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A BIG 'PHAT' DOSE OF MO'NIQUE:

Comedian talks about weight, acceptance,
plastic surgery and dealing with haters.

*"Sixty percent of the women in

this country look like me, so imagine,"

comedian Mo'Nique says of her new

film "Phat Girlz," this is our story."
Fox Searchlight slips the comedy

into theaters today after refusing
to screen it for film critics. The strategic

move is usually a sign that the
studio has little-to-no faith in any

of the reviews being positive. Their
action could also serve as a metaphor

for the low expectations of women in
general who carry around extra weight.
"I think that fat women have more

trouble in everything, because we
live in a society that says we should

have trouble," says Mo'Nique, who
stars in the film as one of a crew of

plus-sized friends searching for love
and acceptance in a culture that

prefers women be thin.

"I thought [the script] was

brilliant because it tells a true story,"
she says. "It hits it on the nail what

our walk is. Often times, Hollywood
was afraid of that story, because we

don't like to look at what we're really
doing. We often do a fat girl character

and we make fun of her so bad, that
when she walks out of that theater,

she's sick in her stomach. When [fat
girls] walk away, even when we're

out in that theater lobby, people are
still pointing, saying, 'Look at her.

She's getting some popcorn and she's
getting some extra butter. She's

getting snickers.' This story will make
people walk away saying, 'Let me

treat them a little nicer when I go to

work Monday morning, because I didn't

know we were doing that kind of

damage.'"
Mo'Nique and her phat girlz

in the film - Joyful M'Chelle Drake and
Kendra C. Johnson - are thrown for a

loop when they meet men from an African
culture that celebrates a woman's

thickness - the thicker, the better.
Mo'Nique's own blinding self-

confidence is rooted in similar
unconditional acceptance experienced

from her family throughout her entire
39 years.
"I have a very strong mom

and dad," she explains. "If I said,
'Mommy, I wanna be a modern

dancer,' she'd be like, 'Okay, let's go

get you the stuff.' Or 'Mommy, I wanna

be a cheerleader.' She'd say, 'Okay, let

me help you with your tryouts.' I mean,

they never told me no because I was
fat. And my grandmother Minnie,

who still thinks I'm a virgin - I just had
twins. How is that possible? - she

believes that I'm just her angel. And
even to this day when I see her, she

says, 'You're just the prettiest
child.' I had a really solid

foundation."
Armed with that foundation,

Mo'Nique was always ready, willing and
able to shut down any hater's attempt

to use the extra pounds as a weapon
against her.
"I was never one to tolerate you

trying to hurt my feelings," she
laughs. "I just wasn't that girl. They

knew, don't bring that to me. I used
to wanna be a fighter, but then I was

like, 'Okay, I'm fat. Now what?'"
Mo'Nique says she quickly figured

out how to throw psychology at her
tormenters by agreeing with their

taunts.

"It would kill them to take the

power from them," she said. "[I'd
say] 'You're right, I'm fat. Now what?

You have nothing else to say.' That
got to be my mentality as a teenager.

As a little kid, you could call me fat
in the sandbox if you wanted to. You

gonna get a fat-ass whuppin. It was
like saying nig**r."
The Baltimore native is careful

not to suggest that toting around
excess weight is the healthiest

way to live.
"You know what I like to tell

people? Dedicate one hour to yourself
everyday for your health," she says.

"Go for a walk, go jogging, go to the
gym, put on some music and dance,

do jumping jacks."
Any physical activity, she says,

is better than going under the knife
for plastic surgery.
"I'm not saying go out there and

let them cut on you, and nip you and
tuck you. That is the most violent

thing I've ever seen," she says. "I've
seen somebody get liposuction. That's

violent. And that's so unnatural, and
no one's saying that. They're saying,

come on, it's the hottest fad. They're
not telling you how many people are

dying. All they're saying is, 'Look at
how she turned out.' But they're not

saying, 'She had to go back for 20
surgeries,' and 'oops, we're sorry

about the 21st surgery, she

didn't make it.'
"So in reference to your health,

just start going for walks. If they
tell you you have high blood pressure,

you have sugar diabetes, okay. What
can I do to make this better? You

have to eat in moderation? Okay. You

have to start exercising? Okay. Should

I start hating myself? No. Will I die if I
start doing these things? No. Will I die

if you suck something out of me?
It's a possibility."

