ELECTION NIGHT WITH THE OBAMAS: People magazine in hotel suite with entire extended family.
*The next issue of People magazine will feature an inside look at Barack Obama and his extended family as they watched election returns leading up to his announcement as the 44th President of the United States.
The magazine reports in its latest cover story, (on sale today):
Sitting on a sofa beside his 71-year-old mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago just after 10 p.m., with his family having broken away from the bigger returns-watching party downstairs, Barack Obama already started to hear from campaign aides that news organizations were close to calling the election for Obama.
But his uncle, Steve Robinson, beat them to it. "He said, 'I told you,' " Marian Robinson tells People. "We all had our little laugh, our little enjoyment when he said it. It was like, OK, that means it’s true."
By the time CNN made it official, Robinson adds, "Everybody was quiet. I can't tell you how subdued it was. We weren’t like the people in the stands – you know, yelling and screaming."
People had been anticipating the moment for weeks and months – if not generations. But coming into office at a time of war and global financial crisis, Obama, 47, as the 44th president, won't have the luxury of savoring his achievement for long.
"For even as we celebrate tonight," he said at his victory rally in Chicago, "we know that the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime."
But celebrate they did. After the speech, Barack and his wife, Michelle, 44, spent several hours with friends, staffers and supporters.
Their daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, had been sent home after their turn on the stage.
"They're big huggers, so there's a lot of hugs, a lot of thank-yous, a lot of warmth," said one campaign aide.
WILL.I.AM TO DEBUT NEW OBAMA VIDEO ON 'OPRAH': Clip was supposed to premiere Wednesday on his Web site.
*The new will.i.am video celebrating Barack Obama's victory that was supposed to debut on his Web site Wednesday – but didn't – will now make its premiere this afternoon on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," reports the Associated Press.
The Black Eyed Peas leader had said "It's A New Day" would debut on dipdive.com the day after Obama was elected. A rep for the artist Will.i.am's now says the Chicago-based talk show will broadcast the clip, with other celebrities on hand.
Dipdive.com will then post it later in the day.
Will.i.am became a part of 2008 election lore when he debuted the video "Yes We Can" in February to millions of online views. Several stars including Ryan Phillippe, John Legend, Scarlet Johansson appeared, reciting lines from an Obama speech over will.i.am's music.
BEYONCE OFFERS HERSELF FOR INAUGURATION DAY: Singer says 'if they need me to volunteer, they need me to sing, I'm there, and I'm ready.'
*Beyonce says she is ready, willing and able to do whatever necessary for President-elect Barack Obama on Inauguration Day in Washington.
"I'm there. I can't wait," she told the Associated Press. "I feel like all of us, we're ready to do whatever we have to do. Whatever they want
-- if they need me to volunteer, they need me to sing, I'm there, and I'm ready."
The singer said she already had to cancel a promotional trip to Japan to plug her new album, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce" so that she could remain in the U.S. on Election Night.
"I said, 'What am I doing? I'm completely making a bad decision. I have to go home. I'm gonna kill myself if I'm not home in America,"' said Beyonce. "I knew I needed to be here."
Knowles watched the election results at home with friends and family – while wearing a blue suit and tie with matching red, white and blue stilettos. After he won, she said she "fell asleep crying and smiling at the same time. I woke up with mascara running and a smile on my face."
Most important, Knowles said, is that the newly elected president has provided inspiration for African Americans.
"My nephew, who is 4, when we say, 'You can do whatever, you can be whatever,' it's not cliche," she explained.
DIDDY WAS 'STRAIGHT UP CRYING' TUESDAY NIGHT: Bad Boy mogul celebrates Obama's win and his birthday at NY nightclub.
*Sean "Diddy" Combs began Election Day with cameras following him into the voting booth in Manhattan to cast his ballot for Barack Obama. By the end of the night, after Obama's win, he was in tears.
"I was straight up crying," he confesses to People.com. "I was with my kids. It was a beautiful thing. I just thank God my prayers were answered."
Tuesday's victory for Obama also happened on Diddy's 39th birthday.
"I don't know why God blessed me by having my birthday [on Nov. 4], but we're here to celebrate 80 percent of Obama being elected and 20 percent my birthday," Diddy told reporters Wednesday night at a celebration sponsored by Ciroc Vodka at Mansion nightclub in New York.
