Jay-Z , Alicia Key performs at the World Series

Jay-Z blows the roof off of Yankee Stadium
By: Jarred Powell
Sports Editor
www.theblackurbantimes.com

Editor's Picks: Top Seven Scariest Halloween Flicks

By Alicia Cruz

Editor-in-Chief

Theblackurbantimes

I'm a die-hard scary movie buff. Every Halloween I rent a bunch of my favorite scary flicks and hunker down after I hand out goodies to the neighborhood kiddies. Below, I compiled a list of the Top Seven of my scariest flicks. Agree with some or disagree, some of these were some scary, weird flicks:

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

No scary movie list would be complete without "Elm Street" now would it? I saw this in the theatre with my first boyfriend (later became my husband). This flick had me scared to fall asleep for a few nights after I saw it. Freddie Krueger slices and dices teens from left to right. He has everyone thinking poor Nancy is a sleep-deprived nut that's seeing things. All the blood, guts and screeching of those dang hand knives kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the movie.

Jacob's Ladder (1990)

This is one of those films you have to watch from start to end because if you blink, you'll wind up confused. This was one of the creepiest, confusing and interesting flicks I ever saw. It earned the number three spot on my top five scariest movies because of all the gory, unpredictable scenes. Heads bobbing, blood gushing, the ghoulish faces on the trains, closed subway stations, sticks coming out of his girlfriends mouth at a party. Yuck!

Not only was this a seat-edger, but I had to watch it twice to really get it. Tim Robbins is Jacob Singer a Vietnam vet turned postal worker who's haunted by his days in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Weird run-ins and dreams have Jacob thinking that he's losing his mind after smoking some bad dope in the bush, but after running into a "buddy" Jacob soon realizes that the Army used him and members of his old platoon in a drug experiment called "The Ladder." But as you'll see when you rent this flick, nothing is what it seems. Jacob isn't actually alive...or is he? And all of his adventures are actually a between life-and-death dream...or are they? You'll have to find out for yourself. Macaulay Culkin plays Tim Robbins deceased son, Gabe. Danny Aiello plays Jacob's Chiropractor and my chica, Elizabeth Pena plays Jacob's spicy Latina girlfriend,Jess.

The Thing (1982)

A not-so-scary fact about this flick is that it was shot on locations on a glacier in Juneau, Alaska and a location in Stewart, British Columbia. Amazing footage!

OK, It all takes place in the Antarctica in the winter miles away from the "world." Gunfire and an explosion set the movie in motion...oh, and a dog. The Norwegians (more scientists) appear and accidentally blow up their own helicopter and are shot dead.

Macready played by Kurt Russell and Dr. Cooper played by Richard A. Dysart, decided to head out and check on the camp. They find the Norwegian camp devastated by fire and everyone dead.

Something encased in ice for 100,000 years begins infecting the camp of the living and it all seems to be connected to this dog.

Somehow this "Thing" gets into the living and replicates itself and takes over the body. Between the eerie music and bodies coming apart at the seams, this movie will have you jumping every minute as Macready tests each member of his expedition to see who is human and who is the "Thing."

Don't Be Afraid of The Dark (1973)

Obviously, I didn’t see this one when it hit the theatres since I was only four when it came out, but I got to see it one night years later when I spent the weekend at my Aunt Valerie’s house. Talk about scared? I slept with a nightlight on after watching this, vowed never to have a house with a basement and developed this quiet fear of "little people." This movie scared the cowboy daylights out of my stay-up-late behind. I thought little ugly monsters no bigger than midgets who resembled dried up white raisins clad in black were hiding under my bed, in the incinerator, hamper and closets after I saw this. If you've never seen it, you have to rent it. I rented it last night just to remind myself why I was so scared in the first place. Sick, huh?

Here's the synopsis

A young, newly married housewife, Sally and her husband move into a house belonging to Sally's family. It's an ancient two-story Victorian style mansion that turns out to be haunted.

During her interior decoration jaunt, Sally comes across a locked room. Her family handyman insists that Sally leave the room locked, but Sally finds the key and unlocks the door anyway. The room turns out to be her deceased Father's old study. Sally notices that the fireplace has been bricked and decides to have them removed.

This sets in motion a bunch of strange happenings. Suddenly, voices start whispering, "Free, free...she set us free. Sally set us free."

Sally begins thinking she’s losing her mind when she begins seeing "little people" everywhere. They're ghoulish and weird looking too. Nobody believes Sally.

She should have listened to the family handyman. He's known the monsters for years. After he quits and returns to the house to retrieve his tools, the busybody demons try to stab him with a screwdriver because they think he's blabbed their secret. Hold on, it gets even weirder.

