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Radio Silence in Somalia

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

This week, most Somalian radio stations abruptly stopped playing music or international news programs. According to the New York Times: At least 14 radio stations…stopped broadcasting music on Tuesday, heeding an ultimatum by an Islamist insurgent group to stop playing songs or face “serious consequences.” … The insurgent group, Hizbul Islam, issued its ultimatum 10 days ago and set Tuesday as the deadline to comply, saying that music was “un-Islamic.” In other parts of the country, insurgents have taken over or shut down some radio stations. Last week, the Shabab, the country’s most powerful insurgent group, said it was banning foreign programs like those broadcast by the BBC and Voice of America, calling them Western propaganda that violated Islam. I interviewed the leader of Hizbul-Islam, Sheikh Hassan Aweys, back in 2006 when Kaj and I were in Somalia shooting “Mogadishu Madness” for Vanguard. Back then he was the spiritual leader of the Islamic Court Union. In the piece, we covered his earlier attempts at helping the ICU implement Sharia law and the reaction from the Somali community when he did so. We captured exclusive footage of the uneasy peace that prevailed, albeit briefly, and interviewed other Islamist leaders who held the city, exposing the stated goals and fears of people the U.S. government branded as terrorists. Shortly after we returned to the U.S. to show viewers what we had seen, Ethiopian troops, backed by U.S. forces, invaded Somalia and drove the Islamists into hiding. The country returned to a state of war. In retrospect, was the U.S. justified in backing Ethiopia to invade Somalia so they could overthrow the Islamic government that Aweys had helped establish? Things certainly got a whole lot worse. As a journalist, of course I cringe at the idea of banning a free press. But if 20 years of fighting has taught us anything, its that its time to start thinking outside the box when it comes to bringing stability to Somalia. I wonder if Aweys would grant us an interview today or if we’d be banned along with the rest of the press. Certainly makes me look at this whole radio ban differently. added by: Christof

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Khloé Kardashian Is a Size 4

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Khloé Kardashian Is a Size 4… says Life & Style Magazine, where Khloe poses prettily under the overly-famous in-celebrity-world-title: “How I lost 10 pounds in 10 days”. Khloé Kardashian tells Life & Style she gained 10 pounds of “love weight” after marrying NBA star Lamar Odom last September but has since dropped the extra pounds – and she did in just 10 days! “I’m like anyone else falling in love and settling down,” Khloé told Life & Style. “Because I’m so happy, the extra weight didn’t matter to me.” Well, that is until early March, when Khloé realized she’d soon be returning to Miami to film season two of E!’s Kourtney and Khloé Take Miami. “It was going to be bikini weather there,” she says, “and I thought, Okay, those 10 pounds have to go.” Anticipating being surrounded by the city’s scantily clad residents motivated the reality star to recapture her sexy, svelte silhouette. “I dropped 10 pounds in 10 days,” she reveals to Life & Style. “I feel so much better, and now I’m in great shape for the whole summer!” Although Khloé is down to a sizzling size 4 and ready to rule Miami, she’s prepared to take any future yo-yoing in stride. “It’s a constant battle,” she tells Life & Style. “I’m always trying to improve my body, but I’m not as hard on myself as I was before. I feel really good!” Curious to see what you think! And one more thing – here’s Khloe and her virtually modified, slenderized waist in a new ad for the sisters’ store (unlike her sisters, Khloe does not have this hourglassy shape, she is more of an apple shaped girl) : © Versus for Skinny VS Curvy , 2010. | Permalink | 2 comments Tags: diet , lol , size 4 , weight loss Related posts Tyra Banks Says: “Get Your Shape in Shape!” (41) Sherri Shepherd Lost 41lb and Went from Size 16 to 6 (26) Scarlett Johansson on How She Lost Weight for Black Widow (33) Scarlett Johansson Fights Back on Weight Loss Rumours (15) OK! Magazine: Jessica Simpson’s Revenge Diet (32)

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Earthquake China map April 14 2010

