Yelp Accused of Extortion

Very interesting articles about Yelp. I personally know some people at Yelp and they vehemently deny that this happens but it does make you wonder when so many people step forward with the same story.

February 18, 2009 - Yelp and the Business of Extortion 2.0

March 18, 2009 - Yelp Extortion Allegations Stack Up

Music Monday on Wednesday: E-40

Earl Stevens (born November 15, 1967) best known by his stage name E-40, is a Bay Area rapper, part of the Bay Area rap group The Click and founder of Bay Area hip-hop record label Sick Wid It Records. The "40" in "E-40" was chosen by Earl as a reference to "40s" - 40 ounce bottles of malt liquor. The "E" was simply derived from Earl Stevens's first name. After the release of The Click's first album Down and Dirty, E-40's local solo debut was released.

E-40 worked almost exclusively with Bay Area rappers until 1998, when he appeared on the albums of Southern rappers. E-40 jumped into the limelight in 2006 with his single "Tell Me When To Go" from his album My Ghetto Report Card. From 2004 to 2008, he hosted a weekly radio program on San Francisco hip-hop station KMEL titled E-Feezy Radio, showcasing Bay Area hip hop music.

After a talent show at Grambling State University, E-40 and his cousin B-Legit decided to attempt a career in rap. They moved back to Vallejo and teamed up with D-Shot, E-40's brother, to form the group Most Valuable Players. E-40's gospel singing uncle (Saint Charles") helped them put out the record. E-40's sister, Suga T, was then added to the group to form The Click.

E-40 featuring Keak da Sneak - Tell Me When To Go


E-40 featuring T-Pain - U and Dat


Lil Jon featuring E-40 & Sean Paul - Snap Ya Fingers


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Bonus Video

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Keak da Sneak - Super Hyphy

Videos Simulate Earthquake in SF Bay Area

Photo Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento, California

A major earthquake in California is a matter of when, not if. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a 62 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake striking somewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area in the next 30 years. Extend that forecast to the entire state, and a big one is a near certainty.

When asked where the next big Bay Area quake is likely to be, most geologists will bet on the Hayward Fault, which runs along the eastern side of the bay through a densely populated area that includes Oakland, Berkeley and Hayward. The last major quake on that fault struck 140 years ago in 1868, and the average time between big ones is 140 years.

Aagard created several video simulations of Bay Area earthquakes, including the one directly above of a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the Hayward fault. The ground motion is exaggerated by 1,000 to help with the visualization. The red color indicates very violent shaking that can cause significant damage.

Seismologist Mary Lou Zoback of Risk Management Solutions in Hayward estimates a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Hayward fault quake could result in $200 billion in damage from shaking, thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of displaced people. [Wired]

Links:
1906 San Francisco earthquake (the picture at the top is SF after the 1906 quake)
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1994 Northridge earthquake
Earthquake engineering