The demons set a rope trap that was meant for Sally but end up killing her decorator instead. Mr. Harris, the handyman, finally reveals the whole sordid story to Alex: Sally's grandfather unbolted the fireplace, which had been locked up since the 1800s. This unleashed an evil presence in the house (the little demons) that carried away Sally's Grandpa somewhere down into this bottomless pit of evil inside the fireplace. Guess Sally should have left that dang thing closed after all. In the end...well, I don't want to spoil it for you. Rent it!

Psycho

"Hello, Mother?"

See what happens to some Mommas boys? The Psycho trilogy got scarier and scarier with each movie. Who didn't buy clear plastic curtains after watching the first movie? Till this day, I peek out from behind my shower curtain anytime I hear some odd noise. No scary character was ever as dorky, creepy or sneaky as old Norman Bates. His sick devotion to his mummified momma, the creepy music and death scenes kept me cringing and flinching every five minutes. Seeing these movies turned me against staying in those off-the-beaten-path Bates looking motels in small dusty towns, but hey, I'm definitely a Norman Bates fan.

Leviathan (1989)

A group of underwater sea-miners stumble upon a sunken Russian sub named "Leviathan" that may have been hit by a torpedo. Two members of the team find a flask of Russian Vodka. Turns out that the sunken sub contains a monster that's the product of a genetic experiment and that flask is "Pandora's Box."

After two of the crew members drink from the flask they fall ill and die. Their bodies begin to mutate into a gory blob of something that seems to want to eat it's way through the crew in order to stay "alive."

Doc (Richard Crenna) figures out that the crew of Leviathan was experimenting with mutagens. The mutagen was mixed with the vodka that both the Russian crew and American crew drunk. The ship (Leviathan) was sunk when the experiment went bad. The crew (or what’s left of them) finally makes a break for the surface with the mutant creature on their heels. As they reach the surface (with the only brother in the film still alive) the mutant creature attacks them, but Jones (the brother) distracts it and (finally) gets killed (hey, at least he made it to the end of the flick). Beck (Peter Weller) throws a demolition charge into the monsters mouth causing it to explode. By that time you could see all the bodies of the crew that the mutant monster consumed. Yuck! This flick was scary, unpredictable and very gory. But I loved it! You gotta see it for yourself.

And last but not least...Halloween...all of them.

Michael Myers was a die-hard nut that just never gave up. There was a lot of blood, but this series was just scary, period. Every Halloween, my Blockbuster basket is always filled with the Halloween trilogy.

Happy tricking and treating to all you ghosts and goblins!

Police find 6 bodies in Cleveland; convicted rapist sought

CNN--A search has been launched for a 50-year-old convicted rapist and suspect in the killings of six people whose bodies were found in and around a house in Cleveland, Ohio, police said Friday.

The incident began unfolding a month ago, when a woman accused Anthony Sowell of rape and felonious assault, Cleveland Police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho told CNN.

"Once we were able to get the cooperation of the victim, we secured an arrest warrant for Mr. Sowell and subsequently a search warrant for his premises," Stacho said.

On Thursday, detectives from the department's sex-crimes unit and members of its SWAT team went to Sowell's home to execute the warrant and to arrest the suspect, but he was nowhere to be found, Stacho said.

What they did find were the badly decomposed remains of two bodies on the third floor of the house, which is owned by an elderly relative of Sowell who did not live there, Stacho said.

A subsequent search on Thursday revealed what appeared to be a freshly dug grave under the stairs in the basement, he said.

On Friday, investigators returned to the house, dug up the grave and found a third body, he said.

A further search of the house and property found two more bodies in a crawl space and a sixth body was found in a shallow grave outside the home, Stacho said.

Read local coverage on CNN affiliate WJW

None of the bodies has been identified, and the genders of only two -- those found on the third floor -- have been determined, he said. Both were female.

"He apparently is a serial rapist," Stacho said about Sowell, who he said makes his living as a "scrapper."

"He walks around and picks up scrap metal and takes it to junk yards to make a few pennies."

Sowell was convicted for a 1989 rape for which he was imprisoned from 1990 to 2005, Stacho said.

Authorities plan to continue their search of the house on Saturday.

Ladies.....Is Rick Ross Handsome?

Lord God.......You are my Savior!! Why in the world would Rick Ross claim he's handsome? Now..........please don't get me wrong.......there's absolutely nothing wrong with man titties and gut! However, that's not something I'm into. I love big men and that's my preference but there's a limit to my madness and Rick Ross is where it ends. But if he is something you wouldn't mind romping around in the bed with, that's cool! It's just YOUR preference. Either way I would love to hear from you ladies about this one but for now check out Rick Ross below:

Kimora's New Fragrance "Dare Me"

Kimora Lee Simmons twit picked this photo of her new fragrance called "Dare Me". There is no release date for it but I'm hoping it smells good!

