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'INSIDE' THE MIND OF SPIKE

LEE: 'Inside Man' director talks

Tyler Perry, first encounter with

John Singleton, and making

history with Denzel.

*Spike Lee's eyes light up at the

prospect of himself and Denzel
Washington emerging as this

generation's Martin Scorsese

and Robert DeNiro.
"We got a couple more films

[than Scorsese/DeNiro]," Lee says,
before quickly rethinking his response.

"Wait, how many did they do
together? Let's count them: 'Mean

Streets,' 'Raging Bull,' 'Goodfellas,'
'Taxi Driver,' 'Casino' - five right?

[They have] one more! One more,

and we there!"
Lee says a fifth film with Denzel

will definitely happen down the line,

and sooner rather than later. The

two New Yorkers began their working
relationship in 1990 with Lee's fourth

feature film, "Mo' Better Blues," and
was followed by 1992's "Malcolm X"

and 1998's "He Got Game." The eight

years between "Game" and today's

opening of "Inside Man," marks the

longest time they've spent apart.
"If you look at the time table,

it's been a minute since 'He Got
Game,'" he says. "We both said look,

the next film can't [take] as long. We
don't know what it's gonna be, but we

know we wanna work together soon for
number five."
It was a miracle that their number

four even took place. According
to Spike, Denzel was supposed to do

another film for Imagine Entertainment's
Brian Grazer, but it fell through at the

last minute.
"When you're Denzel, he's getting

$20 million a film, so he's like, 'Alright,

I'm doing this film behind this film, and

this film.' So when his film [with

Grazer] fell apart, he's like, 'I got this

block here [open].' That's when he

played Brutus in [the Broadway play]

'Julius Caesar.' But the run of the play

wasn't the run of the [vacated] window.

So he still had time after the play ended.

So I gave the script to Denzel. He said,

'Spike, I wanna do this, but you got X

amount of time.'"
Once Washington was confirmed

to play the lead role of a New York cop
going toe-to-toe with a clever bank

robber, Lee reached out to Clive Owen
about portraying Washington's nemesis.
"Simultaneously, I'd been speaking

to Clive about another film," he said.

"He came on board on a whim. On

a humble, we sent it to Jodie Foster
and she liked it. And we were on

our way."
Foster rounds out the cast as a

power broker who inserts herself into
the face off between Washington and

Owen, making an already tenuous
situation even worse.
All three leads have admitted that

a desire to work under Spike Lee
drove their decisions to join the project.
"But also, let's not negate

the fact that it's the script," Lee
deflects. "I might've been a factor,

but it's the material. These guys
didn't have to do it, especially Jodie.

She just finished 'Flight Plan' and,
you know, she might do a film every

four or five years."
Lee, who turned 49 on Monday,

is currently celebrating his 20th year
making feature films. With several

dozen movies, documentaries, television
projects and music videos on his resume,

the Brooklynite has certainly been
a source of inspiration to his peers

- both aspiring directors and veteran
filmmakers. It's something Lee views

only as part of a cycle that began with
the influence of his heroes.
"Gordon Parks, who just passed,

Ossie Davis, those are individuals
that made it possible for myself," he

says. "The granddaddy of them all,
Oscar Micheaux, Melvin Van Peebles,

those men enabled me to tell stories."
"'She's Gotta Have It' came out 20

years ago," he continues. "When it
opened in LA, I was in front of the

theater and after the movie let out,
this skinny kid with glasses this thick

said, 'Hello, my name is John
Singleton. I'm in high school. I wanna

make movies like you.' True story.

So it's an evolution, you know. People

are making films now that were inspired
by John Singleton's film 'Boyz n the

Hood.' So you just gotta keep it
going."
Lee has passed one of his Hollywood

torches to playwright-turned-filmmaker Tyler

Perry, whose Hollywood cache went from
zero to 60 on February 25, 2005 - the

day his "Diary of a Mad Black Woman"
entered theaters en route to a box-

office shocker.
"I've got mad love for Tyler," Lee

says. "He's someone who's become

a force. When he was trying to get that

film made, people were telling him,
'Black people who go to church don't

go to movies,' and that type of stuff.
He didn't take that or let it stop him,

and he's been a box office king. So
hopefully people will use him as an

example, if you have a vision and you're
driven, no matter who you are, black,

white, Latino, Asian, you get your
stuff done."
Lee has had to remind himself

of that can-do stamina lately as he
continues work on his next project,

"When the Levees Broke," an HBO
documentary due Aug. 29 about the

issues of class and race uprooted

by Hurricane Katrina.
"My first documentary, '4 Little

Girls,' was about the bombing of the
16th St. Baptist Church, which took

place in Birmingham, Alabama in 1963,"
he says. "We did that film 20 years

later. For the most part, that story
would've been told. But for this

documentary, everyday there's something
new. This story is constantly shifting

and changing, so it is a challenge."

GARY DOURDAN SUES EX-

GIRLFRIEND FOR $4 MILLION:

Actor alleges slander after
former lover accused him of rape.