Some of his celebrity guests: Mary J. Blige, Ben Stiller, Cassie and Cedric the Entertainer, who said his son Croix, 8, was full of questions:
"'What does the president do and what does it mean? And how old is Barack's little daughter?'" I was like, 'That's what I'm talking about,'" the comedian joked. "'Make that move!'"
On a more serious note, he says: "It was elating and it was just amazing talking to [him] about it."
GOV. PALIN CALLED AFRICA 'A COUNTRY': Plus, former VP candidate once answered door for McCain staffers in nothing but a towel.
*Suddenly free from an agreed-upon gag order, Newsweek has unleashed a ton of information about former GOP vice presidential pick Sarah Palin now that the campaign is over, including her alleged inability to understand that Africa is a continent, not a country.
"There was great concern in the McCain campaign that Sarah Palin lacked the degree of knowledgeability necessary to be a running mate, a vice president, and a heartbeat away from the presidency," said Fox's Carl Cameron, citing Newsweek.
"We're told by folks that she didn't know what countries were in NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement -- that being Canada, the US, and Mexico. We're told she didn't understand that Africa was a continent rather than a country just in itself ... a whole host of questions that caused serious problems about her knowledgeability," said Cameron.
"She got very angry at staff, thought that she was mishandled... was particularly angry about the way the Katie Couric interview went," he continued.
Added Cameron: "She didn't accept preparation for that interview when the aides say that that was part of the problem. And that there were times that she was hard to control emotionally. There's talk of [throwing] temper tantrums [after reading] bad news clippings."
Under Newsweek's Special Election Project, Palin staffers were interviewed by the magazine's reporters on condition that none of their reporting would be published until after Election Day.
The magazine reported Wednesday that Palin once greeted John McCain's male campaign staffers wearing nothing but a towel.
At the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter went to Palin's room to brief her. After a minute, Palin came into the room with a towel wrapped around her body, and another on her wet hair, the magazine reported.
Palin told them to chat with her husband, Todd, "I'll just be a minute," she said.
Newsweek also revealed that Palin spent more on shopping sprees at high-end department stores than originally reported.
"While publicly supporting Palin, McCain's top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy," Newsweek reports.
"One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family--clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus."
The report continues: "According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill."
Palin also allegedly used "low-level staffers" to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards.
"One aide estimated that she spent 'tens of thousands' more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband," Newsweek reported. "An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as 'Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast,' and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books."
TONI MORRISON TALKS OBAMA: Author 'astonished by ability to write, think, reflect, learn and turn a good phrase.'
*Acclaimed author and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison said she decided to endorse Barack Obama for president back in January because of his literary knowledge and abilities.
Morrison said she received a phone call from Obama seeking her support during the primaries. But before they got into politics, the author and the candidate had a little chat about literature.
"He began to talk to me about one of the books I had written, 'Song of Solomon,' and how it had meant a lot to him," Morrison told the Associated Press in a postelection interview from her office at Princeton.
"And I had read his first book ('Dreams From My Father'). I was astonished by his ability to write, to think, to reflect, to learn and turn a good phrase. I was very impressed. This was not a normal political biography."
Morrison, whose novel "A Mercy" comes out next week, decided to endorse Obama even though she was a friend and admirer of Hillary Rodham Clinton and had famously labeled Bill Clinton the country's first black president. She released a statement at the time citing Obama's "intelligence, integrity and rare authenticity," and his "creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom."
Morrison finds herself wondering how some of her late friends would have reacted, like James Baldwin ("How I miss him now," she says), who in the 1960s had scorned as condescending Robert Kennedy's prediction that the United States would have a black president in 40 years. Were "Invisible Man"
author Ralph Ellison still alive, he would have renamed his classic novel "Visible Man," Morrison joked.
WILL.I.AM HELPS CNN DEBUT HOLOGRAM ERA: Technology beamed artist into studio from Chicago.
*Hours before CNN announced Barack Obama had become the first black President of the United States, another bit of history was made at the network thanks to new age technology and guinea pig, will.i.am.
The Black Eyed Peas front man appeared in CNN's New York set via a hologram image generated from 25 high-definition cameras that surrounded him in a tent at Chicago's Grant Park.
The cameras duplicated his moving image in much the same way as a flight simulator would. On-screen, it appeared he was standing and talking to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer.
CNN went to great lengths to bring forth the hologram, working with a California consulting company and two overseas firms, Sportvu and Vizrt, to develop the technology, reports the Associated Press.