Roxanne Shante Is Struggling With Breast Cancer

According to Black Voices, it's being reported that Roxanne Shante is struggling with breast cancer. I don't know how true this is because I don't like putting out things when it comes to being sick. Breast cancer is not a game and I have lost many family members to cancer so if this is true, my heartfelt prayers are with Roxanne. However, if these rumors are false, the person who put them out there is going to hell! That's not something you put on someone! I don't care who it is! Here's part of the interview below:

"In March, I noticed a lump in my left breast, rather small at the time and didn't really know what I was feeling. So instead of going straight to the doctor's office, I started asking friends their opinion and trying to go by their experiences. It was such a stupid move. Well, I figured I was just getting older. A hysterectomy in my early thirties led me to believe that I would be fine. Another stupid move.

I let months go by - five months to be exact. The weight loss of over 40 pounds made me feel like, "Damn, this diet is finally working." But then I remembered I wasn't on a diet. So on a bright, sunny day in August 2009, I walked into Doshi center for a mammogram. I put on the gown and stepped up to the machine. As soon as the technician took my breast in her hand, she asked me how long had I had the lump. It's huge, she said. I made a joke, she giggled, but I was scared and angry that I had waited so long.

I was in denial. I event went so far as to ignore the letters sent by the lab that read: "Urgent!!! Please contact us."
I had gotten a call from the doctor, "I just received your images at my office and they have been trying to reach you for weeks. As soon as you get back to New York, you come to my office. This is your life."

I hung up, turned the phone off, walked out on the set and tried to pretend that the call never happen. But they did. And it showed on my face."

Again, I want to stress that I don't know how true this is. I mean we all know what happened with the last Roxanne Shante rumor right? The whole PHd thing? Anywho, that was a lie so don't put much credibility into this yet until we hear directly from the horses mouth! Working on that asap!

Danger Talks New Baby & Art Collection

Ok! In this clip you are about to watch, Danger tells us about her new art collection and how she's excited about being a new Mommy. She also clears up the rumors about Ray J being her baby daddy! :) Gabriel Cannon is her baby daddy and that's that! If you want to check out Danger's cutie pie, Mayara Cannon, scroll down:





And check out Danger below with her after baby body and blonde hair:

Is Snooping Always an Unexcuseable Act?

By Alicia Cruz
Editor-in-Chief
Theblackurbantimes

Every one of us knows that one of the golden rules in life is to stay out of other people’s things. We hate it when our privacy is violated and loathe the nosey wrongdoer, right?

Why is it that some of us women don’t adhere to this policy when it comes to our boyfriends or husbands? Is this separate from the golden rule because we’re in an intimate relationship where our hearts are on the line?

How many of you are guilty of snooping through a boyfriend's things because you thought he was guilty of cheating? How many of you felt you had every right where your health or relationship were concerned?

Last week, I had a friend tell me that his girlfriend had obtained his social security number and began checking his credit report to see what items he may or may not have bought. When she found out that he had inquired into buying a cell phone, she flipped and forbade him to get it. When I asked him why she would do such a thing, he replied, “Control. And she doesn’t trust me because I’ve cheated on her in the past. She’s afraid if I get a cell phone of my own, she wont be able to see who I’m calling.”

Is this type of snooping acceptable because the woman has been cheated on?

I realize that snooping and prying are some of the most undignified acts any woman can commit, but suppose you had to snoop through your mans things in order to confirm a suspicion that your mate may have an incurable STD or to find out if your mate were cheating on you or if he/she were on drugs or something of that nature? Would that be different from just nosey snooping and therefore acceptable?

I learned a long time ago that getting to the truth is important, but how you get to it is as equally important. I don’t know if all acts of snooping are outright wrong for any reason, but I know that in this day and age, with all that’s out here, we have to be very careful.

But where a relationship is concerned we have to have trust and dignity. Snooping is a fear-based response in some cases. It demeans and devalues the one who does it and the relationship itself. It proceeds from a position of weakness and desperation, rather than strength and assertiveness. It reduces the most refined and intelligent women, instantly transforming them into blobs of paranoia and rage (depending on what they find).

Some men, guilty or not, will not feel obligated to explain anything found by means of snooping.

What say you, readers? Is snooping – no matter the reason – inexcusable or are there exceptions to this golden rule? Let me know what you think.

LIl Wayne, Lil Wayne, Lil Wayne

Our boy, Lil Wayne, is keeping himself a busy man before he heads to lockdown. Lil Wayne is gracing the cover of this month's Billboard magazine and is talking about Rock and Rebirth. Shouts to Wayne for always staying hungry and getting his grind on! Can't knock a person's hustle!

