Got Game?

The Striatum is Part of the basal ganglia of the brain. The basal ganglia are interconnected masses of gray matter located in the interior regions of the cerebral hemispheres and in the upper part of the brainstem.

Researchers have found that individuals with large Striatums are better at video games than those withsmall stiatums; its also been found that large-striatum individuals were also better at shifting priorites from, say, shooting a target to outrunning an enemy - abilities that could translate to the real world.

The game Space Fortress is used in the study; it looks like an old arcade game with geometric shapes subbing for spaceships and buildings. Over the years, researchers have used the game to study memory, motor control and learning speed; the US air force and the Israeli air force have even changed their training regimens based on how cadets fared as players.

Its being reported in Cerebral Cortex (magazine) that even among highly educated people, the size of the striatum can play a significant role in skills such as learning and multitasking; the next step is to figure out whether playing the game can alter the striatum size and function. Yaakov stern, a cognitive neuroscientist at columbia university said, "that could help answer the question of whether some people are born with larger striatums than others, or whether this region becomes bigger as people develop certain skills."

source: sciencemag

WTH Advice

Dear Pastor,

Greetings, in the name of the most high, Jesus Christ. I have a problem and I would like your advice. I have this insatiable girlfriend, who always wants sex. I need to know what I can do to please her. I tried Viagra and Cialis but none of them have helped me. Even with all those chemicals and drugs in my body, she still manages to out-do me in bed.

She has Indian in her background, and I can truly say I now know it is true what old people say about Indians and sex. I know you are not going to believe this, but as I am writing this, she is all over me for what she says is her 'tings'. Help me, please.

T.W., Kingston, Jamaica

Dear T.W.,

People talk about Indian women and how they love to have sex, but Indian women don't agree.
It seems to me you can't manage this woman. So, the best thing for you to do is to run. Run like hell. I cannot encourage a young man who is supposed to be healthy and strong, to be using the drugs that you are on to keep up with a young woman who wants to have sex 24/7. These drugs are for men who are suffering from erectile dysfunction. People who use them suffer from side effects. I repeat, healthy men ought not to use them frivolously.

This woman is going to kill you. You don't have the strength to cope with her. What you need is a woman who would not just want to have sex, but would be interested in having you as a husband and both of you would learn not to overdo a good thing.

Right now, your relationship is only sexual, and you cannot manage.

Pastor

**lmao**

Word on the Street...

-Rap icon KRS-ONE has launched his own religion, complete with a 600 page 'Bible' for potential followers. He's written a 600 page bible called The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument.

In an interview with All Hip Hop.com, KRS says of his book: "It explores the spirituality of hip hop, the divinity of hip hop. I'm suggesting that in 100 years, this book will be a new religion on the earth. Now you talk about controversy, there's some Christian ministries if you go online, look up some ministers, they dissing right now. 'Who the hell does he think he is?' Well, I think I have the authority to approach God directly, I don't have to go through any religion (or) train of thought. I can approach God directly myself and so I wrote a book called 'The Gospel Of Hip Hop' to free from all this nonsense garbage right now. Respect (to) the Christianity, the Islam, the Judaism but their time is up."

-KRS One is featured in a documentary entitled 'The Obama Deception'. He had this to say: “If they controlled it before, what makes you think they're not controlling it now? The country was on the verge of revolution. They threw a Black man up, now we like this (complacent). They put a Black face on the New World Order and now we all happy. KRS ain't buying it.”

For more on The Obama Deception, check out the link: http://hiphopwired.com/7285/krs-one-breaks-down-the-new-world-order-the-obama-deception/

-Venus and Serena Williams are now part owners of the Miami Dolphins.

u go girls!

-Hip-hop entrepreneur Jay-Z is aiming to move his basketball team the New Jersey Nets to his native Brooklyn, New York by the end of next year (2010).

His plans have been hampered by a number of legal delays, but Jay-Z reveals progress is being made and he's looking to unveil the Nets' new home in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Prospect Heights by December 2010.

