Posted by Yardie Luke on January 18, 2011 under Famous Jamaicans | 
By Karyl Walker Online news editor
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
THE 10,000 patrons who filled the Bayfront Park Amphitheatre, in Downtown Miami on Sunday, witnessed a sterling performance by embattled Reggae icon Buju Banton.
Buju was granted permission by a US Federal Court to perform at the concert in a bid to raise funds to cover his legal fees for his upcoming second trial for drug and firearm charges next month and the dreadlocked star performed as if his freedom depended on it.
From the moment the patrons heard the first strains of his opening salvo, pandemonium broke out in the Miami venue.
Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and dark ‘gentleman’ shoes, the dreadlocked artiste pulled out all the stops, delivering a two-hour set that will leave the patrons who were lucky enough to witness it first hand, talking for a long time to come.
Opening with his hit Destiny, Buju seemed to be in a trance and he went on to mesmerise the adoring audience with hits from the past as well as songs from his latest album, Before The Dawn.
The singer was escorted inside the venue by federal agents who stood vigil around the backstage area and made sure that no unauthorised contact was made with the singer. He has been under house arrest since December when he was granted bail in a Tampa court.
But his 11-month incarceration and recent restrictions seemed to be the furthest thing from his mind as he gave the audience value for their money. Tickets were sold for US$53 prepaid and US$63 at the box office for general admission and US$100 prepaid and US$140 at the gate for VIP admission.
The concert was dubbed Before the Dawn Buju Banton and Friends, and his friends in the music industry were on hand to offer moral and musical support.
The artiste did combinations with Reggae diva Marcia Griffiths, Wayne Wonder and Steve McKnight but it was the entry of Stephen Marley, who had put up his Florida home as collateral for Banton to qualify for bail and his Marley sibling Junior Gong that brought out more cheers of approval.
A most touching moment was when he was joined by Gramps Morgan and the two performed their hit rendition of Psalms 23. The spirituality of the moment seemed to grip several members of the audience who broke out in tears as the two brothers in music chanted in their own inimitable style.
Reggae crooner Beres Hammond was absent but Banton never missed the opportunity to pay homage to a man he described as one of his mentors.
Banton’s knock out punch was when he called his attorney David Oscar Markus on stage and thanked him for his efforts in defending him against his accusers.
“Don’t watch nothing say him white. Him blacker than me and you,” Banton said before hugging his lawyer and exiting the stage after his non-stop 120-minute performance.
A creditable offering came from veteran singer Freddy McGregor, whose Freedom resonated with the audience.
“Buju asked me to sing this one,” McGregor quipped.
Wayne Wonder was also in the pink of form and Everton Blender was sublime with Ghetto People Song and Lift up Your Head.
The crowd also went wild for Shaggy and his sidekick Rayvon who had the ladies salivating. Sean Paul was joined on stage by Spragga Benz who reminded the audience that Rasta Run the World.
Nadine Sutherland and Tarrus Riley were not going to be left out and they too gave creditable stints to add to the momentous evening.
Rappers DJ Khaleed and Busta Rhymes flew on stage and upped the ante with their high- energy stint.
The proceedings were kicked off with a 90-minute chanting session from Ras Michael and the Nyahbingi Drummers who pronounced their desire to leave ‘Mystery Babylon’.
The group of Rastafari elders was followed by Richie Loop who made sure nothing fell out of his ‘cupp’.
All told the evening was a pleasurable one which went through without any untoward incident.
However the media representatives who covered the event were more than peeved when they were informed that they would be prohibited to photograph or film footage of more than the first song of each artiste’s performance.
Photographing or filming Banton’s performance was also strictly prohibited. The media was warned that failure to abide by the rule would result in them being thrown out of the venue.
The film crews and photographers were herded into a footage pit and quickly ushered out by stern faced security staff at the start of each performance.
The bitter taste in their mouths became less tolerable when members of the audience were seen capturing uninterrupted footage of the event with cellular phones and mini camcorders.
“This is madness, we have footage and clips of all the billed artistes so what’s the point? They should have informed us of this policy when we were seeking accreditation,” one member of a film crew from the Netherlands said.
SOURCE: Jamaica Observer
Posted by Yardie Luke on January 12, 2011 under Saving Money |
NACA’s historic Save the Dream Tour has been an incredible success with hundreds of thousands of participants. Thousands of homeowners received same day solutions saving hundreds some over $1,000 a month. All of NACA’s services are FREE. Below is one of the cities we’re planning to host events in 2011.
| Los Angeles, CA |
Jan 20 – 30 |
L.A. Sports Arena |
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
Thanks for reading – Yardie Luke
Posted by Yardie Luke on January 11, 2011 under Making Money |
by Kimberly Palmer
Monday, January 10, 2011
Job security might be out, but freelance, contract, and temporary work is in, which makes it easier than ever to moonlight as a graphic designer while you spend your days as a public relations rep. Slimmer staffs mean companies often need the extra help, and new websites offer free tools that match potential employers with workers. And earning extra money beyond your steady paycheck, if you’re lucky enough to have one, can provide a big boost to your financial security.
