Cinco De Mayo: HISTORY OF THE HOLIDAY (VIDEO)

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Cinco de Mayo is almost upon us (it's the 5th of May) so we thought we would give you a little refresher on the history behind the holiday. The holiday is Mexican and it celebrates the victory of 4,000 Mexican soldiers against 8,000 French forces on the morning of May5, 1862. A common misconception is that Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's Independence Day. That day is in fact September 16th.

Cinco de Mayo is not celebrated everywhere in Mexico (it's a regional holiday) but it is observed in America and in many countries around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.

The battle of Cinco de Mayo took place at the town of Puebla, 100 miles east of Mexico City. According to Viva Cinco de Mayo, the French army attacked Mexico City, assuming that the Mexican army would surrender if their capital city was taken:

Under the command of Texas-born General Zaragosa, (and the cavalry under the command of Colonel Porfirio Diaz, later to be Mexico's president and dictator), the Mexicans awaited. Brightly dressed French Dragoons led the enemy columns. The Mexican Army was less stylish.


General Zaragosa ordered Colonel Diaz to take his cavalry, the best in the world, out to the French flanks. In response, the French did a most stupid thing; they sent their cavalry off to chase Diaz and his men, who proceeded to butcher them. The remaining French infantrymen charged the Mexican defenders through sloppy mud from a thunderstorm and through hundreds of head of stampeding cattle stirred up by Indians armed only with machetes.

The outnumbered Mexicans defeated the French army in a great victory. It had consequences for America as well because the French defeat denied Napolean III the opportunity to resupply the Confederate rebels for another year.

Wikipedia informs us that the battle was significant for at least these two reasons as well. One, the Mexicans, out-numbered and out-gunned, beat a French army that had not tasted defeat in 50 years. And two, this was "the last time that an army from another continent invaded the Americas."

Blade Relic's WTF Pic of The DAY

Blade Relic is one of Richmond's Hottest Photographers. He's always around different people and party environments. Check Out my homie website www.richmondclubs.info


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Forget Swagger! The Cavs Boast LeBronfidence

CHICAGO (NBA.com exclusive) -- Mike Brown was asked not long before tipoff Sunday whether his Cleveland Cavaliers had the appropriate level of confidence for a team with championship aspirations. There wasn't much swagger in the Cavs coach's answer.

"Our confidence level's high," Brown said, though not all that convincingly. Maybe he was caught off-guard by the question, maybe he wasn't entirely sure himself, but how he said it seemed to speak louder than what he said. "We feel like we can win on anybody's floor. We definitely can win on our home floor. We feel like the confidence level is there."

About four hours later, LeBron James -- his day's work done (37 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists), his throttling of the Chicago Bulls in a 121-98 Game 4 victory at United Center complete -- offered the answer Brown could have given. He likes Chicago, James said, but he's not coming back.

In other words, no Game 6.

Confidence? Bah. These guys have LeBronfidence.



So goes the Cavaliers' postseason, which will be spent with somebody's palm across their foreheads and someone else's fingers on their collective pulse. Each series, each round, each spring, people like to gauge the confidence, cohesiveness and mood of playoff teams, none more so than the favorites. That means the Lakers out West, based on their status as defending NBA champions. In the East, given their No. 1 seeding, the Cavaliers are the ones getting the around-the-clock monitoring. The slightest blip would show up in a crawl across the bottom of whatever games were on the sports channels at that instant.

Latest medical update: Cleveland is fine. Twelve hearts beating as one. Tap them in the knees -- that's what their 108-106 loss in Game 3 was -- and the Cavaliers' reflexes are true: They instinctively defend harder and smarter. Like all of us, they could probably stand to mix in more fruits and vegetables but that can wait, because the diet for at least another game calls for more red meat.

Speaking of the Bulls, reports of their demise aren't so much exaggerated as slightly premature. Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, coach Vinny Del Negro have until Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena to stir from their first-round death bed. But from the looks of things Sunday, their plug got pulled sometime in the second or third quarters, when Cleveland dominated them 75-55.

