, the hospital told CNN affiliate KSDK.
KSDK: VA dental patients at risk of infection
Dr. Gina Michael, the association chief of staff at the hospital, told the affiliate that some dental technicians broke protocol by handwashing tools before putting them in cleaning machines.
The instruments were supposed to only be put in the cleaning machines, Michael said.
The handwashing started in February 2009 and went on until March of this year, the hospital told KSDK.
The hospital has set up a special clinic and education centers to help patients who may have been infected. However, Carnahan said he feels more should be done and those responsible should be disciplined.
"I can only imagine the horror and anger our veterans must be feeling after receiving this letter," Carnahan said. "They have every right to be angry. So am I."
This is not the first time this year a hospital has been in hot water for not following proper procedures.
In June, Palomar Hospital in San Diego, California, has sent certified letters to 3,400 patients who underwent colonoscopy and other similar procedures, informing the patients that there may be a potential of infection from items used and reused in the procedures.

how Earth's gravity field changes across the globe

BBC says this "is one of the most exquisite views we have ever had of the Earth." I would say it is one of the most fascinating, as it shows how Earth's gravity field changes across the globe.

The map is the result of a year of exploration by beautiful GOCE, the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer. It shows how the Earth's gravity is different depending on where you are in the world. The information will be useful at many levels. For example, it shows the real behavior of oceans independently of tides, winds, and currents, which will help climatologists to create more accurate weather models. BBC News also points out that this data will also help engineers to better plan the construction of pipelines

iPhone 4 is here!!!!

While everyone else was busy trying to keep up with iPhone, we were busy creating amazing new features that make iPhone more powerful, easier to use, and more indispensable than ever. The result is iPhone 4. The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone.
Watch the
iPhone 4 video
See FaceTime
in action
People have been dreaming about video calling for decades. iPhone 4 makes it a reality. With just a tap, you can wave hello to your kids, share a smile from across the globe, or watch your best friend laugh at your stories — iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi. And it works right out of the box. No other phone makes staying in touch this much fun.
Two cameras,
two views.
iPhone 4 has two cameras: One on the front, which focuses on you. And one on the back, which focuses on everything else. FaceTime lets you switch back and forth between them at any time during a video call. All you have to do is tap a button.The Retina display on iPhone 4 is the sharpest, most vibrant, highest-resolution phone screen ever, with four times the pixel count of previous iPhone models. In fact, the pixel density is so high that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels. Which makes text amazingly crisp and images stunningly sharp.
iPhone 4 introduces a whole new way of multitasking. Now you can run your favorite third-party apps — and switch between them instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily.1 This smarter approach to multitasking is available only on iPhone.
Shoot your own movies in high definition. Capture impressive video even in low-light settings, thanks to the advanced backside illumination sensor and built-in LED light. Then edit and create your own mini-masterpiece right on iPhone 4 using the new iMovie app — with Apple-designed themes, titles, and transitions. It’s available on the App Store for $4.99.
iPhone 4 is the always-with-you HD video camera.iMovie lets you make polished movies right on iPhone 4.
Take beautiful, detailed photos with the new 5-megapixel camera with built-in LED flash. The advanced backside illumination sensor captures great pictures even in low light. And the new front-facing camera makes it easy to take self-portraits.
Folders for Apps
Organize apps into folders for fast access to your favorites.
iBooks
Available as a free download, iBooks is an amazing ebook reader and a great place to buy books.
Home Screen
Get one-tap access to everything on your iPhone and change the wallpaper to match your mood.
iMovie
Edit video, add themes and music, and share your movies. Available on the App Store for just $4.99.
Phone
Built-in noise suppression makes phone calls easier to hear.
Mail
A unified inbox and other new features make Mail more powerful than ever.
Safari
The most advanced web browser on a mobile phone.
iPod
Touch your music and watch luminous full-screen video.
Photos
View photos by Albums, Events, Faces, and Places.
Voice Control
Place a call or play a song using just your voice.
Messages
Send messages with text, video, photos, and more.
Maps + Compass
Find locations, get directions, and orient yourself on the map.
Keyboard
The smart keyboard helps you type quickly and accurately.
Search
Find what you’re looking for across your iPhone or the web.
App Store
Discover hundreds of thousands of apps that let you do even more.
iTunes Store
Shop the world’s largest digital entertainment store.
Accessibility
iPhone 4 comes with screen-reading technology and other accessibility features.
More
Features
Learn about voice memos, calendars, and other great iPhone features.

