Toju Alexander's Blog

Toju Alexander Flex wants to share papers with you

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 May 2014 09:34:00 +0000

Toju Alexander Flex would like to share papers and updates with you.

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VIDEO: Aju - Love Song ft. Bondo Krazy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 10:08:00 +0000

Aju teamed up with talented Bondo Krazy on this one titled “Love Song”, which is currently rocking music lover’s playlists.

DOWNLOAD

Royal Baby Makes His Debut

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 02:49:00 +0000

Everything's happening so fast—but we're not complaining!
Just a day after the royal baby was born, Kate Middleton and Prince William introduced HRH Prince of Cambridge to the hundreds of fans and media camped outside of the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London (not to mention the millions of people glued to their TV screens, anxiously waiting for those doors to open).
And although his TV debut was somewhat short, we've already learned so much about the future king.

1. He's Nailed the Wave: Beauty queens spend a good amount of time practicing their pageant wave, but it looked like the royal baby has it down right off the bat. As his mum and dad greeted the cameras and fans, the Prince of Cambridge seemed to give a little wave himself, which was absolutely adorable.
2. He's a Crier: Not to be confused with this crier, Middleton's son knows how to be heard—loud and clear. "He's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure," Wills told the reporters.

3. He's a Big Baby: The prince is definitely one healthy baby boy, weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounces at birth. "He's a good boy, he's quite heavy," Prince William said. In fact, the Prince of Cambridge is one of the heaviest royal babies. If you look back at the history of royal births by numbers, the only royal that came close to that weight at birth was Zara Phillips, who weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce at birth.

AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

4. He Has More Hair Than Dad: OK, not really, but Prince William saw the opportunity to make a joke about his receding hairline and took it (good for you, sir!). Wills quipped that the seemingly bald infant has "got way more hair than me, thank God!"
5. He Looks Like Mom (Maybe): The first-time father also excitedly told the press that the 1-day-old tot has "[Kate's] looks, thankfully!" But the Duchess of Cambridge modestly disagreed, saying, "No, no, no, no, no," with a sweet smile.

6. He's a Normal Baby: Despite being heir to the throne, the public realized that regardless of his title, the tiny newborn is just like any other baby. Case in point: He loves being cradled in one of his loving parents' arms and cries when he's uncomfortable (like when he had to be put into that car seat), and enjoys sucking his thumb from time to time.
7. He Needs to Work on His Punctuality: Granted, it's not entirely the baby's fault (actually, it's not his fault at all), but the prince's debut was done a bit later than scheduled. "I'll remind him of his tardiness when he's a bit older," William joked. "I know how long you've all been standing here, so hopefully the hospital and you guys can all go back to normal now and we can go and look after him."

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, set to Marry?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 02:32:00 +0000

It looks like John Legend and Chrissy Teigen could be heading to the altar sooner than later.
A source told E! News that the pretty pair are expected to tie the knot in early September at Lake Como.
An eyewitness overheard Teigen and one of her girlfriends chatting and drinking Moët & Belvedere and talking about wedding plans at Wall at W South Beach on Friday night.

One of the model's friends apparently said, "Of course I am going to the wedding," with our source adding that Teigen chose Lake Como because "that's where they fell in love."
Source also noted that guests would be staying at Lake Como for about four or five days for the wedding.
Teigen and Legend became engaged in Dec. 2011 when the Grammy-winning singer popped the question over the holidays. They've been together since 2007.
In June, Teigen recalled reading about Legend gushing about her during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
"It was very sweet," the Sports Illustrated stunner told E! News at the Guys' Choice Awards. "I actually read it online on E! and I forwarded it to my friend Melissa, and I was like 'Look what he said!' I mean, it's so cute. I know he's John, but you still want to forward it along and be like 'Look at my boyfriend! He's adorable.' It was very sweet."

Pippa Middleton Is the Best Aunt Ever!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 02:23:00 +0000

Pippa Middleton is an aunt!
As we all know by now, Pippa's sis Kate Middleton and Prince William are proud parents to an amazing new royal baby boy.
And we're sure Will and Kate are resting easy knowing Pippa will make a great aunt.
How do we know Pippa will be a perfect aunt? Here are 12 reasons we'd love to have her in our family…

She's Stylish: We already know that Pippa knows what she's doing when it comes to fashion. She regularly steps out in chic clothes and stylish looks (who can forget her bum in that Alexander McQueen bridesmaid dress?!) and we're sure the 29-year-old can give the little one advice on how to dress for any occasion.
She's a Great Party-Planner: Obviously, Pippa will throw her nephew an amazing first birthday. She's an accomplished party planner with her book Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends and even knows how to throw kid-friendly bashes. But it's not just about birthdays. Will and Kate's son can look forward to a lifetime of Pippa-planned parties of any occasion.
She's Popular: Pippa gets invited to tons of events, especially weddings! And we're sure she gets plus-ones, meaning the Prince of Cambridge will be taken to lots of swanky soirees and fancy nuptials (free food and lots of fun!).

