*The wait is over.

The world has been waiting with baited breath to see Miss Blue Ivy Carter.

Well, Mom and Pop Carter have just obliged and released, via Tumblr, the first photos of the one month old golden child. We have to say she is a sight to behold. An absolute darling. Mr. and Mrs. Carter did an excellent job. Blue Ivy is a beautiful baby.

By the way, Beyonce and Jay-Z could have made a fortune from selling the rights to photos of Baby Blue, but they chose to forgo that route and release the photos directly to the public via the page they set up on Tumblr: HelloBlueIvyCarter.tumblr.com.

The Carters also posted this message:

We Welcome you to share in our joy.
Thank you for respecting
our privacy during this
Beautiful time in our lives.

The Carter Family

Enjoy:

Evelyn and Jennifer 'back then' when they were friends

*This season of “Basketball Wives” is going to be over the top with drama and of course lots and lots of fighting.

First of all, the tension between Jen and Evelyn gets worse and elevates to not one, but two fights, at the very least. The girls go at it every time they are in each other’s space. Could it be Jen’s sudden success or Evelyn’s new love? And just FYI, Jen gets slapped like a “b*tch” by Evelyn’s assistant Nia Crooks. WHAT!

Then, newcomers Kesha Nichols and Kenya Bell get the party turned up when personalities clash and gossip begins.

There’s a whole lot of screaming, yelling, “ho-s,” “b*tches,” “mf-s,” “fu-s,”  and, as we said, a whole lot of physical altercations.

But in the meantime, Royce Reed has her own thing going on and trying to dodge the drama as much as possible. The woman is pursuing a new career in acting. Whether or not she has much talent is up to the viewers.

The new season premieres Feb. 20 on VH1 at 8 p.m.

Check out the drama dripping trailer:

Actress Shanola Hampton of 'Shameless' speaks during the Showtime portion of the 2012 Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington Hotel and Spa on Jan. 12, 2012 in Pasadena, Calif.

*Nestled among the millions of fans who watch the morally corrupt shenanigans of the Gallagher family in Showtime’s “Shameless” are two church communities in South Carolina that one could argue … follow the show religiously.

In fact, the pastor of the two congregations in question – Liberty Hill Christian Church in Ridgeville and Briner Christian Church in Holly Hill – is very supportive of the show and makes a point to tune in every Sunday at 10 p.m. for new episodes, as do many of his parishioners.

This is because blood is thicker than Hollywood for Rev. Gralin N. Hampton, whose daughter Shanola Hampton plays the feisty next door neighbor, Veronica Fisher, in the Showtime series.

Although Veronica has a good heart and would do anything for the dysfunctional Gallagher family next door, let’s be clear – she is about as far from church-appropriate as a character can get.

Shanola Hampton with Steve Howey in "Shameless"

“Shameless” stars William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher, an alcoholic single father of six children – the oldest 21, the youngest a toddler. He spends his days drunk, leaving his kids to fend for themselves. Veronica, who is best friends with the eldest child Fiona (Emmy Rossum), is always willing to lend a hand when needed – and the Gallaghers are always in some kind of need.

But Veronica’s personal life keeps her just as busy. And much of the time, her shenanigans involve something kinky with her husband, Kev. [See photo above and video clip below.]

Laura Slade Wiggins as Karen, Ethan Cutkosky as Carl, Steve Howey as Kev, Shanola Hampton as Veronica, Emmy Rossum as Fiona Gallagher, and Emma Kenney as Debbie in "Shamless"

In an exclusive interview with EURweb below, Shanola says her character’s sexcapades could never cause her to lose the unwavering support of her father, his two churches and her entire family back home – including her 83-year-old grandmother.

The Rev. Jackson, a longtime, close friend and confidant of Cornelius, will also lead the eulogy at a private memorial service for the pop cultural icon, set for February 16 at Forest Lawn.

“The Rev. Jackson and my father were very, very close friends and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” stated Tony Cornelius, the son of the Soul Tran founder.

Although the upcoming memorial will be private, Tony Cornelius is working with a media partner to provide a pool feed of the event in order to share the moment with all of the fans and well-wishers who’ve shown their support across the nation.

Gabriel Aubry carried his daughter Nahla to the car through the crowd of paparazzi in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2012.

*TMZ is reporting that Gabriel Aubry is in Dependency Court today regarding his custody case with ex Halle Berry, because authorities are concerned about his ability to safely care for their child.

Aubry was in court Friday over an investigation by the L.A. County Dept. of Children and Family Services’ that he is guilty of child endangerment.

Sources tell TMZ that the DCFS investigation goes beyond an incident in which Gabriel allegedly pushed the nanny who was holding three-year-old Nahla.

“We’re told DCFS is concerned about Nahla’s safety in the care of Gabriel and that is why he was ordered to appear in Dependency Court,” the website reports.

At press time, court was still in session, and Nahla was appointed legal counsel by the court to represent her in the hearing.

*In a “60 Minutes” preview aired Friday on “CBS This Morning,” soulful pop star Adele belts a portion of her hit song, “Rolling in the Deep,” marking the first time she’s sung in public since undergoing throat surgery in early November. [Scroll down to watch.]

In the “60 Minutes” piece airing Sunday, she also talks about when she first realized there was something wrong with her voice and describes how she managed to communicate without speech.