Tupac Shakur-"Dear Mama" has been selected by The Library Of Congress for Entry Into The National Registry

Tupac Shakur's legend continues to grow.

The late rapper's song "Dear Mama" has been selected by The Library Of Congress for Entry Into The National Registry along with 24 other songs.

“In this moving and eloquent homage to both his own mother and all mothers struggling to maintain a family in the face of addiction, poverty and societal indifference, Tupac Shakur unflinchingly forgives his mother who, despite a cocaine habit, ‘never kept a secret, always stayed real,’ stated Librarian of Congress’ James H. Billington. “The song displays further evidence of hip hop as a musically sophisticated and varied genre that can artfully encompass a wide variety of themes and musical influences.”

Along with Dear Mama other songs selected include:

King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band (“Canal Street Blues”), Little Richard (“Tutti Frutti”), Loretta Lynn (“Coal Miner’s Daughter”), R.E.M. (“Radio Free Europe”) and entire albums from The Band (The Band) and Patti Smith (Horses).

ios4 available today

Multitasking
Now you can run your favorite third-party apps — and switch between them instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily.1


Folders
Organize apps into folders with drag-and-drop simplicity. Get faster access to your favorites and browse and manage up to 2160 apps.


Even better
Mail
See messages from all your accounts in a unified inbox, organize messages by threads, open attachments in third-party apps, and more.


iBooks
More than a great ebook reader, iBooks is also an amazing place to browse and shop for books, day or night.2


Create playlists
Create custom playlists right on your iPhone.


5x digital zoom
Get closer to your subjects by zooming in up to 5x.


Tap to focus video
While shooting video, tap the display to choose where to focus.


Faces and Places in Photos
View photos based on who’s in them and where they were taken.3


Home screen
wallpaper
Change the background wallpaper on your Home screen.


Gift apps
Send apps as gifts to your friends or family.


Spell checking
A built-in dictionary automatically suggests words and corrects spelling. It works in Mail, Notes, and other apps.


Wireless keyboard support
Pair a keyboard based on Bluetooth wireless technology with your iPhone.

Compatibility
iOS 4 works with iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 3G. Not all features are compatible with all devices. For example, multitasking is available only with iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS.


iPhone 3G

iPhone 3GS

iPhone 4

Kanye gets dumb with a Wicked(musical) sample

Only kanye can pull this shit off

Upcoming Albums 2010...

With Summer quickly upon us, time to check out what’s expected to arrive in-stores and online in the weeks and months ahead.

Nappy Roots – The Pursuit of Nappyness – June 15
Pastor Troy – Attitude Adjuster 2 – June 15
Drake – Thank Me Later – June 15
B.G. – Holly Hood – June 15
Crooked I – Hood Star – June 15
C-Murder – Tomorrow – June 15
Amp Live – Murder At The Discotech – June 15
Uffie – Sex Dreams & Denim Jeans – June 15
Kevin Rudolf – To The Sky – June 15
Bossman – The Re-Up – June 15
Eminem – Recovery – June 21
The Roots – How I Got Over – June 21
Z-Ro – Heroin – June 21
RJD2 – Inversions Of The Colossus – June 22
Grits – Quarantine – June 22
Wu Music Group Presents Pollen: The Swarm Part Three – June 22
Vinnie Paz – Season Of The Assassin – June 22
Madlib – Medicine Show No. 6 Brain Wreck Show – June 22
Marco Polo – The Stupendous Adventures Of Marco Polo – June 29
Dwele – W.W.W. (W.ants W.orld W.omen) – June 29
Hell Razah – Heaven Razah – June 29
Lord Infamous – Futuristic Bounty Hunter – June 29
J-Hood – Sorry I Made You Wait – June 29
Lone Ninja – Fatal Peril – June 29
The-Dream – Love King – June 29
Eternia & MOSS – At Last – June 29
Cimer Amor – Taking Nowhere, Somewhere – June 29
AG – Everything’s Berri – June 29
Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son Of Chico Dusty – July 6
Lyrics Born – Overnight Encore: Lyrics Born Live – July 6
Killah Priest – The 3 Day Theory – July 6
Crooked I – Planet C.O.B. v.1 (EP) – July 6
LMNO & Mr. Brady – Banger Management – July 6
Kelis – Flesh Tone – July 6
Snoop Dogg – My #1 Priority – July 13
Roc C. – Scapegoat – July 13
Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul – July 13
Capone-N-Noreaga – The War Report II – July 13
Duck Down Music – 15 Years Of Duck Down – July 13
M.I.A. – /\/\/\Y/\ – July 13
Sam Adams – Boston’s Boy (Physical Version) – July 13
Juvenile – Beast Mode – July 13
Paul Wall – Heart Of A Champion – July 13
MF Grimm – Digital Tears: E-Mail from Pugatory – July 13
MF Grimm – The Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera – July 13
PackFM – I Hate F*cking Rappers – July 13
Curren$y – Pilot Talk – July 13
Stat Quo – Statlanta – July 13
Ice Cube – I Am The West – July 13
Jamie Foxx – TBA – July 20
Rakaa – Crown of Thorns – July 20
Gyptian – Hold You – July 20
Potluck – Greatest Hits With My Buds – July 20
Step Up 3D – Soundtrack – July 20
Prospect – First Blood – July 20
Rick Ross – Teflon Don – July 20
Major Lazer – Lazers Never Die (EP) – July 20
Esham – Suspended Animation – July 20
Soulja Boy – Dre – July 27
Tech N9ne – The Ollie Gates Mixed Plate – July 27
Spose – The Audacity! – July 27
Q-Unique – Between Heaven & Hell – July 27
The Pack – Wolfpack Party – July 27
Krayzie Bone – The Fixtape Vol. 3: Lyrical Paraphernalia – July 27
Black Milk – Album of the Year – July 27
Kane & Abel – Back On Money – July 27
Slum Village – Villa Manifesto – July 27
St. Lunatics – City Free – July 27
Paper Tiger – Made Like Us – July 27
Fat Joe – The Darkside: Volume 1 – July 27
Street Sweeper Social Club – Ghetto Blaster (EP) – July 27
Trek Life – Everything Changed Nothing – July 27