She's Already a Supportive Sibling to Kate: Who could ask for a better sister than Pippa? She helped walk her sis down the aisle during her April 2011 wedding. She reportedly planned Kate's baby shower. And you can bet Pippa will be there at all of her nephew's big events, milestones, graduations, birthdays and hopefully future royal wedding!
Hot Uncle: If things keep going well between Pippa and charming boyfriend Nico Jackson, Kate's son will have a hot and handy uncle! Nico is a stockbroker for London's Deutsche Bank and can help advise on finance issues and can give advice on investing.
She's Got Connections: In addition to her book publishing and party-planning connections, Pippa is a contributing editor for Vanity Fair covering Wimbledon 2013. If the royal baby boy takes on an interest in the world of media, Pippa can sure hook him up.

She's Business Savvy: In May 2013, Pippa started her very own business (talk about a busy, busy business woman!). She registered her first company under the title PXM Enterprises and listed herself as the sole shareholder and director. And as we all know, if never hurts to have a business-savvy mentor in the family.
She's a Good Cook: Pippa nabbed herself a cooking column for Waitrose Kitchen magazine (and who doesn't love a good cook in the fam?). For her first entry, she whipped up an "Asian-themed night in with friends" with five recipes, including sushi rolls and Vietnamese spring rolls, as well as tangerine and sake jellies with coconut cream. Yum! Eat up, little prince.
She's Athletic: Wonder how Pippa maintains her bangin' body and bum? She's very athletic. She and Nico love skiing, They enjoyed quite a romantic getaway together in St. Moritz, Switzerland earlier this year. And last year, she completed a 56 mile cross-country marathon in 7 hours!

She Has a Sense of Humor: After critics' mocked her book Celebrate for being too obvious, she fought back with some light-hearted humor. "If I were to write a cookery book, for instance, I would be compelled to say that, to make an omelette, you have to break at least one egg," she joked.
She Likes to Have Fun: All of her business and hard work aside, Pippa likes to have a good time. She's been spotted out clubbing with beau Nico at London's private members' spot Loulou's as well other of the city's exclusive hot spots.
She's Charitable: Last but not least, Pippa has a do-gooder heart. The Swedish marathon se completed benefitted Magic Breakfast, a charity that delivers free, healthy breakfast foods to hungry children at U.K. primary schools. She's also connected to the London's Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity.

Russell Simmons, UMG Form Youtube Based Label

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 01:44:00 +0000

Russell Simmons knows musical talent when he sees it. He's also a very astute businessman who knows how to capitalize on golden opportunities. For those very reasons he's getting back into the music game after taking a decade off.

The man who founded Def Jam, along with Rick Rubin has teamed up with Universal Music Group to form All Def Music, according to C-Net. The company will tap into YouTube's vast array of talent hoping to find the next big stars. It's the first music company of it's kind.

"The exponential growth of Internet-based video has created a powerful new outlet for music and music-based content, and the launch of All Def Music is a part of our broader strategy to partner with some of the most experienced entrepreneurs in media and technology to identify future stars and develop powerful content on the world's fastest growing media platform," said Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of UMG, in a press release. "As one of the most successful entrepreneurs in media, Russell has built a global organization based on developing cutting-edge entertainment for generations of fans. We're excited to partner with Russell as he extends his incredible track record to platforms such as YouTube, and I'm thrilled that we can welcome Russell back to the UMG family where he has been instrumental to this company's evolution with Def Jam. In addition, Brian Robbins' proven track record of exceptional content creation specifically designed to harness the power of YouTube has made him one of the most successful producers in media today. And with Steve's wealth of experience as a music entrepreneur, I couldn't think of a better executive to launch this label."

Justin Bieber, Esmee Denters, Karmin, Cody Simpson, Avery, Ysabella Brave and many more have landed record deals after uploading videos of themselves singing on the popular website.

Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin

Simmons, who played a huge role in the early careers of LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Whodini, T La Rock, Kurtis Blow and his brother, Rev. Run's group Run DMC has already started mining YouTube talent.

Spoken Reasons

His label has inked a deal with comedian/actor/rapper Spoken Reasons. Established rapper Asher Roth has also signed with the company. Roth will star in an "unscripted music-themed show" titled "Lemonade."

