Ever since the unveiling of the new Nike air Max Lebron VII online, there has been a lot of buzz round the sneaker. From the design to the technology used, many say that this is probably the best Lebron signature sneaker to release. The use of the Air Max is for the first time on a Lebron sneaker is probably what stands out the most from the sneaker, but the use of the new Flywire technology on it as well, is relevant. Designers of the sneaker say it delivers maximum comfort and stability, which is key with any sneaker. Theis colorway is expected to release sometime in October. What do you think? Is this the best Lebron sneaker or do you have another favorite?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

I cannot explain what is going on with Brad Lidge, mentally or physically this season, but he seems like another closer than how he performed last year. This time last year, Brad Lidge was recording save after save for the Philadelphia Phillies as he went 48 for 48 in save opportunities, leading to a World Series title. This year it seems like he is just going through rough times as going into last night’s game he had already blew 10 save opportunities. Lidge entered the ninth inning with a 6-5 lead versus the Florida Marlins. He gave up a double and walked a batter, which led to the game-tying and game-winning runs. Lidge has 11 blown saves this season and is not looking good for the most important time of the season……playoffs. Hopefully he can get his swagger back in time for the post-season or the Phiilies will be in a little trouble if they are planning to repeat.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Check out the official video for the hottest song on the radio and in the streets right now…..Drake ft. Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem “Forever.” This song will be on the soundtrack of Lebron James documentary “More Than A Game.” The film will release in certain areas on October 2, 9, and 16. Los Angeles, New York, and Ohio will enjoy the movie during the first week. It shows how Lebron James started his career, from being a child, then to his time in high school, and finally to his time in the NBA currently with the Cavaliers. What do you think about the video and the actual making of a documentary on Lebron James?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The headliner for the most BET 2009 Hip-Hop Award nominees for this year’s October 27 award ceremony is the most controversial hip-hop artist currently…………no not Lil Mama either……..Kanye West. He is up for 9 awards which are: Best Hip-Hop Collabo, Best Live Performer, Lyricist of the Year, Producer of the Year, CD of the Year, MVP of the Year, Hustler of the Year, the Made-You-Look award (for style) and People’s Champ. Below is the full list of nominations:

People’s Champ Awards
- Dorrough - “Ice Cream Paint Job”
- Fabolous - “Throw It In The Bag”
- Kid Cudi - “Day N Nite”
- Soulja Boy Tell’em - “Turn My Swag On”
- Kanye West - “Amazing”

Producer of the Year
- Ron Browz
- Cool & Dre
- Tha Bizness
- T-Pain
- Kanye West

MVP of the Year
- Drake
- Jay-Z
- Lil Wayne
- T.I.
- Kanye West

Best Hip-Hop Collabo
- Jim Jones, Ron Browz & Juelz Santana - “Pop Champagne”
- Lil Wayne & Bobby Valentino - “Mrs. Officer”
- Rick Ross & John Legend - “Magnificent”
- T.I. & Rihanna - “Live Your Life”
- Young Jeezy & Kanye West - “Put On”

Track of the Year
- Kid Cudi - “Day N Nite”
- Jay-Z - “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”
- Young Money (Lil Wayne & Company) - “Every Girl”
- T.I. ft. Rihanna - “Live Your Life”
- Soulja Boy Tell’em - “Turn My Swag On”

DJ of the Year
- DJ AM
- DJ Drama
- DJ Khaled
- DJ Tony Neal
- DJ Greg Street

Hustler of the Year
- Diddy
- Drake
- Jay-Z
- Lil Wayne
- Kanye West

Made You Look Award (Style)
- Jay-Z
- Kid Cudi
- Lil Wayne
- Soulja Boy Tell’em
- Kanye West

Best Live Performer
- Busta Rhymes
- Jay-Z
- Lil Wayne
- T.I.
- Kanye West

CD of the Year
- Relapse - Eminem
- The Renaissance - Q-Tip
- Paper Trail - T.I.
- 808s & Heartbreak - Kanye West
- The Recession - Young Jeezy

Lyricist of the Year
- Drake
- Eminem
- Jay-Z
- Lil Wayne
- Kanye West

Rookie of the Year
- B.o.B
- Dorrough
- Drake
- Kid Cudi
- Wale

Director of the Year
- Gil Green
- Anthony Mandler
- Mr. Boomtown
- Chris Robinson
- Hype Williams

Best Hip Hop Video
- “Ice Cream Paint Job” - Dorrough
- “We Made You” - Eminem
- “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune) - Jay-Z
- “Day N Nite” - Kid Cudi
- “Live Your Life - “T.I. ft. Rihanna

Best Hip-Hop Blog
- Allhiphop.com
- NahRight.com
- ThisIs50.com
- Sohh.com
- WorldStarhiphop.com

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The economic stimulus plans looks like it is helping citizens of Pennsylvania since the beginning of summer according to an article written online for the Philadelphia Inquirer. John Barrett (49), Michael Volpe (61), and Randy Myers (32) were all unemployed before the package and are now all back to work. Even though some jobs are being created from the package, a lot of people still have questions on if the money is reaching those in need. Seeing the creation of jobs lets others know that the money has reached the street level, but is it enough? Philadelphia is set to receive $90.6 million from the stimulus package and even though many may feel like it has not reached “street” level, it has, it is just needs to be spent wisely so it is not being seen as fast as many would like it to. What are your thought? Has the stimulus package affected you or your family? Let us know.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Week 2 of the NFL had a few great games and suprise victories. One major victory of the week were the NY Jets victory over the New England Patriots 16-9. The Jets players were running their mouths during the week coming up to the game, but backed it up. Over scores for this past week were:

NY Giants 33 - Dallas 31
Atlanta 28 - Carolina 20
Minnesota 27 - Detroit 17
Cincinnati 31 - Green Bay 24
Houston 34 - Tennessee 31
Oakland 13 - Kansas City 10
NY Jets 16 - New England 9
New Orleans 48 - Philadelphia 22
Washington 9 - St. Louis 7
Arizona 31 - Jacksonville 17
San Francisco 23 - Seattle 10
Buffalo 33 - Tampa Bay 10
Chicago 17 - Pittsburgh 14
Baltimore 31 - San Diego 26
Denver 27 - Cleveland 6

Check out tonight’s game where the Colts play the Dolphins.

Even though The Blueprint 3 was leaked all over the web about 2 weeks it released and the album was on sale at retailers before the official release date, Jay-Z still managed to come out with another No. 1 album. The Blueprint 3 sold about 476,000 copies in its opening week, making this album Jay-Z’s 11th No. 1 album during his music career. The Beatles hold the record with 19 No. 1 albums. 476,000 copies of the album might sound like a little bit, but during these economic times, not a lot of music artists can do those numbers in one week, so congrats go to Jay-Z.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s big return fight is this Saturday (September 19). His opponent is Juan Manuel Marquez, in the HBO Pay-Per-View bout. Anyone that has seen the HBO special “Mayweather/Marquez 24/7″ knows that both boxers are training very hard for the big bout. Mayweather recently announced that WWE star, Triple H, will be escorting him to the ring for his big fight. Within the last year, Mayweather, has been involved with the WWE on several occasions, including the 2008 Wrestlemania where he fought the Big Show. The fight will be very interesting and can be seen on HBO PPV this Saturday. Who do you think will win?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

So by now everyone that has any type of access to entertainment knows what Kanye West did to Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards this past Sunday. Well, someone decided to make a funny website which has a picture of Kanye West with the saying “This website is pretty good, and I’m gonna let you see it, but Beyonce has one of the best websites of all time.” What you have to do is go to (http://kanyelicio.us/) and enter the URL of any website and click the “Do It” button. Once you do that the site will pop up with the picture of Kanye and the saying over it. It’s pretty funny how people are running with the concept. What’s next?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

These watches have been seen on people like Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, and even the Pussycat Dolls. The New York-based company is founded by designer and artist Matthew Waldman. Every Nooka watch is unique in either the design or way you actually can tell the time. Waldman says in an online interview that he got the concept from an analogue clock in a hotel in London. The style definitely stand out and are now available at select VILLA locations.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A lot of people think that ATV’s are meant more for the country-side or areas where there are really no cars around. They are also meant to be used for extreme sports, such as during the X-Games, which is featured on ESPN. A specific neighborhood in Philadelphia has had an on-going problem with teens and young adults using them for all purposes, except what they are really meant for. Earlier this week, teens in the Kensington section of Philadelphia were blocking Hurley Street near Ontario and man driving a Mercury Sable honked the horn and yelled at them to move. When he did this, they started throwing objects at his car and chased him until he crashed into other parked cars. As the man was fleeing the scene, the group on the ATV’s and dirt bikes chased him and eventually ran him over. Residents in the area have complained about the use of these motorized vehicles because the teens using them also are seen using drugs, doing graffiti, and even drinking alcohol while using them. Hopefully the police can start a program to crackdown on these actions by the teens and stop these acts of violence.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Anyone that saw the MTV VMA’s this past Sunday knows that Jay-Z’s performance with Alicia Keyz was a great one, despite the actions of singer Lil’ Mama. She got on stage during their performance and was just bopping her head to the song and feeling for the moment. She was basically out of play and did not look right on the stage with the 2 stars. Lil Mama went on MTV News to discuss the situation and explain her actions. During the interview she said that she was “caught in the moment” and got on stage because Jay-Z was repping New York and she was feeling the vibe. After she got home and notice what she did, Lil Mama regrets it because she notice Jay’s reaction. So, Lil Mama apologized and even asked for a one on one with both of them.
By: Adrian Gonzalez

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the first official weekend of the NFL! The season started on Thursday with the titans versus the Steelers, but the majority of the games were yesterday. Here are some of the results from the games:

Green Bay 21 - Chicago 15
NY Giants 24 - Washington 17
San Francisco 20 - Arizona 16
Seattle 28 - St. Louis 0
Atlanta 19 - Miami 7
Denver 12 - Cincinnati 7
Minnesota 34 - Cleveland 20
Indianapolis 14 - Jacksonville 12
New Orleans 45 - Detroit 27
Dallas 34 - Tampa Bay 21
Philadelphia 38 - Carolina 10
Baltimore 38 - Kansas City 24
NY Jets 24 - Houston 7

It was a great first weekend back! Look out for tonight’s double-header where New England plays Buffalo and San Diego plays Oakland.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Anyone that has any type of connection to TV, radio, or even newspapers probably already knows what happen last night at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York City between Kanye West and Taylor Swift. The nominees for Best Female Music Video were Pink, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Kelly Clarkson. The winner of the award was……….Taylor Swift. As she came on stage and was about to make her acceptance speech, here came little old Kanye West. He took the mic and said that Beyonce “had one of the best videos of all time.” He felt that Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” was the winner of the award. His actions were un-called for and a shame as Taylor Swift worked just as hard as anyone to win the award. He was actually booted from the award show as well. What do you think?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Anyone that missed last night’s game between the University of Miami and Florida State missed a great one. A lot of talk was behind Miami to see if the football program was back. The game kept going back and fourth and in the last quarter Miami was up by 4 points when Florida State had a final drive to win the game. Miami’s defense was ready to play and sealed the victory for the Canes. This was a great game and probably the best game of the opening weekend. Miami QB, Jacory Harris, threw for 386 yards with 2 TDs, 2 Int, and a rushing touchdown. Look out this week for Ohio State versus USC.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Over the weekend, auto-tune king T-Pain showed his true feeling about Jay-Z’s track “Death of Auto-Tune.” While DJ’ing at a club in Vegas known as Rehab, T-Pain went on the microphone saying F’ Jay-Z and that “he’s old.” Fabolous was also in the club and was tweeting about the situation and was not feeling it too much being that Pain was dissing someone from that reps Brooklyn. After T-Pain got off, the next DJ immediately played D.O.A. and a couple of other Jay-Z track during his set. This will be interesting how it unfolds.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With the Fall 2009 fashion season either already here for some brands or close for other brands to release, I just have one question to pose…..what will YOU be wearing this Fall? The norm is the pair of jeans, hoodie or some type of sweater, and sneakers or boots or shoes, but what till be the big trend for this season. Will the vests come back for another successfull season or will another interesting accessory be the hit? With this being said I want to bring the question back……what will YOU be wearing this Fall?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Minnesota Timberwolves will not enjoy the presence of 2009 draft pick Ricky Rubio this season. The team in Spain which had his rights (DKV Joventut) traded them to FC Barcelona who offered a higher buyout then the Timberwolves could, under NBA rules. Throughout the whole negotiation process, it seemed that Rubio would be coming to the NBA this season until the last couple of days in negotiations with each party involved. It seems like Rubio had a change of heart and did not want to play in the NBA for another two years, when he would be 20 years of age. It is an interesting situation, but an example of the business side within the “higher-ups” in a major organization.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

I guest most of you Drake fans out there have heard by now, Canadian rapper Drake took a spill on stage Friday (July 31) during a stop on the America’s Most Wanted Tour at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey.

Drake was already suffering from a torn ACL from a previous injury. Drake went against doctor’s orders this past Friday and decided to perform on the tour. It seems like it wasn’t a wise decision on Drakes behalf. Check out the video below.

Mr.Terius Youngdell Nash also known as “The Dream” signed Christina Milian back in February to his Radio Killa Records, and less than six months later, the two musicians are coupled up and engaged … officially. Wow That was quick!

These photos (spotted on Rap-Up.com) show the future Mrs. Nash rocking that huge rock on her finger with a big smile on her face.

On Monday, June 15, 2009, VILLA along with sponsors Nike and 100.3 The Beat, began a summer grassroots initiative to refresh the City of Brotherly Love by means of a water ice truck. Yes….you read it right! VILLA has a water ice truck all summer long and will be visiting neighborhoods around its stores and hitting up other key events, selling water ice for ONLY $.20 cents. This initiative is to celebrate VILLA’s 20th Anniversary. During the week, the truck will be at The Chosen League at Cherashore Playground (10th & Onley) from 7pm to 9pm. This is a summer basketball league sponsored by Nike and VILLA. This will be an exciting summer for VILLA, so keep your eyes open for VILLA’s 20th Anniversary Water Ice Truck coming to a neighborhood near you!

Our release of the third Air Yeezy was crazy!!!  If you were in line for three nights to buy these sneaks, you were treated to a surprise Midnight Launch.  At midnight, the brave, true sneaker lovers were ushered into VILLA’s 52nd Street location in complete darkness.  After following the glow in the dark footsteps up the stairs, the crew saw a wall of Air Yeezy’s glowing in the dark– organized by size.  One by one, each person selected their sneakers until there were none left.  It was a great time.  We hope that everyone had as much fun as the VILLA team.  Shout out to Kyle and Jeff for being the first two in line (again), waiting since 8am on Wednesday for the Yeezys.  Congrats to those that won the glow in the dark rug and posters.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Yeezy’s in Cleveland 6.20.09:

For all of you cats close to Cleveland or just looking for the Yeezy’s at retail price, VILLA is opening its vault and selling the Yeezy’s at the newest VILLA location.  VILLA’s first Cleveland store, located at Lee Harvard Plaza (4071 Lee Road), will be selling the Yeezy’s on June 20.  Click the following linkd for more details: http://www.ruvilla.com/main/promotions/yeezy-launch-in-cleveland.   

By: Adrian Gonzalez (#9 in line)

The last days for GM are in effect. General Motors filed for level Chapter 11 bankruptcy Protection today. The company said it has $172.81 billion in debt and $82.29 billion in assets. A union spokesman at the GM plant in Spring Hill confirms the 2,500 employees there have been told the plant will be idled. As it reorganizes, the fallen icon of American industrial might will rely on $30 billion of additional financial assistance from the Treasury Department and $9.5 billion from Canada. That’s on top of about $20 billion in taxpayer money GM already has received in the form of low-interest loans. GM’s bankruptcy filing is the fourth-largest in U.S. history and the largest for an industrial company.

Looks like The Game’s talk of retirement was all talk. He is apparently talking about his new album, The R.E.D. Album. This would be his fourth studio album to released as a major artist. Some may think that the title of the album may be gang-related, but Game says to MTV that it is a rededication to hip-hop and his hood, Compton. Game wants to elevate his rap game and this new album will be his chance to do so. No word on release is set, but look out for tracks.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yesterday was Temple University’s 122nd Commencement! Temple University graduated 7,423 students on May 14, 2009. The Class of 2009 represented 82 countries around the world and 45 states, including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. There were 112 student athletes which graduated and the School of Liberal Arts graduated the most students with 1,390. It was a very special day for family and friends and especially the graduates. Good luck to those who graduated an their futures in begining their professional careers.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well Orlando looked out of it after what happened from game 5. Game 6 in Orlando was another story. Dwight Howard got the ball, like he was complaining about after game 5, and had 23 points and 22 rebounds in the 83-75 victory over the Boston Celtics last night. Rashard Lewis had 20 points and Hedo Turkoglu had a key 3-point shot to seal the deal for Orlando. So there now is a game 7 for this weekend. Being that game 7 is going to be in Boston, I have a feeling Boston might take it and would be surprised is Orlando stuns them.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

State Attorney General Tom Corbett had a press conference discussing a series issue that has developed at PennDot. Apparently, since 2002, nearly 50 people have used fake IDs to get fraudulent driver’s licenses. Even worse is that several of these individuals are ex-cons. Robert Banks of North Philadelphia was caught and charged with 45 counts of obtaining fraudulent licenses between 2001 and 2003 and selling them for up to $1,200. Corbett blames PennDot for putting customer service in front of security, that could have prevented these scams. This issue is important for PennDot because it is basically allowing criminals and others basically get away with privileges that can help them get away with even more serious acts.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

So Rick Ross was on the cover of the May 2009 XXL Magazine sporting some hot Louis Vuitton sunglasses. Well, little did anyone know that according to the people at LV, that pair of glasses was counterfeit. According to Michael D. Pantalony from Louis Vuitton the glasses were fake and Ross did not have permission wear them for the cover of the magazine. Pantalony wrote a letter to the editor of XXL explaining the situation:

Dear Editor:

We were dismayed to see the cover of the May 2009 issue of XXL Magazine, which features a photo of Rick Ross wearing a pair of sunglasses prominently featuring counterfeit Louis Vuitton trademarks. Because the photo has generated considerable confusion among your readers and Louis Vuitton customers among others, we feel it is important to clarify several points.

The first is that the sunglasses Mr. Ross is wearing were not made by Louis Vuitton, and in fact, are counterfeit. Louis Vuitton did not grant permission to Mr. Ross or to whoever did make the sunglasses to use our trademarks. The second is that no affiliation, sponsorship or association exists between Rick Ross or XXL and Louis Vuitton. The third is that counterfeiting is illegal.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to correct the confusion.

Sincerely,

Michael D. Pantalony, Esq.
Louis Vuitton Malletier

Now Rick Ross’ camp is saying that they were customized by a jeweler in Miami, and is probably why the people from Louis Vuitton did not recognize the pair of sunglasses.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The game was close and Orlando had a nice lead heading into the 4th quarter. Big Baby had another big game scoring 22 points as the Boston Celtics rallied down 14 points to win game 5, 92-88. The series is now 3-2 Boston. The whole playoffs, Orlando has been giving up big leads and came out lucky with a few games but not so lucky with others. This was another game they lost after having a big lead in playoff game. One more win and Boston will head to the conference final versus the Cavaliers.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

  Jadakiss was at VILLA’s 40th and Lancaster locations this past Friday for an in-store appearance. He was signing autographs and in town for an event with Power 99 that night. The fans came and lined up for their once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Jadakiss. Many people came out and he did not leave until he signed an autograph for every that came to see him that day. Special thanks to Jadakiss, his team, and the crew at 40th and Lancaster holding it down.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yesterday was the 19th Annual Race For Cure. The race is put on to raise awareness for breast cancer research. Being on Mother’s Day, there were about 100,000 people that took part in the race and all the other activities that took place. There was also a big group of breast cancer survivors that were honored on Mother’s Day, at the race. It was a big success and hopefully, the Susan G. Komen Foundation continues to receive the much needed support to find a cure one day.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend had more playoff games in the NBA & NHL and other events.

NBA: The Nuggets took a commanding 3-0 lead in the series with the Dallas Mavericks after Carmelo Anthony hit a 3-point shot with less than 5 seconds in Saturday’s game. They are only one win away from the conference finals. The Rockets lost Yao Ming with a broken left foot this weekend, but were able to bounce back and tie the series with the Lakers 2-2, after Aaron Brooks stepped up for 34 points in game 4. Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are one win away from the conference finals as Lebron scored 47 in game three versus the Hawks on Saturday. Finally, Boston tied the series last night with a clutch, game-winner by Glen “Big Baby” Davis.

MLB: The Phillies lost two out of three this weekend versus the braves, but Cole Hamels was the winning pitcher for the Phillies on Friday. Some scores from Sunday included: D-Backs 10 – Nationals 8, Giants 7 – Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 5 – A’s 0, Rockies 3 – Marlins 2, Angels 4 – Royals 3, Mariners 5 – Twins 3, and Yankees 5 – Orioles 3.

NHL: The Pittsburgh Penguins took a 3-2 lead over the Capitals this weekend. The Red Wings also took a 3-2 lead in their series versus Anaheim Ducks.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, J.C. Romero, was handed the same suspension before the season started and now MLB All-Star, Manny Ramirez, was hit with the same suspension. The reason is the use of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport of baseball. It seems like the scandal will never go away either. Manny tested positive to a test, but says that it was due to medication prescribed by a doctor, and not from a steroid. The Dodgers star said in the statement. “He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility.” I don’t know Manny, you are a little bulk and have 533 career homeruns. He also mentioned that he has taken about 15 tests and passed them all, before this incident. What are your thoughts?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

For those that don’t know, Alfamega is one of the artists on T.I.’s label, Grand Hustle. Withe whole situation T.I. is in, word broke out earlier this week that Alfamega was an informant to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) when T.I. was actually caught. This was just a bad look for T.I.’s camp, especially that someone within the camp was the one who informed the DEA of what T.I. was doing. Fianlly, rapper T.I. broke out the silence and made his comments on the situation. T.I.’s biggest statement made was “There Is No Place At Grand Hustle For Dishonest Behavior.” This is crazy especially how rapper preach loyalty in their camps. T.I. is taking responsibility for his actions, but everyone was waiting for his comments.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The College Opportunity Resources for Education (CORE) scholarship program founded b Congress man Chaka Fattah will continue to be in existence for another year at least. The CORE Philly program which serves on going college students from Philadelphia High Schools was expected to end this Spring due to the inability to generate funds after being affected by the City’s budget cuts but yesterday Rep. Chaka Fattah announced that he secured a total of $1.45 million from two federal grants which will be able to continue the program for the next academic year. Both grants are believed to be generated from President Barack Obama economic stimulus spending plan. The Congressman also announced a few changes to the program among which Lawyer Sonte Reavis will now chair the program and also high school graduates going to state related college institutions will now be eligible for up to $2000 in funds instead of the previous $3000 both ongoing high school public and private universities were eligible for. Community college bound high school graduates are eligible for up to $500. Over 13,000 students have reportedly benefitted from the Core Philly Scholarship program since established in 2003 and the program has provided over $24 million in scholarship money to students for their educational needs.

By: Piayon Lassanah

President Obama is expected to name a replacement for the soon to be retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter within the next two weeks. Obama will be aided in the selection by a small group of experienced political advisors who will be gathering recommendations from members of Congress and will narrow the list down to the best possible replacement for Justice Souter. It is believed that Obama’s choice of a small group of advisors is to avoid a leak of information about the selection of a potential candidate, a situation which occurred during his cabinet position nominations soon after being elected to office as the media were already aware of most of his cabinet nominations before they were announced publicly. Among the list of possible candidates include Judge Sonia Sotomayor in the 2nd circuit of the appeals court who could be the first Latino in the Supreme Court and the third woman to serve in the court. Rumors are circulating that the president could name a female to the Supreme Court bench. Among other possible candidates includes Elena Keagan, the president solicitor and a former dean at Harvard Law School, Jennifer Granholm a Harvard Law School Graduate and current Governor of Michigan and Judge Diane Woods of the 7th Circuit in the U. S. Court of Appeals. It is believed that President Obama will fill at least two more vacancies in The Supreme Court before the end of his term.

Meanwhile outgoing Justice David Souter reflected upon his days of service in the Supreme Court yesterday in Philadelphia at a conference of judges from the tri-state area where he received applause from the crowd before and after his speech. He indicated the leak of his retirement news was unplanned and also urged legal professionals to take satisfaction in “something worth doing” and “try to do it well”. Last Friday, Justice Souter announced his retirement which is set to begin when the Supreme Court finishes in the summer.

By: Piayon Lassanah

The Denver Nuggets are a surprise team for this season. A lot of people didn’t think they would be playing so well together, but the addition of Chauncey Billups has been the key to the team’s success. Last night’s game versus the Dallas Mavericks was just another example of how well the team is playing. After winning game one, the Nuggets just played like they are the team to beat in the Western Conference of the NBA. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and Nene also dropped 25 points in the 117-105 victory for the Nuggets. The series is now 2-0 Denver. Do you think they have a shot in making it to the finals?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A recent concert held at Arizona’s Last Smash Platinum Bash made promoters lose close to $l million. Jay-Z was paid a $750,000 advance for the concert, but according to Sohh.com, ticket sales and merchandise only accounted for $503,502. The concert also featured Kelly Clarkson and Third Eye Blind (an odd line-up). The Associated Students of The University of Arizona helped put the event together through fund raising and other sources and the total cost of the event was $1.42 million, which turned out to be about a $917,000 loss. This is a great example of how the economy is hurting. Another part was due to the choice of line-up. Maybe some people just didn’t want to see all three acts together and it was not worth the money.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Rockets went into the Staples Center in Los Angeles and stole game 1 of the second round in the NBA Playoffs. Yao Ming scored 28 points and 10 rebounds, Ron Artest scored 21, and Aaron Brooks added 19 points in the 100-92 victory over the Lakers last night. Kobe scored 32, but the Lakers as a team only shot 2 for 18 from the 3-point line and their largest lead of the game was only 1 point. This win makes the series 1-0 Houston and gives them home court advantage in the series.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Reports on ESPN’s website is that the Cleveland Cavaliers are holding a press conference today at 4pm. The nature of the conference is not made specific but the reports are that the NBA will be announcing guard, Lebron James, as the 2008-2009 NBA MVP. Lebron was a major reason for this year’s success of the Cavaliers, especially being the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA Playoffs and only losing 2 games at home this season. Congrats to Lebron James and we’ll see how the playoffs turn out as the time goes. Next up for the Cavs are the Atlanta Hawks.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This past Saturday the well awaited second colorway for the Nike Air Yeezy released. Those that really wanted the pair camped out from Thursday to Saturday just to get their hands on them. Again, shout out to Kyle and Jeff who were the first two in line for the sneakers. The crowd was together like a little family the entire time. VILLA also provided pizza for those in line to show love and support for those waiting. There’s one pair left to release so stay tuned for more information on the last colorway.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The 30th Annual Broad Street run was held yesterday. A record 22,913 finished the race despite the rain. The race started at Central High School and ended at the Navy Yard (10 miles). Kenya’s Linus Maiyo and Jane Murage were the winners of the men’s and women’s division in the race. For their hard hustle, manager Lisa Buster treated both to a Philly cheesesteak and they both won a $1,500 check. Rain or shine, the race still was going to happen and it was a great turn out. Some of the members from VILLA participated as well in the big race. Congrats to everyone that was able to start and finish and those who just participated.

This weekend had a few NBA Playoff games and a big boxing bout.

NBA: The Bulls and Celtics series ended in a game 7 with the Celtics finally taking control and defeating the “Baby Bulls.” The Bulls had their chance, but some players were on and off throughout the series and the key players were not on when it was needed. Derrick Rose had an average game, but did not step up. The Celtics now head to Orlando for round 2. The Atlanta and Miami series ended in a game 7 and Atlanta won the series in a blowout 91-78 victory. Every game in the series ended up in a lopsided victory for the winner. Now for Atlanta, it is off to play a fierce Cleveland Cavaliers team. The Golden Nuggets of Denver started the second round like Jim Jones……Ballin’. Even though it was a close game, the bench stepped up. J.R. Smith, Nene, and Chris Andersen all played vital roles in the 109-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

MLB: Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford stole 6 bases in yesterday’s 5-3 win versus the Boston Red Sox. Some other scores from yesterday were: Reds 5 – Pirates 0, Blue Jays 4 – Orioles 3, Cubs 6 – Marlins 4, Royals 7 – Twins 5, Dodgers 7 – Padres 3, and Giants 1 – Rockies 0. The Phillies were rained out yesterday for the game versus the Mets.

Boxing: Well he was the favorite and won in the second round of the fight. Manny Pacquiao was set to tie history, being the second boxer in history to hold belts in six different divisions during his career and he did. Pacman was too much for Hatton and even knocked him down three times. Pacquiao won by T.K.O. in the second round to win the junior welterweight title. Next up is rumored to be either Miguel Cotto or a huge fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. The Mayweather option would be a huge money maker and potentially fight of the year if it can happen this year.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

I remember talking about Nas and Kelis expecting their baby and how happy the couple was turning out to become. Now I am writing an article about a divorce from the celebrity hip-hop couple. Rumors are that Kelis filed for divorce from husband Nas sometime late last week. This came from an argument between the two, says former XXL editor-in-chief Elliott Wilson on Angela Yee’s Shade 45 satellite radio show. This argument was concerning Nas cheating on Kelis with another woman, while Kelis is still pregnant with the couple’s baby. Wilson also mentioned that Kelis was tired of the physical and verbal abuse from Nas. No official word on how true this is, but it is a serious matter for the couple.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Wow! Who would have thought this series would go to 7 games? Who would have thought the BULLS would give Boston so much competition? Who would have thought that this series was going to have 4 overtime game? Last night the Chicago Bulls were on the brink of elimination but they were not going down. Derrick Rose scored 28 and John Salmons scored 35 for the Bulls. Ray Allen scored 51 for the Celtics. The crazy part is that the game went to three overtime periods before the Bulls could snatch a 128-127 victory over the Celtics and force a game seven to be played on Saturday. Who do you think will win the series?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With Eminem’s highly anticipated new album, Relapse, set to release on May 19, the album tracklist has been leaked on the internet. Now, it is not official, but looks official. There are rumored to be 20 tracks on Eminem’s new album including tracks with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent.

Check out the tracklist below:

01 Dr. West (Skit) 01:29
02 3am 05:20
03 My Mom 05:20
04 Insane 03:01
05 Bagpipes From Baghdad 04:43
06 Hello 04:08
07 Tonya (Skit) 00:43
08 Same Song & Dance 04:08
09 We Made You 04:30
10 Medicine Ball 03:57
11 Paul (Skit) 00:19
12 Stay Wide Awake 05:20
13 Old Time’s Sake f. Dr. Dre 04:35
14 Must Be The G**** 04:03
15 Mr. Mathers 00:42
16 Deja Vu 04:43
17 Beautiful 06:32
18 Crack A Bottle f. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent 04:58
19 Steve Berman (Skit) 01:29
20 Underground/Ken Kaniff 06:19

What do you think about Eminem’s new album? Do you think it will be a hot seller or will it flop?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Most NFL fans who are Comcast subscribers have been bothered by news that Comcast would no longer carry the NFL Network today May 1. Those concerns might have been eased as Comcast and the National Football League, which owns the network, began renegotiating a new deal as the previous contract ended yesterday and talks had reached a stalemate. The disagreement was over whether Comcast would carry the NFL Network Channel on its “general interest” channel package as the league would prefer but Comcast which has the network Channel in its sports package claims the network is too expensive to transmit and therefore charges $7 extra for its sports package in which the NFL Network is included.

