Brad Paisley to release first book Nov. 1

(AP) — Country superstar Brad Paisley is set to release his first book on Nov. 1.

It's called "Diary of a Player" and shows how the guitar gods of country, blues and rock 'n' roll have shaped his life.

Paisley tells The Associated Press he can't imagine his life if he never learned to play the guitar. His grandfather gave him his first six-string at age 8.

Paisley is the reigning Country Music Association entertainer of the year. He has sold over 11 million albums and charted 20 No. 1 singles, including his most recent duet with Carrie Underwood, "Remind Me."

The book is co-written with Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild and published by Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.


*The bad boy of country music is finally telling his life story and we can't wait to read it!

Brad Paisley is one of those country muscians that has that down home feel to him.  His music speaks volumes to who he really is and what being country is all about.

Country music these days is great, but country music with Brad Paisley is priceless!*


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Dionne Bromfield & Tinchy Stryder - Spinnin for 2012

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Census: US poverty rate swells to nearly 1 in 6

(AP) — The Census Bureau reports the number of Americans in poverty jumped to 15.1 percent in 2010, a 27-year high.

About 46.2 million people, or nearly 1 in 6, were in poverty. That's up from 43.6 million, or 14.3 percent, in 2009. It was the highest level since 1983.

The number of people lacking health insurance increased to 49.9 million, a new high after revisions were made to 2009 figures. Losses were due mostly to working-age Americans who lost employer-provided insurance in the weak economy. Main provisions of the health overhaul don't take effect until 2014.

The statistics released Tuesday cover 2010, when U.S. unemployment averaged 9.6 percent, up from 9.3 percent the previous year.

The median — or midpoint — household income was $49,445, a 2.3 decline from 2009.

*This isn't shocking at all!

We all know that many people are not working these days due this non-job economy.  The only thing this report gives us is the numbers of the many who aren't working and who are poor.  When we think about these numbers we should be shocked, but we are not, because more and more of us are losing jobs and going without.

As many put it, it was bound to happen due to the corruption and "I'm better than you attitude." Which is what truly brought this country to it's knees. 

So when the census comes out with a report about poverty and the many that are at or below the poverty line, it's not shocking one bit because, most of us were there to begin with and are there now.*


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Perry blasts Obama, notes own job-creating record!

(AP) — Texas Gov. Rick Perry warned during an appearance in Iowa that President Obama has driven the nation's economy into a ditch, arguing that his own record as governor qualifies him to lead the way out.

"Instead of eliminating our economic crisis, he worsened it," said Perry. "Instead of addressing the debt, he exploded it."

Perry told nearly 400 activists that he's created 1 million jobs while governor of Texas, all during a stretch where the nation was losing 2.5 million jobs. Perry said he'll take his record of cutting taxes and regulation to Washington and he said the Texas rebound proves that those efforts work.

Perry was joined at a county GOP picnic by fellow candidates, Reps. Ron Paul of Texas and Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan, but Perry was getting the bulk of the attention.

Perry singled out recent comments by former Iowa governor and current Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's that food stamps were helping to bolster the economy by getting buying power into people's hands.

"Food stamps are not a solution, they are a symbol of the problem," said Perry. "Today's leaders see it differently."

Perry sought to drive the problem home, noting that Iowa has suffered as well under the Obama administration.

"Today, one in eight Iowans is on food stamps," said Perry. "That is a testament to the widespread misery created by this administration."

Perry has moved near the top of most polls only a couple of weeks after announcing his decision to run for the Republican nomination. He was making his second visit to Iowa, where precinct caucuses traditionally launch the nominating season, and he has made it clear he will compete for those caucuses .

He's begun building the organizational structure essential to delivering backers to those caucuses.

With his solid standing in the polls, he ignored all of his rivals and focused on Obama and Washington.

"It's a statement that the state that feeds the world has so many people dependent on the government for food," said Perry.

"You have lost 12,000 jobs since the current resident of the White House took office," said Perry. He said that is precisely the opposite of his own record in office.

"Since I've become governor, Texas has created more than 1 million jobs, while the rest of the country has lost 2.5 million jobs," said Perry.

His twin themes: making life easier for business, and making life tougher for government.

