Disco Queen Donna Summer dead at 63. Disco legend Donna Summer died this morning in Florida at the age of 63, family sources have told the Associated Press. The singer had been battling cancer for some time.
"Early this morning, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith," reads a statement from the singer's family. "While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy. Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time."
Summer was a five-time Grammy winner best known for smash hits including "I Feel Love," "Love to Love You Baby" and "She Works Hard for the Money." Her collaborations with producer Giorgio Moroder in the the Seventies broke ground for dance music and have been hugely influential on electronic music in the decades since.
Born and raised in Boston, Summer grew up singing in church before joining a short-lived psychedelic rock band. After winning a role in a touring production of Hair, she moved to Germany, where she would meet Moroder. Their collaboration on the suggestive "Love to Love You Baby," which Summer sang with Marilyn Monroe's breathy singing style in mind, became a huge dancefloor hit after Casablanca Records' Neil Bogart requested a long version of the song – 17 minutes.
Summer went on to major success during the disco era, scoring Number One pop singles with "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls" and an unlikely version of Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park." In 2004 Summer was elected to the Dance Music Hall of Fame, and in 2009 she performed at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in honor of President Obama.
Asked upon the release of her 2008 album Crayons whether she felt vindicated by her longevity, Summer replied, "I don't think they made fun of my music as much as they made fun of some of the music that maybe came as a result of that whole genre. But I do think in the course of time it is nice to reestablish something and to say, 'Okay, this stood the test of time. . . ' I have nothing to prove to anyone. I just get out there and do my best, and those who love it, great. And those who don't, they'll move on to something else." By Rolling Stone, May, 17, 2012
The shooting of Trayvon Martin, read the whole story here.
The shooting of Trayvon Martin took place on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. Trayvon Martin was an unarmed, 17-year-old African American male who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old community watch coordinator of mixed ethnic descent (Latina American mother, white American father). Martin was walking from a convenience store to the home of his father's fiancée when Zimmerman, while contacting the Sanford Police Department to report Martin's allegedly suspicious behavior, began following him. Soon afterward, they engaged in a confrontation that ended with George Zimmerman fatally shooting Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman told police who arrived on the scene that the shooting was self-defense. Responding officers handcuffed Zimmerman and took him into custody but they did not formally arrest him, saying they did not find evidence to contradict his assertion of self-defense. The lead homicide investigator reportedly said he did not believe it was self-defense and he wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter, but the state attorney's office said there was insufficient evidence for a conviction.
The circumstances around Martin's death received national and international attention, particularly regarding Florida's Stand Your Groun law and allegations of racial motivation and police misconduct, triggering public demands for Zimmerman's arrest. A number of high-profile citizens have made public comments or released statements calling for a full investigation, including Al Sharpton, President Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson, and Florida Attorney Genera Pam Bondi. Read more, the whole story at wikipedia.
: MediaTakeOut.com just learned that Emmis Communications announced that ESPN Radio is the NEW OWNER of New York's 98.7 FM, and they are expected to STOP broadcasting urban music - and instead broadcast ONLY Sports Radio.
Emmis also entered into a transaction to sell the intellectual property rights of Kiss FM, the current format Emmis programs on 98.7FM, to MAGIC JOHNSON, who is in the process of acquiring New York radio stations WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM. Dang . . .What!!!!
Rihanna looses her curves because she can't stop loosing weight.
"People think I'm no eating". said Rihanna. Rihanna has had her fair share of ups and downs when it comes to her weight.
The singer admitted to Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM radio show Thursday that she’s currently the skinniest she’s ever been – but it’s not her fault.
"It's difficult to have any kind of routine when your schedule is that crazy. So I really have no idea how I'm continuously losing weight," said the 24-year-old, who is no stranger to flaunting her body in risqué clothing on and off the stage.
While she had no problem baring her breasts in a sheer top during a recent outing in New York, the Barbadian beauty said she misses what she once had.
"It's actually pretty annoying. Now, I don't have a butt, no boobs – already had no boobs – so annoying!" she complained to Seacrest.
Just six months ago, the singer showed off a noticeably heavier figure when she donned a red-sequined bikini as part of the Kadooment Day parade in her native country. Her father, Ronald Fenty, takes credit for kick starting the singer’s weight loss.
“I actually thought she was a little fat the last time I saw her,” he recently told Heat magazine of his famous daughter’s enviable curves.
But when he attended the Grammy Awards with Rihanna last month, Fenty said he thought the singer looked “back to her normal size.”
“I used to joke with her, ‘Robyn, you’re getting too fat!’ ” he told the magazine. “But I think she’s fine. I think she looked excellent, as everyone saw, at the Grammys. She's dieting, she's working out.”
However, Rihanna denies her father’s claims.
"People think I'm not eating,” she told Seacrest. “I'm eating McDonalds at 3 a.m. It's an issue. I'm eating ice cream!" By Christina Everett/ NY Daily News.
Michelle Obama's new school lunch nutrition guidelines.
The meals will include more veggies, fruits and grains. School lunches are about to get much healthier. First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that soon the meals will have less sodium, and will include more whole grains and more fruits and vegetables as sides.
The new rules, which will go into effect in the 2012-2013 school year, will also allow schools to serve tofu and other soyfoods and soymilk to children who regularly consume them at home. Pizza will still be on the menu, but made with healthier ingredients.Obama and Vilsack announced the new guidelines — the first major nutrition overhaul of school meals in more than 15 years — at the Parklawn elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia. Obama said that children who are on a sugar high or have a tummy filled with high-sodium, greasy food have difficulty focusing on their schoolwork.
As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat, and ensure they have a reasonably balanced diet," Obama said. "And when we're putting in all that effort, the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria."
Obama became involved in the effort as part of her signature “Let’s Move!” initiative that works to fight childhood obesity. In 2009-2010, studies showed that 24.3 percent of Black children and adolescents were obese compared to 14.0 percent of white children and adolescents.
The first lady also noted that the school lunch for many kids whose families are struggling financially may be the only nutritious meal that they get each day. Ensuring that it is in fact a healthy meal not only helps fight childhood obesity, but also child hunger. Approximately 32 million children participate in the school lunch program.
Obama was joined by celebrity chef Rachael Ray, who helped prepare lunch using her recipes of turkey tacos, black bean-and-corn salad and fruit.“Schools are finding that when they actually offer these healthier options, kids aren’t just willing to try them, they actually like them. That's the thing, that's the surprising thing,” Obama said. “I've been to so many schools across the country where parents see their kids eating fresh vegetables off the vine, kids they say would never try anything, but that's the beauty of children — they change.”
by. Joyce. Jones. 1, 26, 2012.
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Disco legend Donna Summer died this morning in Florida at the age of 63, family sources have told the Associated Press. The singer had been battling cancer for some time. 
Rihanna has had her fair share of ups and downs when it comes to her weight.
School lunches are about to get much healthier. First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that soon the meals will have less sodium, and will include more whole grains and more fruits and vegetables as sides. 