August 2010 Highlights
El-P – Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3 – August 3
Bun B – Trill O.G. – August 3
Bizzy Bone – Crossroads 2010 – August 10
Cam’ron Presents The U.N. – Gunz N’ Butta – August 10
RydazNRtist – Soulful Warfare – August 10
Ayatollah – Cocoon – August 10
KRS-One & True Master – Meta-Historical – August 10
Redman – Reggie – August 10
Roscoe Dash – Ready Set Go! – August 10
T.I. – King Uncaged – August 17
Yelawolf – Trunk Muzik 0 To 60 – August 17
Chiddy Bang – The Swelly Life – August 24
Katy Perry – Teenage Dream – August 24
Ill Bill & DJ Muggs – Kill Devil Hills – August 24
Gucci Mane – The Appeal: Georgia’s Most Wanted – August 24
Greg Nice – Popcycle – August 31
Nipsey Hussle – South Central State of Mind – August 31
New Boyz – TBA – August 31

September 2010 Highlights (with dates & To Be Scheduled)
Duke Da God – More Than Music 3 – September 7
Estelle – All of Me – September 7
N.E.R.D. – Nothing – September 7
Slim Thug – Tha Thug Show – September 7
Krizz Kaliko – Shock Treatment – September 14
Trey Songz – Passion, Pain & Pleasure – September 14
Pharoahe Monch – W.A.R. We Are Renegades – September 14
Huey – Ride With Me – September 14
Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager – September 14
Rah Digga – Classics – September 14
Marques Houston – Mattress Music – September 14
MF Doom – Expektoration (Live) – September 14
Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee-pt.1 – September 14
Ninja Tune XX – Box Set – September 21
Ne-Yo – Libra Scale – September 21
Pleasure P – Pleasure Principle – September 21
Diddy: Dirty Money – Last Train To Paris – September 21
Jagged Edge – Lay You Down – September 28
Smif N Wessun & Pete Rock – Monumental – September 28
Mark Ronson – Record Collection
John Legend & The Roots – Wake Up Sessions
Kanye West – Good A** Job
Game – The R.E.D. Album

Summer 2010 – To Be Scheduled
Ciara – Basic Instinct
J. Cole – Cole World
Nelly – 5.0
Flo Rida – The Only One
Joe Budden – The Great Escape
Daz Dillinger Presents: This Is Long Beach – Various
T-Pain – rEVOLVEr
Mike Posner – TBA
Ja Rule – Vetti Vecci 2010
Busta Rhymes – Extinction Level Event 2
David Banner & 9th Wonder – Death Of A Pop Star
Cali Swag District – TBA
Ray J – Raydiation 2
Termanology – 1982