"I didn't want it to be the centerpiece of our coverage," CNN's senior vice president and Washington bureau chief David Bohrman said. "It was an ornament on our tree. It certainly worked. We'll see where it ends up, if anywhere."
MICHELLE'S ELECTION NIGHT DRESS DEBACLE? Fashion critics largely hated the Narcisco Rodriguez-inspired dress.
*As Barack Obama was making history Tuesday night as the nation's first African American man to be elected president, some fashion critics admit being distracted by the dress worn by his wife, Michelle.
Described by the President-elect as his "best friend" and "love of his life," Michelle Obama appeared onstage at Tuesday's Grant Park rally in Chicago wearing a black cardigan over a scoop-neck black sheath with splashes of red in the upper and lower half separated by a band of black at the hips.
The outfit was a slightly modified version of a dress presented by designer Narcisco Rodriguez in September for the 2009 spring season, reports Agence France Presse.
"I voted for Obama, but I didn't vote for that dress," homemaker and mother of three Jessica Bettencourt from Wisconsin told The New York Times.
"I don't know what was worse," Chicago lawyer Karla Wright told the paper, "that stupid criss-cross band around the middle or that black sort of border coming up from the hem."
Not all comments were negative.
"That dress was unpretentious," Julie Gilhart, fashion director of New York's top-price Barneys clothing store, told the Times. "It said, 'Be who you are -- don't let someone else tell you how to be.'"
Michelle Obama does not use a personal stylist, Obama staff members told the paper.
"Certainly, her style is a departure from the starchy attire that first ladies historically favored," the Times wrote. "At the least, it promises four lively years of fashion-watching at the White House."
In other Michelle Obama news, the future First Lady chatted with current First Lady Laura Bush by telephone on Wednesday, according to Obama's spokeswoman.
The incoming Obama thanked Bush "for the grace and strength she's demonstrated as First Lady and expressed appreciation for her guidance in the coming months," the spokeswoman said in a statement.
DENZEL LINK IN OBAMA/MCCAIN SWAN SONGS: Soundtracks to films starring actor used by both in post-election speeches.
*MTV.com points out that the theme music used to close speeches given Tuesday night by both President-elect Barack Obama and former GOP nominee John McCain were from films starring Oscar winner Denzel Washington.
The Web site reported:
McCain left the Arizona stage to part of Hans Zimmer’s score from “Crimson Tide.” The 1995 Tony Scott film focused on a career Navy man (Gene Hackman), labeled a maverick by some, who is stripped of his authority and ultimately beaten by a young black guy, somewhat new to the scene (Washington).
Then there was Obama, who left the stage to the strings of Trevor Rabin’s score from “Remember the Titans.” The 2000 Disney/Bruckheimer joint?
It followed an African-American coach who brought together whites and blacks to win a championship.
MORE CELEB OBAMA CELEBRATIONS: Snipes, Whitaker, Star Jones, Reggie & Kim K., and more; plus, Pitt and Oprah discuss missing each other in Grant Park.
*Michael Jordan, Russell Simmons, Wesley Snipes, Bob Johnson and Butch Lewis were at Diddy's big birthday bash/Obama watch party Tuesday night at a club in New York when the Illinois democrat was elected president.
According to Page Six, "A huge roar shook the dining room" where they had all gathered to watch the returns. Jordan and Snipes later partied at Tenjune with fellow Chicagoan Larenz Tate, Knicks Jared Jeffries and Jerome James, and "Last Comic Standing" host Bill Bellamy, the surprise emcee for the night who shouted with excitement: "We are officially a country of change."
Meanwhile, Forrest and Keisha Whitaker, Common, will.i.am, Star Jones, Hill Harper and Kevin Liles (Warner Music VP) celebrated Barack Obama's victory until 4 a.m. at The Underground in Chicago, Page Six reported.
Television cameras captured Oprah Winfrey watching Obama's victory speech in Chicago's Grant Park, but Brad Pitt – also at Grant Park – managed to escape the night undetected by media, as well as Oprah.
"I was looking for you and would have invited you down to sit with the rest of us," Oprah told the actor during a taping of her talk show that will air later this month.
“You mean the non-VIP area?” Brad joked, before assuring his host that he took public transportation to be at the rally “just like everyone else.”
The show, on which Brad will promote his movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" alongside co-star Cate Blanchett, is due to air on Nov 17, according to Star magazine.
