The Daily Roundup for Sept 20

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OMG…WTF?!? Woman Dies After Injecting Face With Hot Beef Fat

An Illinois woman who injected hot beef fat into her face died Thursday of a bacterial infection soon after she administered the homemade cosmetic surgery. Oddly, doctors say the questionable injections had nothing to do with her death, which was deemed natural by Illinois’ Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Janet Hardt, 63 of Homewood, Ill., boiled beef, extracted the fat and injected it into her face before she went to the hospital complaining that her face felt as if it was burning, according to ABC News’ Chicago affiliate WLS-TV.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Hardt had infections and scarring in her mouth and on her lips, but an autopsy declared her death was a result of peritonitis, an inflammation of the abdomen’s inner wall.
This bizarre story does not come without lessons, experts say.
“There are a lot people out there doing self-injections for wrinkles, but I don’t know of any medical associations that would recommend this,” said Dr. Phillip Haeck, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. “It’s not worth taking a chance with your face to try to save money when it could ultimately cost you a lot more money.”

Hardt reportedly injected her face with the beef fat several times, and she also underwent several legitimate plastic surgery procedures. Because she injected herself multiple times with the animal product, Haeck said she was at risk of developing an allergic reaction.
“One of the injections could cause the skin to erode or ulcerate,” said Haeck. “We know that injections of animal proteins do not cause systemwide failure, but it tends to cause local reactions. A lot of people who have allergic reactions to animal proteins will say that their face is burning like this woman did. That’s probably what was going on here.”

Halle & Nahla VACAY With Olivier Martinez

Halle Berry, her daughter Nahla, and her boo Olivier Martinez to Spain all headed to Spain for a little post-summer vacay.

The trio hit a Spanish market in the Mallorcan capital of Palma to pick up some trinkets. And Nahla looked anything but ready to leave.

Halle & Olivier spent some cute QT during the outing.

And the little one may have started out a little bored:

But a keychain toy brightened her up a bit. Fun times!

The couple's movie Dark Tide was slated for an August release, but no official release date has been set still.

INSIDE DR. STEVE PERRY’S PRIVATE BOOK RELEASE PARTY IN NYC

Radio and TV Journalist Jacque Reid, Dr. Steve Perry and CNN’s Soledad O’Brien gather for the release of ‘When Push Has Come to Shove: Getting Our Kids the Education They Deserve–Even If It Means Picking a Fight‘

Also in attendance for the intimate launch party was Diddy, Chris Rock and Malaak Compton-Rock, Activist Geoffrey Canada and Media Personality Egypt Sherrod.
After being featured in CNN’s Black In America, Soledad states that Dr. Perry’s book is an absolute must read in order to change education for all children.

See all the other celebs who attended the party

“The thing about Dr. Perry is that he is really blunt and his book not only assesses the problem but also gives great solutions on how to fix the problems with education that we all do know is there,” stated Soledad, “There are actually things to do and solutions are right around the corner (and) doable if you really care and want to make a change which I know a lot of people do so then pick up the book!”

MJB on the cover of EBONY Magazine

‘My Life ‘ maestra Mary J. Blige sets the record straight in the latest issue of Ebony magazine. Gracing the mag’s cover is one of many ventures in line for the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul as her steam on the promo trail is certainly about to pick up. She also discusses her life and the death of Amy Winehouse.

Mary says that Amy's passing touched her so much because it could have been her.
"I got up and read the message about her death and just lay back down again. I kept getting up and laying back down for some reason. I'd always wanted to work with Amy, so I just couldn't believe it, really" said the queen of hip-hop soul.Fans can expect to see more of Mary in the coming weeks as the release of her new project – ‘My Life II: The Journey Continues’ – is due in stores before the year’s end.

The lead single, ‘25/8′ is gaining buzz on various outlets with an accompanying visual soon-to-follow.