In other Lil Wayne news, last week Toya celebrated her birthday. This is the birthday where Lil Wayne bought Toya an Aston Martin. For those of you who don't remember that story (click here). Anywho, I just got word that one of Toya's guests at her birthday party was none other than Lil Wayne's other baby momma, Sarah! You know the one that had Lil Wayne's first son! Check her out below:

Photo spotted at Miss Amazin


And here she is enjoying the festivities:



And for those that are curious about how the baby looks, check out the cutie pie below:


Photo courtesy of Media Take Out

Full Version Of Empire State Of Mind

Here is the full version of "Empire State of Mind" minus Lil Mama's appearance. Yes, that joke will never get old with me! LOL. The video is dope and I'm loving the way New York is portrayed! All of our famous landmarks are in there! Check it out for yourselves below:


Jay-Z - "Empire State Of Mind" ft. Alicia Keys

Jay-Z | MySpace Video

Are You a Black Man Basher?

Pic courtesy of bmia.files

An editorial commentary

Women supporting or fueling the negativity campaign against all Black men because of what some Black men have done lends to the Black on Black crime wave that has torn at the fabric of our homes and communities for far too long. This Basher mentality only keeps you a slave to the bonds of your rage and misguided mistrust. By forgiving and letting go (not being a sucker), you free yourself and open your heart and mind to true love.

Bashers are women whose overall opinion of Black men range from pitiful to downright inept. These types of women have been hurt badly or sadly disappointed or exploited in previous relationships and feel that by branding any and every man that is a mere clone of an ex that hurt them, they are protecting themselves from ever being hurt, abused, exploited or disappointed again. Sadly, they don’t see just how wrong they are.

As years go by, these women become martial arts experts at hitting below the belt with their acidic tongues. They believe they’ve empowered themselves by “keeping men in check” with their verbal jabs and tongue-lashings.

The sad reality is, they’ve just simply become man bashers who are keeping good brothers from loving them and no matter what man they’re with, he will be nothing more than an adversary versus a lover, no thanks to the bashers rock-solid-hard-to-shake belief that the typical Black man is only out to exploit and mistreat her.

She will develop a mentality of “Do it to him before he does it to me.” Bashers don’t give a man half of a chance to prove himself unworthy of a clean slate. They quickly assume that he is because “every other man I’ve loved was,” then arm themselves for a preemptive attack. Their arsenal? Toxic attitudes, acidic tongue-lashings, frosty payback tactics, petty head-games and condemning comments.

Bashing has such great appeal for certain women because it has anger and indignation at its core. Paying a brother back, putting him in check or hitting him where it hurts can make you feel powerful when, in fact, you’re actually really weak. But it’s temporary and false sense of power and control that will eventually yield to a painful and sometimes embarrassing reality check by, none other than, a brother who is fed up with the condemnation and acidic view point you hurl at him or other undeserving brothers.

Once the fed-up brother has felt the wrath of your misdirected acidic rants, he responds in kind, matching you insult for insult and blow for blow. He’s as ruthless as you and just as good at it.

When the fed-up, undeserving brother retaliates the Basher uses that to conclude that her low opinion of Black men was right from the outset. But the reality is that your relentless, misdirected bashing triggered that very behavior you resent most from Black men. The truth be told…but not for your bashing, he was unlikely to have ever gone there.

Think about it: when you’re on an anger filled rampage and have the quiet attention of the male your “putting in check” (bashing), you fell strong and therefore safe, but deep down, you’re acting that way because you’re hurting and don’t want to be or appear vulnerable.

Pic courtesy of rlv.zcache.com

Bashers are on a hunt for what they believe is justice and find it easy to go overboard and end up not only alienating men but women too if they do not support their vigilante, back-street bashing techniques.

The problem with the Basher is her seething, uncontrolable anger over the accumulation of actual or supposed slights, rejection, unloving behavior from some Black men have now spilled over onto all Black men. Your rage gives you this temporary and false sense of power and feeling powerful makes you feel strong and secure. By bashing you get the momentary satisfaction of “justice” being served, but you never find the long-lasting satisfaction that comes from relationships of mutual respect, approval, true intimacy or balance.

Many bashers long for a fantasy relationship with a man who is apologetic and basically surrenders to your every whim and he’s just intimidated enough by you to give you respect and reverence, but not the kind of respect and reverence that comes from a loving partner, rather that which comes from a semi-reformed convict to his parole officer.

You really want him to be a little afraid of you and the potential your wrath has. It makes you feel powerful and in control, but you never achieve the true love you actually seek.

