When the 2011 season ended, the Buccaneers wanted to re-sign defensive tackle Lamar Divens, who’d spent the past few weeks on their practice squad.

But Divens declined, hoping instead to hear from his hometown team.

His wish was granted on Tuesday, when the Titans signed Divens — a Lincoln County High School grad who later played at Vanderbilt and Tennessee State — to a one-year contract.

The 6-foot-3, 343-pounder, who lives in Murfreesboro with his wife and two children, will now be among those competing for a roster spot as the Titans look to tweak their defensive line.

“I’m definitely glad to be back home,” said Divens, who also drew interest from the Colts, Texans and Packers. “Everybody’s excited. My phone has been ringing all day.”

A native of Fayetteville, Divens went undrafted out of TSU, but he wound up signing with the Ravens in 2008. He played in three games for the Ravens in 2008 and two in 2010, sitting out 2009 with a hip injury.

“I didn’t play as much as I liked there, but it was a great learning experience being behind Haloti Ngata for three years and arguably watching one of the best defensive tackles in the game stop the run,” Divens said. “I also learned a lot watching the leadership of (Ravens middle linebacker) Ray Lewis off the field. So I look at Baltimore as a very fine experience and a building block.”

The Ravens released Divens before the start of the 2011 season, and he actually worked out for the Titans in September prior to their second game.

Finally! The world has waited patiently and now the most anticipated pictures in recent pop culture memory have been released.  Just days afterBeyonce strutted her post-pregnancy fabulosity at her hubby’s history making concert series atCarnegie Hall, the couple decided to show off littleBlue Ivy Carter — on Beyonce.com andLife+Times.com – and the Diva-in Training has stolen the show.

Already a Billboard chart-topper, featured on her father’s emotional song, “Glory,” in honor of her “magic” birth after Beyonce suffered a miscarriage, her parents are eager to share their gift with the world:

“We welcome you to share in our joy,” read a hand-written note on HelloBlueIvyCarter.tumblr.com. “Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives.” — The Carter Family

Jennifer Hidson pays tribute as she  Sings ‘I Will Always Love You’at the Grammys

 

In a sit-down interview with The Grio’s Chris Witherspoon, actor Denzel Washington shared his views on the invisible ceiling black actors and directors hit when it comes to funding black films.

“Tyler Perry can make movies up to a certain budget, and then he hits a ceiling….it’s more they (Hollywood) don’t want to take a chance. Because this town, black or white, they’re just bean counters.  They’re just crunching the numbers.”

Washington,  who just wrapped up filming Flight with director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump”),admits that Paramount Studios only gave the project a mere $32 million budget because of the movie’s somber subject matter–Denzel’s character is an alcoholic airline pilot.

WATCH FULL INTERVIEW BELOW:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

R&B Icon Whitney Houston was found dead in her hotel room at The Beverly Hilton, just hours before a pre-Grammy celebration being hosted by her mentor Clive Davis.

The festivities were understandably somber as guests walked down the red carpet offering condolences.  Houston’s body was still on the fourth floor of the hotel awaiting paramedics.

According to TMZ, Whitney’s daughter Bobby Kristina was denied access to the hotel room to see her mother.

According to law enforcement sources … Bobbi Kristina showed up on the 4th floor of the Beverly Hilton several hours after Whitney’s death. We’re told when officers informed her no one was allowed to see the body — BK screamed, cursed and demanded to see her mother.

Ultimately, she was not allowed into the room and left. We’re told Whitney’s cousin Dionne Warwick also showed up later. She too was turned away by officers.

No illegal drugs were found in Houston’s room, but several prescription pill bottles were found and there is speculation that the star may have drowned in the bath tub. Whitney Houston’s remains were finally removed from the room and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Leave it to Samuel L. Jackson to keep it real.  In an interview with Ebony Magazine, the actor has no shame in his game that he voted for President Obama because of his race:

“I voted for Barack because he was black,” Jackson revealed. “‘Cuz that’s why other folks vote for other people — because they look like them.”

Jackson then goes on to say:

“That’s American politics, pure and simple.   [Obama’s] message didn’t mean sh*t to me. In the end, he’s a politician. I just hoped he would do some of what he said he was gonna do. I know politicians say sh*t; they lie. ’Cuz they want to get elected.”

You can read the full interview in the March 2012  issue of Ebony Magazine.

Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unclear.
Houston’s final performance was at a pre-Grammy function on Thursday night. She surprised the audience joining Kelly Price on stage.

Cee-Lo stole the show Sunday night as he performed beside pop icon Madonna! Cee-Lo assisted in shattering Madge’s “Like A Prayer,” by hitting a game-changing high note.

“It was awesome. A very, very, very wonderful, monumental experience to be a part of,” Cee Lo said during his appearance on the “Today” show on Monday morning. “Madonna definitely knows how to put on a wonderful show, but it was a great production. She did a great job.”

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Tom Brady let his final pass fly toward the scrum of players in the end zone, hoping for an incredible finish.

Uh-uh, Tom. Not in this city, and not in this game.

Indianapolis is a Manning town, whether it’s Peyton or Eli pulling out the wins. And the Super Bowl is suddenly the province of the New York Giants, who have figured out how to topple Brady and the New England Patriots in the biggest moments.

Eli Manning led another fourth-quarter touchdown drive and won his second Super Bowl MVP on Sunday night, leading the Giants to a 21-17 victory that provided a pulsating finish to an NFL season that started with turmoil and a lockout.

“It’s been a wild game,” said Manning, who now has one more Super Bowl title than his older brother. “It’s been a wild season,”

A wild finish was certainly fitting.

The Giants (13-7) almost didn’t make the playoffs, needing a lot of help at 7-7 with two games left. Their defense finally came together, and Manning gave them a chance in every game with his penchant for comebacks—a league-record 15 touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Of course, his greatest career comeback was in that Super Bowl four years ago, when the Patriots were undefeated and Manning led a late scoring drive that included an enduring Super Bowl moment—the incredible catchDavid Tyree made by trapping the ball against his helmet.

The Patriots (15-4) had a chance to avoid more such history on Sunday. Brady, trying to match boyhood hero Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw with four Super Bowl titles, had New England in range to put it away late in the fourth quarter.

Wes Welker dropped a pass at the 20-yard line with 4 minutes left, forcing a punt that gave the Giants another chance trailing 17-15.

“It comes to the biggest moment of my life, and (I) don’t come up with it,” said a red-eyed Welker. “It’s one of those plays I’ve made a thousand times.”

Manning’s turn for more Super Bowl magic.

He threw a spot-on 38-yard pass down the sideline toMario Manningham, fitting the ball perfectly between two defensive backs barreling down on the receiver. Manningham got both feet down before getting smacked out of bounds in front of the Patriots’ bench, a catch that was upheld on replay and reminded the 68,658 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium—one in particular—about that other catch four years earlier.

“In those situations, you are always looking to see who is going to be the guy,” Tyree said, in the Giants locker room.

Once Manningham came down with it, the Giants sensed things had turned their way, just like four years earlier.

“I think they are both spectacular catches,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “I think with Mario’s earlier tonight, the way he kept his feet inbounds and held onto the ball (while) going out of bounds was a remarkable thing.”

The Patriots were thinking the same thing, too.

“I thought that play they made on our sideline was a phenomenal throw and catch,” Brady said. “That got them going.”

They got down to the 6-yard line with just over a minute left and the Patriots down to one timeout. New York could have run the clock down to a few seconds and kicked a field goal.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick did the math and decided on a trade-off: Give up a touchdown for some time. New England pulled up and allowed Ahmad Bradshaw to run the final 6 yards with 57 seconds left.

Once Bradshaw realized what was happening, he tried to stop at the 1-yard line to keep the clock going but ended up falling backward into the end zone.

Brady would get one last chance with the Giants defense bearing down on him, as it always does. Defensive end Justin Tuck huddled the New York defense after a touchback on the kickoff left the ball at the 20-yard line.