"When I looked at this, I saw a big, giant white space," said Simmons. "There's a lot happening online that's not being managed properly. These artists are in separate worlds, and not everything bubbles up to the top. That's my job."

The 55-year old Simmons is also going to launch a multichannel network on YouTube called All Def Digital with his business partner Brian Robbins.

Steve Rifkind

Loud Records founder Steve Rifkind has joined the team as president and CEO of All Def Music and ADD Artist Management

Under Rifkin's watch, Loud released material from Wu-Tang Clan, Big Punisher, Mobb Deep, The Beatnuts, M.O.P., Tha Alkaholiks, Pete Rock, Lil' Flip, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, Xzibit, Twista and many more.

"Over the course of my entire career, I've never been more excited than I am today about the potential for innovation in music. Tapping into YouTube's fertile creative platform, we intend to identify, develop and nurture music's next generation of superstar talent. Alongside Russell, Brian and the incredible team at UMG, I look forward to building All Def Music into a global music label for the new age," said Rifkind

With Universal's backing, Rifkind's uncanny ability to find big acts and his own skill set, Russell looks to be in a great position to make a huge impact on the music scene once again.

Timbaland Talks Working W/Nas + Chris Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 01:31:00 +0000

Before Aaliyah's untimely death in a plane crash at the age of 22, she created many memorable songs. R. Kelly, Teddy Bishop, Eric Seats and Rapture all wrote hits for the singer, but her best work was crafted by Timbaland.

In the third part of his interview with Revolt, Timbo explains why posthumous Aaliyah songs with Drake, Chris Brown or anyone else won't work.

"People always say I'm gonna do a song with Aaliyah. It will never work," Tim said. "Chris Brown got a record, it won't work. Drake can go do a record with Aaliyah. It ain't gonna work. Because Aaliyah's music only works with the soul in it, which is me."

The super producer also revealed he's been in the studio with Nas.

"Nas got a song right now with him Jay and Justin [Timberlake]. It's completely stupid. It's called 'Sinatra in the Sands,'" Tim revealed. "And Justin sounds like Frank Sinatra."

Chris Brown Pleads Not Guilty In L.A. Hit & Run Case

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 01:09:00 +0000

Chris Brown appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to a hit-and-run charge stemming from a minor traffic accident that happened in May.

The singer's probation was revoked because of the incident. He was initially charged with driving without a valid license and proof of insurance, but those charges were dismissed, according to TMZ.

Because he wasn't arrested the day of the accident he will have to go a police station to be booked and have another mug shot taken by August 6.

Chris will have to appear in court again on August 15 to deal with the hit-and-run case. He also has another court hearing in August to determine if he violated his probation in the Rihanna assault case.

Source: TMZ

FRESH MUSIC!!!!! Its On Tonight - Moe Agger, Seaon & Vector

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 19:03:00 +0000

Its amazing how western artists like Kanye, Rick Ross & Akon come to the mother land to work with its artists.

This time, NBA Dallas Maverick basket ball player, Maurice Ager, aka Moe Ager, who is also an artist & a music producer for Royce The 5'9, E40 etc has joined the club. Moe Ager decided to work with his iCirculate Ent. team mate, Saeon and also brought on board Vector who delivered on this track, "Its OnTonight"

click to DOWNLOAD

Jay-Z's Magna Carta Going Platinum? Not So Fast

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:50:00 +0000

Jay-Z is intent on writing some #newrules  with the unconventional release plan for his upcoming album, Magna Carta Holy Grail. But some rules are not meant to be broken, or rather, just can't be.
Case in point: Nielsen SoundScan's regulation governing what kind of album sales count. As we all learned in a three-minute commercial during Sunday night's game 5 NBA finals, Jay has partnered with Samsung in a promotion for the album that will have the company giving away 1 million copies of Magna Carta to users of its Galaxy line of products three days before its July 4 release.
And while that appears to guarantee Jigga instant platinum status before the album even hits shelves, Nielsen thinks otherwise. "Nielsen doesn't count bulk sales," a SoundScan spokesperson told MTV News. That longstanding edict means that if anyone, even, say, Beyoncé, buys a million copies of Magna Carta and gives them away as Independence Day party favors they can't be counted as sales according to Billboard magazine's long-standing policy on bulk purchases.
The source said this differs from major retailers like Walmart or Target that buy large quantities of popular albums with the intent of selling them to consumers for a set price.
Jay seems to know that his envelope-pushing deal with the South Korean electronics giant is setting a new standard, but he's not letting the possibility that instant platinum may not be a thing stand in his way. "If 1 million records gets SOLD and Billboard doesn't report it, did it happen? Ha. #newrules #magnacartaholygrail Platinum!!!," he wrote on Monday. A spokesperson for the rapper could not be reached for comment at press time.
The rapper's label, Universal Music Group, is reportedly still negotiating in an effort to get the Samsung sales counted, but given the firepower Jigga displayed in the ad (Rick Rubin, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, Pharrell), and his chart track record, platinum is not the problem.

