Friday, February 27, 2009

Two Arizona Female Teens Accused of Pimping Other Girls

This is really sad!!! My mouth is still open from reading this article.
Our youth are out of control. Does it go back to the messages of chasing paper and "hustlin" and getting money and stackin chips and did I mention "GETTIN MONEY"?????? (Broken record!) Not to mention the images of sex that have been branded into the brain of our babies and has most of them feeling inadequate. Solution time!

As seen on http://www.blackpower.com/



The grandmother of a 16-year-old Arizona girl accused of prostitution — and recruiting and pimping other teen girls — said Wednesday she hopes to fight the charges in court.
“I really want to take it to trial,” Linda Tye, grandmother of Tatiana Tye told CNN Radio. “She needs to meet her accusers.”
Tatiana Tye and a second 16-year-old girl, Jazmine Finley, were indicted earlier this week by a grand jury, Maricopa County, Arizona, prosecutors said in a statement. Although the girls are juveniles, prosecutors released their names and said they will be tried as adults.
Tye is charged with one count of child prostitution and three counts of pandering, or serving as a go-between or liaison for sexual purposes, prosecutors said.
Finley faces nine counts of child prostitution; two counts of receiving earnings of a prostitute; and one count of pandering. All the charges are felonies, prosecutors said.
The two were arrested last week after a five-month investigation, Phoenix police told reporters. Authorities believe Tye and Finley recruited at least five girls, ranging in age from 14 to 17, on the campuses of their high schools, police spokesman Sgt. Andy Hill said in a Monday news briefing posted on the Web site of CNN affiliate KTVK.
“We have a situation of two girls, 16 years old, who are, in essence, pimps,” Hill said. “And they ran their own brothel.”
Police believe the girls had rented an apartment used solely for acts of prostitution, he said.
Prosecutors, citing a police probable cause statement, said the teenagers recruited girls by telling them of “all the money they would be making. Additionally, they were told that it was better working for them as opposed to male pimps because they would not get beat up.”
Hill said, “I think we were all surprised at, you know, were these 16-year-old girls that were arrested, were they running this business? And the answer is yes, they were.”
In a jailhouse interview with KTVK, Tatiana Tye blamed Finley for introducing her to the world of prostitution, and said she was “a follower, not a leader, following whatever Jazmine does, and those were bad things.”
She denied recruiting anyone or receiving any money, although she did acknowledge she was scared at times.
“All I’m saying is, before (Finley) came into my life, none of this stuff was going on,” Tatiana Tye said. “I don’t even know much about prostitution and stuff. I’ve seen it before, because Jazmine had a pimp.”
However, she refused to answer questions about whether she had worked as a prostitute or about the apartment.
KTVK said it attempted to interview Finley, but her guardian failed to show up at the jail to give permission.
Accompanied by her grandmother, Tatiana Tye told reporters she didn’t want to talk to them initially, but “then again, I thought about, people need to know the truth. I mean, I would never, ever call myself a pimp or a madam.”
Asked what she would say to other teens, she said, “I would just tell them, don’t hang out with people that you know are doing bad stuff, because they’ll drag you down with them.”
Linda Tye said she had custody of her granddaughter, who moved in with her after leaving her mother’s home.
She said Tatiana Tye “admits to knowing Jazmine, hanging out and being with Jazmine. That she admits to. The rest, she doesn’t really want to talk about before she goes to trial and talks to her lawyers.”
As of Wednesday, she said, attorneys had only visited her granddaughter briefly, but longer visits are planned.
She said she is worried about Tatiana Tye’s health in jail, as she is eating only grapefruit and refuses to drink the water. The girl’s younger sister, 13, misses her and hasn’t been able to see her, she said.
She told CNN she does not understand how prosecutors can try her granddaughter as an adult.
“I want (people) to know that my little granddaughter, she is a loving person. She smiles all the time … she’s a little confused, but that’s no reason, and people shouldn’t sit and judge people. I just don’t like that. You don’t know the facts, you don’t know the truth, don’t do that,” Linda Tye said.
But asked whether she had any advice for others, she said, “Pay attention to your kids. If you’re a grandparent, pay attention to your grandchildren, because you never know what they’re up to. This is a big mess, and that’s what it is.”
(CNN)







Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Happy Super 400 Day!!!