"We were in the game from the beginning," James said after posting the fifth postseason triple-double of his career. "What changed is, we got more stops. Executed a little bit better offensively. And we kind of just forced our will on the game in the second half."

The result was a 25-7 stretch across halftime when the Cavaliers went from the wrong side of 45-44 to the right side of 69-52. James, who managed Cleveland's asserts while scoring just five points in the first quarter, had 11 points and an assist during the spurt. Then he sucked the air completely out of the building by nailing a buzzer-beater from just inside midcourt to make it 99-76 heading into the fourth.

And that really is what confidence in the playoffs is all about. Playing well. Winning the most recent game. And, uh, having the best player on the planet on your side.

Like we said: LeBronfidence.

"We've always been a confident bunch," James said. "We understand that every game is its own game. We can't go [into Game 4] thinking about, worrying about [Game 3]. Even though we lost Game 3, we didn't panic at all. We didn't doubt our abilities on the court. This is a really good team, but we knew that some of the mistakes we were making were our fault. Turning the ball over, not getting back in transition, allowing them to dominate the offensive boards. Those are things we can control."

By Sunday evening, the rotation of the planets around the sun seemed well within this guy's control, too. Never mind what happens this summer for James, for his coach, for his franchise -- it is hard to imagine anything from the inside derailing them. It was inconceivable to the other Cavs in Game 4.

"He had that look in his eye, knowing that we needed him to play a great game," Antawn Jamison said. "He did a great job setting the tone and putting guys on his back. He is a great leader and a great communicator in the locker room and in the huddle. ... There aren't many organizations that have a guy like that."

Cavs' guard Mo Williams said: "We talked before the game briefly. He told me he'd been ready to play since 11 o'clock -- and the game [started] at 2:30. So he set the tone before he even went on the floor. He had a presence about him that let you know as a teammate he was ready to play. That he was focused from the jump."

There were whispers in between Games 3 and 4 that the Cavs were pulling in various directions. Reporters saw fissures in Brown dialing up Shaquille O'Neal's minutes while James talked about needing young big man J.J. Hickson on the court. The delicate thing with teams expected not only to win but to breeze in the early rounds is that, when they don't, it starts to smell like failure.

Sometimes a team really is sick. In 2004, the Los Angeles Lakers were unraveling after three consecutive championships and a season of friction and individual agendas. It finally caught up with O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson in the Finals against tighter, more together Detroit. Should Cleveland falter again -- as in losing a game or three more against tough competition, between now and early June -- the EMS corps will be out again, poking, prodding and diagnosing symptoms again.

But if James' team is the one that maybe needs to see a doctor, how come the other guys always look so much worse after a visit with him?

ABC’s EXTREME MAKEOVER: Home Edition is Coming to Richmond

Do you know someone whose home deserves an Extreme Makeover? If so, the producers of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition want to hear from you! Ty Pennington and his crew have been all across the map and they are ready to drive that famous bus to RICHMOND, VIRGINIA!

What does it take to be picked for an Extreme Makeover?

We are in search of deserving families and deserving people – people who have amazing strength of character and who put their own needs aside to help others. Whether it’s a mom, a soldier, a teacher, or a fireman, we think a deserving family, are families who inspire those around them. In addition, the producers are looking for families whose houses need major alterations or repair- homes that present
serious problems for the family and affect the family’s quality of life. To be eligible: A family must own their own single family home and be able to
show producers how a makeover will make a huge difference in their lives.

Interested families or those who wish to nominate another family should:

e-mail a short description of their family story to – VirginiaCasting@gmail.com

Nominations/submissions must include:
1. The names and ages of each member of the household
2. A description of the major challenges within the home.
3. Explanation of why this family is deserving, or a positive role model in their
community.
4. Photos of the family and a photo of the home
5. Don’t forget to include a contact phone number.

The deadline: for nominations is April 19th, 2010. BUT Don’t Delay! Please send story submissions as soon as possible!

For more information on how to apply please visit our website at:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/index?pn=apply
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Sunday School "The Samples" TLC's "Aint To Proud to Beg"

New Blog Feature: "The Samples"


Today is the 8 year anniversary of Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopez Death. We are honoring the legacy in which she left behind. Today we are highlighting their song "Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg" but what classics were used to help compose this track.