Unless a Basher commits to an attitude adjustment (and in some extreme cases, therapy) she will never find the love she claims to be seeking. She will always find herself alone and yearning all the while using the excuse that she can’t find a “decent Black man” because she’s “too strong, successful, independent and real.” How many of us are either guilty of using these terms daily or know someone who does?

The reality is she’s just too… much of a headache, too worrisome and too insecure of a person for anyone to invest the time needed to rehab her. Taking deliberate actions to heal the rift that lies between a basher, her memories and delusions and the reality of a situation may seem too much like surrender to the basher. She sees it as a direct benefit to a Black man and she will retreat because she feels by doing so, she is disregarding herself. Sad, huh?

The only way a Basher will rehab is if she admits that she has serious issues with some men and has allowed that to overflow onto all men. Yes, some Black men will make mistakes. Some will exhibit faults, bad habits and traits you loathe at times. But look for the good where it’s due. Work to get in touch with men’s positive and appealing characteristics. Do this for your sake not just his. Do it to free yourself from the bondage of your rage and excessive mistrust…or risk finding yourself alone, bitter and misguided.


YOU’RE A BASHER OR HAVE BASHER TENDENCIES IF YOU…

FIND RELATIONSHIPS WITH BLACK MEN TO BE MORE LIKE COMPETITIONS WITH AN OPPONENT WHO MUST BE HELD IN CHECK

HAVE DIFFICULTY ACCEPTING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEMISE OF ANY OF THEIR PAST RELATIONSHIPS

RESENT IT WHEN MEN ARE TURNED OFF BY THEM, BUT SUSPICIOUS WHEN MEN ARE ATTRACTED TO THEM

HANDLE REJECTION WITH VINDICTIVE, PETTY RESPONSE THAT LEADS TO STALKING, LIES AND ENDLESS HOUNDING

TAKE PLEASURE IN POITING OUT A MANS INADEQUECIES, FLAWS AND ENJJOY SEEING HIM HUMILIATED WHEN WRONG

YOU SOMETIMES DAYDREAM ABOUT CONFLICT SITUATIONS WHERE YOU PUT A MAN IN HIS PLACE

YOU BEOME ANGRY WHEN A WOMAN DOES NOT AGREE WITH OR CO-SIGN YOUR SHARP CRITISIM OR DISPARAGING REMMARKS ABOUT BLACK MEN

YOU BELIEVE MEN “NEED” A WOMAN TO “MAKE” THEM DO THINGS OR NEED A WOMAN IN ORDER TO BE OKAY

YOU REQUIRE MEN TO JUMP THROUGH HOOPS IN ORDER TO BEFRIEND, DATE YOU…HOOPS YOU DO NOT JUMP THROUGH FOR THEM

YOU FIND IT HARD TO CONTAIN NEGATIVE FEELINGS TOWARDS ONE BLACK MAN BECAUSE HE REMINDS YOU OF ANOTHER THAT HURT YOU

YOU FREQUENTLY FID YOURSELF CHALLENGING MALE AUTHORITY FIGURES, FEELING COMPELLED TO TELLTHEM WHAT YOU “WON’T TAKE.”

YOU CAN BE FOUND MENTALLY REHEARSING LONG DETAILED SCRIPTS WHERE YOU’RE CONFRONTING & CHASTISING SOME ERRING BLACK MAN

YOUR CLOSEST MALE FRIENDS ARE EITHER HOMOSEXUAL, MARRIED OR IN SOME WAY AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN YOU (IN YOUR MIND).

YOU BELIVE MANY BLACK MEN OWE YOU IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER

YOU FIND YOURSELF FREQUENTLY ARGUING WITH BLACK MEN OR JUST GOING TOE-TO-TOE WITH BLACK MEN ON JUST ABOUT ANYTHING FOR ANY REASON.

If you answered yes to more than five of the above statements, you have some basher tendencies that can, and no doubt already do, hinder your life and relationships in general.