Previously announced dates – To Be Determined
Joell Ortiz – Free Agent – was June 15
Jeezy – TM 103 – was June 15
Chamillionaire – Venom – was June 22
Rye Rye – Go! Pop! Bang! – was June 29
Jay-Z – The Hits Collection Volume One – was June 29
Three 6 Mafia – Laws of Power – was June 29
Maino – The Day After – was June 29
Yo Gotti – Live From The Kitchen – was July 6
Young Buck – The Rehab – was July 6
Mack 10 & Glasses Malone – Money Music – was July 13
Asher Roth – The Spaghetti Tree – was August 10

Eminem Recovery

1. "Cold Wind Blows"
2. "Talkin' 2 Myself" (featuring Kobe)
3. "On Fire"
4. "Won't Back Down" (featuring Pink)
5. "W.T.P."
6. "Going Through Changes"
7. "Not Afraid"
8. "Seduction"
9. "No Love" (featuring Lil Wayne)
10. "Space Bound"
11. "Cinderella Man"
12. "25 to Life"
13. "So Bad"
14. "Almost Famous"
15. "Love the Way You Lie" (featuring Rihanna)
16. "You're Never Over"

Got this album two nights ago not expecting much but this album is ridiculous give it a listen...

The new iPhone 4

iPhone 4: The Definitive Guide
We already showed you the new iPhone from every angle, inside and out. Today, Steve Jobs re-revealed it, telling us about the remaining details. Here's the exhaustive guide to all the features of the new iPhone 4.

The design
The hardware design hasn't changed from the one we already knew about. It uses the same materials as the prototype: Black glass and stainless steel rim. It fits with the rest of the Apple product line, from the hard edges to the Dieter-Ramish utilitarianism of the iMac and the iPad.

The size is smaller than the previous generation: 34% thinner than the iPhone 3GS. Although it is 3 grams heavier. According to Apple, it's the thinnest smartphone ever. It has split buttons for volume, unlike the current iPhone 3GS, all made in stainless steel.

The stainless steel rim
The stainless steel rim gives the structure to the iPhone, and acts as part of the antenna for 3G and Wi-Fi. In theory, this will greatly increase the reception abilities of the new iPhone 4.

The hardware
The new big brain
It has an Apple A4 chip inside, just like the iPad. Inside the A4 there are a few interconnected chips: A Cortex-A8 main processor unit—the main brains—paired with a PowerVR SGX 535—which handles the high definition graphics of the new iPhone. These are directly connected with each other and two low-power 128MB DDR SDRAM chips. Since all these components are in the same chip, they can process things faster while consuming less battery than before.

The A4 also consumes less power because its sub-components can be switched on and off when they are not needed, shaving watts whenever it's possible.

Battery life
The battery is 16% bigger than the current one. Coupled with the A4 processor and new display, it results in a longer battery life: Apple claims 40% more talk time. Here are their figures:

• Talk over 3G: 7 hours.
• Browsing over 3G: 6 hours.
• Browsing over Wi-Fi: 10 hours.
• Video: 10 hours.
• Music: 40 hours.
• Stand-by: 300 hours.

The display
The 3.5-inch screen has a resolution of 960 × 640 pixels. Apple calls is the Retina Display, and it has four times as many pixels as the current iPhone 3GS' display. The screen has 326 pixel per inch resolution, a higher definition than your typical magazine, a quality that shows in the screenshot.

Apple claims that this IPS-based display—the same technology as used in the iPad—also has 800-to-1 contrast ratio which is four times better than the 3GS, with a higher viewing angle.

The apps will take automatic advantage of the increased relative resolution, which mean they will be a lot sharper for text, 3D graphics, and vectorial art. However, developers will need to include higher resolution bitmap images to make the app look perfect.

The main camera
The new iPhone has a bigger sensor for the main camera. It's backlit and has bigger lenses too. Instead of having a higher resolution, however, the sensor maintains the same 5 megapixel count. They are bigger dots, however, so it has a higher ISO—or sensitivity to light. That means that you would be able to take better photos and video in low light conditions, and your pictures will look a lot better.

The camera also has a LED-based flash, which works both for photographs and video.

The video conferencing camera
In the front, there's a video conference camera, with standard VGA resolution. This camera will be used with third-party applications, as well as Apple's own video conference solution.

Gyroscope
The new iPhone 4 has a gyroscope built-in. This means that it can track movement with a very high precision, much higher than the built-in accelerometers in the previous iPhones. It's 3-axis, so it's capable of detecting pitch, roll, and yaw. Couple with the accelerometer, you have 6-axis motion sensing.

Other
• Like the iPad 3GS, the new iPhone uses the new micro-SIM standard.
• It has an additional microphone on the top used for noise cancelation.