*Gary Dourdan, star of CBS’s

popular drama “CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation,” has filed a lawsuit

against his ex-girlfriend for slander
and negligent infliction of emotional

distress.
According to the San Francisco

Chronicle, the actor is seeking $4
million from former girlfriend Anne

Greene after she accused him of rape

and battery in 2005. Dourdan, who was

never charged with rape, pleaded no
contest to misdemeanor battery and

was sentenced to stay away from

Greene and attend domestic

violence counseling.
A year later, Dourdan is firing

back with his lawsuit, claiming
Greene is a "fatal attraction" stalker,

who called him up to 30 times a day,
left threatening messages on his

voicemail and slept in her car

outside his home.
The lawsuit, filed under Dourdan's

real name, Gary Durdin, also says
Greene set out on "an obsessive

crusade" to destroy his "reputation

and peace of mind."
The case will be heard in Los

Angeles Superior Court in September.

CHEF KILLED OFF IN ‘SOUTH

PARK’ SEASON PREMIERE: Or

was he? Episode takes another dig at

Scientology during heartfelt farewell.

*Wednesday’s season premiere

of “South Park,” filmed within days of
Isaac Hayes announcing his decision

to leave the series, saw the untimely
demise of the character Chef, which

Hayes has voiced since the Comedy
Central show’s 1997 debut.
The singer released a statement

last week citing the animated series’

“intolerance and bigotry” as his reasons

for leaving. Creators Matt Stone and

Trey Parker said Hayes, a Scientologist,

was upset that "South Park" mocked

his religion in an episode last November,

titled, “Trapped in the Closet.”
Hayes did not participate in

Wednesday’s season premiere, in which
Chef’s dialogue seemed to be pieced

together from previous lines. He
repeatedly said he wanted to “make

sweet love” to the “South Park”
elementary school kids.
The plot involved Chef being

brainwashed by the “Super Adventure
Club,” which, among other things,

turns its members into child molesters.
The “South Park” children – Stan,

Cartman, Kenny and Kyle – try
unsuccessfully to rescue him. Before

he can return to his group, Chef falls
off a bridge onto rocks, is burned,

stabbed and mauled by a mountain

lion and bear.
In the show's final scene, members

of the "Super Adventure Club" try to

revive Chef. Audiences are left to

conclude that he has died, but then
again, this is “South Park,” and

Kenny dies in every episode.
"A lot of us don't agree with

the choices the Chef has made in

thelast few days," one of the children

eulogizes at a funeral. "Some of us feel
hurt and confused that he seemed to

turn his back on us. But we can't let
the events of the past few weeks take

away the memories of how Chef made

us smile.
"We shouldn't be mad at Chef for

leaving us. We should be mad at that
fruity little club for scrambling his brains."

‘TEMPERATURE’ RISES ON ‘SICK’

BILLBOARD: Ne-Yo hands crown to

Sean Paul; plus E-40 scores his highest

album debut.

*Sean Paul’s “Temperature” has

warmed up enough fans to earn the No.
1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles

chart. The cut, also the chart's greatest

airplay gainer, ends the two-week

run of Ne-Yo's "So Sick," which
falls to No. 3.
Daniel Powter's "Bad Day," which

ushers off exiting “American Idol”
contestants, rises 5-2, while James

Blunt's "You're Beautiful" falls 3-4.
Mary J. Blige's "Be Without You"

may have fallen 4-5 on the Hot 100,
but it scores its 13th week atop the

R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it has
been the sole title to top this chart in 2006.
Natasha Bedingfield performed her

No. 6 song, "Unwritten," backed by
an all-black gospel choir on “The Ellen

Degeneres Show” Thursday. Dem
Franchize Boyz' "Lean Wit It, Rock

Wit It" featuring Lil Peanut & Charlay
moves up 9-7 and T-Pain's "I'm N

Luv (Wit a Stripper)" featuring Mike

Jones scoots up 6-8. Chris Brown's

"Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" rises 10-9

and Beyoncé's "Check On It" featuring

Slim Thug falls 8-10 to round out the

top tier.
New to the Hot 100 are Shakira's

"Hips Don't Lie" featuring Wyclef
Jean (No. 84), Remy Ma's "Conceited

(There's Something About Remy)" (No.
93), and Shawnna's "Gettin' Some"

(No. 96).
Nelly's "Grillz" featuring Paul

Wall, Ali & Gipp holds at No. 1 on
the Hot Ringtones chart for an eighth

week.
Swinging over to the Billboard

200 album chart, E-40 enters at No.
3, the highest position of his career,

and debuts at No. 1 on the
R&B/Hip-Hop Charts with his 12th

album, “My Ghetto Report Card.”
The set teams E-40 with BME

Recordings' head Lil Jon, who executive
produced the CD. Additional production

is handled by Rick Rock, E-40's son
Droop-e of the Pharmasuticles, Bosko,

and Studio Tone with guest features by
Mike Jones, T. Pain, Keak da Sneak,

Turf Talk, Juelz Santana, B-Legit, The
Federation, 8Ball, and UGK.
The video for the first single

from, "Tell Me When To Go," which
features Keak da Sneak, was recently

shot by Lil Jon and Director Bernard
Gourley (Lyfe Jennings, Three 6 Mafia,

Beanie Sigel). The video introduces
the world to the Hyphy movement

in the Bay:
E-40 explains: "It's a movement.

