Diagonal Review - 2009
Diagonal View | MySpace Video
Meet Diagonal View's weirdest people from 2009.
Weirdest People of 2009
Diagonal Review - 2009
Diagonal View | MySpace Video
Meet Diagonal View's weirdest people from 2009.
4 common myths about babies
Four smart-sounding (but wrong) ideas:
Myth 1: Touching your baby’s soft spot can hurt his brain.
The fontanel, or soft spot, at the front of your baby’s head is a skin-covered opening in the skull that pulsates, frightening some parents. “There’s a presumption of vulnerability, but the brain is actually quite well protected,” Adesman says. The front fontanel typically closes at about 1 year of age, while the smaller soft spot in the back of the head usually closes at 2 months to 3 months.
Myth 2: Babies should be bathed daily.
The truth is, bathing removes moisture from your baby’s delicate skin, which can make it dry and irritated. Plus, sitting in soapy bathwater can irritate a girl’s urethra and potentially lead to urinary tract infections. As long as you keep your baby’s diaper area, neck and other skin creases debris-free, you can do full baths just two to three times a week, Adesman says. If your baby enjoys nightly tub time, splash away—just skip the soap.
Myth 3: Babies who achieve milestones early are gifted.
When a child first walks or talks has little or no bearing on his later successes, research shows. “Many parents support the idea of giftedness at birth, but this is not supported by the evidence,” says Adesman. In fact, in some cases, early “achievements” may indicate a potential problem—for example,showing an inclination to be left- or right-handed before 18 months of age (children should use both hands equally until this age).
Myth 4: Babies need to poop at least once a day. Parents often think a baby is constipated when he’s not, says Andrew Adesman, M.D., chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Schneider Children’s Hospital in New York and author of 2009’s BabyFacts. Newborns often have several bowel movements a day, but they may poop as little as every three to four days at about 2 months to 3 months of age, he says. If bowel movements are very hard and infrequent, or you see blood in the diaper, however, call your pediatrician.
Check out our newborn's user guide for doctor recommened tips to help keep your newborn clean and healthy from head to toe.
Using Facebook and Twitter safely
You and just about everyone else, it seems, are spending more and more time on Facebook and Twitter, updating statuses and checking friends' tweets. That's all well and good, of course, but the amount of personal information that all of you share in real time, and the level of trust implicit with the social networking sites, do pose particular security and privacy problems.
A recent study from Sophos found that Facebook users reveal a lot of personal information to new friends, including ones they really don't even know or have never met. Using fake profiles, Sophos sent out friend requests to 100 random Facebook users, and more than 40 percent blindly accepted, giving the company access to birth dates, e-mail addresses, phone number and addresses--private information strangers shouldn't have.
The openness of Twitter--anyone can follow anyone else, and posts are indexed in search engines--makes it a nirvana for spammers. Kaspersky says there are nearly 500,000 new unique URLs that appear in Twitter posts daily, and of those, anywhere between 100 and 1,000 are malware attacks.
Here's a look at some of the specific threats users of the sites face and what they can do about it.
FACEBOOK
Problems: Malware, account hijacking, phishing, and social engineering
The biggest malware risk is Koobface, (an anagram of Facebook), which is a worm that targets social networking sites and affects Windows-based computers. Once a computer is infected, it hijacks the Facebook account and sends messages to other friends of the victim, enticing them to click on a link. The link redirects to a Web site where they are prompted to download software ostensibly to watch a video. However, there is no video; only malware that infects the system, blocks access to security sites, and can be used to steal sensitive information from the computer, such as credit card numbers. Infected machines can then be used to spread the worm to others on Facebook, send spam and distribute fake antivirus alerts, said Rik Ferguson, a security researcher at Trend Micro. Koobface now can automatically create new profiles using infected machines, he said.
Facebook accounts can be hijacked in several ways. A brute-force attack can be used to guess passwords. Users can fall for phishing attacks by clicking on links in messages or e-mails purportedly coming from friends that redirect to a fake Facebook log-in page. Or malware such as Koobface can steal passwords.
Social engineering is a huge problem for social networks because the trust that users have for messages and posts from friends can be easily exploited by scammers. Hijacked accounts are used to send everything from spam touting weight loss plans to links that install malware and steal passwords to fake emergency messages saying a friend is stranded in another country and needs someone to send money. Scammers are also sending e-mails that look like they come from Facebook and include an attachment that contains a Trojan.
Solutions: Use antivirus and anti-malware software and keep it up-to-date. Install security updates for operating system and other software. Use software like AVG Linkscanner or McAfee Site Adviser to protect against phishing and malware attacks. Become a fan of the Facebook Security page, which has posts related to all sorts of security issues, tips, resources and other information. If you think you've been infected with Koobface or other malware you should reset your password and notify friends who may have been affected.
Use an up-to-date browser that features an antiphishing black list, such as Firefox 3.0.10 or Internet Explorer 8. Be aware of where you enter your password. Check to see that you are logging in from a legitimate Facebook page with the Facebook.com domain. Be wary of unusual stories or offers that are too good to be true. Verify information with sources directly. Be cautious of any message, post or link that looks suspicious, requires an additional log-in or asks you to download or upgrade software. If a link seems odd or lacks context, don't click on it. Don't click on links or open attachments in suspicious e-mails. You can add a security question from the "Account Settings" page if you would like an additional layer of protection.
Problem: Rogue applications
Facebook doesn't vet every app that appears on the site, which means there is a risk that some apps will have bugs in them or will violate Facebook's privacy policies. Facebook has proven diligent in removing rogue and problem apps quickly when it is notified, but unlike iPhone apps, pretty much anyone can write a Facebook app. "Because the code is not always of professional standard or hosted or audited by Facebook, we've seen innocent apps compromised externally and used to deliver malware, such as fake antivirus," Ferguson said. One rogue app that appeared early in the year sent notifications to Facebook users reporting them in violation of terms of service and offering a link that lead to an application called "facebook -- closing down!" which then spammed all the friends of affected users, according to Trend Micro.
Solution: See solutions above, and be cautious about adding applications. Research the developers and perform Web searches to see if anyone has complained about the app. And ask yourself, what value does the app provide? Do I really need to play zombie?
Problem: Privacy leaks due to user error
Because people control who they are friends with on Facebook it is easy for users to have a false sense of security about the privacy of their data and activities on the site. Social engineering attacks, lax security practices by users like using weak passwords and design or implementation problems with the site itself can undermine the privacy protections users rely on. Users who fall for phishing scams and get their accounts hijacked have everything in their account exposed to strangers who can then use the different types of data for identity fraud or to target the victim's friends with social engineering attacks.
Solution: See solutions above. Also, use unique logins and passwords for each Web site you access. Use strong passwords, change them often and don't share them with anyone.