Jay-Z says, "We're trying to get to Brooklyn, I think in early December; we'll start building the new stadium, it'll take hopefully a year (to complete)." The rapper wants the team's new move to be coupled with a new name - the Brooklyn Nets - and he's keen to add his pal LeBron James to the line-up when the basketball ace's contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers is up.

-A movie is currently in the works on the life of Whitney Houston. No word yet on who will portray Houston.

The movie will depict her rise to stardom, her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown, her drug abuse and her recent comeback.

-Janet Jackson will do a duet with Madonna.

Science & Technology

A Breathalyzer for Cancer?

A team of researchers may have come up with a golden idea for diagnosing lung cancer. By coating tiny nuggets of gold with a thin layer of organic material, the researchers have developed an "electronic nose" that, with some additional work, could spot lung cancer instantly by analyzing someone's breath.

Hossam Haick and colleagues at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa embedded the 5-nanometer-long gold nanoparticles in a silicon wafer and then collected exhaled air from 40 cancer patients and 56 people with healthy lungs.

All the subjects had to breathe deeply through a purifying filter for 5 minutes. After this "lung washout," they filled five 750-milliliter Mylar bags with air. A machine blew this air over the silicon-gold circuit, and the electrical resistance of the gold nanoparticles rose or fell depending on the presence or absence of certain compounds.

Cancer cells exude different compounds than healthy cells do, Haick explains, and the circuit picks up this difference. Tumor growth causes stress in cells, leading to a build up of free radical molecules that attack the lipids in cell walls, tearing out molecules with long chains of carbon atoms.

The sensors respond rapidly and are completely reusable. The breath diagnosis is especially promising for detecting lung cancers early, before they show up on x-rays.

Source: ScienceMag

Around the Globe

-Public Health: Type 2 Poliovirus Back From The Dead in Nigeria

In 1999, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative scored an unequivocal victory: It wiped one of three serotypes of wild poliovirus, type 2, off the face of the earth, except for samples stored in labs for study or vaccine creation.

That triumph left just two foes to battle: Poliovirus types 1 and 3, which have continued to put up quite a fight. But now a version of type 2 has returned. Springing back to life from a weakened form of the pathogen used in a vaccine, poliovirus type 2 is causing a runaway outbreak in Nigeria, where types 1 and 3 are also raging.

In July, the World Health Organization issued a global alert warning that type 2 poliovirus in Nigeria posed an "increasing risk of international spread." It's a stunning setback for the initiative, now already 9 years past its original deadline for vanquishing the virus.

Source: sciencemag/leslie roberts

*I guess we wont be hearing about this until people start dying in europe or north america...who cares about nigerians dying of polio, right? its just a bunch of poor black people.

fck

-BANGKOK (Reuters) – A Thai court on Tuesday refused to extradite alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to the United States to face trial on charges of supplying weapons to Colombian rebels.

The U.S. wanted to try Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," for conspiracy to sell millions of dollars of weapons to rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Bout was arrested in a Thai-U.S. sting operation at a Bangkok hotel in March 2008 after arriving from Moscow.

U.S. prosecutors alleged Bout had been trafficking arms since the 1990s, using a fleet of cargo planes to send weapons to Africa, South America and the Middle East. Bout is alleged to have sold or brokered arms deals that have helped fuel wars in Afghanistan, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Sudan.

The character played by Nicholas Cage in the 2005 movie "Lord of War" is loosely based on the Russian's alleged exploits. A British minister labeled him "a merchant of death." He has denied involvement in the illegal arms trade and has maintained he was only involved in cargo transportation.

-SYDNEY (AP) - Thousands of camels in Australia's remote Outback could be killed by marksmen in helicopters under a government proposal aimed at cutting down the population of the havoc-wreaking animals.

First introduced into Australia in the 1840s to help explorers travel through the Australian desert, there are now about 1 million camels roaming the country, with the population doubling every nine years.

The federal government set aside 19 million Australian dollars for a program to help slash the population. Besides sending in sharpshooters in helicopters and on foot, officials are considering proposals to turn some of the creatures into tasty treats such as camel burgers.

