This is David Banner’s new single, “Speaker (9MM),” featuring Akon, Lil’ Wayne and Snoop Dogg from his fifth studio album, The Greatest Story Ever Told. Photos from the video shoot can be viewed on David Banner’s MYSPACE

OPRAH’S GOLDEN RETRIEVER DIED » In the August 2007 issue of O Magazine, which hit newsstands yesterday, Oprah talks about her recent experience in dealing the with the death of her 2-year-old golden retriever. The talk show host had a late lunch with friends, her dog, Gracie, was out with the dog walker and two other retrievers for their weekend exercise. The clear plastic ball, which belonged to Winfrey’s 12-year-old cocker spaniel Sophie, was in the grass when Gracie (who wasn’t supposed to play with the ball) found it – and swallowed it. Gracie apparantly choked on it and wasn’t able to be revived via CPR.

“I don’t believe in accidents,” writes Winfrey. “I know for sure that everything in life happens to help us live. I ran barefoot out of the house and found the dog walker and one of my security guards pumping her chest,” Winfrey writes about her reaction to the phone call that Gracie was no longer breathing. “Just as I reached them, the security guard looked up and said, ‘I’m sorry, ma’am. We tried everything. I’m sorry. She’s gone.’ I stood there dazed, stunned, crying – and watched as they placed her in the back of a golf cart, her still-warm body with the lipstick stain [from Winfrey's kiss beforehand] on her fur,” writes Winfrey. “Her life was a gift to me,” she said. “Her death, a greater one.”

Not to take away from the sadness of the story or anything but uhm …. dang! You know you’re somebody when people actually care about your dead dog! Check out the rest of today’s rundown after the cut. Sorry about being so late with this. I haven’t been feeling so well lately, so I took the day off and rested in bed. Besides that, it’s been a SLOW day … and a slow week for that matter. CONTINUE READING