BEYONCE WRITES LETTER

TO WHITNEY: Former D-Child

reportedly devastated by “crack

den” pics and decided to reach

out.

*Britain's Daily Star newspaper

is reporting that Beyonce has
written a letter to Whitney Houston

offering support in the wake of recent
tabloid reports about her alleged

drug use.
"Beyonce will do what it takes

to sort Whitney out,” said a source
quoted by the newspaper. “She

needs her friends around her and

Beyonce would never give up on

anybody."
Whitney and Beyonce are said

to have become close friends during the
early days of Destiny’s Child. The

“Crazy in Love” singer was reportedly
moved to pen the letter after reading

accounts of Houston’s chaotic state.
Last week, Mary J. Blige also

expressed concern about Houston,
advising the singer through Britain’s

“Attitude” magazine that the admission
of an addiction is the “first step on

the road to recovery.”
"You have got to want to admit

that you have got a problem, first of
all. Then start to deal with why that

is," she said.

MARIAH CAREY, ELIZABETH ARDEN

MAKE COMMON SCENTS: Singer signs

deal with company to launch line of

fragrance products.

*Smells like something new is on

the horizon for Mariah Carey. The
singer has just signed an exclusive

global licensing agreement with
Elizabeth Arden Inc. to develop and

market her own line of fragrance
products, the company announced

Thursday.
Carey’s first fragrance will

arrive in the spring of 2007. The artist
will be personally involved in all aspects

of product development, packaging
and marketing. Financial terms of the

agreement were not made public.
"We are thrilled to begin this

partnership with Mariah Carey," said
E. Scott Beattie, Chairman and Chief

Executive Officer of Elizabeth Arden.
"She is, unquestionably, a star of

incredible magnitude. All over the world,
people aspire to the values she represents.

We look forward to launching an
inspiring new global fragrance brand

with Mariah that will be a timeless
classic".
The Company's portfolio includes

the Elizabeth Arden fragrance brands
Red Door, Red Door Revealed, Elizabeth

Arden Green Tea, Elizabeth Arden 5th
avenue, Elizabeth Arden Provocative

Woman; the Elizabeth Taylor fragrance
brands White Diamonds Elizabeth Taylor

and Elizabeth Taylor's Passion, the
fragrance brands of Britney Spears,

Curious, In Control and Fantasy.

ALICIA KEYS VISITS AIDS FACILITIES

IN AFRICA: Kenyan security guards have
hard time keeping her fans under control.

*Kenyan police and bodyguards

kept journalists from speaking to
Alicia Keys Thursday as she visited

facilities in the country that are
funded through Keep a Child Alive,

a charitable organization committed

to assisting HIV patients in Africa.
The Grammy winner, who is

supporting the project along with Oprah
Winfrey, got a first hand look at how

the money was being used at a
pediatric HIV clinic at the Coast

Provincial Hospital in Mombasa,

275 miles southeast of the capital,

Nairobi, reports AP.
Some 400 children are currently

benefiting from the program, which
gives them access to free anti-retroviral

drugs, said Dr. Anderson Kahindi,
head of the clinic, adding that Keys

had been buying the drugs herself and
shipping them directly to the hospital

since 2004.
"She learned about the plight of

children from a medical doctor who
used to work at the hospital and is

now studying in the U.S. After the tour
of the hospital she will also visit selected

homes of the children who are
undergoing treatment to find out how

they are responding," Kahindi told AP.
Reps for the singer said Keys did

not grant interviews because she
considered the trip to be a private

visit. However, privacy quickly became
non-existent, as news of her visit to the

hospital spread quickly and fans
flocked to the site in hopes of catching

a glimpse of her. Kenyan security
guards had a difficult time trying to

block people from getting too close.
Later Thursday, Keys was

scheduled to unveil a commemorative

plaque, plant a tree and address the local

community at the Bomu Medical Clinic,

on the outskirts of Mombasa.