The National Football League and Comcast are both believed to be engaged in promising discussions to reach a compromise as the NFL Network Channel continues to be available on Comcast. NFL Network is a true football fan favorite and it carries many programs which are not available on any other major sports network television. The NFL Network broadcasts the NFL Combine which allows fans to follow each aspiring NFL player going through each workout at the combine in Indianapolis and also broadcasts NFL from previous seasons which is a rarity among other major sports network television like ESPN or Comcast’s own sports channel. It’s good to see both sides come together to work out the differences after the prolonged disagreement and court case.

By: Piayon Lassanah

If you were not there, you missed out in the opportunity to meet and greet Jim Jones. Mr. Ballin’ himself was at VILLA’s Camden location this past Friday, April 24, signing autographs and greeting his fans. There were people waiting in line for a couple hours just to see Jim Jones. The event was a great success, so if you want to meet your favorite celebrity, stay current with VILLA.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It seems like the Bulls and Celtics love to play overtime games. Ray Allen fouled out the game and it was up to Paul Pierce to step up and be clutch to represent the big three in last night’s game versus the Bulls. Pierce hit a 15 foot jumper that sent the game into overtime, after the Bulls gave up the comfortable lead they had in the 4th quarter. Then in overtime, Paul Pierce hit another jumper with 3.4 seconds left to seal the deal and win the game 106-104. The series is now 3-2 Boston. This is the first series in NBA Playoffs to go to three overtime games.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Nike is making a special collaboration with influential hip-hop group De La Soul. To commemorate 20 years since the group’s debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, “ARE YOU IN?: Nike+ Original Run” will release. This album will have all new original material from the group, which hasn’t released an album with new material in about 5 years. It will also be the 5th release under the Nike+ Original Run series. The album will consist of tracks geared towards runners, but still appealing to the average hip-hop fan. This album is available exclusively through the Nike iTunes store.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Senator Arlen Specter who is a longstanding Republican senator from Pennsylvania announced his switch onto the Democratic Party yesterday in a move which came as a surprise to many since the senator was a prominent Republican leader and famous for his years of service in congress. Senator Specter cited his increasing “odds with the Republican Philosophy” as a reason for the switch and admitted some of his former Republican politicians might be disappointed in the announcement but principles were of most importance in his decision making. Senator Specter’s timing of the announcement ironically comes a year before he runs for re-election in the Democratic majority state of Pennsylvania and raises several questions among political pundits who believe he would have faced a tough re-election campaign. Luckily enough, the Senator has already secured the backing of two most prominent Democrats, Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Barack Obama in his bid for re-election on the Democrat ticket.

The announcement received mixed reviews across both parties as most Democrats especially senators welcomed Senator Specter with happiness but others remained skeptical and questioned the senator’s motives and voting patterns on key issues claiming that it would be important also for him to act as a “Democrat.” Among the Republicans, most were unhappy with the news since it meant a loss of a seat in the Senate which would give the Democrats more advantage as they will now have 59 votes, just one shy of the 60 required to stop a filibuster or delay in legislation which one side is opposed and the 60th vote can come from the still contested Minnesota race which Democrat Al Franken is leading. Other Republican politicians were somewhat excited according to the Republican National Committee Chairman Micheal Steele because Senator Specter was out of line with the rest of the party due to his “left wing voting record” but the chairman believes, however, that the senator switched sides “to further his personal political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record”. The appeal of this announcement will only increase as the opinions of different politicians, political analysts and the general public continues especially as the campaign for re-election kicks off.

By: Piayon Lassanah

According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, “Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza among pigs. Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans, however, human infections with swine flu do occur, and cases of human-to-human spread of swine flu viruses has been documented.” The reason being is that this past weekend, the epidemic that started in Mexico City, has now reached the U.S. In Mexico, 86 are already dead and there are 1,384 suspected cases. In the U.S., there are at least 20 confirmed cases of the outbreak in the states of New York, Texas, California, Kansas, and Ohio. Around the world; Canada, New Zealand, Spain, France, and Israel are reported to have cases. This flu is serious because it is deadly. There is a complete shutdown in Mexico City and anyone with plans to travel are being allowed to change travel plans with U.S. airlines. Reporters are saying that this has potential to get worse. What are your thoughts?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It can be a very painful process, but producer/rapper Pharrell recently went through laser surgery to remove all the tattoos on his arms. According to AllHipHop.com, “he was going to attempt to cultivate new skin cells and graft the new tissue over his tattoos.” The surgery was done at Wake Forest Institute in North Carolina for Regenerative Skin Treatment. It’s going to be different not seeing all the tattoos, but now he is really going to be on his grown man tip. I wonder if he will go after the won on the side of his neck next.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the NFL Draft and continuation on the NBA Playoffs.

NFL: The NFL Draft was not that exciting. The Lions signed Matthew Stafford to a 6-yr, $78 million dollar contract before the actual draft started. Also, almost $42 million is guaranteed. The Jets traded 3 players and two draft picks to Cleveland for the No. 5 pick where they drafted QB from USC, Mark Sanchez. The Eagles picked up wide receiver Jeremy Maclin from Missouri and running back LeSean McCoy from Pittsburgh. A sleeper they picked up was corner back Victor Harris. The Eagles were also able to pick up Ellis Hobbs from the Patriots in a trade.

NBA: The Cavaliers swept the Pistons on Sunday with a 99-78 win. The Bulls tied the series 2-2 with the Celtics after an exciting double-overtime 121-118 win on Sunday. The Mavs took a 3-1 lead over the Spurs despite Tony Parker scoring 43 points on Saturday night. The Hornets grabbed a needed win to make the series 2-1 with the Nuggets. The Magic tied the series with the 76ers last night with a near last second 3-point shot made by Hedo Turkoglu. Finally, the Rockets were able to hold off the Blazers in a 89-88 victory last night making the series 3-1.

NHL: Unfortunately the Flyers were eliminated this weekend from the playoffs, but Pittsburgh is still in the run. Also, the Capitals were able to tie the series with the Rangers 3-3.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!
By: Adrian Gonzalez

The NFL Draft has not begun but the overall No. 1 pick is basically set in stone. The Detroit Lions and quarterback Matthew Stafford have agreed on a 6 year deal worth $78 million. The Lions are coming off an 0-16 record, which is the worst in NFL history. This is a big investment and the quarterback position will not completely turn around this team. Stafford will be the first Georgia QB selected first overall. The draft is at 4pm today.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Temple University yesterday announced the approval of its tuition increase of about 2.9% for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, about two months earlier than previous announcements. Temple University, who’s main campus is in Philadelphia, is supported by the State of Pennsylvania and serves about 36,000 students. The 2.9% increase will result in an increase from $10,858 dollars to $11,174 dollars for in-state students and a $19,878 to $20,454 increase for out-of-state students as approved by the school Board of Trustees. School officials explained that the early notice was to enable parents to adequately prepare and plan for whichever means of financing their child/children’s education especially in the current economic downturn.

The school also announced its commitment to supporting its students with its decision to increase the financial aid budget by $21 million over the next three years to assist students paying for college. The financial aid budget increase will begin with $7 million within the first year and the remainder to be will be determined as the school spent a total of $65 million on financial aid last year.

By: Piayon Lassanah

The Utah Jazz had to win last night and it got really close at the end. The lead kept changing in the final minute until Deron Williams was able to make a jumper with 2.2 seconds left, which ended up being the game winner. Carlos Boozer had a big game scoring 23 points and grabbing 22 rebounds for the Jazz, including a facial on Pau Gasol. This 88-86 victory for the Jazz was crucial because a loss would have made the series 3-0 Lakers which would have made it almost impossible to come back and win the series. The series is now 2-1 Lakers and game 4 is on Saturday. Do you think the Jazz have a chance to come back?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yesterday, the Atlanta Falcons obtained Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez from the Kansas City Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs will get a second round draft pick. Gonzalez spent his career so far at Kansas City and has just about been the face of the football team. He is sad to go as he expressed on ESPN’s website saying “It will be sad to leave a city I love.” The NFL is a business and with the Draft this weekend, it is not a surprise it happened when it did. Tony will be a nice target for Matt Ryan.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Wow! Has anyone seen that new show on MTV called “The Phone.” It is produced by Justin Timberlake and it’s bananas. It is a competition between 2 teams (guy and girl on each) where different tasks have to be completed and as soon as the specific tasks is dubbed the “elimination” task, the first team not to succeed gets eliminated. Then the other team has to finish the rest of the tasks in order to win the accumulated money. The catch is that all the tasks and clues are given through a Verizon wireless phone from the host. It’s like watching a movie! It is exciting and well worth the time watching. Can’t wait for the rest of the season.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Chauncey Billups is the main reason the Denver Nuggets were able to end up as the No. 2 seed coming into the playoffs. He really helped turn around the team. Game 1 was spectacular for the point guard and so was game two. Chauncey scored 31 points in the 108-93 rout of the New Orleans Hornets. David West had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets but it was not enough to take down the emerging Nuggets team. The Nuggets now lead the series 2-0 and are headed to New Orleans for game 3.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

D-Wade was not going to let another blowout by the hands of the Atlanta Hawks strike twice. He dropped 13 straight points towards the end of the first half and ended up with 33 points at the end of the night. Mike Biddy had 18 and Josh Smith had 17 for the Atlanta Hawks. The final score was Miami 108-93. The series is now tied 1-1 and head to Miami. Oh yea……that is rapper T.I. in the picture.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Today is April 22, 2009! This is also known as Earth Day 2009. Schools and organizations worldwide usually take some time out of their day to focus on doing something positive for their community and even more importantly, the Earth. An increasingly important issue that the world is facing is the huge amounts of garbage that is pilling up in our oceans. The Philadelphia Metro newspaper has a sub-title to one article from today’s paper that says “Our oceans are covered in patches of garbage as big as a continent.” So on this Earth Day 2009, do something for the Earth. Whether if it is picking something up and tossing it in the trash or going to a local park and help cleaning it up, every little move counts.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Philadelphia Eagles will look somewhat different next season after all the changes they made during this off season. The latest talk is that bringing in a big name receiver is possible for the Birds. Arizona is willing to deal Anquan Boldin and Chad Johnson wants out of Cincinnatti. With the draft this weekend, will the Eagles deal away any of their many draft picks to pick up one of thee receivers or will they just blow it again?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Rick Ross’ new album, “Deeper Than Rap” officially dropped yesterday in what was well awaited. This is so because of his current, but on-going beef with rapper 50 Cent. After the beginning of the beef, 50 Cent said he was trying to ruin Ross’ career. 50 Cent is definitely trying hard, if anyone is keeping up with the beef, you know what I am talking about. The new album has many features including: Lil Wayne, Kanye West, T-Pain, John Legend, and more. Ja Rule, who had beef with 50 cent before, is on the remix of Mafia Music, a diss track for 50 Cent. Time will tell how sales of this album will be impacted due to the beef with 50 Cent. What do you think?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the start of the NBA Playoffs.

NBA: Saturday was the start of the playoffs. Derrick Rose scored 36 points and the Bulls stunned the Celtics in game 1 by the score of 105-103 in overtime. Lebron and the Cavs crushed the Pistons by the score of 102-84. Yao Ming played a perfect game and scored 24 points as the Rockets demolished the Trailblazers 108-81. Josh Howard led the Mavericks past the Spurs 105-87. Sunday was the second batch of games. The Lakers proved how solid they are as they defeated the Utah Jazz 113-100. The 76ers stunned Orlando in a 100-98 victory with a jumper made by Iggy with 2.2 seconds left in the game. The Atlanta Hawks shocked most people in the score that they beat the Heat by, 90-64…yeah that is crazy! Finally, Denver knocked off the Hornets 113-84. It was a great start to the playoffs.

MLB: The Phillies started the season slow but they got a big win on Sunday as outfielder Raul Ibanez hit a game winning 2 run homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning to lead the Phillies over the Padres 5-4. The Yankees were smoked on Saturday by the score of 22-4. The Marlins came from behind to defeat the Nationals 7-4 and now have an 11-1 record for the season.

NFL: Next weekend is the NFL Draft and a big surprise is the talks about Seattle possibly drafting USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. We’ll just have to wait and see if it will actually happen.

NHL: The Flyers bounced back from an 0-2 start in the series to defeat the Penguins 6-3 on Sunday and make the series 2-1 Pittsburgh. ESPN analysts are saying that the Flyers are right back in the series and have shifted the momentum. Time will only tell and the perfect game to prove this is game 4 in Philly on Tuesday.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Twitter has become the latest trend in social media that is available on the internet. It is a site where members can leave messages and other members who follow, get messages of what the person is doing. As a friendly competition, mass media giant CNN and celebrity Aston Kutcher battled to see who would be the first member to have 1 million followers. Early Friday morning, Kutcher reached the million, a half an hour before CNN did. As part of the contest, Kutcher decided to donate $100,000 to the “Malaria No More” fund (Kutcher and CNN would have donated 10,000 mosquito bed nets for charity if they would have won). This just shows the craze over Twitter and the many creative ways one can get with social media.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Watches are a must have accessory men and women. So, why not have a hot and stylish watch that represents your swagger. Casio G-shock watches have been on the scene for some time, and VILLA has the hottest G-Shock watches for you. There are a few colorways available, such as pink, black/lime, black/orange, all red, and white. If you like what you see, then call up your nearest VILLA location to find out which stores are still in stock.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Michael Hayden the former CIA head under President Bush Administration criticized President Obama over the release of interrogation tactics of terror suspect detainees during former President Bush administration. By releasing documents of the interrogation methods which detailed acts such as slamming the suspects against walls, keeping them awake for long hours, slapping them and using waterboard or simulated drowning tactics, Hayden claimed the president compromised national security. President Obama ordered the shut down of all CIA secret prisons which were being used to torture suspects and his administration released nine memos from former president Bush Administration last month and recently declared that the CIA officers who used such tactics will not be persecuted for the painful interrogation of the suspects.

The President stated that those tactics “undermined our moral authority and so not make us safer” and along with most human rights officials believes that they are a form of torture and in violation of the detainee’s rights. Hayden in contrast believed that the interrogation tactics used is not torture and was actually valuable in getting suspected terrorist to reveal information which made the country safer. The President also asserted that most of the information released in the memos was already public and withholding the memos will only deny the public facts already in public domain. The debate over “harsh” interrogation techniques will continue as there is an ongoing American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against the government which aims to examine the treatment of prisoners through the use of the Freedom of Information Act.

By: Piayon Lassanah

In the next couple days Philadelphia Mayor, Michael Nutter, will sign a law that will ban drivers, skateboarders, and bicyclers from using handheld devices (most importantly cell phones) while commuting. This has been an ongoing problem in the city that has led to dangerous accidents and even deaths. A lot of people use their cell phones will driving which does have an effect on how one drives and its surroundings. Many will be opposed to this band but it is what the city needs to do in order to crack down on this serious issue. When signed, according to Philly.com, the law will put fines to first-time offenders of $150; a second offense draws a $300 fine. Be careful out there!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well it is official! Diddy has let Aubrey, D. Woods, and Shannon out their contracts from Danity Kane. They went from having two No. 1 albums to a dismantled group. The most shocking move was when he let Dawn and Aundrea the fate of Danity Kane. Diddy ended up letting Aundrea out her contract as well, leaving Dawn as the only member of Danity Kane, if he decides to keep on with the group. It is sad but it is a business. Diddy, I’m not mad at you. This is a business and when you invest so much money into something, you do not want people messing with your money.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yes, we are talking playoffs…NBA playoffs! Tomorrow is the beginning of the 2009 NBA Playoffs. The match-ups are as followed: Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics, Detroit at Cleveland, Dallas at San Antonio, and Houston at Portland on Saturday for game 1. On Sunday: Utah at LA Lakers, New Orleans at Denver, Philadelphia at Orlando, and Miami at Atlanta for game 1. This is going to be very interesting to see especially Miami at Atlanta and Houston at Portland. Who do you think will take it all? Will Garnett missing the playoffs affect the Celtics a whole lot? Well have to just wait and see.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Somalia pirates struck once again, this time attacking the Unite States owned Cargo Liberty Sun, which was en-route to Mombasa, Kenya to deliver American food aid to the continent. Luckily this time the pirates were unsuccessful in their attack as they were unable to get onto the cargo ship after firing rounds of rocket-propelled grenades and other automatic weapons at the ship. The Liberty sun was later rescued by United States Navy in the area and is currently being escorted by American Battleship the U.S.S Bainbridge which also partook in the successful rescue of Captain Phillips on Sunday after he was held hostage for several days by another group of pirates last Wednesday. Representatives from the company which owns the Liberty Sun vessel said the vessel had delivered food aid last week to the Sudanese port and was heading to Kenya when the attacks occurred.

The Attack comes in wake of series of other attacks recently as early Tuesday and Monday and the pirates are believed to be in retaliation for what happened on Sunday when Navy Seals shot and killed three of their own after they held an American cargo captain Richard Phillips hostage. On Monday pirates attacked and captured two Egyptian ships carrying between 18- 24 passengers according to the Egyptian government and early Tuesday Somalia pirates captured a 35,000-ton Greek-owned bulk carrier the MV Irene, luckily the crew were unharmed but were warned to stay away from the area. The Pirates also captured a Lebanese owned vessel the MV Sea Horse. U.S Combined Task Force 151 and NATO Operation Allied Protector are believed to be patrolling the area for safety.

By: Piayon Lassanah

The popular movie about the Notorious B.I.G, that released back in January of this year, will finally be available for purchase on Blue Ray and DVD on Tuesday, April 21. The biopic about arguably the best rapper ever, follows the life of Biggy Smalls up to the point in his life when he was murdered. A lot of fans came out to see the movies its first weekend as the movie racked up $21.5 million the three day weekend. If you were not able to see it when it released now is your chance to do so.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It looks like Isiah Thomas has found another gig. Thomas is trying to get away from the legal and personal troubles that he encountered while working for the New York Knicks and now he is headed to Florida. Reports say that he has accepted the head coaching position for Florida International University (FIU). The position became vacant this past Monday. The school is located in Miami, Florida and has 38,000 students enrolled. This is an interesting move from NBA to the Sun Belt Conference in the NCAA. Also, this conference only sends at most 2 teams to the NCAA tournament every year. It will be good to see him out of New York and actually seeing him work in public.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The long-time voice behind the Philadelphia Phillies clubhouse has past away. Harry Kalas has been the voice and broadcaster of the Phillies since 1971. He had a distinctive voice and know for his its ‘Outta here!’ call, that many try to impersonate. “We lost our voice today,” team president David Montgomery, describes this sad time in the city of Philadelphia. Kalas was able to call the last pitch before the Phillies won the World Series last season. Harry Kalas was found collapsed in the broadcast booth, by the director of broadcasting at 12:30pm today just before the series opener versus the Washington Nationals, that is currently being played in Washington. Harry Kalas is gone but his legacy will stay in the city forver. He died at the age of 73.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the end of the NHL regular season and almost end of NBA regular season.

MLB: The Phillies bounced back from a bad loss on Friday to win Saturday and yesterday versus the Colorado Rockies. The Yankees new ace, CC Sabathia was able to recover from his bad first lost to win his first game as a Yank on Saturday. Some scores from Sunday were: Reds 2 – Pirates 0, Tigers 6 – Rangers 4, Marlins 2 – Mets 1, Indians 8 – Blue Jays 4, and Braves 8 – Nationals 5.

NBA: The Cavs are on such a tear in the league that they will kick themselves at the end of the regular season if they finish with 1 or at most 2 home losses. They could have had a perfect home record this year. Yesterday, they breezed past the Celtics 107-76. Other games included: Hornets 102 – Mavs 92, Raptors 111 – 76ers 104, Miami 122 – Knicks 105. The end of the regular season if almost here and that means playoffs!

NHL: The regular season is over and playoffs are ready to begin. In the Eastern Conference: Bruins will play the Canadians, Capitals will play Rangers, Devils will play Hurricanes, and Penguins will play the Flyers. In the Western Conference: Sharks will play the Ducks, Red Wings will play Blue Jackets, Canucks will play Blues, and Blackhawks will play Flames.

Other: Angel Cabrera won the Master’s and Nick Diaz defeat Frank Shamrock in Strikeforce.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

These four hip-hop and r&b artists are all investing in similar, but new business ventures…….fragrances. Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye all got fragrance deals when Iconic Fragrances, LLC signed the deal with Parlux. In rough economic times like the current, Parlux CEO Neil J. Katz says that having celebrity appeals to its fragrances will definitely help boost sales. Common partnered with Diesel clothing brand to launch his new cologne. It is mentioned that the title of Common’s cologne will be called “Only The Brave.” This is great and I wonder if some type of friendly competition will arise from these artists in a new industry.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After being held hostage for four days by Somalia Pirates of the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean, Captain Phillips was successfully rescued by U.S Navy Seals yesterday. Captain Richard Phillips and his 19-member crew on the Maersk Alabama cargo were attacked by four pirates on Wednesday while transporting goods to Somalia and in fear of the safety of his crew members Captain Phillips offered himself to be taken as hostage by the pirates. The Pirates then took the Captain in a smaller covered lifeboat and held him as ransom. The Pirates then began negotiations with the Navy and Federal Bureau Investigation officials from the United States and threatened to kill the captain if their demands weren’t met.

Negotiations began between the Pirates, Somalia Elders and FBI officials but reached a stalemate and at one point Captain Phillips even jumped into the ocean in an attempt to escape but was later recaptured by the pirates. Later on the weekend after the pirates apparently began running out of fuel, water, and food supplies they agreed for those items to be transported to them and for one of them to be given medical attention after wounding himself being injuring in the attack on the Captain’s boat at which point Navy Seals gained the leverage sought and moved in on the lifeboat. Later when Navy Seals personnel saw an AK-47 pointed at the Captain’s from through a small window of the lifeboat and feared his life was in danger, Seal snipers from the nearby Navy warship the Bainbridge then fired simultaneously at the pirate with the AK-47 pointed at the captain’s back and two other pirates who had their head out of the rear hatch in the lifeboat. All three pirates died and amazingly the Captain was rescued unharmed. The final pirate who was seeking medical treatment was captured and could face criminal prosecution. Captain Phillips is safely in the hands of navy officials and is expected back in the United States soon.

By: Piayon Lassanah

As you may probably know by now, all the hype over the first Nike Air Yeezy’s was huge and expected. The sneakers are just about sold out everywhere they were sold, including NikeStore’s website. Plenty are available on Ebay at much higher prices if you still need a pair though. With the first pair already released, what do you expect to happen with the black and pink pair, which is next to release? How long will customers stay in line? What are your thoughts?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It was months back when Temple University Health System decided that it would make Northeastern Hospital an outpatient facility and stop running as an impatient facility. This decision was made due to a $6.6 million deficit in fiscal year 2008, and a projected $15 million deficit this fiscal year. The services mentioned Northeastern Hospital would be offering include prenatal care, lab work and radiology services. This could possibly eliminate 800 jobs. Temple’s health system has announced a 30 day reprieve where officials will further discuss the plans to convert Northeastern into the outpatient facility and open July 1. Whatever is finally decided on will make a big impact on the employees at Northeastern and the surrounding Port Richmond community.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It seems like reality TV shows are not getting hurt that bad that one network is even making a show about laying off employees. Fox network has come up with a reality show called “Someone’s Gotta Go.” The basis of the show is that each week a different small company (15 to 20 employees) will be featured in an episode where an employee will ultimately be laid off. The catch though is that it is not the boss choosing who gets laid off, it is the employees of the company. Other television networks, such as ABC, are opposing this idea because of the severity of the type of situation, since it has affected many already due to economic times. Fox is saying that the laid off employee will receive some type of severance. The show is currently in production and Fox has not yet revealed when Someone’s Gotta Go will air.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Tragedy struck the Los Angeles Angels clubhouse Thursday as 22-year old pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others were killed by a suspected drunk driver. The rookie who overcame elbow-surgery was finally living his childhood dreams this season playing Major League Baseball for the Angels. He even pitched on Wednesday and threw for six scoreless innings with his father watching at the stadium against Oakland. Adenhart was a passenger in a Mitsubishi Eclipse when a minivan ran a red light and hit them at 12:30am Thursday. The driver of the minivan, Andrew Thomas Gallo, tried to flee the scene but police were able to get him. This is just some advice to everyone, drinking and driving is serious and dangerous and do not mix well.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, the day came and went pretty fast. There were two guys that waited in line from Thursday night at VILLA on 52nd Street just to get their hands on this exclusive Nike x Kanye West collabo. It was raining one day and very windy on the actual release day, but there were people that did not care. If you missed out on getting a pair, the next release in the Nike Air Yeezy series releases early May. Keep checking the website for the latest info. on the next Yeezy to release.

Jay-Z was spotted at Pastis wearing these navy blue sneakers last week. The tongue has a noticeable “R” on it. There has been many rumors that this is the sneaker version of the Roc Climber (Jay-Z’s boot that released towards the end of last year). They look hot, but there is currently no word on when these will be releasing. What do you think about this unknown sneaker Jay-Z is wearing?

It was made official on Monday! The man, the myth, the legend himself, Michael Jordan, will be entering the NBA Hall of Fame this year. It will be very tough for anyone to emulate what M.J. has been able to do throughout his life, on and off the court. Many fans thought that once he finished his career (the actual last year) that he should have been inducted then and there, or even be inducted all by himself and no one else. To join him in the ceremony to be held on September 10-12 will be John Stockton, David Robinson, Jerry Sloan, and C. Vivian Stringer. Congrats go to the Class of 2009.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well I think it is alright to say that Eminem is officially back. He has had a single on the radio for a some time now, “Crack A Bottle”, but now has a new single and video. Eminem’s newest single is called “We Made You” and it just shows the old Eminem at his best again. In the video, he takes several jabs at different celebrities such as Jessica Simpson, Tony Romo, Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Star Trek, Ellen DeGeneres and even Sarah Palin. The video is hilarious so you should definitely YouTube the video. His album, “Relapse”, will be very interesting being that Eminem has been away from the game for several years.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Drexel University President Constantine Papadakis died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital after a long battle with cancer and pneumonia. “Taki” as he was called by love ones was in his 13th year as Drexel’s president and died with his wife and daughter by his bedside. The University plans on having a memorial in early May on the school West Philadelphia campus and has a photo gallery of the life and times of Papadakis on the school’s website that dates back to his childhood days.
Papadakis who is of Greek descent began as Drexel’s President in 1995 after serving as the Colorado State University chairman of Engineering Department. He is acknowledged as the transformer of the university which increased admissions, added a new law and medical school, experienced significant improvements in the campus setting and lifestyle and was currently considering a West Coast campus expansion in California under his tenure. Among the mourners include Drexel’s 20,700 student body, 7,300 staff members, Mayor Michael Nutter, school trustees and alumni’s, ex mayor John Street, presidents of other universities and many other friends and families.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This past Saturday (April 4, 2009) was the city-wide clean-up day in the city of Philadelphia. Many organizations and businesses came out to various parks, playgrounds, and neighborhoods to help make the city look better. Mayor Nutter even came out to distribute the blue recycling bins to homes in different ares of the city. It was just a positive day where many came together as one for a common goal, which was helping our community. VILLA was present a few clean-ups including one at Clemente Playground on 18th & Wallace.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, the favorite did it! North Carolina defeated the underdog Michigan State is a easy manner. Ever since Ty Lawson retured to the team, it just got refueled with energy to go hard for the National Championship. When Ty Lawson, Wayne Elington, Danny Green and Tyler Hansbrough declared they would be back for another season, it was sensed that they were coming for the same reason…….to win a title. Last night, Michigan State could not use home court to their advantage. UNC was too focused to win and took the title in a 89-72 victory. They were able to shut down their critics with this win. Wayne Elington was namde Final Four MVP.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

AT&T landline employees union will continue work today without a new contract despite several threats of an impending strike if the workers proposals are not met as contract issues are still being worked out in hope that an agreement will be reached soon during the talks in Austin, Texas. Five of AT&T original six contracts expired Saturday night and workers have complained that AT&T wants to shift healthcare cost to employees and retirees despite earning about $12.9 billion in profits last year alone. Employees claim the company wants to increase premiums and co-pays while denying coverage to retirees. AT&T representatives claim the company currently pays about $5.5 million to help subsidize healthcare cost and would need to reduce the amount to remain competitive but union representatives are claiming the increase in premiums could be as high as $7000 for some employees which could place a financial burden on those employees.

Along with health care, another issue of contention is pension plans and union representatives are claiming that the company wants to alter the pension plans of current employees and eliminate the plan of new employees and that current wage offerings will be taking a step backwards for employees. It is interesting to watch the story unravel and hopefully both sides can work a compromise where both sides will be comfortable.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This has been an interesting topic to discuss ever since rapper Nas came out with his track “Hip-Hop Is Dead.” Soulja Boy even made some remarks about it, trying to diss Nas. Well if you look at the actual fresh and good talent that is out now like Wale, Kid Cudi, Charles Hamilton, Curren$y, and B.o.B, a lot of people may have a legitimate reason to argue. All of these new artists have mixtapes out, videos produced, and hot tracks that have been on the radio. Even though there are some artists that feel that they can just put a quick track together and say it is real hip-hop, other artists are true and do what it takes to prove they are legit. As far as Soulja Boy goes, he has about three tracks on the radio now and is making money even if some might hate. Well it is just a topic for discussion and really has two legit arguments to go by.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This Air Jordan Retro 12 will be the first “true” retro Jordan sneaker that will be releasing for 2009. When I say true, I mean true in a sense that there was no major tweaking to this sneaker from the original release in 2003. The colorway is black and university blue, which looks real sharp in all the pictures floating around the web. There was a lot of pandemonium when they first released because they were only available online and thousands if not millions of people were trying to log on to the server to try and purchase them at Jumpman23 at the time. This Nubuck pair is set to release May 2009 so be on the look out for them.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the start of the 2009 MLB season and the Final Four in college basketball.

College Basketball: Well the National Championship game is set for tonight. Michigan State gave it to UCONN on Saturday to upset them and earn a spot in tonight’s National Championship Game. North Carolina’s scrappy game helped them beat Villanova to earn the second spot in the title game. UNC and Michigan State met each other earlier in the season which ended in a blow-out win by UNC. Michigan State is a whole other team now and has a chance to take the title at home.

MLB: Last night was Opening Night in Major League Baseball. The San Francisco Giants defeated the LA Dodgers 3-1, in the last Spring Training game of the season. Also, the Atlanta Braves defeated the reigning World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies 4-1. Tonight there are many games on schedule, with a few afternoon games.

