Rodman Talks Trash About Michael Jordan, Obama

Dennis Rodman

KGW Reports:

Dennis Rodman is going back to North Korea, and bringing a team of former NBA players with him.

Days after returning from his second trip to visit Kim Jong Un — in which he said he became the first foreigner to hold the leader’s newborn daughter — Rodman announced plans Monday to stage two exhibition games in North Korea in January.

The first will be Jan. 8 — Kim’s birthday — with another to follow two days later.
Related: Rodman reveals name of N. Korean leader’s daughter

Rodman’s friendship with the autocratic leader has been criticized — and led to a couple of testy exchanges during his Manhattan news conference. But Rodman insists Kim is a good person, wants to have better relations with the United States and that he’s the one who can help make it happen with his plan for “basketball diplomacy.”

“Why North Korea? It’ll open doors,” Rodman said.

Touting his friendship with Kim and taunting President Barack Obama for not talking to him, Rodman said he will go back to North Korea for a week in December to help select local players for the game. He hopes to have stars such as former Chicago teammate Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone.

“Michael Jordan, he won’t do it, because he’s Michael Jordan,” Rodman said.

Rodman, holding a cigar and wearing the shirt of a vodka company and a hat of a betting company that is funding the event, said Kim has asked him to train his players to compete in the 2016 Olympics and offered to allow the Hall of Famer to write a book about him.

Though looking like a billboard, Rodman said he’s not doing the event for money. He said the Irish betting company Paddy Power would put up $3.5 million. Power later said finances hadn’t been determined.

And Rodman, who joked that he hadn’t drawn such a crowd in New York since he wore a wedding dress to a book signing, was adamant that this venture was serious — “groundbreaking,” in Rodman’s words.

“People think this is a gimmick. I would love to make this a gimmick … but it’s not about the money,” he said.

He rarely referred to Kim by name, frequently calling him “the marshal.” Rodman first met Kim, a basketball fan, when traveling to North Korea in February for a film project.

Though saying he didn’t want to discuss politics, Rodman raised his voice when answering a questioner about Kim’s human rights record and portrayed himself as the person who could make outsiders see the young leader as different than his father and grandfather.

“He has to do his job but he’s a very good guy,” Rodman said.

“If he wanted to bomb anybody in the world, he would have done it.”

Instead, Rodman had harder words for Obama, whom he spoke angrily of while talking to reporters last week after his trip. He talked around a question about American citizen and Christian missionary Kenneth Bae, who was arrested in November and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for what Pyongyang described as hostile acts against the state. Kim has the power to grant special pardons under the North’s constitution.

Rodman said lobbying for the release of a prisoner wasn’t his job, blaming the president for not reaching out to ease tensions between the countries.

“Why Obama, are you afraid to talk to Dennis Rodman?” Rodman said, his voice rising as if he were a professional wrestler —another former pursuit — calling out an opponent. “You’re not afraid to talk to Beyonce and Jay-Z, why not me? Why not me? I’m pretty important now, right?”

Rodman also said he would interview Kim on live TV during the trip. Organizers said details would be provided at a later date.

George Zimmerman Threatened His Wife With A Gun

gty_george_shellie_zimmerman_thg_130905_16x9_992Clickorlando Reports:

Lake Mary police say they were called around 2:30 p.m. to the Sprucewood Road home of Shellie Zimmerman’s parents, David and Machelle Dean.

“He’s in his car and he continually has his hand on his gun and he keeps saying ‘step closer’ and he’s just threatening all of us,” Shellie Zimmerman said in the 911 call, adding that George Zimmerman was “trying to shut the garage door” on her.

“He punched my dad in the nose my dad has a mark on the nose. I saw his glasses were on the floor,” Shellie Zimmerman said in the call. He then accosted my father then took my iPad out of my hands. He then smashed it and cut it with a pocketknife, and there is a Lake Mary city worker across the street that I believe saw all of it.”

The victims are not speaking to police and were waiting for their attorney to arrive, Bracknell said.

As of 3:45 p.m., no arrests have been made and George Zimmerman is “no longer in investigative detention,” according to police, but is still at the home. Police are investigating the incident as a domestic battery.

A spokesman for former Local 6 legal analyst Mark O’Mara, who represented George Zimmerman in his murder trial, said he had no comment at this time.