Problem: Privacy leaks due to design or implementation issues
Privacy advocates contend that Facebook's lenient apps approval process, privacy policies and confusing privacy settings put users at risk. Two weeks ago, Facebook asked users to configure their privacy settings. The options were confusing and many people were inclined to just keep the default settings, which are set to make the data visible to the Web rather than opting to use the old settings established by the user. Screenshots and descriptions are detailed on this photo gallery.
Many people have complained that it is difficult to figure out how to change the privacy settings, that they are not intuitive and that there doesn't seem to be one central place for that. And using Facebook Connect with outside apps, like the iPhone app Foursquare, can expose more information than a user expects to share. The new privacy changes at Facebook have prompted the Electronic Privacy Information Center to ask the Federal Trade Commission to investigate.
Facebook encourages people to share their full names, date of birth, home town and other information, all pieces of information that are commonly used in identity fraud. Scammers on underground sites even refer to Facebook as a "free date-of-birth look up service," according to Ferguson. People don't realize that their profile information can be accessed by total strangers who happen to be in the same groups or networks unless they specifically change the settings. People who don't trust random apps--which in general have access to profile information even if it isn't necessary to the function of the app--don't realize that the apps their friends are using also have access to their data. "Friends apps can access most of your profile, interests and groups. There is no way to prevent them from accessing your name, profile, photo, town and gender," said Joseph Bonneau, a PhD candidate in security at the University of Cambridge. In response to user feedback, Facebook made a change that allows users to hide their friend lists from everyone but their friends, a Facebook spokesman said.
Solution: CNET has a tutorial on how to hide your Facebook friends list by clicking on the pencil in the friends box on your profile. Detailed instructions and tips on dealing with Facebook privacy settings are available on the DotRights.org site and on the All Facebook blog. Facebook also has a blog post about the privacy changes.
Problem: Privacy leaks related to marketing
The relationship between the apps and advertisers can also cause problems. Adding an app allows the app to show ads inside the Facebook domain, and that can leak a user's profile information to the advertiser, said Peter Eckersley, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Meanwhile, cookies and other browsing tracking technology combined with data from social networks can be used by marketers to identify users for targeted advertising and other purposes, Eckersley said, providing details in a blog post on different ways data can be leaked from social networks to third-party tracking firms. Once marketers know a specific person's user name, they can use that identifier in the URL to get to a user's public profile page, according to Eckersley. "They can create a social graph of your date of birth, city, employment, relationship status, all uniquely codified in a way that can be automatically sucked into a database," he said.
Solution: Pick a good cookie policy for the browser, such as manually approving all cookies or only keeping cookies until the browser is closed. Disable Flash cookies. Use Firefox extensions such as RequestPolicy and NoScript to control when third-party sites can include content or run code in the browser page. Use the Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-Out plugin or AdBlock Plus to block ads. To hide your IP address and other browser characteristics, use Tor via Torbutton.
Problem: Information used to suppress dissent and target political activists
As with e-mail, blog postings and other public expressions of dissent, Facebook and Twitter have been used by governments to target protesters. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that family members of Iranian Americans had been arrested or questioned because of anti-Iranian government posts on Facebook by members outside the country. In other instances, Iranians living abroad were forced to log into their Facebook accounts or reveal passwords to government officials as they arrived at the Tehran airport and some even had their passports confiscated because of their political posts. In the U.S., the EFF says, officials have taken actions against U.S. citizens based on information discovered on their social networks; the group has sued the CIA and other agencies for allegedly refusing to release information about how they are using such sites in surveillance and investigations.
"Basically, every time you post something to Facebook you should assume that the whole world will know what you've posted, your family, employer, the government, people you don't trust," Eckersley said.
Solution: Think carefully about what information you want to share about yourself and consider only posting information you would want to let the general public see.
TWITTER
Twitter has many of the same malware, phishing, hijacking and social engineering issues that Facebook has, and the solutions for those problems would be the same. Because users don't provide much personal information to Twitter, and can even create accounts using all fake information, and because anyone can follow anyone else, there aren't the same issues with privacy, either. But that makes life easy for spammers.
Security does seem to be a worrisome thing with Twitter. The site has had several serious problems from employee accounts getting compromised. In January, someone hacked into the Twitter internal network -- possibly by guessing the password -- and gained access to the Twitter accounts of President Obama, CNN anchor Rick Sanchez, and 31 other high-profile Twitterers. In May, someone broke into Twitter's network and gained access to 10 accounts, which appeared to include Britney Spears and Ashton Kutcher. In that breach, a hacker was able to gain access to a Twitter employee's Yahoo account through the password recovery system and from there get information from other sites, including access to the employee's Twitter account. And last week, the legitimate account of a Twitter employee was used to hijack the site and redirect visitors to an external page displaying a banner for the "Iranian Cyber Army."
Meanwhile, Twitter was crippled (and Facebook and other sites also affected) by a rare politically motivated denial-of-service attack targeting one user in August. However, that incident reflects more on Twitter's ability to keep the site up in the face of an attack and accessibility than it does about security risks to users.
Twitter users are susceptible to getting their accounts hijacked, and the site has been targeted by clickjacking pranks. In these social engineering attacks, users were encouraged to click on links that distributed the original tweet to all of the Twitter user's followers.
Users with large numbers of followers have an added responsibility to be careful, particularly when setting accounts to automatically post items from news feeds. A malicious post on an unmoderated news feed that venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki was re-tweeting distributed a Trojan to more than 139,000 followers in June.
Kaspersky offers a Krab Krawler tool that analyzes tweets as they get posted on Twitter and blocks any malware associated with them. Trend Micro has technology that monitors Twitter posts for malicious URLs, as well as looks for attack patterns in the posts, such as use of popular terms to indirectly lead people to malicious links. And Finjan offers a free browser plug-in dubbed SecureTweets that warns users when they encounter a malicious URL in Twitter, as well as Blogger, Gmail, Google and a host of other popular sites. To keep up with security issues on Twitter follow Twitter's Spam Watch account.
Social networks are also susceptible to other serious security problems that can hit any type of Web site. For instance, last week passwords of 32 million stored in plain text on the RockYou site were exposed by a SQL injection attack, according to security firm Imperva. Because the passwords are used on other affiliate sites to the social networking application maker, the breach jeopardized other accounts, like Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo.
A recent study from Sophos found that Facebook users reveal a lot of personal information to new friends, including ones they really don't even know or have never met. Using fake profiles, Sophos sent out friend requests to 100 random Facebook users, and more than 40 percent blindly accepted, giving the company access to birth dates, e-mail addresses, phone number and addresses--private information strangers shouldn't have.
The openness of Twitter--anyone can follow anyone else, and posts are indexed in search engines--makes it a nirvana for spammers. Kaspersky says there are nearly 500,000 new unique URLs that appear in Twitter posts daily, and of those, anywhere between 100 and 1,000 are malware attacks.