Tony Peacock, CEO of the University of Canberra's Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Center, said a cull was the most effective method. "To be shot from a helicopter is actually quite humane, even though that sounds brutal," he said. "If I was a camel, I'd prefer to just get it in the head."

*smmfh @ this statement.

WTH Advice

Dear Pastor ,

I must commend you on the wonderful work you have been doing over the years. I have been reading your columns since the age of 13. I never thought that I would one day be writing to you.
I am now 37 years old. I am a Jamaican but I am living in England. About four years ago, I met this Jamaican woman. She is 32 years old. Pastor, if I could go back to the day I met her, I would have stayed in my yard for six months just to make sure I never met her. Of all the women that I have been with, she has got to be the worst in every way. She is loud, shallow, overbearing, and always swearing. She has no manners or respect for me or anyone, especially people without money, and she is very ungrateful.

No matter what you do for this woman, it's never enough. She is one of those women that the Bible calls quarrelsome. I do everything for this woman: pay her rent, buy her food, buy her clothes, and take care of her other bills. I even paid someone to marry her so she could stay here legally.

Well, despite all I did, she cheated on me for a hairdo. A hairdo, pastor, a hairdo? I am still with her but I am not happy. We live together and it kills me when I have to go home in the evenings after work. She doesn't like children either. I have two sons from my previous relationships and she never once asked how they are doing. She gets upset whenever I speak of or to my boys; she gets upset, as if she doesn't want me to speak to my children or their mums. She got pregnant for me twice but she aborted them.

fed up
All she wants to do is dress up, put on false hair, false nails, and false everything. She even wants to do breast enlargement. She loves material things and likes guys with money. I can't save any money because of her. All she does is spend, spend, spend and keeps on spending.

I am fed up, Pastor, honestly, and I don't know what to do. I mean, I love her but I am unhappy with her. She complains about everything I do. For example, when I go to work, I may come home tired and fall asleep. She will then complain that I sleep too much. When it's not that, she complains about when I eat and how I eat. If I go on the Internet, she complains. She hardly wants to have sex. She complains that I love sex too much.

Please, pastor, I need your help. I have prayed to God to take away this love that I feel for her. I am sad and confused. I am awaiting your best advice.

K.C., Bristol, United Kingdom

Dear K.C.,
I hope you are not Jamaican. I would hate to think that you are Jamaican, because you would have shamed every Jamaican man because you are behaving senselessly. You are a man who is devoid of understanding, the woman is socking it to you and who can blame her? Where 'yuh' come from, man? Anybody who knows you would laugh at you.

You should not ask me what you should do. You are not behaving as a man. I am not even going to tell you to leave this woman, because by telling you so, I would be robbing the woman of all the goodies she has been enjoying because of your lack of common sense.
Pastor

lmao @ this response

Coleslaw Recipe

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups finely shredded cabbage (1/2 of a medius size cabbage)
2 cups shredded carrots (4-5 large carrots)
2 tsp black raisins
2 tsp golden african raisins
1 tsp chopped onions
*Mix ingredients in a bowl and set aside for dressing.

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tspn white cane vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tspn kosher salt
1/4 tspn white pepper

*mix thoroughly and pour over cabbage & carrot mixture. Stir evenly, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.

Serves 4-6

Eye on the Globe

-Turkmenistan has launched the latest stage of a plan to channel water across thousands of kilometres of desert to create a vast inland sea. The lake will be filled with drainage water from the country's cotton fields.

President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said the "Golden Age Lake" plan showed his country was preserving nature and improving the environment.

But critics say the water will be full of fertiliser and insecticides, and will evaporate quickly.

The project is one of the biggest and most ambitious in the world, and could cost up to $20bn ($7 billion usd).

President Berdymukhamedov opened up the first tributary to bring water to a natural depression in the Karakum Desert. The desert covers more than 80% of Turkmenistan.
He told the crowd that the lake would make the desert bloom.

-BEIJING - More people now go online in China than there are people in the United States.

The country's rapid economic growth and expansion of Internet access in more areas has fueled a sharp increase in Internet users, totaling 338 million by the end of June, a government-sanctioned research group said.