Mariah Carey Announces New Album Title

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:39:00 +0000

Ex-American Idol judge Mariah Carey is getting ready to release her fourteenth (!) album this summer. Having previously announced on her Instagram that the release date is July 23, the songstress and her longtime collaborator Jermaine Dupri now confirm the title of the album: The Art of Letting Go. Carey's last (non-holiday) album was Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel in 2009. If you don't remember it, it may be because it was the first album of her career to not be certified platinum. Fans can hope, as such, that Letting Go will relaunch Carey to her former state of certified glory.

Lil Wayne Explains American Flag Incident

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:23:00 +0000

Lil Wayne caught a bit of heat on Monday when a video of him stepping on an American flag made the rounds on the Internet. But the clip, which outraged some, didn't tell the whole story.
"It was never my intention to desecrate the flag of the United States of America. I was shooting a video for a song off my album, entitled 'God Bless Amerika,' " Weezy said in a statement posted to his Facebook page on Tuesday (June 18).
In the clip, Wayne raps while standing in front of the American flag before it drops to the floor to reveal a number of residents from his native Hollygrove, New Orleans, neighborhood standing behind him. With the flag on the ground, Weezy continues his performance for the camera, in some instances walking over and on the stars and stripes — but that's not what fans were ever intended to see when the finished music video hit television and online. The wide shot caught in the clip allowed Internet viewers to see Wayne's feet, but the final cut would leave that angle out of the scene entirely.
"The clip that surfaced on the Internet was a camera trick clip that revealed behind the American Flag was the ['hoods] of America. In the final edit of the video you will see the flag fall to reveal what's behind it but will never see it on the ground," he explained.
The somber track, featured on I Am Not a Human Being II, finds Wayne reflecting on the troubles in his life, including his 2010 jail bid. "The stars on the flag are never shinning," he raps in a reflective tone. To appropriately capture his vision, Wayne went back to Hollygrove for the shoot, and it was all too symbolic.
"In most people eyes including my own who were raised in that environment, the Hood is the only America they know and the only America I knew growing up," he wrote on Facebook. "I was fortunate from my God giving talents to escape the Hood and see the other beautiful places this country has to offer but most people who are born in that environment don't get that chance. That's their view of their America. That [video clip] was Dwayne M Carter from Hollygrove New Orleans view of America. That's who I'm speaking for in this song."

Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner Finally Speak About the Family's New Baby

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:12:00 +0000

We finally have word from new momma Kim Kardashian! The E! reality star emailed Ryan Seacrest in response to a congratulatory e-mail he sent her, exclaiming, "Can't believe it! So crazy!"
Kardashian and her baby's father Kanye West, whose album Yeezus dropped on Tuesday, welcomed their little 5-pound girl into the world on June 15 just in time for Father's Day — Mozel tov!
Kimmy K's mother Kris Jenner spoke about her new grandchild at the Daytime Emmy Awards as well. In an interview with E! News, Kris, who was busy promoting her self-titled talk show, stopped on the Red Carpet to reveal: "We're happy, everybody's good and she's beautiful."
Even though the name of the already-famous baby is still hush-hush, we do know that this baby is receiving a whole lot of love! Queen Bey even took the time out to congratulate the new parents.
So, will Kanye sing tracks from Yeezus to his mini-me as a nightly lullaby?

WTF? Sick Fan Points Gun At Child's Face.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:01:00 +0000

A twisted fan threatened to murder a child if J. Cole didn't retweet him last night on Twitter. The sicko said he would by buy Cole's new album if the rapper retweeted his message. If not, he wrote that he would kill his little sister. A picture of a hand holding a gun pointed at a little girl was included in the tweet.

Cole did retweet the message and later wrote it's the craziest thing he's ever seen on Twitter.

The person that made the threat just tweeted that it was an unloaded BB gun in the picture and that people should lighten up.

Obviously this idiot fails to realize that pointing any kind of gun at a child is not anyone's idea of a joke.