The Song uses 3 samples. The most notable sample used is a sped up sample of School Boy Crush by Average White Band. This same sample was used on Floetry's Wanna B Where U R, Microphone Fiend by Eric B. & Rakim and Immature's Watch Me Do My Thing. Immature, Eric B. & Rakim and Floetry also sped up their sample. The song also samples "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & The Gang and Escapism by James Brown.

-This has been another "Sunday School Samples" lesson

Producer Jim Jonsin Files $500K Lawsuit Against Lil Wayne For “Lollipop"

Jim Jonsin, the producer responsible for hits like Soulja Boy’s “Kiss Me Through The Phone” and T.I.’s “Whatever You Like”, is filing a lawsuit against incarcerated rapper Lil Wayne.

Jonsin, who co-wrote Wayne’s triple platinum single “Lollipop”, says he’s owed over $500,000 in unpaid royalties for his contribution the song.

Jonsin appeared in a Manhattan Federal courtroom Tuesday representing his company Rebel Rock Productions to file the formal lawsuit against Wayne’s Young Money imprint.

According to court documents, Jonsin—real name Mark Schaffer, says the song has garnered more than 4 million downloads and more than $4 million in ringtone sales.

He therefore is entitled to at least $500,000 of that which he says he never received.

Lollipop helped Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter III” sell over 3.2 million copies and earned him a Grammy for “Rap Record Of The Year.”

Lil Wayne is continuing to serve his one year prison sentence at New York’s Riker’s Island.

Jim Jonsin

Update: The Family Of Guru Issues Statement

Amid controversy surrounding the authenticity of a final letter from the late Keith “Guru” Elam, the family of the Hip-Hop veteran has decided to release a statement.
Guru's sister Patricia Elam has released a statement that she wants circulated to his dedicated fans detailing his final days before succumbing to his illness.

Although formal and precise, the letter does seem to question the authenticity of the rapper's last words as reported by Solar.

It reads,

“The Elam family wishes to thank the fans of our son/brother/father uncle/nephew/cousin Keith aka GURU for the outpouring of love, concern and support.

Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much. GURU was devoted to his young son, who will most keenly feel his absence.

GURU suffered from multiple myeloma for over a year. Accrued complications from this illness led to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. As a result, GURU was in a coma from mid February until his death and never regained consciousness. Early on the morning of April 19th, he became hypertensive due to low blood pressure. He again went into cardiac arrest and slipped away from us.

GURU died far too young but he was, and we are, proud of all his many legendary musical contributions.

The family is not aware of any foundations established by GURU. We know and understand that countless fans want to express their condolences and love and, to that end, we are planning a memorial event in the near future that will be all-inclusive. Please look for further details from the family as they become available.

from The Elam Family"



Notice that she mentions that Guru remained in a coma from "mid February until his death and never regained consciousness."

So when did he write that letter?

Richmond star Anderson declares for Draft

Anderson will enter Draft, but may go back to school



RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Atlantic 10 player of the year Kevin Anderson of Richmond says he is entering his name in the NBA draft, but is leaving the door open to return for his senior season.

The Atlanta native says he will not hire an agent. Declaring for the draft allows Anderson to work out for NBA teams and get feedback on his draft prospects. And by not hiring an agent, he can return to school if he withdraws his name by May 8.

The 6-foot guard averaged 17.8 points as Richmond finished 26-9 and made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2004. Anderson also led the Spiders with 93 assists and was second on the team with 61 steals.

Sunday School "The Samples"

Here's The 1st Blog Posting for my new feature "The Samples"



Can You Guess What "WestCoast Rapper" used Richard Dimples Fields "If It Aint One Thing" this for their Debut Album?

"Its A Crazy Mix Up World, It's _______________"


"Sunday School" Every Sunday | 7pm-10pm | www.ipowerrichmond.com
"The Heavy Hitter" DJ Lonnie & Swirv Deniro "The Voice"

CAVS WILL SWEEP THE BULLS

Geno, my producer homie out of Chi-Town got me with one. THIS MEANS WAR.....I Hate the BULLS w/o Jordan....Cavs ALL DAY, PLACE YO BETS....Its a SWEEP!!!!!!!!!



