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Obama Pot-Smoking Details Revealed in New Book

President Barack Obama’s pot-smoking past is detailed in Barack Obama: The Story , a new biography of the Commander-in-Chief by David Maraniss, who had previously revealed Obama’s early girlfriends (including Genevieve Cook ) in Vanity Fair . The President himself has been remarkably and refreshingly candid about his past drug use, but new details of Obama smoking marijuana with his buddies at Hawaii’s Punahou School are still setting the web ablaze (sorry). Maraniss writes , “When a joint was making the rounds, [Obama] often elbowed his way in, out of turn, shouted ‘Intercepted!’ and took an extra hit.” Yeah. Let’s all take a moment and let that image sink in. “But Obama’s buddies, who called themselves the “Choom Gang,” didn’t mind him messing up the rotation,” he continues. “After all, this was Hawaii.” Indeed. That’s not all. Maraniss writes that Obama was known for starting a trend called “TA,” short for “total absorption.” Use your imagination. “When you were with ‘Barry’ and pals, if you exhaled precious pakalolo (Hawaiian slang for marijuana, meaning “numbing tobacco”) instead of absorbing it fully into your lungs, you were assessed a penalty,” writes the author. “Your turn was skipped the next time the joint came around.” Maraniss also describes Obama’s technique of “roof hits” while hot-boxing cars … i.e. smoking up with all the windows closed: “When the pot was gone, they tilted their heads back and sucked in the last bit of smoke from the ceiling.” The book is one of two biographies making the rounds about Obama. The Amateur , by Edward Klein, contains this alleged Obama divorce story . Again, it’s worth noting Obama has been less than shy about his drug use in the past, writing about the topic in his memoir Dreams from My Father . “Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it,” the future president wrote in the memoir, before taking a darker tone. “Junkie. Pothead. That’s where I’d been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man. Except the highs hadn’t been about that, me trying to prove what a down brother I was. Not by them, anyway.” “I got high for just the opposite effect, something that could push questions of who I was out of my mind, something that could flatten out the landscape of my heart, blur the edges of my memory.” As Obama moved to higher stage, he’s also been forthcoming about drug use. On Bill Clinton’s absurd claim that he had once tried marijuana but “didn’t inhale,” Obama said smiling in 2007, “That was the point, wasn’t it?”

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Obama Pot-Smoking Details Revealed in New Book

R.I.P. Legendary Soul Train Creator Don Cornelius Found Dead Of Apparent Suicide In L.A. Home

This is so sad. The L.A. coroner has confirmed that legendary Don Cornelius is dead. According to TMZ reports : Don Cornelius — who famously created “Soul Train” was found dead in his Sherman Oaks, CA home this morning … and law enforcement sources tell us it appears he committed suicide. We’re told cops discovered the body at around 4 AM PT. Law enforcement sources tell us … Cornelius died from a gunshot wound to the head and officials believe the wound was self-inflicted. We’re told Cornelius was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. “Soul Train” changed the landscape of television when it debuted in 1971 and ran until 2006. Officials have notified Don’s family. Cornelius was 75. During Don’s bitter divorce proceedings in 2009, he told an L.A. judge he was suffering from “significant health issues” and wanted to “finalize this divorce before I die.” Cornelius was arrested in 2008 for beating up his wife. He pled no contest to misdemeanor domestic violence and was placed on 3 years probation. His probation just terminated. The divorce was granted in 2010. Sources close to Don tell us … the TV icon was plagued with health issues for years … including a stroke and a condition that required brain surgery. This is a horrible start to Black History Month. More On Bossip! Which One Would You Wife? The Ladies Of “Basketball Wives” Season 4 Another Day, Another Reality Show: The “Mistresses Of Atlanta” Want To Be On TV Too! Check Out The Full Cast Of Hoes Ladies Inside True Or False??? Did Wiz Khalifa Make Amber Rose Get A Face Tattoo So He Knows It’s Real??? Hoes Struggling To Be Housewives: You Won’t BELIEVE Who Kimmy Cakes Has Her Eyes On And Got Rejected

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R.I.P. Legendary Soul Train Creator Don Cornelius Found Dead Of Apparent Suicide In L.A. Home