NBA: Lebron James helped his Cavs get away from the team’s first three game losing streak by the hand of San Antonio as he scored 38 points in 101-81 victory over the Spurs yesterday. The Mavericks gave the Suns a hard blow as they won 140-116. With only a few games left in the season, the Suns need to win and keep winning unless they will end up missing the playoffs by a game or two. The 76ers earned a playoff berth with a come from behind victory over the Pistons on Saturday. Even though the Knicks were eliminated from playoff contentions, they beat the Raptors 112-103 on Sunday.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well the line has started! If you are looking to purchase the Nike Air Yeezy’s, I suggest after you read this to leave and start camping out at VILLA’s 52nd street location. These two gentleman (Kyle and Jeff) were the first two in line as of 9pm last night. Now that the line has begun it is your turn to get out there before the line gets crazy and you miss out on the opportunity.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Reports reveal that Goggle is currently in talks to take over the social networking site Twitter for about $1 billion. The social networking site Twitter has gained popularity recently and is being used by many athletes, musicians and other famous individuals to keep fans updated with certain events taking place in their lifestyles. Twitter rise to popularity has taken some spotlight away from the number one social networking site Facebook which ironically attempted to purchase Twitter a few months ago for half a billion dollars. Twitter holds a major advantage in the search engine game over the popularly used goggle search engine and there were talks about collaborating both sites as most believe Twitters ability to provide up-to-date real time information doing searches poses a threat to Goggle’s search engine but Twitter is somewhat inferior to Goggle in terms of providing search information about stock prices, movie times, or a Wikipedia page which is why a merger will makes sense.

Twitter’s owners Evan Williams and Biz Stone had previously sold Blogger to Goggle five years ago and if the deal actually goes through Twitter will become a subsidiary of Goggle which poses a threat to other internet Giants like Yahoo and Microsoft.

By: Piayon Lassanah

For those that may not know, rapper Kanye West has his own personal blog titled “Kanye University.” Thousands of people follow the blog daily, in which furniture, music, women, and architecture, and fashion are the main topics of the blog. When it first started Kanye denied having “Ghost Bloggers”, others blogging for him. Apparently, he has now come out to say that he has hired 2 employees to clog about whatever he tells them to blog about. Kanye does blog himself, but not as much as his ghost bloggers do. He says the success to blogging lies behind having a camera, email access, and two staffers at all times.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well the saga in Denver has come to an end for Jay Cutler. after his name was mentioned in a possible trade when free-agency opened, everything just went sour from their for the young quarterback. It was finally made official that the Denver Broncos would trade him and they sent him to the Chicago bears. In the trade, Denver sent Jay Cutler in exchange for Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton and a 2009 and 2010 first-round draft pick. this is going to be very interesting as Denver will be led by someone else who if probably not as good as Cutler was for them. Chicago will enjoy this trade, even thought they gave up two first-round draft picks. From here it just will lead to the beginning of the next season and see which team end better off.

Well, he slept on it and decided to leave Memphis and head to Kentucky. Coach John Calipari is known for his recruiting skills and that is what Kentucky was looking for. He also has is a great overall coach who knows how to win games. Calipari has not coached in a major conference before (A10 and C-USA) and is now going to a major conference in the SEC. This will have an effect on recruits that were deciding to go to Memphis because of Coach Calipari and the recruits who will then decide to come to Kentucky. It will be interesting to see how Memphis turns out next season losing Calipari and Tyreke Evans who will opt to enter the NBA draft this summer.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It has been a while since Mike Jones has been really hitting the rap scene. A lot of people may be wondering what happen to him. Well, he was losing a lot of weight! A lot of people are skeptical if the so called “Subway” diet actually works, and in an interview with Baller Status, he mentions that it was a big part of him losing weight. Jones was weighing almost 300 pounds at one point and with the help of eating Subway, watching what he ate, and running on a treadmill, he was able to lose about 100 pounds and is currently weighing 190 pounds. This is just a testimonial of what hard work and determination can do for people.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A computer worm Conficker.c, has created fear among internet users as news began spreading of a possible global attack on computers similar to the global fear of the of the Millennium bug? Conficker as popularly known among internet experts is believed to have already infected between 5-10 million computers currently causing several problems, but today supposedly a master computer which controls the worm will take over the infected laptops causing harm. Many individuals including myself are hoping this is just another April fool’s joke and that the story will be long gone in no time but others believe that the worm has the ability to shut down websites, delete files, collect passwords, bank account or other personal information from their computer and even convince some web users to purchase fake products and software from online.

Conficker is believed to trap itself in one’s computer and prevent windows from downloading software or performing automatic updates to help eliminate the problem, so users who haven’t had windows update preferably in March of this year might be at risk. Microsoft has also issue a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the creator of the worm. The worm can however be eliminated by downloading one of the following removal programs online at http://download.cnet.com/1770-20_4-0.html?query=conficker&searchtype=downloads&tag=mncol;txt .

By: Piayon Lassanah

Mayor Michael Nutter and Governor Ed Rendell yesterday named three new appointees to the Philadelphia School Reform Commission. News of the appointment came at the High School of the future in West Philadelphia where it was announced that Robert L. Archie Jr. of Duane Morris L. L. P, Johnny Irizarry director of the Center for Hispanic Excellence at University of Pennsylvania and Joseph Dworetzsky of Hangley Aronchick Segal & Pudlin were Nominated to the School Reform Commission. Both Mr. Archie Jr. and Mr. Irizarry were nominated by Mayor Nutter to four year terms and will be sworn in on April 8th at the next reform commission meeting, while Mr. Dworetzky was nominated to a five year term by Governor Rendell and will be sworn in after state approval. Rendell as Governor is responsible for appointing the Chairperson of the commission and named Robert L. Archie Jr. as chairman.

Also among the appointees include Heidi Ramirez who was reappointed to a five year term after joining the commission last year to replace the resigned James Navels and is currently the director of the Urban Education Collaborative at Temple University. Governor Rendell also nominated the Former chairwoman of the commission Sandra Dungee to the State Board of Education. The School Reform Commission was established in 2001 after the state takeover of the district which serves about 167,000 students and has made strides in academic performance as students scoring proficient doubled from 24 to 45 percent in reading and from 20 to 49 percent in math.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This weekend has some great Elite 8 basketball games.

College Basketball: This weekend was full of great games in college basketball. It was the Elite 8 in action and only 4 teams would survive. On Saturday, UCONN defeated Missouri with the help of Kendra Walker, by the score of 82-75. Then, Villanova defeated Pittsburgh in a crazy game then ended in favor of the Wildcats, 78-76. Sunday’s first game was wild, as Michigan State defeated the overall No. 1 seed Louisville 64-52. Finally, Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin was not enough for the Tar Heels, as North Carolina defeated Oklahoma 72-60. The Final Four match-up is set and will definitely be great to see.

NBA: Lebron James is just continuing his successful year individually as well as with his team. Yesterday, the Cavs won their 12th straight game as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 102-74. Cleveland is now 60-13 for the season. In other games this weekend: Bulls 112-Indiana 106, Detroit 98-Washington 96, Charlotte 96 – New York 85, Miami 102-Milwaukee 85, and Houston 110- LA Clippers 93. Also, Gilbert Arenas made his season debut on Saturday after suffering from an injury.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, T.I.’s 45 days of redemption are over as he was finally sentenced in his case of trying to purchase illegal firearms. Originally, Clifford Harrison aka T.I., was suppose to do 20 years, but in a plea agreement, in which he would serve 1,500 hours of community service, the judge allowed to reduce the sentence. Also, with good behavior, 15% of his sentence now may be taken away. This case really turned T.I. into a more mature young man and more of a leader in the hip-hop world. This past year was probably one if not the most effective year for the rapper, as he dropped a great album (Paper Trail) and his clothing line Akoo. It is going to be weird without him around but he has to face the consequences. Now he is due 1 year and 1 day in prison.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

There has been a lot of recent controversy on the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), in city hall. Mayor Nutter is arguing that some council members are allowed to opt for the retirement plan, receive their lump sums, and still return to serve in city council. In fact, a member could retire for one day, collect their money, and then comeback to serve in city hall. Nutter is also arguing that this program is not for elected officials. Thirteen elected officials have already collected or will take a total of $4.6 million through the plan, home by 2012. This includes $2.1 million from council members: Verna($571,679), Tasco ($467,566), Frank DiCicco($392,194), Jack Kelly($299,163), Donna Reed Miller($190,099) and Frank Rizzo($189,873). This is just sad that these supposed council members who are working to help the issues with finances in the city are there and taking all that money and still being able to work to get more money. Hopefully, justice is made.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A lot of you are probably wondering what is on Jay-Z’s feet? Well, these are an interesting, unique pair of boots that Jay-Z has been spotted wearing. These are a pair of American, hand made boots that were actually made in the state of Pennsylvania. A lot of people are wondering what company makes these and when will they be released because they look hot. So stay tuned with VILLA for an update and closer look on these Jay-Z, American made boots.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Shame on you if you missed the in-store appearance of Bow Wow at VILLA this past Monday! VILLA’s Chelten store was the secret location and you would have known if you were a member the VIP sign-up list. The line started early as hundreds of fans came to see Bow Wow in person during his promo tour. As you can see in the pictures, the store was filled with screaming fans. Pooch, IZZO, and DJ Touchtone from 100.3 The Beat were on site helping to host the event as well. Bow Wow had a question and answer session and he even performed a couple tracks. Even leaving his tour bus was almost mobbed with his fans. Overall, it was a great event and just shows how VILLA does it for YOU, our customers.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After the start and halftime score, it looked like the only way Memphis could come from behind is everyone playing stronger defense and straight up scoring. Missouri was up by 13 at the half and looked on its way to the elite 8. When the lead was up to 24 points it just got worse for Tyreke Evans and the Memphis Tigers. Missouri’s J.T. Tiller scored 23 points as the battle of the tigers went Missouri’s way and in doing so ended the 27-game winning streak for Memphis. The final score was 102-91. Tyreke, you are not ready for the NBA, please to not leave college!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Teenagers who were sentenced by a corrupt judge received good news as they were cleared of their convictions by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. After investigations, the state Supreme Court ruled, judge Mark Ciavarella failed to ensure that the teenagers appearing before him were properly represented hereby violating their constitutional rights. Under the law of Pennsylvania a person under 17 may not waive their right to a lawyer unless the decision is “knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily”. The teenagers records were expunged because of their poor or lack of proper representation according to the state Supreme Court.

Another significant issue is that judge Ciavarella of Luzerne County Pennsylvania was convicted last month after pleading guilty to agreeing to send children to two private youth detention centers in the state for financial gain. Judge Ciavarella and an accomplice senior juvenile judge Michael Conahan pleaded guilty and admitted receiving about $2.6 million from the builder and co-owner of the private detention center and were in agreement to keep a steady flow of children to these detention centers. Both judges will serve 87 months in prison as part of their plea agreement and will lose both their seats as judges and their bar license. The harsh nature and severity of Ciaverella rulings included the conviction of a 15 year old to a wilderness camp for mocking an assistant principal on Myspace, placed a 13 year old in boot camp for two weekends for trespassing a vacant building, and also sentenced another 17 year old to detention and five months of boot camp for helping a friend steal Dvds at Wal-Mart.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Robert Tracey Jr., a former firefighter was arrested and charged in connection with the arson attacks which created havoc for the residents of Coatesville in earlier in the year. Robert Tracey Jr. was awarded the Officer of Year title in 2004 and had just received a promotion in Coatesville West End Fire Company but was arrested yesterday on his 37th birthday. Tracey Jr is charged with starting the fires which occurred on the 100 block of Hope Avenue just before midnight and the other on the 600 block of Madison Street, which is only blocks away from residence and his bail is currently set at $2 million.

Tracey Jr. who is married with five children, was recently hired by the City fire department on a part-time basis only a month ago and both houses in which he is being accused of setting ablaze were being occupied by residents but luckily no one was harm due to the quick response of those occupants.

By: Piayon Lassanah

The King of Auto-Tune is being sued and for a lot of money. Apparently, T-Pain had cancelled a major concert he was supposed to be at last month in Guayana. The promoters of the event (Hits and Jams) said that Pain was being a pain and making crazy demands such as a private jet, FBI protection, and a phone call with the country’s president. This all came from a supposed kidnap and death threat that T-Pain’s camp said was received. The promoters of the events paid a $75,000 advance on top of paying for 10 airline tickets and hotel accommodations for T-Pain’s camp. They are now seeking approximately $5 million due to the advance money and libel and defamations counts. T-Pain’s people are stating that they wanted to do the event but did not want to put their artists in harm’s way. This case is legit on both ends so it will be interesting to see what side wins.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The little brother of Davidson phenom Stephen Curry, Seth Curry, will be transferring to another school. The word broke out today on ESPN which is somewhat surprising. Seth played for Liberty University this season and was the top freshman in scoring in college basketball. His game is tight and maybe has realized that he will be recognized even more and might have better places to show off his talents on a higher level. Maybe Davidson if Stephen enters the draft? We will see as the time goes on.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A smaller passenger engine plane crashed en route to an airport in Butte, Montana killing 14-17 people. The plane was carrying some young children between the ages of 6-10 years on a ski vacation to Bozeman Montana. The aircraft which was a single engine turboprop left Orville, California but crashed at a cemetery in Butte about 500 feet from the airport while attempting to land. Although the flight was scheduled to land in Bozeman, it’s apparent that the pilot may have diverted from the original route for unknown reasons and officials think the plane might have had some mechanical problems which required the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. According to officials also the pilot did not issue an emergency landing signal and since the plane is not a commercial flight it does not have a black box to determine what went wrong. Witnesses say the plane took a nose-dive into the ground and think the pilot might have lost control of the flight.

By: Piayon Lassanah

The weekend was a wild one in the NCAA Tournament!

MLB: The finals of the World Baseball Classic are tonight. Korea shockingly manhandled powerhouse Venezuela and eliminated them on Saturday night with a 10-2 victory. Then, Team U.S.A. looked good but could not stop Japan last night in 9-4 victory for Japan. Tongiht are the WBC finals that will have Korea versus Japan in Dodgers stadium.

NBA: Udonis Haslem and D-Wade led the Heat to a big victory over the Detroit Pistons, 101-96 on Sunday. Oklahoma City brought the Thunder out and stopped the Timberwolves 97-90. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 30 points on Sunday. The Rockets beat the Spurs 87-85 and the Raptors beat the Clippers 100-76 on Sunday.

College Basketball: It was a wild weekend in the tournament but the Sweet 16 match-ups are finally set. On Thursday: Memphis will play Missouri, Pittsburgh faces Xavier, Villanova will face off with Duke and Purdue will play Connecticut. On Friday: Arizona plays Louisville, Gonzaga will play North Carolina, Kansas plays Michigan State, and Syracuse will play Oklahoma. There are a lot of interesting games in round three of the tournament and I can’t wait to the game.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

April 4 will be a very special day for the legendary pioneers of hip-hop and rock to an extent, RUN DMC. On that day the group will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland. Eligibility was just met as entrance into the hall requires the artists to wait 25 years after their first recording and Run DMC’s first recording came in 1984. To add to the situation, rapper Eminem will be the one inducting the legendary group during the ceremony in to the hall of fame which is just a huge honor for Eminem and his career. Congrats go out to the group who has just made such an inspiring impact on the hip-hop scene.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Treasury Department is expected to launch a new Auto Supplier Support Program which is expected to provide financing of up to $5 billion to the auto industry which is expected to help revive the automotive industry in its current downturn. The funds which will be obtained from the Troubled Asset Release Program set up earlier by lawmakers. The Auto Supplier Support Program according to officials in the treasury department will help give “suppliers the confidence they need to continue shipping parts, pay their employees and continue their operations. The program will guarantee suppliers that funds not received from shipping transactions with car companies will be government-protected and after a payment of two percentage points on each shipment wanted guaranteed by the program. The program however has a requirement that doesn’t include foreign auto makers who operate in the United States.

General motors and Chrysler have both agreed to participate in the program as suppliers had initially requested about $18.5 million to assist their struggling sector which is under pressure due to all the layoffs by auto manufacturing companies.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Yesterday was full of men’s college basketball games. There were close games, blowouts, you name it. Memphis survived an upset with a win over Cal State Northridge 81-70, LSU won a close one against Butler 75-71, Purdue past by Northern Iowa 61-56, Texas A&M looked good in a victory over BYU 79-66, North Carolina walked all over Radford 101-58, Maryland looked tough in a victory over Cal 84-71, and UCONN also walked all over Chattanooga 103-47. Other scored were: Washington 71 Mississippi State 58, Texas 76 Minnesota 62, Villanova 80 American U 67, Gonzaga 77 Akron 64, UCLA 65 VCU 64, W. Kentucky 76 Illinois 72, Oklahoma 82 Morgan State 54, Michigan 62 Clemson 59, Duke 86 Binghamton 62.Today will have the rest of the first-round games.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Dream’s latest album is now in stores and is titled Lover vs. Money. I actually have it and like it better than his first album. He has features on his albums from Mariah Carey, Kanye West, Fabolous, Ludacris and more. His track “Walking on the Moon” is probably one of my favorites, which features Kanye West. Last week, The Dream had an album release party sponsored by the popular social networking site, MySpace in Los Angeles. The Dream performed and even brought out Kanye West and Fabolous on stage as well. There were a lot of stars out for his event. Check out the special iTunes edition of Love vs. Money, for a few bonus tracks.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Former Senator Vincent Fumo was found guilty on all 137 counts of corruption relating to conspiracy, fraud, tax offenses, and the obstruction of justice. The jury consisting of ten women and two men also found Fumo’s codefendant and close friend Ruth Arnao guilty on the 45 counts charged with. Federal prosecutors in the case against the ex-senator are still seeking a prison term more than 10 years and will also demand that the senator pay back about $4 million dollars which they believed he took from the state, Senate, Philadelphia Museum and a South Philadelphia community improvement organization. The presiding Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter set bail at $2 million and refused to grant the prosecutor’s request that the ex-senator be locked up immediately fearing the risk that he might escape and never report to serve the his sentence.

As bail collateral ex-senator Fumo signed an agreement giving up rights to his 27 bedroom mansion in Spring Garden, homes at Jersey Shore and Florida and a farm outside of Harrisburg should he run away and will have to check in with court officials four times a week and also not leave the nine-county federal Eastern District without permission from officials. The defense team made of the ex-senator’s lawyer Daniel J. Cogan promises an appeal of the verdict and is contesting an issue in which Judge Buckwalter kept Juror Eric Wuest on the jury panel after posting an online status about the case on the social networking sites Facebook and Twitter as juror are prohibited from revealing facts about a case. The revelation indicates that this intriguing trial which lasted over 22 weeks might not be completely over after all.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Any Day 26 fans that have been watching the latest season of Making the Band 4 know that the guys are grinding it out on their sophomore album. It has just been announced that the title for their new album will be “Forever In A Day.” There are a few singles that have been heard throughout the show, especially, the theme song for the first three episodes which was “Stadium Music.” Day 26’s newest single is “I’m A Put it On” which features fellow Bad Boy affiliates Yung Joc and boss man Diddy. The album sounds like it will be another hot one! The group will also be on a promo tour titled “26 Days of Day 26.” Forever In A Day is set to release April 14.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It was sad to see both these teams face each other in an elimination game last night but that was the case. Puerto Rico only lost one gaming going into last night’s game versus the United States and the U.S. has many stars including our Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino. U.S.A. had an early lead of 2-1, and then Puerto Rico came back and took the lead 4-3 in the 6th inning. But in the 9th inning, Team U.S.A. rallied back to score 3 runs and eliminate one of the favorite teams in the World Baseball Classic 6-5. Team U.S.A. is now in the semifinals.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The weekend was all about the NCAA tournament and the World Baseball Classic.

MLB: The second round of the WBC began and the U.S.A. loss under the mercy rule to team Puerto Rico on Saturday by the score 11-1. Also, Venezuela defeated the Netherlands 3-1. Japan defeated Cuba 6-0 on Sunday. Mexico and Korea finished it off late last night.

NBA: Dwayne Wade has continued his hot streak as he scored 50 points this weekend against the Utah Jazz. The Celtics fell to the Bucks 86-77. The 76ers added another win making it three in a row after a special win at the Spectrum versus the Bulls on Friday and Miami Heat yesterday. The Grizzlies upset the Pistons 89-84 as well.

College Basketball: Finally Selection Sunday came and went. The brackets are complete and there are many good match-ups. Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut are the No. 1 seeds in each section. Villanova will be playing in Philly for the first round and Temple will be playing in Miami. It will be a tough tournament to pick who will win it all

By: Adrian Gonzalez

For those that missed the music and Entertainment Conference yesterday, lucky it will be back…..next year. There were quite of few interesting workshops throughout the day. I was able to attend the hip-hop workshop, R&B workshop, and the Black Hollywood workshop. Each one was so packed, which showed how much people are involved or interested in these fields. The hip-hop workshop had Jadakiss, Ron Browz, Common, Maino, and Red Café to name a few. The R&B workshop had Bobby Valentino, Keri Hilson, and Jasmine Sullivan. The artists were open to all questions and giving helpful feedback. Look out for next year’s event. Oh course, VILLA was a sponsor for this event.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

I’m actually upset because I did not see the whole game last night. It was meant to be a great match-up in the Big East Tournament but who would have thought that it would reach 6 overtimes to get a winner? Well Syracuse and Connecticut put on a show for the fans in Madison Square Garden last night. It was close throughout the whole game. Close to the end of the game Syracuse’s Eric Devendorf had a chance to win the game but a controversial call sent the game to overtime. A three pointer by Devendorf was still in his hands, said officials as they reviewed the play. The game was sent into overtime, then a second, then a third, until the game was decided in the sixth overtime period. Syracuse went off and scored 17 in the period and UCONN only put up 7 points and the Orangemen eliminated UCONN from the Big East Tourney 127-117. It was the longest game in big East Tournament history.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With a contract deadline of Sunday at 12:01am, will the Southeast Pennsylvania public transportation provider, Septa, go on strike? Contracts expire but negotiations have been positive between Septa and the local workers union. Even though a strike does not look like it will happen, there is still chance that it may since new contracts are yet to be signed. A strike will not be good because so many people rely on Septa to go to work, go to school, or just as a form of everyday transportation. Hopefully contracts are agreed upon because I rely on Septa myself at least during the week. Also, even though gas prices are reasonable right now, they are currently rising slowly.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Villanova had a somewhat comfortable lead against Marquette today and almost gave up the game. The Golden Eagles rallied back and even took the lead in the last stretch of the game. Nov had one last chance and a reverse lay-up by Dwayne Anderson as time expired won the game and is sending Villanova into a semi-finals game versus Louisville tonight. It was exciting game and had a great ending. Louisville is the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tourney so it will not be an easy win for the Wildcats of Villanova.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It sounds weird but actress Meagan Good is actually recording a music album. During long sets, she has been hitting the recording studio. She recently appeared in the Love Guru and Saw V and says her debut album is in the experimental stage. Meagan Good has been working with producer/artist The Dream, to work on her vocals for about 2 months, Good says. The 27-year old actress is looking for a pop feel to her album, not the typical R&B touch. Even though she is not signed with a record label Meagan Good does plan to talk to a few labels and pitch her album so that it may release. This will be interesting especially with a pop album. Maybe it is a hidden talent.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Supra is a brand of sneakers and apparel that is hardly found in the city of Philadelphia. By the end of this month, VILLA will be a new location for you to purchase Supra Footwear. The three sneakers shown here are part of what will be coming to VILLA this month. The Supra style is unique and definitely trend setting for a lot of people. The sneakers have the skateboard design but are something different and hot. Supra will be available at select VILLA locations soon so look out to get your pair.

New Jersey’s Governor, Jon Corzine, wants taxpayers to dish out more money to support a proposed $29.8 billion dollar state budget. Corzine says that this move will “put our state on a stronger footing for tomorrow”, when discussing the potential effect on the state’s future. The governor wants to eliminate property tax rebates for all except the elderly and citizens that make less than $75,000 a year. He also wants to raise taxes on on the rich and employers. The $2 billion that New Jersey will receive from the federal stimulus package will reportedly go to education and medical needs. Raising taxes is also part of the budget plans whick will not sit well with many. Click here for more details on the NJ budget plans.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With such a highly paid roster in the World Baseball Classic, the Dominican Republic looked like that would have not problem beating the Netherlands, whose roster combined makes less than a million dollars. The combined $83.4 million dollar roster could not stop the Netherlands in the first meeting between both teams and not last night either, in the most important meeting between the two. The game was scoreless until extra innings. The Dominican Republic score first in the top of the 11th inning making the game 1-0. Then the Netherlands rallied in the bottom of the 11th with a hit that tied the game and hit that won the game and sent its team to the second round of the WBC, eliminating the Dominican Republic.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, any hope of making the NCAA tournament for Georgetown this year is like Ron Browz’s hit song “Jumpin out the Window.” In the first game of the Big East Conference Championship tournament, St. John’s was placed against Georgetown last night at Madison Square Garden in New York. Just about the only way to enter the NCAA tournament for Georgetown was to win this tournament. Well, Parish Horne and St. John’s thought otherwise. Horne dropped 23 points as he lead St. John’s to its first victory in the tourney since 2003. The Red Storm won the game 64-59.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

There are rumors that Russell Simmons baby momma is supposedly married with her actor boyfriend Djimon Hounsou. The crazy part of this story is that they are rumored to be married since last summer. The New York Daily News says that the wedding occurred in Hounsou’s hometown of Benin, Africa and was a traditional style wedding as the couple both wore dashikis. The marriage is technically not legal because because of when it occurred, the divorce between Russell and Kimora was not finalized (finalized in Jan. 2009.). Not that the divorce is finalized, can go and make it legal. They are expecting their first child together as well. I wonder what’s Russell thinking about the situation?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a quite interesting one to end the college basketball regular season.

NFL: The biggest news this weekend in the NFL was how quick a team signed Terrell Owens. After the Cowboys cut him, there were plenty of teams that did not want him. On Saturday, there was one team that was open to sign him and it did. The Buffalo Bills signed T.O. to a 1-year deal worth $6.5 million dollars. He lucked out because the amount he signed for could have been a lot less.

MBL: The World Baseball Classic is up and running and had some good games already. Japan is looking to repeat after the whooping they gave China and Korea. The U.S.A defeated Canada and played Venezuela last night. The series is looking interesting as all the teams are looking to eliminate Japan and win its first World Baseball Classic.

NBA: Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic were able to stop the Boston Celtics on Sunday with a 86-79 victory. Deron William led the Utah Jazz past the Toronto Raptors 109-101. The Spurs defeated the Suns 103-89. The Nets scored a victory over the Knicks 106-101 yesterday. The 76ers lost to the Thunder by the score of 89-74 which is just unacceptable.

Elsewhere: It’s almost tournament time in the NCAA and 4 schools already have bids to go dancing. Cornell, East Tennessee State, Radford, and Morehead State in their respective conference championships and will be headed to the big tournament. UNC captured the regular season ACC title with a win over Duke yesterday. This week is conference championship week so look out because it will be a special preview to what the tournament has in stored for us.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After last year’s horrific summer at the pumps, gas prices look like they are slowly rising as it gets warmer again. The average gasoline price for unleaded gas has risen about 30 cents since December. The demand for gas dropped significantly during last summer’s price increases past $4 dollars. As the prices went down, the demand increased but seems like the prices are just going back up. If it continues, this summer will be horrific for many once again. Also, analysts say that gas prices will be rising another 5-25 cents within the coming weeks. Play it out smart everyone because times are rough and this will makes it worst.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

I ran into this video and thought it was hilarious. The one and only Diddy had a head-to-head battle between………chicken. He compared KFC’s original chicken to Popeyes chicken. Diddy actually had chicken from both fast-food locations and compared them. The video says 6:00am, but is hard to comprehend because the chicken spots are not open that early unless he was like the Verizon guy and “had people.” Besides the chicken, Diddy said that KFC’s mashed potatoes and gravy beat Popeyes mashed potatoes and gravy without a doubt. Then, on the beans side, he like Popeyes beans better than KFC. Diddy thought the chicken battle was too tight to give and answer so he invited viewers to Twitter page to give their opinions. I say Popeyes has the better chicken Diddy.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It is official! R&B recording artist, Chris Brown, has been charged with the February incident with his girlfriend Rihanna. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office has charged Brown with assault and making criminal threats. Police confirmed that the altercation began when Rihanna saw a text message on Chris brown’s phone that was from another woman. Brown pulled over and his renter Lamborghini and tried to push her out the car. Since Rihanna had her seat beat on, he started hitting her and even punched her with his right hand. He caused her mouth to get filled with blood. If convicted, Brown could face either probation or up to 4 years and 8 months in state prison.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With a great start to the season, the Penn State Nittany Lions were not a team that looked like they would be in March Madness because of its mid season play but now its looking the other way. With some big wins, Penn State faced No. 23 Illinois last night in an important game that probably had tournament implications. Well it was a great game! Illinois had somewhat of a nice lead throughout the game until the final two minutes. Penn State’s Taylor Battle lead the run and made the winning lay-up by running from one end of the court to the other end with 3 seconds left in the game. The Nittany Lions won a huge game and look like they will go dancing in March Madness. The final score was 64-63.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yes, I know it sounds like it is coming early but the clocks do change this weekend. Daylight savings time begins this Sunday March 8, around 2:00am or so, and ends on November 1. The time will go ahead by 1 hour taking an hour away to sleep but in return the day will be an hour longer. This is my favorite time of the season and is a sign that good weather in coming and it’s almost summer time.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, all the hype about being a Dallas Cowboy and doing this and doing that and winning a title is out the window for Terrell Owens in Dallas. The Cowboys decided to cut T.O. last night after a disappointing tenure with the team. Yes he was a force to be wrecking with but he did not deliver for the team. I wonder who is looking to sign the stud? I’m thinking Eagles! Click out the clip for more details.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

It seems that the highly anticipated collaboration of Nike and hip-hop artist Kanye West and their Nike Sportswear Air Yeezy will finally be releasing sometime in the near future. A lot of pictures have resurfaced the web after confirmation of the release was put out to the public via a press release. These sneakers were worn by Kanye West during a concert a while back and ever since they have created so much buzz online and in the streets. Kanye West actually went through the whole process of making this sneaker, it is not just a sneaker specifically tagged with his name on it. Mark Smith, Creative Director at Nike, said that West was a “truly creative talent” when asked about the process. The release was mentioned to originally be sometime last year, but the sneakers were pushed back. Now, it seems that the sneakers will be releasing this year which is great news to a lot of sneaker heads, Nike enthusiest, and Kany West fans. The pictures show three different pairs that will be releasing so stay posted with VILLA to hear more information on the Nike Sportswear Air Weezy sneakers.

Click here to tell us your opinion on these Kicks.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transport Authority (SEPTA) is expected to create over 5,000 jobs as part of President Obama American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in the economic stimulus plan. SEPTA is expected to receive about $200 million which is more than half of its operating budget sometime in late spring as part of the Reinvestment Act and has planned on implementing several infrastructure improvement operations which will immediately create the numerous job opportunities for citizens. Small and large businesses in the area are already in a bidding competition to win construction projects created by the stimulus package. Among the new jobs created by the Stimulus projects supposedly includes 1,915 in construction, 875 in material companies, 2800 in goods and service provision companies to construction and material workers.