Brad Pitt & 'World War Z'

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:00 +0000

Brad Pitt Promises 'World War Z' Will Be 'Most Intense' Movie You'll See All Year.
Seven years after securing the rights to Max Brooks' best-selling novel "World War Z," Brad Pitt will finally face the zombie apocalypse when the film hits theaters Friday (June 21).
Pitt plays a retired United Nations employee who leaves his wife and two kids behind to travel the globe in the hopes of stanching the pandemic, which threatens to end the world as we know it. And as a real-life father of six, the instinct to protect what he loves is nothing new for Pitt. In fact, as the actor told MTV News at the film's New York premiere on Monday, it's a feeling that never truly goes away.
"Always, I mean, always. It's a papa bear — it's just instinctual," Pitt said. "It kicks in. It's kind of amazing how that happens, but comforting."
Of course, Pitt does tear himself away from his family long enough to work on films like "World War Z," which has been a passion project for the 49-year-old, who also serves as a producer. (To wit, the film's gone through a handful of re-writes and re-shoots on its seven-year journey to the big screen.) But seeing the finished product finally realized was all worth it for Pitt.
"It's just big and fun, and this is the most intense thing you're going to see all year," he promised. "It's the most intense thing I've done. We're really thrilled by it."
"World War Z," co-starring Mireille Enos and James Badge Dale, opens Friday.

Best Kanye West Quotables On Yeezus

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:43:00 +0000

Sure, Kanye West takes things to a new sonic level on his 6th album Yeezus, pushing some fans outside of their comfort zone, but one thing’s guaranteed whenever Yeezy Season rolls around: Great ‘Ye quotes to last us for months. Take a look at some of the ~~best~~ most outrageous quotes from his new album.
You really can’t beat the hook on “I Am A God,” which helps to clearly convey the urgency of his elevated status. “I am a God, so hurry up with my damn massage/In a French-ass restaurant, hurry up with my damn croissants!” And if you were wondering if God was really down for being featured on Yeezus, Kanye definitely cleared it with someone above, rapping, “I just talked to Jesus/ He said what up Yeezus/ I said sh-- I’m chillin."
Ever wondered what kind of mishaps a drunken Kanye could get into? Well, he lays it all out on, “Can’t Hold My Liquor,” rapping, “B---- I'm back out my coma, Waking up on your sofa/When I park my Range Rover, Slightly scratch your Corolla/Okay I smashed your Corolla, I'm hanging on a hangover.”
Things get a little explicit on "New Slaves," but you've gotta appreciate Kanye's sense of humor, which always shines through. “F--- you and your Hamptons house/ I’ll f--- your Hamptons spouse/ C--- on her Hampton blouse and in her Hampton mouth."
And least you forgot that you're dealing with the almighty Yeezus, he drops a little reminder on "Bound 2", with "You remember where we first met?/ Ok, I don’t remember where we first met/But admitting is the first step."

Source: MTV

Yeezus Wows 2 Chainz, French Montana

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:33:00 +0000

A little more than two months ago, Kanye West put fans in a frenzy after tweeting just two words: "June Eighteen," and now, the date is finally here. Yeezy's sixth solo LP hit stores on Tuesday (June 18), but his faithful flock aren't the only ones excited for Yeezus; Kanye's fellow rappers are also pumped.
"It's just dope man, 10 songs, no cover, Yeezus," 2 Chainz exclaimed when MTV News caught up with him backstage at Hot 107.9's Birthday Bash concert in Atlanta.

The simplicity of West's 10-song, no cover disc is actually wrapped around a not-so-simple minimalist musical ideology that he stays true to for the 40-minute ride. Sure he had a little help from pioneering hip-hop producer Rick Rubin, among others, but the progressive nature of the record screams Yeezy. "He got one of the best musical minds, I personally feel, in my generation," Trinidad James told us of how he looks up to West.
Yeezus impressions are felt way beyond its musical structure. Kanye's unorthodox album rollout didn't include a radio plan, a no-no for any hip-hop artist hoping to make a dent in SoundScan. West even declined to release his "New Slaves" video to television or online, instead he just projected the clip onto blank walls at set times in a number of cities and gathered fans in the street to watch.
It's a risk that not ever rapper can take, and French Montana, for one fully recognizes the creative power that West wields. "For him to drop something the way he did, he's like, 'I'm Kanye.' He can do that," he said, noting that he wouldn't even attempt such an innovative roll-out for a non-label release. "For us, that wouldn't even have been a mixtape."
For others, Kanye and Yeezus provide inspiration. Young Dro is one of the longest-standing members in T.I.'s Hustle Gang crew, so he's surely seen a lot being around the King of the South, but 'Ye's innovation inspires Dro to reach for even higher heights. "I'm glad that it's a black brother that really has an impact like that, that we are in touch with in pop culture," he said. "The whole Yeezy movement, I want to be able to do that someday."
2 Chainz is one of the lucky ones, though he isn't signed to Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music, he has been inducted into West's inner circle. Chainz actually got to witness Yeezus take shape as it was being created and it was an experience that stuck with him. "He's one of the forefathers of just being creative in production and just taking extra steps and not doing what everybody else is doing," Deuce said. "Some of that actually rubbed off on me."