“I think a lot of guys had their eyes lit up,” Tuck said. “This is what we’ve been working for all year, and we’ve got 57 seconds left to be world champs.”

Brady set a Super Bowl record by completing 16 consecutive passes earlier in the game, topping Montana’s record. When he needed several quick completions to get moving in the last minute, he couldn’t do it.

The Patriots got only as far as midfield with 5 seconds left. Brady threw a desperation pass into the end zone, where the ball was batted around in a scrum before falling incomplete just beyond the reach of All-Pro tight endRob Gronkowski, bringing the spray of confetti from above.

“You come down to one play at the end,” Brady said. “If we make it, we’re world champs. If we don’t, we’re wishing we were.”

Brady’s had a tough time against this Giants defense. During the regular season, it pressured him into mistakes during a 24-20 New York win in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots went on to win their next 10, a streak that ended when Brady faced that same defense on Sunday.

It just seems to have his number. On his first pass of the game, Brady was pressured by Tuck in the end zone and threw the ball to an open spot downfield to get rid of it, resulting in a safety.

By contrast, Manning didn’t make any big mistakes and, again, was at his best under the last-minute pressure.

“He’s become confident over time, kind of grew into it,” said his father, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning. “I always felt like you have to experience those situations before you become confident. He’s certainly had his share.”

And nobody will question anything he says again.

In the wake of a loud outcry throughout the Jewish community, Bishop Eddie Long has apologized to the Anti-Defamation League for last Sunday’s service at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church during which Rabbi Ralph Messer crowned him a king,reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

“The ceremony was not my suggestion, nor was it my intent, to participate in any ritual that is offensive in any manner to the Jewish community,” Long wrote in a letter sent to Bill Nigut, Southeast Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League.

After footage of the service went viral — drawing an estimated 600,000 view on YouTube, the ADL spoke passionately against the wrapping of Long in a scared Torah scroll while being carried high upon a throne:

“For the ADL it’s a real wake-up call that a lot of people do not understand our liturgies and practices,” Nigut said. “Guys like Messer are troubling to us because they appropriate real ritual or, in this case, make one up.”

Messer, who serves as Rabbi of Simchat Torah Beit Midrash in Parker, Colorado, proclaimed during the service that Long was royalty due to the blessing of God and insists that there was no disrespect intended by his actions:

“It was simply a way of bringing honor to a man who had given his life to the Lord and had given so much to his church, the Atlanta metro area and throughout the world,” he said.

Long was extremely humble in his letter to Nigut, stating that he neither suggested nor encouraged the service; in fact, he doesn’t view himself as a king at all:

“I denounce any action that depicts me as a king, for I am merely just a servant of the  Lord,” Long wrote.

Nicole Martin, a pastor at Messer’s synagogue, told their congregation that they should be proud of Messer for crowning Long:

“You’d be incredibly, incredibly proud of your rabbi,” said Martin. “I’m so excited about what happened [at New Birth]. The spirit was so thick, so tangible.”

The “spirit” in New Birth has been tangible — and questionable — for quite some time.

In September 2010, Long was sued by four former church members for manipulating them into sexual relationships. The young men alleged that Long took them on trips and bought them expensive gifts, before ultimately demanding sexual repayment. The suit was settled in May. Long never admitted fault, saying only that the dismissal was the quickest way to “move forward with the work of God.”

However, none of that seemed to concern Messer, who claimed that the incidents were merely God’s way of getting Long’s attention:

“God wants to get your focus,” said the Rabbi. “Crisis produces opportunity. You have to go through a descent before an ascent.”

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Facebook is expected to submit paperwork to regulators on Wednesday morning for a $5 billion initial public offering and has selected Morgan Stanley and four other bookrunners to handle the mega-IPO, sources close to the deal toldIFR.

The company founded by Mark Zuckerberg in a Harvard dorm room in 2004 picked Morgan Stanley to take the coveted “lead left” role in what is expected to be the largest IPO ever to emerge from Silicon Valley.

The $5 billion is a preliminary target and could be ramped up in coming months in response to investor demand, IFR added.

The other four bookrunners chosen were Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays Capital and JP Morgan, although the underwriting syndicate could be expanded later, IFR cited the sources as saying.

Facebook declined to comment on the report by IFR, a unit of Thomson Reuters. “Lead left” refers to where the top underwriter’s name will appear on the IPO prospectus.

The preliminary IPO filing sets the stage for a May market of the world’s largest social network, IFR reported, a coming-out party that will dwarf almost any before that, including Google Inc’s $2 billion IPO.

Courtesy : YAHOO

“Soul Train” creator Don Cornelius, 75, was found dead in his Sherman Oaks, CA home this morning from an apparent suicide! According to TMZ, his body was found at 4am PT with a gun shot wound to the head which they are deeming as a self inflicted wound.

TMZ reports “During Don’s bitter divorce proceedings in 2009, he told an L.A. judge he was suffering from ‘significant health issues’ and wanted to ‘finalize this divorce before I die.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Mitt Romney routed Newt Gingrich in the Florida primary Tuesday night, rebounding smartly from an earlier defeat and taking a major step toward the Republican presidential nomination. Despite the one-sided setback, the former House speaker vowed to press on.

Romney, talking unity like a nominee, said he was ready “to lead this party and our nation.” In remarks to cheering supporters, the former Massachusetts governor unleashed a strong attack on President Barack Obama and said the competitive fight for the GOP nomination “does not divide us, it prepares us” for the fall.

“Mr. President, you were elected to lead, you chose to follow, and now it’s time to get out of the way, he declared.

Returns from 79 percent of Florida’s precincts showed Romney with 47 percent of the vote, to 32 percent for Gingrich.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum had 13 percent, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul 7 percent. Neither mounted a substantial effort in the state.

For the first time in the campaign, exit polls showed a gender gap, and it worked to Romney’s advantage.

He was leading Gingrich 51-29 among women voters, and was winning men by a far smaller margin of 41-36.

Ominously for the thrice-married Gingrich, only about half of women voters said they had a favorable view of him as a person, compared to about eight in 10 for Romney.

As in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, about half of Florida primary voters said the most important factor for them was backing a candidate who could defeat Obama in November, according to exit poll results conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks.

Not surprisingly, in a state with an unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, about two-thirds of voters said the economy was their top issue. More than eight in 10 said they were falling behind or just keeping up. And half said that home foreclosures have been a major problem in their communities.

The winner-take-all primary was worth 50 Republican National Convention delegates, by far the most of any primary state so far. That gave Romney a total of 87, to 26 for Gingrich, 14 for Santorum and four for Paul, with 1,144 required to clinch the nomination.

But the bigger prize was precious political momentum in the race to pick an opponent for Obama in a nation struggling to recover from the deepest recession in decades.

That belonged to Romney when he captured the New Hampshire primary three weeks ago, then swung stunningly to Gingrich when he countered with a South Carolina upset 11 days later.

Now it was back with the former Massachusetts governor, after a 10-day comeback marked by a change to more aggressive tactics, coupled with an efficient use of an overwhelming financial advantage to batter Gingrich in television commercials.

Gingrich brushed aside any talk of quitting the race.

“We are going to contest everyplace,” he said, standing in front of a sign that read “46 states to go.”

“It is now clear that this will be a two person race between the conservative leader, Newt Gingrich, and the Massachusetts moderate,” he said.

The race now turns to Nevada, where Romney won the state’s caucuses four years ago and is favored to repeat his triumph this Saturday. Caucuses in Colorado, Minnesota and Maine follow, with primaries in Wisconsin on Feb. 21 and in Michigan and Arizona at the end of the month.

Gingrich, from neighboring Georgia, swept into Florida from South Carolina, only to run headlong into a different Romney from the one he had left in his wake in South Carolina.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, shed his reluctance to attack Gingrich, the former House speaker, unleashing hard-hitting ads on television, sharpening his performance in a pair of debates and deploying surrogates to the edges of Gingrich’s own campaign appearances, all in hopes of unnerving him.