In Los Angeles, Kim Kardashian and her boyfriend Reggie Bush, both Obama supporters, ended up in a heated argument over some of his policies following his announcement as president.
"Reggie and I had this two-hour long conversation at the end of the night," Kardashian told People. "We got so carried away that we had to call his mom. We had to call my mom, it ended up in this huge conference call."
And, even after the outcome was clear, "We were going off on tangents about politics, different theories, the Bible," Kardashian admitted. "It was pretty intense, but then we passed out."
PANEL DISCUSSES POLITICAL COMEDY IN OBAMA ERA: Daily Show creator; Roseanne Barr, cartoonists and others weigh in.
*How much political humor can be squeezed out of a Barack Obama presidency without being politically incorrect, or insensitive to race?
The issue was brought before a panel of experts Wednesday night under the title "We Have a Winner," which took place at 92nd Street Y on Manhattan's Upper East Side as part of the New York Comedy Festival.
"The Daily Show" co-creator and political humorist Lizz Winstead, who hosted the debate, shrugged off the suggestion that the president-elect was too tough a target for real punchlines, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
She said likely jokes about Obama in the White House would revolve around how he handles power.
Roseanne Barr argued that the level of comedic sophistication will rise compared with the Bush era. "Obama is going to raise the level of intelligence (of jokes)," she said.
Cartoonist Ted Rall even predicted the age of Obama would be similar to the presidency of John F. Kennedy. "JFK was a good time for comedy," he said. "Obama is so stuffed and uptight. Maybe he is asking for it."
Conservative commentator Monica Crowley, however, said she has generally heard from comedians that they find little fun in Obama. She can't wait to see how things will work out once Obama moves into the White House, she added.
Baratunde Thurston from "The Onion" and conservative blogger and pundit Robert A. George also participated in the post-election debate.
MOS DEF WANTED ON ROBBERY CHARGES: Las Vegas police looking to arrest rapper for incident with photographer.
*Mos Def is wanted for arrest in Las Vegas after an alleged scuffle with a photographer at a fashion trade show in August.
According to the Associated Press, police are looking to charge the 35-year-old rapper – born Dante Terrell Smith – with felony robbery and misdemeanor malicious destruction of property.
Cops say 60-year-old photographer Volker Correl was snapping photos at the Men's Apparel and Garment Industry Convention in Vegas when the artist allegedly ripped the camera from around his neck.
Officer Ramon Denby says authorities want Smith to surrender himself.
ANDERSON COOPER LOVES HIM SOME NENE: CNN anchor obsessed with Bravo's 'Real Housewives of Atlanta.'
*CNN anchor Anderson Cooper has professed his love for Bravo's reality show "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and his favorite housewife, NeNe Leakes, on two separate talk shows within one week.
While sitting in for Regis Philbin on "Live with Regis and Kelly," the newsman dished about how much he loves the series, and described in particular his affection for its most ample-bosomed cast member, NeNe.
Several days later, Cooper was a guest on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," appearing via satellite from his CNN headquarters. Somehow, he got on the subject of NeNe, but Ellen had yet to see the show.
"Honey," the CNN veteran said, "I don't even know where to begin with NeNe." Alluding to Leakes' bust, Cooper held his hands out from his chest and said, "You have to sort of watch to enjoy the fullness of NeNe."
In an interview with E! Online, Leakes said her phone didn't stop ringing and the text messages didn't stop coming from friends and family who were watching "Ellen" at the time.
"I told my husband, 'You know Anderson Cooper? He spoke about me,'" Leakes said. "And he said, 'Anderson Cooper? The guy with the white hair? No, he didn't!' We think it's great. We love it."
As for DeGeneres not being a viewer? "I need to update Ellen," Leakes said. "The girl is lost, and she needs to call me so I can let her know what 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' is all about."
Leakes forgives Cooper for mispronouncing her name (it's NeeNee, not NayNay), and has now begun imagining the fun times she thinks she could have with the silver-haired anchor.
"I would just talk to him and keep it real," she said, adding, "Let's just get down and dirty and talk about whatever. I'd wear a nice little top, since he's talking about my chest. I don't know if he's had any brown sugar."
MASE EXPANDS CHURCH INTO PHOENIX: Former Bad Boy rapper builds upon Atlanta location.
*Rapper-turned-preacher Mason “Mase” Betha is building a second branch of his El Elyon International Church (EEIC) in Phoenix, Arizona, reports Allhiphop.com.