The incident comes days after Shellie Zimmerman filed for divorce and discussed her relationship with George Zimmerman on a TV interview.

Since being acquitted in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman has been pulled over twice for speeding.

Lake Mary is located about 20 miles north of Orlando and 5 miles southwest of Sanford, where Zimmerman fatally shot Martin.

Meek Mill Threatens Cassidy?

Meek Mill

On Cassidy‘s new diss record to Meek Mill, he mentioned the recently slain rapper Lil Snupe, saying, “You remind me of Sisqó from Dru Hill/fuck how you feel, you got Lil Snupe killed”. Meek Mill took to Twitter and threatened Cassidy for mentioning his slain artist. I feel Cassidy was out of line for that.

Screen Shot 2013-09-09 at 11.48.37 AM

EDL Leader Tommy Robinson Charged Over March

515204

English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson has been charged over his role in a march that was prevented from going through the centre of one of Britain’s biggest Muslim communities.

Scotland Yard said 300 people were arrested at the far-right EDL protest and counter demonstration by anti-fascist groups on Saturday.

The EDL had lost a high court battle over where they are allowed to demonstrate.

They had wanted to rally in an area in Tower Hamlets, east London, which they say is “subject to Sharia law”, but judge Mr Justice King ruled that a police decision to impose restrictions over fears of serious public disorder was reasonable and proportionate.

Robinson, 30, faces two public order charges – failing to comply with the law and inciting illegal public assembly – and was bailed to appear at Thames magistrates’ court on 22 October.

He was charged under his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Fourteen people were arrested for various offences including violent disorder and criminal damage.

‘Rusting’ 9/11 Sculpture To Be Installed In Olympic Park

wtc

From BBC:

A sculpture made from a reclaimed World Trade Center girder that was left to rust in a Cambridgeshire farmyard will now be installed in the Olympic Park.

The sculpture honours the nearly 3,000 people, including 67 Britons, killed in the 9/11 attacks on the United States.

It was installed in Battersea Park but removed after one month, with attempts to install it elsewhere failing.

Following reports it had been left to rust, Boris Johnson said the sculpture would be found a permanent home.

One of the supporters of the project, Lord West, confirmed that the sculpture had been left in an unnamed Cambridgeshire farmyard since it was removed from Battersea.

He said the girders were “sacred objects” in the US and only six pieces had been sent around the world.

“I think they [the Americans] will be pretty shocked,” he said.

“It’s pretty pathetic, I think, that no one in this great city of ours has been willing to say we want it to have it here.”

‘That’s So Raven’ Star Sentenced To 180 Days In Jail

Orlando Brown

From TMZ:

“That’s So Raven” star Orlando Brown is behind bars, 2 weeks into a 180-day sentence … in one of the craziest, most drawn-out DUI cases we’ve ever seen.

Law enforcement sources tell us, Brown was remanded into custody on August 23 following a hearing … where he failed to show proof he completed court-ordered alcohol ed classes for his 2011 DUI arrest.

The only good news for Brown is L.A. County jails are way overcrowded — so, he’s expected to be released after only 27 days … on September 19.

Brown’s been crazy lucky until now — in the last year 4 bench warrants were issued for his arrest, after he repeatedly failed to follow various court orders.

Serena Williams Wins The U.S. Open

serena

From USA Today, where you can read the entire story:

Serena Williams leapt into the air and didn’t want to come back down to earth. So she kept jumping, up and down, over and over, screaming with joy and radiating relief.

It had taken longer than most anyone had imagined and a much tougher opponent than she’d faced all tournament, but Williams had proved victorious. She was the U.S. Open champion, again — for the fifth time. She beat a relentless Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1 for her 17th Grand Slam singles title, one fewer than Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the all-time list.

Angel Haze Blasts Washington Post Reporter Over Miley Cyrus Editorial

angel

From Huffington Post:

In a series of tweets posted Friday, the rapper unloaded on those who expect her to comment on Cyrus’ provocative Video Music Awards performance and took aim at the Washington Post over a Richard Cohen column that attempted to connect Cyrus’ performance with a culture of misogyny Cohen blames for the Steubenville rape case.

Common Speaks On Vince Staples Collaboration

Common+-3vREWEp9btm

Yesterday at the first stop of Rock The Bells, Common sat down with HipHopDX to speak about his upcoming EP & features. Check below what he had to say.