Source: MTV

Sign Him Up....... Thiago Alcantara

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:27:00 +0000

Manchester United target Thiago Alcantara will have tongues wagging at Old Trafford after hitting a first half hat trick against Italy in the Euro u21 finals.
The midfielder has been linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer, but declared he would make a decision once the competition had ended. Well the Barcelona player looks to be signing off with a bang with 3 goals in 38 minutes to give his side a 3-1 lead.
A further goal from Isco made it 4-1 before Liverpool’s Borini made it 4-2 but Thiago’s goals had done the damage and Spain were crowned champions for the second time in a row.

Rio – Still Needs Defending?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:17:00 +0000

Friday 9th August gives United fans a chance to pay tribute to Rio Ferdinand after 11 years of service to the club, as his testimonial match takes place at Old Trafford against Sevilla. For a player who as won 6 league titles, 1 European Cup, 2 League Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup, you would think fans would be unequivocal in their worship of him. Ferdinand still divides opinion on the terraces however, and despite achieving more than most players in the history of the club, it seems some still harbour a grudge over the off-field issues that have made the headlines throughout his career.

A lot of the antipathy towards Ferdinand came from the events of 2005 and the stand-off with the club when it came to signing a new contract at United. The drawn-out negotiation process followed the Daily Mirror publishing pictures of Ferdinand meeting with Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon in London. This didn’t help his relationship with the Stretford End, but it wasn’t seen as the most serious betrayal as the meeting was thought to be coincidental.

The fans and the club had stuck by Ferdinand following his eight month ban for missing a drugs test. He had been paid for eight months without kicking a football, and it now seemed he was holding the club to ransom until they paid him upwards of £100,000 a week. The issue was resolved of course but there were boos in certain sections of the ground when his name was read out in the weeks that followed. Some would argue Ferdinand got off lightly in this instance, as we are now in an era where it has almost become a trend to boo a player as special as Wayne Rooney if it is thought he is not fully committed to the cause.

The following season a struggling United edged to a 2-1 home win over Benfica at Old Trafford. The result came a matter of days after certain sections of the crowd had booed United following a 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers. As Ruud van Nistelrooy snatched a late winner against the Portuguese, Ferdinand was seen to display a mouthing gesture with his hand towards the Stretford End, taken as an affront to the fans that had made their feelings known three days earlier. To say the relationship between Ferdinand and the supporters was strained is an understatement, and it was now up to the player to prove his worth and win the supporters round. A last-minute winner against Liverpool later in the season was a good place to start.

What followed from here was season after season of immense consistency, not only from Ferdinand but the team as a whole. The transitional period that coincided with the more difficult moments in Ferdinand’s career was over and United regained their place as the dominant force in English football, and eventually Europe. The peak for Ferdinand came in 2008 with a Premier League and Champions League double, in which it could be said there was no finer defender in world football. His partnership with Nemanja Vidic was the bedrock for sustained success as United won three Premier League titles in a row, and gave the freedom for players like Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez to make the difference up front.

Injuries followed of course but few could argue that when Ferdinand has been fit, he is still one of the classiest footballers in the side. His remarks in interviews these days display a maturity in his character and an understanding of the United mentality. There are still question marks over his standing as a true United hero however, as some of his interests away from football detract from his phenomenal achievements on the pitch.

The fact he wore his #5 cap to the recent trophy parade in Manchester showed he still had one eye on self-promotion, even at a time when everyone came together to celebrate the achievements of the team and bid a fond farewell to Sir Alex Ferguson.

The constant updating of his movements on Twitter doesn’t always sit well with United fans who are more accustomed to the pipe-and-slippers demeanour of Paul Scholes and Sir Bobby Charlton. However, the tweets that invoke a rolling of the eyes from a lot of fans often include praise and thanks for the support the United followers have shown the team, both at home and away. That kind of acknowledgement goes a long way at a time when the Red Army can travel far and wide to watch United and receive little recognition from the players if the result hasn’t gone to plan.

The debate about the value of Ferdinand’s legacy will no doubt go on long after he has retired. It would seem though that some of the groans about Ferdinand’s character are niggling issues that will be forgotten in time. What will remain in the minds of the fans will be the commanding performances on the biggest stages, the hoisting up of the European Cup in Moscow, and the medals that define him as one of the greatest players in the history of Manchester United Football Club.

