When Plankton Attacks

What is are Plankton?

Well the answer depends on who you ask.  If you ask your science professor, the answer would be floating single cell organisms in bodies of water that rely on photosynthesis for living.  However, if you ask your college age best friend, they may tell you the correct word is planking, or pound plankin' (#plankin), the latest trending topic to pop up on twitter.

Planking is laying down on your face to the ground or to an object like a plank of wood and having it photographed.  of course you may already know this, you may have planked yourself today.  If not, let me introduce you, people are planking on police cars, on the statue of liberty, on Mcdonalds signs, in frat houses, on checkout lanes, on toilet bowls, on the milk freezer in thegrocery store, kids are planking everywhere, even families  are getting in on the action.

The game has been around for a while, it originated in Australia in 1997, took over Great Britain in 2009, and is now spreading viraly throughout the US, and today, it is all over twitter.

Plank on people.  Plank on.

credit: wikipedia, nhptv.org, search.twitter.com







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Reuter site - Man accused of planting spyware to photograph women

This article was sent to you from bombastic4000@yahoo.com, who uses Reuters Mobile Site to get news and information on the go. To access Reuters on your mobile phone, go to:
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE7583ZC20110609

Man accused of planting spyware to photograph women

Thu, Jun 09 11:18 AM EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A 20-year-old California man was arrested on Wednesday, accused of planting spyware on dozens of computers to secretly photograph women in a state of undress, police said.

Trevor Harwell was taken into custody at his home in Fullerton, where detectives found hundreds of thousands of the pictures on his computer, Fullerton Police Spokesman Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said.

Harwell is accused of installing the program, which gave him remote access to the user's computer and webcam, while working as a technician for a local computer repair company, Goodrich said.

"Once he had access, he would take photographs of the users, usually women. Often, the female victims were undressed or changing clothes," Goodrich said.

Harwell then allegedly stored the photos on a remote server and eventually downloaded them to his own computer.

Police say they began investigating Harwell after a Fullerton resident contacted authorities over a suspicious message on his daughter's computer.

The message mimicked a system error advising her of a problem with an "internal sensor" and advised: "If unsure what to do, try putting your laptop near hot steam for several minutes to clean the sensor."

Goodrich said many users who got a similar message took their laptops into the bathroom while they showered, where Harwell allegedly photographed them undressing or naked.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb. Edited by Peter Bohan)

Reuter site - Google buys AdMeld in latest Web acquisition: report

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Google buys AdMeld in latest Web acquisition: report

Thu, Jun 09 19:44 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Google Inc has bought online advertising technology company AdMeld for $400 million, according to an influential technology blog.

The deal, which was reported by TechCrunch citing multiple unnamed sources, would mark Google's latest effort to bolster its business in the market for graphical, display ads, where it competes with rivals including Yahoo Inc and Facebook.

Four-year-old AdMeld counts Discovery Communications, FOX News, Hearst Television, and The Weather Channel among its clients, according to its website.

It has raised $30 million in funding from investors including the Foundry Group, Spark Capital, Norwest Venture Partners and Time Warner Investments, TechCrunch cited multiple unidentified sources as saying.

Google, the world's No. 1 Internet search engine, declined to comment.

Google has been on an acquisition spree, spending $1.8 billion on more than 40 companies in 2010.

The vast majority of Google's revenue, which totaled roughly $29 billion in 2010, comes from small ads that appear alongside its search results. But the company has stepped up efforts to tap into the display advertising market.

In October, Google said its display advertising business was generating revenue at an annualized run rate of $2.5 billion.

Reuter site - New York neighborhood first to go wireless

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New York neighborhood first to go wireless

Fri, Jun 03 11:47 AM EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - A waterfront area in the New York borough of Brooklyn has become the first city neighborhood to feature free wireless service on streets and in parks and plazas.

DUMBO, short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, already has a reputation for innovative projects. Several formerly abandoned and neglected structures there have been transformed into eco-friendly offices and apartment buildings.