PAULA ABDUL ALLEGES ASSAULT

'AI' says incident happened last weekend.

*Why oh why do bad things keep

happening to Paula Abdul? Hey, who

knows, but if you're wondering what

the latest incident is involving

Ms. Abdul, read on.

The LAPD is investigating a charges

filed by the "American Idol" judge that say

a man threw her against a wall and left her

with spinal injuries as well as a concussion

after an argument at a private party last

weekend.

The name of the man Abdul accused

of injuring her has not been released

because the investigation was still

underway, say officials.

"She said the man grabbed her arm

and threw her up against a wall," Lt. Paul

Vernon of the LAPD told the LA Times.

"She complained she suffered

a concussion and spinal

injuries."

Vernon said the incident, alleged

to have occurred about 1 a.m. Sunday

at a private party at Sunset Boulevard

and Gower Street, is being investigated

as a battery case.

As we all know, Abdul appeared

on "American Idol" Tuesday

and Wednesday.

A COUNTRY SONG DONE MAN‘DIVA’

WRONG: Plus, Lisa Tucker books

gig on 'The O.C.'

*It was Mandisa Hundley who was

forced Wednesday night to watch
footage of her “American Idol” journey

on the big screen as Daniel Powter’s
“Bad Day” serenaded her out of the

competition.
The 29-year-old’s rendition

of Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine"
Tuesday night received a lukewarm

reaction from the judges, and the ultimate
cold shoulder from voters, as it came

down to Mandisa and fellow contestants
Elliot Yamin and Paris Bennett in the

bottom three – all strong soulful
performers.
Certainly, flashbacks came to

mind of power-belters Jennifer Hudson,
Fantasia Barrino and LaToya London

landing in the bottom three during the
show’s third season, with Hudson

receiving the ticket home. Mandisa, take
note: Hudson is now starring opposite

Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and
Jamie Foxx in “Dreamgirls.”
Also, last week’s ousted finalist,

Lisa Tucker, just booked a guest
role on “The O.C,” which should

be a breeze for the 16-year-old, who
actually resides in the O.C. (Orange

County, CA) with her family.
Tucker, a senior at John F. Kennedy

High School in La Palma, begins
production next week on an episode

called "The Party Favor," in which she
attends Harbor High School's senior

prom. The episode is scheduled to air
April 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.

SUGE PUTS POSITIVE SPIN ON

BANKRUPTCY FILING: Death Row

mogul describes move as ‘setting

a new table.’

*Death Row co-founder Marion

“Suge” Knight is talking about the
bankruptcy protection filings he made

Tuesday to protect the rap label in a
multi-million civil court judgment.
Former couple Lydia and Michael

Harris, who claim they provided $1.5
million in seed money to help launch

Death Row, is attempting to collect a
$107 million judgment from Knight.

Suge said the bankruptcy filing was

done as a means of “setting

a new table.”
"For the last few years there's

been a stigma attached to Death
Row," Suge said in a statement

released by spokesman Jonathan

Wolfson. "People like the Harrises

have been coming out of the woodwork

and it's been like a dark cloud hanging

over me. I've decided that I'm serving

Death Row its last meal. I'm setting

a new table."
Wolfson said Knight’s "last

meal" phrase is not code for plans

to shut down the label, which has

included such artists as Dr. Dre,

Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.
Knight also said his attorneys