Source: MUFC Latest

Miami Heat Win Game 7, 99-76...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:08:00 +0000

MIAMI — Their season, their legacy, their reign atop the NBA was all at stake, and the Miami Heat responded in a manner befitting defending champions – with a blowout.
LeBron James scored 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds, ailing Dwyane Wade matched his postseason high with 21 points, and the Heat ran away from the Indiana Pacers 99-76 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Monday night.
The Heat will play the San Antonio Spurs for the NBA title in a series that starts Thursday in Miami.
Miami led by as many as 28 points, a shocking amount for a series that had an aggregate score of Heat 569, Pacers 564 entering Monday night. The Heat actually trailed by six in the early going, were still down 21-19 after the first quarter and it was starting to look like it was going to be one of those down-to-the-wire nights.
Not even close.
James exited with 5:08 left, shaking retired soccer star David Beckham's hand as he made his way to the Heat bench for a relatively subdued celebration. Not long afterward, security personnel started what's become a familiar task in Miami – surrounding the court and stretching out a yellow rope, preparing to hold people at bay for the looming on-court trophy presentation.
More than a few people didn't stick around to see the East title formally presented. After all, it's an all-or-nothing season for the Heat – and this trophy isn't the one that will satisfy them.
Ray Allen added 10 points for Miami, which earned its 78th victory of the season, matching the 11th-best, single-season total in NBA history.
Roy Hibbert scored 18 points for the Pacers, who got 14 from David West, 13 from George Hill and 10 from Lance Stephenson. All-Star Paul George was held to seven points on 2-for-9 shooting and fouled out early in the fourth quarter.

George was the last Indiana player on the floor as Miami prepped for its postgame celebration, shaking any hand he could find before being walked toward the visiting locker room by Pacers coach Frank Vogel, who slung an arm over his star's shoulder.
His time will likely come – someday.
Not yet, though. Not with this Miami team built for titles. It's the fourth trip to the finals for the Heat, who won the title in 2006 and have now been there all three years of the "Big Three" era, falling to Dallas in 2011 and then topping Oklahoma City in five games last year.
Miami went 2-0 against San Antonio this season, though neither of those games should be considered harbingers of what's ahead. The Spurs rested four regulars in the first meeting, the Heat were without three injured starters in the second matchup.
James delivered an inspirational address of sorts to his team Monday morning, publicly revealing no details of what he said afterward other than insisting that the Heat would be ready.
He was right. After 5 minutes, it was 12-6 Indiana. After that, the rest of the half was pretty much all Miami.
Once the Pacers cooled off a bit, the Heat immediately went into pull-away mode. Over the final 19 minutes of the half, Miami's edge was 46-25. Over the final 11 minutes, it was 33-14, as James and Allen outscored the Pacers by themselves.
Allen did less pregame shooting than usual on Monday. He was at the arena several hours before game time – as is his custom – and got in a pregame workout, but once he found a groove, he decided that was enough. And after going 13 for 46 in the first six games of the series, the NBA's career leader in 3-pointers had to believe that he was simply overdue to get going.
His first shot on Monday was a 3-pointer that connected, giving the Heat a 26-23 lead.
The Heat never trailed again.
By halftime, it was 52-37, with James scoring 18 points, Chris Bosh and Wade combining for 17 and Allen adding 10 more. And what had to be most troubling to the Pacers at halftime was their 15 turnovers, a number Vogel said earlier Monday would spell trouble if his team committed that many in the entire game.
And in the third, the run the Pacers so desperately needed never arrived. Indiana was still within 13 with 3:37 left in the period when Hibbert picked up his fourth foul. Ordinarily, that would mean someone goes to the bench, though Game 7 on the road for a trip to the finals hardly could be classified as an ordinary occasion.
So Vogel – who was second-guessed for not having Hibbert on the floor for the final moments in overtime of Game 1, when James got to the rim easily for a game-winning layup – left his center out there with four fouls.
Barely a minute later, it backfired. Hibbert picked up his fifth late in the third, and George got to five fouls by getting whistled twice in the final 46.1 seconds of the quarter.
By then, the outcome was obvious.
It was Miami's night, and another trip to the finals awaited.

NOTES: Miami's Norris Cole and Indiana's Jeff Pendergraph were ejected with 2:17 left after exchanging some heated words. ... Heat F Chris Andersen's streak of 18 straight field goals made (he had been 15 for 15 in the series) was snapped in the first half. ... Beckham, who is deciding whether he wants to bring a Major League Soccer team to Miami, was seated next to the Heat bench for the second straight game. Justin Bieber and Flo Rida were also in the crowd, as was reigning American League MVP Miguel Cabrera. ... The Pacers fell to 2-4 all-time in Game 7s, including 0-4 in road editions of winner-take-all games to decide the Eastern Conference title. ... Hibbert did not elaborate Monday about his comments that drew a $75,000 fine after Game 6, saying he wanted to focus on basketball instead.

