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VIBE magazine has shut down. The magazine was launched in 1993 by music industry legend Quincy Jones and it served as as widely revered urban magazine. “On behalf the VIBE CONTENT staff (the best in this business), it is with great sadness, and with heads held high, that we leave the building today,” said Danyel Smith, former Chief Content Officer of Vibe Media Group and Editor in Chief of Vibe. “We were assigning and editing a Michael Jackson tribute issue when we got the news,” Smith said in a statement released to AllHipHop.com. “It’s a tragic week in overall, but as the doors of VIBE Media Group close, on the eve of the magazine’s sixteenth anniversary, it’s a sad day for music, for hip hop in particular, and for the millions of readers and users who have loved and who continue to love the VIBE brand. We thank you, we have served you with joy, pride and excellence, and we will miss you.” In the 90’s, VIBE experienced meteoric success as a business and an outlet for urban journalism. It has ailed under the ownership of private equity firm Wicks Group of Companies, AOL reported.

For the full story or to comment log on: http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2009/06/30/21724506.aspx

Rachel Veitch, who’s 90 years old, bought her last car in 1964. Forty-five years and 558,000 miles later, the Mercury Comet Caliente she calls “Chariot” is still on the road. So what’s the secret for keeping a car running for more than a half-million miles? Just taking care of it.

“I was never a destructive child,” said Veitch, a retired nurse from east Orlando who works as an office volunteer for the Orlando Police Department several days a week. “I still have the first doll I was ever given. I’ve taken care of most everything I’ve ever had, except for husbands.”

How many husbands? She holds up three fingers. “I’ll tell you something: This little Chariot has never lied to me, never cheated on me, and I can always depend on it.”

These days, she and Chariot are working toward 600,000 miles, “and I’ll make that,” she says, “if I live long enough. I tell people, ‘Except for the congestive heart failure, a stroke and a double mastectomy, I’m in great shape!’”

Veitch, who has a complete set of the car’s maintenance records, has the oil changed every 3,000 miles. She buys her own oil and filters because she doesn’t trust the products sold by the oil-change places.

Her longtime mechanic retired, and now her son takes care of Chariot. And when something comes up he can’t handle, they find a professional.

Lifetime warranties

Veitch is big on buying replacement parts that have lifetime guarantees.

“It’s had seven mufflers, and it’s about time for a new one,” she says. “I’ve had 17 lifetime J.C. Penney batteries [and] three lifetime sets of shock absorbers from Sears.”

She and Chariot have become an Internet sensation, thanks to several videos of her and her car posted on GrowingBolder.com, an Orlando-based site targeted at people older than 50. The original video of Veitch and Chariot on GrowingBolder.com has been viewed more than 1.7million times.

Veitch bought Chariot new from a dealer in Sanford for $3,289, which wasn’t cheap in 1964.

“It’s a deluxe model,” she says, “with an automatic transmission, power steering, the premium interior, wheel covers,” and air conditioning that still blows cold air.

Well, cool air.

Veitch drives carefully, confidently.

“It still drives the way it did when it was new,” she says. One feature she added to Chariot was cruise control — after the police caught her going 92 mph.

“The speed just creeps up,” she says, “and you don’t even notice it.”

Chariot has been through a lot, including a collision on a highway where it was rear-ended by another car. Her insurance company told her it was totaled.

“No, it isn’t,” she told them, and proceeded to find parts to fix it.

Chariot’s latest woes

More recently, Chariot’s engine began sputtering and backfiring, and no one could find the problem. Veitch was a wreck: It was possible, she thought, that Chariot’s days were over.

Enter a repair facility in DeLand called Dyno-Tune, and George Lyons, one of the owners. It has an in-house dynamometer — a device that let Lyons strap down the car, put the rear wheels on huge rollers and “drive” it in the shop.

“I was able to get the car up to 60 mph,” Lyons said, and he diagnosed an unusual ignition problem. He fixed it, and Chariot again purrs.

Lyons said a car with mileage as high as Chariot is rare, but “if you take care of your vehicle, get it serviced, don’t abuse it, it can last a very long time.”

Veitch, who has taken Chariot to car shows for decades, has a dozen trophies and plaques from car clubs.

She has had multiple offers for her car but has no interest in selling it.

“One man got quite ugly about it — he said, ‘Everything has a price!’ So I told him, ‘$43,000! That’s my price!’ He went away.

“My little car is so faithful,” she adds. “And I enjoy it so much. And, my gosh, look at the cars on the road now — I don’t think any of them are as pretty as my little Chariot.”

Billy Mays has died today, 6/28/09. RIP Billy.

Billy Mays has died after a bumpy landing at Tampa airport; America’s favorite pitchman was found dead by his wife Deborah.

According to Fox news reports, Billy May has died. The report says”Mays was found unresponsive by his wife inside his Tampa, Fla., home at 7:45 a.m. on Sunday, according to the Tampa Police Department.

Billy Mays a passenger on U.S. Airways Flight 1241 flying from Philadelphia to Tampa landed. Billy Mays said after the landing “All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping. It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head,”, Myfoxtampabay.com reported. Watch the video of the Fox report below.

It is unknown at this time if Billy Mays death was a result of the plane’s hard landing.

Billy Mays used Twitter to send a message after the plane’s landing yesterday. The Tweet said “Just had a close call landing in Tampa. The tires blew out upon landing. Stuck in the plane on the runway. You can always count on US Air.”

Billy May’s son used Twitter to send a message about his dad’s death this morning. The message said “My dad didn’t wake up this morning.. I’m sure you’ll all hear about it. It hasn’t yet hit me but it’s about to.” He also Tweeted “On my way to the house. He’s gone. I’m gonna be strong for him. Thank you for all the thoughts and prayers everyone.”

Discovery Channel issues a stement on the death of Billy Mays

Discovery Channel spokeswoman Elizabeth Hillman released a statement Sunday extending sympathy to the Mays family.

“Everyone that knows him was aware of his larger-than-life personality, generosity and warmth,” Hillman’s statement said. “Billy was a pioneer in his field and helped many people fulfill their dreams. He will be greatly missed as a loyal and compassionate friend.”

Billy Mays wife, Deborah issued a stement “Although Billy lived a public life, we don’t anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days,”. She also said “Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times.”

Billy Mays was just on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. You can watch the video below.

Our prayers go out the Billy’s Mays family.

This story is still developing.

UPDATE: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jun/28/281143/tv-pitchman-billy-mays-found-dead-tampa-home/news-metro/

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