“I got my man Vince Staples on a song,” Common said in an exclusive interview with HipHopDX. “I like him. He’s cold on the mic. When I heard him rapping, I was like, ‘This dude can really rhyme.’ It made me want to write.”

Gucci Mane & Waka Flocka Are At It Again On Twitter

For the looks of it, Waka Flocka & Gucci Mane are back at it on Twitter; this time, Frenchie (Waka’s artist), OJ Da Juiceman and Wooh Da Kid (also Waka’s artist) joined in the conversation. AllHipHop reports:

So, it seems like “Stringer Bell” of the IC found this was going on. All out Twitter beef with Gucci, Waka, OJ da Juice Man, Frenchie and more.

Now, there seems to be a couple key things going on.

– Frenchie accused Gucci of stealing from his artists.
– Frenchie also said that Gucci was paying the lawyer fees of the killer of Slim Dunkin, Young Vito.
– Then somebody said that Deb Antney (Waka’s mom) was stealing from OJ Da Juiceman
– Then Gucci claims he was offered $250k to buy Waka out of his deal and Gucci says he laughed at that foolishness. He apparently wants like $1 million for his prized possession.
-Gucci seemed to suggest that French Montana was sleeping wit Deb. I’m not sure about that though.

Prince Andrew Mistaken For Intruder (And Held At Gunpoint) At Buckingham Palace

73822

This — of course — happened two days after a real intruder was arrested at Buckingham Palace. From BBC:

Armed police pointed their guns at Prince Andrew and ordered him to “put your hands up and get on the ground” after mistaking him for an intruder in the gardens of Buckingham Palace.

For a tense half a minute the Queen’s 53-year-old son was in danger of being shot dead by officers paid to protect him and his family.

An internal inquiry is now being carried out into the extraordinary incident, which took place last Wednesday, after Scotland Yard confirmed Prince Andrew was mistaken for an intruder.

Royal protection officers were said be “jittery” after a genuine intruder had been found in the Palace’s state rooms two days earlier. A suspected accomplice was also arrested in a street outside the Palace.

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Express, a royal insider said: “Everyone is talking about these two incidents and can’t quite believe what has happened.

“The fact that this guy was able to wander off unchallenged and not be spotted by anyone is bad enough. But then to mistake the Duke for another intruder is almost incomprehensible.

“There is a high turnover of the police on duty at the Palace, but you’d think anyone would know what Prince Andrew looks like.

“It’s fair to say that to describe the Duke as unhappy and the two officers as highly embarrassed is the biggest understatement of the century.”

Prince Andrew said this afternoon he is “grateful” that the police have now apologised.

He said in a statement: “The police have a difficult job to do balancing security for the Royal Family and deterring intruders, and sometimes they get it wrong.

“I am grateful for their apology and look forward to a safe walk in the garden in the future.”

Bruno Mars Will Reportedly Headline The Super Bowl

2013 Billboard Music Awards - Show

From The L.A. Times:

The crooner is expected to be tapped to perform at the halftime show at Super Bowl XLVIII next February, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. An announcement could come as early as this Sunday.

Neither the NFL, which produces the Pepsi-sponsored halftime show, or Fox, which is carrying the Super Bowl this season, would comment. An NFL spokesman would only jokingly say that Janet Jackson and Miley Cyrus have been ruled out as performers.

This year’s game is being played in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

8-Year-Old Dallas Boy Shot In The Face By White Man

cloniger

CBS News:

Police in Dallas are investigating a shooting that injured an 8-year-old boy. The violent incident happened around 7:00 p.m. Tuesday night at the La Bella Palms apartment complex, located in the 9400 block of Royal Lane, near Abrams.

The child — identified by family members as Donald Maiden Jr. — was shot in the face around his jaw and taken to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. CBS 11 News has learned that he is now out of surgery and in critical but stable condition. He is expected to survive his injuries.

Witnesses pointed authorities to a pickup truck that was parked nearby. Officers arrested 46-year-old Brian Cloninger in connection to the shooting. He has been charged with injury to a child, and sits behind bars with a $2.2 million bond.

Maiden’s grandmother said that the boy was outside playing with other children when he ran inside to get some toys. The child was shot as he went back outside. “He hit the ground when the guy shot him,” said grandmother Sharon Locklin. “Then, he got up and ran to the house and asked his mom for water, and his mom saw all the blood coming out.”