"We've got to stop spending money we don't have," said Perry. "I promise you this, I will work every day to make Washington, D.C., as inconsequential to you as I can."

While there haven't been any recent polls in Iowa, most activists here put Perry in the first tier of Republican candidates.

Kevin McLaughlin, one of the organizers of Saturday's event said Perry's rapid rise comes because he's a governor of a big state, but also because he offers a message that resonates with the Republican base.

"He's the governor of a state that doesn't have an income tax and he's riding the wave," said McLaughlin.

Paul has caused something of a stir in the state, building a deeply committed core of backers that allowed him to post a very close second- place showing in the Republican straw poll.

"Our problem is government is too big," said Paul. "As government gets bigger, your personal liberties are limited. We don't need a federal reserve system, we need a gold standard for our money."


*Ladies and gentlemen let's get ready to rumble!! That's right it's time to pick apart, back-stab, lie, and show your asshole side. 

Gov. Perry should know better than to pounce on President Obama while the race is still soft.  Many Americans have yet to make up their mind about who is truly right to run this country.  Gov. Perry of all people should know the do's and don'ts of campaigning. 

While Gov. Perry May have a certain swagger about him, he loses points on smoothness and staying in the lines when he's giving speeches.  Radical behavior isn't all that, and he should know how to check himself when trying to talk smack about someone else.

The problem with these republican candidates is that, they aren't real! They have yet to really address the issues of America's core. Most of them have done nothing but prance around in their expensive clothing, tour buses, and high priced hair cuts (i.e Gov. Perry).  Which in turn leaves a bad ass taste in the minds of Americans regardless of what side they are on. 

These candidates have talked so much smack about how bad gov't truly is, all while trying to vie for the position of President. 

What a shame and a mess!

At the end of the day, there is not one republican candidate that I think has captured what America is truly about.  It seems they have their own agenda and left out the people who can ultimately make or break their phony asses.*


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AMY WINEHOUSE! RAW-UNCUT AND REAL!

VALERIE BY: Amy Winehouse



The best of Amy!

RIP: MS WINEHOUSE!

Winfrey to host series recycling her old show

(AP) — Oprah Winfrey is repackaging her now-ended daytime talk show to make it a key part of the lineup for OWN, her struggling cable channel.

Winfrey said Friday she will host the new series that will recycle episodes of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" as a "classroom" intended to help viewers improve their lives. The show, titled "Own Your Life," will air weekdays at 8 p.m. ET starting Oct. 10.

Appearing at a session of the Television Critics Association to announce the revamped series and introduce Rosie O'Donnell and her new OWN show, Winfrey took the opportunity to reinforce her commitment to the channel.

Friends ask, "Are you enjoying your time in the Mediterranean?" Winfrey said. But she's not on holiday, she said, "I'm here," and working in the Los Angeles offices of OWN.

It was announced earlier this month that Winfrey was expanding her role at OWN beyond the position of chairman, taking on the additional roles of chief executive officer and chief creative officer.

Her role at OWN beyond the position of chairman, taking on the additional roles of chief executive officer and chief creative officer.

Winfrey is claiming the title once held by Christina Norman, the former CEO who was dismissed in May in the wake of disappointing ratings for the channel. Norman's position has been filled in the interim by Peter Liguori, the chief operating officer for Discovery Communications.

OWN, which premiered Jan. 1, is a joint venture of Discovery and Winfrey's Harpo Inc. Since Winfrey's syndicated talk show ended in May, she has pledged to devote her full energies to OWN.

Acknowledging OWN's rocky start, Winfrey said Friday that one of her biggest concerns was "aligning" the channel's executive teams, "and now we have done that." She cited the help of two executives who are with her Chicago-based production company, Harpo: Sheri Salata and Erik Logan, who share the title of OWN president.

Putting Winfrey on camera, as well as more prominently at the company's helm, is an attempt to turn around OWN's fortunes.

Plans had been in place to pull from the "library" of more than 4,500 "Oprah Winfrey Show" episodes in a show titled "Oprah's Encore." But Winfrey said Friday she realized they could be better used if organized as an on-air educational tool about life.

"At Oprah's core, she is a teacher," Salata said in a release that announced a companion online course to the talk show reruns. Viewers can sign up "to reserve their spot" in class starting Friday at Oprah.com.