It's a culture. It's the way we talk. It's

superflambosta. It's really just stunting

to the up-most degree.It's showboating

and showcasing. It's wardrobe. It's

however you feeling.It's energy. It's

a dance, several different phases

of it, you dig? It'scars. It's showing

off. It's whatever. It's Hyphy"

-- says E-40.

RADIO HOST FIRED AFTER RACIAL

SLUR ‘SLIPS’ OUT: St. Louis radio

personality blurts out ‘coon’ during

discussion about Condoleezza Rice.

*He says it was an “inadvertent

slip of the tongue,” but his bosses
are wondering why that particular

word tumbled out.
Talk show host David Lenihan, who

had just joined 550 KTRS less than
two weeks ago, was fired on the spot

Wednesday after using the word “coon”
during a discussion about Secretary of

State Condoleezza Rice.
The remark was made during

a conversation about Rice’s credentials

to become commissioner of the National

Football League, a popular topic on
sports radio ever since word got out

that the position has long been her
dream job.
Lenihan began by listing what

assets Rice could bring to the league,
including her tenure as a top academic

officer at Stanford University and
the fact that she is African American.
“She’s just got a patent resume

of somebody that’s got such serious
skill,” Lenihan said on the air. “She

loves football, she’s African
American, which would kind of be a

big coon, a big coon – oh my God, I

am totally, totally, totally, totally, totally

sorry for that, OK? I didn’t
mean that. That was just a slip of the

tongue.” Lenihan later said he meant
to use the word "coup."
Within 20 minutes, station CEO

Tim Dorsey was on the air apologizing
for Lenihan’s words, and announcing

that his employment there had come

to an end.
Later, Lenihan told the Associated

Press: "I was trying to say 'quite a coup'

but it came out 'coon.’ I caught myself

and apologized. It wasn't anything I was

meaning to say. I never use that word.”
Dorsey, however, felt his

explanation was weak, stating, “I don’t
know what was in Mr. Lenihan’s

mind. I know what I heard.

I know it was reprehensible.”
When contacted by AP, Lenihan

said he was in the process of writing
an apology letter to Rice.
"I think she's a fantastic woman.

I was even talking about if she ran
for president, I'd work on her

campaign," he said.

CRAZED FANS LEAD TO EXTRA

‘SNAKES’ SHOOT: Samuel L. Jackson

movie adds five days of filming; PG-13

moved to R rating.

*As soon as New Line Cinema

announced that “Snakes on a Plane”

was on their production slate for 2006

with Samuel L. Jackson in the lead, film
fans immediately took to the campy

title and began flooding the Internet
with fan sites, blogs, T-shirts, poems,

fiction and songs, according to the
Hollywood Reporter.
"The title is so clear and

so straightforward," said Brian
Finkelstein, a Washington, D.C.,

native who launched the blog
Snakesonablog.com and who

hopes to earn tickets to the movie's

premiere. "You know exactly what

you're going to get."
The crazy fan following has

prompted New Line to embrace the
phenomenon and even reassemble

the cast for five additional days of shooting
at a Los Angeles studio lot to include

some fan suggestions, including more
gore, death, nudity and way more

snakes. Needless to say, the

extra pieces have moved the

film’s PG-13 rating to R.
Chris Rohan of Bethesda,

Md. created an elaborate, R-rated

audio trailer that uses a Sam Jackson

sound-alike shouting, "I want these
motherf***ing snakes off the

motherf***ing plane!" Soon, fans got

behind the spoof and demanded that

that phrase also appear in the movie.

During the reshoot, Jackson filmed

a scene where he barks the line.
"It's a genius title," Rohan

explains to the Hollywood Reporter.
"It's so stupid it's great. It invites

satire, but it's something you just
love. It's something I can't explain.

You either get it or you don't."
Directed by David R. Ellis,

"Snakes on a Plane" (or as bloggers

would say, “SoaP”) stars Jackson as an

FBI agent who has to fight a planeload of

snakes unleashed by an assassin bent

on killing a witness in protective custody.

It slithers into theaters on Aug. 18.

HERBIE HANCOCK DOC. GETS

EXPERIMENTAL RELEASE:

‘Possibilities’ film will come to theaters,

DVD and cable TV within two weeks.

*A documentary about the making

of Herbie Hancock’s “Possibilities”
album will get a three-prong “super

release” next month in theaters, on

DVD and on cable TV.
"Herbie Hancock: Possibilities,"

from 2929 Entertainment’s Magnolia
Pictures arm, chronicles the making

of Hancock critically-acclaimed 2005
album, which features collaborations

with such musicians as Christina
Aguilera, John Mayer, Carlos Santana,

Paul Simon, Annie Lennox and Sting.