Restore our Future, an outside group supporting Romney, accounted for about $8.8 million in the ad wars, and the candidate and the “super PAC” combined outspent Gingrich and Winning The Future, the organization backing him, by about $15.5 million to $3.3 million, an advantage of nearly 5-1.

Gingrich responded by assailing Romney as a man incapable of telling the truth and vowed to remain in the race until the Republican National Convention next summer. He won the endorsement of campaign dropout Herman Cain and increasingly sought the support of evangelicals and tea party advocates, a former House speaker running as the anti-establishment insurgent of the party he once helped lead.

Bombarded by harsh television advertising, some Floridians said they had soured on both candidates.

“The dirty ads really turned me off on Mitt Romney,” said Dorothy Anderson, of Pinellas Park, adding she was voting for Gingrich. She said of Romney, “In fact if he gets the nomination, I probably won’t vote for him.”

At the same polling place, Romney supporter Curtis Dempsey expressed similar feelings but about Gingrich. “The only thing Newt Gingrich has to offer is a big mouth,” he said.

Voters frequently say they are offended or appalled by negative ads. But polls show consistently that the commercials are able to sway the opinions of large numbers of voters, and they are a staple of nearly all campaigns.

Santorum had no money for television ads to back up his strong debate performances. He left the state at one point, saying he was going home to Pennsylvania to prepare his income tax returns. But he stayed longer than anticipated, because of the hospitalization of his 3-year-old daughter with pneumonia. The girl has a rare genetic disorder, Trisomy 18.

Santorum was already in Nevada Tuesday night, campaigning for the state’s caucuses on Saturday. “Newt Gingrich had his chance. He had his shot,” he said. Now Republicans are “looking for a different conservative.”

Santorum and Paul both also campaigned in Colorado on Tuesday as Florida Republicans were voting. The state has caucuses on Feb 7, the same day as Minnesota.

Even before that come caucuses in Nevada, a state that Romney won when he sought the nomination in 2008 and is favored to capture again.

By contrast, both Romney and Gingrich campaigned across Florida on primary day as the polls opened.

Exuding confidence, the former Massachusetts governor said – even though the figures said otherwise – that he had been outspent in South Carolina.

“I needed to make sure that instead of being outgunned in terms of attacks, that I responded aggressively, and hopefully that will have served me well here,” he told reporters.

Gingrich, combative as usual, said the race for the nomination won’t be decided until summer, “unless Romney drops out.”

More than 600,000 Floridians voted before the polls opened, either by absentee or early ballot, exceeding the figure from four years ago, and raising the possibility of a record turnout. Vote totals in the three contests to date – Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina – have all been records.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—That was then. This is now.

That’s what players on the Giants and Patriots are saying about their previous Super Bowl meeting, New York’s 17-14 stunner over the then-unbeaten Patriots four years ago.

To hear them talk, it has little or no relevance to Sunday’s matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“Honestly, for us, that ’07 thing was kind of like us coming together as a football team,” defensive endJustin Tuck said Monday when the NFC champions arrived in Indy. “We just said we wanted to kill a dynasty, and that’s what they were. But now, we’ve been here before and we felt as though all that is secondary. We just want to come in here and have our mind focused on playing a great football game, and not really getting caught up in all the hoopla around the game.”

Or the hoopla still attached to the 2007 NFL championship. Replays ofDavid Tyree’s incredible ball-against-helmet catch or Plaxico Burress’winning TD reception in the final minute seem to be shown around the clock—along with the Giants sacking Tom Brady five times.

The Giants (12-7) might need to replicate that performance to stop New England (15-3) from winning its fourth Super Bowl under Bill Belichick and Brady at quarterback.

“We had a lot of hits on him,” Tuck said. “Even when we didn’t hit him, he didn’t have the time to sit back there and allow some of the routes to develop. We know that as a D-line, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make sure that we are in his face. He is a hell of a quarterback, and he is going to do a lot of things to throw us off our rhythm.

“You are going to get your shots because they are an explosive offense and they like to take shots downfield, too. We are going to have our chances, and we just are going to have to do a great job of taking advantage of them.”

New England didn’t take advantage in that Super Bowl, the last time both teams got this far. Dredging up what went wrong not only is painful but, the Patriots say, it’s useless.

“Every time you get to this level, it’s a special level. You have to enjoy it,” defensive tackle Vince Wilfork said. “This is something that is going to stick with you for the rest of your life. 2007 was 2007, now we’re in 2012. Both teams are different. I don’t think we’re looking for revenge.”

Courtesy ; YAHOO

Hollywood is all abuzz  with  news of director Steven Spielberg  in final talks to helm the biblical drama MOSES.  While mainstream outlets are putting actors like Liam Neeson and Daniel Craig high on their list of casting choices, most have failed to ponder the million dollar question–Who says Moses has to be White?  2011 was glaringly absent of any strong lead roles for black actors, and with a role as epic as Moses,  whoever lands the role, is practically guaranteed a Best Actor nod come awards season.

DENZEL WASHINGTON

You can’t lose with the one of the world’s greatest actors. From Malcolm X to The Hurricane, Denzel is the best in the game when it comes to breathing life to real life iconic characters. Denzel is notorious for his Method acting approach, studying his role for months in advance, and always delivers a flawless, three dimensional depiction of the characters he portrays.

CHIWETEL EJIOFOR

Chiwetel is one of Hollywood’s greatest untapped talents.  The British-born thespian gave a knockout, Oscar-worthy performance as Dewey Hughes in the woefully underrated Talk to Me. Let’s not forget his other stellar work in Inside Man, Children of Men and American Gangster. Chiwetel has been on his grind, working with A-list directors and steadily building a solid body of work.  Talent like Chiwetel’s  needs a breakout leading role, and MOSES just might be the ticket.

DJIMON  HOUNSOU

It’s time to get Djimon back on rotation on the big screen.  Hollywood seems to have selective amnesia when it comes to the power and vulnerability Djimon brings to his roles.   This two time Oscar nominee  needs to be bumped up to leading man status.  Djimon’s gravelly bass and beautiful midnight-hued skin, could give MOSESsome serious sex appeal.

AVERY BROOKS

As Captain Benjamin Sisko on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”, Avery Brooks became one of the Federation’s most iconic captains. While Captain Kirk was known for his action star, womanizing ways, and Picard for his intellect, Brooks made Captain Sisko equally cerebral and spiritual.  While his big screen presence has been limited, he gave a touching performance as Ed Norton’s mentor in American History X.   Brooks’ gravitas and magnetic screen presence would lend to a memorable Moses.

MORGAN FREEMAN

If you can play God Almighty,  being a prophet would a walk in the park for Morgan.  With a body of work that has spanned four decades, Morgan stamps all of his characters with  a quiet authority.  While Morgan has 2 Oscar wins for Best Supporting Actor, he has yet to score one for Best Lead.  Landing Moses would be the proverbial cherry on top of such an esteemed career.

Courtesy:TheUrbanDaily

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith are minority owners of the Philadelphia 76ers, and they slowed down divorce rumors as they cheered on their team with their son Jaden. Will and Jada looked like they were having fun, and they even looked happy to be together.

Take a look at the Smiths enjoying the Charlotte Bobcats vs. Philadelphia 76ers game in Will Smith’s hometown of Philly. Do these photos make you believe that their marriage is all good?

Rapper 2 Chainz is now riding around and getting it for Def Jam! The Atlanta emcee plans to make the big announcement on MTV’s RapFix Live tomorrow.

“It’s the Real University, Two Gun Gang, Street Executives. It’s not DTP no more. I’m actually behind [Ludacris], he’s still my homie. I just took another route as far as running my own company and bossing up. ” says 2 Chainz formerly known as Tity Boi of Playaz Circle. “But on the other hand, I’m still working with him. He has an album coming out this year, as well. Matter of fact, we are label mates, now, which is crazy. So, yeah, that’ll be cool. I’m looking forward to that.”

Courtesy : RapRadar

WASHINGTON (AP) — They came from Mars, not in peace, but in pieces. Scientists are confirming that 15 pounds of rock collected recently in Morocco fell to Earth from Mars during a meteorite shower last July.

