Happy New Year People

This has been a crazy year, and I would be lying if I didn’t say I was ready to get 2009 underway. When all is said and done however, I can’t complain about 2008 as I became closer with my friends and family than ever before and I have a great appreciation for that.

In addition, I am very proud that I started this blog. I am now averaging over 700 people a day visiting the site and I am thrilled that these people like to read my stuff. I would like to send a special shout-out to JW, my wife, and Dr. Pauly for helping me find the fortitude to start putting my thoughts into cyberspace.

Although I will be busy in the new year, having recently accepted the Editor-in-Chief job at hip hop lifestyle magazine Crunk, I will remain dedicated to my blog and my readers and keep kicking ass in the new year.

Much love party people. Namaste and happy new year bitches!  I hope the new year brings health, love, and happiness to all of you.

Is Bjork the Next Bill Gates of Philanthropy?

Bjork has always been an independent spirit and I am once again impressed by her personality and social values. She has joined forced with a Icelandic venture capital firm to establish a working fund that will help restore Iceland’s failing economy.

Joining forces with Adur Capital, the pop songstress will do her best to help turn things around in her financially troubled homeland. You have to give her credit for doing this. While many musicians and celebs duck doig anything good for others, Bjork is once again treading new ground in hopes of making a difference.

According to Adur Capital’s website, “”The fund will invest in sustainable businesses that create value through the country’s unique resources, spectacular nature, vibrant culture and green energy.”

Cheers to Bjork for stepping up and trying to make a difference.

DMX to Do Jail Time After Guilty Plea

Not very long ago, I reported DMX was arrested Florida and sent back to Arizona to face criminal charges after missing a recent court date. After being returned to AZ, DMX decided to plead guilty to the charges of drug possesion, theft, and cruelty to animals in order to receive a reduced sentence. He will have to serve 90 days in lockdown.

He’s getting of pretty light for this stuff. Personally, I think he should be treated the way he treated the ill pitbulls at his home when the police raided it. The only good thing to come out of this is that if DMX screws up again, he’ll have to do close to ten years.

Once again, this guy’s special treatment only begs the question of just how long we as a society will continue to allow semi-wealthy stars to get away with acting like savages.

Oh yeah, DMX has two new albums coming out in 2009.

ColdPlay and Foo Fighters to Help Neil Diamond Out

Two of the world’s biggest bands have signed on to play at Neil Diamond’s February charity event. The super rockers from Coldplay and the Foo Fighters will join Tim McGraw, John Mayer, actress Jenifer Hudson, and of course Mr. We Come to America himself.

The charity gig will raise money for MusiCares, a non-profit organization that helps musicians in times of personal, financial, and medical problems. Diamond was named MusiCares 2008 Person of the Year for his humanitarian contributions.

ABBA Flick Tops the Dark Knight in Sales

When my parents and sister came to Las Vegas recently, we rented the movie Mamma Mia to pass some time and both the wife and my family loved it. I had to go upstairs and watch television in the bedroom, because it felt like I was living in a ’70s flashback and I couldn’t stand it.

To be honest, I felt like the electric gremlin in the Gremlins 2 movie. You know, the one who was stuck in the phone and made to listen to elevator music before he destroyed himself.

I have nothing personal against ABBA as they are one of the most liked groups of all time and they gave a soundtrack to a whole generation of listeners, but fortunately for me, I was born in a different generation and I only have to listen to them when my parents were around. Otherwise, I might have become a serial sniper.

Oh yeah, the reason I wrote this post is because Mamma Mia just passed The Dark Knight for top DVD sales this week.

Wii TV?

Nintendo and Japanese advertising giant Dentsu have announced a deal where Dentsu will provide prgramming for a newly formed video channel for Nintendo Wii users.

The first deal of its kind for the Wii system, viewers will pay for certain programmes while others will be free. Sales for the channel will begin next year in Japan, with the rest of the 36.4 million Wii owners following suit in the coming year.

This seems like a good idea if they can come up with the right content. Appraently they are going to start with cartoons and that should be a hit in Japan should they get the right shows.

Madonna is the Top North American Touring Act for 2008

Madge has done it again.  Her “Sticky and Sweet” tour topped all North American touring acts for 2008, bringing in a whopping $105.3 million. Her closest competitor is Celine Dion, who snagged $95 million in a  much smaller tour.  Crusty rockers ther Eagles came in third, generating $73.4 million.

Country rocker Kenney Chesney and Bon Jovi came in fourth and fifth respectively with $72 million and $70 million in sales. Rounding out the top ten were Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond, Rascall Flatts, The Police, and Tina Turner.

Kurt Cobain Guitar Worth Big Bucks

Music memorabilia is always a hot commodity and it has once again made national news with the recent sale of one of Curt Cobain’s first touring guitars. The musical axe in question was a Fender Mustang. Sold by a former friend named Sluggo, the guitar was smashed in one of his earlier gigs and he traded it Sluggo for a working one to continue the tour. Apparently the guitar was held together by duct tape and Cobain had written some things on it.

This is a pretty cool collectors item considering Cobain rarely broke his guitars. This is the second Cobain guitar to fetch over $100,000 as one of his previous instruments went for $130,000.

The Dark Knight Denied Chinese Visa

The world’s second biggest box office hit will not be released in China. According to a Breitbart report, Batman: The Dark Knight, will not be released in China due to “cultural sensitivities” associated with the movie.

Apparently one scene that got to government officials featured Christian Bale apprehending a money launderer in Hong Kong.

This isn’t the first time a major box office hit has run into problems like this. Both Memoirs of a Geisha and Brokeback Mountain were unable to successfully be released in China.

Obama to Legalize Dank Pot?

According to a recent Esquire.com article, there is a chance that incumbent President Barack Obama might push to legalize and tax marijuana during his presidency.

Although the article says it is more likely to happen in his second term than in the first, apparently there have already been several discussions regarding this possiblity among his staff.

As pointed out by the article, several of Obama’s biggest supporters a pro-legalization and with the economy in the tank, a possible end to weed prohibition could be reached within the next 8 years.

I’m all for this. Legalize it, regulate it, then tax it. The article say that a number of top economists suggested that the end to reefer madness would save the country between $12 and $14 billion.