Here are seven ways to make extra money off the new economy in 2011:
Launch a Brand
When Kimberly Seals-Allers, former senior editor at Essence magazine, was expecting her first child, she discovered that black women face higher risks during childbirth and pregnancy. “I realized we were a special group, and I wanted to write a book about everything in black women’s lives. Not just pregnancy, but money, men, and myths in our community. [I wanted] to create a new way forward.”
Her first book, “The Mocha Manual to a Fabulous Pregnancy,” turned into a series as well as an online magazine, maternity line, and consultancy. Seals-Allers also licensed use of the Mocha Manual name to create an instructional DVD sold at Walmart and supermarkets.
Start a Blog
The anonymous blogger behind Lazy Man and Money defies his site’s name. He works about 14 hours a day on weekdays and then puts in nine hours on Saturday and Sunday. But his hard work is paying off — his blog earns him enough to support his lifestyle; back in 2008, he estimated his annual earnings at around $30,000. But it’s tough for part-time bloggers with full-time jobs to keep up with all the demands of a lucrative blog. “There’s simply a lot more [to do] than what the average reader sees,” he says.
Even if the blog itself doesn’t generate a six-figure salary, it can lead to other money-making opportunities, such as consulting or speaking gigs. Silicon Valley Blogger at The Digerati Life has carved out a successful niche as the expert on personal finance and technology in Silicon Valley. While she says she didn’t earn much during the first six months of her blog’s life, she received her first $100 check from Google AdSense shortly after that point, when she was getting around 600 unique visitors a day. She now earns money from her blog-related consulting, as well.
Sell Your Skills
Whether your expertise lies in social networking, editing, or web development, several new websites can help you find potential clients willing to pay you for your work. Elance.com, Odesk.com, and Guru.com make it easy to advertise your skills and find work, which you can do from the comfort of your home at all hours of the night. To get started, explore the websites to see what might be a good fit. You can also stick with a more traditional approach and use Craigslist.org, which allows users to post advertising for their services, ranging from household labor to music lessons.
Sell a Wacky Service
For those interested in a more unusual approach, the innovative website fiverr.com allows users to sell (and buy) services for $5. Current offerings include sketching a stylized portrait, writing a name on a grain of rice, and digitally restoring a photograph. It’s one of the trendiest ways to make a quick buck for the internet-savvy; dozens of videos, websites, and blogs offer advice on how best to earn money off the site. The best advice? Since you’re only going to make $5 a pop, sell a service that you can do easily and quickly.
Talk and Teach
Colleges, organizations, and companies are constantly on the lookout for new experts that can inspire an audience. If you’ve built up an expertise on a subject, perhaps through your blog, then consider branching out with some speaking gigs. Offer to talk for free at first to build up your reputation, and then a speakers’ bureau can help connect you to paying gigs (for a cut of your fee).
Design T-Shirts
Companies such as CafePress.com allow people to design and sell their T-shirts for a cut of the profits. According to the company’s website, some users earn over $100,000 a year. But it’s not always easy: Jen Goode, who earns enough through CafePress to pay her mortgage each month, found success after a year and a half of long, sometimes 16-hour days. Her time is spent creating designs and then uploading them. She has uploaded about 2,500 designs, many of which are cartoon oriented, including the popular penguin series. For her, she says, the secret has been to make many different images that are steady sellers, as opposed to creating one or two megahits. Now, she says she doesn’t need to put as much time into her shop because she has such a large inventory of designs.
Sell Other People’s Products
Make-up companies such as Avon and Mary Kay are always looking for new sales representatives, as are other companies such as kitchen products seller Pampered Chef. “If you don’t have to make a big investment to get into it, it’s probably not a bad idea,” says Marcia Brixey, author of “The Money Therapist.” But she warns people to stay away from businesses that require sellers to make significant up-front purchases that they might not be able to unload.
The bottom line: The new economy offers plenty of creative ways to earn extra money; to find the best fit for you, consider your skills, lifestyle, and ambitions.
SOURCE: Finance.Yahoo.com
Posted by Yardie Luke on January 9, 2011 under Famous Jamaicans |
Jamaican and West Indian batsman Chris Gayle “smashed NSW medium-pacer Scott Coyte for 32 runs in the seventh over of Western Australia’s innings, belting four sixes and two fours to blast with ease past the half-century mark.”
Here is how it went down:
1st ball: Chris Gayle whacks his first six of the match off the first ball of the seventh over, bowled by Scott Coyte, sending the ball careering over midwicket.
2nd: Another six, this time an enormous hit almost into the top tier of the stand at long-on. He could hardly have hit it any sweeter.
3rd: And there’s the treble – Gayle clears the boundary again, flat and very hard over mid-on. Just sneaks over the rope but counts all the same.
4th: Coyte puts it in the slot again. Gayle flogs another one over midwicket, this time falling just short with ball taking one bounce to the boundary. Four.
5th: Coyte around the wicket. No use. Gayle belts ball from outside off over point. Four more.
6th: Gayle slams another full delivery to long-off for yet another six to complete the damage. A whopping 32 for the over.
SOURCE: The Sydney Morning Herald