Here's a look at some of the specific threats users of the sites face and what they can do about it.
A rogue app that appeared early in the year sent notifications to Facebook users reporting they were violating terms of service and offering a link that lead to an application called "facebook -- closing down!" which then spammed all the friends of affected users.
(Credit: Trend Micro) The biggest malware risk is Koobface, (an anagram of Facebook), which is a worm that targets social networking sites and affects Windows-based computers. Once a computer is infected, it hijacks the Facebook account and sends messages to other friends of the victim, enticing them to click on a link. The link redirects to a Web site where they are prompted to download software ostensibly to watch a video. However, there is no video; only malware that infects the system, blocks access to security sites, and can be used to steal sensitive information from the computer, such as credit card numbers. Infected machines can then be used to spread the worm to others on Facebook, send spam and distribute fake antivirus alerts, said Rik Ferguson, a security researcher at Trend Micro. Koobface now can automatically create new profiles using infected machines, he said.
Facebook accounts can be hijacked in several ways. A brute-force attack can be used to guess passwords. Users can fall for phishing attacks by clicking on links in messages or e-mails purportedly coming from friends that redirect to a fake Facebook log-in page. Or malware such as Koobface can steal passwords.
Social engineering is a huge problem for social networks because the trust that users have for messages and posts from friends can be easily exploited by scammers. Hijacked accounts are used to send everything from spam touting weight loss plans to links that install malware and steal passwords to fake emergency messages saying a friend is stranded in another country and needs someone to send money. Scammers are also sending e-mails that look like they come from Facebook and include an attachment that contains a Trojan.
Solutions: Use antivirus and anti-malware software and keep it up-to-date. Install security updates for operating system and other software. Use software like AVG Linkscanner or McAfee Site Adviser to protect against phishing and malware attacks. Become a fan of the Facebook Security page, which has posts related to all sorts of security issues, tips, resources and other information. If you think you've been infected with Koobface or other malware you should reset your password and notify friends who may have been affected.
Use an up-to-date browser that features an antiphishing black list, such as Firefox 3.0.10 or Internet Explorer 8. Be aware of where you enter your password. Check to see that you are logging in from a legitimate Facebook page with the Facebook.com domain. Be wary of unusual stories or offers that are too good to be true. Verify information with sources directly. Be cautious of any message, post or link that looks suspicious, requires an additional log-in or asks you to download or upgrade software. If a link seems odd or lacks context, don't click on it. Don't click on links or open attachments in suspicious e-mails. You can add a security question from the "Account Settings" page if you would like an additional layer of protection.
Problem: Rogue applications
Facebook doesn't vet every app that appears on the site, which means there is a risk that some apps will have bugs in them or will violate Facebook's privacy policies. Facebook has proven diligent in removing rogue and problem apps quickly when it is notified, but unlike iPhone apps, pretty much anyone can write a Facebook app. "Because the code is not always of professional standard or hosted or audited by Facebook, we've seen innocent apps compromised externally and used to deliver malware, such as fake antivirus," Ferguson said. One rogue app that appeared early in the year sent notifications to Facebook users reporting them in violation of terms of service and offering a link that lead to an application called "facebook -- closing down!" which then spammed all the friends of affected users, according to Trend Micro.
Solution: See solutions above, and be cautious about adding applications. Research the developers and perform Web searches to see if anyone has complained about the app. And ask yourself, what value does the app provide? Do I really need to play zombie?
Problem: Privacy leaks due to user error
Because people control who they are friends with on Facebook it is easy for users to have a false sense of security about the privacy of their data and activities on the site. Social engineering attacks, lax security practices by users like using weak passwords and design or implementation problems with the site itself can undermine the privacy protections users rely on. Users who fall for phishing scams and get their accounts hijacked have everything in their account exposed to strangers who can then use the different types of data for identity fraud or to target the victim's friends with social engineering attacks.
Solution: See solutions above. Also, use unique logins and passwords for each Web site you access. Use strong passwords, change them often and don't share them with anyone.
These instructions explain how to keep most people from viewing your friends list on Facebook.
(Credit: CNET) Privacy advocates contend that Facebook's lenient apps approval process, privacy policies and confusing privacy settings put users at risk. Two weeks ago, Facebook asked users to configure their privacy settings. The options were confusing and many people were inclined to just keep the default settings, which are set to make the data visible to the Web rather than opting to use the old settings established by the user. Screenshots and descriptions are detailed on this photo gallery.
Many people have complained that it is difficult to figure out how to change the privacy settings, that they are not intuitive and that there doesn't seem to be one central place for that. And using Facebook Connect with outside apps, like the iPhone app Foursquare, can expose more information than a user expects to share. The new privacy changes at Facebook have prompted the Electronic Privacy Information Center to ask the Federal Trade Commission to investigate.
Facebook encourages people to share their full names, date of birth, home town and other information, all pieces of information that are commonly used in identity fraud. Scammers on underground sites even refer to Facebook as a "free date-of-birth look up service," according to Ferguson. People don't realize that their profile information can be accessed by total strangers who happen to be in the same groups or networks unless they specifically change the settings. People who don't trust random apps--which in general have access to profile information even if it isn't necessary to the function of the app--don't realize that the apps their friends are using also have access to their data. "Friends apps can access most of your profile, interests and groups. There is no way to prevent them from accessing your name, profile, photo, town and gender," said Joseph Bonneau, a PhD candidate in security at the University of Cambridge. In response to user feedback, Facebook made a change that allows users to hide their friend lists from everyone but their friends, a Facebook spokesman said.
Solution: CNET has a tutorial on how to hide your Facebook friends list by clicking on the pencil in the friends box on your profile. Detailed instructions and tips on dealing with Facebook privacy settings are available on the DotRights.org site and on the All Facebook blog. Facebook also has a blog post about the privacy changes.
Problem: Privacy leaks related to marketing
The relationship between the apps and advertisers can also cause problems. Adding an app allows the app to show ads inside the Facebook domain, and that can leak a user's profile information to the advertiser, said Peter Eckersley, a staff technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Meanwhile, cookies and other browsing tracking technology combined with data from social networks can be used by marketers to identify users for targeted advertising and other purposes, Eckersley said, providing details in a blog post on different ways data can be leaked from social networks to third-party tracking firms. Once marketers know a specific person's user name, they can use that identifier in the URL to get to a user's public profile page, according to Eckersley. "They can create a social graph of your date of birth, city, employment, relationship status, all uniquely codified in a way that can be automatically sucked into a database," he said.