It also delves into Hancock's life, with

archival footage including rare shots
of the Miles Davis Quintet.
The film will arrive in theaters in

Los Angeles and New York on April
14, on DVD April 18 and on the

HDNET cable channel on April 23. The
staggered release across three media

platforms turned out to be a disaster
for Magnolia Home Entertainment’s

previous film “Bubble,” a Steve Soderbergh
mystery which grossed only $145,000

at the box office. The film opened Jan.
27 in 32 theaters, aired the same day

on HDNet and arrived on DVD four

days later.
Last week, National Association

of Theatre Owners president and CEO
John Fithian slammed "Bubble's"

theatrical performance and called the
simultaneous release experiments

"radically misguided."
Magnolia Home Entertainment

Vice President Randy Wells countered that
"Bubble" was a low-budget art house film,

and its total gross (including DVD
and pay-per-view receipts) was in line

with the earnings of similar films
that open only in theaters. “Bubble”

reportedly made $5 million against a
production budget of just $1.6 million

when all of the media platforms were
tallied.

50 CENT PIECES: Legal battle with

Czar Entertainment settled; actor in ‘Get
Rich’ sued for copyright violations.

*50 Cent has settled his legal

drama with Jimmy Henchmen's Czar
Entertainment and Vision Plant

Pictures over the DVD, “The

Original 50 Cent.”
The resolution was announced

in a joint statement released on
Wednesday (March 22), stating, “the

case concerning ‘The Infamous Times -
Volume 1: The Original Fifty Cent’

had been settled to the mutual
satisfaction of all parties.
As previously reported, 50 filed

suit against Czar and Vision Plant
claiming interview footage of him

was used for the film in violation

of a prior agreement.
*Meanwhile, 15-year-old actor

Marc John Jefferies, the kid who played
the younger version of 50 Cent’s

character Marcus in “Get Rich or Die
Tryin',” has been sued for copyright

violations related to the popular
children's spy book series, “Secret

Agent MJJ.”
According to the lawsuit, the

actor and his father Marc Antonio
Jefferies, who is also named in the

suit, have wrongfully claimed authorship
of the books, stealing credit from the

lawful copyright owners, creators,
and true authors, Danny Hirsch and

S.A. Katz. The Baltimore based writers
are seeking $5.9 million in damages.
The first three books, titled “The

Missing Princess,” “The Secret
Portrait,” and “The Volcano,” hit

bookstores in June of 2005. Since that
release, Marc John and Marc Antonio

are accused of refusing to account for
sales of the books or pay royalties to

Hirsch and Katz as contracted.
"The authors [Hirsch and Katz]

have created an intriguing set of
children's works that are fun while

highlighting the importance of
education, justice, and honesty,"

says attorney Bradley D. Schwartz.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Jefferies and his

son don't seem to believe that those
principles apply in this matter."

SPORTS BITS: Doping shadows Sheffield;

Bonds responds; Venus withdraws from
Nasdaq; plea in Yetunde case; Culpepper,

Gooden in court; Tiger checks on dad.

*Barry Bonds isn’t the only

athlete called out for knowingly using
steroids in the book “Game of Shadows,”

which finally arrived in book stores
yesterday. According to the authors -

San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark
Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams –

New York Yankees slugger Gary Sheffield
knew all along he was doping, which

puts doubt on his earlier claims that he
took steroids unwittingly. The book,

based on a two-year investigation by
the authors, claims Bonds' trainer,

Greg Anderson, put Sheffield on
injectable testosterone and a human

growth hormone in 2002, and later sold
him designer steroids known as the

"cream" and the "clear." On Wednesday,
Sheffield denied using any drugs

mentioned in the book, stating: "What

can I do? I'm not going to defend myself

my whole life," he said. "It doesn't
matter to me. I don't have anything

to say. No need to. It is what it is."
The book also claims track stars Marion

Jones and Tim Montgomery used
performance-enhancing drugs.

*Barry Bonds, meanwhile, has

decided to break his silence on the
steroids allegations and address the

issue on his new ESPN reality show,
“Bonds on Bonds.” In "Game of Shadows,”

the authors claim Bonds was jealous
of the 1998 home run race between Mark

McGwire and Sammy Sosa, and resolved
to take steroids after seeing the attention

those athletes received during
that season. "Anyone who knows me

knows I'm not jealous of anybody," Bonds
says on his show. "I'm proud of what

Mark McGwire did; I'm proud of what
Sammy did. They lifted the game." ESPN

will air 10 hours of "Bonds on Bonds"
in 10 half-hour episodes and five hourlong

specials. The series premieres on
April 3, the first full day of the baseball

season.

*One week after Serena Williams

announced her withdrawal from the
Nasdaq-100 Open due to injuries, her

big sis, Venus Williams, has also
decided to pull out of the tournament

in Key Biscayne, Florida because of

a ligament sprain in her right elbow.

"It has always been a thrill to play
near my home," Williams said in a

statement, "and I deeply regret that

I will not have the opportunity to compete

at the Nasdaq-100 Open this year.
My rehabilitation continues to progress,

and I look forward to returning to
competition in the very near future."
Meanwhile, alleged gang member

Robert Edward Maxfield pleaded no
contest Wednesday to voluntary

manslaughter in the 2003 shooting death

of their older half-sister, Yetunde Price.