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Map of China locating the epicentre of a 6.9-magnitude quake which rocked remote Qinghai province Wednesday. A strong earthquake hit northwest China#39;s remote Qinghai province early Wednesday, causing an unspecified number of casualties and collapsing some homes, state media and seismologists said. The 6.9-magnitude quake, which hit at 7:49 am (2349 GMT Tuesday), was centred 380 kilometres (240 miles) south-southeast of the city of Golmud, at a depth of 46 kilometres, the US Geological Surve

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Earthquake China map April 14 2010

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Sex and the City 2 Gets Ridiculous New Poster

Posted on April 13, 2010 by | Leave a comment

And you thought the teaser poster was overrated. But that’s the thing about Sex and the City—it just keeps getting more and more fantastical and outlandish, yet we still…

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Williamsburg hipsters haven’t returned their census forms

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Hipsters in Williamsburg are “too cool” to return their census forms.

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list of Pulitzer Prize winners 2010

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing winners Colleen McCain Nelson, left, back to camera, Tod Robberson, second from left, facing camera, hug each other next to colleagues Sharon Grigsby, deputy editorial page editor,second from right, and Jim C. Mitchell Jr. at the newspapers office in Dallas. William McKenzie, not pictured, also was part of the Pulitzer Prize winning team. The award was given for their editorials showing the stark social and economic disparity between the city#39;s wealthier n

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list of Pulitzer Prize winners 2010

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30 Seconds To Mars Battle It Out In ‘This Is War’ Video

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘The song is really about conflict … we’ve certainly had our fair share of it,’ Jared Leto tells MTV News. By James Montgomery 30 Seconds To Mars’ Jared Leto Photo: EMI At this point, Jared Leto is getting pretty used to conflict. He and his 30 Seconds to Mars bandmates battled their way through the making of their This Is War album, and they basically willed the first single, the epic “Kings and Queens,” onto the rock radio charts. So when it came time to shoot a video for the second single — the equally soaring title track from the album — well, they pretty much knew the direction they wanted to head. Photos From 30 Seconds To Mars’ ‘This Is War’ Video “The song is really about conflict, and the album really is about it too: the inevitability of conflict, the blessing of conflict and what we can all learn from it. We’ve certainly had our fair share of it,” Leto told MTV News on Friday (April 9). “So for the ‘This Is War’ video, we wanted to explore another side of it. So we decided to portray soldiers in conflict.” And so, in the video, Leto and company donned U.S. Army fatigues — and body armor — picked up standard-issue M4 rifles and piled into an armored Humvee. Working with director Edouard Salier, they’ve created a short film that looks at conflict through the eyes of the men and women who live it every day. And, much like everything involving 30 Seconds to Mars, they went all in. “We worked with one of my oldest friends, who served in the Special Forces and has been in Iraq several times. He was our consultant. It was incredible to take a look into his world and his life, the knowledge and expertise he’s gained,” Leto said. “A lot of people are going to interpret this piece in a lot of different ways, and hopefully it will start some debates and some conversations. “The video made us realize that underneath the uniforms, these men and women out there in conflict are just like you and I. When we put them on, I looked at my brother, looked at [guitarist] Tomo [Milicevic], and they looked like soldiers,” he continued. “You start to walk like a soldier, feel like a soldier, when you’re wearing body armor and carrying a working M4 … it’s an impactful experience. It was definitely provocative for us. It made us think, and that’s the point of the whole thing.” Leto wouldn’t divulge too much about the concept of the video, only saying that the video contains “a surprise” and features plenty of visual effects. The band shot the video outside of Los Angeles, days after wrapping their first-ever European arena tour, just before they headed down to Las Vegas to begin rehearsals for the U.S. leg of their Into the Wild jaunt. And while it was exhausting, Leto said that was just part of the whole experience. And, by now, they’re used to battling a bit. “As is the case with everything involving this band, it was more exciting than exhausting, to be honest. In a way, it feels like the beginning again,” he said. “When we were making this album, we took advantage of the opportunity to rediscover ourselves. So it’s really a celebration. We’re just excited to continue on this journey.” Are you looking forward to the “This Is War” video? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Photos From 30 Seconds To Mars’ ‘This Is War’ Video Related Artists 30 Seconds To Mars