Solution: Pick a good cookie policy for the browser, such as manually approving all cookies or only keeping cookies until the browser is closed. Disable Flash cookies. Use Firefox extensions such as RequestPolicy and NoScript to control when third-party sites can include content or run code in the browser page. Use the Targeted Advertising Cookie Opt-Out plugin or AdBlock Plus to block ads. To hide your IP address and other browser characteristics, use Tor via Torbutton.
Problem: Information used to suppress dissent and target political activists
As with e-mail, blog postings and other public expressions of dissent, Facebook and Twitter have been used by governments to target protesters. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that family members of Iranian Americans had been arrested or questioned because of anti-Iranian government posts on Facebook by members outside the country. In other instances, Iranians living abroad were forced to log into their Facebook accounts or reveal passwords to government officials as they arrived at the Tehran airport and some even had their passports confiscated because of their political posts. In the U.S., the EFF says, officials have taken actions against U.S. citizens based on information discovered on their social networks; the group has sued the CIA and other agencies for allegedly refusing to release information about how they are using such sites in surveillance and investigations.
"Basically, every time you post something to Facebook you should assume that the whole world will know what you've posted, your family, employer, the government, people you don't trust," Eckersley said.
Solution: Think carefully about what information you want to share about yourself and consider only posting information you would want to let the general public see.
Twitter has many of the same malware, phishing, hijacking and social engineering issues that Facebook has, and the solutions for those problems would be the same. Because users don't provide much personal information to Twitter, and can even create accounts using all fake information, and because anyone can follow anyone else, there aren't the same issues with privacy, either. But that makes life easy for spammers.
Security does seem to be a worrisome thing with Twitter. The site has had several serious problems from employee accounts getting compromised. In January, someone hacked into the Twitter internal network -- possibly by guessing the password -- and gained access to the Twitter accounts of President Obama, CNN anchor Rick Sanchez, and 31 other high-profile Twitterers. In May, someone broke into Twitter's network and gained access to 10 accounts, which appeared to include Britney Spears and Ashton Kutcher. In that breach, a hacker was able to gain access to a Twitter employee's Yahoo account through the password recovery system and from there get information from other sites, including access to the employee's Twitter account. And last week, the legitimate account of a Twitter employee was used to hijack the site and redirect visitors to an external page displaying a banner for the "Iranian Cyber Army."
Meanwhile, Twitter was crippled (and Facebook and other sites also affected) by a rare politically motivated denial-of-service attack targeting one user in August. However, that incident reflects more on Twitter's ability to keep the site up in the face of an attack and accessibility than it does about security risks to users.
Twitter users are susceptible to getting their accounts hijacked, and the site has been targeted by clickjacking pranks. In these social engineering attacks, users were encouraged to click on links that distributed the original tweet to all of the Twitter user's followers.
Users with large numbers of followers have an added responsibility to be careful, particularly when setting accounts to automatically post items from news feeds. A malicious post on an unmoderated news feed that venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki was re-tweeting distributed a Trojan to more than 139,000 followers in June.
Kaspersky offers a Krab Krawler tool that analyzes tweets as they get posted on Twitter and blocks any malware associated with them. Trend Micro has technology that monitors Twitter posts for malicious URLs, as well as looks for attack patterns in the posts, such as use of popular terms to indirectly lead people to malicious links. And Finjan offers a free browser plug-in dubbed SecureTweets that warns users when they encounter a malicious URL in Twitter, as well as Blogger, Gmail, Google and a host of other popular sites. To keep up with security issues on Twitter follow Twitter's Spam Watch account.
Social networks are also susceptible to other serious security problems that can hit any type of Web site. For instance, last week passwords of 32 million stored in plain text on the RockYou site were exposed by a SQL injection attack, according to security firm Imperva. Because the passwords are used on other affiliate sites to the social networking application maker, the breach jeopardized other accounts, like Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo.
Marisa Miller Backstage At Victoria Secret Fashion Show
Here are some pictures of Marisa Miller backstage at the Victoria Secret Fashion show.
My friend Ahmed was working as a grip on the show, and he shot these pics of Marisa getting ready for her big appearance. Unfortunately Ahmed is a softcore kind of guy and only shot pictures of Marisa when she was clothed. He totally failed to capture the hardcore tribadism between Marisa and the other girls that surely took place. Needless to say I beat Ahmed profusely for disappointing me.
Regardless these pics of Marisa still get the job done. Especially if you pretend that diamond hanging from her bra was stolen from some Jew during the holocaust… I’m getting hot just thinking about it.
Brittany Murphy Autopsy Death Photo In New Movie
Just because Brittany Murphy is dead it does not mean she is going to stop appearing in movies. The producers for the upcoming thriller “Deadline” have cast Brittany in the role of a girl who dies in the bathtub.
“It is the role she was born to play” says producer Mel Carmizon. “We will be using Brittany Murphy’s death and autopsy photos to shoot most of the scenes, as well as some CGI of course. I’ve seen the rough cut. It really is some of Brittany’s best work!”
Creatives for the movie featuring Brittany Murphy’s death photo have already hit the presses. “We wanted to get them out in time for Christmas. They are going to make a great stocking stuffer” said Mel. “I know a lot of college guys want to have a sexy picture of a dead Brittany Murphy hanging in their dorm rooms right now.”
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Carl sings "I'll Be Home This Christmas" from the new Aqua Teen CD. Click here to watch. You almost kind of feel sorry for the guy.
15 Music Legends Who Died In Their Prime
Brad Nowell (February 22, 1968 – May 25, 1996)
Brad Nowell’s career in music started in 1982 when he was a completely unskilled freshman with latent talent. He got kicked out of his first band, only to turn around and join another after three years of singing and guitar lessons. In 1988, after a stint in a little-known punk band called Hogan’s Heroes, Nowell teamed up with a couple of bandmates and started Sublime. After years of struggling to get the band recognized outside the local circuit, Nowell died of a heroin overdose just before the release of their now-classic, self-titled debut album in 1996.
Kurt Cobain (February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994)
Janis Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970)
Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970)
Jim Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971)
Jim Morrison’s voice, poetry and music would continue inspiring countless musicians and artists decades after his death. He died at only 27 years old in 1971, in a Paris apartment, under circumstances that will likely never be fully resolved. Morrison struggled with depression, and like so many of his contemporaries, a heroin addiction. While it can’t be known due to French authorities refusing to perform an autopsy at the time, Morrison is believed to have likely snorted heroin, under the impression it was cocaine.
Patsy Cline (September 8, 1932–March 5, 1963)
Buddy Holly (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959)
Aaliyah (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001)
Sid Vicious (May 10, 1957 – February 2, 1979)
Karen Carpenter (March 2, 1950 – February 4, 1983)
Ian Curtis (July 15, 1956 – May 18, 1980)
Tupac (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996)
Biggie Smalls (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997)
Keith Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978)
Elliott Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003)
Check out Digg Dialogg with Adrian Peterson!