“It was really hard,” she says. “I love talking… I had a note pad and an application on my phone. You talk the words into it and then it speaks it. The great thing is, I love to swear… and I found one where you can swear, so I could get my point across.”

The “60 Minutes” interview airs on CBS before the Grammys, where she’s up for six nominations, including album and song of the year.

*Tonight, acclaimed actress and original Dreamgirl Loretta Devine will receive the Pan African Film Festival’s highest honor, The PAFF Lifetime Achievement Award.Devine boasts a coveted body of work spanning three decades in the entertainment industry.  The short list includes Waiting To Exhale, The Preacher’s Wife, Woman Thou Art Loosed , For Colored Girls, Madea’s Big Happy Family, Jumping The Broom, and her Emmy Award winning guest appearance on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy.

PAFF Executive Director Ayuko Babu notes why Ms. Devine was on obvious choice for the festival’s highest honor:

“Ms. Devine is probably one of the hardest working women in show business.   She is an extremely gifted and versatile actress, creating soulful characters in some of our favorite television shows and films.  Through her craft, she is an amazing storyteller, delivering memorable performances and portraying characters with a richness and vulnerability that connects with audiences on many different levels.”

Loretta Devine has been announced as a new cast member with Jennifer Love Hewitt in Lifetime’s new series, “The Client List.” Also receiving honors during the PAFF Night of Tribute are actress Meagan Good (Stomp The Yard, Jumping The Brood, Eve’s Bayou), David Oyelowo (The Help, The Rise of the Planet of Apes), Mr. Leon Garr (entrepreneur and philanthropist), Jewel Thais-Williams (owner Catch One night club and health practitioner), Van Vicker (African movie star), Jimmy Jean-Louis, Eric Kabera and the Rwanda Cinema Centre.  Some of the honorees are also the subjects of or producers of films screened in the festival.  Visit www.paff.org for more details.  The Pan African Film Festival’s Night of Tribute is tonight Friday, February 10, 2012 at 8:00 pm at the Rave Cinemas Baldwin Hills 15 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza on Martin Luther King Boulevard between Marlton and Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.  For tickets to PAFF screenings and other events, go to www.paff.org

Photo credit: Matthew Jordan Smith from Sepia Dreams, A Celebration of Black Achievement Through Words and Images.

*Bruce Springsteen has announced that Jake Clemons, the nephew of former E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, will be taking over some of his late uncle’s sax duties on the forthcoming “Wrecking Ball” Tour, reports Rolling Stone.

Ed Manion, an original member of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (and a member of Springsteen’s Session Band), will also play saxophone on the tour, although it’s not yet clear how they’ll divide the parts. They will perform alongside trombonist Clark Gayton and trumpeters Curt Ramm and Barry Danielian.

Back-up singers Cindy Mizelle and Curtis King will also be joining the band for the tour, which launches March 9th at the Apollo Theater.

Jake Clemons is an accomplished saxophone player who has guested with the E Street Band on numerous occasions and has also performed with the Swell Season and Nancy Atlas. In 1992, he played the sax alongside his uncle at Bill Clinton’s inauguration.

In July Jake wrote about his uncle’s death on his blog:

“It’s a strange new world without Clarence. He has given so much through the years, and now we are left with a gaping Big Man sized hole in the universe. Yet, as his gift continues to inspire, and as well all continue to process the vast changes of our reality, I again turn to music. It’s what I have. It’s what he gave me from the first moment of seeing him on stage. It’s what he’s left me with now, and the closeness and the love he and I shared will always remain captured in a moment through pursed lips on a metal mouthpiece.”

*(Via Yahoo News) – Amid a backlash from many Catholics and proponents of religious liberty, President Barack Obama announced Friday that his administration will not require religious institutions like hospitals and universities to provide free contraception to their employees in their health insurance.

Speaking to reporters at the White House Friday, Obama offered a compromise that would allow women to obtain free contraception but would require them to obtain it directly from their insurance companies if their employers object to birth control because of religious beliefs.

“Whether you’re a teacher or a small businesswoman or a nurse or a janitor, no woman’s ‘s health should depend on who she is, or where she works, or how much money she makes,” Obama said, calling free contraceptive care a “core principle” of his health care law, which requires that all preventive services be provided at no cost to patients.

Read/learn MORE at Yahoo News.

Watch the President’s announcement below:

*Alright, airport security is getting way out of control.

TSA agents stopped actress Gabrielle Union because of her weave. Yes, her hair do got her a pat down.

“Ma weave got ‘flagged’ by the bodyscan at security. TSA required a hair patdown. No lie…they coulda just asked if it was the temple hair,” the actress tweeted Wednesday. “If human hair & thread sets off the bodyscanner…a lot of folks jus ended up on the ‘watch list’…its a weave not terrorism.”

The inspectors didn’t see anything suspicious after giving her hair a closer look and let her go in time to catch her flight.

But how alarming.

“Bout to take off…hopefully my weave doesn’t cause turbulence…its clearly very powerful,” she updated before having to shut off her phone. Former “Football Wives” star Dawn Neufeld offered her sympathies to Gabby tweeting, “I get stopped every time – the Black female TSA agents understand.”

But then, Union responded with, “Girl it WAS a black female TSA agent!”

And that wasn’t the end of it. She later tweeted that she found a dead bird that may have flown into the window.

“I suspect my weave had something 2 do w/ the bird murder. #killerweave.”

Dang, talk about black humor.