The software
iOS4
The new iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4, a new moniker for the iPhone OS. The biggest new feature is, of course, selective multi-tasking, Apple's way to multitask some application features without consuming too many resources and battery power.

The new iOS 4 supports Apple's Retina display using resolution independence. This means that applications will automatically get scaled for the new resolution, but looking sharper, not pixelated. That includes typography, 2D vector graphics, and 3D graphics. However, developers will have to include higher resolution images for buttons or other screen controls (something that many have already, since this was already exposed in the last WWDC).

Video calling
However, the biggest feature of the new iPhone 4 is probably video calling, thanks to its front camera. Apple calls it FaceTime, and it works iPhone 4 to iPhone 4 over Wi-Fi—at least for 2010. Apple claims that in the future it will be available over 3G.

iMovie for iPhone
The new iPhone 4 will be able to use a new editing software from Apple: iMovie for iPhone. It comes with 1,500 new features.

The new iMovie for iPhone works on high definition 720p right. You can use it to cut the video clips, add automatic Ken Burns effects for still images and a music soundtrack taken from your iPhone's tunes. After you are done with your movie, you can export it to 360p, 520p, and 720p.

It's a separate application, however, it doesn't come built-in with the iPhone 4.

iBooks
iBooks will also be available for the new iOS4. Apple claims that the new iPhone 4's 325 pixel-per-inch display will make the books perfectly readable. It will use the same controls as the iBooks application in the iPad.

Price and availability
The Phone 4 will be available in black or white on June 24, and will cost $199 and $299 for 16 and 32GB.

Royce Da 5'9''-Bar Exam 3

TRACKLIST:
01. Intro (Most Interesting Man In The World)
02. The Most Interesting Man
03. Go Hard Pt. 1 ft. Kid Vishis
04. On Fire ft. Crooked I
05. Skit
06. Real Hip Hop ft. Black Milk & Elzhi
07. Acapella
08. It’s Over Freestyle
09. Nobody Fuckin’ Wit Us ft. Bun B, Crooked I & Joe Budden
10. Airplanes Freestyle
11. Most Interesting Man In The World Skit #2
12. Beamer, Benz or Bentley (Shady Megamix)
13. I Hate Your Pants (Skinny Jeans)
14. Forever Freestyle
15. In The Club
16. Most Interesting Man In The World Skit #3
17. Go Hard Pt. 2 ft. Kid Vishis
18. Vagina
19. Psycho (Skit)
20. Psycho
21. Drama ft. Trick Trick & Junes Flow
22. I’m Not Slaughterhouse (Interview)
23. 187 (Saigon Response)
24. Most Interesting Man In The World Skit #4
25. Taxi Driver
26. Iceman Skit
27. Lyrical Hitman ft. MarvWon
28. Most Interesting Man In The World Skit #5
29. Spark Yo Brain

New Kanye West

Couldn't get the song up so here a link...
Kanye West ft Dwele - Power | Audio | Rap Basement

* Wu-Tang Clan (performing Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers)
* Slick Rick (performing The Great Adventures of Slick Rick)
* KRS-One (performing Criminal Minded)
* Rakim (performing Paid In Full)
* Yelawolf
* Big Sean
* Supernatural
* Street Sweeper Social Club
* Brother Ali
* Jedi Mind Tricks
* DJ Muggs w/ Ill Bill
* Immortal Technique
* Clipse
* Wiz Khalifa
* Murs & 9th Wonder

Aug. 21 – NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA
Aug. 22 – Shoreline Amphitheater in San Francisco, CA
Aug. 28 – Governer’s Island in New York
Aug. 29 – Merriweather Pavilion in Washington D.C.

More Artists and Date to be announced ...
http://www.rockthebells.net/

New Albums

Necro-DIE,
Talib Kweli & Hi Tek Reflections Eternal-Revolution Per Minute,
Nas & Damien Marley-Distant Relatives

Tech N9ne Collabos "Gates Mixed Plate" Pre-Order Available Now!


Strange Music's latest release brings together two things synonymous with Kansas City: Tech N9ne and Gates BBQ on "Tech N9ne Collabos - The Gates Mixed Plate". After the release of K.O.D., Tech N9ne made it clear that he was done with the darkness and ready to party in the light - a mission that definitely comes thru loud and clear on "The Gates Mixed Plate". The first single from the album, "O.G.", is a boisterous homage to Gates BBQ and Kansas City that's sure to leave you hungering for more cuts from "The Gates Mixed Plate"! With a list of features that reads like a rap menu - including Devin The Dude, Jay Rock, Glasses Malone, Yukmouth and Stevie Stone, as well as Strange Music labelmates Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun and Big Scoob, the "The Gates Mixed Plate" is sure to satisfy any hunger.