Sexting codes? Parents might be shocked

By Bobby Sisk NewsChannel 36

It's a simple question. Do you know what your children are texting? Ends up all those messages a month may not be as innocent as you think.
You probably know that LOL means "Laugh out loud" or that OMG means "Oh my god," but what about RUH or PIR? Any idea what GNOC represents?
The translations of these text messages may surprised and alarm you. They include "Are you horny," "parents in room" and "get naked on camera." All of these are acronyms teenagers used to send sexually explicit messages that teachers and more importantly, Mom and Dad, don't usually understand.
We showed parents a list of 50 sexting codes including the number 8, which means "oral sex." LMIR stands for "let's meet in real life" and GYPO is short for "get your pants off."
"I would never be able to figure this stuff out. It's appalling quite frankly," said one father, who saw the list.
Another said this, "I wouldn't have a clue about this."
"It's surprising how extreme it's gotten," said Dr. Melinda Harper.
Harper is a psychologist specializing in teen issues, who also teaches at Queens University of Charlotte. She's heard from parents worried about sexting. But even she was surprised by some of the explicit acronyms on the list.
"Very adult and it borders slightly, in my opinion, on soft pornography," she said.
Harper says parents can't afford to be naive. Think about it this way.
"You don't give a 16-year-old free reign over a car and say unlimited miles and unlimited gas. You inform them no drinking and driving. Please don't let individuals I don't know in the car with you. The same can happen with the use of the phone or the computer," she said.
She encourages parents to take it one step further.
"Letting the child know that hey, randomly and unexpectedly I'm going to ask for your phone so get ready for that," she said.
While sexting is a tough subject for parents, learning the language is certainly time well spent. Harper's advice: Have the talk with your teens before it's too late.
"I think it's a wonderful opportunity to open dialogues with your child and to be proactive and to be preventative and take action," Harper said.

Times Inc to Join Ranks in Layoffs

By Alicia Cruz

Editor-in-Chief

Theblackurbantimes

Time Inc., a Time Warner company, owns 22 U.S. magazines and more than 25 U.S. Web sites, including online, television, cable, satellite radio and mobile devices. Last year the company cut 600 staffers and this year they will cut approximately $100 million in annual costs, primarily through additional layoffs.

The formal announcement is expected next week, in conjunction with Time Inc.'s third quarter earnings call.

As reported last week, Forbes joined the ranks in company layoffs, but the cuts may be deeper than first reported. When the dust settles, almost 60 of the magazine's 200 editorial staffers will be pink slipped. A partial list includes London bureau chief Anita Raghavan, fashion and retail reporter Lauren Sherman, and deputy chief of reporters Andy Stone.

ForbesLife loses its top editor, Gary Walther, who will be replaced by deputy Richard Nalley.
According to the New York Observer's John Koblin, who got his hands on a copy of the NYT buyout plan, the media print mogul New York Times is set to lay off as many as 50 of its Metro reporters, 57 sports reporters, and 85 personnel in business.

After five months on the job, the New York Observer's new editor Tom McGeveran will leave on December 31 to start a new business venture. McGeveran took over the paper when Peter Kaplan departed in May.
On lighter notes, the Wall Street Journal rises above as one of the few papers showing growth, but will close its Boston bureau leaving nine personnel behind.

The Washington Post Company has reported a third-quarter profit. A 69 percent rise as compared with the same period last year.

The company's educaion and cable business grew when the paper cut losses and realigned itself.
And last but not least, one of my favorite writers, Emily Miller has landed a gossip column at PoliticsDaily.com (you go, chica!) titled "Emily's Post."

Be on the lookout for it.

Poet's Corner Presents: "No Lie"

I'm not into games,
But you're the best player out there.
Your smile is genuine
And that's your real hair.
I can't help but to fall in ...
Well, I'm not going to lie.
I don't love you girl,
I just think you're fly.

I'm trying to get to
Know you inside and out;
I'll make your body tremble
And your mind shout.
The body and soul
Aren't separate;
Let me rock your world.
Does that sound desperate?

Whatever your decision,
Know I'm never gonna quit.
I'm not a one-hit wonder;
I wanna continue to smash it.
Again and again,
Make this a long term affair.
No labels and no rules;
It's just sex -- who cares?!

By A. Jarrell Hayes

Making a Traditional Boricua Thanksgiving Meal

How to Make a Traditional

Puerto Rican Thanksgiving Day Dinner

BY Alicia Cruz

Editor-in-Chief

Día de Acción de Gracias or Thanksgiving Day for us puertoriqueñas is actually two celebrations in one. For us, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas season. On Thanksgiving Day, we begin putting up our tree and other decorations while we prepare our Thanksgiving meal. After dinner, we sit around and watch the lights on the tree and drink and eat more.

Even though Thanksgiving was not always a traditional holiday on the island, many Puerto Rican families calling the States home began celebrating it by adding a touch of Sabor Latino. A traditional Puerto Rican Thanksgiving menu will likely consist of Pavochon, Mofongo stuffing, Arroz con Gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Tostones, and Tembleque or dulce de leche.

I serve a green bean casserole with my meal and for an appetizer I fry up some Platanos versus the Tostones. I season mine with garlic, black pepper and salt and serve them with Mojo Criollo.

I’m usually cooking enough food to feed at least five Marines so I get a 12-15 lb turkey and call it a day. My mom always taught me to begin prepping my turkey the day before Thanksgiving so my seasonings have time to soak into that bird.