Maxfield, 25, was accused of
shooting Price in the back of the head

as she sat in an SUV driven by her
boyfriend. His sentencing is scheduled

for April 6. Prosecutors said Maxfield

was a member of the Southside

Crips and in the midst of seeking
revenge on another gang at a crack

house when he seized an assault weapon
and took aim at the approaching SUV.

Price, 31, had three children, owned a
beauty salon and was also a personal

assistant to her sisters.

*Former Minnesota Vikings teammates

Daunte Culpepper and Moe Williams
were in a Minnesota courtroom Wednesday

seeking to get their “Love Boat” charges

dismissed on grounds of discrimination

by prosecutors. The players, both black,

claim that prosecutor Steve Tallen chose

not to charge two whitemen connected

with the boat party sex scandal. At

a hearing Wednesday inHennepin

County District Court, Tallen said

he opted not to charge the men
because evidence against them was

flimsy. Tallen told the judge: "I'm
allowed to make that decision, and it

has nothing to do with the race of
these defendants." Judge Kevin Burke

replied: "It looks bad, though."
Culpepper and Williams are accused

of touching a naked woman during lap
dances. Bryant McKinnie and Fred

Smoot, who weren’t part of Wednesday’s
hearing, are accused of other alleged

lewd acts. They've all pleaded not
guilty. Trials for the four are set for

April and May.

*Dressed in jailhouse orange and

accompanied by family members,
former baseball legend Dwight Gooden

admitted in court Wednesday that he
violated his probation by using cocaine,

and will likely go to prison when
he is sentenced next month. The 41-

year-old former pitcher answered "yes,
sir," when state Circuit Judge Anthony K.

Black asked him if he had violated
his probation. He will remain in custody

and faces up to five years in
prison after a hearing April 5. "We are

seeking prison," prosecutor Pam
Bondi said afterward, but it hasn't been

determined how long of a sentence
her office will request. As previously

reported, Gooden confessed to his
probation officer last week that he had

used cocaine. He was serving a
three-year probation for speeding away

from a police officer during a DUI
stop last year.

*Tiger Woods missed the final

practice round Wednesday at The Players
Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach,

FL because he wanted to check on his
ailing father in California. Earl Woods,

who still lives in Cypress where he
raised his son, has been battling

prostate cancer the last two years. Earl
Woods was first diagnosed in 1998, but

the cancer returned in 2004 and spread

to other parts of his body. He has

not seen his son play since Woods
won his Target World Challenge in

December 2004 at Sherwood Country

Club. Woods, winner of the 2001 Players

Championship, was scheduled to tee

off at 12:33 p.m. local time in Thursday's

opening round.

KATRINA BITS: Jesse to lead voting

march; NAACP's Voter Assistance Centers;
‘Extreme Makeover’; ‘Celebrity Poker

Showdown’; Cuba donates WBC money.

*Rev. Jesse Jackson will lead a

coalition of organizations and leaders
in a march into the “Katrina Zone” on

April 1, demanding the right to
return, the right to rebuild, and above

all, the right to vote.
Jackson will be joined by actor

Bill Cosby, Bishop Paul Morton,
former Louisiana AFL-CIO President

Sibal Holt, State Senator Cleo Fields,
and scores of political, religious, and

labor leaders, entertainers, and
thousands of citizens to demand the

right to an open, free and fair election
on April 22 where all have equal

access to the ballot.
The NAACP has opened 15 Voter

Assistance Centers across nine states
to help displaced New Orleans voters

who want to vote in the April 22 city
election or May 20 run-off. (See full

list of center locations below.)
NAACP President Bruce S.

Gordon has asked Louisiana Gov.

Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to postpone

New Orleans’ primary election for April a

nd the general election in May by executive

order until there are assurances that
all New Orleans voters, regardless of

where they live, will be able to vote.
In early March, the U.S. District

Court of Louisiana denied a lawsuit

which sought to delay the elections

and allow special measures which
would enable the displaced and

dispersed residents of New

Orleans voting access.
Gordon said, “We are afraid that

many African American voters will
be disenfranchised due to unclear

directives, misinformation and acts of
omission on the part of those officials

charged with ensuring equal access
to the polls.”
Although Louisiana election

officials have announced plans to have
satellite voting locations in the state

outside of New Orleans for early
voting only, they have refused to

authorize satellite voting locations in
several other states where a large

number of New Orleans voters now live.
Gordon noted that such centers

were set up for Iraqi citizens temporarily
living in the United States to vote in

the recent Iraq national elections.
“The citizens of New Orleans

deserve no less a chance to participate
in democracy than do Iraq citizens

living abroad. Additionally, the NAACP
plans to bus voters to New Orleans,

if necessary.”
The NAACP Voter Assistance

Centers are staffed almost exclusively

by NAACP volunteers and Katrina

survivors. The centers will provide

assistance to individuals with absentee

ballots and voter registration forms.

In addition, there will be information

about early voting and voting in person.
Center personnel will take information

to create a record of the incredible
difficulties that have been produced

by the displaced voter process.

The NAACP Voter Assistance Centers

are at the following locations:
Chicago Westside - 1140 N. Lamon Ave.

773-261-5890
Chicago Southside - 800 E. 78th St.