"We are encouraging people to step out of their offices and homes and engage with one another and the neighborhood in new and different ways," said Alexandria Sica, the executive director of the DUMBO Business Improvement District (BIB).

"Creativity can literally flow into the streets. Businesses will be born in Brooklyn Bridge Park."

DUMBO went wireless through a joint project by BID, NYCwireless, a nonprofit organization which helps install free wireless service, and property broker Two Trees Management Co.

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz said that he had high hopes for the area.

"One day, mark my words, this area will rival Silicon Valley in terms of high tech ingenuity," he said in a statement. "It's only natural that DUMBO is the first neighborhood to be truly connected 24/7."

The DUMBO neighborhood is well known to tourists and locals who visit the neighborhood after crossing the Manhattan Bridge.

(Reporting by Bernd Debusmann Jr.)

Damn, I sure ****ed up.

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Reuter site - Ex-presidential hopeful Edwards charged over affair

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Ex-presidential hopeful Edwards charged over affair

Fri, Jun 03 12:34 PM EDT

By James Vicini and Jeremy Pelofsky

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards was indicted on Friday for using nearly $1 million in illegal campaign funds to help cover up an extramarital affair during his White House bid.

In a fall from grace for a man once expected to go far in American politics, Edwards, 57, was charged with six counts, including conspiracy, illegal campaign contributions and making false statements, according to the federal indictment.

"Mr. Edwards is alleged to have accepted more than $900,000 in an effort to conceal from the public facts that he believed would harm his candidacy," said Lanny Breuer, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's criminal division.

Edwards was due to appear at a 2:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) hearing in U.S. District Court in Winston-Salem, the department said. Each count carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.

"John Edwards will tell the court he is innocent of all charges and will plead not guilty," his lawyer, Gregory Craig, said in a statement. "He did not break the law and will mount a vigorous defense."

The indictment accused Edwards of secretly obtaining hundreds of thousands of dollars and using it to help cover up his extramarital affair with a campaign worker, Rielle Hunter, knowing that revelations of the liaison and her subsequent pregnancy would destroy his 2008 presidential bid.

The affair would undermine "Edwards' presentation of himself as a family man and by forcing his campaign to divert personnel and resources away from other campaign activities to respond to criticism and media scrutiny regarding the affair and pregnancy," the indictment said.

The presidential hopeful was accused of receiving more than $900,000 in illegal contributions from two donors, but the federal limit on individual contributions to candidates at the time was $2,300.

Edwards, a trial lawyer and former U.S. senator from North Carolina, at first denied on national television that he had the affair or paid Hunter any money.

He finally admitted to the relationship, which ran from February 2006 until August 2008, and to fathering the child, leading his wife, Elizabeth, to leave him. She died of cancer last year.

Edwards had big political ambitions, serving just one U.S. Senate term before running for the White House in 2004 and 2008. Failing to win enough support, he was selected as the vice-presidential running-mate by Democratic Senator John Kerry in 2004 but their bid to unseat incumbent President George W. Bush failed.

Although the indictment did not name Hunter or the campaign staff and donors who helped cover up the illegal payments and conspiracy, it clearly referred to her and to Edwards' trusted aide, Andrew Young, who initially claimed he was the baby's dad.

One donor wrote seven checks totaling $725,000 over seven months to Young, but the money was ultimately used to pay for Hunter's medical visits, prenatal care, rent, furniture, car, and other living expenses, according to the indictment.

The donor falsely listed on the memo line of the checks that the money was for furniture such as an antique table, the indictment said.

Another donor paid just over $183,000 for flights, hotel accommodations including $25,000 at the posh Four Seasons in Santa Barbara, California, for Hunter and Young, according to the charges.

According to the indictment, that donor in December 2007 gave Young $1,000 in cash in an envelope and wrote in a note to him, "Old Chinese saying: use cash, not credit cards!"