Preorder your copy today and you'll receive: A SIGNED COPY OF THE CD, AN EXCLUSIVE MP3 DOWNLOAD and A LIMITED EDITION "TECH N9NE COLLABOS - THE GATES MIXED PLATE" T-SHIRT. Order yours now!

http://www.therealtechn9ne.com

Rock the Bells 2010...

Rock the Bells 2010 line-up...
nothings been said but this is what im hearing so far official line-up announcement May 24...
Outkast Reunion, Wu Tang Clan or (Meth, Gostface, Rae), Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Felt, De La Sou,l Q-Tip, KRS-One w/Buckshot, Jurassic 5 Reunion, Knaan, Gang-Star, Wycleaf Jean, Sage Francis, Eyedea And Abilities, The Weathermen (El-P, Cage, Yak Ballz, Aesop Rock, Tame One), Ugly Duckling, Busdriver, Crooked I, Guesswhyld, Skyzoo, Toki Wright, Ohmega Watts, Brother Ali, Geto Boys, Mobb Deep

New and Classic Joints of the Week

T.I. - I'm Back

OutKast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

Smart Sand

Palo Alto, California (CNN) -- In the 1990s, a researcher named Kris Pister dreamed up a wild future in which people would sprinkle the Earth with countless tiny sensors, no larger than grains of rice.
These "smart dust" particles, as he called them, would monitor everything, acting like electronic nerve endings for the planet. Fitted with computing power, sensing equipment, wireless radios and long battery life, the smart dust would make observations and relay mountains of real-time data about people, cities and the natural environment.
Now, a version of Pister's smart dust fantasy is starting to become reality.
"It's exciting. It's been a long time coming," said Pister, a computing professor at the University of California, Berkeley.
"I coined the phrase 14 years ago. So smart dust has taken a while, but it's finally here."
Maybe not exactly how he envisioned it. But there has been progress.
The latest news comes from the computer and printing company Hewlett-Packard, which recently announced it's working on a project it calls the "Central Nervous System for the Earth." In coming years, the company plans to deploy a trillion sensors all over the planet.
The wireless devices would check to see if ecosystems are healthy, detect earthquakes more rapidly, predict traffic patterns and monitor energy use. The idea is that accidents could be prevented and energy could be saved if people knew more about the world in real time, instead of when workers check on these issues only occasionally.
HP will take its first step toward this goal in about two years, said Pete Hartwell, a senior researcher at HP Labs in Palo Alto. The company has made plans with Royal Dutch Shell to install 1 million matchbook-size monitors to aid in oil exploration by measuring rock vibrations and movement, he said. Those sensors, which already have been developed, will cover a 6-square-mile area.
That will be the largest smart dust deployment to date, he said.
"We just think now, the technology has reached a point where it makes basic sense for us ... to get this out of the lab and into reality," Hartwell said.
Smart dust (minus the 'dust')
Despite the recent excitement, there's still much confusion in the computing industry about what exactly smart dust is.
For starters, the sensors being deployed and developed today are much larger and clunkier than flecks of dust. HP's sensors -- accelerometers like those in the iPhone and Droid phone, but about 1,000 times more powerful -- are about the size of matchbooks. When they're enclosed in a metal box for protection, they're about the size of a VHS tape.
So what makes a smart dust sensor different from a weather station or a traffic monitor?
Size is one factor. Smart dust sensors must be relatively small and portable. But technology hasn't advanced far enough to manufacture the sensors on the scale of millimeters for commercial use (although Berkeley researchers are trying to make one that's a cubic millimeter).
Wireless connections are a big distinguisher, too. A building's thermostat is most likely hard-wired. A smart dust sensor might gauge temperature, but it would be battery-powered and would communicate wirelessly with the internet and with other sensors.
The sheer number of sensors in the network is what truly makes a smart dust project different from other efforts to record data about the world, said Deborah Estrin, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles, who works in the field.
Smart dust researchers tend to talk in the millions, billions and trillions.
Some say reality has diverged so far from the smart dust concept that it's time to dump that term in favor or something less sexy. "Wireless sensor networks" or "meshes" are terms finding greater acceptance with some researchers.