The question period has ended and Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Peter King asked your top questions to Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson during our latest installment of Digg Dialogg. To ensure we heard from as many users as possible, we asked the top question per submitter. Full show notes and photo attribution can be found here. Watch the full interview below!
The question and voting period has ended
Does anyone else think Cell Phone games are just hyped up Garbage? I cannot enjoy games on my phone...
I've had a few cell phones since 2006; the Sanyo Katana, The Motorolla Razr (2008), an iPod touch (not a phone but i did get games that WOULD be on the iPhone) and my Blackberry Curve that i use right now.
On not ONE of these platforms did i find a game that played decently. With the clunky small buttons for controls, small screens and the high price of games, i find the Cell Phone a pretty stupid medium to play games on, yet it seems to be a successful industry and i cant think of any other reason than Hype (See Wolfenstein for iPhone). Anyone else feel this way?
Balloon boy parents both get jail time for hoax
FORT COLLINS - A judge sentenced both parents who carried out the balloon boy hoax to jail time on Wednesday morning and forbid them from making any money from the spectacle for four years.
Richard Heene, 48, will serve 90 days in jail, 30 of which will be actual jail time and the other 60 can be work release so he can work as a construction contractor while doing his time.
Mayumi Heene, 45, was sentenced to 20 days in jail.
Larimer County District Judge Stephen Schapanski also sentenced Richard and Mayumi Heene to four years of strict probation and ordered both to pay restitution for the rescue efforts involved in chasing the homemade helium balloon they claimed was carrying their 6-year-old son Falcon.
Judge Schapanski also imposed conditions on their probation that forbids both from profiting from the balloon spectacle in any way for four years.
Judge Schapanski ordered Mayumi Heene to serve 20 days in jail after her husband completes his sentence. Her time served is flexible - she can report to jail on 10 weekends, for example - so the couple's three children are cared for, the judge said.
"What this case is about is deception, exploitation - exploitation of the children of the Heenes, exploitation of the media and exploitation of people's emotions - and money," Judge Schapanski said.
Judge Schapanski also said that Richard Heene did not have to start his jail time until after the holidays and his jail time will start on Jan. 11. The work release means Richard Heene can leave the jail to work during the day, but spend his nights in jail.
The amount of restitution will be determined at a later time.
Before the sentencing, Richard Heene spoke before the court, saying he was sorry, especially to the rescue workers who chased down the false reports that the balloon was carrying his son.
Richard Heene choked back tears as he stood before a judge and apologized: "I do want to reiterate that I'm very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there, and the people that got involved in the community. That's it."
Mayumi Heene did not speak at the hearing.
After the hearing, the Heenes walked past a crowd of reporters without comment.
Earlier this year, Richard and Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to charges they carried out the balloon stunt in October to promote a reality TV show. People around the world were captivated by live video of the balloon as it floated from Fort Collins to near Denver International Airport on Oct. 15.
The Heenes' probation will be revoked if they are found to be profiting from any book, TV, movie or other deals related to the stunt.
"This, in simple terms, was an elaborate hoax that was devised by Mr. and Mrs. Heene," the judge said.
Prosecutors asked the judge for the maximum sentence for the husband, saying that a message needs to be sent to promoters who attempt to carry out hoaxes to generate publicity. Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lewis also asked for full restitution to reimburse authorities for the cost of investigating the hoax - an amount that could exceed $50,000. Earlier this week the Larimer County Sheriff's Office sent the Heenes a $42,000 bill.
"People around the world were watching this unfold," he said. "Mr. Heene wasted a lot of manpower and a lot of money in wanting to get himself some publicity."
He added, "Jay Leno said it best when he said, 'This is copycat game.' And people will copycat this event. [The Heenes] need to go to jail so people don't do that."
He portrayed the Heenes as growing increasingly desperate as their pitches for a reality TV show kept getting turned down by networks - and the family fell deeper into a financial hole. Lewis said the Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax on Oct. 15 as a way to jumpstart the effort and get some attention.
David Lane, Richard Heene's attorney, pleaded for leniency during the hearing with the judge and said that the couple "have learned a lesson they will never forget for the rest of their lives." He also said that if someone has to go to jail, let it be Richard Heene and not his wife.
"That is his plea. That would be something of a Christmas miracle if that can occur," he said.
Afterward, Lane called the judge's sentence for his client "a measured response" -- but said he was surprised Mayumi Heene got jail time.
"This is payback," he said of her sentence.
Lane said the FAA also plans to fine the Heenes $11,000 for disrupting flights. FAA spokesman Les Dorr said he could not confirm that.
Asked by reporters if his client was done with reality TV, Lane joked: "I don't know if they're done with reality television. Is reality television done with them?"
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said in a statement he believes Judge Schapanski gave a "well-reasoned ruling. The sentence is in line with what we expected and we are satisfied with the result."
At the sentencing, the prosecutor provided a more detailed timeline of the hoax.
He said Richard Heene was working with a collaborator throughout the year to pitch a reality series about madcap experiments and inventions. By late September, it became clear that the networks weren't biting.
At the same time, the Heenes' finances were collapsing - they weren't paying bills, checks were bouncing, and banks were threatening to close accounts, Lewis said.
The Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax in early October as a way to jump-start the reality TV effort and get some attention.
Heene began seeking money to buy helium tanks and studying weather patterns to find the right day for the launch. He eventually settled on Oct. 15; the weather was right, and his kids were home from school with parent-teacher conferences.
The balloon floated away that afternoon with Falcon thought to be aboard. The Heenes first called the Federal Aviation Administration, then a TV station and finally 911.
Authorities launched a desperate search for little Falcon, using military helicopters and a mounted posse, before the boy turned up at home hours later. The Heenes said they realized he had been hiding all along in the rafters after his father had yelled at him for fooling around with the balloon.
The story soon began falling apart, especially after Falcon blurted out to his father during a CNN interview that evening: "You had said we did this for a show."
The parents were brought in for questioning, with Richard Heene feigning sleep during his lie-detector test and claiming his drowsiness was a diabetic reaction, Lewis said.
They were ultimately arrested and pleaded guilty in November under deals with prosecutors that called for up to 90 days behind bars for the husband and 60 days for the wife, a Japanese citizen who could have been deported if convicted of more serious charges.
She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of knowingly filing a false report with emergency services, while her husband pleaded to a felony count of falsely influencing authorities.
Richard Heene, 48, will serve 90 days in jail, 30 of which will be actual jail time and the other 60 can be work release so he can work as a construction contractor while doing his time.
Mayumi Heene, 45, was sentenced to 20 days in jail.
Larimer County District Judge Stephen Schapanski also sentenced Richard and Mayumi Heene to four years of strict probation and ordered both to pay restitution for the rescue efforts involved in chasing the homemade helium balloon they claimed was carrying their 6-year-old son Falcon.