(Editing by Vicki Allen and Doina Chiacu)

Motivation.

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WHAT IS VYBZ KARTEL'S SECRET?

  Dancehall DJ Vybz Kartel, real name Adijah Palmer  is losing grasp of his empire.  Da Vinci, one of his newest recruits has defected from the 'Gaza' to sign with Kartel's now former Business Manager Corey Todd.

Following in the footsteps of Black Ryno, Lisa Hype, 'Stephen', Not Nice, and Former Gaza  affiliate Aidonia, leader of the J.O.P., Da Vinci has chosen to align himself with Corey Todd's new unnamed venture with most of Kartel's former camp in tow.

Corey Todd, an American businessman and silent parter and reported creator of Vybz Kartel's industrial endeavors 'Street Vybz Rum', 'Daggering Condoms' and 'The Building' (a nightclub in Kingston Jamaica), has decided to terminate his relationship with the Jamaican superstar amid his recent dramatic change of appearance and according to him, a change in attitude as well.

Mr. Palmer (Kartel) has dramatically lightened his skin tone in recent years with a process known in the island as 'bleaching' professing to use a form of blue cake soap which he has appropriated into a brand of his own.

Mr. Todd has been flummoxed with this radical change of appearance as Kartel was known for his darker complexion.  The DJ artist has caught further flack for adding extensions to his hair to simulate years of hair growth.

Undoubtedly, things on the surface may not be so simple.  This is not the first time Vybz Kartel has been at odds with close business or artistic partners, the rap-sheet of offenses spans more than a decade.

Introduced to the world by Dancehall great Rodney Price, more commonly known as 'Bounty Killer', Vybz Kartel was quickly embraced by Disc Jockeys and party goers for his daring sexually charged lyrics, clever wordplay, and catchy melodies.

Following in the 'War' tradition of the genre that Bounty Killer was a veteran of, engaging himself in various battles withMerciless, Mr. Lexus, and most famously Beenie Man, just to mention a few, Kartel took things to a new level when he broke factions with his mentor and delcared lyrical war on the Warlord himself.

Vybz Kartel was protege of many of Bounty Killer in a Dancehall family that went by the name the 'Alliance', and Mavado, another DJ of note more known for his singing style of DJing as opposed the more popular chanting style of the genre became Kartel's target du jour.

The two engaged in some classic tit for tats in the mid 00's, Mavado aligning himself with Bounter Killer and the Alliance and Kartel most closely rubbing shoulders  with new upstart DJ Aidonia, Vybz Kartel built a name for himself amidst a climate of Disc Jockeys and Dancers like Matterhon and Ding Dong on top of the dancehall charts, and veterans like Bounty Killer and Beenie Man were still strong and prevalent presences on it.

Things have changed somewhat.

After many years at the top of his game and sitting on an uncontested Dancehall throne, it appears that the other DJ's have began to lick their chops.  Every Many DJ's have released dis song against Kartel, in an attempt to take his spot, and the defectors from his camp have joined in chorus, accusing him of sexual taboos, bleaching his skin and the like.  Black Ryno, Aidonia, two of his former allies have released diss songs of their own against the DJ.  Lisa Hype, who now goes by the moniker Lisa Hyper, who collaborated with Vybz Kartel on his 2009 smash hit 'Romping Shop' has defected from the Gaza camp after allegedly being beaten by Kartel's cronies despite having body art  on her body allying herself with the clan, and two of his producers have left deserted him as well.  Most notably is 'Stephen' Mcgregor also known as 'Genius', and most recently 'Not Nice' was reportedly  beaten as well as robbed of his studio equipment in February of 2011 allegedly by Kartel's camp as well.

In the last three years Kartel has seemed to be building a business empire of his own in Jamaica, with liquor product Street Vybz Rum and prophylactic product Daggering Condoms, however it has come to the light of many that there was a mysterious American Businessman silently working along with Vybz Kartel, helping him to accomplish all of this, Corey Todd.

