CNN Poll: Obama’s Approval Rating Edges Up Thanks to Foreign Policy

From CNN:

President Barack Obama‘s performance on national security and international affairs and his image as a strong leader appear to be behind his rising approval rating, according to new national poll conducted as the president was on an overseas visit to four countries.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday indicates that Obama’s approval rating among Americans stands at 54 percent, with 45 percent saying they disapprove of the job he’s doing as president. Obama’s approval rating appears to have steadily risen in the past two months, from 48 percent in early April to 52 percent in early May and the current mark of 54 percent.

“On specific issues, the president’s approval rating is over 50 percent on only three out of 11 items tested, and all three – terrorism, Afghanistan, and Iraq – are foreign or security issues,” says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. “But his approval rating on every domestic issue listed in the poll is well below 50 and on most of them – including the economy, health care, taxes, and the budget deficit – his rating has remained flat or dropped since the start of the year.”

Read more here.

LeBron James Reigniting NBA Viewership

LeBron James Reigniting NBA Viewership

by Sam Riches / @sam_riches

Almost 11 months ago, LeBron James made ‘The Decision‘. Almost instantaneously, the fans began to make theirs. Some applauded his tenacity, his courage to make a choice based on his own desires and ambitions. But others felt a sting of betrayal and animosity. The man with the vision of Magic, the athleticism of Dr. J and the versatility of Oscar Robertson had performed his final physical feat for the fans of Cleveland.

A swift kick to the gut.

But his move to Miami brought with it a surge of attention. Attention that is now helping the NBA reach historic heights of popularity. From ESPN:

“With LeBron and the Heat in the championship series, the NBA Finals has a chance to be the highest-rated and most-viewed Finals since the Orlando-Houston series in 1995 or even the Bulls-Portland series, Jordan’s second Finals, in 1992. LeBron — at least temporarily, and probably for the next few years — has done for interest in the NBA what Tiger Woods did for interest in professional golf. LeBron and the Heat have become the tide that floats all boats.

Asked the other night in Chicago about LeBron’s impact on the season, teammate Dwyane Wade said: ‘Once everybody gets over being mad, angry, whatever they are, they have to admit that it’s remarkable how many people took an interest in our team, in the league, in professional basketball beginning that night [July 8]. People who never watched the NBA to that point became interested. And I think we know that now. People who never even watched professional sports became interested in our product. It’s much bigger than us now; look at the interest in the entire league.’

On the eve of the NBA Finals, the dust has settled and LeBron has risen. Reaching the point many predicted he would, despite their afflictions.

The stage is set and it is now up to James, Wade, Bosh and Co. to complete the last step of their journey, or in their case — the last of their meals. Whether or not the Heat are able to capture the Larry O’Brien trophy, their success has already shifted the landscape of the NBA in a new direction.

Chiddy Bang – Peanut Butter & Swelly (Mixtape)

DOWNLOAD: Chiddy Bang – Peanut Butter & Swelly [via]

‘Rejoice and Shout’: Film Review

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Don McGlynn‘s ‘Rejoice and Shout’ is probably the first documentary ever to look comprehensively at the 200-year musical history of African-American Christianity – which is to say gospel music – and may well be the last. It certainly doesn’t seem like McGlynn or his producer, Joe Lauro, who owns a vast collection of old records and music film footage, missed anything significant.

The doc is exhaustive in its compilation of the major acts and personalities in gospel music – to the point the narrative thread almost gets buried under the weight of names, dates, musical styles and vintage performances.

For anyone with a keen interest in this unique American musical form, ‘Rejoice and Shout’ is a must-see and see-again. It’s also a must-have for the home libraries of gospel-music enthusiast. For those whose interest is more casual, the film is almost as exhausting as exhaustive.

You’ve heard of documentaries that preach to the choir? Well, in this one, the choir preaches back!

McGlynn situates this history in the deep-rooted, hardcore religious beliefs of black American Christians and in the highly participatory Pentecostal church services. The historians and artists who accompany the viewer on this tour of musical history speak first of their abiding faith in the Almighty and the spiritual and communal joy of church-going. Then they talk about the music they grew up with.

 

3-D Starts to Fizzle, and Hollywood Frets

LOS ANGELES — Has the 3-D boom already gone bust? It’s starting to look that way — at least for American moviegoers — even as Hollywood prepares to release a glut of the gimmicky pictures.

Ripples of fear spread across Hollywood last week after “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which cost Walt Disney Studios an estimated $400 million to make and market, did poor 3-D business in North America. While event movies have typically done 60 percent of their business in 3-D, “Stranger Tides” sold just 47 percent in 3-D. “The American consumer is rejecting 3-D,” Richard Greenfield, an analyst at the financial services company BTIG, wrote of the “Stranger Tides” results.

One movie does not make a trend, but the Memorial Day weekend did not give studio chiefs much comfort in the 3-D department. “Kung Fu Panda 2,” a Paramount Pictures release of a DreamWorks Animation film, sold $53.8 million in tickets from Thursday to Sunday, a soft total, and 3-D was 45 percent of the business, according to Paramount.

Consumer rebellion over high 3-D ticket prices plays a role, and the novelty of putting on the funny glasses is wearing off, analysts say. But there is also a deeper problem: 3-D has provided an enormous boost to the strongest films, including “Avatar” and “Alice in Wonderland,” but has actually undercut middling movies that are trying to milk the format for extra dollars.