This is only the fifth time in history scientists have chemically confirmed Martian meteorites that people witnessed falling. The fireball was spotted in the sky six months ago, but the rocks weren’t discovered on the ground in North Africa until the end of December.

This is an important and unique opportunity for scientists trying to learn about Mars’ potential for life. So far, no NASA or Russian spacecraft has returned bits of Mars, so the only samples scientists can examine are those that come here in a meteorite shower.

Scientists and collectors are ecstatic, and already the rocks are fetching big bucks because they are among the rarest things on Earth – rarer even than gold. The biggest rock weighs over 2 pounds.

“It’s Christmas in January,” said former NASA sciences chief Alan Stern, director of the Florida Space Institute at the University of Central Florida. “It’s nice to have Mars sending samples to Earth, particularly when our pockets are too empty to go get them ourselves.”

A special committee Tuesday of meteorite experts, including some NASA scientists, confirmed test results that showed the rocks came from Mars, based on their age and chemical signature.

Astronomers think millions of years ago something big smashed into Mars and sent rocks hurtling through the solar system. After a long journey through space, one of those rocks plunged through Earth’s atmosphere, breaking into smaller pieces.

Most other Martian meteorite samples sat around on Earth for millions of years – or at the very least, decades – before they were discovered, which makes them tainted with Earth materials and life. These new rocks, while still probably contaminated because they have been on Earth for months, are purer.

The last time a Martian meteorite fell and was found fresh was in 1962. All the known Martian rocks on Earth add up to less than 240 pounds.

The new samples were scooped up by dealers from those who found them. Even before the official certification, scientists at NASA, museums and universities scrambled to buy or trade these meteorites.

“It’s incredibly fresh. It’s highly valuable for that reason,” said Carl Agee, director of the Institute of Meteoritics and curator at the University of New Mexico. “This is a beauty. It’s gorgeous.”

Meteorite dealer Darryl Pitt said he is charging $11,000 to $22,500 an ounce and has sold most of his supply already. At that price, the Martian rock costs about 10 times as much as gold.

One of the key decisions the scientists made Tuesday was to officially connect these rocks to the fiery plunge witnessed by people and captured on video last summer. The announcement and the naming of these meteorites – called Tissint – came from the International Society for Meteoritics and Planetary Science, which is the official group of 950 scientists that confirms and names meteorites.

Tony Irving of the University of Washington did the scientific analysis on the rocks and said there is no doubt they are from the red planet. Several of the world’s top experts in meteorites told The Associated Press that they, too, are convinced.

Scientists can tell when meteorites are from Mars because they know what the Martian atmosphere is made of, thanks to numerous probes sent there. The chemical signature of the rocks and the Martian air match, Irving said.

Another clue is that because Mars is geologically active, its rocks tend to be much younger – millions of years old instead of hundreds of millions or more – than those from the moon or asteroids.

Most of the known Martian rocks on Earth have been around for centuries or longer and have been found in Antarctica or the desert. They look so similar to dark Earth rocks that if they fell in other places, such as Maryland, they would blend right in and never be discovered.

Because known Martian meteorite falls happen only once every 50 years or so – 1815 in France, 1865 in India, 1911 in Egypt and 1962 in Nigeria – this is a once-in-a-career or even a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Jeff Grossman, a NASA scientist who is the meteorite society’s database editor, said there is a higher probability of finding “something interesting” from Mars on these rocks because they fell so recently. However, six months is a long time for Earthly contamination to occur, he said.

University of Alberta meteorite expert Chris Herd, who heads the committee that certified the discovery, said the first thing he would do with the rocks would be to rinse them with solvents to try to get rid of earthly contamination and see what carbon-based compounds are left.

But Cornell University astronomer Steve Squyres, who is the principal investigator for NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Program and the space agency’s go-to guy on Mars, said unfortunately this type of rock isn’t the kind scientists are most hoping for. This find is igneous, or volcanic, rock.

A softer kind of rock that could hold water or life would be better, but that type is unlikely to survive a fiery re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, he said.

Scientists are hoping NASA and the European Space Agency team up in 2018 to send robotic spaceships to Mars that can bring back samples of rock and dirt. Just this past weekend, a Russian probe that was going to try to bring samples back from a Martian moon came plummeting back to Earth in failure.

A Martian meteorite that was buried in Antarctica made news in 1996. NASA scientists theorized the rock showed traces of life from Mars. Even the White House declared it the first sign of life outside of Earth. Years of study since then have led much of the astronomy world to conclude there was insufficient evidence to support the claim.

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — The rap group that inspired controversy in the early 1990s with songs like “Me So Horny” is reuniting and hitting the road

Luther Campbell says 2 Live Crew is back together and will tour this summer.

The rapper and producer made the announcement Saturday at the Sundance Film Festival, where he is promoting his appearance in the short film “The Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke.”

Campbell describes the film as “an art piece” that he did to help young filmmakers who were inspired by his hip-hop work.

Campbell says he “just can’t wait to just start practicing” with his old crew. But don’t expect them to be “As Nasty As They Wanna Be.”

Campbell says the group will “perform the songs and everybody’s going to be excited.”

CHICAGO — A trial has been set for the man charged in the slayings of three members of Jennifer Hudson’s family.

Cook County Judge Charles Burns on Thursday set jury selection for April 9 in the trial of William Balfour.

Balfour is charged with first-degree murder in the October 2008 slayings of Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

Balfour was the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia. Prosecutors allege he shot her family in a jealous rage because Julia Hudson was dating another man.

Despite  George Lucas’s struggles to get any major movie studio to take a film featuring an all African-American cast, Red Tails proudly sits at second place at the box office.

According to Dealine.com :

Hollywood studios were stunned by how well the No. 2 film, George Lucas banner film Red Tails, did in matinees today. Until they discovered that the Lucasfilm/Twentieth Century Fox movie’s marketing inside the African-American community resulted in busloads of schoolkids and midday filmgoers for the Tuskegee airmen’s story.

Some industry professionals believe that this big win in the box office is a one-time thing. They feel after opening weekend, Red Tails will start to see ticket sales spiral down.

Right now the pic appears very frontloaded but could keep surprising by flying towards $20M because of its ‘A’ CinemaScore from audiences.

Red Tails showcases a star studded cast including singer Ne-Yo, actor Terrence Howard and many others. Red Tails can be currently seen in theaters across the nation. Do you think major Hollywood studios will now fund more Black films? See the full story at Dealine.com.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP)—Other than family, football was everything to Joe Paterno. It was his lifeblood. It kept him pumped.

Life could not be the same without it.

“Right now, I’m not the coach. And I’ve got to get used to that,” Paterno said after the Penn State Board of Trustees fired him at the height of a child sex abuse scandal.

Paterno, a sainted figure at Penn State for almost half a century but scarred forever by the scandal involving his one-time heir apparent, died Sunday at age 85.

His death came just 65 days after his son Scott said his father had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Mount Nittany Medical Center said he died at 9:25 a.m. of “metastatic small cell carcinoma of the lung,” an aggressive cancer that has spread from one part of the body to an unrelated area.

Friends and former colleagues believe there were other factors—the kind that wouldn’t appear on a death certificate.

“You can die of heartbreak. I’m sure Joe had some heartbreak, too,” said 82-year-old Bobby Bowden, the former Florida State coach who retired two years ago after 34 seasons in Tallahassee.

Longtime Nebraska coach Tom Osborne said he suspected “the emotional turmoil of the last few weeks might have played into it.”

And Mickey Shuler, who played tight end for Paterno from 1975 to 1977, held his alma mater accountable.

“I don’t think that the Penn State that he helped us to become and all the principles and values and things that he taught were carried out in the handling of his situation,” he said.

Paterno’s death just under three months following his last victory called to mind another coaching great, Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant, who died less than a month after retiring.

“Quit coaching?” Bryant said late in his career. “I’d croak in a week.”

Paterno alluded to the remark made by his friend and rival, saying in 2003: “There isn’t anything in my life anymore except my family and my football. I think about it all the time.”