The Stimulus project is also expected to include about $36 million for the “well deserving” renovation of the Broad Street Line, Girard and Spring Garden Station” and about $5.3 million for the renovation of R5 Lansdale line bridges and Norristown Viaduct which has faced a continuous deterioration. The funds of the stimulus project are expected to support the cost of 40 new hybrid buses to the tune of about $18 million and about 20 other stimulus-funded projects are expected to be bided upon later this month and sometime in the next including a $23 million Fern Rock Yard track renewal project. The creation of over 5,000 jobs will hopefully begin soon enough to help regenerate consumer spending in the area and nation as a whole.

By: Piayon Lassanah

The Coast Guard has stopped its search as of Tuesday for the 2 missing NFL players and a third man. Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith, and former South Florida player William Bleakley, had been missing since Saturday when they embarked on a fishing trip. The incident occurred in near the Gulf of Mexico and one man was actually rescued. The 24-year old Nick Schuyler, as of now, is the lone survivor from the fishing trip. The Coast Guard has been searching for 3 days and 24,000 miles of the ocean for the other missing men. The boat capsized and Schuyler was found clinging to the boat but no signs of the other men. There was a cooler and lifejacket that was found 16 miles from the boat. Families and friends have come together to embrace and find ways they can help.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Breaking News: Prince is back! Well, temporarily I guess. The artist formerly known as Prince has announced a partnership with the huge retail chain Target. This partnership details that a special 3-disc set will be produced and exclusively available only at Target. Two disc will be original studio albums called LOtUSFLOW3R and MPLSoUND, and the third disc titled Elixer by his latest protege, singer Bria Valente. The 3-disc set will retail for $11.98 at Target, which is a huge bargain. Well if you like Prince at least. This album will not be backed by a major record label. There was no recent word of a release date.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Reports of a Nor’Eastern surfaced late last week. The snow started yesterday around 6pm eastern time in Philadelphia. The storn hit many other states including Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. Late last ght, the news channels announced that there would be no public or catholic schools open today. As I am writing, there is still snow falling, and will not stop until early in the afternoon. New Jersey has a total of about 10 inches so far with 4-6 inches still about to fall. Be careful going out today because even though the snow looks pretty, it can be dangerous.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

When the rumors of a divorce between Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee first came out and then when it occurred, a lot of people in the hip-hop scene and fashion world were very surprised to see it happen. The couple looked perfect together and has beautiful children, but sometimes good things come to an end. It has been some time since the divorce and this past weekend a judge ordered Russell Simmons to pay $480,000 in child support per year to his ex-wife Kimora Lee. This is going to suck in these economic times, but he is the father and makes tons of money.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a big in the NFL.

NFL: The NFL season is still months away but free agency started with a bang! The Redskins sign Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall. The Denver Broncos signed long time Eagle, Brian Dawkins. The Eagles traded Lito Sheppard to the New York Jets. The Patriots traded Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs. The Texans signed Antonio Smith. Finally, the Broncos almost traded Jay Cutler.

MLB: Spring training has started an in full-effect already. Look out starting this Wednesday for the World Baseball Classic, which runs until March 23. By the way….the Phillies defeated the Rays 12-5 this weekend

NBA: Dwayne Wade did not let a 15 point NY Knicks lead stop him from bringing the heat in Miami. The Knicks had this lead going into the 4th quarter, but D-Wade out score the Knicks by himself in that quarter dropping 24 of his 46 points as he lead his team to a 120-115 victory Saturday night. The Pistons picked up a huge victory yesterday in Boston as they defeated the Celtics 105-95. Shaq lead his current team, the Suns, to an upset of his former team, the Lakers, 118-111. Finally, former guard Jason “White Chocolate” Williams was denied immediate reinstatement by the league because since it was voluntary, all 30 teams have to approve and 6 teams did not.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball: Georgetown upset Villanova 56-54, Louisville defeated
Marquette 62-58, Kansas defeated Missouri 90-65, North Carolina defeated Georgia Tech 104-74, Memphis defeated S. Miss 58-42, UCONN defeated Notre Dame 72-65, Duke defeated Virginia Tech 72-65, Oklahoma defeated Texas Tech 78-63, and Pittsburgh defeated Seton Hall 89-78.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

President Obama informed lawmakers yesterday that he plans on withdrawing combat troops out of Iraq by August of 2010. The president however plans on keeping up to 50,000 support troops in Iraq after combat troops have left in 2010. Although the plan falls only three months short of Obama’s initial campaign promise of bringing combat forces home within 16 months, the delay is viewed as essential by members of both parties as it gave military officials more time to complete their mission in Iraq. The President told lawmakers that he plans on keeping support troops within the 35,000- 50,000 range after combat forces leaves and military officials believe this will be crucial in protecting U.S interest in Iraq as these troops will focus on overseeing supplies and logistics. Some Democrat officials are supposedly in slight opposition believing that the number of non-combat forces is too large while other republicans like Senator John McCain supports the plan to leave 50,000 non combat troops in Iraq.

The plan will apparently seek a compromise between both parties and the President indicated that the plan will be revisited should conditions in Iraq deteriorate after the troop’s withdrawal. The President said his decision was based on consultations with military commanders and he plans on revealing full details later today during his trip to camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corp base on the East coast with about 150,000 people in North Carolina. Current Iraqi prime minister in a statement issued yesterday expressed little concern over the troop’s withdrawal and seemed confident in his local Iraqi troops stating “We have faith in our armed forces and our security services, to protect the country and consolidate security and stability….. [And] We have no worries for Iraq if American troops pull out. Thank God we have succeeded in ridding ourselves of sectarianism and racism.

By: Piayon Lassanah

In what was a 23-month sentence for a dog fighting probe, Michael Vick was approved to finish his sentence at home. The reason reported by ESPN was that the half-way house that he would have been going to was too full to put him in there so he was allowed to finish his stint at home but still being monitored under house arrest. He will finish the last two months of his 23 at home and will only be allowed to leave under approved locations by his parole officer. Vick is set to start house arrest in May and finish up by July 2009. His status in the NFL is still unclear especially since his former team has found a good and young quarterback in Matt Ryan.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

If you have not heard the latest Jamie Foxx album, “Intuition” you do not know what you are missing! Having three hot singles on the radio plus a lot of hot tracks on the albums has made this one probably one of the better albums in hip-hop/r&b currently. One of the hottest tracks on the albums is Blame It featuring T-Pain. In the video, Jamie Foxx brought out a lot of stars from the world of Hollywood. Some guest appearances in the video include: Samuel L. Jackson, Forest Whitaker, Jake Gyllenhaal and Morris Chesnut, Cedric The Entertainer, Tatyana Ali, Bill Bellamy, Ron Howard, Quincy Jones. Here is the video for Blame It.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

President Obama addressed a joint session of congress last night in a widely applauded speech which stressed on reviving our struggling economy. The president offered hope to citizens after acknowledging the severity of current economic times and expressed his usually relentless spirit while promising better times as he stated “”We will rebuild. We will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.” The President also reminded us of the need for urgency of action in matters relating to Finance, Healthcare and Education. With finance Obama urged congress to quickly “reform our outdated regulatory system”, In Health care he stated “reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year” and when speaking on Education the president would quicken the reform pace and “expand our commitment to charter schools.”

President Obama assured citizens of the safety of our financial system, a matter of constant concern in recent times as banks stocks have fell sharply especially with the recent fear of nationalization. The President stated “you should also know that the money you’ve deposited in banks across the country is safe; your insurance is secure; you can rely on the continued operation of our financial system.” President Obama also expressed his satisfaction that the stimulus bill was passed and promised huge oversight of the spending after asking Vice President Biden “to lead a tough unprecedented effort…….because nobody messes with Joe”. The President expressed his desire to cut the federal budget and eliminate wasteful spending as he explained “In this budget, we will end education programs that don’t work and end direct payments to large agribusinesses that don’t need them. We’ll eliminate the no-bid contracts that have wasted billions in Iraq, and reform our defense budget so that we’re not paying for Cold War-era weapons systems we don’t use.” The President’s speech was well received by his audience as he drew applause from lawmakers and many watching it on television also expressed their satisfaction with the president’s speech.

By: Piayon Lassanah

So a coworker of mine shows me something real funny on This Is 50.com that I had to put up on here. The site is a social networking site besides having the latest news all about 50 Cent. I clicked on one of the members pages whose name is “Officer Ricky.” This page was created by 50 Cent on everything he put out coming at Rick Ross aka Officer Ricky. The profile picture is the one of Rick Ross when he was a correctional officer. Also, on the page there are a series of cartoon clips that 50 created coming at Rick Ross. One of the funniest videos on the page is the “Everyday I’m Hungry” video. It has a Rick Ross impersonator rapping on the “Hustlin” track but is all about eating McDonalds and food period. Check out the Officer Ricky page here.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After a long time of back and forth with the New York Knicks, the team has finally decided to reach a buyout agreement with guard Stephon Marbury. When asked to player very early in the season it was rumored that Marbury said he was not going to play in that particular game. When the rumors of him going to Boston were leaked, the Knicks became really hesitant on letting him go, especially to a division rival. Yesterday, the team finally was able to reach a buyout with Stephon Marbury. Since the buyout was agreed upon before Sunday (deadline), Marbury is allowed to play during the playoffs if a team picks him up. Boston is a good spot because when Garnett returns it will bring former teammates back together along with the other talent on the team. Let’s wait and see if Boston will pick him up.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In what was a rematch from the 2nd Annual VILLA Holiday Classic, the Public League Boys High School Championship game featured Imhotep and Franklin Learning Center in a faceoff for the title. Imhotep had somewhat of a good lead of 43-37 in the game with 1:06 left. FLC’s Jerrod Johnson and Basir Fullmore tried to rally their team back, but Imhotep’s Parrish Grant led his team to a 47-43 victory over FLC. The win gave Imhotep its first Public League basketball title in school history. This was also the first title game in history that did not have at least one neighborhood team. The game was on February 20 at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

President Barack Obama after proposing the stimulus bill to help revive the slumping economy is currently working on a plan to reduce the federal budget deficit in half by the end of his first presidential term in the year 2013. The President who is faced with a $1.3 trillion dollar budget deficit from the previous administration plans on cutting the deficit to about $533 billion largely by reducing the Iraq war expenditures and eliminating the temporary tax breaks established by former President Bush. Obama who will be releasing the blueprint for his fiscal budget for 2010 later this week said in his weekly radio address that his budget will be “sober in its assessments, honest in its accounting, lays out in detail my strategy for investing in what we need, cutting what we don’t, and restoring fiscal discipline.” The budget plan will supposedly eliminate former president Bush tax breaks to individuals making $250,000 a year and is also expected to have cuts in some government health programs to free up more money and increase access to healthcare as part of his plan to reform the national health care system.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This weekend was a good one for Lebron James and Miguel Cotto!

NFL: The NFL combine has started and so far the running backs are not doing so great and analysts have said that that none have ran better than a 4.5 in the 40 yard dash.

NBA: Dwayne Wade dropped 50 point on the Orlando Magic last night but it was not enough as Dwight Howard’s team dominated 122-99. Howard led his team with 32 points. Rajon Rondo lead the Celtics with 32 points as the Celtics got past the scorching Suns 128-108. Both teams were missing its star power-forwards due to injury. Also, the Pacers defeated the Bulls 98-91, Raptors beat the Knicks 111-100, Rockets defeated the Bobcats 99-78, and Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 111-108. The Cavs dominated Detroit with a victory over them 99-78.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball: Maryland upset No. 3 North Carolina 88-85 in overtime, Texas upset No. 2 Oklahoma 73-68, No. 13 Clemson defeated Georgia Tech 81-73, No. 14 Villanova defeated No. 25 Syracuse 89-86, No. 11 Marquette defeated Georgetown 78-72, No. 6 Memphis defeated UTEP 70-63, No. 1 UCONN defeated S. Florida 64-50, No. 4 Pittsburgh defeated DePaul 80-61, and Washington State upset No. 15 UCLA 82-81. In boxing, the Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto defeated Michael Jenning by way of a 5th round TKO to claim the WBO welterweight title on Saturday night. Also, Kelly Pavlik defeated Marco Antonio Rubio.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

The latest installment in the Tyler Perry movies is “Madea Goes to Jail.” The movie released this past Friday and was able to reach the no. 1 position for weekend. It made approximately $41.1 million during its debut weekend. This popular stage play that hit the movie theaters had one of the most successful opening weekends for the Tyler Perry series and even Lionsgate film studio. I personally went to see the movie yesterday and can say that it was pretty good, but it was not as good as some of the previous Tyler Perry films. Madea was funny during several parts of the movie but the movie as a whole just did not do it for me completely as other have. Overall, it was still a good film to go out and watch.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

One thing that I can say for the fashion season of Spring 2009 is that Lifted Research Group (LRG) is back!. Many may say that last year was a rough one for this grassroots company as the trends were a little away of branded clothing items. The company has definitely done its research and is back strong for this current spring 2009 season. It has integrated hot colors with basic designs that fit and look great. VILLA is definitely the one stop shop for all the latest and hot LRG gear for every fashion season. Here are just a few items of what LRG has to offer, but if you want to see more, stop by your local VILLA location.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

About a week or two ago a photo of what was though to have been Rihanna when Chris Brown beat were surfaced the web but it was done through Photoshop. Just yesterday, a photo of what appears to be the actual image of Rihanna’s beaten face surfaced the web through TMZ.com. The picture shows her eyes closed and bruises on her forehead, cheeks, and mouth. Chris Brown’s career is in jeopardy and he might need to do a lot to restore his image amongst his fans and music fans in general. What he did to Rihanna was unacceptable and he deserves to be either given jail time or a lot of hours of community service.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

19 year old Roger Leon Barlow Jr and 20 year old Mark Gilliam were arrested yesterday in connection with the Arson cases in the Coatesville area this year. Barlow was arrested after he confessed to starting at least 9 of the 23 fires in the Coatesville area this year. Barlow Jr is a resident of Downingtown just nine miles away from Coatesville and his intent is still unknown. Barlow is facing arson, aggravated assault and related offences charges and admitted to starting the January 24 fire which spread across 15 row homes in the Coatesville area. He is currently in a Chester County jail with bail set at $9million with a hearing on Monday. Coatesville which has about 10,000 residents was devastated by 18 fires this year and 5 others in nearby communities. Barlow lived in a Downingtown apartment home with his family and his mother admitted that he has a slight “mental handicap” for which he had “been in counseling services ever since he was a boy” and spent most of his high school days in special education. The second suspect Mark Gilliam was arrested later and charged with attempted arson for the January 25 incident at the Happy Days Family Bistro in Thorndale which is about four miles away from Coatesville. It is believed that the two know each other and authorities reportedly seized computers from Gilliam’s home.

Motion sensor lights were distributed to residents by residents and patrols in the area was also increased earlier this month. Investigations are still underway to solve the remaining cases and residents are hoping that those responsible will be caught and brought to justice.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

Diddy is one person that does not like to play around with money and he makes it very clear. This hip-hop mogul has recently dropped some details about his forthcoming LP that will be titled “Last Train To Paris.” Diddy has said that this new album is described as being “electro-hip-hop soul funk.” With this album, Diddy is trying to bring in a new genre of musoc he names Train Music. It will be deeper than any other type of music he has worked on before and is a deep love story. Some guest features on the album will be The Dream, Tricky, The Neptunes, Mario Winans, T-Pain, and Rodney Jerkins.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

There were several moves made the few days leading up to yesterday’s trade deadline in the NBA. Some teams did its moves earlier than others and most teams did not even make any moves. On Wednesday, The Kings, Bulls, and Blazers were involved in a trade. The Bulls sent Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Michael Ruffin, and Cedric Simmons to the Kings in exchange for Brad Miller and John Salmons. The Kings then went and sent Michael Ruffin to Portland in exchange for Ike Diogu and cash considerations. The Lakers traded Chris Mihm to Memphis for a conditional 2013 draft pick, and do not ask me why this was done….maybe salary issues. Yesterday the Kings traded Rashad McCants and Calvin Booth to Minnesota for Sheldon Williams and Bobby Brown. The Knicks traded Jerome James, Anthony Roberson, and Tim Thomas to Chicago for Larry Hughes. Orlando is acquiring Rafer Alston from Houston in a 3-team deal. The Rockets will get Kyle Lowry from Memphis and Brian Cook from Orlando and the Grizzlies will get a first-round draft pick from Orlando. Finally, the Knicks sent Malik Rose to Oklahoma City in exchange for Chris Wilcox.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In the first step of a reform effort Superintendent Arlene Ackerman of the Philadelphia School District is expected to present the draft of a new 5 year reform plan at the School Reform Commission meeting at the district office on 440 North Broad Street. Goals of the presented draft will include “student success, school choice, great staff, accountability for all, and world-class business operations” in an effort to reform consistent failing schools. Nine work groups made up of district employees and school workers proposed classifying the consistently failing schools under 4 reform models charter, contract, innovation, and performance schools as a means of determining an appropriate reform intervention. Citizens and others present will be allowed to ask questions regarding the daft proposals as the reform group have until March 18 to present a final version of the reform plan before the commission. The draft proposal is expected to rival a similar plan undertaken by Chicago for its failing public schools and is another major step towards reforming the district by Superintendent Acker who arrived in the city in June.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Last night was the premier of Snoop Dogg’s show Dogg After Dark on MTV. The show is basically a weekly variety talk show where Snoop hangs around hop spots in Hollywood doing impromptu interviews with celebrities, comedy segments, musical performances, and performance from his in-house band the Snoopadelics. Just by watching the show it made me think how long will it actually last on MTV. He had an interview with Paris Hilton and he did a quick rap for him which was very bad. Overall, this seems as Snoop needed something to make quick money and it really is sad that possibly another good show was turned down for Dogg After Dark.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After his interview with Peter Gammons, Alex Rodriguez had a formal press conference with the media yesterday. Rodriguez made a statement on what happened when he administer a substance that triggered a positive steroid test. He goes on to say that in the Dominican Republic he heard of a substance called Bolay. His cousin and he debated on whether or not to take the substance. After some time, his cousin started injecting him twice a month for six months but apparently did not know how to administer it properly. ESPN analysts say that what he said originally and yesterday was different and do not know what to believe. This was hard for A-Rod and hope this eventually clears up to just focus on baseball.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

On Friday night around 8pm, Philadelphia Police responded to yet another murder in the city, but this time it was another police officer. Officer John Pawlowski of the 35th Police District first responded to an attempted robbery on Broad and Olney where the killer, Rasheed Scrugs, was trying to rob a cab driver. Apparently Scrugs said that he would kill the cabbie and the police if they responded to the scene. Scrugs kept his word. When officer Pawlowski arrived he told Scrugs to take his hand out his pocket, and he refused. Scrugs then shot at the officer through his jacket, not allowing the officer to even see the gun . Officer Pawlowski was killed at the age of 25 and left back his wife who was 2 months pregnant with their first child. Scrugs was shot and is still in the hospital. This is horrible what is going on in our city and needs to stop. People are so cold-blooded and need to realize that police are of higher authority and are only here to protect the city and its people. VILLA sends out its condolences to the Pawlowski family and 35th Police District.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Senator Roland Burris of Illinois is hearing calls by Republican legislators for his resignation after reports he released on Saturday indicated that he was contacted by Robert Blagojevich the brother of the impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich for assistance with raising campaign funds for the former governor, a statement which contradicts his testimony before a House Committee investigating Blagojevich last month. Senator Burris believes there wasn’t any wrongdoing and explained “I’ve always conducted myself with honor and integrity…..At no time did I ever make any inconsistent statement.” The Senator who was nominated by ex Governor Blagojevich as a replacement for President Obama’s vacated Senate seat has been under scrutiny by several news media and mostly republicans after it was revealed that the ex governor had solicited funds from candidates for the position.

Republican Representative Jim Durkin also of the impeachment committee and House Republican Leader Tom Cross have called for an investigation of Senator Burris about a possible perjury. The House investigating committee had asked the Senator if he had ever spoken to Robert Blagojevich or other aides of the ex governor about President Obama vacated seat but the senator didn’t reveal any contact with Robert Blagojevich. Current Governor and Democrat Pat Quinn who replaced Rod Blagojevich however stated that the Senator at least owes the people of Illinois an explanation for the contradiction. Senator Burris in defense issued a statement explaining “I was asked to raise money by the governor’s brother and made it unequivocally clear to him that it would be inappropriate and pose a major conflict because I was interested in the Senate vacancy…..I did not donate or help raise a single dollar for the governor from those conversations and would never consider making a donation through a third party”.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

This weekend was NBA All-Star Weekend!

NFL: The biggest news in the NFL was Brett Farve announcing his retirement.

NBA: What a Valentine’s NBA All-Star Saturday Night! The Rising Stars competition went to the Detroit Pistons squad as they defeated the home team Phoenix Suns team. The Skills Competition went to rookie Derek Rose as he defeated Tony Parker, Devin Harris, and Mo Williams. The 3-Point Competition went to the the Miami Heat’s Daequan Cook as he defeated Orlando’s Rashard Lewis in a tie breaker 19-7. Finally, the most anticipated event of the night was the Slam Dunk Contest. The finals featured Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard. It was close and exciting but a dunk by Nate in which he jumped over Dwight sealed the deal and led him to victory. The all-star game ended in the West’s favor by the score of 146-119. Shaq and Kobe shared the MVP honors.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball: No. 5 Duke loses again and to Boston College 80-74, No. 3 UNC defeated Miami 69-65, Virginia upset No. 11 Clemson 85-81 in overtime, Georgetown loses again and to No. 22 Syracuse in overtime 98-94, Arizona defeated No. 6 UCLA for the second time this season 84-72, and No. 4 Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati 85-69. Tonight will be a huge game in the Big East between UCONN and Pittsburgh.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

About a week after the surprising Chris Brown incident with girlfriend Rihanna, the young emerging R&B superstar has broken his ever so silence. Even though it was nothing too specific on the situation Christ Brown did mention some key points to his side of the issue. “Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired,” was part of what Chris Brown said in his statement. Also, he said “I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God’s help, to emerging a better person. Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and/or reported in the media is wrong.” Due to the legal issue Brown could not make too specific comments but seems to be remorseful. Regardless, he struck a woman and that is not acceptable from a man, especially a celebrity that many fans adore and look up to.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Finally, the first episode that all Making the Band fans have been waiting for. It is the first episode since the probably dismantle of Danity Kane. All the previous have just shown Andrea and Dawn and no other member of the group. Signs are showing that the group could really go completely downhill. The most part of the show was between Diddy having a one on one conversation with Danity Kane’s Dawn. He was trying to get a feel for her feelings of the situation from the group’s future. Diddy was trying to get answers that Dawn really did not know or could not povide, according to Dawn. Day 26 was getting ready for a performance in London which they did great. After, Robert and Q were discusing the future of Day 26 and looking at how the history of Making the Band group’s has turned out. The previous for this season look good so stay tuned Thursday night’s on MTV at 9pm.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Starting tonight, NBA All-Star weekend kicks off. Tonight will be the McDonald’s NBA All-Star Celebrity
Game at 7pm on ESPN. At 9pm, the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge airs on TNT. Saturday night is one that all fans looks forward to being that it will host the Haier Shooting Stars, Playstation Skills Challenge, Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, and finally the Sprite Slam Dunk, which all will air on TNT. The NBA D-League All-Star game will also air on Saturday at 4pm on NBA TV. Finally, the 2009 NBA All-Star game will be on Sunday at 8pm on TNT. I’m looking for someone other than Kobe Bryant and Lebron James to pull away as MVP. How about Danny Granger?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Continental Airlines Flight 3407 crashed late yesterday into a house in suburban Buffalo, New York killing the 44 passengers and five crew members on board. The flight was coming from Newark’s Liberty International airport in New Jersey and en-route to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport in Clarence Center, New York. The unfortunate incident occurred at about 10:20pm when the flight hit the home and burst into flames only five minutes before its due arrival at the Buffalo Airport. Emergency Response team rushed to the scene as Fire trucks attempted to put off the blaze but the cause of the crash to the 74-seater turboprop Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 plane was undetermined as of yet.
There was a slight wintry mix around the area during the crash however which could be a factor as 12 of the nearby houses had to be evacuated and a limited state of emergency declared in the area. The two residents of the home are believed to have made it out safely after residents confirmed watching the blaze with them nearby. A video from the scene after the crash can be seen here.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

Quarterback Brett Farve may be retiring again, reports from ESPN are saying. His stay with the New York Jets was for about 5 months leading to a 9-5 season for the team. Also, Brett Farve led the league with 22 interceptions, missed the playoffs and in doing so lost to the team that picked up the former New York Jet quarterback Chad Pennington (Miami Dolphins). The beginning of the season looked positive for the Jets and even had them at the top of their division for a few weeks. From there, everything went down hill. The Jets just started losing games and Farve was not playing well during the stretch of the season. He had a 79.3 second-half passer rating and even teammates thought he should have been benched at times. So will this actually be his final farewell or will be do another comeback…..maybe with the Packers this time?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Last night was the first episode of T.I.’s new series Road to Redemption that aired on MTV. The show is about T.I. performing 1,000 hours of community service and helping the lives of 7 individuals that are doing wrong in their lives. T.I. is doing all of this to make an impact on the lives of those 7 strangers and to work out a deal with the government that will not make his possible sentence as harsh as it may get. Last night’s episode featured an 18 year-old by the name of Pee Wee that was hustling in Atlanta. T.I. goes to visit him and tries to teach him that what he is doing is wrong. He took Pee Week to a jail to show him how it feels to be incarcerated and then to a funeral home to show him that those are the two outcomes of selling drugs. At the end, Pee Wee said he wanted to go into acting and that he would stop hustling. T.I. helped him out by getting him an acting coach to help develop the talent. The series is interesting to watch so stay tuned Tuesdays at 9pm on MTV to watch T.I.’s Road to Redemption.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Looking for ways to compete in the market, Microsoft has revealed plans about a web-based service that will allow users to store, share, and backup their data from their cell phones. The site will allow users up to 200mb of free storage to use for their files. The service will connect only Windows 6.0 and possibly 6.1 operating system operated phones to the web. In the process, selected files will go through the synchronization process where they will be backed up online on the website and users will be able to access them by signing up for the free service. This service might be great for many users of Windows based phones that have issues saving or backing up their files. There is not an exact mention of when the service will be available. How will this affect the sales of Windows based and non-Windows based cell phones?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A lot of talk has been speculating about the Phoenix Suns trading their star power forward/ center Amare Stoudemire. When the Suns completed the trade to bring over Shaquile O’Neal, the one goal that Shaq set was to help make Amare the one of the best players to play his position. Having two struggling seasons with Shaq has ultimately hurt the run and gun Phoenix Suns position in the Western Conference and is close to even costing the team a young start which at a point was the “center” of the team. A lot of talk has come up recently about the Suns trading Amare Stoudemire because the team is currently at a bad position in its conference and the vision does not look like the “run and gun” franchise anymore. There is not talk about what specific teams are offering what, but there are many team from each conference that are interested. So will the Suns trade Amare Stoudemire?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In celebrating Black History Month, VILLA is bringing to you exclusive “Rise to Greatness” t-shirts. If you are wondering what they are, the Rise to Greatness tees symbolize inspiration from powerful images and call to action words that are meant to help inspire others to go out and do whatever you dream of doing. The series of tees include images of Michael Jordan, Michelle Obama, Jesse Owens, Rosa Parks, Barack Obama, and more. The Rise to Greatness tees will be available at all VILLA locations starting this week.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This was one couple that was supposed to be at last night’s Grammy Award show. Chris Brown and girlfriend Rihanna were suppose to be at the Grammy’s last night and perform but an incident that occurred Saturday night into Sunday early morning kept the couple from being at the award show. There is rumored to be an argument between the couple on Saturday night that took place in Chris Brown’s car, which escalated to the outside of the car. From there, there was a 911 call to Los Angeles police around 12:30am Sunday morning about an assault on a woman by Chris Brown, who fled the scene when it supposedly took place. Chris Brown then turned himself in to Los Angeles police for investigation. He is now being investigated for a felony assault with a deadly weapon. Even though it is not made clear if the woman in the car was Rihanna because the police cannot release the victim’s name, rumors say that it was her. Also, the victim has some visible injuries to the arms. The publicists for Rihanna said that she had go into a traffic mishap, but is fine.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Last night was the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. The trend throughout the whole show was collaborations that usually do not occur. Coldplay performed and Jay-Z came out to do a rendition of their song “Lost.” The Jonas Brothers also performed with Stevie Wonder last night. Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift performed together for the first time on stage. Jennifer Hudson put on an emotional performance last night as well. T.I. performed with Justin Timberlake and Lil Wayne performed with Robin Thicke. The biggest moment in hip-hop last night was when T.I., Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West, alongside a pregnant M.I.A., performed “Swagger Like Us” for the fist time anywhere. Lil Wayne won 4 Grammy Awards, including Best Rap Album. Overall it was a good night. Below is a list of last night’s winners:

Best New Artist - Adele (beat out Jazmine Sullivan and Jonas Brothers)
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - “Chasing Pavements” - Adele
Best Female R&B Vocal - “Superwoman” - Alicia Keys
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance - “Miss Independent” - Ne-Yo (beat out Chris Brown, Usher, Trey Songz and Eric Benet)
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals - “Stay With Me (By The Sea)” - Al Green ft. John Legend
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance - “You’ve Got The Love I Need” - Al Green ft. Anthony Hamilton
Best Urban/Alternative Performance - “Be OK” - Chrisette Michele ft. Will.i.am
Best R&B Song - “Miss Independent” - Ne-Yo
Best R&B Album - Jennifer Hudson - Jennifer Hudson
Best Contemporary R&B Album - Growing Pains - Mary J. Blige
Best Rap Solo Performance - “A Milli” - Lil Wayne
Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group - “Swagger Like Us” - Jay-Z & T.I. ft. Kanye West & Lil Wayne
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - “American Boy” - Estelle ft. Kanye West
Best Rap Song - “Lollipop” - Lil Wayne
Best Rap Album - Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
Best Gospel Song - “Help Me Believe” - Kirk Franklin
Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album - The Fight Of My Life - Kirk Franklin
Best Traditional Blues Album - One Kind Favor - B.B. King
Producer Of The Year - Rick Rubin

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Nissan announced that it will post its first loss in nine years and is expected to cut about 20,000 jobs as it is experiencing the rippling effects of the global recession as economies continue to struggle during this period of downturn. Nissan which is Japan’s third largest automaker behind Toyota and Honda is expected to post a net loss of $ 2.91billion dollars as demands for its popular Altima and Xterra models declined considerably. Many other automakers are also experiencing the economic crisis as car sales have declined to its lowest since the 1980’s and automakers expect the downward trend in auto sales to continue. Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Mazda, General Motors, Chrysler and Ford have all posted yearly losses. Nissan also announced that it will be eliminating bonuses for members on its board of directors and will also reduce their salaries by 10 percent while cutting global production by 20 percent and reducing labor cost in high-cost production countries.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

This weekend was Pro Bowl weekend and there were also good college basketball games.