Today, February 25 is Super 400 Day in the band's hometown of Troy, NY. Mayor Harry Tutunjian began the holiday in 2006 (see attached proclamation), in honor of the love and support the band has given the city throughout their career. This year, we invite you to celebrate with us as we offer a glimpse into the new Super 400 sound!

Visit http://www.super400.com/ all day to hear a clip from the new record!

The past year has been explosive for Super 400. After coming off the US and European tours of 2008, the band recorded their new album at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN, and penned a deal with Denver based Response Records. Last week, the band experienced another career highlight, when they cut their first vinyl record on the original lathe from the Stax Records studio! This is the lathe that cut all of the legendary Stax recordings, as well as Led Zeppelin, Big Star, Stevie RayVaughan, and ZZ Top, just to name a few.

The band is preparing for the release of their new album on Double Vinyl this spring, so check back for updates and release info. Thank you all for your continued love and support.

Monday, February 23, 2009

"In This Low Economy, It's High Time To Get Your Product Right..."

Enjoy~

Another gem from Victoria Colligan, Founder and CEO, Ladies Who Launch

Instead of being anxious about the economy and submitting to fear, try the reverse: Take a step back, take a deep breath, and use this time to get your product right. You’re not the only one struggling right now, but you CAN be the one who takes advantage of the economic slow down. Now is the perfect time make changes you would be too busy to bother with if business were booming. Tweak your product, lay a proper foundation, and set yourself up for success down the road by moving slowly, being methodical, and putting a carefully thought out strategy in place. To do this, solicit feedback, the good, the bad, and the ugly, in every way possible. Embrace it as your personal challenge for growth. The more you can accomplish right now, the less work you will have to do when this economy turns around. At that point you’ll be perfectly positioned to leverage the better times.
http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/magazine/daily-launchtip-february-23-2009/2870

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

NY Association of Black Journalists Calls On NY Post to apologize!

It amazes us that in the year 2009, in what was supposed to be the beginning of a new era of race relations, a picture could get past editors to disgrace the pages of a major metropolitan newspaper, during Black History month nonetheless.

We, at the New York Association of Black Journalists, take offense to the New York Post cartoon depiction of two officers shooting a monkey and then saying, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill" The history attached to racial slurs connecting people of color to monkeys isn't new. In fact, the issue was brought up during the Obama campaign and clearly characterized by him as offensive. Yes, it is true that former President George Bush was often depicted as a monkey, but historical context is what makes this different.

How do you think the Jewish community would feel about the use of rats in any depiction of them? How do you think the Italian community would feel about being generalized with mobsters? Monkey slurs against Africans and African Americans go back to the days of early colonialism, when Anglo Saxon, Spanish and Portuguese conquerors used these types of drawings and descriptions to dehumanize black people so that their mistreatment and enslavement would not be viewed as wrong or sinful. The practice also took on more sinister roles later in history including during the slave trade here in the U.S. and in Hitler's Nazi Germany.

We, at NYABJ, demand both an explanation and an apology from Sean Delonas of the New York Post. We find it unconscionable that such a depiction, especially during this time, would be used in an attempt at humor or political satire. Would it be a leap to suggest that it is funny or ok to shoot the President, if this is who the chimp in the drawing is suppose to represent? We are not laughing.

We often hear Elinor Tatum, publisher of the NY Amsterdam News and Chair of the NABJ black media committee, say that incidents like this "underscore the need for more black-owned media in this country, to counteract the actions and insensitivities of right-wing or even so called mainstream media outlets".
We could not agree more. Shame on Mr. Delonas and shame on Mr. Rupert Murdoch who has allowed something like this to happen.

Gary Anthony Ramsay NYABJ President

Zachary DowdyNYABJ VP-Print

The New York Post Jumps the Shark (repost from Huffington Post)

WOW, I could not believe this when I saw it. So blatant and disrespectful. Some may question why we expected something different?? Because it is time to not only expect but be proactive in change! Of course ya boy Al Sharpton is all over this but let's see who else steps up to rectify this wrong?