The winningest coach in major college football, Paterno roamed the Penn State sidelines for 46 seasons, his thick-rimmed glasses, windbreaker and jet-black sneakers as familiar as the Nittany Lions’ blue and white uniforms.

His devotion to what he called “Success with Honor” made Paterno’s fall all the more startling.

Happy Valley seemed perfect for him, a place where “JoePa” knew best, where he not only won more football games than any other major college coach, but won them the right way. With Paterno, character came first, championships second, academics before athletics. He insisted that on-field success not come at the expense of graduation rates.

But in the middle of his final season, the legend was shattered. Paterno was engulfed in a child sex abuse scandal when a former trusted assistant, Jerry Sandusky, was accused of molesting 10 boys over a 15-year span, sometimes in the football building.

Outrage built quickly after the state’s top law enforcement official said the coach hadn’t fulfilled a moral obligation to go to authorities when a graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, reported seeing Sandusky with a young boy in the showers of the football complex in 2002.

McQueary said that he had seen Sandusky attacking the child with his hands around the boy’s waist but said he wasn’t 100 percent sure it was intercourse. McQueary described Paterno as shocked and saddened and said the coach told him he had “done the right thing” by reporting the encounter.

Paterno waited a day before alerting school officials and never went to the police.

“I didn’t know which way to go … and rather than get in there and make a mistake,” Paterno told The Washington Post in an interview nine days before his death.

Courtesy : YAHOO

COME OUT for a GROWN AND SEXY NIGHT

Celebrating the Birthday’s of Foot (Thaddeus Lockridge) & Danyelle Mitchem Haley!

DRESS CODE IS STRICT!!!!!! NO Athletic Gear, NO Plain White T’s

AQUARIUS and LADIES FREEEEE B4 11pm

AQUARIAN Drink Specials All Night!

OPEN BAR 8pm – 10pm

SPECIAL INVITED GUEST…..TENNESSEE TITANS & JOHN HENDERSON of the OAKLAND RAIDERS

21 to enter!

AQUARIUS BABY!!!!!
AQUARIUS BABY!!!!!
AQUARIUS BABY!!!!!

SANTA CLARA, California (AP)—The Harbaugh brothers, Baltimore Ravens coach John and San Francisco 49ers coach Jim are separated in age by only 15 months but have taken different paths to the doorstep of the Super Bowl. Now, they’re sparking talk of a “Superbaugh.”

Baltimore plays New England in Sunday’s first NFL playoff game for the AFC title, then San Francisco hosts the New York Giants for the NFC crown. Their parents, Jack and Jackie, plan to watch on television from their home in Wisconsin.

Throughout the season, the brothers talk regularly to share ideas, but not so much this week because suddenly there’s the potential for another history-making matchup next month in Indianapolis. In November, they became the first brothers to face each other as NFL head coaches.

“It’s pretty neat. I’m proud of him,” John Harbaugh, the oldest, said. “He’s proud of what we’re doing.”

Jim considers himself a Ravens fan.

“Had a chance to watch his game, and found myself, as always, pulling very hard for him and his team. Very happy for his success,” Jim said. “(I watch) as a brother, as a fan of his team, and also as a possible opponent, yes.”

John Harbaugh began at the lowest rung of coaching and worked his way up slowly, a former college defensive back at Miami University of Ohio whose playing career ended there. He has guided the Ravens’ staunch, playmaking defense.

Jim Harbaugh was a star quarterback at University of Michigan, a first-round NFL draft pick and eventual Pro Bowler who turned to coaching much later. His thick offensive playbook featuring a version of the West Coast offense can be overwhelming, and Harbaugh has been known to mix in some twists, such as using kicker David Akers to throw a pass on a fake field goal or throwing to a nose tackle-turned part-time fullback.

In last Saturday’s 36-32 last-second win against Drew Brees and the favored New Orleans Saints, Harbaugh even used star defensive tackleJustin Smith for a few plays on offense.

He gets a kick out of the game-planning process and throwing in some new tricks each week.

“Really enjoyable. Yeah, it’s a fun part of the job, and I think the thing that makes it fun is that the players are really stimulated by that,” Jim Harbaugh said. “And we’ve got smart guys that they want it, they almost need it. And really keeps them on a razor’s edge.”

One thing neither likes during game week is anything they consider nonsense — a distraction to the one and only goal of a victory.

The Harbaughs can be dismissive. They’re known to sneer or blow off questions altogether when it comes to injuries or any other tidbit that might give an opponent insight or a possible advantage—perceived or otherwise.

Jim Harbaugh had a squad full of playoff first-timers going into last Saturday’s win.

His message: “Don’t overcook it.” Translation: Stick with what got you here.

Courtesy : YAHOO

Warren Buffett will be writing a check made out to the United States Treasury for just over $49,000 to help pay down the national debt.

He’s matching voluntary contributions made this year and last year by Rep. Scott Rigell, a Republican representing Virginia.

In a letter to Rep. Rigell released today by Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett writes he’s “particularly impressed that you took this action before my challenge.”

In his challenge, issued in a Time Magazine interview last week, Buffett promises to match voluntary contributions aimed at reducing the deficit by “all Republican members of Congress, and I’ll even go three for one with (Senate Minority Leader Mitch) McConnell.”

McConnell, and other critics of Buffett’s call for higher tax rateson the super-rich, have been suggesting that if Buffett thinks he’s not taxed enough then he should “send in a check” to the Treasury.

In his letter to Buffett, also released by Berkshire, Rep. Rigellwrites, that he “appreciates” and “gladly accepts” Buffett’s “generous offer.”

Rigell says he makes it a practice to donate 15 percent of his Congressional salary “to pay down the debt.” That amounted to $23,103.33 in 2011 and about $26,100 in 2012.

Rigell adds, “Though we differ on tax policy, as fellow Americans and businessmen I know that we share this common bond: a deep concern over the state and trajectory of our country’s finances.”

Buffett writes back that he hopes Rigell’s action “spurs an intramural rivalry between Republicans and Democrats .. a form of competition between the two parties that the American people would applaud” as a “small step” toward “better cooperation between the two parties.”

Buffett will wait until April 20 to write his check to see if anyone else accepts his challenge.

Buffett also invites Rigell to come for a visit if he’s “ever traveling near Omaha.”

As for Rigell’s offer to provide “documentation” of his contributions, Buffett tells him, “Your word is good with me.”

Courtesy : YAHOO

Last week rumors circulated that Khloe Kardashian does not have the same father as her sisters, and nowreports are saying she’s the daughter of O.J. Simpson. Khloe’s mom Kris Jenner has admitted to cheating on her late ex-husband Robert Kardashian, but she has not confirmed rumors about Khloe being fathered by anyone else.

Kim Kardashian, Khloe’s older sister sarcastically tweeted: “It makes sense now, Khloe u are so tan!”

Find out more about the latest Khloe Kardashian paternity drama right here.

Are the Killa Beez buzzin? According to an interview with Hip Hop Blog, Wu member Rza said that he is currently on tour with the Wu, he made mention that he and the M.E.T.H.O.D. Man are in talks about working on an album together, “Right now I’m on tour with the Wu-Tang, having fun … As far as musically, me and Method Man are talking about going to the studio. We never got a chance to do another album since my first album. Maybe we’ll do another album together. Other than that, just rocking these shows and sh*t, having a good time and sh*t.”

When it comes to a  Wu Tang Clan album, Rza says “As far as the Wu brothers, whatever we do, we do it. Sometimes we premeditate it, sometimes it’s just done naturally. I’m more in a natural mode right now…” Cryptic; but all Wu fans are patiently waiting for the Beez to reunite.

For more on this story check out HipHopBlog.com

15 year old Brooklyn MC Brian “Astro” Bradley of X Factor fame has signed a record deal withL.A. Reid and Epic Records. The Astronomical Kid was booted off the show in early December. Shortly after his dismissal rumors surfaced that he would join Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label.  In an interview with MTV on December 5th Astro addressed the rumor saying “I have never met anyone from Roc Nation. I’d love to, but I’m not signed right now to anyone … nobody ever hit me up about that — just go on the Internet and it’s up there. But I’m not signed, as far as I know.”