Judge Schapanski also imposed conditions on their probation that forbids both from profiting from the balloon spectacle in any way for four years.
Judge Schapanski ordered Mayumi Heene to serve 20 days in jail after her husband completes his sentence. Her time served is flexible - she can report to jail on 10 weekends, for example - so the couple's three children are cared for, the judge said.
"What this case is about is deception, exploitation - exploitation of the children of the Heenes, exploitation of the media and exploitation of people's emotions - and money," Judge Schapanski said.
Judge Schapanski also said that Richard Heene did not have to start his jail time until after the holidays and his jail time will start on Jan. 11. The work release means Richard Heene can leave the jail to work during the day, but spend his nights in jail.
The amount of restitution will be determined at a later time.
Before the sentencing, Richard Heene spoke before the court, saying he was sorry, especially to the rescue workers who chased down the false reports that the balloon was carrying his son.
Richard Heene choked back tears as he stood before a judge and apologized: "I do want to reiterate that I'm very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there, and the people that got involved in the community. That's it."
Mayumi Heene did not speak at the hearing.
After the hearing, the Heenes walked past a crowd of reporters without comment.
Earlier this year, Richard and Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to charges they carried out the balloon stunt in October to promote a reality TV show. People around the world were captivated by live video of the balloon as it floated from Fort Collins to near Denver International Airport on Oct. 15.
The Heenes' probation will be revoked if they are found to be profiting from any book, TV, movie or other deals related to the stunt.
"This, in simple terms, was an elaborate hoax that was devised by Mr. and Mrs. Heene," the judge said.
Prosecutors asked the judge for the maximum sentence for the husband, saying that a message needs to be sent to promoters who attempt to carry out hoaxes to generate publicity. Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrew Lewis also asked for full restitution to reimburse authorities for the cost of investigating the hoax - an amount that could exceed $50,000. Earlier this week the Larimer County Sheriff's Office sent the Heenes a $42,000 bill.
"People around the world were watching this unfold," he said. "Mr. Heene wasted a lot of manpower and a lot of money in wanting to get himself some publicity."
He added, "Jay Leno said it best when he said, 'This is copycat game.' And people will copycat this event. [The Heenes] need to go to jail so people don't do that."
He portrayed the Heenes as growing increasingly desperate as their pitches for a reality TV show kept getting turned down by networks - and the family fell deeper into a financial hole. Lewis said the Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax on Oct. 15 as a way to jumpstart the effort and get some attention.
David Lane, Richard Heene's attorney, pleaded for leniency during the hearing with the judge and said that the couple "have learned a lesson they will never forget for the rest of their lives." He also said that if someone has to go to jail, let it be Richard Heene and not his wife.
"That is his plea. That would be something of a Christmas miracle if that can occur," he said.
Afterward, Lane called the judge's sentence for his client "a measured response" -- but said he was surprised Mayumi Heene got jail time.
"This is payback," he said of her sentence.
Lane said the FAA also plans to fine the Heenes $11,000 for disrupting flights. FAA spokesman Les Dorr said he could not confirm that.
Asked by reporters if his client was done with reality TV, Lane joked: "I don't know if they're done with reality television. Is reality television done with them?"
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said in a statement he believes Judge Schapanski gave a "well-reasoned ruling. The sentence is in line with what we expected and we are satisfied with the result."
At the sentencing, the prosecutor provided a more detailed timeline of the hoax.
He said Richard Heene was working with a collaborator throughout the year to pitch a reality series about madcap experiments and inventions. By late September, it became clear that the networks weren't biting.
At the same time, the Heenes' finances were collapsing - they weren't paying bills, checks were bouncing, and banks were threatening to close accounts, Lewis said.
The Heenes set in motion the balloon hoax in early October as a way to jump-start the reality TV effort and get some attention.
Heene began seeking money to buy helium tanks and studying weather patterns to find the right day for the launch. He eventually settled on Oct. 15; the weather was right, and his kids were home from school with parent-teacher conferences.
The balloon floated away that afternoon with Falcon thought to be aboard. The Heenes first called the Federal Aviation Administration, then a TV station and finally 911.
Authorities launched a desperate search for little Falcon, using military helicopters and a mounted posse, before the boy turned up at home hours later. The Heenes said they realized he had been hiding all along in the rafters after his father had yelled at him for fooling around with the balloon.
The story soon began falling apart, especially after Falcon blurted out to his father during a CNN interview that evening: "You had said we did this for a show."
The parents were brought in for questioning, with Richard Heene feigning sleep during his lie-detector test and claiming his drowsiness was a diabetic reaction, Lewis said.
They were ultimately arrested and pleaded guilty in November under deals with prosecutors that called for up to 90 days behind bars for the husband and 60 days for the wife, a Japanese citizen who could have been deported if convicted of more serious charges.
She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor of knowingly filing a false report with emergency services, while her husband pleaded to a felony count of falsely influencing authorities.
Michael Jordan sues grocery stores
Michael Jordan wants $10 million from two grocery stores — bagged and carried out to his car — that he says used his identity without permission in ads published in a commemorative Sports Illustrated issue, "Jordan: A Hall of Fame Career."
In the pair of lawsuits filed in Chicago court, Jordan says Dominick's Finer Foods and Jewel Food Stores took their Hall of Fame congratulations a little too far.
According to the suit, the Dominick's ad features MJ's name with the phrase "You are a cut above" and a photo of a steak. (Witty!) Below the congratulations is an ad for $2 off a Rancher's Reserve steak, a trademark of Dominick's parent Safeway.
The mesquite-flavored kicker: There are already two steakhouses and an online steak company named after Jordan. As Matt Bortosik at NBA Chicago points out, there is absolutely no way Jordan would want to sell steaks in direct conflict with his restaurants and companies.
In the Jewel ad, a pair of Jordan's Air Jordan basketball shoes with number 23 on the tongues sit below a message of support that ends with Jewel's friendly "just around the corner" slogan. Apparently, the picture is an "inaccurate and misleading copy" of his famous Nike kicks.
Jordan seeks $5 million from each grocery store for false endorsement, consumer fraud, deceptive trade practices and unfair competition.
While it'd be easy to cynically joke about Michael Jordan, of all people, needing more money, it doesn't mean he should allow himself to be advertised unknowingly. Congratulatory or not, Dominick's and Jewel's advertising departments appear to be at fault.
But hey, if either supermarket chain wants to run a full-page magazine to commemorate The Basketball Jones' 500th episode, by all means, knock yourself out. Might I suggest a Canadian bacon angle?
Does 'Avatar' Contain Hidden Messages?
Since it opened last week, James Cameron's much-anticipated film "Avatar" has won praise from movie critics and been a juggernaut at the box office. But some who have seen the film say that it contains hidden messages that are anti-war, pro-environment, and perhaps even racist.