It's no secret that Kartel has been doing well for himself despite his lack of a US Visa to do business in one of the biggest markets in the world for his main bread and butter, music.

According to Mr. Todd, it was his advice that put Kartel in such a position.  Recently Corey Todd has gone on an interview spree granting interviews it seems to whoever would have him.  He went on Entertainment Report, Jamaica's number one entertainment program to express his frustrations.

Here are some excepts from that interview.

Corey Todd:                 "Threats mad on my life...I have to let the public know."
                                     "...Thing set in play.  He said if I dis him, I'm a die."

Entertainment Report:    "Do you think Vybz Kartel can do you physical harm?"

Corey Todd:                  "Him personally? No.  Because he is a coward.  But people around him?  Yes."

Entertainment Report:    "What do you think somebody could do...?"

Corey Todd:                 "Gunshot.  Simple...At the end of the day, he wanted to get rid of me enuh.  Because
                                       of greed, envy."

Entertainment Report:   "Do you think he is a Sinister Person?"

Corey Todd:                 "When I met him first?  no.  But he's changed. "

Entertainment Report:   "What do you think changed him?"

Corey Todd:                 "His ego man...The S Class [Mercedes Benz].  Which is very strange, I don't know                        
                                      a car changes a person, but it did...I did a lot for [that group].  He's holding back
                                      those artist.  I push Popcorn on him.  Those artist are just his personal pets.  You
                                      understand.  he don't let them get Visas.  He don;t let them fly.  He overcharges for
                                      them shows...

                                     ... The whole thing was when we started, I was supposed to manage artists.  I was  
                                      supposed to make him an icon...

                                      The reason I started Street Vybz Rum is because ...you need millions in the US to
                                      buss songs.  If you got money I can make any video play on MTV [and BET] you
                                      know...

                                      ...Him stop doing dub plates months ago you know.  [I put him on iTunes long    
                                      before it buss at JA].

                                       ...I got Guards you know"

                                       (He goes into further detail here about Japanese DJ's
                                       and his own personal security detail. he then proceeds to give a little bit of history    
                                       himself.)

                                        "I am from America.  America is not [nice] enuh.  (At this point in the interview,
                                       Corey Todd looks into the Camera and points a message directy aimed at Vybz                
                                        Kartel.)

                                        "I am not scared of you enuh.  If you waan come for me yuh self, we would see
                                        how that go you know...You know what you sayin to me, and you know how loyal
                                        I been to you now.  I'm not tryin' to damage yuh carreer, get back to yourself,
                                        get some sun, take the hair out your hair...Mi treat yuh like a brotha yuh know,
                                        You [supposed to be my daughter on the way's Godfather] you know...You will
                                       get what's coming to you."

     In an earlier interview with Outarod.com on May 23rd, Corey Todd also made the following statement,
"I am my own man.  I have never worked for Vybz Kartel...I don't understand the creative direction he's moving in with regards to his image or music.  I don't  know this new Vybz Kartel, I haven't known him for quite a while.  Enough is enough."

     Not longer than a week after these interviews, Da Vinci, Gaza's newest artist in a telephone interview that he will be leaving Portmore Empire, Leaving Popcaan seemingly as the last man standing with Kartel at the moment in the now ever changing scene of dancehall factions.
 
Enter Vybz Kartels secret.  Kartel hit up Riddimstream.com to release a lengthy statement addressing the recent developments, and reveal a secret that he has been writing a book and secretly plotting to change the landscape of dancehall again and all the hoopla over his appearance are mere distractions in his ultimate masterplan.

The full Statement reads below.

Many of you have heard or seen the recent accusations made by my former associates in the past few weeks. I don’t know why all of these individuals, think the most appropriate action to take after a philosophical difference occurs is to go to the press and attack me.