(SW Corner of Bldg.)773-487-9600
Mobile, Ala. - 419 Lexington Ave

251-604-0419 or 251-433-1145
Marietta, Georgia - 605 Roswell St.

770-425-5757
Stone Mountain, Georgia - Victory

Baptist Church, 1170 North Hairston St
678-476-6000
Atlanta - 2034 Metropolitan Parkway

404-761-1266
Memphis - 588 Vance Avenue, 901-521-1343
Dallas - 4200 Fitzhugh St., 214-421-9006
Houston - 4205 Fannin Ave., 713-521-1289

or 713-526-3389
Austin, Texas - 1704 E. 12th St., 512-454-6161

or 512-476-6230
San Antonio - Barbara Jordan Center,

2803 E. Commerce, 210-224-7636
Little Rock, Ark. - 1124 Martin Luther

King Drive., 501-376-7399,
501-376-2227
Los Angeles - 3910 W. Martin Luther

King Blvd., 323-296-2630
Jackson, Miss. - 1072 West John

Lynch Street, 601- 353-6906 or 601-750-8451;
Baton Rouge - 1150 Florida Blvd., 225-214-7804

To receive further information, New

Orleans voters may call the special NAACP

voter hotline, 1-866-OUR-VOTE

(1-866-687-8683).

In other Katrina-related news…

*Sears and ABC’s “Extreme

Makeover: Home Edition” have launched
“Winds of Change,” a fundraising effort

inviting people from across the country

to contribute to rebuilding efforts

spearheaded by NeighborWorks
America. The campaign is an extension

of the Sears American Dream Campaign's
involvement coinciding with a four-part

series of “Extreme Makeover: Home
Edition” programs titled "After the

Storm." The first episode aired last
night; the series will continue for three

consecutive Thursdays from 8 - 9
p.m. EST to coincide with the Winds

of Change campaign. From April 2 - 29,
Sears and ABC will rally viewers and

customers to contribute at Sears'
approximately 930 stores and on

sears.com. All donations will benefit the
Gulf Coast region rebuilding efforts of

NeighborWorks, a national nonprofit
organization focused on community-

based revitalization efforts.

*The Bravo network will donate

$1 million toward organizations
helping victims of Hurricane Katrina

through is series, “Celebrity Poker
Showdown.” The show will also

shoot its next tournament in New Orleans

as part of a partnership with Harrah's

Entertainment. "New Orleans is a city
with a heart and soul like no other

American city, and being that it is the
birthplace of poker, there was no better

place to take our show," executive
producer Marcia Mule says. "And in

the process, to be able to give away a
million dollars to help bring back the

Big Easy, that's a winning hand." The
New Orleans-based shows will air

on the network later this spring. The
lineup of celebrities, and the Katrina-

related charities they'll play for,
will be announced later.

*Cuban president Fidel Castro

has announced that his country's
runner-up prize money from the recent

World Baseball Classic (WBC) will go
to help victims of Hurricane Katrina

living in the United States. The Cuban
team lost the championship game to

Japan 10-6, but were given a hero’s
welcome Tuesday upon returning to

the country. Castro saw the win as

a triumph over the U.S. government,

which had tried to prevent the Communist
country from playing in the 16-nation

tournament, citing 40-year-old
sanctions against Havana. But pressure

from the baseball world, and Cuba’s
vow not to pocket the prize money,

prompted Bush to reverse his decision

and allow the team to play. As runner-up,

Cuba is entitled to 7 percent of the
net revenue of the tournament.

"Whatever we get will be used there

for the martyrs of Katrina, be it one

million (dollars), two, three or four,"
Castro, 79, said in a speech. "The

money will go there without any doubt

and with great satisfaction, because it

will heighten the moral of our athletes."

FILM/TV BITS: Naomi, Ja-Rule join

'Cooking Showdown'; Law, Weisz join Norah
film; Blige ready for Simone; 'Shrek-3';

Reyes in 'Girl(s).'

*Supermodel Naomi Campbell and

rapper Ja Rule are among the famous
faces booked to compete in Diddy’s

upcoming NBC reality show “Celebrity
Cooking Showdown.” Also taking part

are "Days of Our Lives" star Alison
Sweeney, country music performer Big

Kenny, actor Tom Arnold, Tony Gonzales
of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, volleyball

star Gabrielle Reese, struggling singer Ashley

Parker Angel and Miss USA 2005 Chelsea

Cooley. Alan Thicke andSandra Lee

("Semi-Homemade Cooking With

Sandra Lee") will host the series,
which airs five consecutive nights

beginning April 17. Colin Cowie will
serve as one of the two judges; the

other has yet to be chosen. Diddy is
executive producing the show along

with Ben Silverman ("The Office") and
David A. Hurwitz ("Fear Factor").

*Norah Jones will be joined by

Jude Law and Oscar-winner Rachel
Weisz in the untitled film from Hong

Kong director Wong Kar-wai. Wong

said his first English-language movie

tells a love story that takes place

on the roads from New York

to California.