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Pete Wentz-Directed Train Video Is ‘A Bit Of A Parody’

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘If you take the piss out of yourself, people like it,’ Wentz says of the clip for ‘If It’s Love.’ By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias Pete Wentz directs Train’s video for “If It’s Love” Photo: Matt Elias/ MTV News How did Pete Wentz prepare himself to direct the video for Train ‘s “If It’s Love”? He read a book. “Yeah, I did … it was pretty good too. It was called ‘The Film Director’s Intuition,’ ” Wentz told MTV News recently on the set of the video in Los Angeles. “I learned you’re not going to go through film school overnight — in 24 hours you’re not going to become this guy who knows this lens from that lens. But I always know how I want something to look, and what I learned from the book is that if you have the best director of photography and a great first assistant director, that you’re going to end up with a good video.” And while the idea of Wentz directing a clip for Train seems like it was anything but by the book (get it?) it’s not as far-fetched as you might assume. Both Fall Out Boy and Train are managed by the same company, and Wentz and Train mastermind Pat Monahan both know what it’s like to live life beneath the glare of the spotlight. “I got to know Pat and realized that we were kind of kindred spirits. I’ve been through the wringer, but he’s been through the wringer, like, 20 times more than me, and he shared a lot of experiences and told me a lot of stuff,” Wentz said. “And since early on in Fall Out Boy, I’d write the treatments with [director] Alan [Ferguson]. And [Fall Out Boy’s] ‘I Don’t Care’ video , I co-directed with Alan. So it’s something that I’ve always had a passion for.” And Wentz is definitely drawing from his past for Train’s “If It’s Love” — the follow-up to their massively successful “Hey, Soul Sister” single — but he’s not stopping there, either. The video also recalls great moments from the storied history of music videos as well. Pete Wentz Directs Train “I talked to Pat for a little bit, then wrote the treatment — I wanted to know where they’d be willing to go and how involved they’d want to be. And after it comes out, I think people will see they were pretty involved,” Wentz said. “It’s based off videos like [Michael Jackson’s] ‘Leave Me Alone,’ or ‘The Real Slim Shady’ … it’s a bit of a parody, you’ll see Pat and the guys parodying themselves a bit. That’s what I’ve always found from [Fall Out Boy’s] videos. If you take the piss out of yourself, people like it.” What do you think of Pete Wentz working with Train on their new video? Let us know in the comments below! Related Photos Pete Wentz Directs Train’s “If It’s Love” Related Artists Train Fall Out Boy

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Ryan Tedder Writing ‘Roller-Rink Skating Party’ Songs For Katy Perry