I can only say that I am reminded of Bob Marley’s admonishments when he said man is so unjust, you don’t know who to trust…your best friend can turn out to be your worst enemy…I shall say no more, other than who the cap fit, mek them wear it. I am issuing this statement because I think these accusations are due to a breach of confidentiality as certain individuals got wind of my upcoming projects and initiatives and they know they can’t stop me without resorting to underhanded tactics.

See Jamaica, Vybz Kartel has been carrying a secret for a very long time and I think it is time that I reveal it before persons try to derail the projects that I have put together by continuing to make false reports about me in their attempt to have me muzzled.two years ago, I had an epiphany whilst on stage. I saw thousands of people screaming for Kartel, jumping up and down, listening to ever word that I uttered on stage, it was like the people were eating out of the palm of my hands. At that moment, something strange came over me, as I heard the people screaming for more, I suddenly realized that my calling was to be more than a Deejay.

I realized that the people were not eating out my hands but they wanted to hear Kartel speak because finally somebody was telling their story in a profound no holds barred manner. Whether I was addressing sexuality,poverty, police brutality, injustice,the trials and tribulations of the ghetto I was finally giving ghetto people a voice – a big voice like society never heard before.

I know I am not the first that has ever attempted to do this. Because when I researched I saw that Marcus, Sam Sharpe, Paul Bogle all spoke directly to the powers that be on behalf of the people but were ostracized and in some cases killed. Later, Marley, Tosh, Jacob Miller did the same thing and all died young under unique somewhat mysterious circumstances. I have seen what they have done to ancient Rastamen, People’s Telecom, the Marcus Garvey Political Party and other entities that attacked Babylon head on.

I did not want the same fate to reach me at the time, I did not want them to muzzle me also, so I took a decision that I felt I had to, I had to trick Babylon. I realized if I kept doing outrageous and outlandish stuff, they would write me off as just an attention seeking artiste and not realize that since July 26, 2009 behind closed doors I have been writing my book and setting up my GEL (Gaza Education and Literacy) program. So they put the spotlight on me, not knowing that they were actually putting the spotlight on themselves because Vybz Kartel is not about braces, bleaching and hairstyles but I am about elevating the cause of Ghetto people.

Please understand Jamaica sometimes you have to trick Babylon with confusion. If I revealed my intentions two years ago, do you think the people that control the media would report everything I do? Babylon, you have been tricked. For 500 years, the system has been using reverse psychology to trick my people,I have now used reverse psychology to trick them Let’s see societal hypocrisy for what it is. Now that my book is going to be released, now that most of my songs will have a more cultural overtone as i have already taken the decision to stop deejaying gun lyrics, now that I am going to be providing educational opportunities for young people,will you be giving me the same attention?

In so far as business is concerned, I don’t agree that rum and a night club is an Empire. The Portmore Global Empire has been in the works for some time with proper infrastructure currently being put in place. I had anticipated certain moves and I have been in consultation with Attorneys in Pembroke Pines, Florida about proper branding, contracts, representation and protecting my legal rights globally. The team I have been working with are all degreed in the areas of Finance, Marketing, Mass Communications and have the expertise that I will need – it is funny when I hear “nobody can tell Kartel anything” when I have trained consultants who have aided me in planning my future projects. I have not finalized any decisions as yet but I have invested considerable resources to take my business endeavours to another level, so again, like Bob Marley said, half the story has never been told.

Now I know a lot of my fans are probably surprised but understand this,I feel called by a power greater than me. Black people have been suffering too long, we have been in poverty too long, we have been brutalized too long and Vybz Kartel is now advising the world that I will use the spotlight that you have put on me to highlight their cause. I am not naïve and I know based on recent interviews on TV that my life and freedom is more in danger than ever before because I have no intention of easing up on the system or their agents. However, I am at peace with this decision.The Gaza ladies, you are still my babies, so don’t worry, the black race must procreate so I will giving you more “Dumpa Truck” to drive in, you can still “Get Wild” and you will still ride your “10 speed bicycle” in “Slow Motion.” I will never stop deejaying for you. The “thugs,” you all built Kartel, so I will never alienate you but you may be getting some new messages from me.