For the benefit of those who haven't seen the film, a little nonspoiler background might be useful. The story is set in the year 2154 when Earth's inhabitants, having used up most of their natural resources through decades of living in excess, plan to use military force to conquer Pandora, a moon roughly the same size as Earth. Pandora, inhabited by a wise, peaceful, and nature-respecting people with blue skin called the Na'vi, is rich in a resource that the people of Earth desperately need.
The earthlings send in a crew of special-forces mercenaries armed with guns, bombs, and other sophisticated weaponry to attack and conquer the Na'vi (who some think resemble American Indians and Africans), despite the fact that they represent no direct threat to the inhabitants of Earth. Since humans can't breathe in Pandora's atmosphere, the military employs mind-controlled avatars that resemble the Na'vi in every way to venture out from their landing craft and explore the landscape. Sympathizing with the Na'vi after becoming acquainted with them and their customs, one of the human-controlled avatars becomes a turncoat and helps lead the people of Pandora in the defense of their homeland.
Are you beginning to get a sense of why some viewers noticed what they believe are underlying messages in the film?
Some prominent members of the media who screened the film certainly took note. In a glowing review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert noted that "Avatar" "has a flat-out Green and anti-war message" that is "predestined to launch a cult." Meanwhile Ben Hoyle, writing in the Times of London, noted that the film "contains heavy implicit criticism of America's conduct in the War on Terror." Further, Will Heaven of the Daily Telegraph said that the plot line involving people of color who wear "tribal" jewelry while sporting dreadlocked hair, being saved by a noble white man gave the film a "racist subtext" that he found "nauseatingly patronising."
But are these hidden messages really all that hidden? James Cameron himself hasn't been shy in publicly proclaiming the fact that he's an environmental activist who believes that humans and "industrial society" are "causing a global climate change" and "destroying species faster than we can classify them." In a recent interview with PBS' Tavis Smiley, Cameron admitted that he made "obvious" references in the film to Iraq, Vietnam and the American colonial period to emphasize the fact that humans have a "terrible history" of "entitlement" in which we "take what we need" from nature and indigenous peoples "and don't give back."
Further, one of the film's stars Stephen Lang told CNN that he is "not surprised at all" that some people have taken note of the film's political messages, mainly because the central theme of humans "destroying" a "pristine world" out of "blindness and greed" is so "overt."
Despite the obvious political undertones in "Avatar," at least one right-leaning critic doesn't think people who disagree with the film's ideology should totally dismiss it. In his review on the website Hot Air, Ed Morrissey writes, "Conservatives have more or less primed themselves to hate this film because of the presumed anti-war politics of the movie. It's there -- in fact, it's unmistakable -- but it's not as bad as one might presume." He goes on to note that "Avatar" is "entertaining" though "hardly a deep intellectual exercise."
Up in the Air
What's The Story?
Three Good Reasons
- 1 Director Jason Reitman knows how to deliver quirky stories about unlikely heroes: he's the man behind "Thank You for Smoking" and the Oscar-winning teen pregnancy tale "Juno."
- 2 You certainly could do worse than to be fired by George Clooney, one of Hollywood's most charming leading men.
- 3 In a show of support for those hit by our current economic crisis, the film makes use of real Americans who recently lost their jobs. Watch for a unique collage of "downsizings" -- those are not actors, but real people re-enacting their own reactions to the bad news.
Bet You Didn't Know
"Twilight" star Anna Kendrick, who plays the efficiency expert who dogs Ryan's steps from flight to flight, might have found the shoot very unpleasant if not for the fun-loving Mr. Clooney. In real life, it seems Kendrick would sooner have a root canal than set foot in an airport. More about Up in the Air on Yahoo! Movies
Weekend Box Office Actuals (U.S.)
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watch Avatar for free
A paraplegic marine dispatched to the planet Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Lady Gaga Picks Her Favorite Artists And Song Of 2009
Over the past few weeks, MTV News has been asking some of the biggest stars in music to name their favorite artists, songs and albums of the past year. And, not surprisingly, they all kept repeating the same two words: "Lady Gaga."
It's not exactly a surprise, considering that, over the past 12 months, Gaga was everywhere. Her hits topped the charts. Her tours wowed audiences. And her album (or, more specifically, albums) were in constant rotation on iPods everywhere. It's no stretch to say that in 2009, Lady Gaga was your favorite artist's favorite artist. She inspired them to write and record, to take their songs and tours to the next level. She pushed them to work harder, because they had to.
But who pushed her? We decided to find out, so on Saturday (December 19), hours before her Monster Ball stop in San Diego, MTV News sat down with the Lady herself, to get her favorite artists, albums and songs of 2009. As it turns out, she drew inspiration from the new and the old.
Artists of the Year
"First and foremost, my favorite artists of 2009 were my fans. They were my favorites because every song I did, they remade on their own, and every photograph that I took, they took their own version of it. And they remade my music videos, they designed clothes for me. They wrote poetry and made films and designed all sort of amazing paintings. They're just the most brilliant fans in the world. It's funny — my dad was at a show the other night and afterward he said, 'Do you think your fans are smart?' and I said, 'Oh hell yeah, my fans are smart,' and he said, 'You know what, I was thinking the same thing during the show.'
"My fans are f---ing really smart. They're art students, they're club kids, and some of them are just normal, top-40-listening kids in high school who don't feel like they have an identity yet and they're searching for one. But I would say that they're my favorite artists. Then I would say Semi Precious Weapons, who are on tour with me and are my very dear and close friends. And I really love Alphabeat, they're great and they're going to come out on tour with me next year."
Album of the Year
"I really liked Morrissey's new album, [Years of Refusal.] I listened to that one a lot."
Song of the Year
"Some of the songs I really liked ... hmm. Well, I really, really love Grace Jones' most recent album, [2008's Hurricane] and a song off it called 'Corporate Cannibal.' "
It's not exactly a surprise, considering that, over the past 12 months, Gaga was everywhere. Her hits topped the charts. Her tours wowed audiences. And her album (or, more specifically, albums) were in constant rotation on iPods everywhere. It's no stretch to say that in 2009, Lady Gaga was your favorite artist's favorite artist. She inspired them to write and record, to take their songs and tours to the next level. She pushed them to work harder, because they had to.
But who pushed her? We decided to find out, so on Saturday (December 19), hours before her Monster Ball stop in San Diego, MTV News sat down with the Lady herself, to get her favorite artists, albums and songs of 2009. As it turns out, she drew inspiration from the new and the old.
Artists of the Year
"First and foremost, my favorite artists of 2009 were my fans. They were my favorites because every song I did, they remade on their own, and every photograph that I took, they took their own version of it. And they remade my music videos, they designed clothes for me. They wrote poetry and made films and designed all sort of amazing paintings. They're just the most brilliant fans in the world. It's funny — my dad was at a show the other night and afterward he said, 'Do you think your fans are smart?' and I said, 'Oh hell yeah, my fans are smart,' and he said, 'You know what, I was thinking the same thing during the show.'