Residents said that they do not know what may have led to such unexpected violence. “I’m coming to pick up my son from work and I come back to this. What is going on? They say a kid mouth was shot off,” said startled neighbor Mae Anderson. “I’m like, who would do this? What bad stuff could he have done for someone to do that to him.”

Officials are interviewing witnesses to try and determine a possible motive for the shooting. Maiden’s family members said that the suspect had pointed a gun at the apartment complex maintenance man earlier on Tuesday.

Maiden is a third-grade student at Merriman Park Elementary School. Family members said that the celebrated his birthday on Sunday.

Detectives had previously reported that another child was arrested for this incident, but that no longer appears to be the case.

donald-maiden-jr

Two DC rappers campaign to film a music video in North Korea


According to The City Paper’s Julian Kimble (via DCist) Southeast DC rapper Pacman (from Congress Heights) and Landover, Maryland’s Peso wish to travel to North Korea for their next music video. With the help of Forest Hills Tenleytown Music Group, Pacman and Peso now have a Kickstarter page, with $870 of their $6,000 goal raised. The page claims that they don’t” endorses any government, policy, ideology, etc.” I doubt they’ll ever make it, but it certainly makes for a bizarre story.  I bet the music is interesting too.

Also, you can check out some of Pacman and Peso’s music here.

Police Chiefs Pay £660,000 To Listen To Music At Work

man

What a waste. You can read the full story here.

Police chiefs in England and Wales paid £660,952 for licences so staff could listen to music in offices in the past year, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

The highest expenditure came from the Metropolitan Police which paid £246,297.

Four forces paid nothing, while 17 spent more than £10,000.

The Performing Right Society (PRS) collects the fees and pays royalties to artists.

The statistics were obtained by Robert Foulds, the clerk of Bramley Parish Council in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Man Arrested For Trespassing At Buckingham Palace

Buckingham_Palace_2007

From BBC News:

A man has been arrested on suspicion of burglary, trespass and criminal damage after scaling a fence to get into Buckingham Palace, police have said.

He was found “in an area currently open to the public during the day” at about 22:20 BST on Monday, the Metropolitan Police said.

A second man was arrested outside the Queen’s home on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary.

The Met said both men were bailed and a review into the incident was under way.

A spokesman said police inquiries were continuing.

“A review of the specific circumstances of this incident is being carried out,” he said.

“No members of the Royal Family were at Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident.”

The spokesman added that security would form part of the review.

Buckingham Palace has not issued any comment.

The Queen and Prince Philip spend August and September at Balmoral Castle on the Balmoral Estate in Aberdeenshire.

930 Club’s Head Of Security Commits Suicide

josh_burdette_930club1Washington Post Reports:

Josh Burdette, the well-known head of security at the 9:30 Club who died Sept. 1, took his own life, according to a ruling by the Maryland chief medical examiner’s office. Burdette, 36, was found dead Sunday inside his home in Kensington.

Before the manner of death was confirmed, Montgomery County police said they were investigating the case as a possible suicide.

The popular Burdette cut an imposing figure outside the Washington music venue, standing 6-foot-4 and weighing more than 300 pounds. But he was widely regarded as a gentle person who mostly wanted to see people leave the club with a smile on their faces.

“I know that’s a trite thing to say,” he said in a 2006 interview with The Washington Post, “but my job is to make sure people have fun.”

Michael Jordans Daughter Confirms Being Gay

michael-jordan-daughter-6-1

 4umf Reports:

The 20-year-old junior at Syracuse University confirmed that the woman in her recent social media posts is indeed her girlfriend.

“Until Love, Trust, Honesty, Repost, Loyalty, Commitment, Genuine, Happiness and other characteristics or aspects I want in a relationship is defined by one gender then and only then will I discuss my sexual preference,” the sports management major wrote on her Instagram account.

According to Media Take Out, Jamsime’s love interest has been identified as former Syracuse basketball guard Carmen Tyson-Thomas. Since the site broke the story, Jasmine’s love life has been receiving a lot of media attention, but the NBA legend’s youngest child said she not “bothered” by the claims.

“MTO has struck again! Lol but just like the last time, I’m chillin and not bothered,” she wrote.”Negativity go to the left and take a seat.”

She added, “No time for that! Everyone have an amazing day!”