Two Days or One Day Before:
To thaw your bird slow you can stick it in the refrigerator two days before or for fast thawing submerge it in it’s wrapping (DO NOT take wrapping off) in your tub or a deep sink in cold water. Make sure the entire bird is submerged. The bigger the bird the longer it’ll take to thaw. A big turkey like the ones I cook usually take 2 days to thaw out in the refrigerator.

The Day Before:
Season your bird with Adobo, inside and out. Be generous. Your guests will appreciate it. No one wants a bland turkey. Gather your black pepper, garlic salt, oregano and paprika and rub them all over the bird. Poke holes in your bird with a fork so that the seasonings will soak into its skin. Set the bird back in the fridge.

THANKSGIVING MORNING:
I usually begin cooking my bird around 4 a.m., which only leaves me room to do other things like pull out my tree and decorations and set up other dishes. Begin by preparing your mofongo stuffing.

Mofongo Stuffing
You’ll need:
6 large green plantanos,
1/3 C of chicken broth
4 tsp. chopped garlic1 lb bacon chopped into small pieces and cooked. Throw away fat.
3 sweet chili peppers, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix bacon, garlic, peppers, and olive oil. Mash the platanos and olive oil mixture in your pilon. Repeat until all ingredients are gone. Mix mofongo and broth and if mofongo isn’t moist enough, add more broth. Stuff the bird with the mofongo and cook. and follow instructions that came with your bird.

NOW FOR THE BIRD:

Heat your oven to 375º.

Rinse your turkey well. Rinse the inside once you remove the bag from the turkey’s cavity. Be sure to pull out the bag from your turkey BEFORE you begin cooking it!!! Muy Importante!

Put the bird in a deep and sturdy aluminum or tin foiled roaster. LINE it with aluminum foil first.
Place chunks of butter on top of and all around the turkey. Place an entire stick of butter inside of the turkey’s cavity. Be generous. You’ll have a juicy turkey in the end.

Now begin stuffing your turkey with the mofongo. If you’re a newbie cook, forget the mofongo and just whip out the Stove Top Stuffing and follow directions on the box. It’s okay. We’re all beginners at one time.

Cover the turkey with aluminum foil and put it in the oven.

TURKEY SIZE & COOKING TIME:

4 to 6 pound turkey = 3 to 3 ¾ hours.

6 to 8 pound turkey = 3 ¾ to 4 ½ hours.

8 to 12 pound turkey = 4 to 5 hours.

12 pound and beyond = 5½ to 6 hours.

Always be sure to read the side of the turkey wrapping for exact cooking time. Better to be safe than undercooked. Yuck! About 45 minutes before your bird is done, remove the foil on top and continue to cook uncovered until the bird is crispy on top.

12 Lb. turkey
Lots of Adobo
Paprika
2 tsp. of Black pepper
4 cloves of garlic (mash in a pilón)
2 tsp. of oregano (Leaf)
4 sticks of Butter

Making Your Arroz con Gandules:

YOU’LL NEED:
2 packs of Sazón
3 cans of Gandules
6 cups of water
4 cups of rice

continued here

Beanie Segal Has Beef With Jay Z

What the hell do we have here? The fam is going at it? I know soo many folks Jay Z has done wrong. I'm really itching to put out this DeHaven interview. In the mean time, check out Beanie's song below:

The Wu Massacre Part 1

I'm guessing some of the members of the Wu Tang clan are coming out with an album on December 22nd (Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface)? I had no clue!

Here is a trailer from the Wu.....only thing is.....I don't get it. I know they took the scene from the movie "Seven" which features Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman but I still don't get it! Does this scene mean they are coming to massacre those in the music industry? I don't know. Check it out for yourselves and let me know what you think:

In More Alicia Keys News....

Here's Ms. Keys second single off her up coming album called "Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart". I'm not feeling any of these songs she's been putting out. :( And I'm a huge Alicia Keys fan. So don't take this as hate. I'll let you guys be the judge of the song. Check it out below:

Last Night During The Yankees Game...

Jay Z and Alicia Keys performed "Empire State of Mind". I missed the Yankees game last night because I was at a funeral. My uncle's funeral at that! I seem to be losing a lot of family members this year. I lost a very good relative but made sure to pay my final respects to a man who is in God's domain now. Nevertheless, I missed the performance of Jay Z and Alicia Keys. But thanks to the good folks over at YouTube, someone was filming it and I am able to bring it to you guys today! So for those of you who missed the performance like me, watch the clip below:



Alicia was killin them purple boots and jacket huh?! Great performance! I'm thinking some of those baseball players were enjoying it just as much as I was! ;)

GAME OFFICIAL NEW SINGLE BIG MONEY! GAME IS BACK GUYS..HIP-HOP IS THE BEST!!