If you would like to protest write a letter or you may contact the New York Post @ 212-930-8000. YES WE CAN!

SheNotes
****************


The New York Post today ran a cartoon that splashed classic dog-whistle racism (in black and white no less) depicting two cops, one with a drawn firearm, and a dead chimp. The kicker: "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
Whose stimulus package is it? Come now. There's no room for the innocent shrug. Over at Air America, we have a special dog-whistle racism decoder: Racists have a long history of referring to African Americans as monkeys. This cartoon panders to that notion. Once upon a time, the New York Post editors called me (and to be fair Time Magazine) moral cretins for a book project I was working on. It wasn't true. Today I'm calling the Post a bunch of moral cretins, and it is true.
Payback's a ten-year affair in this instance, but oh so sweet.
In a different cultural setting this cartoon would have brought death threats already. Remember the Danish paper's depiction of verboten Muslim folk? Is it more acceptable in this instance? Not at all. We live in a tolerant society. That does not mean you have to buy the New York Post. Don't go to the site. Send people to good sites to see the bad journalism. It's that simple. Don't reward bad media with what they need--your eyes and ears.
You can act in the even older (than American racism) tradition of wu-wei--the spiritual boycott. Do nothing. At least when it comes to reading this rag and for that matter any Rupert-owned lie-machine. Spread the word about this American media atrocity. Mete out the penalty with loyalty to sites like Huffington Post, Air America and other progressive voices of truth and justice.
Have a nice day.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Jan Marie Dore's Top Seven Business Tips for Women Entrepreneurs

Enjoy

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Over the past thirteen years, I have worked with hundreds of women entrepreneurs as their business coach. I've noticed that many women small business owners experience the same challenges in growing and running their businesses, such as feeling overwhelmed and isolated, having difficulty keeping focused, not enrolling enough support, and not planning for growth.

Here's a summary of my best advice for any woman running a small business - my top seven tips for women entrepreneurs:

1) Focus on your strengthsThere's an old saying - 'Do what you do best and delegate the rest.' Know what your top strengths are. Delegate or drop anything that you're not exceptionally skilled at, and focus at least 80% of your time using your key talents that bring you income.

2) Put yourself firstYour growing business needs a lot of time and attention. Many women in business put themselves third or fourth on their list of priorities. Put you and your business first and everything else will fall into place.

3) Learn to say 'no'I ask women who have started a business to drop anywhere from 25% to 50% of their time commitments when we start working together. Most women are too over-committed with non-business related activities. Be strategic about what you say yes to, especially in the first few years of your business. Guard your precious time as the valuable asset that it is.

4) Plan for successLack of planning causes more businesses to fail than anything else. Planning is very valuable because it causes you to think ahead to your vision and next steps to reach your goals. You can create a simple one page marketing plan that outlines your business objectives and how you will achieve them.

5) Ask for supportDon't try to figure it all out by yourself. Notice where you are stuck and could use some help, and ask for it. Ask colleagues or others who have been in business and could mentor you, hire a business coach, or form your own mastermind support team.

6) Delegate or drop your weaknessesGet clear on what you don't enjoy doing or don't do very well. Either stop trying to do it, or find someone who will do it for you. A perfect example is bookkeeping. If you dislike it, give it to someone else to do, and free up your time to earn money doing what you do well.

7) Keep an eye on the bottom lineYou don't need to have complex financial statements, but setting targets and tracking some key indicators every month will help you understand how you are doing. You'll know sooner what's working and what's not working so that you can make strategic adjustments.


Implement at least three of these tips, and watch your business flourish!


© by Jan Marie Dore of Femalepreneurs.com. Jan Marie Dore mentors coaches, speakers, consultants and other solo-professional women to work fewer hours and make more money with online businessbuilding strategies. Get your free 'Professional Women's SuccessKit' and other marketing resources at http://www.femalepreneurs.com/ezine

Monday, February 9, 2009

Singer Chris Brown Under Investigation In Alleged Assault

OK..straight from the LA Times!
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R&B singer Chris Brown, one of the biggest-selling performers in pop music, was booked tonight in Los Angeles on charges stemming from an alleged assault on his girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna, according to police and other sources familiar with the investigation.

