Yirga What, Yirga Who

Usher moves a million

I did not think anyone was gonna match Norah Jones' success when she moved over a mil in her first week for her sophomore album Feels Like Home. Well, I was wrong. Usher's new album, Confessions, arrived last week and it has moved 1.1 million copies. My favorite song from the CD next to Yeah is Confessions Part II.

Baltimore isn't working

According to this Sun article, about half of Baltimore's adults don't work. I am not completely surprised but I did not know it was so bad. There are about 200,000 people in Baltimore who don't work

Norah stilll #1 on album charts

Her sophomore album is on the top of the charts for the 6th consecutive week. She moved 147,000 copies this week, bringing her total to approximately 2.2 million. But her run is expected to end this week; Usher's Confessions was released yesterday and is expected to move at least 500,000. The biggest debut this week was Cassidy's Split Personality. He sold 118,000 copies of his album last week.

Dr. Dre Abandons 'Detox': Does that mean he is not retiring or is he already retired? (sohh)

Neptures leave Arista for Intescope: What is going on at Arista? (allHipHop)

Maryland State Song

While I was reading the book Counties of central Maryland, I discovered that the official state song of Maryland was written by a confederate sentimental. He wrote the song because "he was outraged at the news of Union troops being marched through Baltimore". In the first line of the song, the author refers to Abraham Lincoln as a despot. During the pre-Civil War era, Maryland was a border state, meaning it was not clearly defined whether it supported the northern cause or the southern cause.

Maryland out

My school is out of the tournament. They had two chances at the end of the game to tie it up and force a turnover. But they did well. Next year looks very promising.

My bracket is all mest up, with Stanford, Gonzaga, and NC loosing. But its all good. I am still leading my pool (1 2).

Norah on top

Norah has surpassed the 2 million mark sold for her new album, Feels Like Home. This week she sold 183,000 copies.

50 Cent back to the drawing board: He does not think his new stuff he was planning to put out in 2004 was good enough.

TO a Raven no more

Well actually I guess he was never a Raven. He believed he was going to be a free agent but his agent (has he fired him yet?) screwed up and he ended back at the mercy of the 49ers. I guess it really isn't fair for TO just because of a technicality. If only the Ravens had spoken with him before they had made the trade :(

He is from Philadelphia

The dude who is gonna decide whether Terrell Owens will remain a Raven or not is from the city of Philadelphia, the city for which Terrell Owens prefers to play for. Yes the dude was chosen to be the arbiter a long time ago, way before TO was traded to the Ravens. But still. The dude is from Philadelphia.

Jack Ryan

A few months back I mentioned I intended to read all of Tom Clancy's books. Now I kind of have changed my mind and only intend to read his books that deal with Jack Ryan. I have already read Hunt For Read October and Patriot Games. Now I am reading Red Rabbit, which falls in between Hunt For Read October and Patriot Games in Jack Ryan's life.

Norah is still #1

She sold around 200,000 copies of her new CD (Feels Like Home) this week. Her album has moved close to 2 million copies with its stay at the top of the album charts for the past four weeks.

Rah Digga leaves J Records: Will she follow in Busta Rhymes footsteps?

Diddy To Retire: First DMX, then Jay-Z, and now P Diddy to leave. There were rumors that Dre might retire also. Who will we be left with? 50 Cent and Eminem? Oh Nooooooo!

TO don't want to play for the Ravens

That bites so much. I thought my Ravens had finally found their missing puzzle in their offense. But it seems like TO has his mind made up to play for Philly. His agent or somebody is trying to get the NFL to void the trade where the Ravens would get their second-round pick and TO would become an unrestricted free agent. I don't know if that will happen, though. The Ravens own his rights at the moment. I guess they can try trading him to Philly if he is content on playing there.

Most everyone is saying that TO is just a whiner and he will come around once the Ravens throw some money at him. I really hope so.

2003's biggest money makers of music

1. The Rolling Stones $84.1 million
2. Bruce Springsteen $81.7 million
3. The Eagles $62.9 million
4. Dixie Chicks $39.8 million
5. Metallica $39.1 million
...
18. Ice Cube $25.7 million
...
24. Queen Latifah $23.3 million
...
28. Eminem $20.8 million
...
32. Dr. Dre $18.6 million
...
34. 50 Cent $16.9 million
...
36. R. Kelly $14.4 million
...
38. P. Diddy $13.9 million

Drove a car for the very first time

It was yesterday. I got behind the wheels for the very first time in my life. I know I am 6 years overdue but I got my excuses, which I don't feel like expressing at the moment. The dude named Ludovic let me drive around his 4runner in an empty parking lot at HCC. I don't actually know when I am gonna trying to get my license. Right now I am too preoccupied with doing a whole lot of nothing.

Ravens get Terrell Owens

Looks like the Ravens got TO while the Phillys were snoozing. I can't believe it only took a second round draft to get TO. The Ravens have a very successful draft history except at the WR position. Now they have no more excuses not to be a good offensive team. In the backfield, the have last years best running back, Jamal Lewis. At the tight end position, they have Todd Heap, second only to Tony Gonzalez. At QB, they have a first round pick. The acquisition of TO should only help him get better. The Ravens have one of the best offensive line in the NFL; Jonathan Ogden at one end and Orlando Brown at the other end. If what they have on the field is not enough, they recently signed Jim Fassel, the head coach of the 2000 Giants team that played in Super Bowl XXXV. He is set to work with Kyle Boller and the Ravens offensive coordinator.

TO will be the Ravens best wide receiver since Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson played with the Ravens from 1996 (the Ravens inaugural year in Baltimore) until 1998. There are many records he set with the team that still stand. He holds Ravens season records for most TDs, receiving yards, and receptions. Hopefully, TO will come in his first year and shatter all those records.

Friday Five

1. your first grade teacher's name? I don't remember 2. ...your favorite Saturday morning cartoon? Spiderman or X-men 3. ...the name of your very first best friend? Alemayhu 4. ...your favorite breakfast cereal? Berry Berry Kix 5. ...your favorite thing to do after school? play ball

Album Sales

Norah Jones is still holding down the number 1 spot. She moved 300,000 copies of her CD this week. Her three week total is around 1.7 million. The top debut belongs to the Young Gunz, who premiered by selling 128,000 copies. I am still amazed by the fact that Jay-z gave them a shoutout in Takeover (from The Blueprint). They were minors back in 2001 but here was Jay-Z referring to them in the hook. The second biggest debut went to Trillville and Lil Scrappy. They moved 59,000 in their first week. I don't believe they are a group. I read somewhere they just released the same CD with two different artists on the cover, or something like that.

3.0

I finally got my grades from last semester and I got two Bs. I was expecting one B and one C but instead I did better. Yeah for me!