The former entertainer says the second church falls in line with his plan to expand his ministry beyond its Atlanta location.
"It just makes sense that we are on both coasts,” Mase said in a statement. “Our vision has always been to plant churches all over the world, and Phoenix is the first of many. We love the city of Phoenix and look forward to making a tremendous impact."
Mase, who retired from rap in 1999 after declaring himself a born-again Christian, said he picked Phoenix after making several recent trips to the city.
Despite plans of launching the new EEIC branch on Dec. 31, Betha will continue to oversee EEIC's flagship church in Atlanta, which is currently undergoing renovations.
LISA BONET STRUGGLED WITH TV RETURN: 'To have my face reinstated in minds and homes once a week was an intense decision.'
*Former Cosby kid Lisa Bonet says her decision to return to television – in a recurring role on the ABC cop drama "Life on Mars" – was not an easy one.
"To have my face reinstated in minds and homes once a week was an intense decision," says the notoriously press-shy actress and mother of 19-year-old Zoe and 16-month-old Lola with boyfriend, actor Jason Momoa. The couple is expecting their second child in January.
Bonet, 41, says she has a hard enough time just dealing with the paparazzi every day.
"It feels like you're being stalked," she says. "As a shy person, that type of attention coming at me violates something. I don't like that it's expected to come with the territory."
As for why she decided to sign on for a the new role, despite some reservations about the attention she'd be getting, she tells People.com, "You know, I guess it all has to do with the stars lining up and it being the right time and the right project."
A happy love life also helped. "Having a mate has given me that feeling of safety," she adds.
Although she's uncomfortable around the press, Bonet takes full advantage of the People interview to squash a widespread rumor that she also has a son.
"I don't have three children already," she says. "I always hear that I do … Apparently, there's some young child locked in a basement," she quips. "I don't dwell on that stuff, but that comes to mind.”
NIA LONG CO-HOSTS BET J's 'Virtual Awards': Ceremony toasts best in entertainment; will premiere later this month.
*BET J bridges the worlds of music and virtual reality to bring viewers its first ever awards show, the BET J Virtual Awards, slated to premiere on BET J on Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Hosted by actress Nia Long and comedian Chris Spencer, the "virtual"
broadcast honors today's best in music and entertainment. The show will feature performances from Washington, D.C., New York and Atlanta hotspots – "all from a stunning, ground-breaking virtual environment," the network stated.
BET J also gives viewers an opportunity to showcase their own musical talent by performing their own rendition of one of the five nominated songs in the special user-generated "My Time Online" category.
Through Wednesday, Nov. 12, viewers can log onto www.bet.com/betjvirtualawards to upload their videos which will be judged by a celebrity panel of judges. The winner will be presented with their own BET J Virtual Awards statuette and have their acceptance speech air during the awards show.
DANITY'S DAWN DENIES DEPARTURE: Richard says everyone else wanted solo gigs, not her.
*Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard is side-stepping rumors that her attempts to go solo caused the pop outfit to fall apart.
The group, put together by rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs for his reality TV series "Making The Band," was reportedly left with only two remaining members after Shannon Bex left and singers Aubrey O'Day and D.
Woods were fired.
Reports have swirled of Diddy's plans for a solo run with 23-year-old Richard, which allegedly added to tensions in the former five-piece.
But Richards insists it was her former bandmates who caused the rift.
She tells WENN, "The reality is that we were in a group and everyone got to do the individual. I was pro Danity Kane. Aubrey went to Broadway, D. Woods had her own side hustle: a group. Everyone had their own opportunity to do things and no one ever had anything to say about it, it was totally fine.
"It's interesting that Puff just had me on a couple of references (song parts) and my name is in it like I did something wrong. It's interesting how tables turn. All of a sudden when someone has a belief in me, people say I'm doing something side."
GEORGE CLINTON, SHIELA E. IN 'GONE COUNTRY': Artists among cast for new season of CMT reality show.
*Funk veteran George Clinton and percussion maven Sheila E will venture out of their comfort zones along with five other stars in the third season of CMT's singing competition series, "Gone Country."
Rounding out the cast are former Miss USA Tara Conner, singer Taylor Dayne, Monkees lead vocalist/drummer Micky Dolenz, actor Richard Grieco and "American Idol" first-season runner-up Justin Guarini.
The contestants will spend two weeks working with songwriters on a country tune. The celebrity judged by host John Rich as the most prepared to impress a country audience will record and release their single to country radio.