The latest U.S. Census Bureau's figure says the population of the U.S. is just under 307 million. China's population is more than 1.3 billion.

China's population of Internet users has been growing at explosive rates despite government efforts to block access to material deemed subversive or pornographic.

-Brazilian police are investigating after 64 containers with more than 1,400 tonnes of hazardous UK waste were found in three of the country's ports.

The authorities say that among the material which was brought in illegally they discovered batteries, syringes, condoms and nappies. Since the initial discovery, another 25 containers with hospital waste were found, also apparently from England.

In a statement the British Embassy in Brazil promised "immediate steps". It said the UK was completely opposed to any kind of illegal trade in waste.

Public resentment over the issue increased when it was revealed that inside one of the containers was a collection of dirty toys with a note in Portuguese saying they should be washed before being given to "poor Brazilian children".

Word on the Street...

-New Jersey net Richard Jeffersen dumped his bride-to-be, former nets dancer Keshia Ni'cole, the night before the ceremony, via email *dead*

In an interview following the breakup, richard said he gave her a six figure settlement to help her 'get on with her life'; he went on to say "It's so crazy, the divorce rate out there. If you aren't 100% certain about something, you shouldn't do it."

-Johnny Depp has his eye on a gender-bending movie role - he would love to portray singer/actress Carol Channing in a biopic.

He says, “My dream role would be to play musical legend Carol Channing in a biopic of her life. I love her, I really do, she’s amazing. With all the digital technology these days, I could probably pull it off!”

-Whitney Houston was so terrified of showcasing her new album at a launch party, she hid in another room until the entire CD had played.

The singer is currently trying to work her way back to the top of the charts with "I Look To You," her first record in seven years.

A source tells Britain's London Lite newspaper, "There were music press from around the world and VIP guests present. Whitney was so nervous she was hiding behind a door while everyone listened."

But the star made sure she expressed her gratitude for the critics' support, emerging after the CD had played and thanking each of her guests for coming.

Life's Intrigues

Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeastern most point of the Polynesian triangle; it is widely famous for its monumental statues.

Easter Island may now boast another odd claim to fame: a midlife longevity drug. In a new study, researchers report that an antibiotic called rapamycin - after the island's Polynesian name, Rapa Nui - enabled middle-aged mice to live up to 16% longer than their rapa-free counterparts.

The discovery marks the first time a drug has been shown to lengthen life span in mammals, even when administered late in life.

Scientists first stumbled on rapamycin in soil samples taken from Easter Island in 1965. A bacterium found in the soil, Streptomyces hygroscopicus, secreted the stuff to fend off its bacterial and fungal rivals.

Rapamycin has since been used to prevent organ rejection in transplant patients and, most recently, as an antitumor drug. The compound works by inhibiting mTOR, a protein that regulates cell growth and survival.

Pharmacologist Randy Strong and molecular biologist Z. David Sharp, who headed the study's Texas arm, planned to feed young mice rapamycin and observe the drug's effects as they aged. But by the time the researchers formulated a feed that made the rapamycin stable and easily digestible, the mice had grown old (20 months old), or about 60 human years. Because calorie restriction and other life-lengthening measures work best when started young, Strong and his colleagues didn't expect the experiment to work in midlife. Yet the mice lived 28% to 38% longer than the controls from that point on, the researchers report in Nature, the equivalent of 6 to 9 extra years in humans. Their overall life expectancy rose 5% to 16%.

Rapamycin is known to raise cholesterol levels and, as a potent immune system suppressant, the compound could make its consumers more susceptible to infections.

Source: Science/AAAS

Word on the Street

-Unconfirmed rumour: claims that Morgan Freeman is involved in a sexual relationship with his step-granddaughter, E'Dena (his first wife's granddaughter); it is alleged that this is the reason for the breakdown of his second marriage.

Morgan's publicist has dismissed rumours that the star plans to wed his step-granddaughter.

-At the Lebron James Skill Academy, a camp for up and coming high school and college basketball players, Xavier University player Jordan Crawford dunked on Lebron James. That is usually no big deal but what is so strange is that Nike took the tapes so that nobody else could see it happen. Reporters who were at the camp were shocked when this happened and even more surprised when Lebron didn’t stop the Nike reps from doing it.