New Mixtape: Young Jeezy x DJ Drama The Real Is Back

 

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VIDEO: Nicki Minaj – Did It On Em

VIDEO: Cee Lo Green – I Want You (Hold On To Love)

Hey, Sony’s Thinking About the Playstation 4 After All!

Just a few months ago, the Playstation 4 was not even a thought on Sony’s collective mind — at least according to Sony Computer Entertainment head Kaz Hirai.

But now, a different executive has fessed up. Work on a future Playstation platform is already underway, says Masaru Kato, Sony’s executive vice president and chief financial officer. His comments came up when asked to explain higher research and development costs to investors, Eurogamer reports.

Sony’s next video console, which at this point has no name or release date, won’t require the kind of huge investment that made the Playstation 3 unprofitable for years, Kato said. With the Playstation 3, Sony invested in its own semiconductor facilities, but that seems unlikely this time around.

 

I’ve proven awful at predicting when we’ll see new consoles from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, but at this point, the picture is getting clearer. Nintendo has already announced that it’s developing a Wii successor for a 2012 launch, and the rumor mill is starting to churn on a follow-up to Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

In Sony’s case, the company has talked about a 10-year life cycle for the Playstation 3, which launched in November 2006. If the Playstation 4 — or whatever it’s called — launches within the next few years, that’ll put Sony right on schedule. It can keep supporting the Playstation 3 until 2016 or beyond, while transitioning most of its resources to the next console.

The bigger point is that the gears are finally turning. A year ago, there was only silence on the new console front, but now we’re starting to see rumors, murmurs and confirmations for all the big three console makers. It’s only going to intensify from now on.

Nike reps tried to shield LBJ, Wade from Barkley’s barbs

TNT analyst Charles Barkley says that he’s been told to tone down his criticism of Miami’s Dwyane Wade and LeBron James by representatives of Nike.

Barkley told the Miami Herald that Nike representatives have told him he is too harsh in his criticiques of the Heat’s key players. All three are Nike endorsers.

“I say one thing criticizing The Decision, and I get a phone call from Nike saying why don’t I like LeBron? It’s interesting how this [expletive] works,” Barkley told the newspaper. “These groups today, if you don’t say 100 percent positive about their guy or their team, they overreact.”

And despite a brief confrontation earlier this week, Barkley isn’t concerned that Wade isn’t happy with him.

“I don’t know if Dwyane’s upset with me, but I don’t sit around and worry about it,” Barkley said. “These athletes today are all wussified.”

“The Chuckster” was only getting started. He still hasn’t forgotten that James claimed the current Heat group would win seven titles together which he said “annoyed people” around the NBA.

“Because it does a disservice to guys who are trying to win one or two championships,” Barkley said, adding he’s not sure how many championships the Heat can win.

“First of all, they haven’t won one yet,” Barkley said. “Oh yeah, you all did. After you all beat Boston, you were all praying and [celebrating]. I forgot about that. Do you all count this one [Chicago] as the second?”

And he didn’t spare Heat fans, either.

“Those Heat fans are funny,” Barkley said. “If Dwyane Wade had left here and gone to Cleveland, they would have blown a gasket. As my man Judge Brown and Judge Judy says, they’ve got dirty hands. They have no sympathy for the city of Cleveland, and that’s unfair and unfortunate.”

Barkley may be a Nike endorser along with “The Heatles.” But don’t look for him to let up on his unsparing criticisms if he believes they are warranted.

It’s the reason why Barkley is among the top analysts in all of professional sports — even if those comments sometimes ruffle a few feathers around the league.

Spurs Nation can relate.

SOURCE: SpursNation

30 Minutes or Less Trailer – In Theaters 8/12

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The Future Looks Brown

A recently released time-lapse map produced by PolicyLink, a national research agency dedicated to social equity, shows the decade-by-decade browning of America. The so-called Map of America’s Tomorrow, shows that by the year 2042 the majority of Americans will be people of color. The map also shows the states and regions that will be most populated by people of color, including blacks, Hispanics/Latinos and Asians.

“This map makes crystal clear just how dramatically the face of America is changing – and how quickly,” saidAngela Glover Blackwell, the Founder & CEO of PolicyLink. “Already, nearly half of all young people are of color, and by 2040, people of color will become our nation’s majority. Clearly, this snapshot of our future has struck a chord, leaving no doubt that we must invest in and start building the foundation of tomorrow’s America today. Let’s start now.”

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The “we” that Blackwell is referring to are those who influence policy, such as legislators and policymakers, according to PolicyLink. The group believes that the entire nation must take up the cause of advocacy on behalf of communities of color, particularly for “fair, equitable and targeted investments.”

According to the latest U.S. Census data, a growing list of major American cities have seen their native-born black populations declining at an alarming rate – including Detroit, New Orleans and Washington, D.C., and among the biggest losers Oakland and Chicago with losses of 25 percent and 17 percent, respectively – over the past 10 years.

Many upwardly mobile African Americans have moved to the suburbs or to the South. Others still have been forced out of major cities by gentrification. Despite the shifts though, experts and data indicate that the overall number of ethnic minorities, including blacks, will in total comprise the majority of America in the relatively near future.

PolicyLink said until now there has been no visualization of what this future will look like.

To see the methodology behind the PolicyLink map click here.

America’s Tomorrow from PolicyLink on Vimeo.

ShawtBustShorty (RELOADED) F/ Rick Ross, Plies & Nicki Minaj [VIDEO]

Mixtape: Terrace Martin & Devi Dev – The Sex EP 2.0: Cease & Desist

Terrace Martin & Devi Dev – The Sex EP 2.0: Cease & Desist