Production is currently underway in Nashville for a January 2009 premiere. Previous winners were Julio Iglesias Jr. (Season 1) and Sebastian Bach (Season 2).
SPORTS BITS: Japan worried about Obama influence on Olympic bid; Keyshawn reality show; Mayor Kevin Johnson; Venus vs. Serena; Hamilton stays with McLaren.
*Japanese Olympic officials fear the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president could make his home city of Chicago the favorite to host the 2016 Olympic Games and harm Tokyo's bid. Tokyo, Chicago, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro are the four cities in the running to host the 2016 Games. "I wonder how IOC members will react when Mr. Obama appears in a presentation for Chicago," Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda told Japanese media Wednesday. The IOC will name the 2016 host at its general assembly in October next year. "Mr. Obama is popular and good at speeches, so things could get tough for Japan," said senior JOC board member Tomiaki Fukuda.
*A&E has given a go to the reality series, "Keyshawn Johnson: Tackling Design," starring the retired NFL wide receiver as and he attempts to get an interior-design business off the ground. His day job is providing gridiron analysis on ESPN.
*Former NBA star Kevin Johnson became the first black mayor of Sacramento, Calif. Tuesday night. The one-time All-Star point guard for the Phoenix Suns defeated two-term incumbent Heather Fargo in a run-off election. Johnson, a 42-year-old Democrat with conservative social views, was endorsed by fellow NBA heavyweights Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley. He wants to raise the profile of his hometown and bemoans his city’s image beside the likes of Los Angeles and San Francisco. “We should be a destination place,” he said leading to the election.
*Venus Williams won her third successive match in the WTA year-end championships in Doha Thursday, solidifying her spot in Saturday's semi-finals. The Wimbledon winner beat Russian world number two Dinara Safina on Tuesday, Olympic champion Elena Dementieva on Wednesday, and her sister Serena Williams, the US Open champion, on Thursday. The elder Williams sister will reach the last four of this event for the third time in her career.
*Lewis Hamilton thanked McLaren personnel for helping him become Formula One's youngest champion, saying he plans to spend the rest of his career with the team. The 23-year-old Briton drove around the lake at McLaren's technology center Wednesday in an F1 car and received a big ovation from many of the 1,000 employees. Hamilton, who has a $120 million, five-year contract with McLaren, said he couldn't envision driving for another team. Hamilton's visit came the same day he received a congratulatory message from Queen Elizabeth II. He returned to Britain after finishing fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday, taking the season title by one point ahead of race winner Felipe Massa of Ferrari.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Oprah's 'Mr. Man'; Curtis Scoon script; Anna Deavere Smith play; Claudia Jordan sues; Kravitz cancels Canadian tour.
*Oprah Winfrey told her audience Wednesday that she had no idea whose shoulders she was resting on when cameras caught her bawling during Barack Obama's speech Tuesday night in Chicago's Grant Park. The media, however, has identified him as an Obama campaign worker from California. Co-worker Karen Wark says the man in pictures is Sam Perry, who worked at the Silicon Valley for Obama office. Wark couldn't give other details about Perry or his trip to Chicago. Oprah thanked the guy she called "Mr. Man" for letting her cry on his shoulder.
*The New York Post is reporting that Curtis Scoon, once a suspect in the 2002 murder of rap legend Jam Master Jay, is shopping a screenplay about another infamous Queens slaying. Scoon, who was never arrested in connection with Jay's killing, tells Page Six he's pitching a story based on Police Officer Edward Byrne's 1988 shooting death in the line of duty. Scoonhas recently worked as a co-producer on BET's "American Gangster."
*Award-winning playwright and performer Anna Deavere Smith concludes a 3-day run of her new one-woman play, The Arizona Project, exploring "women's relationships to justice and the law," tomorrow (Nov. 8) in Phoenix, AZ. The play was commissioned by Bruce Ferguson, director of Future Arts Research (F.A.R.), a new artist-driven research program at Arizona State University. According to a statement, it "was inspired by an ongoing series of initiatives of the advocacy group Arizona Lawyers Honoring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor." Smith presents "several interwoven monologues in this one-woman performance, drawing verbatim from a series of interviews she conducted over the course of three weeks in 2008."