Willow Smith Finishing Up Debut Album, Jukebox Says

‘A lot of her music has a very big influence of everything from rock to pop to hip-hop,’ producer tells Mixtape Daily. By Rob Markman Willow Smith Photo: Getty Images Behind the Beats: Jukebox Willow Smith took music fans by surprise in 2010 when she dropped her debut single, “Whip My Hair.” Will Smith’s swagged-out offspring blended a pop sound with a distinct urban sensibility, and producer Ronald “Jukebox” Jackson was largely responsible for the platinum hit. So what’s next musically for the 10-year-old singer? Jukebox tells Mixtape Daily that Willow is in the process of finishing up her Roc Nation debut . “I did like eight, nine songs on Willow, so right now, we’re in the process of just trying to close out the album,” he said. “It’s just the whole process. You got to think about it: She’s a 10-year old girl. She’s gotta have a life, she’s gotta be a kid.” According to Jukebox, the album will contain a myriad of sounds. “Willow is kind of a combination of what ‘Whip My Hair’ was. Willow just isn’t a pop star, she isn’t just an urban artist; she’s very international,” he explained. “A lot of her music has a very big influence of everything from rock to pop to hip-hop.” On “Rock Star,” fans will hear a different side of Willow, and Jukebox — who also did the music for Swizz Beatz and Chris Brown’s “Dance Like a White Girl” — hopes it will be her next hit. “Next single which I’m praying for is a record I did called ‘Rock Star.’ … She’s been performing it everywhere. It’s getting very great reaction,” he said. “We also did a record with Diggy Simmons that’s incredible. … She’s just a combination of everything pretty much.” For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Artists Willow Smith Jukebox

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Willow Smith Finishing Up Debut Album, Jukebox Says

Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Video: Behind The MTV Premiere

Onetime ‘120 Minutes’ host Dave Kendall relives that Sunday night the generation-defining clip debuted. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Andréa Duncan-Mao Kurt Cobain Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images On September 29, 1991, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video premiered on MTV’s “120 Minutes,” an event that, in the years that followed, would come to signify the beginning of rock’s great renaissance and usher in a cultural shift that would define a generation. Of course, back then, it was just another video on another Sunday night, and no one — not even “120” host Dave Kendall — thought otherwise. “I have to say, quite honestly, as soon as I heard that record and saw that video, I had no idea they were going to be as huge as they were,” he laughed. “I was very, very impressed. I was moved but I really didn’t have any idea it would explode to the extent it did. There’s the truth.” To be fair, no one did. And so, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the album “Teen Spirit” was meant to promote — Nevermind, of course — MTV News spoke with Kendall about the days before Nirvana became the biggest band in the world and about the alt-rock explosion that followed in their immediate wake. Needless to say, once “Teen Spirit” hit, everything changed and, as host of “120,” he had a front-row seat for all of it. “At that time, most of the music ‘120’ was playing was quite separate from the rest of MTV. Some stuff had crossed over — like, we played Midnight Oil, we played Sinead O’Connor, we played Depeche Mode, the Cure — but a lot of our stuff was really closeted. It was still in this ‘alternative’ genre,” he explained. “So the mood in the building at that point was ‘Some alternative acts might cross over, the others wouldn’t.’ Like, if MTV had known that Nirvana was going to be as huge as they [were], they would’ve world-premiered the video in prime time, not late-night Sunday on ‘120 Minutes.’ But then, I didn’t know either!” And how could he? After all, since creating “120 Minutes” in 1986 (and beginning hosting duties soon after), Kendall had been focused on trying to find bands he loved — “I was a bit stuck in my Anglo-centric, industrial, techno-pop mode,” he laughed — and hadn’t been paying attention to the storm that was brewing in the Pacific Northwest. So when the “Teen Spirit” video appeared at MTV, he’d never even heard of the band that would subsequently change the world. “I hadn’t heard Bleach, I wasn’t that aware of new, American rock … when I first heard the Nevermind record,” he said. “I thought it was going to be another Seattle record, so I was a little suspicious and a little resistant to it because I thought it was going to be a lot of guitars, sort of a ’70s feel. I didn’t think it was going to be something new,” he continued. “And then when I heard it, I knew I’d been wrong. It wasn’t just heavy, it wasn’t just rock, it was real melancholy, real passion, real vulnerability, the way it married intense rage with deep melancholy and sadness. And that really touched me.” Little did Kendall know that within a year the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video would help bring “120 Minutes” to the mainstream and forever alter the show’s playlist too. It’s little wonder, then, that he’d leave the show the following year, though, with the benefit of 20 years’ worth of hindsight, he can finally appreciate everything that happened following the premiere of that one little video. And, much like the rest of us, Kendall’s still amazed by it all. “It definitely changed the landscape of alternative music at that point. It had become slightly more guitar-heavy over the previous couple of years, partly because of the Seattle grunge influence, but that was the record that ushered in the ‘grunge era’ into the ‘alternative mainstream,’ ” he said. “It brought guitars back into the music, and took the emphasis away from keyboards and synthesizers. It was gutsy and heavy and authentic, and that’s what changed the landscape. Nirvana opened people’s eyes.” Stick with MTV News as we reveal the Nevermind You Never Knew , celebrating the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s definitive album with classic footage, new interviews and much more. Related Artists Nirvana