Although he wasn’t the big winner on X Factor, Astro is in fact (In the words of Charlie Sheen) WINNING!!! In terms of the kind of deal he’s looking for Astro had this to say “… I just want to be able to release my music, do my movies, [and] everything is fair … I just want to be able to have fun doing it. I don’t want music to be a job for me; I want it to be something I’m doing for fun. As long it’s not a job, then you’re straight.”

No word on an Album yet; but congrats on the deal, and in the words of the kid himself “Dooope…”

Keep an eye open for The Astronomical Kid.

For more on this story head over to MTV.com

D’Angelo is reportedly preparing to make a comeback, and we have this new music leak of him remaking “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden. This song is said to have been recorded in 2010, and it is not known if it will appear on D’Angelo’s third album, which may be released this year.

Take a listen to D’Angelo’s interpretation of the 1994 alternative rock hit “Black Hole Sun” below…

DAVIE, Fla. (AP)—Jeff Fisher landed at the Miami Dolphins’ complex Tuesday. Now the question is whether the Dolphins will land Fisher.

Fisher interviewed for their head coaching job Tuesday, arriving via owner Stephen Ross’ helicopter. He flew off several hours later.

Fisher is believed to be the Dolphins’ top choice, and Ross is willing to pay big money, but competition from other NFL teams may be fierce.

The Buccaneers and Rams fired their coaches on Monday, increasing to five the number of coaching vacancies. The Rams’ vice president and chief operating officer, Kevin Demoff, happens to be the son of Fisher’s agent, Marvin Demoff.

The Dolphins caught a break when the Chargers said Tuesday they’ll keep coach Norv Turner. Fisher, a Southern California native, likely would have found the San Diego job appealing.

Fisher appears to be the highest-profile candidate available. He coached the Titans franchise for 17 years and led Tennessee to the 2000 Super Bowl. He stepped down a year ago as the league’s longest-tenured coach, saying he needed a break, and sat out the 2011 season.

The Dolphins fired Tony Sparano last month with three games to go in his fourth season as their coach. They satisfied the NFL’s Rooney rule requiring an interview with a minority candidate when they met Monday with interim coach Todd Bowles.

Fisher has a career record of 142-120 (.542). He led his team to at least 12 wins four times. He coached more games for one franchise than all but six coaches, all Hall of Famers.

However, his most recent playoff victory came in January 2004. His most recent winning record was in 2008 when the Titans squandered the No. 1 seed in the AFC by losing in the divisional round.

The Dolphins (6-10) missed the playoffs for the ninth time in the past 10 years. The losing season was their third in a row, the franchise’s longest such stretch since the 1960s.

Courtesy : YAHOO

Vinson Hardimon, 28, an Atlanta rapper known professionally as Young Vito, turned himself in to police just days after he was fingered as the prime suspect in the December 16 murder of another Atlanta MC, Slim Dunkin.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

Atlanta police put out a lookout for Hardimon, and through the media advised Hardimon to turn himself in, warning that his life might be in danger.

“I got a call today from his attorney,” Atlanta police homicide Det. David Quinn told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday. “He said he wished to turn himself in.”

Sometime after 2 p.m., attorney Derrick Wright brought Hardimon to Atlanta Police headquarters, Quinn said. From there, Hardimon was taken to the Fulton jail.

Quinn pointed out that Hardimon’s appearance had changed significantly after the shooting, comparing his picture in the wanted poster to the man who showed up Monday.

“He cut off those dreadlocks and was clean-shaven,” Quinn said, pointing out a previous photo showed Hardimon with a dark goatee and mustache and long hair.

Hardimon has been arrested at least four times in Fulton County dating back to 2004 on charges ranging from traffic violations to aggravated assault and child cruelty.

According to police, the alleged fight between the two rappers may have started over a piece of candy; but the police are still having some trouble piecing their account together:

“There were at least 30 people in the studio at the time of the shooting,” he said. “They should get in touch with me. We want the facts. It’s the right thing to do.”

Police are asking that anyone with information in the case call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477 or contact Quinn at 404-245-8039.

Read More At The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Here’s a look at when the hip-hop and R&B albums from your favorite artists will be available. 

Available Now Percy Sledge Atlantic Recordings
Available Now Seal Soul 2
01.10.12 Various Joyful Noise Soundtrack
01.10.12 Yo Gotti Live From The Kitchen
01.17.12 Miles Davis Kind Of Blue (K2 HD Master)
01.17.12 Odd Future Purple Naked Ladiesphysical release
01.30.12 Kid Cudi WZRD
01.31.12 Maino Day After Tomorrow
01.31.12 Najee The Smooth Side Of Soul
01.31.12 Various Soundtrack For A Revolution
02.07.12 Mario Restoration
02.07.12 Melanie Fiona The MF Life
02.14.12 Nicki Minaj Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
02.21.12 Monica New Life
02.28.12 Estelle All Of Me
02.28.12 Robert Glasper Experiment Black Radio
02.28.12 Take 6 One
March 2012 Curren$y The Stoned Immaculate
03.13.12 Ruben Studdard Letters From Birmingham
03.26.12 K’Jon Moving On
04.03.11 Willow Smith Knees And Elbows
April 2012 Slaughterhouse TBD
May 2012 Tyler, The Creator Wolf
Summer 2012 Prodigy TBD
2012 Big K.R.I.T. Live From The Underground
2012 DJ Khaled Kiss The Ring
2012 Rick Ross God Forgives I Don’t
TBD Akon Stadium
TBD Asher Roth Is This Too Orange?
TBD Birdman Bigger Than Life
TBD Bow Wow Underrated
TBD Jay Sean Freeze Time
TBD Lil Twist Don’t Get It Twisted
TBD Plies Purple Heart
TBD Ray J Radiation 2
TBD Tyga Careless World: Rise of the Last King
TBD YMCMB YMCMB

A judge floored Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Wednesday before Manny Pacquiao could get the opportunity to do it in the ring.

Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa sentenced the pound-for-pound boxing champion to 90 days in jail following his guilty plea on a 2010 domestic violence charge, further delaying a mega-money bout between the sport’s two greatest stars.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao bout could generate more than $200 million and earn each man in excess of $60 million, but it will have to wait a few more months now after Saragosa unexpectedly let the hammer drop on the boxer known as “Money May.”

Mayweather’s millions couldn’t keep him out of jail despite hiring a pair of high-priced Las Vegas lawyers, Richard Wright and Karen Winckler, and agreeing to plead guilty to lesser charges.

Saragosa sentenced Mayweather to six months, with 90 days suspended, and ordered him to pay a $2,500 fine, attend a year-long domestic violence class, perform 100 hours of community service and remain out of trouble for a year, largely because the incident occurred in front of his children.

The decision once again puts the sport’s potential biggest fight in decades, which has been talked about since Pacquiao defeated Miguel Cotto in late 2009, on hold.

Saragosa’s decision also likely made either Juan Manuel Marquez or Timothy Bradley a lot of extra money. Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao, was considering Marquez or Bradley as alternatives in case negotiations with Mayweather broke down, as they have so frequently in the past 25 months.

Arum refused to comment on any aspect of Mayweather’s situation on Wednesday, including his thoughts on how the sentencing would impact Pacquiao. But with Mayweather unavailable, Pacquiao almost certainly will meet either Marquez or Bradley in bouts that would have nowhere near the luster or garner the kind of worldwide attention that a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight would.

There are many who insist there hasn’t been a more anticipated fight in boxing since the first Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier fight on March 8, 1971.

There have been hundreds of significant bouts since, but there are far fewer stars in boxing now than there were during the 1970s and 1980s, and Mayweather and Pacquiao have become larger than the sport itself.

Arum, who once said that he didn’t want it on his epitaph that he was the reason the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight didn’t happen, was in no mood to speak about it Wednesday.

“I just want to wish you and your family a very happy holiday and other than that, I have absolutely no comment on anything,” Arum said.