An official police statement did not name Rihanna, but said the woman in the incident “suffered visible injuries.”

Details of what took place between the two were sketchy, but authorities and sources said that about 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Brown and a woman got into an argument in a rented Lamborghini on North June Street in Hancock Park. Brown stopped the car, the two got out, and the argument escalated. A witness called 911, but police said Brown was gone by the time officers arrived at the scene. The woman identified Brown as her assailant.

Authorities did not describe her injuries or whether she was treated for them.
The sources said the woman was Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty.
Brown was booked on a charge of making criminal threats, and police said he remained under investigation for felony charges of domestic violence. “The exact charge was criminal threats and it is going to be investigated as a criminal threats investigation,” said Police Sgt. Bridget Pickett, who spoke to reporters at the Wilshire Division police station, where Brown was booked. “There may be domestic violence charges added later, but that will be up to the district attorney’s office.”

Pickett defined a criminal threat as “a threat that is made to a person with the likelihood that it may occur.” She said that Brown arrived at the police station about 6:30 p.m. dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. “He was very professional,” she said. Brown was joined at the station by his lawyer, Mark Geragos, and Geragos’ investigator, Scott Ross.
After posting $50,000 bail, Brown left the station before 9 p.m.
Both Brown and Rihanna had been scheduled to perform at the Grammy Awards, which began at 5 p.m. at Staples Center. Neither appeared, and Grammy officials issued a statement just before the show saying, "We have just been informed Rihanna will not be attending tonight’s 51st Grammy Awards. Rihanna will not be performing. We are sorry to see she is unable to join us this evening.”

A publicist for the Barbados-born star, who sold more digital song downloads than any other in 2008, with nearly 10 million tracks, said Sunday night, “Rihanna is well. Thank you for your concern and support.”
Her song “Disturbia,” which she’d been scheduled to perform at the ceremony, was the sixth best-selling digital track of the year. She was replaced by veteran soul singer Al Green, who was accompanied by country singer-guitarist Keith Urban.
Brown and Rihanna had appeared together Saturday night at producer Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala in Beverly Hills.

A spokesman for Brown’s record label did not respond to The Times’ request for comment. Brown finished 2008 as the fourth-best-selling artist in the digital realm, posting 6.8 million tracks sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

--Andrew Blankstein, Randy Lewis, Ari Bloomekatz, Mitchell Landsberg

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/02/chris-brown-boo.html

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

BET Networks Acquires Rights To Air Hit Series 'The Game'.


(February 2, 2009) BET Networks announced today that it has acquired the off-network cable rights to the sitcom "The Game" from CBS Television Distribution.

"The Game," currently in its third season on The CW and produced by CBS Paramount Network Television, is the #1 show on broadcast television among African American adults 18-34 and African American women 18-34, beating out powerhouse shows such as Grey's Anatomy, House and Law & Order: SVU.

"We're excited that "The Game" is joining our line-up," said Barbara Zaneri, Executive Vice President, Programming, Strategy, Scheduling & Acquisitions, BET Networks. "As the #1 rated show amongst African American viewers in broadcast television last season, it's a series that resonates with our audience, and we're thrilled with the long list of fresh stars associated with the series."

"The Game", which will debut on BET in February 2009, stars Tia Mowry (Sister Sister) as Melanie Barnett, who is thrust into the world of professional football when her boyfriend becomes a wide receiver for the San Diego Sabers. The series follows Melanie as she struggles with the ups and downs of having a "famous" other half and a new group of friends - the other players' wives. "The Game" also stars Coby Bell (Third Watch), Pooch Hall (Miracle's Boys), Hosea Chanchez (For Your Love), Brittany Daniel (White Chicks) and Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Steve Harvey Show).

"The Game" is a production of Happy Camper Productions and Grammnet Productions in association with CBS Paramount Network Television. Kelsey Grammer (Frasier, Girlfriends), creator Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, Moesha, The Jamie Foxx Show), Kenny Smith (One on One, The Jamie Foxx Show) and Steve Stark serve as executive producers.
** As seen in Target Market News www.targetmarketnews.com