Source: HuffPost

Strootman appears to be imminent…

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:54:00 +0000

The weekend produced a raft of news, hearsay and rumour on the development of Strootman to United. The biggest indicator, when there’s a lot of rumour like this is the bookies.
This morning, SkyBet suspended betting on Strootman to join United this summer;
So I suppose it’s fingers crossed there’s something in it and the big Dutch machine is about to make the Reds a little Oranger!

Source: MUFCLatest

R. Madrid to spend £125m on Bale + Suarez

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:44:00 +0000

REAL MADRID are ready to break the world transfer record by spending as much as £85million on Gareth Bale, as well as signing Luis Suarez for £40m. Combining the two Premier League stars with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema would then give Madrid the first quarter-billion-pound forward line.

Recruiting Bale and Suarez, who scored 44 Premier League goals between them last season and in Bale's case won multiple Player of the Year awards, forms part of Florentino Perez’s campaign to be re-elected as Madrid’s president. Perez started his second term by signing Kaka and then Ronaldo for record transfer fees of €65m (now £56m) and £80m, before committing a further €41m (now £35m) to securing Benzema. Seeking to mitigate the fallout from Jose Mourinho’s decision to leave for Chelsea, the Spanish businessman has returned to a familiar strategy to secure his re-election for another term.

Perez also needs to respond to Barcelona’s success in finally securing Neymar's transfer from Santos last week. He will fly to Spain to complete formalities after today’s Brazil-England friendly. Barça had held the option on Neymar since 2011 but Perez had hoped to tempt him to the Bernabeu by spending up to €100m on the transfer, third-party ownership, penalty payments and signing-on fees.

Beckham's mansion..The Beckingham Palace

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:23:00 +0000

David Beckham's mansion in London, The Beckingham Palace. Very classy!

Nominations: Diamond claws come out

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:08:00 +0000

The claws were out in the Diamond House at this morning’s Nominations session.

Now that the first Housemates have been evicted from The Chase, Housemates are clearly feeling more comfortable with the Nominations process. While last week all of the Housemates played happy family and had a hard time picking names, this week the battle lines were drawn and it has become clear exactly which Housemates have beef.

Bolt and Dillish both admitted that they cannot stand each other. His beef with Annabel also came to light. As for Bolt’s girl, Betty, she is clearly still holding a grudge towards Feza for her putting her up for Eviction and the feelings of loathing are clearly mutual as each Nominated the other.

Bolt lead the Nominations with five to his name. All of the Housemates stated his laziness as part of the reason that they choose him. He was followed by Hakeem who got four Nominations; Housemates cited his clear displeasure of being in Diamond House as their reason for putting him on the chopping block. Dillish, Betty, Feza and Annabel trailed closely behind him with three Nominations each.

The only people that managed to dodge the Nomination bullet were Bimp and Fatima.

Here is how the Diamonds Nominated:
Feza: Betty and Hakeem
Dillish: Bolt and Hakeem
Bolt: Dillish and Annabel
Angelo: Feza and Bolt
Bimp: Annabel and Dillish
Nando: Motamma and Melvin
Motamma: Hakeem and Bolt
Annabel: Bolt and Betty
Betty: Elikem and Feza
Fatima: Hakeem and Dillish
Elikem: Annabel and Nando
Hakeem: Dillish and Feza
Melvin: Betty and Bolt

Source: BigbrotherAfrica.dstv.com

Nominations: Rubies want Biguesas out!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 15:03:00 +0000

Angola’s “silent assassin” Biguesas leads this mornings’ Ruby House Nominations with seven nods.

The Luanda native’s proclivity to keep to himself has clearly not been received well by his fellow Housemates; LK4 even dubbed him a “silent assassin”. Many of them stated that his self-imposed isolation and non-participation in household chores as their reason for putting him on the chopping block.

LK4 followed behind him with four Nominations. Clearly the Rubies have woken up to his manipulative ways and have had enough. Ruby House newbie Neyll, has received a cold welcome from his fellow Housemates as he was bestowed with three Nominations.

Here is how each Ruby Nominated:
Natasha: Beverly and Bassey
Neyll: Maria and LK4
Koketso: Biguesas and Selly
Maria: Biguesas and Natasha
Oneal: Neyll and Sulu
Cleo: Selly and Biguesas
Beverly: Biguesas and Sulu
Sulu: Neyll and Pokello
Selly: LK4 and Koketso
Bassey: LK4 and Biguesas
LK4: Neyll and Biguesas
Biguesas: LK4 and Maria
Pokello: Biguesas and Koketso

Source: Bigbrotherafrica.dstv.com