"Wherever we went, we made sure people heard Mike," says Duke. "We pushed it as much as possible."Pockets of buzz were created at universities from Michigan State to Marquette, enough to lure Posner onto the road in 2008."I'd get a show booked at one of these schools, where the only way people knew my music would be this one guy from Groves who went there," recounts Posner. "So I'd perform for a hundred, 150 people, and just kill the show. Then I'd come back a few months later and have that whole school unlocked. I did that all over as much as I could."That woodshedding was crucial, says Posner, who had never performed for a crowd before a high-school basement party in '06. When his mixtape earned him his record deal in '08, he immediately told the label to "just chill. I'm going to go back to school and keep building this up by myself."Playing live, he says, "is a skill, like being in a studio -- you develop and get better at it over time. You see it with some producers, who make hit after hit, and they're just not good performers. So I've been lucky. I've done probably [more..]

Kids, who are considered legally too young under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to join Facebook, now have a reason to be excited with the launch of Togetherville – a site that is specifically designed to suit the social networking needs of children. The site not just serves as a digital babysitter, but also offers a chance for kids to connect with their existing friends and also to build a network of new friends. Not just that, kids can also enjoy Facebook like features that are harmless and secure. All this and more is made available primarily for children aged between 6 to 10 (kids aged under 13 can sign up too). It must be mentioned here that it is the parents or trusted adults who do all the social networking deeds on behalf of their kids. Togetherville is linked to Facebook, thereby adults who possess a Facebook account can sign up and register their kids. Parents can then assist their kids to network with children of their acquaintances. Each and every message update, interaction and activity on Togetherville would be supervised by adults. This ensures privacy and a more protective environment to kids in the [more..]

British fashion expert Louise Roe is bringing her new fashion makeover show Plain Jane to The CW. It premieres TONIGHT (July 28) at 9PM ET/PT! “I have never needed sleep so much in my life!” Louise wrote last month when shooting the series. “We’re working 16-hour days filming Plain Jane, but the adrenaline (and scary vitamin B12 shot I had in the butt this week!) is keeping me going. The show is turning out beyond our wildest expectations though – honestly – the heartfelt emotion and incredible transformations, inside and out, of each girl is going to have you glued to your seats.” Watch the preview below! Follow Louise on Twitter [at]LouiseRoe and her official blog LouiseRoe.com! Like What You See? Share with friends: [more..]

ON THE WEB * To view a website on Basil Marceaux’s gubernatorial candidacy, go to http://politics.freesitenow.com/basilmarceauxforgovernor * To watch Basil Marceaux’s comments on WSMV-TV got to: http://www.wsmv.com/video/24331764/index.html NASHVILLE — He is an improbable longshot in the polls, but Tennessee Republican gubernatorial hopeful Basil Marceaux Sr., of Chattanooga, rules on the Internet, where his views have gone “viral.” The candidate’s promise to “immune you from all state crimes for the rest of you (sic) life!” and his desire that “everyone carry guns” has proven to be catnip to an army of delighted Internet bloggers and irresistible to talk radio and MSNBC as well. He’s been endorsed by the hillbilly comedy duo Jackie Broyles and Dunlap on Red State Update. A Nashville Scene blogger proclaimed Marceaux an “Internet Superstar” and warned GOP front-runner Bill Haslam that there is a “mighty dark horse pounding toward you in the outside lane.” The website Wonkette told readers “you have a new 2010 election boyfriend” and urged them to “just look at his website. It is indescribably perfect. What can be made fun of first? We just want to live in this [more..]

Q: Yucaipa resident Randy Reck got a seat-belt ticket. His citation says he's not eligible for traffic school because seat-belt tickets carry no points. Reck is confused because this is the second seat-belt ticket he's received, but the first time, "I was offered traffic school or face a point on my license." He attended traffic school that time, and wonders why it's no longer an option. Reck added in his e-mail, "I know, I know. I really need to wear a seat belt." A: A traffic school operator and a California Highway Patrol lieutenant were both puzzled by Reck's earlier experience, but not by the second one. Traffic school is sometimes an option to keep "points" off your record for Department of Motor Vehicles and car-insurance purposes, said Michelle Pearl, who runs an online traffic school, TrafficInterActive.com, and also owned a classroom traffic school in Rancho Cucamonga from 1996 to 2001. If you attend traffic school, "your point is masked on your DMV record and your insurance company is none the wiser," Pearl wrote in an e-mail. (The violation still appears on your driving [more..]

Reporting from San Diego — The Dodgers made a deal with three days remaining until the non-waiver trade deadline, adding not any of the pitchers they are targeting but a player General Manager Ned Colletti called a "safeguard" in case outfielders Manny Ramirez and Reed Johnson remain sidelined for an extended period. The safeguard in question is veteran outfielder Scott Podsednik, whom the Dodgers acquired from the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday for triple-A catcher Lucas May and Class-A right-hander Elisaul Pimentel. Podsednik, 34, has played for five teams over 10 major league seasons, including the World Series champion Chicago White Sox in 2005. A lifetime .280 hitter, he was batting .310 with 44 runs batted in, 46 runs scored and 30 steals. Podsednik, who has a 15-game hitting streak, is expected to join the Dodgers for their series finale in San Diego on Thursday. "He brings us speed," Colletti said. "He's a good hitter. He can play left field. He can play center field, if necessary. He can add a lot of different dimensions to the club." Ramirez, 38, is on the disabled list because of a strained calf muscle and is receiving treatment [more..]