AD:Why You Want Noise Reduction Headphones

Why You Want Noise Reduction Headphones

I wanted to take a moment to share with you why noise reduction headphones are better than the more widely known active noise cancellation headphones. Most people think of active noise cancelation headphones like the Bose headphones when they think of headphones that block sound. All active noise cancelation work the same way. They have little microphones on the out side of the headphones that are constantly "listening" to the noise around you so they can produce an "opposite" sound wave inside of your headphones to cancel the unwanted noise before it reaches your ears.

Noise reduction headphones, sometimes called passive noise cancellation headphones, take an entirely different approach. Instead of using complicated microphones and electronics to cancel sound, they simply reflect the sound away from your ears. The effect is pretty much like closing the door to your room. You are essentially isolating your ears from unwanted noise. There are a couple different companies out there making headphones like this. The best noise reduction headphones on the market right now appear to be the Direct Sound Extreme Isolation headphones.

Here is my top 5 reasons of why you should use noise reduction headphones:

1. Better value for your money. These headphones block more noise than the $300 headphones out there.
2. No "hidden fee" of having to keep buying batteries
3. Much better at block talking/voices than active noise cancelation headphones
4. Better sound quality
5. Longer lasting/better durablity

Video Snippet: Jay Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind

Well, I guess I spoke to soon when I said Jay Z was not going to be part of the list of artists who do video snippets! :) Jay proved me wrong when part of the "Empire State Of Mind" video came on during a commercial break during the Yankees game. Yankees lost! :( I don't watch baseball (or any sports for that matter) but was forced by the hubby to watch it last night. Why did I watch the game for? It's not like we won! :( Maybe next time huh? Check the snippet out below:

That's One Bad Ass Jacket!!

Where in the hell can I find me a jacket like the one Letoya Luckett has on in the picture above? That shit is bad! In a good way! :) Anywho, Letoya Luckett just shot the video for her song called "Regret". I'm hearing the video is going to be crazy! Ludacris is playing her boyfriend in the video! How much better can it get?



And for those of you who haven't heard "Regret" yet, check it out below:

Shyne In The Airport Pics!!!

Photos courtesy of The YBF

Shyne Barrow, better known now as Moses Michael Leviy (since converting to Judaism) was caught arriving at Cleveland Ohio airport. Shyne had tight security with him to make sure he boarded that plane to Belize!

What an injustice!! Here it is, this man did all his time and paid his debt to society and now they want to deport him! I'm too upset over this and I ain't even did nothing!

Are Trey Songz & Tahiry An Item?

Now, I'm not one to run with stories but these photos popped up in my inbox so I decided to post them. I do not, in any way, think Trey Songz and Tahiry are getting it in! I'm thinking they were at the same spot and took some pictures together. I'll let those other sites run with this story but I won't. However, I do find it kind of odd that just the other day I saw a video of Joe Budden interviewing Nicki Minaj and now these photos of Trey and Tahiry pop up. For those of you not familiar with the Joe Budden and Nicki Minaj interview click the clip below:



I'm sure Joe Budden will keep in contact with Nicki Minaj! She's HAWT!!! Not to mention....Joe Budden went on a rant today airing out Tahiry! If you missed the rant, click below:



So, I say all this to say that maybe.....just maybe....these photos were leaked to irk Joe Budden? Not sure.....I could be wrong but I don't think I am.

The Black Urban Times Presents: 5 Rules to Remember When you're Stopped By The Cops, Five-O, or One-time

Readers you have inspired us to write this book. To buy our new book click here.

Jay Z talks about his upcoming performance at Yankee Stadium at the World Series

By: Jarred Powell
Sports Editor
www.theblackurbantimes.com

Guess What Weezy Got Toya 4 Her Birthday?

An Aston Martin!!! DANG WEEZY!! We know you got it like that but don't show out cuz she's moving on! :) That Toya is one lucky girl huh? Well, last night Toya and friends celebrated her birthday in Atlanta. And although Weezy bought Toya an Aston Martin, her boo, James Hardy, bought her a shotgun just in case Weezy wants to get out of line! LOL. Check it out below:



I'm glad they have each other's back....or maybe the front?



I know Weezy is looking at this pic and thinking "I WILL NOT BE OUTDONE"! The saga continues.

Mike Epps - Ain't Chu You?

I'm soo mad that promotions for this album was null and void! Anywho, Mike Epps' album "Funny Bidness" is out in stores today and his first single "Ain't Chu You" premiered today on World Star Hip Hop below:

Michael Jackson Before He Was King

Here are some never before seen photos of Michael Jackson in his new book called "Before He Was King". Photographer turned author, Todd Gray, reveals images of Michael Jackson taken during his four year tour accompaniment with The Jacksons. More photos below:















There will never be another like Michael Jackson! NEVER!