It is unfortunate that I have been forced to prematurely make this statement as my book was slated to be launched on July 23, 2012 – His Imperial Majesty’s Earthstrong, my GEL program was for the September 2011-2012 academic year but the forces against me are rising on TV and in the newspaper so after consultation with the few trusted advisers I have left, I decided to make this release so that if they take my life or my freedom, the projects will continue. Keep in mind that the greatest black man that ever lived, Marcus Garvey, was betrayed by trusted individuals and endured continuous character assassination, so I guess I am in good company. We nah stop say Gaza4Life, we just upgrading the message.
–
ADIDJA PALMER – ADIDJAHIEM RECORDS

Stay posted to Radio516.com and DonyV.Blogspot.com for developments.

written by: Keith Nation

credit: thehypelifemag.com, the sadeki, dancehallusa.com, entertainment report, urbanilandz.com,islandyute, urbanislands.com

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R.I.P. GILL SCOTT HERON 1949-2011

As many of you have probably heard or read by now, renown and respected poet Gill Scott Heron has passed away at the age of 62 of Friday May 27 2011.

Recognized as one of the fathers of the Rap art form of musical expression and Hip Hop culture, throughout his life he never achieved the massive world wide acclaim as the genre or it's successive stars and icons have managed to achieve.

He is most famous for his early work and often cited and quoted for his titular lyric, "The Revolution will not be Televised."

  "You will not be able to stay home brother,

   You will not be able to plugin, turn around and copout.

You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and slop.

Skip out for beer during commercials,

Because the Revolution will not be Televised..."

Gill Scott Heron.

Within the last year, he received a comeback of sorts as Hip Hop Rapper Kanye West used his poem, "Who Will Survive in America" for a outro to his cover and interpolation of Bon Iver's, "Lost in This World" set to a pulsating Hip Hop beat.

Fan's of Kanye West's work will recognize the lyrics below, and in the voice reciting these words on the Rapper's LP 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' is that of Gill Scott Heron himself.

  "As living as we do upside down,

And the new word is to have revolution

People don't even want to hear the preacher spill or speil because

God's whole card has been thoroughly piqued.

...All I want is a home and a wife, and a children,

and some food to feed them every night .

After all is said and done, build a new route to China 

if they'll have you, Who will survive in America?

Who will survive in America?

Who will survive in America?

Who will survive in America?"

Gill Scott Heron released some a rare new album last year called 'I Am new Here."  He died after returning from a trip to Europe.  Along with his acclaim as a poet and an musician, he also struggled with drug addiction, the legal system and lived with HIV.

Written by Keith Nation.

credit:  Urbanlyrics.com,Perezhilton.com, Gillscottheron.com

p.s.:  check out his poem "Whitey on the moon."  Very witty.

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Lebron James Signs Ambassadorship with Audemars Piguet

Basketball Superstar Lebron James has added another endorsement ambassadorship foundation deal to the roster of brands that he represents.

Under the auspice of raising money for the Lebron James foundation, a deal brokered between Rapper and Mogul Jay-Z and Francois-Henri Bennahmias, C.E.O. of the North American branch of the Brand and Phillip Mark, the Global C.E.O., their powers will combine to inspire and help the underprivileged and sell watches.  Expensive watches. A timepiece from this brand will run you anywhere from $3,000.00 to $1,000,000.00.
Y'up.  That's right.  I'm inspired.  Are you?

Mr. James will join the ranks of Arnold Schwarzenegger (insert occupation du jour here ____), Lionel Messi (International Soccer Star), and Michael Schumaker (Formula 1 racing champion) and Quincy Jones (if you don't know what he does, shame on you learn.

The Lebron James branded watch is due to be released in 2013.

credit to lifeandtimes.com, and Benjamin Clymer  for information used in this story.
written by:  Keith Nation. 

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