Who DO YOU Predict to win the 2010 NBA Finals?

CAVS over Lakers 4-3!!!

Diddy To Manage Nicki Minaj & Rick Ross

Young Money princess NIcki Minaj has recently been garnering a lot of press lately.

As previously reported, Nicki recently found herself making headlines after firing her longtime manager and Waka Flocka Flame's mother, Debra Antney. After the departure, executives and fans alike were expecting a big announcement and it seems that is what we have got.

According to the rumor mill, Nicki has reportedly hired Bad Boy mogul Sean Diddy Combs as her new manager. Although the announcement has yet to be made via either of the celebrities Twitter pages, many are speculating that the news is actually true.

A source close to the entrepreneur/rapper has confirmed that Diddy is not only co-managing Lil Wayne protégé Nicki Minaj but also Rick Ross.


This wouldn't be a far stretch for Diddy who has helped launch the careers of everyone from Mary J Blige, Jodeci, Lil Kim, Ma$e and his most recent venture with Dirty Money.

There is no word yet from Minaj's camp regarding the rumors. Minaj's highly-anticipated debut album is said to be coming in the fall of 2010 via Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown.

We hope this collaboration is true, regardless of what anyone has to say about Diddy, he definitely is a hit maker. We will keep you posted as this story develops.

Katie Washington To Become 1st Black Valedictorian From Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is known for making history on the football field, but now thanks to a woman from Gary, Indiana they are making history off the field as well.

Katie Washington, a major of biology and minor in Catholic social teaching will make history next month as the first Black valedictorian from the University of Notre Dame.

"I am humbled," said Washington to the Northwest Indiana Times. "I am in a mode of gratitude and thanksgiving right now."

Washington definitely sets the precedent, holding a 4.0 GPA.

Although university officials said they couldn't recall ever having a Black valedictorian, they also stated that they don't keep record of their race

With all of the “firsts” going on right now, there is no reason for anyone not to feel they can rise above any circumstance.


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Could Biggie Still Be Alive If It Wasn’t For Actor Michael Clark Duncan?

Actor Michael Clark Duncan speaks; Describes how it could have been a different scenario had he been working security that night for the Hip-Hop great as originally planned.




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Virginia Governor Declares April "Confederate History Month"

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is doing what no governor has dared to do since 2001 by declaring the month of April as “Confederate History Month.”

The proclamation is causing controversy in the commonwealth, with leaders of the Black community in particular.

The Legislative Black Caucus is reasonably unhappy, and released a statement saying,

“Virginia has worked hard to move beyond the very things for which Governor McDonnell seems nostalgic.”


Governor McDonnell who is a Republican counteracts those claims however with a statement of his own.

He says that this chapter in history should be “studied, understood and remembered.”

Uhhh thanks but no thanks.

“This defining chapter in Virginia's history should not be forgotten, but instead should be studied, understood and remembered by all Virginians, both in the context of the time in which it took place, but also in the context of the time in which we live, and this study and remembrance takes on particular importance as the Commonwealth prepares to welcome the nation and the world to visit Virginia for the Sesquicentennial Anniversary of the Civil War, a four-year period in which the exploration of our history can benefit all.”

This isnt just LOCAL NEWS in VA!




YES! Let's all remember the Confederacy and how hard they fought to keep Black people enslaved.

That's exactly how I want to remember my April.

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Throwback Tuesdays: Family TV in the 80s & 90s

Truly miss these shows, not all, but Majority of them.
Now, Reality TV has taken off, what happened to shows with values & life lessons
that people could relate too, actually sit down & watch TV with your family....GONE!!
(They may be a few left......what are they?)

The Cosby Show - The Pilot



Silver Spoons


A Different World


Family Matters w/Original Intro


The Great Shows In The 90's


Growing Pains


Full House


There are way more, but I'll save them for future Throwback Tuesdays......