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Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Video: Behind The MTV Premiere

REVIEW: Brad Pitt Puts a Golden Spin on Moneyball

Young actors are wonderful creatures, breezing — or busting — on to the landscape as if from nowhere, indulging us in the delight of discovery. But the twin pleasure of finding a new actor is watching an older one sidestep into territory you don’t expect, becoming someone you’d never have thought he could be. That’s where we’re at with Brad Pitt, who has never been better than he is in Bennett Miller’s Moneyball . As Billy Beane, the beleaguered Oakland A’s general manager who turned his team around by thinking outside the Major League Baseball box, Pitt works wonders by seeming to do nothing at all.

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REVIEW: Brad Pitt Puts a Golden Spin on Moneyball

Hawken continues to look great in desert battle footage

http://www.youtube.com/v/iVa7B1bLv8I

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Admittedly, I was only so eager to post the recent story trailer for Hawken because I wanted an excuse to mention the game again. Not that it was a bad video, necessarily; this latest footage, however, is a much better indicator of what Hawken is about. Even for a drab, gloomy landscape, this desert level impresses. A small team developing this type of game cannot be quick, but I’m willing to patiently… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Destructoid Discovery Date : 31/08/2011 15:51 Number of articles : 2

Hawken continues to look great in desert battle footage

“The Decision”: One Year Later

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One year ago on July 8, 2010 shortly after 9:30 pm NBA superstar LeBron James –arguably the most coveted free agent in sports history–changed the landscape of professional basketball with ten words: “this fall I’m gonna take my talents to South Beach”. Just like that LeBron James was no longer a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers , his hometown team, the team that drafted him number one overall in the 2003 NBA draft. Just like that James, whose image was on par with Yankees captain Derek Jeter (the squeaky clean variety), became a pariah. Cleveland fans ripped LeBron jerseys off their person and burned them in disgust much to the nationally televised horror of King James. The name-calling was relentless utilizing Nike slogans (“Quitness”), his government name (“LeBum”), and his own royal self-proclaimed nickname (“Queen James”). While Cleveland fans were the only people who really had a right to be upset at LeBron, Knicks fans (who swore he would choose the team since the venue of his announcement was in Connecticut), who cheered him every time he step foot in the Garden during the 2009-2010 season, piled on the insults as well. Hall of Fame players took subtle shots at LeBron (Michael Jordan) and direct bullets (Charles Barkley) questioning his leadership ability and his place as an all-time great. His close friend Jay-Z reportedly stopped speaking to James miffed that he was not informed that LeBron would not be coming to the New Jersey Nets . The following night LeBron topped himself successfully alienating the fans of the other 24 or so teams who were not in the running for his services by appearing on stage with his new teammates Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in a pep rally/free agent signing celebration where he arrogantly predicted the Heat would win “not 5, not 6, not 7…” NBA championships. Now that the 2010-2011 season has ended in an NBA Finals collapse for LeBron’s Heat, where James himself did nothing in the fourth quarter of all the games, the NBA lockout threatens to shorten the upcoming season and there are rumors that Bosh may be traded to open up more money to bring in better role players. The only question I have is: if LeBron had chosen to stay with Cleveland would he have been vilified the same way for televising his decision? RELATED POSTS: Lebron James Knocks Over Kid After Dunking On Him [VIDEO] Miami Heat Rumored To Be Trading Chris Bosh, He Blames Lebron & Dwyane Top 10 Players Never To Win An NBA Title

“The Decision”: One Year Later

5 Pro Tips for Making a Great R-Rated Comedy From Horrible Bosses Director Seth Gordon

Despite some chatter to the contrary , comedies are alive and well in Hollywood this summer. Especially R-rated comedies: the combined domestic grosses of The Hangover Part II , Bridesmaids and Bad Teacher are closing in on $500 million. Into this landscape arrives Horrible Bosses (out Friday), the Seth Gordon-directed comedy about three dudes who try to kill their titular terrible employers. How come Bosses works so well when some other summer comedies have not?