NFL: The Pro Bowl was last night and boy I can say this is one of the most boring professional all-star games ever! One interest fact that I just found out is that the players of the wining team receive $45,000 and the losing team’s players receive $22,500 for playing in the game. The NFC won the Pro Bowl 30-21.

NBA: The Lakers finished off their 6 game road trip 6 foe 6 yesterday. They handed the Cleveland Cavalier their first loss at home this season as they were 23-0 at home going into Sunday’s game against the Lakers. Even with Kobe not feeling great, Lamar Odom stepped up and picked up the slack for the team with 28 points and 17 rebounds. The Lakers won the game 101- 91. The Spurs and the Celtics clashed yesterday and the Spurs late run helped them come back and defeat the Celtics 105-99.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball, this weekend was pretty good but not as exciting as usual. Villanova handed Syracuse a beating 102-85, UCLA defeated Notre Dame, 89-63, Duke beat Miami in overtime 78-75, Nebraska upset Texas 58-55, Oklahoma beat Colorado 77-72, UCONN beat Michigan 69-61, and UNC defeated Virginia 76-61. If anyone is interested in NASCAR, the Daytona 500 is next weekend.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Tennessee women’s college basketball coach, Pat Summit, did something last night that no other coach in women’s and men’s college basketball has yet to accomplish. Summit won her 1,000th game in her coaching career. It almost came earlier this week but they lost to No. 2 ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Last night Tennessee faced off with Georgia and basically had the lead during the whole game and took the victory 73-43. Her first win as a head coach was on January 10th, 1975 and gas was only 35 cents a gallon. Now, 34 years later and 8 national championships won, Pat Summit has the most wins in college basketball history and has laid down a legacy that many may never even thought could happen. Congratulations coach Summit and lets see how many more can come after.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Reggie Bush is an NFL superstar’s name that really has not been mentioned much in the last two NFL seasons (well at least not for football). He was the NFL’s Lebron James, many could argue. So what has happen? For one, he got injured which put a toll on his career and also hooked up with Kim Kardashian (which no one can blame him for). This past Super Bowl weekend, Reggie Bushed was announced as the newest athlete to be endorsed by the top energy drink company, Red Bull. The company made Reggie Bush the first NFL player to be endorsed to the brand. Other athletes on the brand include: Shaun White, Phil Dalhausser, Todd Rodgers, and Robbie Madison. It was not mentioned what Red Bull will be doing with Bush so keep your eyes out.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In an interview with Seattle radio station KUBE 93, rapper Game, commented on the new beef that has raised between 50 Cent and Rick Ross. We all know about the beef between 50 and Game, so this interview was even more interesting. Unexpectedly, Game is actually siding with 50 Cent right now because all the tactics that 50 has been a part of in the last week. First, showing documents of Rick Ross’ employment as a correctional officer, than getting an interview with Ross’ baby mom, Tia, who went on to put Rick Ross on blast (it’s not proven what she said though as far as Ross leasing his cars and renting his jewelry). Game did say in the interview, for Rick Ross to give him a call to help him get out the current beef. I guess Game is in the mood to get at 50 too! Rick Ross is a grown man, so needing help from another to get out of beef that he supposedly started, would not look too good. Let’s see where this goes.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Senate will try another attempt at passing President Obama’s proposed $937 billion dollars stimulus package today after it was approved by members of the house last week. The stimulus package which was originally about $800 million and was passed by the majority-led Democrats in the House without a single Republican vote has been increased with incentives supporting the declining housing and automobile industries and additional funding for medical research. Republicans criticized the package figure as being too large, without enough tax cuts while stating that it doesn’t create enough jobs. Democrats however hold the majority in the Senate with 58 seats and would require only 60 votes to pass the package. Obama and other democrats have lobbied for some Republican support in passing the bill stressing its importance due to the current economic crisis.

Some Democrats worked with Republicans on reducing the package with the hope of gaining the needed bipartisan support to pass the bill and attempted to make a $100 billion dollar reduction in the package. Also expecting to influence the passing of the stimulus package is a job report which is also expected to be released today and most experts are predicting a job loss of over $500,000 for the last month as applications for jobless benefits have risen to its highest in 26 years.

By: Piayon Lassanah

One of the best available free agents in Major League Baseball just rejected the second offer from his current team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers offered $45 million for 2 years and then $25 million just this past Monday, which was then rejected on Tuesday by Manny Ramirez. Even with the rejection of two offers, the Dodgers are showing a lot of interest in resigning Manny. ESPN experts are saying that the Dodgers can get several good players that are available for the money they are offering Manny, but will potentially not make such an impact on the team like Manny. I think Manny is looking at the Yankees and the money they are offering to their players, but might not necessarily sign him. The Dodgers need to make a move fast before they miss out on Manny and free agents like Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After a few months away from the rap scene, Dipset’s Cam’ron returns to the scene, but it does not seem like a good one. He came back with a single called “I Hate My Job” and it is just a real low budget video that seems to be “real” but the way it is portrayed just looks bad. While fellow Dipset members, Juelz Santana and Jim Jones have been hitting up singles and mixtapes, Cam’ron was working on this track and his up-coming album that will be titled “Crime Pays.” This new single is expected to be on his new album. This was not the return most were expecting from Cam’ron so hopefully he comes out with something better real soon.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After failing to gain a two-thirds majority vote last month on the idea of postponing the Digital Television switch from regular antennas, the house will vote again today but will require only a majority bill this time to postpone the transition to DTV. Advocates have pushed for a delay in the transition from the 17th of this month to a later date since most eligible homes are currently without digital converter boxes and the transition would leave them without regular television service. It is estimated that about 1.8 million people are currently on the waiting list to receive about 3.3 million coupons and it is highly unlikely that these individuals who are mostly poor, disabled or elderly will receive it before the 17th deadline due to the processing length of applications. Each coupon provides a $40 dollar discount off the price of a DTV converter box and comes with a two per household limit and also households with cable service providers wouldn’t need to make any adjustments. The senate had also approved the postponement bill earlier in a vote and is waiting on members of the House to carry-on with the process today.

By: Piayon Lassanah

The first game after Lakers center Andrew Bynum was announced to be out 2-3 months with a severe knee injury, Kobe Bryant knew he had to step up his game or the Lakers would be on the verge of a bad stretch going into the all-star break and after. Well, last night Kobe made some history against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Kobe broke a record that was currently going for 25 years. He scored 61 points (record was 60) in a 126-117 victory over the New York Knicks. The game was sold out and even the Knicks fans were chanting “MVP” for Kobe as he put on a show for the crowd. Pao Gasol added 31 point and 14 rebounds as the Lakers tried to shut down any speculations of its supremacy in the western conference.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The well awaited biggest football game of the NFL season was last night and what a game it was. It had a little slow start but overall was a great game. The Steelers scored first and then the Cardinals came back. Right before haft time, James Harrison from the Steelers intercepted a pass from Arizona QB Kurt Warner in the end zone and ran it back for 100 yards, which was the longest play in Super Bowl history. The third quarter was just lame though, not too much going on. The fourth quarter was when both teams got to the “nitty gritty.” Arizona scored with a touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald to make it a 20-14 game. Arizona then got a safety on Pittsburgh with an offensive holding call in the end zone that made the game 20-16. On the following series, Fitzgerald scored another touchdown to make the game 23-20 and gave Arizona its first lead of the game with 2:36 left. But, Pittsburgh rallied back and scored a touchdown with 35 seconds left to make it 27-23 and win the game. Congrats go to the Super Bowl 43 champions.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Governor Rendell plan on instituting a Tuition Relief Act which would provide about $128 million in grants for state-system schools to help provide financial assistance for college freshmen’s attending community colleges or any of the 14 state schools. The grants will be based on family income and families earning less than $ 100,000 will be eligible for benefit with every student paying at least $1,000 towards their college education. The Tuition Relief Act according to Rendell is an important component of his budget this year as many families are facing financial pressures of financing education, especially with Pennsylvania being considered one of the most expensive states for financing college education. The Tuition Act also proposes an increase in the yearly funding of each new freshman class over the next four years to a final cost of about $534 million.

The Act projects additional 10,000 students to enroll into the current state system of 112,000 and another 10,000 into community colleges which currently enroll about 190,000 with the increase in funding. The Governor is expected to elaborate further on the Act and reveal how it will be funded. The 14 state-system schools expecting to receive aid includes: Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester while it is still unclear if the two other state related colleges; Temple University and Penn State will receive aid.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This weekend was Super Bowl weekend and there were also good college basketball games.

NFL: Finally, Super Bowl 43 came. The Steelers won the Super Bowl in a great finish (see Steelers article for more details on the game.)

NBA: The Celtics continue winning as it got its second 10 game winning streak of the season this weekend. In a tough game between division rivals, Lebron James scored 33 points as the Cavs defeated the Pistons 90-80. The Cavs currently have the best record in the NBA at 37-9. In unfortunate news, Andrew Bynum of the Lakers injured his knee in a collision with teammate Kobe Bryant and reportedly has a sprained knee. The NBA All-Star Game is almost here, and it will reunite Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Phil Jackson once again on the same team.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball, there were a lot of good games this weekend. The Big East has not failed to provide great games this season. No. 7 Louisville defeated West Virginia, No. 3 Pittsburgh defeated No. 22 Notre Dame 93-80, No. 8 Marquette defeated the slumping No. 23 Georgetown Hoyas 94-82 and No. 2 UCONN defeated Providence 94-61. Penn State was able to get its first victory ever at No. 9 Michigan State yesterday 72-68.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The new season of Diddy’s ever so popular TV series “Making the Band” returns to MTV on February 12th. The return is coming after one of the most shocking endings to the “Making the Band” series. Diddy ended up kicking out Aubrey and D. Woods of Danity Kane and has since created a lot of uncertainty about the future for the group. There are rumors online that Shannon does not appear in this season’s episodes and that the only two members from the group to appear are Dawn and Andrea. Also, it’s rumored that the season for their group shows how the two girls try to make things work with what is left but are unable. You will just have to wait to when the new season starts to actually find out what actually goes down.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Philadelphia Mayor, Michael Nutter, will be visiting VILLA’s 4034 Lancaster Ave. location on Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 1pm to announce the launch of a new commercial corridor revitalization program. The funding from this program will provide $13 million in improvements on Philadelphia commercial corridors. VILLA has been chosen as an example of a strong and thriving neighborhood business. VILLA is proud to serve as an anchor business on a growing commercial corridor like Lancaster Avenue. We will continue to support vibrant urban neighborhoods.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In what many say has been the roughest economic times in decades, the fourth quarter in 2008 recorded the highest decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) with a 3.8% decline. GDP is a crucial measure of economic performance. Analysts say that the decline could have been at 5% if shipments of goods declined at the same rate as orders did. Exports in the fourth quarter of 2008 declined by 19.7% and imports declined by 15.7%. Credit spending has gone down as well and experts believe these rough economic times will continue right through the summer. This is the most the GDP has dropped in about 25 years. With what seems like a great new stimulus plan by President Barack Obama, hopefully everyone will be able to recover soon than later.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well it seems like 50 Cent cannot get away from the diss game. From beefing with Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Ja Rule, and Lil Wayne (not as much), 50 Cent has now responded to a diss made by Rick Ross and even calls out Lil Wayne at the end of the track. Rick Ross first dissed 50 on a track called “Mafia Music” and goes into the whole ordeal between 50 Cent and his baby mom (who is trying to sue 50 Cent). One of Ross’ lines is “can’t wait to pay your rent/ Curtis Jackson baby mamma ain’t for a cent.” 50 Cent, released a track today titled “Try Me” and he goes on to diss Ross on the fact about him being a correctional officer and lying about it. At the end of the track 50 goes on and calls out Lil Wayne. I really cannot wait to see where this new beef goes to but it kind of seems a little weak, unless Wayne really comes at 50 Cent hard.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

There are a lot of pictures all over the web showcasing hybrid sneakers for 2009. From the Nike Air ½ Cent (Penny Hardaway sneakers in one) to the Nike Blazers mixed with the Nike Terminators (Nike Mowabb ACG), it looks like Nike will ride high with a lot of unique hybrid sneakers this year. Another hybrid sneaker releasing this year is the Nike Air Pegasus ACG Hybrid. There will also be a sneaker that is a mix of a current Nike Air Max 90 with the Huarache sneaker that is slated to drop in fall on 2009. We cannot forget about the Jordan Fusions that are still dropping. This year the Fusion 6 will continue to appear and the Fusion 9’s will also drop (some other may appear as well). So stay up with VILLA to find out about more hybrids this year.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After about a week from the time the NBA All-Star team starters were named, the Eastern and Western Conference teams were finalized when the reserves were named yesterday. The Eastern Conference’s bench will include: Chris Bosh, Danny Granger, Devin Harris, Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, and Paul Pierce. The Western Conference’s bench will include: Chauncy Billups, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O’Neal, Tony Parker, Brandon Roy, and David West. One snub from the all-star game was Denver’s Carmelo Anthony.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Could Ken Griffey Jr. make a return to the baseball city where he started his Major League Baseball career? During the 1990’s Seattle was Griffey’s town as he was the energetic kid that was helping his team win many games and kept the stadium seats just about filled, night in and night out. After leaving Seattle, Griffey made his way in Cincinnati and Chicago, but was not as productive suffering from injuries that affected his performance. Now that he is a free agent, there is talk that he could return to the Seattle Mariners to finish up his illustrious career and end it with the team in which he made a name for himself. Team president Chuck Armstrong and new General Manager Jack Zduriencik have mentioned the possibility but with not too much detail. I think this would be perfect for Griffey to return to the city where he started his career off because it brings back the feeling of “belonging” and not just for money.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Toyota Motor Corporation has announced that it will recall more than 1.35 million Vitz and two other models. The reason for the recall is for a global defect in the seatbelt and/or a component in the exhaust system. The recalls in Japan consist of a little over 525,000 Vitz, Belta and Ractis cars that were built from January 2005 to April 2008. The Belta is also known as the Yaris in many other markets. Even with this recall, Toyota is still considered the global industry leader and even over took General Motors in global sales last week for the first time ending GM’s 77 year run as the world’s largest automaker. So, if you are an owner of the Toyota Yaris look into the current recall and make sure your car is not part of the recall.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With rumors of releasing a rock album all over the internet and in the radio, it has been confirmed that rapper Lil Wayne will be releasing a rock album this year. It is not too rare for artists to records a few tracks of music of a different genre than theirs, but it is rare that an artist record a whole album of a different genre. After recently being featured on a hit single by rocker Kevin Rudolph called “Let it Rock”, it seems that Wayne enjoyed the success of the track and wants to be different and unique this time around. This might be a good look for Wayne because he will be able to earn a whole new fan base with his upcoming album that will be titled “Rebirth.” He has already released a track called “Prom Queen” that will be on his album. Rebirth is slated to release April 7.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Southeastern Pennsylvanian suburb of Coatesville experienced another fire damage over the weekend as over 15 homes were destroyed on the 300 block of Fleetwood Street causing over $1million dollars in damages and leaving dozens of people homeless. The fire which led the city to declare a State of Emergency is believed to be arson related as the Coatesville community has been under siege recently experiencing about 13 arson related damages in the New Year. The severity of the fire was intense as the local fire department required assistance from 25 other departments in the surrounding counties of Chester, Montgomery and Lancaster but thankfully everyone escaped unharmed.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the Red Cross also rose to the occasion by providing financial assistance for food, clothing and hotel accommodation according to a representative of the organization. Some citizen’s had already formed community watch groups to provide surveillance assistance primarily at night as residents expressed their discontent with the small number of readily available police officers. City officials have been supplying smoke detectors and batteries to citizens while planning on providing motion sensor lights at a reduced rate with hope of solving the problem while urging citizens also to clear all unwanted trash and debris from porches and backyards as the have all been connected in the arson cases.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

This weekend was pretty good for sports fans, there just wasn’t any football.

NFL: Well, there was no NFL football this weekend just talked about the Super Bowl. The Steelers and Cardinals will both arrive in Tampa Bay, Florida today to start practicing for the biggest game in football. The Super Bowl is February 1st, 2009 on NBC at 6:28pm ET.

NBA: The Celtics are back in their winning ways as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 124-100 yesterday. The Lakers faced the Spurs in good match-up and the Lakers came out on top as they won 99-85. The 76ers defeated the Knicks two Saturdays in a row as they won 116-100 on Saturday night. In bad news for the Bucks, Michael Redd suffered a torn ACL/MCL and is done for the rest of the season. Congrats go to Orlando Magic’s center Dwight Howard as he broke the record for most votes for the all-star game by any player at over 3 million.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball, there were several interesting games and upsets. No. 14 Georgetown was upset yesterday by Seton Hall. This was a bad loss for the Hoyas because they have lost several games this season that they should have won. No. 12 Louisville defeated No. 8 Syracuse 67-57, No. 24 Memphis defeated Tennessee in a close one 54-52, No. 2 Duke demolished Maryland 85-44, No. 3 UCONN snapped No. 19 Notre Dame’s 45-game home winning streak with a 69-61 victory, and Washington upset No. 11 UCLA 86-75. In sad news, NC State women’s head coach Kay Yow past away with a battle with breast cancer. Kay Yow was 66 years old and was battling breast cancer since 1987. Her legacy will live on forever. In boxing, Sugar Shane Mosley defeated Antonio Margarito in a 9th round TKO.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Fulfilling his dream from as early as fourth grade, Kanye West was able to debut his well awaited Louis Vuitton sneaker this past week in Paris, France. The event was the Louis Vuitton menswear showcase in Paris and Kanye West says it was a “dream come true” to see a pair of sneakers that he designed actually be worn on the runways of the fashion show. Wanting to be a fashion designer, I wonder what the next project that he will work on will be released? Also, what happen to his “Pastelle” brand that he was working on?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After 15 long seasons in the NBA, center Alonzo Mourning decided to retire from the NBA yesterday. He was a stunning player in his prime. Alonzo played college basketball at Georgetown before being drafted second overall in the 1992 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. He then went to play for the New Jersey Nets for a few seasons and finally landed in Miami, where he decided to retire. A seven-time all-star, Mourning suffered a few season back, a severe leg injury that he overcame, but has still been nagging him and is one of the main reason why he has decided to retire at this point of his career. Alonzo Mourning is what is known as an old-school center that many new and in-coming NBA centers should look up to as a role model on and off the court.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After being a full week after the release of one of the most anticipated soundtracks for a movie, the Notorious soundtrack has landed in the number 4 position on the Billboard Top 200 list this week. In its first week in stores, the album sold 43,000 copies. Here is the track listing for the soundtrack:

1. “Notorious Thugs” (featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)
2. “Hypnotize”
3. “Notorious”
4. “Juicy”
5. “Party & Bull****”
6. “Warning”
7. “One More Chance” remix (featuring Faith Evans)
8. “Brooklyn Go Hard” (Jay-Z featuring Santogold)
9. “Letter to B.I.G.” (Jadakiss featuring Faith Evans)
10. “Kick in the Door”
11. “What’s Beef”
12. “World Is Filled”
13. “One More Chance” (featuring CJ Wallace)
14. “The Notorious Theme” (composed by Danny Elfman)
15. “Microphone Murderer” (previously unreleased demo)
16. “Guaranteed Raw” (previously unreleased demo)
17. “Love No H*” (previously unreleased demo)

If you notice number 13, Biggy’s son is actually rapping his dad’s lyrics on “One More Chance.” The album is great and worth purchasing.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The proposed merger of two of the Pennsylvania’s most popular and largest health insurance companies came to an end apparently after both parties were unwilling to accept some conditions of the merger as established by the Insurance Department. Highmark Blue Shield which operates out of Pittsburgh and Independence Blue Cross which is based in Philadelphia had submitted a merger application in April of 2007 but both parties became skeptical of its approval and ended talks after believing that the State Commissioner Joel Ario wouldn’t approve the merger. Commissioner Ario later stated that “In this case, bigger would have been bad for consumers… [And]…it would have given the new company … too much leverage in the Pennsylvania market.” If completed the merger would have generated the seventh largest U.S. insurer in the lowly competitive insurance market of Philadelphia. Both parties explained that a condition of the merger was to forgo either the Blue cross or Blue Shield logo which they were unwilling to meet as this would have drawn another Blue plan competitor to operate in Pennsylvania which would most likely lead to loss of revenues due to competition. Most Pennsylvania residents are currently faced with high rates of coverage which has also contributed to the large number of uninsured adults in the region.

.By: PIAYON LASSANAH

Barack Obama was officially sworn in as the President of our United States on the historic day of January 20th, 2009 during the inauguration ceremony in Washington D.C. In the presence of more than a million jubilant crowd and at the most anticipated event in recent history Barack Obama was sworn in as President at noon taking over from George W Bush. President Obama later during his inaugural address to the nation explained “On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord”. He indicated the urgency of the current economic situation and the need for Americans to take action and work together in improving the country, he explained “Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.” The President also indicated that “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly… [And]…This is the price and the promise of citizenship.” The President expressed a desire of friendliness in foreign relations but stated that America will not be in fear of anyone. The President reiterated the need for America’s support and patience with his administration as change may take a while and “With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come,” Obama said.

Such a historic and joyous event was however faced with an unfortunate event as Senator Edward M. Kennedy suffered a seizure due to his brain cancer condition and was taken away in an ambulance but all appeared well as it was confirmed that the senator was laughing and joking at the hospital and anticipating work. A slight setback however was the inability of Hilary Clinton to obtain confirmation in the senate as secretary of state after several colleagues of hers on Obama’s cabinet did. Senator Cornyn of Texas is reportedly blocking her confirmation as he expressed concerns about financial donations to her husband’s foundation, Hilary however is expected to receive confirmation in a day or two from the democrat led senate. The President later danced the night away with his wife Michele at several Ball events organized for the inauguration before retiring to the white house.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Hip-Hop artists such as Chris Brown, Kanye West, and even Jay-Z have been seen wearing what are called nerd glasses. Kanye West’s new look is kind of the “nerd” look and the glasses are a big part to the look. Jay-Z let his hair grow out somewhat for some time and was wearing the nerd glasses. Chris Brown was wearing the nerd glasses in at least one of his music videos (Kiss, Kiss). So now it looks like this hot accessory can be considered being in style. Look for the nerd glasses to be hot for the spring and maybe even summer this year. The Villa will be carrying the mid February.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Philadelphia Phillies starting first basemen Ryan Howard asked for $18 million in salary arbitration yesterday. This is coming in light of Howard being part of helping the Phillies win their first World Series title since 1980. Also, by seeing what other baseball starts have done and got in return, he feels that he is a vital part to his team and deserves that extra money. Roger Clemens did it and received $22.5 million in arbitration in 2005 and Derek Jeter did it and got $18.5 million in 2001. Teammate Cole Hamels was asked about the demand by Howard and responded, “All I can say is more power to him.” I can see why Howard is asking for more and think that he does deserve it.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Rapper/producer Swizz Beats and former wife, singer Mashonda, officially divorced early 2008. Just recently, Mashonda came out on Sirius’ Shade 45 show in an interview to reveal that Alicia Keys had some part of the reason the couple divorced. There were rumors that Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats were messing around and Mashonda said that she had found credit card statements for Swizz Beats with purchases that matched dates and cities in which Alicia Keys was on tour. She even goes on to say that there were points where she would ask what was wrong with Swizzy and he would not answer. All this piled up and was most of the reason why the couple split up.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The inaugural celebration for President-elect Barack Obama officially began yesterday in Washington D.C with a concert at the Lincoln Memorial with thousands of individuals in attendance and anxious to participate in the historical event. The concert featured performances by Stevie Wonder, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Mary J Blige, Beyonce, John Legend, James Taylor among others, as the crowd braced for the freezing temperatures in coats and gloves to watch the performances. As usual President Obama wowed the crowd with another inspirational speech as he stated “Directly in front of us is a pool that still reflects the dream of a King, and the glory of a people who marched and bled so that their children might be judged by their character’s content. The president continued, “And behind me, watching over the union he saved, sits the man who in so many ways made this day possible”[and] “is not the stone and marble that surrounds us today, but what fills the spaces in between. Also present at the event Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden who later addressed the crowd and his wife Jill Biden. The crowd also watched celebrities Tom Hanks, Jamie Foxx, Denzel Washington and Jack Black read historical passages in honor of the Civil Right president Abraham Lincoln and listened to choirs sing gospel songs.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This weekend was crazy in college basketball and was NFL Championship weekend!

NFL: Well, the Super Bowl is finally set. Both championship games were incredible. The Arizona Cardinals started strong and had an 18 point lead on the Eagles up to the 3rd quarter. Larry Fitzgerald was almost untouchable. The Eagles made a strong comeback and were close to victory but the Cardinals were the better team in this game and are now headed to the Super Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals will play in their first Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 43. The Ravens and Steelers battled in what was full of defense and lost plays for both teams. The Steelers looked better overall even though both teams looked bad at some parts of the game. Troy Polamalu grabbed a late 4th quarter interception that sealed the deal for the Steelers. Ravens running back Willis McGahee suffered a very hard hit in a collision that got him carted off the field. Super Bowl 43 is February 2, 2009.

NBA: The 76ers extended their winning streak to 7 as they defeated the NY Knicks Saturday night. In relating news, Stephan Marbury is offering to put up $1 million of his salary to finally get a buyout from the Knicks. Reports say that the Boston Celtics are interested in signing him but until the ordeal with the Knicks is finalized, Marbury will not be able to play ball. Also, in other NBA news, there is more trouble between a team and player, specifically with the Blazers and Darius Miles. It is kind of another mess as well, what I do know is that the Blazers are threatening to place a lawsuit on the Grizzlies for signing him because Miles stopped playing for a while due to an injury that was life threatening.

ELSEWHERE: No. 1 ranked Pittsburgh suffered their first loss of the season by Louisville on Saturday. No. 3 Wake Forest defeated No. 9 Clemson, No. 22 Villanova defeated Seton Hall, No. 16 Xavier defeated St. Johns, No. 6 UNC defeated Miami (FL), and No. 2 Duke defeated No. 16 Georgetown. The big question is who will be this week’s No. 1 team since Pittsburgh loss Saturday.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

One of the most important and recognized activist in United States history is officially being honored today. MLK’s official birthday is Jan 15, 1929 but the U.S. honored him by making the third Monday of January, a national holiday. MLK is known for a non-violent civil rights movement that protested racial discrimination in federal and state law. Also, for the “I Have A Dream” speech on his “March to Washington.” President Ronald Regan signed the national holiday into law in the year 1983. Across the U.S., this day is also a day of service and today the Villa will be servicing at Kensington High School in Philadelphia, PA. MLK was assassinated in 1968. Happy Birthday MLK!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Thursday afternoon’s top story in the news was about a plane crash in the Hudson River in New York. US Airways Flight 1549 was on its way to Charlotte, North Carolina when it crashed into a flock of birds just after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. The crash disabled the engines and the pilot ended up maneuvering the plane into the Hudson River. The flight had 155 people on it in total and all of the passengers survived. One victim did suffer two broken legs, but no other major injuries were reported. The governor says it was a “Miracle on the Hudson”, as everyone survived. One shot of the scene showed how the passengers were standing on both wings of the plane while the plane was floating in the frigid waters. God bless everyone on that flight.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Even though we really do not hear much about this celebrity couple in entertainment news, the current inside scoop on the couple is that they are expecting their first child. Ballerstatus.com reports that Kelis is in her first trimester and is already showing some belly. The source reports that the couple is very excited about their first child together. They have been marries since 2005 and this will be Kelis’ first child and Nas’ second child. Congrats go out to the couple as they have a new star in the making.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Leaving early to go to the NFL is a huge decision that plagues many college athletes every moment of their collegiate years. It is something common that athletes do in all major sports played. With yesterday being the last day to declare for the 2009 NFL Draft, USC’s quarterback, Mark Sanchez, was one of many that declared for the draft. It is rather unusual when a head coach publically says that they disagree with one of their player’s decision to declare for the draft. USC’s head coach, Pete Carroll, displayed his disagreement toward his QB’s decision saying how they both sat and discussed what Sanchez would be leaving if he decided to leave early and sort of sounded like he didn’t think Sanchez was ready for the next level. Carroll even said that he was disappointed in Mark Sanchez’s decision to leave early. I guess we’ll have to wait for the draft to see who was right.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This whole week a good portion of the nation will be experiencing very frigid temperatures. The temperature is very low in the Midwest and Eastern parts of the United States. Some places are experiencing temperatures in the double-digit minus range. Today and especially the rest of the week will feel very frigid outdoors. In some parts of New York it has reached as low at 8 degrees below zero. Places like Indiana, Ohio, Chicago, and Minnesota are experiencing frigid temperatures along with ice and snow. So stay bundle up if traveling the rest of the week because it will be very cold!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Last night was the beginning of the 8th chapter in the American Idol series. This season the crew traveled to many places as usual, including: Phoenix, Kansas City, Jacksonville, Louisville, East Rutherford, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and San Juan. Last night’s show showed all the contestants that showed up at the Phoenix auditions. It was tagged the biggest Idol season ever, including a 4th judge, Kara DioGuardi, for the first time ever. The show started with a usual person making a fool of themselves. The guy has a huge Afro and did some Michael Jackson moves in his routine which were too funny. The highlight of the show was the girl tagged “bikini girl” who actually had some words for the new judge after being criticized by Paula and Kara. The words the bikini girl said were along the line of “your rendition was not any better” referring to the song performed. Tonight’s episode will feature Idol auditions in Kansas City.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Only needing 75% of the votes to enter the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, Ricky Henderson received 94.8% of the votes to be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The other member that was chosen for this year’s Hall of Fame was Jim Rice who received 76.4% of votes, in his last year of eligibility to be entered into the Hall of Fame. This was the 15th year Jim Rice was on the ballot, and nearly missed it last year with 72.2% of votes. Next year’s eligible members will have first time nominees that are a little more familiar to some such as Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin, and Fred McGriff. Congrats go out to Henderson and Rice.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a surprising round in the NFL playoffs!

NFL: Who would have thought the NFC Championship game would be the Eagles versus Cardinals? Well, they both beat the top two seeds in the conference and will play each other next week in Arizona. Arizona’s offense showed up Saturday night and took care of business as they shocked a lot of people and defeated the Panthers 33-13. Sunday was a battle between two big rivals, the Eagles and Giants. They battled but it was one sided as the Eagles took care of business and defeated the Giants 23-11. In the AFC, the Ravens pulled off a close victory as a field goal with 53 seconds remaining helped them defeat the No. 1 seeded Titans. On Sunday, the Steelers played great in the snow and took care of business as they defeated the Chargers 34-23. The battle of the defenses in the AFC will take place next week as the Ravens will play the Steelers.

NBA: The Cavs gave the Celtics a whooping Friday night and basically became the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics were able to bounce back from their recent bad streak with a win Sunday against the Toronto Raptors. The 76ers extended their winnings streak to 4 games as they defeated the Hawks yesterday 109-94.

