Wells Fargo ATM machines were down this morning. After driving to several machines, customers in Roswell, GA gave up and opted to pay $3 in out-of-network fees to Bank of America and other local area banks.

Wells Fargo is one of the top four banks in America and its customers do not expect ATM outages. Even my employer sent out a notice stating, “The ATM is currently out of order. A service call has been placed to Wells Fargo; however, at this time there is no ETA as to when it will be repaired. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”

A quick call to Wells Fargo customer service provided me with the following answer, “We are aware of this situation; however, our system shows that this has been taken care of already.”
However, the problem continued until approximately 2pm Eastern. Of course me being me, I had to send a little email asking for my $3 fee to be refunded due to the bank’s error. We’ll see what happens.

In a daunting, but loving task, Amy Winehouse’s family helped producers Mark Rosen and Salaam Remic select songs for a posthumous compilation of music from Amy Winehouse entitled Lioness: Hidden Treasures.

Amy’s dad, Mitch Winehouse, commented on the experience:

“We were fining it difficult to listen to Amy’s music, but we had to listen to it because if it wasn’t up to scratch we wouldn’t have allowed it to go out,” Mitch told Reuters in a recent interview.

“We weren’t pleasantly surprised. We were stunned at how wonderful the album is. (But) at the moment I can’t listen to it. In the years to come I will be able to and people have to make their own minds up.”

Amy’s God daughter, Dionne Bromfield, shares the last words of advice received from Amy about working in the music industry, “Always keep your feet on the ground keep your family and friends close to you.” Bromfield is a singer looking to expand to the U.S. market.

Although the album was leaked last month, the CD will be released on Monday, December, 6.

Lioness: Hidden Treasures Tracklist:

1. Our Day Will Come
2. Between The Cheats
3. Tears Dry [Explicit]
4. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
5. Like Smoke [Explicit]
6. Valerie
7. The Girl from Ipanema
8. Half Time [Explicit]
9. Wake Up Alone
10. Best Friends, Right?
11. Body And Soul
12. A Song For You

Ludacris schools a few new school rappers regarding the “pause go” rap flow method. His track “Bada Boom” is an effortless response to Drake & Big Sean’s claims that Luda stole Sean’s flow and used it incorrectly. Wow.

DRAKE…”I hate that rappers picked that flow up. I wish they had left that for people that know how to use it. [They go like] ‘It’s a parade! MACY’S!’”

BIG SEAN…”I think some artists just did it so wack man. Every time I say names I get in trouble and it’s like I’m dissing, but some people used it wack. Don’t get it wrong I’m not trying to dis Ludacris or nothing”…

Sho’ you right Sean. That didn’t sound like a diss at all. O_o

Luda gives quick history lesson for those people with short memories and displays of how the method was used by rap giants from Kanye West to Method Man to Q-Tip to Biggie Smalls. He even shows that he was using the flow when he was 12-years-old. “That was like 20 years ago, I must have stole that sh*t from myself!” Ha! Don’t hurt ‘em Luda.

There hasn’t been a good rap beef in a while. This could get interesting; however, I don’t think it will since Both Drake and Sean claim they have no beef with Luda.

BIG SEAN…“I ain’t got no problems with Luda, I never did. I think he’s referring to an interview I did over a year ago. Literally over a year ago.”

So on that note, go cop Luda’s mixtape 1.21 Gigawatts: Back to the First Time, which features “Bada Boom,” and keep your ears open for Luda’s upcoming CD Ludaversal to be released sometime next year. Download Big Sean’s CD Finally Famous and Drake’s new CD Take Care and get your listen on.

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Singer Mario Barrett is seeking the assistance of his fans and supporters to help him raise $25,000 for his foundation, The Mario Do Right Foundation.

The foundation is dedicated to mentoring and supporting children who are affected by drug or alcohol abusing parents. Through the foundation Mario and a team of specialists work to inspire these youth to overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams the way he reached his.

Watch the video for more information.

Help Mario reach his goal of $25,000 by going to the The Mario Do Right Foundation’s website or by clicking here.

(Photo by J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE / Associated Press)

On the heels of a 5.8-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, the aftershocks are shaking up East Coast residents. Tuesday’s earthquake was a rare occurrence and was the strongest to hit the area since World War II. The quake shook the densely populated area from Canada to Georgia. Damages caused by the quake include the the Washington National Cathedral (shown above) and the 555-foot Washington Monument. Tourist attractions at the National Park have been closed indefinitely, which may also delay the dedication services for the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial statue.

(Photo by Leigh Paterson / CTV News)

The East Coast is now gearing up for hurricane Irene. Several states along the coast are taking precautions and evacuating residents in preparation for the storm. Residents of North Carolina beach town have been asked to evacuate for their own safety as winds upward of 100 mph move up the coast.