A spokeswoman for Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who has promoted Mayweather’s last five fights, said he left the office after hearing the news. He did not return telephone calls.

Mayweather had planned to fight on May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Though Winckler indicated Mayweather is considering an appeal, if he goes to jail on Jan. 6 as ordered to begin serving his sentence, he likely wouldn’t be available to fight until sometime in June at the absolute earliest.

Because Mayweather was given credit for three days of time served, if he served the full sentence, he would be released from the Clark County Detention Center on April 2. A top-level boxer needs a training camp of at least eight weeks – and frequently 10 to 12 weeks – to prepare for a major bout such as one against Pacquiao.

Most likely, Mayweather, who turns 35 in February, will wait for the fight until either September or November. The three biggest dates of the year in boxing are generally the first weekend in May, coinciding with Cinco de Mayo, the middle of September for Mexican Independence Day and then in early November.

It is not uncommon for boxers to serve long jail stints and then come out and be successful in the ring once again. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson served three years in prison after a 1992 conviction for rape. He regained the heavyweight title a year after he was released.

But Mayweather, who is 42-0 with 26 knockouts and one of the sport’s great defensive fighters, will be at a much more advanced age. Tyson was 26 when he was released from prison. Mayweather, who will be 35 upon his release, is a fighter who relies greatly upon speed, quickness and timing.

Speed and quickness often decline in boxers once they reach their mid-30s, but the effects of imprisonment may accelerate that.

Mayweather, though, has been a physical fitness fanatic who has never weighed as much as 160 pounds in his life and has treated his body properly. He doesn’t drink or smoke and is particular about what he eats. That should help him maintain his form longer than most, but he’s human and he’s subject to the effects of aging like anyone else.

Before he worries about that, however, he must serve his time. An appeal would likely drag on even longer, making a Pacquiao bout less likely.

Mayweather and manager Leonard Ellerbe declined comment upon leaving the court Wednesday, but the fighter will have to consider whether the appeal is worth the risk of putting off the big fight for good. The longer the appeal drags on, the more likely that the fight never occurs.

Saragosa didn’t necessarily KO the fight with her ruling on Wednesday, but she did put its prospects on life support.

Now, it’s up to Mayweather to decide whether the fight is worth spending the first quarter of the new year at the Clark County Detention Center.

Courtesy: Yahoo! Sports

AT&T on Monday announced that it has ended its bid to acquire T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telecom. “The actions by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block this transaction do not change the realities of the U.S. wireless industry,” AT&T said in a press release. “It is one of the most fiercely competitive industries in the world, with a mounting need for more spectrum that has not diminished and must be addressed immediately. The AT&T and T-Mobile USA combination would have offered an interim solution to this spectrum shortage. In the absence of such steps, customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled.” AT&T’s bid to acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 billion was met with strong opposition from the Department of Justice, which sued to block the merger, as well as Sprint and other companies which claimed to be concerned that such a merger would have a negative impact on the U.S. wireless market. The DOJ also questioned whether or not such a deal would actually create jobs, as AT&T had repeatedly stated. AT&T will pay T-Mobile a $4 billion breakup fee as a result of its failed acquisition. AT&T’s full press release follows below, as does a letter from T-Mobile USA CEO Phillip Humm.

AT&T Ends Bid to Add Network Capacity Through T-Mobile USA Purchase

Company Reaffirms Its Commitment to Mobile Broadband Leadership

DALLAS, Dec 19, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — AT&T Inc. said today that after a thorough review of options it has agreed with Deutsche Telekom AG to end its bid to acquire T-Mobile USA, which began in March of this year.

The actions by the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice to block this transaction do not change the realities of the U.S. wireless industry. It is one of the most fiercely competitive industries in the world, with a mounting need for more spectrum that has not diminished and must be addressed immediately. The AT&T and T-Mobile USA combination would have offered an interim solution to this spectrum shortage. In the absence of such steps, customers will be harmed and needed investment will be stifled.

“AT&T will continue to be aggressive in leading the mobile Internet revolution,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. “Over the past four years we have invested more in our networks than any other U.S. company. As a result, today we deliver best-in-class mobile broadband speeds — connecting smartphones, tablets and emerging devices at a record pace — and we are well under way with our nationwide 4G LTE deployment.

“To meet the needs of our customers, we will continue to invest,” Stephenson said. “However, adding capacity to meet these needs will require policymakers to do two things. First, in the near term, they should allow the free markets to work so that additional spectrum is available to meet the immediate needs of the U.S. wireless industry, including expeditiously approving our acquisition of unused Qualcomm spectrum currently pending before the FCC. Second, policymakers should enact legislation to meet our nation’s longer-term spectrum needs.

“The mobile Internet is a dynamic industry that can be a critical driver in restoring American economic growth and job creation, but only if companies are allowed to react quickly to customer needs and market forces,” Stephenson said.

To reflect the break-up considerations due Deutsche Telekom, AT&T will recognize a pretax accounting charge of $4 billion in the 4th quarter of 2011. Additionally, AT&T will enter a mutually beneficial roaming agreement with Deutsche Telekom.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Dear colleagues,

Today AT&T and Deutsche Telekom announced they have mutually decided to terminate their agreement for AT&T to acquire T-Mobile USA. This announcement effectively ends the acquisition process launched March 20, including the regulatory approvals process with the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission. Additionally, with the termination of the agreement, T-Mobile will receive certain spectrum licenses and a 3G roaming agreement from AT&T, and AT&T will pay $3B to our parent company, Deutsche Telekom.

What does this mean for T-Mobile USA? Our Challenger Strategy continues as before, with energy and focus. We have seen early successes with our great 4G network, affordable unlimited rate plans and strong Android portfolio. We now have an exciting chance to build upon these and other strengths to bring our business to the next level of success and beyond. We have an opportunity to write our own future – making the latest mobile products and services affordable to more people. We call it “4G for All.” We’ll continue on this path through 4G network leadership, affordable smartphones, being a trusted brand, evolving as a multi-segment player, and executing our Challenger business model.

The leadership team and I will be meeting intensively in the next few weeks on our go-forward plans for the business, to identify and map out any and all options to further strengthen our strategy and prospects for the future.

I know you also want to know what this means in terms of retention bonuses and other details that impact you personally. I promise to make that information available to you in the coming days and weeks on OneVoice and through your leaders.

Most importantly, I want to thank you for the amazing effort and focus each of you put into the business over the last nine months following the acquisition announcement. You performed well under extraordinarily unusual circumstances. Thank you for your ongoing commitment and support.

Let’s now go into the new year and show everyone we are, indeed, ready to be Challengers!

With sincere appreciation,

 

Philipp Humm

CEO & President

T-Mobile USA

Courtesy: BGR

Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-il’s youngest son, was named by North Korea’s official news agency KCNA as the “great successor” to his father, which lauded him as “the outstanding leader of our party, army and people.”
Little is known of Jong-un who is believed to be in his late 20s and was appointed to senior political and military posts in 2010.
KCNA news agency said the elder Kim died at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday (2330 GMT on Friday) after “an advanced acute myocardial infarction, complicated with a serious heart shock.” Kim had suffered a stroke in 2008, but had appeared to have recovered from that ailment.
South Korea, still technically at war with the North, placed its troops and all government workers on emergency alert but Seoul’s Defense Ministry said there were no signs of any unusual North Korean troop movements and President Lee Myung-bak called for people to carry on with their normal lives.

Lee held talks with President Barack Obama over the telephone as the United States is the main guarantor of South Korea’s security. Seoul was also due to hold talks with government officials in Tokyo later in the day.
“Up until tonight, if anybody had asked you what would be the most likely scenario under which the North Korean regime could collapse, the answer would be the sudden death of Kim Jong-il,” said Victor Cha, a Korea expert with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank in Washington.”And so I think right now we’re in that scenario and we don’t know how it’s going to turn out.”