Coming Soon: The National Museum for African American Music

Nashville is about to live up to its “Music City” adage. The country music capital will be the new home of the National Museum of African American Music. A first of its kind, NMAAM will showcase the 48 music genres created or impacted by African Americans while demonstrating the magnitude of its influence not only in the US, but worldwide.
The museum’s philosophy promises to draw upon a range of music and history enthusiasts to explore and celebrate African American music. “From call-and-response spirituals and work songs in the 1600s to the mesmerizing sounds of saxophones, trumpets and snares during the modern era of jazz… African American music provides a window into the world views and experiences of a people who have used music to express their innermost feelings, preserve their cultural identity, and record their history.”
The lure of “Music City” as the locale was borne of a study that found Nashville offered little by way of diversity for tourists. Originally, a civil rights museum was selected to fill the void, but further studies showed an institution focused African American arts and culture to be the ideal choice. Nashville itself holds cultural significance as well. Once home to Fisk Jubilee Singers, rock icon Jimi Hendrix, who lived in Nashville early in his career and Ray Charles, its musical roots run deep in the heart of Black music history.

Fundraising efforts are underway for this 47.5 million dollar flagship endeavor whose doors could open as early as 2013.

STUPID ASS: Actor Jason Weaver Arrested in ATL For Taking A Dump…?

Actor Jason Weaver’s decision to call his new duo “Sons of Bobby Brown” may have more to do with his similarities to Bobby’s legal issue than his musical ability.

He was apparently arrested in an Atlanta suburb on July 28, 2011 after an officer spotted him illegally fertilzing someone’s lawn.
UGH!!!....I have no words… NONE.AT.ALL..

AMBER ROSE IS FEELING HER SELF!!

She recently tweeted to The Game to congratulate him on the relese of his new CD an then all of a sudden took shots at her ex Kanye West and his partna Jay Z. See the tweet below.

Now first of all Ms Amber. You’re trash from the strip clubs of Philly to several rappers and whomever else in between. You’re with Wiz Khalifa now. Concentrate on him and his career than the game, Or are you trying to f*ck the game also???

Stars get FRONT ROW FAB: At Fashion Week

Fashion Week is taking over NYC's Lincoln Center while wearing the clothes that we will all be wanting for next season. Check out the celebs that are there front and center.

Nicki Minaj was spotted making her way into Lincoln Center.

She posed with fans and with designer Betsey Johnson during her 2012 presentation.'

Angela Simmons also sat front row, next to socialite Tinsley Mercer.

Dwight Howard posed with Francois Girbaud at Style 360 Presents Marithe & Francois Girbaud Fashion Show.

He also did his own catwalk strut and entertained the crowd.

Funny lady Aisha Tyler posed at the Pamella Roland Spring 2012 presentation.

Wyclef posed with Donna Karan after her Spring 2012 show.

Basketball player Shawn Marion and Sammi "Sweetheart" Giancola sat front row at the Bebe Black Fashion Show.

Angela Simmons made the rounds, and was later seen with June Ambrose at the Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2012 fashion show.

And LeBron James and Stefano Tonchi sat front row at the Michael Bastian Men's Collection.

NICE!

OH NO! SOME BAD NEWS FOR STUDENTS: SAT reading scores drop to lowest point in decades

SAT reading scores for graduating high school seniors this year reached the lowest point in nearly four decades, reflecting a steady decline in performance in that subject on the college admissions test, the College Board reported Wednesday.

In the Washington area, one of the nation’s leading producers of college-bound students, educators were scrambling to understand double-digit drops in test scores in Montgomery and Prince William counties and elsewhere.
“Once you hit a certain mark, you want to maintain that,” said Frieda Lacey, deputy superintendent for Montgomery schools. “Don’t think the decline didn’t bother us. It really did.”
Nationally, the reading score for the Class of 2011, including public- and private-school students, was 497, down three points from the previous year and 33 points from 1972, the earliest year for which comparisons are possible. The average math score was 514, down one point from last year but up five from 1972.
The College Board attributed the lower scores to the growing diversity of test-takers, many of whom are less prepared for college-level work or are learning English as a second language.
“The good news is we have more students thinking about college than ever before,” said James Montoya, a College Board vice president. “Anytime you expand the number of students taking the SAT and expand it the way that we have — into communities that have not necessarily been part of the college-going culture — it’s not surprising to see a decline of a few points.”
The disappointing SAT scores come as schools have made major efforts to raise scores on state standardized tests under the 2002 No Child Left Behind law. Some critics of testing say the intense focus on state reading and math exams has taken its toll on higher-order thinking skills.
“We have score inflation on state tests, because that’s what teachers are drilling, and lower performance elsewhere,” said Bob Schaeffer, spokesman for an advocacy group called FairTest.
Locally, average SAT scores were down significantly from 2010 scores reported last year. In Fairfax County, it dropped 10 points, to 1654. In Prince William, it dropped 18 points, to 1490, and in Montgomery, it dropped 16 points, to 1637. The composite score for D.C. public schools dropped seven points, to 1220.
The maximum score is 800 for each subject, including a writing section, and 2400 overall.
Colleges have used the SAT to gauge applicants since 8,040 students took the first exam in 1926. Since then, the voluntary test has been taken by a less and less elite group and has become a closely watched measure of school system performance. However, many factors outside the classroom, including family income and education levels, can influence the results. Schools in poor neighborhoods tend to have lower scores.