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5 Pro Tips for Making a Great R-Rated Comedy From Horrible Bosses Director Seth Gordon

Alicia Keys Looks Back On ‘Coming Of Age’ Debut

Songs in A Minor was ‘just my truth at that time,’ Keys says on 10th anniversary of album’s release. By Rebecca Thomas Alicia Keys performs onstage during the BET Awards ’11 Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images By the time 20-year-old Alicia Keys came on the scene in 2001, a 21st-century “around the way” girl from New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen, reigning rap&B princess Lauryn Hill seemed to be coming undone. Just a month after Keys’ classic Songs in A Minor was released, Hill taped an edition of MTV’s “Unplugged” during which she told the audience her “public persona had held her hostage.” Eventually, Hill gave up battling fame and retreated from the industry altogether. And it was in this landscape that Keys made her debut. For girls looking for a different voice, Keys, a corn-rowed beauty who still walked with a tomboy’s gait, proved to be that figure. When MTV News caught up with Keys last week, on the eve of the 10th anniversary re-release of the piano-driven A Minor (collector’s and deluxe editions will hit e-tailers and retailers on Tuesday), she told us why she thought fans connected so deeply to her and the Grammy-winning album she calls her “coming of age.” “I think that people related to Songs in A Minor because it was just my truth at that time,” Keys reflected of the J Records album helmed largely by her and production partner Kerry “Krucial” Brothers. “And I really wanted to just be me. I didn’t want to be anybody else, I didn’t want to be, you know, that girl with all the super fancy dresses, and all the, like, big … hair!” she said, bursting into laughter. Indeed, Keys favored midriff-baring tops, snug jeans and the (relentlessly copied) variations on zigzag spider braids, coming off as just a more polished version of the girls you bumped into riding the subway. Even now, one of the best-selling recording artists of her generation, Keys endearingly sprinkles her speech with street dialect. “I just wanted to be myself, and being myself was like being every girl I knew, you know? Being every girl in Harlem, in Brooklyn, in Queens. So I think people really could, hopefully, feel that.” Keys will make a hometown stop with her piano-only mini-tour on Thursday at New York’s Beacon Theatre, where she’ll revisit mega-singles like “Fallin’ ” and “A Woman’s Worth,” as well as her personal favorite “Troubles” and some tracks from the Songs sessions that fans will find on the new editions. What’s your favorite track from Songs in A Minor ? Tell us in the comments! Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Alicia Keys Related Artists Alicia Keys

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Alicia Keys Looks Back On ‘Coming Of Age’ Debut

Uncle Luke Officially Joins Miami Mayoral Race

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Luther Campbell , aka Uncle Luke, has officially joined the race to become mayor of Miami-Dade County. Campbell recently filed the necessary paperwork to run for mayor. “I’m dead serious,” Luke told reporters in Miami who doubted the sincerity of his political aspirations. “That’s a question [they have] been asking me since I put in my first document: am I serious? I am serious, this is no joke.” Check out Uncle Luke’s campaign platform below, as obtained by BallerStatus.net ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT We will revitalize the small business environment that supports existing enterprise, recruits new business and creates incentives to help meet long-term economic objectives. We will accomplish this revitalization through: · Responsible Growth and Development · Small Business Expansion · Attract new businesses · Generating new revenue sources for our county · Job Creation Redevelopment – we will take the opportunity to enrich our landscape by refocusing, restructuring and rebuilding to achieve the ‘highest and best use’ of our commercial and residential resources to: · Stabilize neighborhoods · Stop blight · Attract new residents · Uphold the cultural values of our diverse community Beautification – Enhancing the “look and feel” of our neighborhoods is central to improving its economic outlook. We will seek to improve the quality of life by: · Improving the visual impression of our county · Instilling a sense of community and neighborhood pride · Fulfilling the vision of Miami-Dade County as a Tourist Destination PUBLIC SAFETY Every citizen has the right to expect a safe environment. We will work with the various stakeholders to implement results-oriented practices that provide protection, prevent loss at work and at home and enhance the well-being for our constituents. · Restore public trust · Build stronger bonds between law enforcement and community · Enhance current public safety and crime prevention programs · Increase patrolling to industrial and neighborhood areas · Support neighborhood watch and other preventative programming · Solicit feedback and suggestions, study trends, apply best practices AFFORDABLE HOUSING Thriving in property and housing opportunities, Miami-Dade County has a responsibility to ensure that every citizen has access to safe and affordable housing. We will work to: · Redesign the current public hosing model · Remove blight from areas such as Liberty City and Overtown without gentrifying the neighborhood COMMUNITY Community is the sum total of the cultural, social and economic make up of Miami-Dade County. It includes the cares of our citizens and stakeholders as much as it reflects a specific a neighborhood, leader or institution. Our community is about us, who we are and what we believe in. It also dictates what we must do to preserve our most precious values. We will improve the conditions of our communities by: · Engaging our youth · Caring for our seniors · Strengthening families · Support networks of community and faith-based resources to serve the needs of our communities Source: BallerStatus.net RELATED: Uncle Luke Running For Mayor Of Miami RELATED: Uncle Luke Lands Assistant Coach Job At Miami High School

Uncle Luke Officially Joins Miami Mayoral Race