-Samuel L. Jackson is fighting back against harsh online critics; the actor is challenging his internet bullies to deliver their blows during face-to-face meetings. The star admits he can't stop reading reviews about himself and he wants to fight back, he is disturbed by bloggers hiding behind their anonymity.

Jackson says, "All these people can sit at home and can blog. They can say bad things about you online and you don't know who they are but they know who I am. It's totally unfair."

-Rap legend Dr. Dre will tease fans with samples from his much anticipated new album "Detox," in new TV advertisements for soda brand Dr. Pepper. The hip-hop star fronts the drink company's new "Trust Me, I'm A Doctor," campaign, and he's using the TV spots to drum up publicity for his third album, as well as his Beats By Dre headphones.

In the ad, Dre says, "Scientific tests prove when you drink Dr. Pepper slow, the 23 flavors taste even better. For me, slow always produces a hit. "Slower is better-trust me, I'm a doctor."
Detox is expected to be released later this year (09).

-Michael Jackson is opening a 'Thriller' casino. The 50-year-old singer is reportedly planning to launch the zombie-themed gambling den in Las Vegas next year.

Also, Michael Jackson decided to go back on tour for the first time in 13 years to build a trust fund for his children, according to the organizer of his upcoming London concerts. Michael Jackson has ordered his promoters to build a replica of his former Neverland ranch when he stays in the U.K. this summer (09).

-Vivica A. Fox has been left stunned by the sudden death of her "Kill Bill," co-star David Carradine, and she's struggling to accept the possibility he committed suicide.

-Whitney Houston is officially ready to make her chart comeback-she's set to release her highly-anticipated new album "Undefeated" in September of this year.

-Irv Gotti is fuming over Vibe's decision to name Eminem the Best Rapper Alive, insisting he'd be laughed out of a hip-hop contest with stars like Jay-Z, DMX and Ja Rule.

lol @ jah rule

-Bosses at animal rights group PETA want rapper T.I. to bare all after he's released from jail; for their famous "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur," campaign.

Word on the Street

-Dexter King, son of Dr. Martin Luther King, jr, has sold the rights to his his father's biopic. word is that Steven Spielberg bought the rights for Dreamworks. Dexter King's siblings are suing because there were excluded from the decision to sell the rights, they found out via email after the sale. noise on the street is that dexter is broke

*update: production of the biopic is on hold until the King's kids sort out their legal issues...tbc

-Mariah Carey landed more than just a big pay check for a private gig in Turkey this past weekend...she was also gifted with one million dollar's worth of diamonds. The singer was paid a staggering $1.5 million for her appearance and performance at the launch of the Mardan Palace in Antalya, Europe's most expensive luxury resort.

-R&B singer Rihanna will make her acting debut in new movie "Personal Protection," later this year (09).The singer recently denied rumors she'll star in a big screen remake of Whitney Houston's 1992 classic "The Bodyguard." But Rihanna appears to have changed her mind and has signed on to the forthcoming film. She is taking her foray into the movie industry seriously...she's enrolled in acting classes in New York to prepare her for the role. A source tells the New York Daily News, "Rihanna will start filming Personal Protection later this year. "She's not ready, acting-wise, yet, so she's meeting with a coach."

give me a gd break. there are so many talented black actresses being pushed aside and good roles are going to inadequate singers and rappers. why? because of name and popularity? very lame. its a gd shame, that movie is already 'straight to dvd' imho. seriously, this is way out of control. nia long, tisha campbell and sanaa lathan must be mad as hell right about now. speaking for tisha campbell, can u believe beyawnce is set to play eartha kitt?? lol *smdh*

ridamdiculous.