Singer, songwriter, producer, and actor Ne-Yo has a role in the upcoming film, “Red Tails,” directed by George Lucas.

The movie tells the story of the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American pilots to fly in a combat squadron during World War II.

Synopsis: A group of young WWII pilots overcome racism to form the Tuskegee Airmen, a distinguished group of fliers who broke the aviation color barrier to become the first African-American fighter pilots in U.S. military history.

The film also features Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrance Howard, Rick Otto, Tristan Wilds, Bryan Cranston, and Method Man.

The film will hit theaters on January 20, 2012.

City buses, cars, and grocery stores were burned to the ground following a riot on the streets of London after police exchanged fire with a civilian on Thursday.

The violence broke out after police shot and killed a 29-year-old Tottenham resident named Mark Duggan. Duggan allegedly shot at a police officer hitting him in the side of his chest after being cornered in a minicab by London’s Specialist Firearms Command (CO19) in a pre-planned arrest.

Officers returned fire killing the father of four which sparked an all night riot in the city.

IPCC Commissioner, Rachel Cerfontyne, stated:

“Fatal shootings by the police are extremely rare and understandably raise significant community concerns. The IPCC will always conduct the investigations into such shootings to ensure that the public can be confident they are fully independent.

I fully recognize how distressing and disturbing this must be for the family and the local community. Obviously our investigation is at a very early stage, but I will publish further information and any findings as soon as possible.”

When protesters set fire to police vehicles and a double-decker bus, the situation went from bad to worse. Eight eight officers and several residents were injured during the melee as protestors looted businesses, bombed police cars, and trashed the city.

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“The Bather,” a 13-foot high and 98-foot long sculpture by Oliver Voss, is causing quite a stir in Hamburg, Germany.

The giant statue of a woman bathing is smack in the middle of Alster Lake. The sculpture is turning heads and turning up noses. Many residents would like to see the statue removed, while others are rowing out in boats and canoes to get a closer look.

The statue is only on display through August 12 so the local peeping Toms should get out and take a peek while they can.

Have you ever felt pushed to the edge by your children? Of course you have. So what techniques do you use when you are ready to hit your boiling point? Do you yell and scream? Threaten to take away your child’s favorite items? Or do you throw your hands up and cry? Whatever your method, if you feel that you lose control over the moment, I’ve got just the thing for you.

Stay calm. Seriously, I’m not kidding. Just when you think you’ll blow your top, stop and think, “Stay calm.” You will be surprised at the results. What does it solve to blow up and scream and yell at your children? Other than scaring the life out of them probably nothing, right?

So rather than scaring your children into submission so that you can get some peace, try controlling your own anger and teaching your children how to follow instructions. It is much harder than it sounds, I know. According to an article in Infant Mental Health Journal, children who experience rejection from parents may develop a self-concept of being unlovable and may view others as unloving and untrustworthy (Burrous, Crockenberg, & Leerkes, 2009). On the contrary, when parents are sensitive, loving, and accepting role models, children see themselves as worthy and loveable and others as loving and trustworthy, which gives us parents even more reason to keep our attitudes in check.
So how do you do that? Here are a few tips:

Talk to yourself. No, I’m not kidding. Parents are people too and sometimes we need a little pep talk. Positive self-talk can help you to organize your thoughts and evaluate the situation for what it is. Also, it gives you time to calm down.

Breathe deeply. Do not hold your breath during stressful situations. Use breathing techniques to calm yourself. In stressful situations your emotions can get the best of you and you may say or do something you’ll later regret. Take a moment to breathe and think of a positive way to resolve the situation.

Focus on your child’s feelings and thoughts. Does your child understand what he or she has done wrong? If not, focus on them and explain why you are angry, upset, or disappointed. Remember what their teachers tell them, “Use your words.”

Identify self-defeating patterns that create stress within yourself and your child. Then teach your children to cope with their own anger and stress once you’ve conquered your own.

[Reference: Burrous, C., Crockenberg, S. C., & Leerkes, E. M. (2009). Developmental history of care and control, depression and anger: Correlates of maternal sensitivity in toddlerhood. Infant Mental Health Journal, 30(2), 103-123.]

Nine and a half years after the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed 2,752 people at the World Trade Center, President Barack Obama announced that wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden, 54, was dead.

A nation surly over rising gas prices, stubbornly high unemployment and nasty partisan politics poured into the streets to wildly cheer President Barack Obama’s announcement that Osama bin Laden, the world’s most wanted man, had been killed by U.S. forces after a decade-long manhunt.

Outside the White House, hundreds of people chanted “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and waved American flags. And in New York City at ground zero, where al-Qaida downed the twin towers, a crowd broke out into song, including renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “I’m Proud to be an American.”

Osama bin Laden was the leader of the Al Qaeda network that masterminded the terrorist network that executed the September 11 attacks. Osama was the worlds most wanted terrorist.

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