Estrin said it's important to ditch the idea that smart dust sensors would be disposable.
Sensors have to be designed for specific purposes and spread out on the land intentionally -- not scattered in the wind, as smart dust was initially pitched, she said.
'Real-world web'
Despite these differences, researchers say the smart-dust theory that monitoring everything will benefit humanity remains essentially unchanged.
And there are a number of real-world projects that, in one way or another, seek to use wireless sensors to take the Earth's vital signs.
Wireless sensors currently monitor farms, factories, data centers and bridges to promote efficiency and understanding of how these systems work, researchers said in interviews.
In all of these cases, the sensor networks are deployed for a specific purpose.
For example, a company called Streetline has installed 12,000 sensors on parking spots and highways in San Francisco. The sensors don't know everything that's going on at those parking spots. They are equipped with magnetometers to sense whether or not a huge metal object -- hopefully a car -- is sitting on the spot.
That data will soon be available to people who can use it to figure out where to park, said Tod Dykstra, Streetline's CEO.
It also tells the cities if the meters have expired.
Other sensors are equipped to measure vibration in factories and oil refineries to spot machine problems and inefficiencies before they cause trouble. Still others might pick up data about temperature, chemistry or sound. Tiny cameras or radars also can be tacked onto the data-collecting network to detect the presence of people or vehicles.
The power of these networks is that they eventually can be connected, said David Culler, a computer science professor at UC Berkeley.
Culler says the development of these wireless sensor networks is analogous to the creation of the World Wide Web. What's being created with the smart dust idea is a "Real World Web," he said.
But he said we're still early on in that progression.
"Netscape [for the wireless sensor network] hasn't quite happened," he said.
Big Brother effect
Even when deployed for science or the public, some people still get a Big Brother feeling -- the uncomfortable sense of being under constant, secret surveillance -- from the idea of putting trillions of monitors all over the world.
"It's a very, very, very huge potential privacy invasion because we're talking about very, very small sensors that can be undetectable, effectively," said Lee Tien, an attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a privacy advocate.
"They are there in such numbers that you really can't do anything about them in terms of easy countermeasures."
That doesn't mean that researchers should stop working on smart dust. But they should be mindful of privacy as the work progresses, he said.
Pister said the wireless frequencies that smart dust sensors use to communicate -- which work kind of like Wi-Fi -- have security built into them. So the data is public only if the person or company that installed the sensor wants it to be, he said.
"Clearly, there are security concerns and privacy concerns," he said, "and the good news is that when the radio technology was being developed for this stuff, it was shortly after all of the big concerns about Wi-Fi security. ... We've got all the security tools we need underneath to make this information private."
Further privacy concerns may arise if another vision for smart dust comes true. Some researchers are looking into making mobile phones into sensors.
In this scenario, the billions of people roaming the Earth with cell phones become the "smart dust."
Bright future
Smart dust researchers say their theory of monitoring the world -- however it's realized -- will benefit people and the environment.
More information is better information, Pister said.
"Having more sensors improves the efficiency of a system and reduces the demand and reduces waste," he said. "So all of that is just straight goodness."
Hartwell, the HP researcher, says the only way people can combat huge problems like climate change and biodiversity loss is to have more information about what's going on.
"Frankly, I think we have to do it, from a sustainability and environmental standpoint," he said.
Even though the first application of HP's "Central Nervous System for the Earth" project will be commercial, Hartwell says the motives behind smart dust are altruistic.
"People ask me what my job is, and I say, well, I'm going to save the world," he said.