*TMZ.com is reporting that "Deal or No Deal" models Claudia Jordan, Aubrie Lemon and Lauren Shiohama have sued Nervous Tattoos photo agency claiming it hired them for an Ed Hardy billboard but were never paid the promised $600 for the one day shoot. In the lawsuit filed Wednesday in L.A. County Superior Court, the three suitcase holders are also seeking $54,000 in penalties.
Lenny Kravitz has cancelled the Canadian leg of his current tour due to illness, reports Live Daily. "Following rave reviews and record attendances across Canada it is with great regret that Lenny Kravitz has had to cancel the remainder of his Canadian tour," reads an announcement posted at Kravitz's MySpace page, "Lenny is suffering from severe throat problems that have resulted in him not being able to sing or even talk."
The announcement goes on to say that "2009 will be a huge year for Lenny with a world tour that will play heavily in the US and Canada. Lenny looks forward to seeing all of his Canadian fans again at this time and once again apologizes for the very unforeseen cancellation."
EVENT CALENDAR: 'Thriller-Live'; Blige rocks for Citi; Braxton joins 'DWTS' tour
*Thriller – Live, a touring musical celebration of the career of Michael Jackson, will begin performances at the West End's Lyric Theatre Jan. 2, 2009, prior to an official opening Jan. 21. The limited run will play through April 12. In a press statement, producer Nicol of Flying Music said, "Thriller – Live is an uplifting, feel-good show with incredible choreography and sensational songs that everyone knows and loves — it's just the sort of escapist entertainment people need to take their minds off how tough life is at the moment. Songs in the show include "I Want You Back,"
"I'll Be There," "Show You The Way To Go," "Can You Feel It," "Rock With You," "She's Out Of My Life," "Thriller," "Beat It," "Ben," "ABC," "Man in the Mirror," "Dirty Diana," "Billie Jean" and "Earth Song." Tickets go on sale Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. London time. Contact the box office at 0844 412 4661
or visit www.nimaxtheatres.com/thriller.
*Citi, through its partnership with Live Nation, is giving its cardmembers the chance to win exclusive access to music superstars Mary J Blige and Nickelback. From Nov. 9 through Dec. 28, every time cardmembers use participating Citi credit cards they will automatically be entered for a chance to win two Grand Prizes - joining Nickelback on their next North American tour for a backstage experience in three cities or joining Mary J Blige in the studio during an exclusive recording session. Full details and additional information will be available at www.stories.citicards.com.
*Toni Braxton and Maurice Greene from the current season of ABC’s "Dancing with the Stars" will join fellow veterans of the show on a 38-show North American tour this winter. The trek kicks off at the Sports Arena in San Diego, CA on Wednesday, Dec. 17 with fellow Season 7 celeb Lance Bass and Marlee Matlin from Season 6. Tickets will go on sale beginning Monday, (Nov. 10). Fans should visit DancingWithTheStarsOnTour.com and ABC.com for complete tour details.
'IMPEACH OBAMA' GROUPS HIT FACEBOOK: Movement afoot to remove President-elect from office he has yet to occupy.
*Barack Obama has yet to be sworn in as the 44th U.S. President, but various groups are already using the Internet to gather support for his impeachment.
On Facebook, an "Impeach Barack Obama" group has attracted more than 700 members and a lively debate about the Democrat's election victory on Tuesday over Republican John McCain, reports AFP.
Another Facebook group of the same name has 160 members and urges others to join because "we might as well get a head start on the impeachment of Obama."
"There are a lot of Americans out there that do not fully understand the concept of Socialism or Communism which is why they've elected Obama as president," it says.
Yet another Facebook group, "Impeach Barack Hussein Obama," has 160 members. It decries that Obama "has voiced support for various unconstitutional programs such as the assault weapons ban, universal healthcare, and various schemes for wealth distribution."
Obama still has some way to go, however, to equal the number of "Impeach George Bush" groups on Facebook, which lists at least 95 such groups with varying membership.
Obama is to be sworn into office on January 20, 2009. He will be the first African-American president of the United States.
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
For movies opening November 7, 2008
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (PG-13 for mature themes) Holocaust drama about the 8 year-old son (Asa Butterfield) of a concentration camp commander (David Thewlis) whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy (Jack Scanlon) interned on the other side of the fence leads to devastating consequences.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG for mild crude humor) Animated adventure finds the colorful menagerie of domesticated New York zoo animals again struggling to survive in the wilds of the African jungle. Voice cast includes Cedric the Entertainer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Ben Stiller, Will I Am, Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister and the late Bernie Mac.