For the first time, the College Board said, more than half of all high school graduates — or 1.65 million students — took the exam. That was up from 47 percent in 2010. Test-takers were also more diverse than ever: Forty-four percent were minorities; 36 percent were the first in their family to go to college; and 27 percent did not speak English exclusively…Come on ya’ll STEP UP THE GAME!

US Billboard Chart: Lil Wayne’s ‘The Carter IV’ Certified Platinum

It may have missed out on moving 1 million copies in the first week of its release by a few thousand units, but anyone who thought the success of Lil Wayne’s ‘The Carter IV‘ would falter in the charts in its second week may have to reconsider their stance as of today.
The LP is now #1 for a second week on the Billboard 200 and is now enjoying Platinum status.

With 219,000 copies sold in the last US chart week, the Rap album remains at #1 for a second week further cementing its status as the highest selling album of its genre this year.
At #2 is Adele with ‘21′, which continues to average around the 100,000 sold per week figure. Moving 120,000 units this week it resides four chart positions above Jay Z and Kanye West’s ‘Watch The Throne‘.
In at #9 is ‘4′ by Beyonce with total sales this week of 25,000 units.

WELL LOOKY, LOOKY SEE WHAT SWIZZ BEATZ GOT A.KEYS FOR HIS BDAY (yeah u read that right)

After rumors went flying around the web about his affair with a younger woman, producer Swizz Beatz celebrated his birthday with his wife, Alicia Keys. On Tuesday, in celebration of his 33rd birthday, Swizz aka Mr. Kasseem Dean took it upon himself to bless his wife with not one, but two Lotus Evora sportscars.

The two lovebirds tweeted their unending love for each other, despite the he say, she say:

Swizz Beatz recently jumped on board the executive team for the British luxury car brand as the vice president/creative consultant. Guess the whole cheating ordeal is now water under the bridge…*shrugs* Alicia…you betta wake up gurl!

Vanessa And Angela Simmons Cover JET Magazine

Vanessa and Angela Simmons are the latest cover stories for an issue of JET Magazine.
The moguls in the making previously made headlines after banking over $80 million with their successful Pastry shoe line. Now with that under their belts, the ladies are dishing to the publication on their style, fashion icons, and the brand expansion for their apparel line.
Additionally the sister act dishes on the secret to looking your best.

Angela and Vanessa's issue of JET is on newsstands now!

The Salahi’s are at it again:

Real Housewives of D.C. husband Tareq Salahi, known best for crashing a State dinner at the White House with his wife Michaele, claims she has been kidnapped, TMZ reports:
Tareq claims he got a phone call from Michaele late ... from an unfamiliar Oregon cell phone number ... and she told him she was going to her mother's house, located minutes away from the Salahi home.
Tareq says he was suspicious -- so he called Michaele's mother ... who told him she hadn't spoken with Michaele and was unaware of her plans. That's when Tareq -- fearing Michaele had been abducted -- called the Warren County Sheriff's Dept. for help.

But Tareq claims deputies told him she had already called them -- informing them she was OK and just dealing with some "family issues." Tareq tells TMZ ... he believes Michaele had been FORCED to make the phone calls by her abductor ... and believes she is in very real danger ... especially because the Salahis have received death threats in the past……..
CHILE BYE…..Here’s the real reason! According to TMZ, Mrs Salahi went to Schon's show in Nashville on Tuesday night while traveling with the guitarist to Nashville to catch another show tonight.

Journey's management team, Scoop Marketing, said, "Nobody kidnapped her and they are in Memphis together."

AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
“Opposite Ends Of The Spectrum”

Well, to each their own I guess. Maybe it’s best to stick to those positions so the world doesn’t become an even dumber place.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!
EFREM