M.I.A. “Born Free”

Crazy fucking video

RIP GURU

On Monday, April 19 hip-hop legend Guru (born Keith Elam) passed away due to cancer.

On February 28, Elam suffered a serious heart attack leaving the Massachusetts native in a coma for a short period of time. Elam underwent a successful surgery the following Monday. The doctors expected a full recovery and showed no indication that Elam could suffer any further.

While the exact cause of Guru’s death has yet to be determined, Elam has been enduring an ongoing battle with cancer for quite some time now.

Solar, Guru’s right-hand man, released a statement saying, “The world has lost one of the best MCs and Hip-Hop icons of all-time — my loyal best friend, partner, and brother, Guru. Guru has been battling cancer for well over a year and has lost his battle! This is a matter that Guru wanted private until he could beat it, but tragically, this did not happen. The cancer took him. Now the world has lost a great man and a true genius.”

In the early ’80s, Guru joined forces with NY-based DJ/producer, DJ Premier to form the legendary hip-hop group, Gang Starr. The duo released seven highly respected projects becoming a pillar in the hip-hop community. Shortly after Guru and Premier parted ways, Elam then created 7 Grand Records with hip-hop producer, Solar.

Guru’s first solo album came in 2005 titled, “Version 7.0: The Street Scriptures.” The project was well received on the underground circuit but failed to garner any mainstream success or acceptance. “Version 8.0: Lost & Found” was released May 2009, but again failed to grab the mainstream’s attention.

Before passing, Guru penned a letter to his faithful followers explaining everything that was said to be left in question about his family, organizations and his ex-partner, DJ Premier. Read below.

I, Guru, am writing this letter to my fans, friends and loved ones around the world. I have had a long battle with cancer and have succumbed to the disease. I have suffered with this illness for over a year. I have exhausted all medical options.

I have a non-profit organization called Each One Counts dedicated to carrying on my charitable work on behalf of abused and disadvantaged children from around the world and also to educate and research a cure for this terrible disease that took my life. I write this with tears in my eyes, not of sorrow but of joy for what a wonderful life I have enjoyed and how many great people I have had the pleasure of meeting.

My loyal best friend, partner and brother, Solar, has been at my side through it all and has been made my health proxy by myself on all matters relating to myself. He has been with me by my side on my many hospital stays, operations, doctors visits and stayed with me at my home and cared for me when I could not care for myself. Solar and his family is my family and I love them dearly and I expect my family, friends, and fans to respect that, regardless to anybody’s feelings on the matter. It is my wish that counts. This being said I am survived by the love of my life, my sun KC, who I trust will be looked after by Solar and his family as their own. Any awards or tributes should be accepted, organized approved by Solar on behalf myself and my son until he is of age to except on his own.

I do not wish my ex-DJ to have anything to do with my name likeness, events tributes etc. connected in anyway to my situation including any use of my name or circumstance for any reason and I have instructed my lawyers to enforce this. I had nothing to do with him in life for over 7 years and want nothing to do with him in death. Solar has my life story and is well informed on my family situation, as well as the real reason for separating from my ex-DJ. As the sole founder of GangStarr, I am very proud of what GangStarr has meant to the music world and fans. I equally am proud of my Jazzmatazz series and as the father of Hip-Hop/Jazz. I am most proud of my leadership and pioneering efforts on Jazzmatazz 4 for reinvigorating the Hip-Hop/Jazz genre in a time when music quality has reached an all time low. Solar and I have toured in places that I have never been before with GangStarr or Jazzmatatazz and we gained a reputation for being the best on the planet at Hip-Hop/Jazz, as well as the biggest and most influential Hip-Hop/Jazz record with Jazzmatazz 4 of the decade to now. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time. And we as a team were not afraid to push the envelope. To me this is what true artists do! As men of honor we stood tall in the face of small mindedness, greed, and ignorance. As we fought for music and integrity at the cost of not earning millions and for this I will always be happy and proud, and would like to thank the million fans who have seen us perform over the years from all over the world. The work I have done with Solar represents a legacy far beyond its time and is my most creative and experimental to date. I hope that our music will receive the attention it deserves as it is some of the best work I have done and represents some of the best years of my life.

RIP GURU.

New IPhone 4g

A Letter: Apple Wants Its Secret iPhone Back
Well, how can I explain this? I got some interesting calls today. It was Apple. And they wanted their phone back.

This phone was lost, and then found. But from Apple's perspective, it could have been considered stolen. I told them, all they have to do to get it back is to claim it—on record. This formal request from Apple's legal department is that claim. It proves—if there was any doubt in your mind—that this thing is real.

Here's my reply:

Bruce, thanks.
Here's Jason Chen, who has the iPhone. And here's his address. You two should coordinate a time.
[Blah Blah Blah Address]
Happy to have you pick this thing up. Was burning a hole in our pockets. Just so you know, we didn't know this was stolen [as they might have claimed. meaning, real and truly from Apple. It was found, and to be of unproven origin] when we bought it. Now that we definitely know it's not some knockoff, and it really is Apple's, I'm happy to see it returned to its rightful owner.
P.S. I hope you take it easy on the kid who lost it. I don't think he loves anything more than Apple.
And since this was the only missing piece of the puzzle, we have now both extinguished any doubts of its origin but also, we get to give the phone back. *warm, fuzzy, huggy feelings of legal compliance*

(Our legal team told us that in California the law states, "If it is lost, the owner has three years to reclaim or title passes to the owner of the premises where the property was found. The person who found it had the duty to report it." Which, actually, the guys who found it tried to do, but were pretty much ignored by Apple. )

I'm sad to see it go. We reasoned this pretty little piece of hardware is probably something we'll see again some time soon, but who knows exactly when. For some of us, that date can't come soon enough.


Send an email to the author of this post at blam@gizmodo.com.