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Yesterday I received an invitation to celebrate the release of Fiddy's new man perfume, POWER. It made me really wish I were in Miami, which is weird, because I hate it there. If I could, I would just go there on Friday, for the sole purpose of attending this party.

I love 50. Now don't get me wrong, when he performed at 944's Super Bowl Village in Phoenix a few years back I didn't ever get close enough to smell him, but he didn't strike me as the sort of guy who was super conscientious about his olfactory signature. Now Jay Z, that is another story. I haven't smelled him either, but I HAVE spent many hours of my life speculating on how good he probably smells. Snoop? Haven't smelled him, but I guarantee he smells like skunk bud and Burger King. Xibit? He wears Axe body spray. Chris Brown hits girls, so I'm betting he wears way too much Drakkar Noir.

Yesterday, I put this question to people on Twitter: “What do you think 50 Cent's new cologne smells like?”

These are some of the answers I got. Many of them were sent privately (in fear of retribution?)

Failure

Sweat

Gun powder

Deez nuts, a candy shop, and hints of black pepper

The emperor's new clothes

Hot breath

Ass

Asti spumanti

Santorum

Bacon

I'm guessing it's a mixture of all of the above, but I'm not content to speculate. Today at lunch, I'm going to Macy's and I'm getting a sample. I'll report my findings here later. Stay tuned.

***UPDATE: No samples available until tomorrow's release date. Wah. Written by: Laurel May

Uh, I'm not 100% sure what's going on here, but I'm going to take a stab at it and say that this is the website of a German entertainer by the name of Dieter Thomas Kuhn. Okay, so the dude uses hot rollers or a curling iron to do his hair, but he has just about the greatest website ever. I just dragged off an hour of my workday looking at the thing, and I don't even understand German. I encourage you to do the same, but if you have a mean boss or whatever, just click on the key called "Vergangenheit" and then select "Mediathek." The first video (the one on the far left) features him doing various behaviors such as relaxing in satin pajamas, holding a quill pen, and taking a bubble bath all accompanied by what I assume is his fine, fine music. The whole thing just makes me want to strap on a fanny pack, stop shaving my legs and spend about five months in the Fatherland. Germany, today I salute you. Written by: Laurel May

The votes are in and Armin van Buuren has been voted the #1 DJ in the world DJ Mag - for a 3rd consecutive year. The 33 year old trance producer from the Netherlands earned the number one spot again after 300,000+ people from across the globe cast their vote with the prestigious ranking entity, DJ Mag. Armin is now so popular that his radio station “A State of Trance” broadcasts to over 30 million listeners a week. He also has earned residency at some of the most electrifying venues in the world including Amnesia in Ibiza. On New Year’s Eve 2008-2009, Armin managed to draw 35,000 people to his Armin Only show in the Los Angeles Sports Arena, one of the largest turnouts in the US for a trance performer. Apparently he also gave up the hooch so he can keep up with his skyrocketing career. Now that’s dedication.

To see his personal “Thank You” please see link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtWq4O7m_ZI&feature=player_embedded
Written by: Rob Opacki

Good news for all of those shopaholics! A new bill that is moving through the House of Representatives and the Senate will limit banks' ability to charge pesky overdraft fees, to a maximum of six a year, to be exact. The new bill will also make overdraft protection a sevice that you can "opt-out" of, and the bank will decline your card if no funds are available for the purchase.

It's funny that banks say that overdraft protection is a favor to their customers. In my experience, these fees are not a saving grace. All they do is add more financial stress because often times the amount that is overdrawn is under $5, so I end up paying $35 for my vanilla latte. To add insult to injury, the bank does not make you aware of the lack of funds, and continues to charge an overdraft fee for every new transaction.

I'll say it is about time the government cracked down on excessive overdraft fees, especially since said banks made $36.7 billion dollars in overdraft fees last year. Stimulus, what stimulus? Written by: Chelsea McManus

Haze will open in CityCenter this December. The main dance floor will peer up at a wall of interactive projection screens stretching one hundred feet across on a performance structure. It is also part of the Light Group empire. Tiesto also headlines the NYE 2010 celebration.