*Mary J. Blige is anxious to get

started on her big-screen debut as
Nina Simone in the as-yet-untitled

biopic of the legendary singer, but,
"They're still writing the script,"

Blige told MTV recently. "That's the
last news I've gotten." In the meantime,

Blige has kept herself busy brushin
up on Simone’s career. "She was just

incredible," Blige noted. "The things
we have in common is that we both

move people, we're about truth, we

stand up for what we believe in and

we have morals at the end of the day.

Her husband was managing her, and my

husband manages me, and we're people

that are not afraid to walk through the

fire. Nina Simone was vocally incredible;
she just gave you those goose bumps."

*Eddie Murphy will return as Donkey

in “Shrek the Third,” the latest film of

DreamWorks Animation’s “Shrek”

franchise, due in theaters May 18,
2007. In this installment, Shrek and

Fiona reluctantly reign over Far, Far
Away. But if they can find the heir to

the throne and bring him back, they
can return to their swamp. While Shrek,

Donkey and Puss in Boots are in
search of the heir, Fiona holds off

a coup d'etat by Prince Charming.

*“Scrubs” star Judy Reyes has

been cast in the MCC Theater production
of Neil LaBute's “Some Girl(s),” which

will begin performances at New York’s
Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher

Street) on May 17. She joins Eric
McCormack, Fran Drescher, Brooke

Smith and Maura Tierney in the play about

a soon-to-be-married man as he pays a

last visit to four ex-girlfriends before
taking the plunge. Reyes will play the

role of Chicago artist Tyler. Some
Girl(s), directed by Jo Bonney, is

scheduled to officially open on

June 8 and run through June 24.

MUSIC BITS: Roots' two-nighter in

NY; Randolph Band at 'Superfly'; new

Peas EP; Snoop's pet products; Diddy

revamps 'Sean John.'

*The Roots will host a two-night

concert event May 18-19 at New
York's Radio City Music Hall. Nas,

Common and Talib Kweli will join the
group on the first night, while Erykah

Badu, Mos Def, J. Davey and Angelique
Kidjo will work the second gig. Other

special guests are also expected. A
portion of ticket sales will benefit the

family of hip-hop producer and Slum
Village founding member Jay Dee (aka

J. Dilla), who died last month of
complications from lupus.

*Robert Randolph and the Family

Band will perform May 6 at the ninth
annual 'Superfly During Jazzfest' concert

series. The event will run
concurrently with the New Orleans Jazz

& Heritage Festival from April 28 to
May 6 at such New Orleans venues as

the Maple Leaf Bar, the Republic and the
newly renovated Contemporary Arts

Center. Other confirmed acts include The
Meters, Galactic and the Dirty Dozen

Brass Band.

*The Black Eyed Peas have released

an eight-song EP, "Renegotiations: The

Remix," exclusively via Apple's iTunes

Music Store. A seven-song version
will be available at retail outlets on

Tuesday (March 28), according to
BEP's Web site.

*Snoop Dogg signed a worldwide

licensing agreement with JAKKS
Pacific to launch a line of pet products,

including leashes, apparel,
treats, toys and beds for dogs. "Snoop

Dogg's love goes beyond people -- it
is for living creatures throughout the

universe," the rapper said. "How can
I be Snoop Dogg and not show my

love for pets?" Jennifer Richmond, senior
vice president of licensing and media

for JAKKS Pacific, Inc., says the line
will be available at mass retailers and

pet superstores later this year.
"Our team is really excited to develop

and market what we expect will be an
urban and edgy line," she said.

*Sean “Diddy” Combs has

temporarily discontinued the upscale

line of women’s clothing from Sean

John in favor of a less expensive line

designedto attract younger female

consumers. According to the New York

Post, the rap mogul teamed with G-III

Apparel Group for the revamped line,

now called Sean Jean Women's. "We

look forward to re-entering [the upscale]

market at a future date," a Sean John

rep stated.

*Former boxing champ Mike Tyson

will host an album launch party in
Brighton, England tonight for his good

friend, Mark “The Mack” Morrison. The
singer’s publicist tells Contact Music,

"They're old friends. Mark heard
that Mike was in the UK, and seeing as

they were going to hook up anyway he
asked him to help out with the party. I'm

not sure exactly how they know
each other but apparently they go way

back." Ironically, both buddies have
criminal records. Morrison was jailed

in 1998 for sending an imposter to do
his community service. Tyson received

a six-year prison bid for the rape of
Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree

Washington, in 1992.

BREAST CANCER DEATHS HIGHER

AMONG BLACK WOMEN: Study

‘underscores need to assess biologic,

genetic, and sociocultural factors.’