"My fans are f---ing really smart. They're art students, they're club kids, and some of them are just normal, top-40-listening kids in high school who don't feel like they have an identity yet and they're searching for one. But I would say that they're my favorite artists. Then I would say Semi Precious Weapons, who are on tour with me and are my very dear and close friends. And I really love Alphabeat, they're great and they're going to come out on tour with me next year."
Album of the Year
"I really liked Morrissey's new album, [Years of Refusal.] I listened to that one a lot."
Song of the Year
"Some of the songs I really liked ... hmm. Well, I really, really love Grace Jones' most recent album, [2008's Hurricane] and a song off it called 'Corporate Cannibal.' "
Full Biography Of Lil Wayne
A game-changing artist and an impervious celebrity, Lil Wayne began as his career as a near-novelty -- a pre-teen delivering hardcore hip-hop -- but through years of maturation and reinventing the mixtape game, he developed into a million-selling rapper with a massive body of work, one so inventive and cunning that it makes his famous claim of being the "best rapper alive" worth considering. Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. and raised in the infamous New Orleans neighborhood of Hollygrove, he was a straight-A student but never felt his true intelligence was expressed through any kind of report card. He found music was the best way to express himself and after taking the name Gangsta D he began writing rhymes. Combining a strong work ethic with aggressive self-promotion, the 11-year-old convinced the Cash Money label to take him on, even if it was just of odd jobs around the office. A year later, in-house producer Mannie Fresh partnered him with the 14-year-old B.G. and dubbed the duo the B.G.'z. Although only B.G.'s name appeared on the cover, the 1995 album True Story has since been accepted as the B.G.'z debut album both by fans and the Cash Money label. The 1997 album, Chopper City, was supposed to be the follow-up, but when Wayne accidentally shot himself in the chest with a .44, it became a solo B.G. release.
That same year, he officially took the moniker Lil Wayne, dropping the "D" from his first name in order to separate himself from an absent father. He joined B.G., Juvenile, and Young Turk for another Fresh project, the teen hardcore rap group the Hot Boys who released their debut album Get It How U Live! in 1997. Two years later, Cash Money would sign a distribution deal with the major-label Universal. Mainstream distribution would help that year's Hot Boys album Guerrilla Warfare to reach the number one spot on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. In 1998, Lil Wayne would appear on Juvenile's hit single "Back That Thing Up," or "Back That Azz Up" as it appeared on Juvie's album 400 Degreez. Wayne would launch his solo career a year later with the album Tha Block Is Hot featuring the hit single title track. It went double platinum but the rapper was still unknown to Middle America since his hardcore rhymes and the rough Cash Money sound had not yet crossed over. His second album, Lights Out (2000), failed to match the success of its predecessor but it did go gold, and with an appearance on the Big Tymers' hit single "#1 Stunna," his audience was certainly growing. While Fresh was primarily responsible for launching his career, Wayne was now much closer to Fresh's fellow Big Tymer and Cash Money CEO Birdman. When Juvenile left the label, Wayne -- or "Birdman Jr." as he was calling himself -- showed his allegiance to his CEO by releasing an album with a title much hotter than Juvie's breakthrough effort. 500 Degreez landed in 2002 and while it went Gold, rumors began flying about Cash Money's financial troubles and possible demise. The rest of the Hot Boys had defected and Wayne's planned 2003 album was scraped, coming out instead as an underground mixtape called Da Drought.
Wayne became enamored with the mixtape world after Da Drought drew so much attention from the hip-hop press. He used these underground releases to drum up anticipation for his next official album, the breakthrough effort Tha Carter. Released in 2004, the album seemed familiar on one hand with Mannie Fresh's production, but the Wayne on the cover was a dreadlocked surprise, and the rhymes he laid on the tracks showed significant growth. His marketing skills had become sharper too, and it was no mistake that the album's hit single, "Go DJ," mentioned hip-hop's greatest taste makers right in the title. It reached number five on the singles chart, and with a guest shot on Destiny's Child's number three single, "Soldier," Wayne had officially crossed over. On the flipside, his street cred was supported by a slew of mixtapes released in 2005, including the popular titles Dedication with DJ Drama and Tha Suffix with DJ Khaled. Cash Money's future was no longer in doubt and traditional music business rules no longer seemed to apply as tracks would be leaked onto the Internet and various DJ's mixtapes. "Get Something" was another bold move as a Universal-funded video was made without the track ever seeing official release.
With his alternative marketing scheme working in overdrive, the 2005 landing of Tha Carter II was a major event, selling over a quarter-million copies the week of its release. "Fireman" and "Shooter" with Robin Thicke were released as singles while the album -- which for the first time featured no Mannie Fresh productions -- went platinum. It also introduced his Young Money posse with appearances from Curren$y and Nicki Minaj, and initially came with a bonus disc featuring Wayne's greatest hits screwed and chopped by Swishahouse DJ Michael "5000" Watts. A year later he collaborated with Birdman for the Like Father, Like Son album, featuring the hit single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy." His mixtapes were still flooding the underground including the stunning Dedication 2 which came with an iconic image of the rapper on the cover plus the much talked-about track "Georgia...Bush," a venomous response to president George W. Bush's handling of the Katrina disaster. With no official follow-up to Tha Carter II in sight, numerous collaborative tracks kept the rapper in the mainstream with "Gimme That" by Chris Brown, "Make It Rain" by Fat Joe, and "Duffle Bag Boy" by Playaz Circle becoming three of the biggest hits.
Tha Carter III was promised for 2007 but didn't arrive until a year later, setting off Wayne's infamous reputation of delayed releases. Part of the problem became unauthorized leaks of the album's tracks, something combated by the official, downloadable EP The Leak released that same year. Preceded by the number one hit "Lollipop," Tha Carter III arrived in May of 2008, selling more than a million copies in its first week of release. An appearance on Saturday Night Live and four Grammy Awards -- including Best Rap Album -- spoke to Wayne's mainstream acceptance. He also performed at that year's Country Music Awards with Kid Rock, but rather than rap, he played guitar. The guitar playing was part of Wayne's new involvement with rock music, including his help in signing Kevin Rudolf to Cash Money plus an appearance on Rudolf's massive hit "Let It Rock." His planned rock album was previewed with the 2009 single "Prom Queen" but when the album failed to meet its promised April release date, the music press began to portray the rapper as the king of missed street dates. Unconcerned, Wayne forged ahead with his Young Money crew, releasing the underground mixtape Young Money Is the Army, Better Yet the Navy plus the aboveground single "Every Girl" that same year. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