Vanity will open on NYE 2010 in the new all-suite tower of the Hard Rock Hotel. The 15,000 square foot gem will be known for its $1 million floor-to-ceiling chandelier and extravagant image and light shows. The one-level establishment on second floor will have an inside area and an outdoor patio that will over look the new pools and The Strip. Vanity will be open Thursday-Sunday.

Switch Beach Club will open summer 2010 in Encore after they rip out its front entrance on Las Vegas Boulevard. The name originates from its sliding walls that create a new decor throughout the evening at the venue. According to rumors, it will be operated by Sean Christie, rather than Victor Drai, who is in charge of XS and Tryst. Christie runs Blush nightclub at Wynn.

Body English also will close down in the new year but reopen in April 2010 with a totally new atmosphere, but not necessarily a new club. Rumor has it that the new entity will be an upscale after-hours spot.
Written by: Rob Opacki

With no sign of the US economy returning to its prosperity and rapid growth of a decade ago, the highly attractive Asian gaming market may be the only way to keep the struggling gaming corporations out of the red. Wynn Resorts has turned to IPO’s which has generated billions in revenue and Las Vegas Sands hopes to follow their blueprint when their IPO’s hit the Hong Kong stock exchange next month. Now as MGM Mirage sees the potential revenue’s that they desperately need, they are considering an IPO of their own for the Asian markets. MGM’s Chairman/CEO Jim Murren confirmed the story to Bloomberg Media but said that the talks are still in the discussion phase. Written by: Rob Opacki

If Grammy winning rapper Lil’ Wayne wants to do any singing in the next year, it will have to be behind bars. In 2007, the artist was arrested on criminal possession of a .40-caliber pistol after his first major New York City performance when the police searched his tour bus. Wayne originally claimed that he was the target of the NYPD’s “hip-hop squad” who had been targeting him all night. But two years later, DNA evidence was able to link him to the weapon and he was forced to agree to a plea bargain. Wayne is also scheduled for an Arizona trial on felony drug possession and weapons charges which stemmed from a 2008 Border Patrol arrest.

Wayne has been arguably to most seen, heard, and publicized artists in the past few years after expanding into rock, country, TV, film, sports, and political arenas. He earned various accolades following Tha Carter III, including eight Grammy Awards nominations of which he won the award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "A Milli", Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his appearance in T.I.'s single "Swagga Like Us", and Best Rap Song for "Lollipop". Tha Carter III won the award for Best Rap Album.

He will release a rock album titled Rebirth in December 2009.
Written by: Rob Opacki

The entire hotel buzz has been about the highly anticipated December opening of City Center, completely drowning out any news about the other mega resort that is set to open in September 2010. The Cosmopolitan has been under construction since 2005 with a price tag of about $4 billion. Since early 2008, the resort has experienced substantial financial woes beginning with the developers defaulting on a $760 million construction loan. Deutsche Bank which now owns the site, is rumored to have an agreement with Hilton Hotel Corp. to operate the resort under the Conrad and Hilton brands. The other major rumor is Starwood buying and turning the property into the new W Las Vegas. They also hired former Caesars Palace General Manager John Unwin as CEO and Jeff Burge as CFO who formerly served as VP of Finance for Las Vegas Sands Corp. The resort features 3,000 rooms which all have a balcony/terrace, a 1,800 seat theatre, multiple nightclubs in the Adult Playground, and a lavish Beach Club that sits several stories up and overlooks Las Vegas Boulevard. Four Luxor sytle sky-beams are also to be a feature of the property. Written by: Rob Opacki

So after you finish smoking a little marijuana, put the rest back into the cellophane and back into your baseball hat for later. Sometime later though while you were in a convenience store you took off your hat and noticed that it wasn’t there anymore. Hmmm, where did it go?? Fortunately a very nice police officer was there to remove the missing cellophane bag from your forehead and ask, “was this what your were looking for?”

The office was also so kind to charge this sharp fellow from Lebanon, Pennsylvania with possession of drug paraphernalia.