ELSEWHERE: My Temple Owls earned a good win last night as they took care of the LaSalle Explores, which was the first game in conference play. Then North Carolina loss its second game as the Wake Forest Demon Deacons defeated the Tar Heels 92-89 last night. Finally, Florida Gators QB Tim Tebow has decided to return for his final year at Florida, giving the Gators a better chance to repeat championship victories.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Philadelphia Gas Works customers will experience a slight rate increase of 5.2% this year in an effort to bail out the company due to its poor financial state primarily as a result of a financial deal arranged by CDR Financial Products with JPMorgan Chase and Co. The increase will require customers to raise about $60 million dollars of which $30 million will be used to cancel the deal with the remaining funds being used to shore up the company finances. The interest rate swap deal was done in 2006 when PGW refinanced about $310 million in debts by selling bonds in an attempt to capitalize on low interest rates with JPMorgan Chase and Co agreeing to buy back the bonds if investors refused them with PGW also paying bond insurers Financial Security Assurance to guarantee the bonds if PGW was failed to continue paying them off. Also PGW had the choice of issuing fixed-rate bonds at 5.25% interest rate or agreeing to an interest swap agreement which would mean a cheaper initial rate and the company chose the latter and hired CDR to complete the deal. CDR used JPMorgan and Chase to complete the swap which resulted in an annual savings of about $4.5 million dollars but as a result of economic turmoil’s, interest rate increase, and bond markets freeze, PGW ended up on the wrong end of a seemingly cost effective deal.

PGW is allegedly paying a 7.25% or an additional $6 million dollars annually on bonds and the worst case is JPMorgan informed PGW that it can no longer hold its bonds which according to the deal calls for PGW to pay a total of $60 million annually for the next five years beginning in July until its debt are paid off, with the only escape clause requiring PGW to pay over $30 million to JP Morgan and Chase to cancel the deal or find a new lender who’s willing to sell new bonds before the July date. The rate increase for residents comes as utility companies across the region cut rates to providers due to the low price of natural gas and also eliminates some of the benefits of the 9.4% temporary reduction rate established by PGW which expires in the spring but the cause of this unfortunate circumstance is primarily attributed to the state of the economy which has affected financial institutions.

By: Piayon Lassanah

For those that may not know, a “Vegan” is someone who basically does not eat meat, dairy products, and only vegetables (at least for my understanding). It appears that New York rapper N.O.R.E. has become a vegan and reportedly has lost 65 pounds during the last year. It’s not only through healthy eating, but also exercise which helped the rapper become somewhat slim. He admits that a competition with fellow rapper Busta Rhymes and a New Years resolution is what motivated him to become dedicated to lose the weight. To add on to this, N.O.R.E has even given up drinking which does have an effect of gaining weight for some. This is amazing and just shows others what hard work and determination can do.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With so much interest in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game after some trash talking earlier this week, last night was finally the night to crown the BCS National Champion. The match-up put No. 1 Oklahoma against No. 2 Florida to compete for the most prestigious award every season in college football. The game started slow, until Florida scored the first touchdown. Oklahoma immediately came back to tie the game the next series. For the rest of the game it was close, until the Gators pulled away in the fourth quarter win the BCS National Championship. Now that the game is over, everyone is putting their attention to who is the No.1 team for the end of the season? There are legitimate arguments about Florida, Texas, USC, and Utah because of their results at the end of the season. Utah ended their season ranked No. 5 and was the only team that was undefeated, so they are my pick for No. 1. What do you think?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A lot of people were skeptical about Beyonce’s change of stage name and how it would effect her style on the new album and possibly sales. Well, this week was her second week at the number 2 spot on the billboard charts. Her album released November 18, 2008 and has been doing phenomenal. This week alone we racked up an additional 77,000 album sales, tallying the current total sales amount to approximately 1.5 million. Despite harsh economic time and a significant decrease in record sales, Beyonce is doing fairly well and is expected to continue having success with her current album.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Yesterday was the first big speech that president-elect Barack Obama has given since winning the presidential election back in November 2008. The setting of the speech was George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The topic of the speech was the ever so popular state of the economy. One important aspect of the speech was the proposed $3,000 tax credit to companies that hire workers or retain workers. Other subjects mentioned were infrastructure, technology, global warming, jobs, and energy. The main outcome of the speech was the mixed opinions from both democrats and republicans. They both agreed to not completely side with how the possible $1 trillion dollars that will be need will be used and in general that the amount is just too much. With the state of the economy doing so poorly, it may now take a few years to return to normal.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

There has been a lot of talk about the newest Jordan sneaker that will release this February. A lot of Jordan sneaker heads have mixed opinions of this new Jordan sneaker. Once pictures released on the web about them, people immediately started commenting on what they saw. My opinion on the sneaker titled the “Jordan 2K9″ is that they are OK, but they don’t stand out to me much. What do you think….hot or not?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Just a few months after beating the Rays in the MLB World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies, outfielder Pat Burrell has just signed a 2 year deal for approximately $16 million dollars with the Tampa Bay Rays. There were many rumors of Burrell leaving Philadelphia the last few seasons and with the Phillies sign Raul Ibanez during the off season, it was just a matter of time for Pat “The Pat” to leave Philly. Burrell will be playing designated hitter for the Rays, a position in which he will be playing for the most part during his time with the team. Good luck to your success and hopefully next season’s fall classic will bring both teams back at it again.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Growing up on MTV’s Real World series, it seems like the best seasons are way behind us. I remember the days of the Real World Seattle when the infamous Stephen slapped Irene as she was going home. Also, I remember the Real World Hawaii and New Orleans with Ruthie, David, and Melissa. As soon as the Real World San Diego started, it seemed like the series just took a huge downfall. Every season after has been just plain-old boring, with the exception of Real World Philadelphia (because I’m from Philly). I really stop being a fan of the show, until I notice that the newest installment of the series begins tomorrow, Real World: Brooklyn. I think just being in this city is what draws me to actually watching the show, I just hope there is enough reason to keep watching after the show begins. Tomorrow at 10pm on MTV is when the new season begins, so check it out!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

 Still need DTV coupons to purchase your digital converter box for the February 17 digital transition? Well it looks like you may be in some trouble. The NTIA (National Telecommunications and Information Administration) has just announced that the funds in $1.34 billion dollar program have been exhausted for the time being. So what does this mean to us the consumers? Well, anyone that let their coupons expire is basically out of luck, unless they know someone that can get them one. Even new people that still haven’t signed up for coupons will be placed on a waiting list to try and receive those that were let expired by other consumers. This also means that approximately 8 million households will not be prepared for the digital transition, which is what the government wanted to prevent by starting the coupon program in the first place. There were survey’s which had consumers feeling that the transition was still too confusing and this could be one reason many let their coupons expire. Whatever the case may be, hopefully if the program is able to get more funds, all households will get their boxes as soon as possible if they do not have cable or satellite already.
 
By: Adrian Gonzalez

In what was meant to be a great game, seemed one sided for the most part. Ohio State’s defense was not letting the Texas offense spoil there chances of winning the bowl game. As a matter of fact, Ohio State only gave up 6 points in the first half. The game changer occurred in the last 16 seconds of the game when Texas QB, Colt McCoy, threw a short pass to receiver Quan Cosby which turned into a 26-yard game winning touchdown for the Texas Longhorns. There are only two bowl games left in college football. Tonight is the GMAC Bowl between Ball State and Tulsa and the bowl games wrap-up Thursday night with the FedEx BCS National Championship Game which has Florida playing against Oklahoma.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The most anticipated movie during current times in the world of hip-hop is close to its official release. The movie is about the life and death of legendary rapper Christopher Wallace aka the Notorious B.I.G. The movie has most of the Bad Boy Record label original members in the movie including: Diddy, Lil Kim, Lil Cease, and Faith Evans, but their roles are played by actors/actresses. The movie goes through real life experiences that Biggy experienced and even has moments that only members in his camp and the record label knew actually occurred. The movie is set to release Friday, Jan. 16, 2009. If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, here it is!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

New Mexico’s Governor Bill Richardson decided to relinquish his nomination as president-elect Barack Obama’s commerce secretary yesterday, just a few weeks to the presidential inauguration. The reason for withdrawing his position was that Richardson is part of a grand jury investigation in which some of his political donors won an enormous state contract. A California based company contributed to Richardson’s political activities and after won a little more than a $1 million dollar transportation contract after that. The investigation is saying that Richardson played part in how much the company was given in the contract. This is the second disruption that has plagued Barack Obama during the period before inauguration, as the first was when Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested for trying to apparently auction off Obama’s senate seat. Obama has done a good job in keeping quite with these two incidents, but now he just needs a new commerce secretary.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was the start of the NFL playoffs, full of big bowl games, and one important upset in college basketball!

NFL: This was the opening weekend of the 2008-2009 NFL playoffs. Saturday and Sunday brought us 4 interesting match-ups. Saturday’s two games were the Falcons at the Cardinals and Colts at the Chargers. Both home teams won their games as the Cardinals took care of business with a 30-24 victory and the Chargers pulled off an overtime victory with a 22 yard rushing touchdown in overtime by running back Darren Sproles. Sunday’s games were the Ravens at the Dolphins and Eagles at the Vikings. The Ravens showed why their defense is one of the top in the league as they went into Miami and stopped the Dolphins with a 27-9 victory. Next week’s games will be the Cardinals at the Panthers, Chargers at Steelers, Ravens at Titans, and Eagles at Giants.

NBA: Every team was in action Friday! On Saturday, the 76ers loss a heart breaker right at the end of the game as point guard Tony Parker shot in a last second basket to help the Spurs defeat the 76ers 1008-106. Sunday was a bad day for the Cavs as they blew a 16 point lead against the Washington Wizards 80-77. The Toronto Raptors topped the Orlando Magic 108-102 despite a 39 point game by center Dwight Howard. Finally, veteran Darius Miles made his debut with the Memphis Grizzlies as he played against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in a 102-82 victory for the Grizzlies.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, Ole Miss defeated Texas Tech in the AT&T Cotton Bowl 47-34. In the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Kentucky defeated East Carolina 25-19. In the AllState Sugar Bowl, Utah completed a perfect season as they defeated Alabama 31-15. In the International Bowl, UCONN defeated Buffalo 38-20. Tonight is the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, putting Texas against Ohio State. Finally, number 1 ranked college basketball team, North Carolina, loss its first game of the season yesterday as they were defeated by Boston College 85-78.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

What was the most awaited bowl game besides the National Championship Game, turned out to be almost a one-sided victory for the Trojans of USC. Going into the game, Penn State was known for its tough defense and legendary Coach, Joe Paterno’s overall most bowl wins as a coach with 23 wins overall. USC was known for its high flying offence and well-respected coach Pete Carroll. Talks about the results were that the game was either going to be a close one and win by Penn State or blow out and win by USC. Well, from the first quarter it was all USC’s offense and help by defense which helped them seal the Rose Bowl victory. USC quarterback Mark Sanchez threw for over 400 yards passing and passed for 4 touchdowns. Penn State was down big but rallied somewhat in the 4th quarter, only to turn up short. USC made sure that their lead would not be given up and won the game 38-24.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

With the plans of shutting down 11 Philadelphia public libraries by Mayor Michael Nutter and his administration, Judge Idee C. Fox ordered not to close any libraries without city council’s approval on Tuesday afternoon. This decision was made a day before the libraries were originally scheduled to close. Judge Fox said that closing the libraries would do a lot of harm to the members of the communities the libraries were located in, especially heavy users. Mayor Nutter will appeal the decision but will now need the approval of city council, which will probably be denied. In budget related news, the judge did approve the closure of several fire houses saying that the fire unions did not have sufficient backup information to keep them open. With the $8 million that was to be saved from closing the libraries, the Mayor will now have to work on another plan to save this money.

Happy New Year everyone!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After a terrible first week performance for his sophomore album, Soulja Boy is putting the blame on legendary New York rapper, Nas, for killing hip-hop. After only selling 46,000 copies of “Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em” and landing in the number 43 spot on the Billboard Charts, Soulja Boy put a video on YouTube explaining why he feels his album did so poorly. He goes on to say that after Nas made the track “Hip-Hop is Dead” that everyone started really saying it was and talked so much about the topic. Then, he goes on and says that Nas messed up everyone’s money and if it were not for the track, that the current situation with hip-hop albums sales would not be as bad. Soulja Boy also goes on to mention that Nas is dissing something he still has to do. Whatever the beef may be, it seems like Soulja Boy has issues with hip-hop legends, first Ice-T and now Nas. I just can’t believe this guy is actually serious with what he is saying. My words to Soulja Boy are “Why don’t yuuuulllleeee go and make a real album?”

Happy New Year everyone!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Let’s take the time to look back from where we came. 2008 gave us the 80”s runaround, the Military Desert Storm and the college grunge look. What will come next? Will we emerge ourselves into the educated clean tailored look or better yet will fashion even be as important. Do you feel that this recession is going to take a toll on what’s important fashion wise? Therefore make fashion not a label thing, but more of an individual statement.

By Keith Wardlaw

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will be having a news conference at City Hall today at 1pm to discuss the current situation of the Philadelphia libraries. When first mentioning the state of the economy for the city, there was mention of big budget cuts and one important cut was libraries in the city. Mayor Nutter mentioned closing down city pools and libraries. When the talk of closing libraries was mentioned many parents and city officials were angered and it was not just one library mentioned to close, it is 11 libraries to close. Three city council members are angered because they do not want to allow Mayor Nutter to make the decision to close the libraries without their approval. Nutter has been going to townhall meetings at local high school to discuss the city’s budget deficit and today’s conference will possibly give a brighter look on the state of the city libraries.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

A former BET producer nicknamed “Choke” will be exploring the infamous break-up of the Roc-A-Fella Dynasty in an up-coming documentary titled “I Am Choke No Joke.” Choke was a producer for BET’s Rap City and a former employee of Roc-A-Fella and will be offering his take on the record label’s fall out. In the documentary he hints on what brought tension between Jay-Z and Dame Dash. One reason mentioned by Choke was that Dame was a camera freak, “he loved people to tape him because he started thinking he was a star.” Another reason mentioned was that when Dame Dash proclaimed that Cam’Ron would be vice president of the ROC and when Dame signed Ol’ Dirty to the label. Choke says that Jay was not feeling these moves. The documentary will also have parts discussing moments at a legendary hip-hop spot, Tunnel. For the most part, this movie will be about Choke’s view on these topics and is currently scheduled to release in Summer of 2009.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a crazy NFL weekend, with one very sad moment to end the season!

NFL: This point last week it looked like the Eagles were completely out of the playoff picture, but what a difference a week makes. The Eagles needed a win, Tampa Bay loss, and either Minnesota or Chicago loss to earn a playoff spot. Well let’s just say they whooped the Cowboys 44-6, the Bears lost 31-17 and the Bucs lost 28-24, giving the Birds the final playoff spot. In other related news, the Lions ended the season 0 -16 officially making them the worst team in NFL history. The playoffs are set and next week we will see: Eagles at Vikings, Falcons at Cardinals, Baltimore at Miami, and Indianapolis at San Diego.

NBA: Carmelo Anthony returned to the Nuggets line-up and dropped 32 points on the Knicks in a 117-110 victory on Sunday. Also, forward Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks has to serve a one game suspension for throwing a back-hand swipe to forward Matt Harpring of the Utah Jazz on Friday night. Finally, the Celtics suffered two straight losses for the first time this season as they lost to the Lakers Christmas day and lost to Golden State Friday night.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, this weekend had some exciting bowl games. QB Pat White and West Virginia defeated UNC 31-30 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, making White the first QB to start and win 4 bowl games. University of California defeated University of Miami 24-17 in the Emerald Bowl. Florida State defeated Wisconsin 41-13 in the Champs Sports Bowl. Finally, FAU defeated Central Michigan 24-21 in the Motor City Bowl.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

It seems like every Philadelphia sports franchise has an opponent accomplish some type of record on them. Last season the New York Giants sacked the Eagles Donavan McNabb a record 12 times in one game. The Boston Celtics accomplished their best start in franchise history at 27 – 2 with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers by the score of 110-91 on Tuesday. The win also helped extent the Celtic’s winning streak at 19 straight games. The big three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are playing like they have been on the same team for years. The big surprise for the team is how point guard Rajon Rondo has stepped up his game this season. Unfortunately though, The C’s suffered an important loss on Christmas day as the Los Angeles Lakers got some revenge in a 92-83 victory and snapped the Celtics winning streak. On the upside, The Celtics are still 27-3.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Wal-Mart agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by former employees who complained about the company’s terrible work practices towards employees. Wal-Mart is expected to pay up to $640 million dollar in settling about 63 nationwide lawsuits against the company relating to unfair work-related practices after employees accused the company of not issuing breaks, refusal to pay overtime, and a general mistreatments of workers over the pass years. The final amount to be used in the settlement by Wal-Mart is expected to reduce the companies’ fourth quarter profits or share price by about 6 cents. Wal-Mart has faced harsh public scrutiny over allegations made by many due to its working conditions and officials believe the negative limelight has harmed the company’s reputation and in some cases revenue generation potential, as many individuals view Wal-Mart as exploitative towards its employees.

By: Piayon Lassanah

In a time where it is very hard to sell cars, car collectors might be interested in this bad boy! NBA player Tracy McGrady is selling his custom 2001 Mercedez CL600, but he is selling it on EBAY. His Benz is baby blue and has a retail value of $148,000 but T-Mac has put a lot of money into customizing the car, reportedly over $180,000. The famous Southern California company West Coast Customs were the ones who hooked-up T-Mac’s Benz. Currently, the car is on EBAY with a “buy it now” price of $150,000. Winning bidder will have the opportunity to meet and greet Tracy McGrady and be there as he signs off his title. If interested, he will also autograph the car. There has been about 20 offer so far and the auction ends December 29, so congrats to whoever wins!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In a show of peace, Kanye West is vowing to make peace in the coming new year, but with you you may ask? Kanye West’s new year’s resolution for 2009 is to make peace with the paparazzi! It is a little hard to believe with all his run-ins with the paparazzi this year but Kanye West has reportedly told TMZ that he want to make peace with the paparazzi. West even said “I love you guys”, talking about the paparazzi. His last stint with them was in November in Newcastle, England when he allegedly pushed a camera into a snapper’s face. Kanye was arrested, then released without charge. Then two months prior, at LAX, he was arrested for grabbing a photographer’s camera an throwing it on the grownd and breaking the camera. So, it is possible, but will Kanye really make peace with the paparazzi in the new year?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The College Opportunity Resources for Education (CORE Philly) program which was recently closed due to insufficient funding is reportedly under federal inquiry after FBI officials questioned employees of the program regarding the use of its finances. Core Philly is a scholarship program for Philadelphia high school graduates that provide four year financial assistance for college tuition and related expenses. The program was founded by State Representative Chaka Fattah in 2003 and supported by former Mayor John Street, the Philadelphia School District and City Council and received $4million and $6 million a year for four years from the City and School District of Philadelphia respectively.

It is reported that federal investigators made an inquiry about the use of the program finances and Representative Chaka Fattah believes it was made concerning a $700,000 dollars grant made by the Justice Department and that this is a regular procedure for monitoring federal funds and that it may have gained high exposure due to complaints from a disgruntled employee. Chaka Fattah although holding no position in the program operations has helped raised millions of dollars as a result of his legislative position in congress and being a member of the influential House Appropriations Committee but he recently announced the its closure due to budget cuts and its inability to raise money for an endowment fund as only $5 million of the initial $200 million goal has been met. The program has benefited several high school graduates and close friends of mine and it is still the hope of many that the program can be revived by seeking additional sources of funding.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This weekend was a terrible one for the Philadelphia Eagles and the start of the Bowl Season in college football!

NFL: In what was a must win for the Eagles, turned out to be a loss. Going into their game, the Eagles had everything going for them. The Cowboys lost on Saturday to the Ravens and Tampa Bay loss to the Chargers on Sunday, so all the Eagles had to do was win and win next week. Unfortunately, the Eagles played a bad game and loss to the Redskins, 10-3, but technically the birds are not officially out of the playoffs. Other winners this weekend included the: Patriots, Falcons, Bengals, Saints, Titans, Dolphins, 49ers, Seahawks, Raiders, Bills, and Colts (Thursday). In what was one of the best match-ups this weekend, the Giants pulled off a victory over the Panthers.

NBA: Right now all NBA news should be placed on the Boston Celtics. With a 25 – 2 win-loss record, the Celtics are on pace to put up numbers like the famous ‘96 Chicago Bulls team. The big three in the team are playing well and one key, other starter, has been playing great as well. Rajon Rondo, the starting point guard for the C’s, has been clutch this season and just another lethal weapon on the squad. The Cavaliers, Magic, Lakers, and Blazers round up the top 5 teams of the NBA at this point of the season, with an honorable mention to the Atlanta Hawks who have a nice group of players that may be able to give Boston a run for their money again this season during the playoffs.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, the bowl games have begun. BYU, USF, Colorado State, and Wake Forest have all won their bowls games so far. In college basketball, Syracuse picked up a win over Memphis, Kansas defeated Temple, Duke trashed Xavier and UCONN slipped fasted Gonzaga this weekend. Congrats go to Tyler Hansbrough who became the scoring leader in UNC school history.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

President George Bush announced a plan today to provide General Motors and Chrysler with $13.4 billion in loans and an additional $4billion in February from the Treasury Department Temporary Assistance Relief Program which was established to primarily assist financial institutions and the housing industry. Ford stated earlier that it didn’t need immediate assistance and that’s why it wasn’t included in the assistance package. The plan is expected to temporarily save General Motors and Chrysler which had already planned on cutting jobs due to their troubled financial situation. The financial industry had requested assistance over a month ago went representatives from Ford, General Motors and Chrysler went to Congress but were denied initially and told to come back with a better financial sustainability plan. On a second attempt the House agreed on a plan to assist the companies which was later denied in the Senate and on Thursday President Bush proposed the idea of a structured bankruptcy which sparked fear into many citizens who relied on the industry for Jobs. It is expected that the companies will need more financial assistance and might receive additional aid from President-Elect Barack Obama economic revival plans

By: Piayon Lassanah

Oprah Winfrey has just made another big move in her successful career. She has just inked a deal with HBO to make movies for the channel. Oprah has her own production company which is called Harpo Films. The deal is a three year deal for both sides. Also, this deal was done just at the end of the 15-year deal with ABC. One reason that the deal was done, on Oprah’s end, was that network television has many limitations. HBO was very welcome to have Oprah on their team because of all her accumulated success in her years on television. Included in the deal will be mini-series, movies, documentaries, and series. Oprah’s first piece of work will be released in 2009, hopefully early 2009.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

During Wednesday night’s win versus the Milwaukee Bucks, the Philadelphia 76ers suffered a severe loss. The starting power forward for the 76ers, Elton Brand, was injured and suffered a dislocated shoulder. Brand was going up to contest a shot, but there was a pump fake and brand ended up falling hard on his shoulder. The fall led to a fracture and tear in Brand’s right shoulder. Team officials say he will not need surgery. With the team struggling, the 76ers will need help from the bench to keep up for the month Brand will miss.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The infamous Iraqi reporter Muntadhar al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at President George Bush during a press conference on a surprise visit to Iraq received support from hundreds of supporters who urged the Iraqi government to release him from prison. The video of al-Zaidi throwing both shoes at President Bush was aired worldwide and has been a popular search on Youtube’s website. Immediately after Al-Zaidi was approached by several security officials who threw him to the ground and arrested him and he is likely to be charged with assaulting a foreign Head of State under Iraqi law and is expected to face trial soon. The supporters who were mostly students from Diyala University in Iraq consider Al-Zaidi an honorable Iraqi and urged the government to release him immediately. Al-Zaidi brother however fears for his safety saying his brother might be assassinated once he is released.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This is probably the first professional sports league to really be affected the hardest by the economic times that the world is facing. The cancellation of the season first started with the folding of one of the teams in the league, who were the New Orleans Voodo. The series talks of canceling the season came about last week, but it was not certain and there was still hope. Team owners met in deliberation to keep the season going but it was a business decision to cancel the season. The board of directors, acting commission, and owners all agreed that the AFL needs to restructure the business so that the brand itself could be built better for such an affordable, fan-friendly sport. This cancelation will affect employees and players salaries. There already have been job cuts and some players luckily have off-season jobs. There have been a lot of rumors of the league itself folding and with this cancellation, it might seem possible. All owners in the league expect to return for the 2010 AFL season.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

As if the current financial crisis hasn’t been terrible enough, 2 individuals Michael Dreier and Bernard Madoff were busted in less than a week for fraudulently cheating investors out of millions of dollars in a serious case of white collar crimes. The first culprit Dreier who is a Harvard Law School and Yale College graduate was first caught in Canada after he impersonated another Lawyer at a Teachers’ Pension Plan but was later released on a $100,000 bail only to be arrested when he returned to his residence in New York for fraud. Dreier who owns Dreier LLP and has about 85 employees working for him somehow managed to dupe two hedge funds into giving him over $100 million dollar and claiming that he sold financial notes at discount rates. Those unfortunate employees of Dreier LLP are most likely going to lose their jobs at a crucial time as the holiday’s approaches. It is estimated that Dreier cheated investors and hedge funds of about $380 million. Hedge funds is defined as “an actively managed private investment fund that seeks attractive positive returns by employing many aggressive and conservative strategies, instruments and tools of the trade” and usually generate higher returns then stocks and bonds but involves larger sums of money and has experienced its share of decline in the current financial crisis. Dreier is currently being held in prison and has been refused a $10 million dollar bail request for fear that he might escape.

The second culprit Bernard Madoff was well trusted in the investment sector as he was formerly the chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Exchange. Madoof is believed to have duped high profile investors, pensioners, charities, and banks to the tune of about $50 billion after running a major scam in which he over-paid investors with cash from investments by new investors and was caught trying to give his unknowing employees millions of dollars. The unfortunate employees will likely be without jobs as the holiday approaches also. The list of victims of the scam includes major foreign financial institutions, the charitable foundation of Carl Shapiro a Boston Philanthropist, HSBC, Fred Wilpson owner of the New York Mets, Norman Braman a former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, the charitable foundation of Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey etc. It is still being determined is these individuals will be able to at least recoup some of their monies after the SEC froze all revenues of Madoof Investment Securities LLC.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Well it was bound to happen and with the ever so pace of things going digital, two popular magazines have made the transition. Ebony and Jet magazines have made the leap to the digital world! In a partnership with Google, the publishing company of these magazines, Johnson Publishing Company, has recently revealed the details of the partnership. The deal will give customers the opportunity to search for past issues of these magazines and seven other titles as well online. They will also have access to photographs from 63 years of the magazines history. Before this deal issues in archives were available on microfilm and in bound volumes. Trust me, microfilm is not the best either because I had a personally experience with microfilm. The online version of the magazines can be found at EbonyJet.com. Now that these magazines have an online presence, it will not be too long for other magazines to make the leak. This is all according to ballerstatus.com

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Villa now has 4 new, hot, and fresh New Era x Villa branded fitted hats available. These hats follow a Major League Baseball team color scheme. The yellow and black fitted follows the throwback Pittsburgh Pirates color scheme and it my personal favorite. The burgundy and white hat follows the throwback Philadelphia Phillies color scheme is fire! The navy and white hat follows the legendary New York Yankees color scheme. Finally, the black and red fitted hat goes with part of the original company colors. These four hats just released last week, so get yours before they sell out. They are all available in select Villa locations.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was yet another great one in college basketball and a sad one for Maurice Cheeks.

NFL: Well since the Eagles did not play on Sunday, I have nothing on them….sorry. In other related news, the Buffalo Bills made a poor coaching decision in the last 2 minutes of their game against the Jets and gave up a possible win. The Redskins are starting to dig themselves a whole in the playoff contentions as the lost to the Bengals 20 -13. Other winning teams from Sunday included the: Falcons, Seahawks, Dolphins, Colts, Jaguars, Chargers, Texans, Patriots, Steelers (who won their division), Panthers, Vikings, and Cowboys. Tonight’s game is a must win for the Eagles as they face the Browns.

NBA: The biggest news this weekend came from Philly where the 76ers fired head coach Maurice Cheeks. I really was surprised because I can’t tell whose fault it is for the poor start of the season for the team. The Cavs got their 11 game winning streak snapped by the Hawks on Saturday night as well. One big speculation stirring up in the NBA is trade talks for Shawn Marion. It looks like he will be leaving Miami, but to where is unknown. Other players in trade talks are Michael Redd and Gerald Wallace. Finally, with about two months to go to the all-star game, Dwight Howard is leading the vote tally.

ELSEWHERE: In college basketball, my own Temple Owls gave No. 8 ranked Tennessee a whooping on our home court Saturday afternoon, which was aired on ESPN. Dionte Christmas scored 35 in the beating the Vols took by the Owls and I was there to see it, which ended 88-72 Temple. There was also a big game in D.C. where Georgetown and Memphis squared off and the Hoyas took over the game in overtime to win 79-70. Also, congrats go out to Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford who took home this year’s Heisman Trophy.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The proposed $14 million auto bailout for General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler reportedly collapsed in the senate after initially being approved by congress. The current dispute is believed to be over union wages as republicans proposed labor cuts and that work rules be similar to its Japanese competitors Honda, Nissan and Toyota. The collapse of the bailout comes as a surprise as it was already approved by the House and even backed by President Bush and the White House. The current alternative being explored is using part of the $700 billion Wall Street rescue package to assist the three automakers as their collapse will have a significant impact on Wall Street and the entire global economy. General Motors and Chrysler are seeking immediate assistance while Ford stated it has enough funds to last at least a year but will need long term financing. The timing of the bailout is also crucial as a complete collapse would mean several job losses during the holiday period as many families will struggle to provide food and gifts for their loved ones and would further weaken the economy which is deep in a recession.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

What do you know? Terrell Owen is upset with yet another one of his quarterbacks and this time it is Dallas’ own Tony Romo. For some odd reason, T.O. thinks that Romo is ignoring him and throwing the ball more to players he is friendlier with, specifically Jason Witten. Terrell Owens thinks that Romo and Witten are having special session in which they are making up plays to throw specifically to Witten. This is just another sob story for the legendary Owens. It is not Romo’s fault that when he throws to Owens, that a third of the time it is a dropped pass and that maybe they would have more than 33 touchdowns together, than they already do. Put it this way, if you can get a little more wide open and stop dropping the ball as much then Owen will have more catches and touchdowns and all sides can be equally as happy. Dallas better step up their game before they turn into the NFL’s New York Mets and give up their season at the end.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The Philly Brotherly Love Concert was last night and only one word can describe it….bananas. I’m not going to lie, I thought that Gillie Da Kid should have been there since he is the so called “King of Philly” and I felt that Cassidy could have been there too, but the artists and surprises in the concert made up for this. Beanie Sigel was the host of the concert put on by Nike ACG and Villa. The performers at the TLA included Vodka, E Ness, Freeway, Reed Dollaz, Joey Jihad, and Beanie Sigel. What most people did not know was that Meek Mills was going to perform and that Jadakiss and Styles P were also in the building to perform. The TLA was off the hook and the special guest surprises topped the night as well. Special thanks to Nike ACG and Villa for putting the concert together. P.S…….if you did not know, all you had to do to get a free ticket was try on a pair of Nike ACG boots at the Villa this past Tuesday……that’s it. So if you missed out, stay current with the villa because they are known for doing nice things like this.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The current financial crisis in the United States and globally across the world has had several effects on city’s finances and revenues across the world. The financial crisis which was triggered by the subprime mortgage problems posed several problems for cities trying to raise funds through loans or attempting to maximize returns on financial investments to help maximize their revenue generating potential and this has led to cuts in city services and rate increases in service provision. Cities revenue are primarily generated through taxes, state and federal aid and are used to provide services and build infrastructures with additional revenue coming from borrowing as in municipal bonds, returns on investments and additional taxes, fees or charges. Cities have several sources of revenue generation to carry out their various services and projects and among these include property taxes, federal and state grants, borrowing, special taxes, fees and charges and capital investments.