Role Models (R for nudity, profanity, sexuality and crude humor) Sean William Scott and Paul Rudd co-star in this shock comedy as slackers sentenced to 150 hours of community service as mentors to a couple of impressionable youngsters (Christopher ‘McLovin’ Mintz-Plasse and Bobb’e J. Thompson).
Soul Men (R for nudity, sexuality and pervasive profanity) Samuel L.
Jackson and the late Bernie Mac co-star in this road comedy about a couple of R&B legends who reunite for a memorial concert at the Apollo in honor of their recently-deceased front man. Directed by Malcolm Lee, ensemble cast includes Sharon Leal, Jennifer Coolidge, Sean Hayes, John Legend, Ken Davitian and the late Isaac Hayes.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Eden (Unrated) Romance drama, set in Ireland, revolving around a woman’s (Eileen Walsh) desperate effort to save her disintegrating marriage when her husband (Aidan Kelly) of ten years starts hanging out in pubs where he has his head turned by younger women.
Gardens of the Night (Unrated) Gillian Jacobs and Evan Ross co-star in this harrowing drama about a couple of traumatized 17 year-olds struggling to survive on the streets after enduring years of abuse in captivity as the sex slaves of a child molester (Tom Arnold) Cast includes John Malkovich, Harold Perrineau, Jeremy Sisto and Cornelia Guest.
The Guitar (R for nudity, sexuality and profanity) Nothing left to lose musical drama about a just-dumped, recently-fired, terminally-ill woman (Saffron Burrows) who decides to max out her credit cards while on a self-indulgent spending spree during her last days on Earth.
House (R for terror and violence) Spooky slasher flick, set in rural Alabama, about two couples on the run from a maniac bent on murder who end up fighting for their sanity and survival in a haunted house in the middle of the woods. Cast includes Allana Bale, J.P. Davis, Michael Madsen, Leslie Easterbrook, Julie Ann Emery and Bill Moseley.
JCVD (R for profanity and violence) Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself in this crime comedy about an aging action star who lands back in the limelight when he ends up in the middle of a real-life hostage drama.
(In French and English with subtitles)
Pray the Devil Back to Hell (Unrated) Feminist documentary chronicles the extraordinary efforts of the group of visionary women who spearheaded the peace movement which led to the end of Liberia’s decades-long civil war and the rise to power of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female head of state.
Repo! The Genetic Opera (R for profanity, sexuality, drug use, graphic violence and gore) Sci-fi horror flick, set in 2056, about an enterprising biotech company which turns from savior to monster during a planetary epidemic when it begins repossessing transplanted organs from patients who can’t pay their medical bills. Cast includes Paris Hilton, Paul Sorvino Joan Jett and Bill Moseley.
Stages (Unrated) Dysfunctional family drama, set in Amsterdam, explores the strained relationship of a divorced couple (Elsie de Brauw and Marcel Musters) who continue to squabble while sharing concerns about their troubled, 17 year-old son (Stijn Koomen). (In Dutch with subtitles)
The World Unseen (PG-13 for sexuality, violence and mature themes) Homoerotic drama, set in South Africa under apartheid during the Fifties, about the forbidden love which unexpectedly blossoms between an East Indian café owner (Sheetal Sheth) and a pregnant, married woman (Lisa Ray) also of Subcontinent extraction.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"You must have long range goals to keep you from being frustrated by short range failures." — Charles C. Noble
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Nov. 7: Director Troy Beyer is 45. BET personality Melyssa Ford is 33.
Nov. 8: Actress Alfre Woodard is 56. Singer Diana King is 39.
Nov. 9: Rapper Pepa of Salt-N-Pepa is 40. Rapper Scarface of Geto Boys is 40. Singer Sisqo (Dru Hill) is 31.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Ladies, do you need another pair of shoes? If so, here's a site with shoes in all colors and styles (www.headoverheelzonline.net/).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Nov. 7, 1876: Edward A. Bouchet received the Ph.D. degree in physics at Yale University and became the first black person to receive a doctorate at an American University.
Nov. 8, 1938: Crystal Bird Fauset becomes the first black woman elected to a state legislature in the U.S. acquiring this distinction by being named to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Nov. 9, 1922: Dorothy Dandridge was born on this day in Cleveland, Ohio. She became the first black woman to be nominated for an Oscar for the role of Carmen in “Carmen Jones.” (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)