Try your pocket next time buddy.
Written by: Rob Opacki

Times are tough and we have all encountered panhandlers and homeless individuals on freeway entrances, outside of grocery stores, and around the beach. Sometimes we are feeling a little generous and other times we simply look the other way. But after learning that some panhandlers can earn up to twenty dollars an hour, I began to wonder two things… a) if I was in the wrong business and b) how I could decipher the scam artists from those really in need.

The fact of the matter is that looks can be deceiving and unless you stalk them throughout the day, there is no way to know if the money you give out isn’t being spent on drugs and alcohol. Does this mean we should put our wallets away and turn the blind eye to those in need? I think not.

Here are some ways you can help out without dishing out the dough…

• Swag Bag - A nice way to help out is to fill a goodie bag with food and hygiene products.

• Donate Time - Time is money people! Find a local charitable organization that helps the homeless and those in need and donate an hour of your time. Whether it is working at a soup kitchen or helping out at a local shelter your time is sure to help.

• Do You - Put your professional skills to good use. I recently came across a great collaborative campaign called “Artists Against Hunger” that is being sponsored by a local design firm and the San Diego Food Bank to raise money and food. The campaign calls for local designers to create posters that will be featured and sold for charity. Want to contribute? Find out more and submit your work at: http://www.parkerwhite.com/social-awareness/

There are many ways you can be generous and help others in need without giving away your money. So go on wit’ yo bad self and be creative when make a difference. A little good karma never hurt anyone and you never know when you might need a helping hand.
Written by: Rob Corea

If you were late to work because you were surfing the web until this morning’s early hours, don’t worry, and just tell your boss the honest truth - you were awaiting the world premiere of Michael Jackson’s newest single, “This Is It”, which was finally audibly available at midnight.

Only one version of the love song is available online, but a second will be included in a two-disk soundtrack released on October 27th.

The title track will accompany the closing credits of the documentary that will only play in theatres for two weeks, featuring a backstage look into rehearsals of Jackson’s highly anticipated return to the stage, which was to begin in London. Presale movie tickets for the film’s worldwide debut on October 28th (already pushed up by the studios two days early!) are close to sold out, if not already.

"This film is a gift to Michael's fans,” says Kenny Ortega, Jackson's longtime creative partner and director of THIS IS IT concert, as well as Disney’s preteen moneymakers: the Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus "Best of Both Worlds Tour" and all three chapters of the High School Musical series. “As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special. It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius's world…THIS IS IT may go down as the greatest concert that no one got a chance to see, but with this film, we get a rare portrait of Michael as he prepares for his final curtain call and what I believe was going to be his master work.”

If your lucky, grab your presale tickets to “This Is It” while you can from MovieTickets.com and Fandango. Until then, tune into MichaelJackson.com to hear the single that’s only been available to the public for a few hours. Speakers dead? The track is being sent to radio stations worldwide as you're reading this blog post. Written by: Ashley Lee

So I wasn’t very interested at all in the David Letterman sex scandal. It’s the same old story of someone having sex with their coworker. Okay, this story had a little extra kick with the extortion angle but all in all there are better scandals out there.

Now, Jimmy Kimmel is dating his coworker Molly McNearney, a longtime staffer on his ABC show. For several months the pair have been keeping this on the down low and I don’t like Jimmy Kimmel either (in fact I cant stand late night talk shows) but good for him (I still think Sarah Silverman out trumps any bitches.)

But this got me to thinking, should I sleep with a co-worker? Problem is I have a start up company so it is just me, myself and I and so far in my employee manual there are no rules about masturbating so I am safe with that.

No but seriously, I had to Google “rules on dating co-workers” and I pulled up what seem to be some unofficial/official rules from http://www.employer-employee.com/.

These may help you before you decide you are horny for your co-worker or they may not because when it comes to sex, there seems to be no rules these days.

- Before you ask the co-worker in the next cubicle out for a date, first check to see if your company has an employee dating policy (uh, who wants to read that….)

- "No means no!" One more time: "no" means "no!" Do not repeatedly ask the same co-worker out for a date. (Why not?)

- Develop an office relationship before you develop a romantic relationship (Does that mean sex in the office?)

- Realize that in reality relationships do not work out like they do on TV (um, on reality TV they don’t work out…)

- Develop open communication. When you are dating a coworker you have what is called a "dual relationship." A dual relationship means that you have two different types of relationships (business and romantic) with the same person (Duh, duh, duh…)

- Agree not to flirt at work (why not? That’s so much fun.)