Tam's Chicken Alfredo

This is a really delicious dish...I am salivating just writing this


2 chicken breasts
1 tspn montreal chicken spice
1/4 tspn paprika
1/2 tspn black pepper
1/4 tspn kosher salt

Directions: rinse and pat dry chicken breast, rub on the chicken spice, paprika, salt and pepper. Fry slowly in
frying pan, covered halfway for about 20-25 minutes. Once fried, place the chicken breast on a cutting board and
slice in strips. Place the chicken strips in the pot that will be used to blend the ingredients

3 cups penne pasta. Cook pasta in boiling water for about 8-10 minutes. Once cooked, drain water and set aside (make
concurrently with the sauted vegetables so that it will still be hot)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5-6 thinly sliced mushroom caps
1 onion, sliced
2 red bell peppers, sliced semi thick
5 stalks asparagus, chopped in 1" lengths
1 cup spinach
4 slices of back bacon, chopeed in 1" lengths
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shot of vodka
3 cups of cream
1 cup grated parmisian cheese
3 tbsp butter
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 tspn white pepper


Directions: Heat the olive oil and garlic, add the bacon and vegetables and saute for 5 minutes. Add the sauted
vegetables to the chicken pot. Add the vodka, stir occasionally. After 3-4 minutes, stir in the penne. slowly add
cream and parmisian, stiring occasionally. add the butter, salt and pepper, remove from heat 1-2 minutes later.

Enjoy with garden salad and garlic bread.

Serves 4-6

Electronic Cigarettes

Blu cigarettes are the world's first electronic cigarettes. They were created in Italy and have become a trend among upper crust society in Europe.

According to reports, "the cigarette does not contain cancerous agents, nor does it contain tobacco, tar, ash or smell." This cigarette is smokeless and comes with a blu pack that charges the cigarettes while you're on the go. These 'E-cig' cigarettes come in unique flavors and various nicotine levels ranging from: non-nicotine, to light nicotine to full flavored nicotine.

A healthy alternative than traditional cigarettes and 75% cheaper than traditional cigarettes and you can smoke these cigarettes indoors because there's no odor or second hand smoke because the cigarette is smokeless. It works with a small rechargeable battery and replaceable cartridge that contains water, propylene glycol, nicotine, a scent that emulates tobacco, plus other flavorings. When you inhale it activates the atomizer which releases simulated smoke that is actually water vapor. This makes it easy for smokers to 'smoke' the e-cig inside restricted areas.

One blu cartridge is equal to approximately 15 cigarettes, they last about 130 to 160 puffs.

This product is not being marketed as one that will help smokers quit.

Shoes Orgasm :))

Spring is here and its time to put away the winter boots and free our toes!...even if they are not so cute :( a pedi will save the day lol.

The 2009 spring shoes have arrived and although the cutest ones might hurt your pocket in this recession, its hard to resist trying on a few pairs; and window shopping is free, right?? Here is a look at some of the shoes making a statement this spring:

the ysl lola platform and the prada jeweled t-strap sandal

the nina ricci ruffle lace and the manolo blahnik zebra print pantent sandal

the dior piedra jeweled t-strap and the christian louboutin petal sandal

and the wowser, the christian louboutin dillian pump which retails for 2875.00

hm mm

- Hip-hop super producer Timbaland has landed his own beat-making video game after partnering with the team behind the "Grand Theft Auto," series.

Also, Timbaland is suing Blackground Records claiming they're jealous of his success as a producer and performer and is accusing them of contacting other labels to tell them not to hire him and stiffing him out of money; he wants out of his contract plus monetary damages.

-Female rap pioneer Yo-Yo is set to release her first album in 13 years.

The Grammy-nominated star has been largely absent from the hip-hop scene since the 1996 release of her disc "Total Control"

She's making her return with "My Journey To Fearless: The Black Butterfly," and she's brought in pal Missy Elliot and singer Keri Hilson to help her comeback appeal to younger audiences.

-Mos Def is delving into the fashion game.

The Brooklyn MC has teamed up with street wear label UNDRCRWN for its Spring 2009 campaign, set to drop on the company’s website, UNDRCRWN.com.

According to WoooHa.com, the designs are heavily inspired by the cover artwork of the 2004 Dead Prez album, Revolutionary But Gangsta.