The White House said President Barack Obama had been notified of the reports of Kim’s death and it was closely monitoring and in touch with South Korea and Japan.The United States was committed to stability on the Korean peninsula as well as to its allies, the White House press secretary said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told ministers at a special security meeting to prepare for the unexpected, including on border affairs, Japan’s top government spokesman said.
China, North Korea’s only major ally, has yet to comment.
Market players and regional powers will be on edge over what might happen next in the isolated state, whose collapsing economy and bid to become a nuclear weapons power pose major threats to northeast Asia.
Asian stocks and U.S. index futures fell, with South Korean shares tumbling as much as 5 percent, and the dollar gained after the announcement. The Korean won fell 1.8 percent.
Kim Jong-un was at the head of a long list of officials making up the funeral committee, indicating he would lead it, and a key sign that he had taken, or been given, charge.But there will be enormous questions over how much credibility the younger Kim has, since he is only in his late 20s and has had little time to prepare for the role.

“Kim Jong-un is not yet the official heir, but the regime will move in the direction of Kim Jong-un taking center stage,” said Chung Young-Tae at the Korea Institute of National Unification. “There is a big possibility that a power struggle may happen.
“It’s likely the military will support Kim Jong-un,” he added. “Right now there will be control wielded over the people to keep them from descending into chaos in this tumultuous time.”
UNCHALLENGED HEAD
Kim Jong-il’s sister and her husband have also been promoted to important political and military posts, creating a powerful triumvirate ready to take over the family dynasty that has ruled North Korea since its founding after World War Two.
Experts say Jong-un has the intelligence and leadership skills that would make him suitable to succeed his father. He is also reported to have a ruthless streak that analysts say he would need to rule the country.
There is likely to be an enormous outpouring of emotion over Kim’s death in North Korea, where the country’s propaganda machine turned him into a demi-god. His funeral will be held on December 28.
On the streets of Seoul however the death of a man whose country had threatened to turn South Korean capital into a “sea of fire” ranged from indifference to over-joyed.
“The whole earth should celebrate it as much as Christmas,” said Kim Ok-tae, a 58-year old pastor.
“I am not at all afraid. I don’t see any likelihood of North Korea lashing out unexpectedly.”
Kim was the unchallenged head of a communist state whose economy fell deep into poverty during his 17 years in power as he vexed the world by developing a nuclear arms program and missiles aimed at neighbors Japan and South Korea.

PHOENIX-Jermaine “Huggy” Hopkins, who played Thomas Sams in the movie “Lean On Me” and Steele in the movie “Juice” was arrested after allegedly trying to buy 200 pounds of marijuana from an undercover officer.

Police say they found $100,000 in his car and an additional 100 pounds of marijuana at his apartment.

TMZ reports:

Police say Hopkins told them he got involved in the drug deal to provide a nice Christmas for his family.

Hopkins is being held on $35,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to 5 years in prison.

Read More At TMZ

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd was locked up in federal custody Thursday as his stunned teammates learned he had been charged with trying to set up a drug-dealing network following his arrest with more than a pound of cocaine.

U.S. Magistrate Young Kim ordered Hurd held until at least Friday while prosecutors and defense attorneys work out bond details before he is sent to Texas to face charges. The handcuffed Hurd declined comment to a reporter before the hearing.

Asked if he was still a member of the Bears, he said: “As far as I know.” He shook his head when asked if he had talked to anyone on the team.

Hurd was arrested Wednesday night after meeting with an undercover agent at a Chicago restaurant, according to a criminal complaint that says the player was first identified as a potential drug dealer over the summer as the NFL lockout was coming to an end.

Hurd told the agent that he was interested in buying five to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week to distribute in the Chicago area, the complaint said. He allegedly said he and a co-conspirator already distribute about four kilos of cocaine every week, but their supplier couldn’t keep up with his demands. A kilogram is about 2.2 pounds.

Hurd told the agent “his co-conspirator is in charge of doing the majority of the deals” while he focused on “higher-end deals,” the complaint said.

He agreed to pay $25,000 for each kilogram of cocaine and $450 a pound for the marijuana, according to the charges, and then said he could pay for a kilo of cocaine after “he gets out of practice.” He walked out of the restaurant with the package and was arrested.

The criminal complaint was filed in Texas, where the U.S. attorney said Hurd faces up to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine if convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, or half a kilogram.

Hurd’s agent, Ian Greengross, did not return messages. The NFL said it was looking into the incident while the NFL Players Association declined to comment.

Coach Lovie Smith said the arrest was a disappointment and a “total surprise,” adding that Hurd was still a member of the Bears for now.

“Sam wasn’t in meetings this morning and that’s how from there of course we started searching trying to find out why a player wouldn’t be here,” Smith said. “There was no tipoff, didn’t know it was coming.”

Smith said there was no reason to believe Hurd had problems when the Bears signed him before the season.

“No issues, no reason. I’m in shock over it. I never saw it coming,” Smith said. “But just like I think I know most of you, you don’t really know what people do once you’re not with them. But I know that anyone we bring through here, we’ve had an extensive search to find out everything, if there is something out there, and that wasn’t the case. There was nothing we knew about Sam.”

Hurd, a 26-year-old native of San Antonio who played college ball at Northern Illinois, played for five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and is in his first season with the Bears. He has contributed mostly on special teams, playing in 77 games overall with six starts and two career touchdowns. He has played in 12 games this year, catching eight passes for 109 yards.

The complaint says an informant tipped off authorities in Texas in July, leading to an investigation in which an unidentified acquaintance of Hurd’s “negotiated” for approximately five kilograms of cocaine on the player’s behalf. The acquaintance wanted to buy the drugs quickly to take it to a “northern destination that same day,” the complaint said.

The Bears agreed to a three-year deal with Hurd reportedly worth up to $5.15 million, including a $1.35 million signing bonus and base pay this season of $685,000.

The deal was announced on July 29 – the day after federal authorities say he had agreed to a “consensual interview” with Homeland Security investigators over $88,000 in cash that had been seized in a car he owned in the Dallas area. The money was inside a canvas bag that authorities said was covered in a plant-like material that tested positive for “properties of marijuana.”

The acquaintance told authorities that Hurd “routinely leaves large amounts” of money in his vehicles, while Hurd said the money was indeed his and that he had given the car to his acquaintance, a car shop employee, for maintenance and detail work.

Hurd showed authorities a bank statement he said showed he had withdrawn $88,000 from his account, but authorities said it did “not reflect the transactions and amounts” he claimed.

Teammates said they couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

“It’s a situation that you don’t, I don’t, want anybody to be in, especially a close friend, a teammate that I’ve been playing with now for four or five years,” said wide receiver Roy Williams, who played with Hurd in Dallas before being reunited on the Bears this year. “Especially a guy from Texas with a wife and a daughter. … I know it has to be tough for him because he has his family.”

Linebacker Brian Urlacher said it’s sad for Hurd, who he called a good teammate and good guy. But he said it won’t affect the team’s play.

“Football-wise it’s not going to be an issue,” Urlacher said. “We’ll go out there and practice like we do every day and hopefully put it behind us when Sunday gets here.”

Courtesy : NEWSOne

More than just a map pack, Back to Karkand also features 10 new weapons to extend your arsenal (you can bring these new weapons back to the base game maps), three classic vehicles from Battlefield 2, including the STOVL fighter jet (excellent for hovering and capturing bases),

Desert Buggy, and and APC, five new dog tags, and an added layer of persistence with the all-new Assignments you need to complete to unlock new weapons.

Now go back to Karkand and let us know what you think in the Battlelog forums! To find your new maps, just use Quick Match or the server browser as you normally would. The four new maps will appear together with the nine ones from the base game. For a full guide on how to use the server browser on console, check out this guide we prepared earlier. Just make sure you apply the latest multiplayer update for Battlefield 3, or you will not be avle to access Back to Karkand.

If you are a Limited Edition owner, you are entitled to this entire expansion pack at no extra charge. Otherwise, you can buy it for PC from Origin at $14,99 or for Xbox 360 from Xbox Live Marketplace or the in-game store for 1200 Microsoft Points.

See more at :BF3Blog