As homeowners default on their mortgages and their homes become foreclosed there are less property tax assessed on individuals and henceforth less revenue for cities. The decline in the housing market also posed a problem for cities as lower property values will result in less revenue generated from assessed properties. Also when issuing municipal bonds cities collect funds from individual and other investment bankers with the goal of repayment after a specific period of time but recently the volatile markets and economic crisis have made it difficult for most to honor their commitment on bonds proving that they aren’t as safe as once considered and this also leads to a huge decline in bond purchases meaning less revenues for cities. In spite of the crisis mayors have been pleading to state and federal officials for additional aid to help their cities fund additional infrastructures and carry out regular services but have been denied up till now. Cities normally invest excess funds or funds for long term projects into financial equities, securities and other investment pools to maximize the return on these funds and generate additional capital while minimizing losses. The financial crisis led to huge loses for many cities especially in hedge funds, domestic, private and international equities. Hedge funds which “is an actively managed private investment fund that seeks attractive positive returns by employing many aggressive, and conservative strategies, instruments and tools of the trade and have resulted in significant losses of up to 20 percent this year. Philadelphia, New York Texas and San Diego are examples of hedge funds owning cities. San Diego had “lost about $87 million in its pension funds when its hedge funds Amanrath bet heavily on natural gas and lost over 65 percent of its total asset. The experiment by San Diego echoed the problems most cities were already facing as they had experienced huge losses due to the financial markets and at the time any risky investment were and are still being avoided by investors.

Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, Shirley Franklin of Atlanta and Phil Gordon went to congress to request $50 billion in aid to cities from the treasury bailout fund but were denied. Most cities are resulting to cutting services or increasing rates for certain services to avoid a budget deficit. Philadelphia experienced cuts in fire, libraries, pools, snow removal and garbage disposal services in an attempt to avoid a $108 million budget deficit in six months. Chicago mayor Richard Daley’s budget proposal included an “increase in downtown daily garage parking taxes to $3 from $2.25, increase in taxes on tickets to sporting events and theaters by one percentage point and enact a new annual fee on private garbage dumpsters for businesses and larger condominium and apartment complexes”. Milwaukee also increased fees as snow removal fees rose in September by a total of $7.50 each for households and is still considering a $37 garbage collection fee increase. The problem cities face when increasing rates to generate additional revenues is the threat of residents leaving as a result of these rate increases and this places cities in a tight position trying to generate revenue to provide residents with adequate services without taxing them so much that they’ll have to leave.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Just about everyone is being affected by the current state of the economy, which is officially a recession now. American Idol winner Fantasia is just one of the many celebrities that the recession is having some type serious toll on. The home of Fantasia which is located in North Carolina has apparently gone into the process of foreclosure. The home was purchased at $1.3 million dollars last year by Fantasia. Now, for reasons that were undisclosed, she has not been making her mortgage payments and could have her home auctioned as early as next month (Jan 12, 2009) if a payment is not received. Luckily for Fantasia, she owns another home in North Carolina which was purchased for $740,000 and is not in danger of going into foreclosure. The moral of this story is that even if you are a big time celebrity making lots of money, you should spend your money the right way because you never know when a recession will hit and affect you.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Apparently Mr. West will be taking a short break from music to become an intern. Yes, an intern! Kanye West offered his services for free to the high-end fashion line Louis Vuitton and Raf Simmons. He has always had some type of passion for fashion and Louis Vuitton is Kanye’s favorite brand. When Raf Simmons was approached with the situation, he was shocked but knew that Kanye was serious about the situation. Simmons also mentioned that the thought of West being an intern is a little extreme. Nothing is official yet, it would be nice to have something in common with Kanye, which would be being an intern. In other Kanye news, he has been seen in public giving a preview of his own clothing line which is called Pastelle.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

For those that do not know who Stephen Curry is, he is the son of long time NBA player, Dell Curry. Stephen is also probably the best player in college basketball right now. While averaging 30+ points a game and leading Davidson to a current record of 7 – 1, Curry has had several big performances during the second half of several games that his team has won. Before the game last night, one of the ESPN commentators mentioned how he is probably the only player in the nation that can easily score 50 points on any given night. Last night’s game against West Virginia was another big game for Curry as he scored 27 points and led his team to a come from behind victory. A lot of people criticize him for being too small, but if he finishes up his career at Davidson in four years, he will be a beast in the NBA level. Watch out for Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats this season. Last night’s game was also to support the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. Jimmy Valvano was a college basketball player and head coach who was diagnosed with cancer and created his foundation during his famous speech at the inaugural ESPN ESPY Awards. Jimmy’s speech is an inspirational speech to all and his foundation has raised up $80 million dollars to date for cancer research. Watch out for Stephen Curry and the Davidson Wildcats this season.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

On December 5, 2008, Villa was featured in an article on Business Week’s website. It describes how the Villa has been overcoming the bad state of our economy. below is the article in its entirety, that was written by Steve Hamm of Business Week:

Villa: A Bright Spot in the Retail Gloom
While most retailers are suffering, Villa has held up relatively well, in part because its customers never got hooked on easy credit
By Steve Hamm

It’s late morning in the Villa store on Penn St., the main drag in downtown Reading, Pa., and Alex Rodriguez, a 21-year-old construction worker dressed all in black from his Sox baseball cap to his Nike (NKE) ACG boots, has a huge smile on his face. Rodriguez has just laid down $150 for a pair of Air Jordan Ring 6 basketball shoes—white with shiny black patent leather sides. He’ll add it to the collection of 35 pairs of Air Jordan shoes he keeps on display in his apartment like so many museum pieces. “Some people collect cars. I collect Jordans,” he says.

He also shops frequently at the Villa store in Reading, one of 22 outlets the company operates in neighborhoods of large cities or downtowns of smaller burgs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. In fact, Rodriguez points out that he purchased every article of clothing he is wearing at Villa.

Fortunately for the chain’s management, there are a lot of shoppers like Rodriguez in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and other cities in the Northeast who treat the Villa stores like an all-you-can-eat buffet: They just keep coming back for more. U.S. same-store sales for November fell by 2.7% from last year, according to the International Council of Shopping Center’s index of 37 stores, the largest drop in 39 years. But for now, Villa seems to be shielded from the worst of it. Its sales rose 25% in November, and gross margins rose by a healthy 6%—though the stores that had been open more than a year recorded a sales decline of 8% because of discounting. Despite facing the worst retailing climate in decades, Chief Executive Jason Lutz expects to open four or more stores in the next 12 months and to see his sales stay on an even keel. “We’re not immune to what’s going on in the economy, but we’re positioned well to ride out the roller-coaster,” he says.

The Urban Advantage
Here’s why: Villa’s customers, primarily African Americans and Latinos between the ages of 14 and 30, didn’t get caught in the credit trap. For the most part, they don’t own houses and don’t have credit cards. Only 15% of Villa’s sales come via plastic. Also, most of the customers or their parents work in government jobs or in service industries and are less vulnerable to layoffs than those in banking or manufacturing. The same logic goes for other chains that serve not-so-well-heeled urban folks, including Family Dollar (FDO) and Save-A-Lot.

The chain didn’t start off as an urban fashion mecca. It was launched 19 years ago as Sneaker Villa by Chris and Ruth Lutz, a waitress and a steel worker, in a suburban strip mall outside Reading. Their goal was simply to be able to make enough money to pay for their kids’ educations. After eldest son Jason graduated from college, he saw the opportunity to capitalize on the popularity of hip-hop culture and opened stores in urban neighborhoods. But Lutz didn’t just want to sell sneakers and T-shirts in cities. He wanted his stores to become part of the communities and to help rebuild them.

Over the years the Lutzes have run numerous programs aimed at improving the lives of their customers and their communities, including discounts for high school students who don’t skip school and for people who turn in guns to the police. The stores provide above-market-rate wages, plus health benefits for full-time employees, and they train people from the neighborhoods to be managers. Store managers often act like father figures for their communities, dispensing advice and setting up rap contests. Darren “Big Moe” Walton, a 310-pound former footballer who manages the company’s Philadelphia stores, dreams of being CEO one day. “Hopefully, I’ll sit in Jason’s office and realize the American Dream,” he says.

The help-the-neighborhood ethic is more than altruism. Lutz believes that if he wins the trust of shoppers and helps build up the local economies, it will boost store revenues.

Money to Spend
Villa’s business strategy is far different from that of most fashion and sneaker chains. It pays low rents and faces little competition in urban centers. Yet surprisingly, there’s disposable income in its markets. Within a one-mile radius of a store opened in West Philadephia last summer, for instance, there are 25,000 households with an average annual income of $25,000. Half of the apartments rent for less than $500 a month. So there’s money left over.

There’s something else unusual about Villa: It’s financed not by bank loans but by venture capitalists. VCs including California’s New Cycle Capital and Rosewood Capital bet $17 million on the company two years ago. Thanks to the VC cash, Lutz has ambitious long-term goals. Within five years he hopes to increase the number of stores at least fourfold to between 80 and 100 in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, and New York. Revenues last year came in at roughly $27 million, up 25% from the year before.

Even as the company grows, it retains some of the flavor of a family business. Chris and Ruth instilled a strong work ethic. While they no longer have official roles, they stay involved. Both were breaking down cardboard boxes in the stock room of Sneaker Villa’s West Philadelphia store during the grand opening in May.

Four years ago, after taking over as president, Jason incurred the wrath of his parents by expanding too rapidly and suffering a cash crunch. In May 2005 he was running out of funding options. The Seattle venture capital firm Maveron had turned down his plea for money, but he flew west to make one last pitch. Maveron shot him down again. Yet the day was a turning point. Maveron partner Ben Black was struck by Sneaker Villa’s blend of social mission and ambitious business goals. Black decided he couldn’t let Lutz fail. He tapped his own savings to help fund Sneaker Villa. “I was the person of last resort,” says Black.

The seemingly rash act ultimately led Black to leave Maveron and create New Cycle Capital with a friend, Josh Becker. They bill their firm as the first U.S. venture outfit focused on profit-making companies with explicit social missions. Eventually, venture investors led by New Cycle Capital acquired about two-thirds of Villa’s equity. They helped Lutz get the business on an even keel after the expansion troubles, in part by bringing in a handful of seasoned executives. Larry Long, a former executive at Modells Sporting Goods, came on as chief financial officer and helped Lutz win back credibility with shoe vendors and financial firms.

Some advocates for the poor criticize Villa for charging high prices for its designer items. “If the stated mission of a business is to help uplift a community, selling expensive items that most residents cannot readily afford seems incongruent to that aim,” says Yvonne Bynoe, a senior fellow at Wake Forest University who studies urban culture. But Villa’s regular customers are quick to voice their support for the company. The stores have a wide range of merchandise at varied price levels, and they see a retailer that’s heavily involved in their communities. “They treat you like family,” says Floyd Brown, a 33-year-old security guard who’s a regular at the branch in Allentown, Pa. The challenge for Villa will be keeping that family feeling strong and the sales flowing in the midst of the worst economic slump in decades.

Here is a link to the actual article: Villa featured in Business Week

Next month is an important month in history. Not only does Martin Luther King Day fall in this month, but January is also the month for the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. With two important days that fall back to back, rappers Ludacris and Big Boi (from Outkast) will be hosting the “Urban Ball” in Washington, DC. The Urban Ball is an event that will take place on January 20, 2009 (the same day as the inauguration) in which many celebrities will attend to celebrate the entrance of a new administration into the U.S. Government. Some celebrities that will be attending include: David Banner, Jalen Rose, T-Pain, Fantasia, Lil Jon, Monica, Alonzo Mourning, Bobby Valentino, and the Cheetah Girls. One key note is that there will be a dress code in effect: no jeans, no hoodies, no sneakers or ball caps. Tickets are on sale for this event at http://www.americanmusicinauguralballs.com./Tickets.html.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The South Street Bridge in Philadelphia is scheduled to close today at 9:30am to begin a two year reconstruction. The reconstruction cost will be to the tune of $67 million dollars and would require an entire demolition of the structure. Usual traffic from the bridge will be diverted towards the Chestnut and Walnut Streets bridges. The bridge was reconstructed in 1922, but due to safety concerns and the collapse of a Minnesota bridge that killed 13 people and injured 143 last year after cars dropped in the river the safety of the bridge has received numerous attentions. Traffic congestions will increase significantly and authorities have urged commuters and visitors to take public transportation or bikes to reduce the overflow of traffic. The bridge closure will means the closure of the Broad Street Expressway exit that serves Center City and West Philly and many nearby businesses are concerned of loss of revenue during the two year term since customers wouldn’t be as much due to the bridge’s closure. SEPTA also changed the route of the 12 bus towards the University Avenue Bridge to drop off passengers between 33rd and 38th streets on Spruce Street.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

This weekend was a sad one for Oscar De La Hoya and OJ Simpson and a great one for the Arizona Cardinals and college basketball and football followers.

NFL: I don’t think anyone gave the Eagles a chance to beat the Giants, but they actually did. The Cowboys also lost to the Steelers, but at the end of the season it looks like the tie the Eagles earned will be the difference maker between playoffs and no playoffs. Other winner in the league included the: Cardinals (who won their first division title in 33 years), Bears, Saints, Texans, Colts, Vikings, Titans, Broncos, Chiefs, 49ers, Patriots, and Ravens. Tonight’s game involves two 9-3 teams; the Bucs and Panthers and should be a very good one.

NBA: I’m not going to lie; I love the NBA, but for some reason it really haven’t caught my attention to actually really get into the games yet. All I know is that Andre Miller almost needed to get carted off the court after Derrick Rose cracked him really bad last week (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAA8mLz8aJ0). Also, the top four teams in power ranking are still the Cavs, Celtics, Blazers, and Lakers.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, Alabama messed up their chance to reach the National Championship, as they loss to Florida on Saturday Night. With the bowl selection last night, the championship game will be Oklahoma versus Florida. Penn State will also be facing USC in the Rose Bowl. In boxing, Manny Pacquiao sent Oscar De La Hoya packing! Pacquiao really let Oscar know who was the boss and hurt him so bad that fight was ended in the 8th round because Oscar’s eye was badly wounded. OJ Simpson is going to prison and it will be for at least 9 years because of the whole robbery situation he got himself into. Finally, tomorrow raps up the Jimmy V Week in college basketball in which there were a lot of good games playing for the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. The big game tomorrow will be Texas versus Villanova.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Verizon has been pleading with the Philadelphia City Council over the past few days to approve its proposed 15 year agreement which would allow the company to set up cable television and high speed television services in the region. If approved Verizon would join Comcast as the only cable television service providers. Comcast which most citizens currently believe holds a monopoly in cable service provision wants City Council to properly analyze Verizon’s plan without a hasty approval. Comcast argued that in its agreement they had to allocate $10 million in free cable and internet service to the city and laid out a detailed plan on when and where services will be provided with fines penalties if the goal wasn’t met. Verizon however maintains that the proposed agreement includes $11.3 million in grants but due to competition they wouldn’t list the neighborhoods which service will be targeted at initially for fear that Comcast may begin offering discounts, promotions and multi-year contracts in those areas which will limit their profit potential but may disclose its plan in private to city officials so they’ll know that they aren’t targeting wealthier customers. Verizon plans on providing about one-third of the city with FIOS service within three years and the entire city within seven years with West Philadelphia, Germantown, Chestnut Hill, and Southeast Philadelphia being part of its first phase while the Far Northeast, Mayfair, Roxborough and Eastwick will be in the second phase.

Most citizens welcome the competition and believe it will drive down costs since Comcast has been the only major service provider for years with its only competition being the more expensive satellite television services. Verizon FIOS television service is believed to be of better picture quality then the regular cable service since it transmits stations through its fiber-optics (FIOS) network which also allows more television channels, high definition programming and on Demand services then cable television which mostly use the less effective coaxial cable for transmission. If the agreement is indeed approved and Verizon offers reasonable prices Comcast might lose a lot of customers especially since FIOS come with the well-sought NFL Network channel which prompted most to switch to satellite television since it broadcasts NFL Thursday night games not shown on the regular cable channels.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

Well what do you know; Mr. Wayne himself leads the pack with 8 Grammy nominations. While no one can deny that this year was all about Lil Wayne in the hip-hop game, the nominations for the 51st annual Grammy Awards, to be held on Feb 8, 2009, just made this statement true. After selling over one million records in his first week, it was obvious that this was expected. Besides Lil Wayne, three other hip-hop artists came up big with 6 Grammy nominations, who were Ne-Yo, Jay-Z, and Kanye West. I would like to congradulate Philly’s own Jazmine Sullivan who received 5 Grammy nominations. Other notable hip-hop artists with Grammy nominations were Lupe Fiasco and Ludacris who both received 4 nominations.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The person that came up with the concept of creating the Nike Goadome Boots is a genius! Ever since releasing outside of New York City, the Nike Boots have been a hit, especially here in Philadelphia. For years, other brands have tried to come out with a solid boot in both a wheat/suede material and an all black leather material. Timberland has pretty much set the standards for both, but Nike has really done big with the Nike Goadome Boots. The key aspects of the Nike Boots that make the boot stand out are that they are durable, offer a lot of comfort, prevent trail slip-and-slide, and overall they have a fresh feel. Now, it seems that Timberland will still have a tight grip on the market for wheat/suede boots, but it looks like Nike will take over the black/leather boots market. These are so popular, that even up-and-coming hip-hop artist Wale, made a song and video titled “Nike Boots.” He actually just came out with the video this week and is getting a lot of love. The Nike Goadome boots are available in several color combinations and are available at your local Villa location.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Tomorrow night is the big fight! Fighting at 147 pounds, both Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao have a lot riding on their shoulders going into their meeting tomorrow night. There was been a lot of talk behind this match ever since the rumors started speculating and even more when the fight was made official. This fight is so big that it has potential to be the fight of the year in the world of professional boxing. There is a lot of talk saying that it could go either way, but Manny Pacquiao is taking bigger risk in the fight than Oscar. Pacquiao is moving up to weight divisions to make this fight happen, which is very difficult to do for most boxers. I really do not have a pick yet on the fight, but if you want to catch it, the fight will be televised live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on HBO Pay-Per-View.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

On Monday, the National Bureau of Economic Research of officially declared that the United States economy has been in a recession since last December and some economists are predicting that this period of downturn will extend into the year 2010 which will set a record for the length of a recession since World War II and is expected to be more painful than previous recessions. The announcement confirmed the fears of many citizens who expect worse to come and have been more judicious in their spending habits. The announcement however came only two days after the national Black Friday sales and would have meant less spending for some individuals who are more pessimistic about the state of the economy but economists have been urging more consumer spending which is supposed to help boost the market out of its current slump. Hours after the announcements shares in numerous stocks fell greatly and the stock market experienced its lowest fall in months just after five successive days of rises. For most the only bright spot in the current recession is gas prices which are currently under $2.00 a gallon for regular and have provided consumers with some flexibility in their spending habits as a result of the fall in oil prices. It is believed that an average of 120,000 jobs a month have been lost this year through October and analysts expect the current unemployment rate to rise from 6.5% in October to about 8% next year. The government however is optimistic of being able to turn the economy around and most lawmakers have been pushing for additional stimulus plans to help boost the economy.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

What could such a sweet and innocent teen couple possible have done to get sued by someone? Well, they apparently did not do anything, but their body guards were the ones that did the damage. According to TMZ, photographer Luis Santana, during Chris Brown’s 19th birthday party in May, he was beaten and robbed by the couple’s body guards in St. Petersburg. Santana was taking a picture of the couple through an open window of their limousine was he says he was attacked and robbed. The lawsuit is going to be for $1,000,000. Santana apparently lost his camera which had a value of $3,000, but is suing for the million because he says the photo he took was of the couple when they were not officially dating and the photo itself could have been worth a whole lot more.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

What a mess has the New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress got himself into, huh? Well if you don’t know by now, last Friday night at a night club in Manhattan, Burress apparently shot himself by mistake. So, not only was we wounded but now is facing possible criminal charges as well. So after checking out the hospital, he surrendered to the police with his lawyer on Monday because he did not have a license to have the gun that he accidentally shot himself with. Plaxico was let out on bail but if convicted, could face between 3.5 – 15 years in prison, unless a plea agreement can be reached. So after all this, he finally returns to his team Tuesday morning to continue rehab on his hamstring. Nonetheless, Plaxico finds out that his team has suspended him for the final four games of the season and was placed on the reserve non-football injury list, for violating team rules. Regardless the suspension, he would not even be able to play the rest of the regular season because of the gunshot wound. Well, what will this do for the future of Plaxico in New York? It does not seem like the team will give up on him yet, but you never know.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Who would have figured when we heard the saying “We talking about practice” again, that it would be mentioned with Allen Iverson. Well, the Detroit Piston’s Head Coach, Michael Curry, decided to have practice on Thanksgiving morning and most of the players were not fond of it, especially Mr. Allen Iverson. Iverson was in such disagreement with the practice that we decided not even to show up. Let’s stop right here for a second. Does everyone remember when Iverson was in Philly and had a press conference where he said “We talking about practice”? Well, yes we are talking about practice and for missing practice Allen Iverson will be getting a hefty fine and did not Friday against the Bucks. This story broke out around noon on Thanksgiving Day and when I heard it I just laughed because first of all, will that one practice determine the outcome of the season for the team? Plus, it is Thanksgiving Day. Then again, he is getting paid millions of dollars to play basketball and practice is just one responsibility he has to take on. Will this be the last of practice and Iverson????

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Shooting attacks broke out in India on Wednesday November 26 in two luxury Hotels with regular foreign visitors and a Jewish Community Center which left about 121 people dead and 370 injured after almost 36 hours of shooting in the Indian commercial district. The terrorist are still holding residents and visitors of the two hotels, the Taj Mahal Palace and the Oberoi Trident complex and the Jewish Community Center hostage. Indian police commando’s who were deployed are trying to reduce the number of casualties and have been able to free over 200 hostages being held by the terrorists in the Oberoi Trident Complex. The commandos were seen on top on the hotel buildings and engaging in combats through the windows of nearby buildings in an attempt to save the hostages and are in the final stages of the rescue as the Oberoi trident has been cleared with final plans being made to rescue remaining hostages being held by about two terrorist in the Taj and several others at the Jewish Center. The terrorists are believed to have come from sea and had planned the attacks over several months as they had established control rooms in both hotels to execute their plan. It is still unclear which terror group is responsible for the attacks but a group name Deccan Mujahedeen have declared responsibility. It is also reported that three U.S citizens were among the injured, a British, Japanese, Italian, and two Australian citizens reported dead and a total of 22 foreigners being injured as of Thursday as a result of this unfortunate situation.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

The time was going to come eventually, but no one knew exactly when digital music sales were going to pass the sale of physical CD’s. For one records label it has actually occurred already. Atlantic Records are reporting that more than half of their sales are from digital music albums sales and mp3 purchases online with approximately 51% of the sales, which also includes ringtone purchases. Though this has occurred for Atlantic Records, experts are saying that the sales of music online is not growing at a fast enough rate to succumb the overall losses labels have taken because of the decline in music sales. One fact in sales is that eight years ago, they were at close to $15 billion and this year there will be at a little over $10 billion. This was bound to come because of the increase in technology, when will the time come when there will be no physical CD’s being sold?

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Popular social networking site Facebook, won a lawsuit totaling $873 million against a Canadian spammer, who used illegal phishing to gain accesses into different user’s account and spread spamming messages to other users. The culprit, Adam Guerbuez of Montreal who also runs Atlantis Blue Capital and Ballervision.com, was charged with sending over 4 million spamming messages of sexually explicit advertising messages for “penis enlargements” and similarly associated products. Facebook however is unsure of its ability to collect the full amount in the ruling from Mr. Guerbuez but hopes that the ruling will serve as deterrence to other spammers and illegal users of the site and help to promote a healthier online networking experience for its customers. As a result of the ruling Mr. Guerbuez will be banned from accessing Facebook as the social networking business attempt to retrieve its money.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

Every Thanksgiving Day, there are many rivalry football high school games in the city of Philadelphia. Even if one team is from the Catholic League and the other is from the Public League, the same two teams play each other on this day. So, tomorrow is the day that many high school alumni and current students look forward to. It is also usually a day when alumni reunite to reminisce on the good old days in high school. Personally, I will be at the North Catholic-Frankford game, since North is my alma mater. So, if you are wondering when and who your school is playing than here is a list of the games for Thanksgiving Day thanks to (www.tedsilary.com):

Public/Catholic
N. Catholic at Frankford, 9:45am
Judge at Lincoln, 10:00am
Roman at Roxborough, 10:30am
Neumann-Goretti at Southern, 10:30am
Public/Public
Overbrook at West Phila., 10:00am
Fels at Olney (Gratz), 10:30am
Franklin at Dobbins, 10:30am
King at Germantown, 10:30
Univ. City at Mastbaum (Olney), 10:30am
Central at Northeast, 10:30am
Imhotep at Edison, 10:30am
Del-Val at Bartram 10:30am
Public/Suburban
Penn at Penn Wood, 10:30am
Catholic/Suburban
Conwell-Egan at Truman, 10:00am
Catholic/Inter-Ac
SJ Prep at Malvern (Villanova Stadium), 10:30am

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Well, Well, Well. After a few months of talking about an Eminem comeback, it sounds like he is really coming back, soon and stronger than ever. Swizz Beatz is one of the few producers on Eminem’s new album and is talking very highly of the return album. In an interview with MTV News, Swizz says that Eminem is coming back to “take the game over.” Swizz describes Eminem as sounding different, having a different mindset, but still like the original Eminem. So far, Swizz has works on five tracks with Eminem and says the hottest track is one that features Dr. Dre and 50 Cent. Also, there will be a Stan Pt. 2 on the new album. One major difference that fans will notice is that there will not be as much political tracks on the album, which Eminem has been known for. The new album, which has no title yet, is slated to come out during the first quarter of 2009.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

After appearing at the Magic Fashion Convention earlier this year, rapper T.I.’s clothing line, Akoo, has finally hit the shelved of popular fashion stores. Even though T.I. was involved with some personal issues, he did not allow it to stop his business venture in realeasing the Akoo line. To celebrate the release, T.I held a party in New York City at the Taj Lounge. At the party he showed off coats, jeans, jackets and other fashion items. The line released earlier this week and has been receiving a lot of buzz on the streets. If anyone is wondering what AKOO stands for, it is an acronym for “A King of Oneself.” Akoo clothing is now available at select Villa locations.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

I’m guessing that Soulja Boy has a lot of fans in Wilmington, DE, by the turn out of his in-store appearance at the Villa last Tuesday (11/18/08). The line of fans to see him was outside the doors and around the corner. There was even a point in which it started snowing and the fans that were outside only cared about meeting Soulja Boy. He was actually there with his partner Arab and the girls were going crazy for both of them. The radio station Kiss 101.7 fm was also in the building. Overall, it was a great event and if you want to meet a celebrity just stay current with the Villa’s website to find out who might be coming to a store near you.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Last night was the 36st annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles, California. The award show was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. There were many performance from artists such as; Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Ne-Yo, Miley Cyrus, Pink, and Kanye West, just to name a few. The biggest winner of the night had to be R&B sensation Mr. Chris Brown. The 19 year-old left L.A. with three AMA awards which were: Artist of the Year, Favorite Male Artist for R&B/Soul and Favorite Male Artist for Pop/Rock. His girlfriend Rihanna won two awards which were for Favorite Female Artist in the same categories as Chris Brown. Kanye West won an award for best Rap/Hip-Hop album for his album Graduation and for favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist, which he decided to offer to Lil Wayne because he left that this year was Weezy’s and last year was his. It was good that Kanye won because I did not want to hear about another temper tantrum on stage from Kanye. Other notable winners were Alicia Keys for favorite Pop/Rock and Soul/R&B album, Three 6 Mafia who won Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Band, Duo or Group, and Mariah Carey was recognized for having the most #1 hits of all time.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The federal government in another bailout attempt as a result of the nations troubling financial economy, decided to financially assist Citigroup by guaranteeing the financial institution up to $306 million for bad mortgages and assets in an attempt to stabilize the stock price of the company which dropped by over 60% as a result of buyer’s uncertainty in the financial stability of the institution. The federal government also provided an additional $20 billion dollars to be used by Citigroup for its financial operations. The plan to rescue Citigroup was imminent for most as the failure of a financial institution of such magnitude with many operations globally would have been disastrous for the American and global economy as a whole. The urgency in implementing the rescue plan was also important to reduce further loses due to low stock prices as a result of individuals selling their stocks due to the uncertainty about the Bank’s financial well-being. Citigroup share as of Friday sold at about $3.77 cents, a drop from the initial trading price of about $38.00 earlier in the year. The effects of the rescue plan were evident in foreign markets as trading for the Bank’s share rose by almost 41% in Germany. The plan however is not the result of government just shedding out cash to the institution but rather the federal government will receive $27 billion of preferred shares with an 8% dividend pay rate to the treasury department and an agreement to follow the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation established mortgage modification program.

By: PIAYON LASSANAH

This weekend was a sad one for the Philadelphia Eagles, a great one for the rest of the NFC East and all college sports lovers.

NFL: It really looks like the Philadelphia Eagles’ chances of any playoff hope are just about down the drain. After a week in which they tied with the second worst team in the league, Donavan McNabb was benched and the Eagles were destroyed by the score of 36-7 against the Raven. If you are still interested in the Eagles they do play on Thanksgiving night against the Cardinals. Also, in some other sad news, the Titans finally lost their first game against the NY Jets. The Jets are still in first place in the AFC East and might actually make the playoffs this year. Other teams that won yesterday were the: Cowboys, Patriots, Falcons, Texans, Bucs, Vikings, Bills, Bears, Raiders, Giants, and Redskins. Tonight’s match-up between the Saints and the Packers is a key game for the Packers being in such a tight division.

NBA: It seems like the NY Knicks are really looking forward to the 2010 NBA season when there will be a huge list of notable unrestricted free agents, starting with Lebron James. The Knicks were part of two trades on Friday that sent Jamal Crawford to the Warriors for Al Harrington and Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Clippers for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley. Whatever these two trades do for the Knicks this season, it is clear they are looking forward to the 2010 season. Also, the OKC Thunder fired head coach PJ Carlesimo after a terrible 1-12 start to the season. Finally, despite having the flu, D-Wade dropped 38 points in a win over the Pacers on Saturday.