School starts with the show's premiere, OWN said. "Own Your Life" will be paired with "The Rosie Show," the new Rosie O'Donnell talk show that will air daily at 7 p.m. ET, right before "Own Your Life," and will also debut Oct. 10.

Appearing before the critics' group, O'Donnell said she was proud to join Winfrey, although she labeled the media queen "aspirational" and tagged herself "relatable."

She joked about viewers saying to themselves, "Oh, if I could only be Rosie O'Donnell: an overweight lesbian who yells too much," then added, "My job is mostly to entertain and be funny."

O'Donnell made that happen Friday, drawing laughs when she said her publicist had fretted that the TV group's members might resurrect O'Donnell's dust-ups with other celebrities.

"I want to thank you for not asking anything about Donald Trump or Barbara Walters," O'Donnell said, smiling.


*We are so proud of Oprah. She is constantly on the move and taking chances. I think we can all appreciate and value her drive and willingness to motivate and inspire so many to do the same.*


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DIONNE BROMFIELD!

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: Dionne Bromfield Live!


Good For The Soul




Get Over It




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CHECK OUT AMY WINEHOUSE'S PRODIGY: "Dionne Bromfield!"

Dionne Bromfield




*This is for sure an amazing talent that has a place in music!*

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Singer Amy Winehouse found dead

(AFP) Troubled singer Amy Winehouse, known for her smoky soul voice and her struggle with drink and drugs, has been found dead at her flat in north London, police said. She was 27 years old.

The Grammy award-winning soul singer with her trademark beehive battled with well-documented addictions that she documented in her hit single "Rehab". Her death is being treated as unexplained, Scotland Yard said.

"Police were called by London Ambulance Service to an address in Camden Square shortly before 4:05 pm (1505 GMT) today, Saturday 23 July, following reports of a woman found deceased," a police statement said.

"On arrival officers found the body of a 27-year-old female who was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Enquiries continue into the circumstances of the death. At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained."

London Ambulance Service said it had been called to the flat at 3:54 pm (1454 GMT) and sent two ambulances.

Police officers remained on duty outside her home Saturday.

There was no immediate comment from her agents.

Winehouse rocketed to fame after winning five Grammy awards off the back of her 2006 second album "Back to Black" and the hit single "Rehab".

In the run-up to her live return, Winehouse spent a week earlier this year at an addiction treatment clinic in London, reportedly at the suggestion of her father, Mitch, over concerns that she was drinking too much before her shows.

But Winehouse pulled out of her European comeback tour following a disastrous opening performance in Serbia on June 18.

She was booed at the performance in Belgrade, as she appeared to be too drunk to sing.
Some 20,000 people gathered for the highly-promoted concert at the sixth-century Kalemegdan fortress, but many soon left.

During the concert, which lasted about 90 minutes, Winehouse could only mumble some of the lyrics, failing to follow her band.

Winehouse left the stage twice, with many fans showing their displeasure despite her band's attempts to calm the crowd.

"Amy Winehouse is withdrawing from all scheduled performances," a statement from her representatives said.

"Everyone involved wishes to do everything they can to help her return to her best and she will be given as long as it takes for this to happen."

She had also been scheduled to perform in Istanbul, Athens, Bilbao in Spain, Locarno in Switzerland, Italy's Lucca festival, Switzerland's Paleo Festival in Nyon, Nova Jazz and Blues Night in Wiesen, Austria, and Poland's Bydgoszcz Artpop Festival.

Known for her distinctive voice and beehive hairdo, Winehouse's debut album "Frank" was released in 2003 and brought her wide acclaim. It went triple platinum in Britain.

The follow-up, "Back to Black", was a worldwide smash hit, reaching number one in Britain and number two in the US charts. It went six times platinum in Britain and double platinum in the United States.

She married Blake Fielder-Civil in Miami in May 2007 but they had a tempestuous relationship. He spent part of their marriage behind bars for a vicious attack on a pub landlord and a subsequent attempt to cover it up.

They divorced in July 2009.

*RIP Amy Winehouse.

It's always sad when someone dies no matter what.  However, we all know that Winehouse had a troubled past with addiction and being unstable.

Regardless of her addiction she leaves behind music that will be around for years to come.

May she rest in peace!*





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