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I feel really good about it, and Katy, I hope you like it,’ OneRepublic frontman says of tunes for Perry’s next album. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Akshay Bhansali OneRepublic Photo: MTV News When your band has a single that refuses to drop off the charts, life is pretty good. Unless, of course, you’re OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, and you’ve got a lucrative side career going as an in-demand songwriter for some of the biggest acts in the business. Then things get complicated. See, OR’s “All The Right Moves” — the first single from their Waking Up album — continues to hang around on the pop charts even though it was released last September and its success has forced Tedder to put his other endeavors on hold. That means he’s had to keep Katy Perry , who’s been waiting for his contributions to her new album , on hold. And she can’t hold for much longer. “She and I have actually been trading text messages for, like, the last five months about this album, trying to lock our schedules in. And she was going to come to Denver for, like, two weeks, but because of our schedule I had to cancel on her, unfortunately,” Tedder told MTV News. “And it was, like, the last available time I had to work with her. … I have three songs that I think are dead-on, incredible songs for her that are just started, they’re ideas that I want to finish with her. So, literally, in the next three days, I travel with a microphone and studio stuff, so I’m going to be trading e-mails with her and hopefully get one of them on the album at the last minute. “I’m literally the last guy to come onboard, and I was one of the first people she talked to [about working on the album],” he continued. “That’s what happens when you’re in a band … most of the time, the people I want to work with, we can figure something out. But her and my schedule, literally, at every possible juncture, has just conflicted.” And to hear Tedder tell it, it would be a real shame if the songs he’s written for Perry don’t end up on her new album. After all, they’re tailor-made for what she’s going for on the disc , an over-the-top ode to the Cardigans and Ace of Base — “songs that people want to hold hands and roller-skate to,” as she put it. “The stuff that I’m doing for Katy Perry … it connects to the first album. One song is, like, the evolution of ‘Hot N Cold,’ that kind of thing. The next step from that,” Tedder said. “The other two literally sound like something you would hear in the mid-’90s at a roller-rink skating party — like, a birthday party at a skating rink. I would describe it as guilty-pleasure music, straight up. A chorus where, guy or girl, you’re like, ‘Oh crap.’ You find yourself singing it and singing it. “I’ve had the melodies and the choruses in these songs stuck in my head for, like, a week. So I feel really good about it, and Katy, I hope you like it,” he added. “But it just comes down to time. I’m married and so when I do get home, I can only work so much before I end up with all kinds of conflict I don’t want.” Are you excited to hear a potential Ryan Tedder/Katy Perry collaboration? Let us know in the comments below! Related Artists OneRepublic Katy Perry

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Exclusive: Shyne To Release New Song ‘Messiah’ On Monday

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

New track, which drops Tuesday, trumpets his NYC roots and delivers messages to the youth. By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Tim Kash and Rahman Dukes Shyne Photo: YBF Shyne has some serious goals for restarting his career. The Belize-born MC spoke to MTV News on Friday (April 9) and announced that the launch of his movement begins next week as he drops his new song “Messiah.” MTV News had an early preview of an EZ Elpee-produced track that drops Monday. Shyne held a press conference in Belize last November, shortly after completing a prison sentence of eight years for two counts of assault as well as reckless endangerment and gun possession in a 1999 shooting (Shyne has maintained his innocence in the incident). He said he hasn’t gotten soft over the years; he’s gotten wiser. “I make music about life,” he said during the press conference. “One of the greatest musicians was Bob Marley. There was nothing misogynistic about him. But his music, he talked about some harsh realities sometimes. He was tough. I would like to make that type of contribution, that kind of Marvin Gaye contribution, you dig? But at the same time, we curse. At the same time, life is violent. Life is troublesome sometimes. So don’t expect my music to be sanitized. I am just going to talk about what’s going on in the world.” As you’ll hear on “Messiah,” Shyne is still firm in his words but insists he’s not reckless. Think about the difference between Sonny Corleone and his brother Michael. “I got the city on my back, pretty women in the sack,” the song begins. “Rollin’ in the Rolls/ Sit, sittin’ in my lap/ This is not a rap, fool, this is not an act/ Welcome to New York, blood, this is where it’s at/ Snitches take a nap with the fishes and the rats/ Buried in the dirt where the witnesses is at.” In the chorus, he declares: “This one is a go, but r-r-really though/ If you know the code, then y-y-you could roll/ But if you was a foe, then you get peter-rolled/ But keep that on the low, r-r-really though.” EZ Elpee keeps the track simple but with a threatening synth and bass thump. “You got the crown/ I had to repo that/ Where the East Coast at?/ Mobster music … Nino’s back. “Tell him to go to school, he don’t wanna go/ Shorty wanna roll, how I’mma tell him no?” he continues. “He just like Po/ God knows it better for him to be like Barack O/ My life ain’t gold/ One foot is in the grave, the other in the hole/ I wish that I could show, he gonna follow me straight to death row/ Nah, I’mma make sure, he ain’t like me/ R-r-really though.” Shyne’s new LP doesn’t have a release date yet, but he did ink a record deal with Def Jam earlier this year. “Messiah” will drop Monday. No word yet whether it’s the official first single or a warm-up record. Are you excited to hear new music from Shyne? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Shyne

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