ELSEWHERE: In college football, Texas Tech proved that they did not deserve the No. 2 ranking as Oklahoma demolished them on Saturday night by the score of 65-21. Alabama retained their top position and are getting ready for the SEC Championship game against Florida, which could be a preview of the national championship game. There were also some exciting games in college basketball. Xavier won an exciting game over Virginia Tech in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off with a game winning, buzzer beater, half-court shot in overtime on Friday night. Then, Xavier faced off with No. 12 Memphis last night in the title game and defeated them by the score of 63-58. Memphis shot poorly from the free-throw line and paid for it once again.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Who would have guessed that the top earning celebrity couple in Hollywood, according to Forbes Magazine, would be Jay-Z and Beyonce? Well, apparently they are worth a whopping $162 million dollars. This is a huge part from Jay’s deal with Live Nation in which he banked $82. Also, Beyonce brought home about $50 million in concert ticket sales and endorsements. This must be happy and wealthy marriage the two are a part of. Second on Forbes’ list are Will and Jada Pickett Smith, who are worth $85 million dollars together. Will Smith banked in big with the movies “I Am Legend” and “Hancock.” Other recognized couples that banked in the most include: Tony Parker and Eva Longoria with $22.5 million, singer Seal and super model Heidi Klum with $15 million, Fergie and actor Josh Duhamel with $13 million, and Marc Anthony and JLO with $11 million. Just looking at the amount of money made by these celebrities makes me wonder where exactly all that money at???? To see a complete list of the top earning couples, you can go to forbes.com.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Members of congress were unable to advance automakers request for a bailout in the wake of the financial decline of U.S automakers as a result of the current economic conditions. Officials indicate the inability of Detroit’s Big three General motors, Chrysler and Ford to provide detail convincing reports to show congress how crucial the bailout has become to the American economy and their actual plans on using the proposed $25 billion figure led to congress decision on postponing the request until December 2nd when congress returns from Thanksgiving break. Congress desire for accountability is evident as most individuals blame top executives in these corporations for their current situation and think throwing money at them would be only a short term solution to a recurring problem. Automakers have been trying to sell the severity of the situation to congress by indicating the number of job losses such a crisis would cause and how important the proposed $25 billion dollar is to the American. It still remains to be seen the different turns this story will bring as most automakers fear the worse if a bailout agreement can’t be reached and look towards job cuts etc.

By: Piayon Lassanah

It is bad enough that he is not performing to his expectations as being a big name receiver in the NFL. Chad Johnson has really not performed up to par for the past two NFL seasons. Then there was a point with controversy of him legally changing his name to “Ocho Cinco” or the numbers 8 and 5 in Spanish, his jersey number. Well, Chad is in some trouble was deactivated for last night’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. There were reports on ESPN that he violated team rules, but when first reported there were no specifics. ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen than reported that the reason for being deactivated was that Chad was 45 minutes late for a team meeting and then had a verbal confrontation with Coach Marvin Lewis. Cinco’s agent Drew Rosenhaus spoke on ESPN and hinted that the infraction was minor and will not go past a one game suspension. Well, the Bengals lost another game, in a 27-10 defeat by the Steelers and probably could have used Ocho Cinco, but by his play this season he probably would not have been a difference maker. I’m very upset at Mr. Ocho Cinco because he was my favorite player at one point, now he’s just another receiver.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

T-shirt wearers around the world seem to be endlessly searching for that ideal t-shirt that is so soft and comfortable that you never want to take it off. However, have you noticed that this search is decreasing in difficulty? The feel of the tee shirt has drastically changed over the last few years. Do you tend to favor the softer clothes in your closet over abrasive ones? Gone are standard weight jersey cotton tees, the stiff fabric that may be ideal for the ball court but not so great for the bedroom. Designers have broken down fabric fibers to make shirts thinner and more gauze-y, making fabric softeners almost obsolete. You can pick up 2 almost identical T-shirts and they can feel very different to the touch. The difference is due to a variety of factors. For starters, quality makes a huge difference. That’s why softer tees are more expensive, while cheaper tees are relatively inexpensive. Thread count is another huge factor. If the tee is made of high quality fabric, it most likely contains a 200+ count, referring to how many threads make up an inch of the fabric. Also, manufacturers are implementing many new methods and technology to create a softer feel. Combing techniques remove tough fibers before cotton is spun into thread. Enzyme washes, peaching, burn outs and slub cottons have also made the new tee shirt generation more comfortable than ever. Warning: This trend may have you feeling yourself – literally and figuratively speaking.

By: Andréa Nelson

On Monday night Sgt Timothy Simpson a 20 year old veteran died at the Temple University Hospital after being involved in a car crash while responding to a robbery when his police cruiser was slammed into by William Foster who was being pursued by police officers in a different case. Foster a 41 year old convicted criminal was being chased for running a red light and driving dangerously when he hit Sgt Simpson at the intersection of Aramingo and Allegheny Avenue in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia. Officer Simpson left behind his wife and three kids and has a brother who is also in the police force. The death of Officer Simpson raises the total number of officers who lost their lives on duty to five in shortly over a year, Officer Chuck Cassidy, Sgt Stephen Liczbinski, Officer Isabel Nazario and Officer Patrick Macdonald all lost their lives in the line of duty. What angers most citizens and Police Officials is why a dangerous individual as Foster was on the streets after several encounters with the law including Philadelphia New Jersey and Bucks county police departments and several crimes were drug-related, burglary, theft, assault, criminal trespassing etc. His most recent crime was on November 5th for shoplifting in Bucks County and would have constituted a violation and a reason to be jailed after being sentenced to 17 years on probation by a judge in 2007 but it is still unclear why Foster was never apprehended and sentenced. The city and the Police Force mourn the death of another dedicated officer who risked his life to serve and protect us.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Now-a-days it is not rare to see Diddy just about anywhere. The man: had two shows on television during this fall, has a clothing line, a record label, is in charge of several groups and artists, is involved with a brand of vodka (Ciroc), has a line of cologne, starred in a primetime movie and even made a guest appearance on the MTV “TRL Finale” this past Sunday, just to name a few. Well, Diddy is in line for another guest appearance on TV and this time it will be on CSI: Miami. Rumors have it that he will play the role of a federal prosecutor and supposedly will have great dislike for the show’s main character “Lt. Horatio Caine”, played by David Caruso. Diddy is slated to appear on two episodes of CSI: Miami that will air early 2009. Earlier this year, rapper Nelly made a guest appearance on the CSI: New York.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

          When I looked at the schedule for yesterday’s NCAA college basketball game, I was looking towards the late game since that’s when the games usually come on (around 7pm or so). Looking at the schedule, I noticed something very odd. I thought to myself, it is not tournament time so why is there a 10am college basketball game. Well in fact there was a 10am college basketball game yesterday, between UPENN and Drexel, which was a close one but ended in the Drexel Dragons favor 66-64. Then, while looking at the schedule I looked for what ranked teams were playing or what noticeable unranked teams were playing and I stumbled across a few games that fell under that criteria. No. 14, Tennessee played but against a no-name school (Tenn-Martin), No. 11 Purdue played a no-name school (Loyola Chicago), and St. Johns played Boston College. Another big game on last night was No. 21 Davidson versus No. 14 Oklahoma. Stephen Curry and Blake Griffin had big games. Curry dropped 44 points, but Blake Griffin dropped 25 points and 21 rebounds leading the Sooners to victory by the score of 82-78.The game every college basketball fan was probably looking forward to was the No. 1 North Carolina and Kentucky game last night. Kentucky was coming of a heart breaking loss and North Carolina had started its season in a usually winning manner. Well, UNC started off strong and pulled off a 77-58 victory over the Wild Cats, without the best player in college basketball, Tyler Hansbrough. The Tarheels were just playing with Kentucky throughout the whole game as if they were a high school team. I’m looking forward to catching Tyreke Evans play because he has some high expectations.

 By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a bad one for the Philadelphia Eagles, a great one for the Tennessee Titans and UFC fighter Brock Lesnar.

NFL: Who would have expected a tie any time soon in the NFL? Well, the Philadelphia Eagles managed to be a part of the league’s first deadlock game in 6 years, as they faced off with the Cincinnati Bengals. The game was a very bad one for both offenses and ended up as a 13-13 tie at the end of overtime. This is very sad for the Eagles and is a big blow for chances to reach the playoffs the way the Giants and Redskins are playing. The Giants beat the Ravens 30-10 to improve their record to 9-1. In the rest of the league the Broncos, Packers, Colts, Saints, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Cowboys and Panthers all picked up victories. The Tennessee Titans are a whopping 10-0 with a come from behind victory against the Jaguars. Tonight’s match-up between the Bills and Browns might be an interesting one to catch.

NBA: The last unbeaten team in the NBA was the Lakers until A.I. and the Pistons rolled into the Staples Center and handed them their first loss of the season this past Friday night. The 76ers got two wins this weekend as the beat the Pacers and Thunder. Also, there were two huge fines handed out this past week. One went to Kenyon Martin of the Nuggets for his actions after being ejected Saturday night from a game for $20,000 and the other went to the Kings coach Reggie Theus for comments he made about the officiating in a loss to the Pistons for the amount of $25,000.

ELSEWHERE: UFC fighter Brock Lesnar gained the biggest victory during his MMA career as he dismantled veteran Randy Couture. Not only did Lesnar get the TKO victory but he also won his first heavyweight championship in his career. With the college football bowl games about a month and a week or so away, Alabama retained its number 1 spot and Texas Tech and Florida round out the top 3 in BCS rankings. Also, college basketball regular season is almost here. I can’t wait to see how Tyreke Evans will perform at Memphis.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Just a week after being arrested in New York on weapons charges, Katt Williams has been admitted into a mental hospital for psychiatric treatment. Williams was at a hotel in Sumter, South Carolina when an employee noticed him walking around during late hours just wearing a robe and a towel over his head. When the police showed up, Williams reportedly asked for a hospital, but instead head to a lawyer’s office. Later two family members showed up to persuade him to go to a mental facility, but Williams refused. Then they came back during the day with officers who demanded they take Williams to the facility and with no resistance Katt Williams was escorted out. The whole process will end Monday or Tuesday where a judge will determine if he will need to be hospitalized. Katt Williams is rumored to retire as a stand-up comedian at the end of the year due to mental and physical strain from his road life and the desire to strengthen his family. Hopefully everything is straightened out soon and good luck towards your future Mr. Williams.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Philadelphia’s “Good’s for Guns Exchange” program on Saturday achieved some positive results as a total of 353 firearms ranging from handguns, pistols, hunting rifles, shotguns among others were taken off the streets of Philadelphia. The program which exchanges handguns for a $100 girt certificate to Shoprite Supermarket was launched over two years ago by State Representative Chaka Fattah and is believed to have collected over two thousand firearms from individuals in the city. On Saturday the program was held by Sate Senator Vincent Hughes and some citizens swapped handguns at the St Barbara Catholic Church on the 5300 block of Lebanon Street in West Philadelphia. The program’s goal is to reduce the violence and murders caused by firearms in the city and promote the overall safety of individuals in the city. The program’s “no questions asked” policy keeps information on the firearms confidential as the firearms are collected by the police and cross-referenced in police databases to determine if they were used in a crime or reported stolen and if the database checks are clean the firearms are then melted. The “no questions asked” policy and the $100 dollar gift certificate are incentives for many individuals who wants to get rid of firearms in their possession.

The program is also popular across the country in several areas, with plans already being set in Akron, Ohio for the thanksgiving break on November 21 and 22 for individuals to turn in guns and receive $100 Acme gift cards for their Thanksgiving meals and other celebrations.

By: Piayon Lassanah

A 42-year old American patient who had been diagnosed with aids for over ten years is reported healed after a bone marrow transplant by German doctor Geno Hutter. The patient whose name is currently being withheld for privacy reasons was undergoing a bone marrow transplant to cure his blood disease Leukemia and was apparently given transplanted blood stem cells from another person who’s resistant to the disease. Dr Hutter intentionally placed the resistant bone marrow from a donor with natural genetic mutation which makes blood cells immune to HIV in the American patient and after 600 days without HIV medication and in continued tests the patient still show no signs of the HIV virus. The effectiveness of the treatment requires a patient to find a donor who has a similar tissue match and has the uncommon genetic mutation for immunity to the HIV virus and this would put pressure on most people who wouldn’t be able to afford such a treatment or find an individual with a similar tissue match. The revelation however maintains the path for further exploration and gives hope that a realistic cure for the disease may be developed to help save the lives of millions worldwide currently infected with the virus.

By: Piayon Lassanah

This has not been said since November 19th, 2001. The New York Jets are in sole possession of first place in the AFC East Division. With this season’s slew of Thursday night games, the Jets faced off with rival New England Patriots last night. What looked like a runaway by the Jets in the first half, was really not for the Jets. A second half comeback by Matt Cassel and the Patriots, including a game tying touchdown with one second left sent the game into overtime. The score going into overtime was 31-31, in a deadlock tie. In the first possession of overtime Brett Farve and the Jets rallied down the field and kicker Jay Feely knocked in a 34 yard field goal to win the game for the J.E.T.S…….Jets, Jets, Jets! The Jets can be happy with the big win, but they only have a 1 game lead in the division and still have 6 games remaining. The way the team is playing, they have a legitimate chance to win the division but they cannot sleep on the Patriots because they can quietly bounce right back up. Let’s see how long the Jets will ride in first place because another team takes over.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

No, he did not sell another million copies of Tha Carter III, but Lil Wayne did make history this past Wednesday. He was the first “real” rapper in the 42 year history of the County Music Awards (CMA) to make an appearance at the award show. The show, which took place in Nashville, Tennessee, took a very odd turn. Not only did Lil Wayne appear, but he actually performed alongside Kid Rock. They both wore NFL Tennessee Titans jerseys. Wayne stood in the back a little as Kid Rock performed his track “All Summer Long.” Wayne was also holding a guitar and mimicking the instrumental of the song on the guitar. In other Wayne news, the Dedication 3 Mix Tape is coming out soon and some tour date for Lil Wayne have been posted online including the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ on December, 28th 2009. I just home his tour dates do not get cancelled as some previous shows did about a month ago.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Circuit City the second largest electronics retailer in the United States filed for bankruptcy on Monday. The bankruptcy move could have been anticipated as stock prices traded relatively low and circuit city had announced the closure of some stores and the reduction of about 17 percent of its
workforce. Circuit city filed under the Chapter 11 code of bankruptcy which would allow the government to protect it from creditors while giving it some time to reorganize and possibly settling its debt on a future date. Shares for circuit city remained below a dollar value and the current low level of
consumer spending is not improving the situation as the company has fewer funds to work with and the current share value sits between 10 and 15 cents.

Circuit city’s creditors are numerous and the amounts in debts are huge with Hewlett-Packard leading the pack at 119 million dollars, followed by Samsung with 116 million dollars. Circuit city still plan on keeping about 566 stores open while it reorganizes and tries to get rid of some merchandise and
employees. It is still surprising to many how a famous national retailer like circuit city would go bankrupt all of a sudden as it owns about 700 stores and 40,000 employees and is definitely the first in the retailer chain to fall so abruptly even though its main competitors Wal-Mart and Best Buy have also made considerable loses as a result of the terrible state of the economy. The irony of the situation however is that the company now becomes attractive to numerous consumers as they figure to have huge sales and discounts especially during the black Friday shopping extravaganza

By: Piayon Lassanah

Does anyone remember the original Karate Kid movie from 1984? Well, I wasn’t even born yet but I do remember seeing the movie as I have seen it plenty of times. It looks like a remake for the original movie is in the works. It also looks like the person to replace the original karate kid, Ralph Macchio, will be actor Will Smith’s son, Jaden Smith. While the first movie was filmed in California, the remake will be filmed starting next year in Beijing, China and other foreign cities as well. The production team for the movie will include Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment and Jerry Weintraub (who worked on the original film). The plot for the movie will be very similar to the original as well, about a bullied youth
who learns how to defend himself. The role for Jaden Smith will be big and participating in martial arts already will give him an advantage in the filming process. Filling the footsteps of his father will be difficult, but this movie might be a great start for Jaden Smith.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Anyone who at least saw highlights of the Celtics and Raptors game from Monday night saw what Celtic’s power forward, Kevin Garnett, did to the Raptor’s Jose Calderon. Garnett was basically taunting him in the 3rd quarter, by staring at Calderon and clapping his hands repeatedly, while Calderon had the ball. He also started pointing in Calderon’s direction and waving his fingers near Calderon’s face. Kevin Garnett did all of this without a taunting technical foul or even being ejected from the game. The referees really blew this call big time. In most situations the call would have immediately been a technical foul on the player, but for some odd reason nothing was called and play resumed. While watching the discussion on what occurred on ESPN, some analysts mentioned how Garnett used to do that to Tim Duncan and he just does it to get into player’s heads. Jose Calderon did have some words with Garnett, but in the end nothing happened. Should the taunting have been called a foul? You be the judge.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

In the months leading up to the general election on November 4th, politics have flooded popular culture with more intensity than Lil’ Wayne’s hottest track and Facebook combined. All the mayhem has been prominently on display – literally. Obama’s face graces t-shirts, his inspiring words grace buttons, hats, jewelry – you name it. Fashion designers worldwide have responded to Obama-mania by making great clothes so people can express their political preference. Many websites specializing in custom clothing have now added a “Barack the Vote” section, where Obama fans and artists can upload artwork that may end up on the chests of other Obama supporters all over the globe. Also, sneaker fanatics can find incredible custom Obama sneakers online. Whether or not Barack fashions are for you, they certainly influenced the polls, as a united party jumped on the Obama bandwagon. And whether or not you were a Barack fan from day one, support his vision by rocking some paraphernalia now and again. History has been made. Are you fired up and ready to go? YES WE CAN!

By:Andréa Nelson

Imagine having the number one pick overall in a draft and you could only pick one person, who would it be? Well, this is sort of like making this type of decision because there are a lot of number ones involved, but who will be chosen. The person that is standing out in front of the pack to sing at Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration is Beyonce. Beyonce has voiced her feeling about singing at the event, but did mention that overall she will be at the event and will do whatever is asked of her, included singing. She has accompanied her hubby Jay-Z on his trail in helping campaign for Obama and feels a part of the change. Other candidates for the position include Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Wyclef Jean, and even Kanye West. Mary J. Blige has been an avid Barack supporter as she even joined Diddy, Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, and Kevin Liles and they had a “Last Chance for Change” rally the past 2 weeks. Whoever is chosen will have a lot of bragging right and will enjoy a big moment in their career.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

This weekend was a bad one for Roy Jones Jr. and the Penn State football team, a great one for the Tennessee Titans and Chris Bosh, and a surprising one for some teams.

NFL: Who expected the Tennessee Titans to be 9-0 at this point in the season? They improved to this record by defeating the Chicago Bears this weekend. The Indianapolis Colts got a close victory over the Steelers to improve their record to 5-4. This was another huge weekend for Bret Farve as the Jets rolled over the Rams 47-3. Other teams that scored victories this weekend include the Falcons, Dolphins, Jaguars, Vikings, Patriots, Ravens, Panthers, Chargers and Broncos on Thursday night. Check out the Cardinals - 49ers game tonight, if you are bored.

NBA: I know it is a little early in the season but the Atlanta Hawks are actually undefeated! The Boston Celtics keep on rolling as they defeated Allen Iverson and the Detroit Pistons yesterday to improve to 6-1. In bigger news for the Spurs, Tony Parker will be out for 4 weeks with a severe ankle sprain. With a not so great start to their season, the Spurs need help off their bench to continue its success. The Clippers finally won a game as they started the season 0-6, with a victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Chris Bosh had a huge game (30 pts and 15 reb) in a victory over the Bobcats yesterday. Finally, there are rumors of Lebron James becoming a Detroit Piston in 2010. Well, I’m not too convinced.

ELSEWHERE: Penn State probably ruined their chances of making it to the national championship game with an upset loss to Iowa, giving the Nittany Lions their first loss of the season and dropping them to the 8th position in BSC rankings. Also, in the big fight this weekend Joe Calzaghe took care of business and defeated Roy Jones Jr. by a unanimous decision. Even though Calzaghe was knocked down in the first round, he recovered and did his thing improving to 46-0. This was a huge year for Hoe Calzaghe as he finally decided to come to the U.S. to fight and defeated both Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

Check me out next Monday for the Weekend Sports Recap!

By: Adrian Gonzalez

President Obama has offered few individuals’ top positions in his transition cabinet for change as he assembled his staff to assist him begin serving the country while others politicians’ especially top democrats hope to be offered a desired position sometime soon. Some top officials currently already named to the new cabinet includes Mr. Rahm Emmanuel as Chief of Staff, Mr. David Axelrod as Senior Advisor to the President, Mr. David Podesta, Peete Rouse, Mrs. Valerie Jarrett as Transition Co-chairs and Robert Gibbs as Press Secretary. Mr. Rahm Emmanuel was among the earliest Barack selected and is believed to have a high level of understanding for issues and is a good negotiator which would be needed in reaching possible compromises. Mr. David Axelrod served the as the chief strategist to the Obama campaign and will now be the senior adviser to the new President. MR. Podesta, Rouse and Mrs. Jarrett who were all named as co-chair also have immense experience in politics and are believed to be well prepared to serve the positions.

Concurrently many other high profile democrat politicians are hoping to secure a position with the president-elect cabinet. Some notable names include John Kerry who is believed to be in the run for Secretary of State. Mr. Tom Daschle is being linked to Health Care but is currently facing opposition from Howard Dean who happens to be a doctor also. Obama faces another important task of selecting individuals on his the staff as this will go a long way to determine his success in office.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Many people could have pictured tomorrow night’s fight between Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe, to take place about 10 years earlier. The reason it did not happen was because Calzaghe was busy with fights in England and Jones was busy with fights in the U.S. Also, at that time, Calzaghe did not want to fight in the U.S. not allowing the fight to actually go down. The common thread between the both is that they wanted to fight each other for some time now, and tomorrow night is when they both get the opportunity. Joe Calzaghe has a record of 45 -0 and Roy Jones Jr. is pushing 40 years of age. This fight is a big one for both competitors because of the implications it has. Joe Calzaghe is talking retirement and is undefeated, while Roy Jones Jr. is at a point of his career where a loss could really put his career near down the drain. This will be an interesting fight. The fight is on HBO Pay-Per-View tomorrow night at 9pm in Madison Square Garden in New York City. By the way, Zab Judah is in the undercard as he will fight Ernest Johnson.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, & Common all have hit the record booth to make new tracks in celebration of Barack Obama becoming the 44th President of the United States of America. Jay-Z’s track, titled History, was debuted on the Angie Martinez Show in New York City on Hot 97. This track comes after months of personally endorsing Obama in the presidential race. Here is one line from his track: “Now that all the smoke is gone/And the battles finally won/Victory is finally ours/History, so long, so long/So long, so long.” Busta Rhymes’s track, titled Pop Champagne - Barack Campaign, is a politically themed remake of a Ron Browz track. Busta was so excited about voting that in a line from his track he mentions it: “We celebrating this Barack win,” Busta raps. “And I heard a voice calling/While everybody was yawning/ I was up and I was roaring/ I voted seven this morning.” Finally, Chicago native Common created a track titled Changes. His track basically is meant to express the powerful force of change. In one line of his track Common express this: “Change is inevitable. You can’t stop it. Change is happening in everybody’s life. Change is like a furious hurricane that you can’t stop.” If you haven’t heard the tracks, than you should search for them because they are a part of our history.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

The impact of Wall Street’s financial turmoil on American cities has become more evident as in less than a week both Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia and Michael Bloomberg of New York announced budget cuts aimed at slashing deficits facing both cities.

Mayor Michael Nutter announced yesterday in a budget address his plan to reduce the city’s current budget deficit. Mayor Nutter’s plan included the proposed closure of about 68 swimming pools, the closure of 11 library branches, the laying-off of 200 city workers and elimination of 600 vacancies, freezing the current business and wage tax for the next five years, the removal of small residential streets from
snow plowing routes etc. The plan which is scheduled to begin on January 1st 2009 according to Nutter includes a ten percent pay cut in his $186,000 salary and other pay cuts of some top officials within his cabinet. The mayor also plan on introducing a proposal to the Treasury Department to include Philadelphia and other cities in the fiscal bailout plan and working with President-elect Barack Obama to secure federal funds for cities with infrastructure costs as Philadelphia current budget deficit is estimated at $850 million.

On Wednesday mayor Bloomberg announced his plan to reduce the city’s budget gap of 303 dollars this year and 3.7 billion dollars next year. The mayor’s plan includes the proposed reduction of about 3,000 city jobs partly through the lay-off of about 500 city workers, a 7 percent tax property tax increase, the cancellation of Police classes for new cadet officers in January, reduction in fire academy hours and
overnight personnel, the elimination of 320 seasonal park jobs and 187 sanitation street cleaning jobs etc. The budget cuts by both mayors drew mixed responses as many believed they are needed even though most people would be upset by such program and personnel reductions. The tight nature of Philadelphia’s budget due to untouchable established expenditures like pensions, salaries and benefits contributed to the difficulty in coming up with such budget cuts for example as the Mayors faced a daunting task of deciding which programs to cut.

By: Piayon Lassanah

The wallet chain trend is spreading like ketchup, originated from the punk-rock culture and links fashion and function – no pun intended. Even in a recession, having the right accessories is important– including a hot jean wallet chain. This old school accessory has been catching on in hip-hop fashion as an innovative new style that as usual, all the hip-hop stars are wearing. Pocket watches of the last century were the inspiration of the modern day jean wallet chain. As a historically functional accessory, it has catapulted to popularity by serving a fashion purpose – (cause let’s face it, wallet chains look kind of hot), and a function purpose (cause we’re in a recession and thieves may jack your wallet – even if it’s on fire and the fire department are on their way.)

Men have usually kept their wallets in the back pocket of their jeans, either with or without a jean wallet chain due to the wallet’s bulkiness. However, a few things have changed. For starters, carrying a wallet in a back pocket makes it an easy target for theft and pick-pocketing, unless you have a jean wallet chain. Secondly, trends have changed. Dress pants and high-end trousers, no longer always have rear pockets – and the wallet chain was born. These chains are manufactured in various finishes – gold, chrome, brass, etc, various lengths – from short and sensible to long and ornate. They also can incorporate trendy detail – skulls, cross-bones, studs, etc. To get the chain that suits you best, you just need to know where to shop. Also, many wallets from all brands and price points now feature chrome links so that the customer has the option of attaching a wallet chain at will. So try to incorporate this trend… your swag – and your stacks, may thank you and return the favor.

By:Andréa Nelson

Ever since Stephon Marbury joined the New York Knicks, it just seemed like a bad choice on part of the organization. He is probably one of the highest paid NBA athletes to probably perform really mediocre or not up to par and part of some type of distraction to the team. So why keep him, and not trade him? Team president Donnie Walsh says that Marbury is a good player, but the organization has made the decision to let him ride the bench and make his $21.9 million without playing. On the other hand, if any of the Knicks top three guards (Chris Duhon, Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson) get injured, then Marbury will be able to get some playing time. Ironically, Marbury has not done anything to make the situation any worse in fact he has been “behaving” well with what is going on. He is in the last year of his contract so if things stay the say it seems like after this season or maybe before it is over, that Stephon Marbury will no longer be a New York Knick. Personally, I think Marbury should just go play overseas where he might actually make some type of impact. The league has too much talent for Marbury to actually make a significant difference for any ball club. The NBA players association is set to come in and help Marbury with the situation. Whatever finally happens, it looks like the Knicks will need some serious rebuilding or turn around to compete in the eastern conference because it just seems like one bad decision after another for the organization.

By: Adrian Gonzalez

Black Eyed Peas group leader Will.I.Am will be releasing a new music video today, but why an article about his new music video? Than answer is that the video will be a tribute to this historic presidential election. The theme behind the new video and song that is titled “It’s A New Day” will have testimonies from fellow celebrities, paying tribute to the people that made the historic election what it was. Also, this idea stems back to Will.I.Am’s confidence that Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States. Earlier this year, he came out with the song/video titled “Yes We Can” in which Will.I.Am went through his feelings about the presidential race and the importance of world issues. I just have to say that I am proud of all the celebrities in some way or another made an impact in voicing their opinions and getting others out to the polls on the historic day of Nov. 4th, 2008. The songs/videos on the election can be found at http://dipdive.com/.

After several months of anticipation and for the first time in history an African American was elected President of the United States. President Barack Obama in a convincing victory over Senator McCain won 349 of the required 270 electoral college vote and 52% of the popular votes while senator McCain won a mere 147 and picked up 42% of the popular votes. President Obama picked up a few republican strongholds and battle states like Virginia, Ohio, New Hampshire and Iowa which was anticipated before the elections and swept other democratic strongholds like Pennsylvania, California and New York convincingly.

Polling stations in the area opened as early as 6:00am in New Jersey and 7:00am in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The voting process went smoothly with very few long lines in the early morning but as the afternoon came so did the crowd at some polling stations. Many voters seemed excited in the Philadelphia and Delaware county area and there were relatively few issues. When polls closed at 8:00 pm many voters stayed glued to their television sets waiting for the official announcement. President Obama sprung to an early lead which he maintained and built upon up till about 11:00 pm when it was announced on CNN that he had officially won the election and the pandemonium began as several excited supporters took to the streets and screamed “Yes We Can” “Yes We Did” all night long. College students in the city joined local residents in a march to city hall where the excitement continued as several people wearing or waving Obama paraphernalia screamed in excitement with some even hanging out of vehicles. The crowd enjoyed the historic celebration and managed to stay safe as there weren’t any visibly Police arrests or destruction to public property by citizens as was evident in the Phillies World Series parade last week and the cops did a great job in maintaining safety and clearing up traffic by blocking off several sections of Broad Street which was filled with pedestrians and redirecting traffic to other less busy connecting streets. Thanks to all those who took part in History by voting and your voices were heard.

By: Piayon Lassanah

Sources on espn.com say that a deal to send Allen Iverson to the “Motor City” Detroit will be finalized as early as this evening. After the Pistons lost to the Boston Celtics in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, the lost basically put anyone’s job in jeopardy, according to team president Joe Dumars. The team had difficulty in making a deal over the summer, but it seems that just after two games into this current season in the NBA, a deal is just about finalized. The proposed deal will send guard Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets to the Detroit Pistons for guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess, and center Cheikh Samb. Billups and McDyess will be returning to the Nuggets as they both played for the team back in 1990. By acquiring Billups, Denver hopes that he will mesh better with Carmelo Anthony, than Allen Iverson. Iverson is in the last year of his contract and will be receiving $20.8 million this season. Can Iverson actually have a chance now to finally get a ring?…….I don’t know. It seems like he might because Detroit has been contenders the last several seasons, but everyone knows the type of player on and off the court Iverson is. So what team will have the better outcome after this trade is finalized???? Only the season will tell.

By: Adrian Gonzalez