Mos Def news, the rapper-actor will also be releasing his fourth solo, The Ecstatic, on June 9th

-SYLVESTER STALLONE has defended his decision to cast rapper 50 CENT in his forthcoming movie THE EXPENDABLES - after fans slammed the casting call in an online forum.

The Rocky veteran is currently shooting the all-star action film The Expendables in Brazil, which sees some of Tinsletown’s most notorious action stars team up, including Jet Li, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham.

Forest Whitaker was also slated to appear in the movie as Agent Will Sands, but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts after shooting on the Stallone’s film was pushed back. Stallone approached 50 Cent to take on the role, but the decision has come under fire from film fans who suggest the star isn’t a credible actor.
The anger of the casting of 50 Cent is understandable, but not fair.

-update: 50cent lost his role in Sylvester Stallone's new film The Expendebles. The part will be played by 'Everybody Hates Chris' dad Terry Crews instead.

-Mary J Blige has signed on to do Tyler Perry's next movie "I Can Do Bad All By My Self". She will be starring opposite Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson.

Tam's Butter Chicken Recipe

Step 1: Marinade & Ingredients

-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized strips/pieces

- dilute the juice of one lemon in enough water to rinse the chicken strips, then drain

Add the following ingredients:

-1 tsp paprika

-1/2 tsp cinnamon

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1/2 tsp kosher salt

-1/2 tsp chilli powder

-1 clove garlic, finely chopped

-1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

-4 tsp yogurt – plain or vanilla

-4 tsp coconut milk or ½ & ½ cream

-1 tsp olive oil

Mix all the above in a bowl, cover and let sit (in or out of refrigerator) for 20 – 30 minutes.

Step 2: Preparation

-1 onion, diced or finely chopped

-1 clove garlic, finely chopped

-3 tsp margarine

-2 tbsp butter chicken curry paste

-1 can of diced tomato (preferably tomato without any added salt or special flavors)

-fresh parsley, oregano and basil – a pinch or dash of each

Add margarine, garlic and onion to sauce pan or pot and sauté for 2 – 3 minutes, then stir in the curry paste and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the chicken, stirring constantly until all the pieces are cooked. Add the diced tomato and stir in evenly. Add the fresh parsley, oregano and basil to taste. Cover and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes on low heat.

Enjoy with basmati rice and/or naan bread

Word on the Street

-A screenplay written by rapper Tupac Shakur during a 1995 prison stint is to hit cinemas in 2010. Shakur penned "Live 2 Tell," as a starring vehicle for himself, according to Vibe magazine, but he never lived to see out his dream.

The film, which chronicles an ex-drug dealer's battle to beat his problems, was discovered by the late rapper's mother, Afeni Shakur, and sold to Insomnia Productions. Producers will start casting the film in April 2009




-Rap legends N.W.A. are to be immortalized on the big screen, a major biopic is in the works.

N.W.A, the Compton supergroup, comprised of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy-E, MC Ren and DJ Yella, shot to fame in the late 1980s after signing to Death Row Records, and drew attention with controversial hits like Straight Outta Compton, F**k tha Police and Gangsta Gangsta.

Ice Cube quit the band in 1989 after a dispute over royalties, and the remaining N.W.A. members parted ways in 1991.

The rappers each went on to achieve solo success, with Ice Cube and Dr. Dre garnering critical acclaim for their own projects, while Eazy-E enjoyed some popularity with his numerous discs before dying from AIDS in 1995.

Now their West Coast legacy is heading to cinemas, a project tentatively titled "Straight Outta Compton," is being developed with Dre, Ice Cube and Eazy-E's widow all on board as producers, according to Entertainment Weekly.

They are reportedly seeking a director to helm the project in a style similar to Curtis Hanson's take on Eminem's 2002 movie, "8 Mile."

-Chris Rock is assembling an all-star comedy cast for his forthcoming movie "Death At A Funeral." Both Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan have signed on to the project.

-Rapper Nas made a terminally ill child's dreams come true this weekend when he flew the fan out to Los Angeles to attend his concert and meet the star backstage.

(source: panachereport)

...just a thought

Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.

-Martin Luther King