*African American women are

more likely to die from breast cancer and
minorities in general do not receive the

best treatment for the disease
compared to white women, according

to health studies released on Monday.
The findings, published in the

Journal of Clinical Oncology, found
that black women, even after adjusting

for socioeconomic differences, are
nearly 20 percent more likely than

white women to die of breast cancer,
reports Reuters. A second study

found that women in minority groups,
including Hispanics, are half as likely

to get complete follow-up treatment
for the disease.
"Even after controlling for

socioeconomic status and disease

stage, African American women were 19

percent more likely to die from breast cancer
than white women," said Lisa Newman,

Director of the Breast Care Center at
the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

"Our research underscores

the need to investigate the role of
biologic, genetic, and sociocultural

factors in breast cancer mortality
among black women," Newman added.
The second study, conducted

at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New
York, found that minority women with

early-stage breast cancer had double
the risk of white women of failing to

receive radiation, chemotherapy or
hormonal therapy following breast

cancer surgery.
"We found that one in three

black women and nearly one in four
Hispanic women fail to receive the

necessary adjuvant therapy," said Nina
Bickell, associate professor of health

policy and medicine at Mount Sinai
and that study's lead author.
The likelihood of not getting

proper follow-up treatment among whites
was 16 percent, much lower than the

23 percent for Hispanics and 34 percent
among blacks.
That study also controlled for clinical,

demographic and treatment access
factors, including the presence of other

illnesses and whether or not a
woman was covered by health

insurance.
Researchers found that women

from minority groups were indeed more
likely to have other illnesses and had

less insurance than white women,
suggesting that these factors could

influence a physician's decision to
prescribe treatment and a patient's

ability to actually receive treatment.
"Significant progress can be

made toward reducing racial disparities
in cancer death by eliminating the

disparities in breast cancer treatment,"
Bickell said.

EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
-- by Jewel Diamond Taylor

There are some people walking around

all day asking, "Where are my
opportunities for success?" They are like

fish swimming in the ocean asking,
"Where is the water?"
Opportunities, solutions, blessings and

great people are all around you. Do
you see them? Do you allow anger,

bitterness, shame, procrastination, fear,
prejudice, laziness or pessimism to

cloud your vision?
You may be the shy, self-reliant, isolated

and independent type. This
certainly will limit your possibilities for

growth.
Learn the importance of being teachable,

serving others with integrity and
collaborate with others to enrich your life

and your network of influence.
Remember, "It's not always what you

know--- but WHO you know, that can make
a difference." It's not always fair, but

people tend to do business with and
help those they already know --- or

know by a strong referral. Who do you
know? Who knows you? How do you

serve others? Do you share information with
others? Do you create win-win relationships?

Do you give with the wrong motive?
Who you know is an extension of your

wealth. Who is in your "people
portfolio"? Make networking, showing up

and serving others a part of your
life. Enlarge your circle of personal and

professional contacts. There are
so many opportunities to seize and people

to meet. Plug in to receive and
reciprocate your resources, support, ideas,

leads and new associations. ~ by
Jewel Diamond Taylor

Appearance schedule:

March 25 - Women on the Grow,

Silver Spring, MD
March 30 - L. A. World Airport

(LAX) Employee Workshop
April 7-8 - Atlanta - 2Blessed 2B

Stressed Retreat
April 15 - Women on the Grow -

Los Angeles
April 20 - Los Angeles Public Works

Dept Employee Workshop
April 22 - St Jude Christian Tabernacle

Church, Sacramento, Prayer Breakfast
Speaker
April 29 - Sisters4Sisters Inspirational

Tea, Maryland
May 6 - The Joy of Living Women's

Pavilion, Baltimore, MD.
May 20 - Women-CEO Network's

Sisters Suite Retreat, Phoenix, AZ

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
March 24: "The View" co-host Star

Jones Reynolds is 44. Rapper Maceo
of De La Soul is 36. Actress Keisha

Castle-Hughes ("Whale Rider") is 16.

March 25: Singer Anita Bryant is

66. Singer Aretha Franklin is 64.
Actor James McDaniel ("NYPD Blue")

is 48. Actress Lisa Gay Hamilton ("The
Practice") is 42.

March 26: Singer Diana Ross is 62.

Actor Ernest Thomas ("What's
Happening!") is 57. Singer Teddy

Pendergrass is 56. Rapper Juvenile is 31.
Rapper J-Kwon is 20.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
"In The Right Direction" - If you're

new to the independent recording
business, you need this book. Learn to

promote, market and sell your own
CDs. It's available at: www.futuremix.biz.
Submit your favorite Web site to

us along with a 15-20 word (or less)
description to info@eurweb.com.

BLACK HISTORY
Mar. 24, 2002: Halle Berry becomes

the first black woman to win an
Academy Award for Best Actress for her

performance in the movie "Monster's
Ball."

Mar. 25, 1931: The Scottsboro Boys,

nine young African Americans,
were falsely charged with rape and

collectively served more than 100 years
in prison.

Mar. 26, 1872: Thomas J.Martin is

awarded a patent for the fire
extinguisher. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)

=========================================

EUR FEEDBACK (MYfeedback@eurweb.com)

*Nanette Flynn (no city given):

"I take offense to the description of the

of the BET down low special that is to be

aired March 28th.

The 'Down Low' phenomenon is not

about straight men having sex with other

men. Straight men do not have sex with

other men, gay and bisexual men do. It

is about men who are afraid to come out

of the closet, so they pretend that they

are straight, but are carrying on secret

sexual relationships with other men.

This dishonesty is one of the major

reasons that black women are dying of

aids faster than any other group. When

are we as a people going to fully accept

and embrace that homosexuality does

exist within our culture. This denial

is killing us.

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