Until next time,
www.iammichaelcohen.com


Written by: MICHAEL COHEN

There’s no doubting there’s some dumb people in this town. But we always thought they were the tourists. In fact, a recent study by The Daily Beast says it’s not the tourists that are the idiots, it’s the locals. By analyzing various data associated with education and intellectual environment, Las Vegas ranks second to last among the largest 55 metropolitan areas in the country. How dumb can we be though? I mean we got to be 60% right around 90% of the time. That should rank us like higher more than the lower middle of the list, or at least less above half obviously.

Who’s the moron now??

Complete list:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-10-04/americas-smartest-cities---from-first-to-worst/
Written by: Rob Opacki

Not much comes to mind when I hear the word, “Cleveland.” Well, not for me anyway.

*scratches head*

A few things that do come to mind however, are Drew Carey, Ohio, the Browns and of course, King James and the Cavaliers.

Lebron James found himself in headlines yet again, even during the NFL season....

Alright Lebron, we get it, we get it, you are a star.

Rumor has it that Lebron is behind the recent trade of Browns’ wide receiver, Braylon Edwards. Edwards, who reportedly got into a bit of a tiff with one of Lebron’s buddies outside of a Cleveland nightclub, was sent packing to play for the New York Jets. Within 24 hours of the trade, Edwards found himself on the practice field getting to know his new teammates and engrossed in a playbook.

James had no comment on Edwards’ trade stating, “…its not my sport to worry about.”

In a town where the Cavaliers are the clear sporting favorites (66-16 in 2008, 1st place NBA Central), King James, the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft is rumored to never have liked the former Browns’ wide receiver. And apparently, King James rules all.

Coincidentally, the Cleveland Browns went 4-12 last season to bring home last place in the AFC North. Edwards though, notably the third overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft, is no Lebron James. And now the two, geographically separated for reasons “unknown,” no longer have to share a city.

Or do they?

The New York Post reports that the Edwards trade could hurt the New York Knicks well-publicized plans to possibly sign James once he’s eligible for free agency in 2010. Already against the Knicks - Cleveland’s ability to pay Lebron a higher salary and the fact that the team has been built around the star forward. Certainly the last thing they need, is a feuding rivalry to take over the streets of New York.

Be careful Drew Carey... Piss off Lebron and you may just end up shouting, "Iowa," at the end of your theme song. Written by: Lourdes Jatico

Forbes Magazine released the 40 top cities for singles by evaluating seven different categories: coolness, cost of living alone, culture, job growth, online dating participation, nightlife and the ratio of singles to the entire population of the metro. Among 944 Magazine cities the results were widespread and interesting. Detroit not surprisingly ranked pretty low at 34th mostly due to a last place finish for job growth for the next five years but placed 6th for living cost. Phoenix ranked 30th due in part to a surprising 38th place for nightlife indicating the article’s author has apparently never been to Scottsdale or Tempe. Phoenix ranked 5th for online dating participation though. Miami came in overall at 29th and came in 10th for nightlife but ranked 39th for cost of living so be sure to lock up that raise before transferring to South Florida. San Diego ranks 12th overall and 5th in “coolness” but the SoCal beach town can be pricey, lack culture, and the job market is anticipated to be slow. Los Angeles positioned itself at 8th, has the largest unmarried population in the country, and is ranked 2nd for online dating participation. Like its SoCal counterpart though it ranked low among anticipated job growth and culture. San Francisco came in 7th and ranked very high in coolness, singles, and online dating but will fall behind in job growth. Atlanta ranked 6th due to a #1 finish for living cost and ranked 3rd for job growth but can lack culture.

So what about Vegas you say? Well our very own Sin City came in at a disappointing 22nd. Las Vegas ranks among the worst for cost of living, lack of culture, and concentration of singles. Sin City ranks at the top where it matters though, which is 2nd in coolness and of course #1 for nightlife. We always know how to party.

Complete list:
http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/27/best-cities-singles-lifestyle-singles-methodology.html
Written by: Rob Opacki