plan to bring a motion claiming
violation of bankruptcy law by the

Harrises and their attorneys, who

on Tuesday unsuccessfully tried to

persuade Superior Court Judge Ronald
Sohigian to cite Knight for criminal

contempt for not appearing at debtor
hearings.
Rex Beaber, the attorney for

incarcerated former drug dealer Michael
Harris, said he received a letter from

Knight's attorneys demanding that he
and Lydia Harris' attorney pay $4,500

in lawyer fees by April 10 or the
motion would be filed, reports the

Associated Press. Beaber said that
generally the mere filing of a federal

bankruptcy petition automatically
stays all state court proceedings

against a debtor and a violator can be
sanctioned. But he said there is an

exception for criminal prosecutions,

and the judge found that the contempt

claim was an application for a criminal
complaint.
According to AP, Knight and the

record company each claimed debts

of more than $100 million in their

bankruptcy protection filings. Sohigian

had previously ordered that Death

Row be put into receivership but stayed
implementation pending Tuesday's

hearing. Then the bankruptcy filings

halted any Superior Court actions

involving receivership.
Lydia Harris was previously

awarded the $107 million on her claim

of helping found the label. Michael

Harris, currently serving a 28-year
sentence at San Quentin Prison, is

claiming half the money as community
property in his divorce from Lydia Harris.

He claims he put up $1.5 million
from behind bars to help start

the company.

EW&F MUSICAL ‘HOT FEET’ TO

HIT BROADWAY APRIL 20: Critics

weigh in on musical’s current

Washington D.C. tune-up.

*“Hot Feet,” the new Earth, Wind

& Fire-laced musical having its only
pre-Broadway run at Washington, D.C.'s

National Theatre, will arrive on the
Great White Way April 20 – two days

later than first announced.
A publicist said the extra 48

hours was needed to properly load

the production into Broadway’s Hilton

Theatre. The show’s opening is still April
30, which means “Hot Feet” will have

a rather-short 10-day preview period.
Its D.C. run ends on April 9.
“Hot Feet” features a book

by Heru Ptah and music and lyrics by
Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire.

According to Broadway.com, New York
audiences should expect a show slightly

different from the one seen in the
Nation's Capital, where “Hot Feet,”

choreographed by Maurice Hines,

opened to largely negative reviews.
Peter Marks of The Washington

Post wrote: "Hot Feet dances the

night away merrily oblivious to the

fact that ultimately, the foot bone is
connected to the brain bone… It

banks on the notion that you'll believe
perspiration can be a substitute for

inspiration... This is one of those odd
occasions on which the performers

in the background become stars by

default.
Paul Harris of Variety wrote:

"[An] infectious dose of energy soars
while the band's hits are performed.

But an inane book and subpar acting
undermine the fancy moves... [Heru

Ptah] strives to give his dialogue a
streetwise rap feel, but his book

is more conspicuous for its insufferable
lines and frequent forays into areas

of questionable taste. Attempts at
rhyme and alliteration produce lines

like 'You repugnant, rancid little
wretch' and 'Music courses through

my veins like crack cocaine…'
Work continues on the book by

Ptah, and the musical’s Broadway
version may also be trimmed down.

In D.C., it lasted two hours and
forty-five minutes, the last 20 minutes

consisting of an extended ballet
sequence called the "Hot Feet Ballet."

FUGEES’ PRAS CURRENTLY

HOMELESS: Rapper experiences life

on L.A. streets for a new documentary.

*Armed with a hidden camera,

Pras Michel of the Fugees has spent the
past week living among the homeless

population of Los Angeles to record his
experience for an upcoming documentary

called “First Night.”
The 33-year-old told the New

York Daily News: "The dollar a day
(budget) didn't get me much at all.

You have to hustle, steal, shoplift or
prostitute yourself. I chose panhandling.

People gave me the worst looks.
Like I was invisible and at the same

time the worst person on Earth."
Pras said he tried to enter The

Standard hotel in the hope of a meal,
but security quickly pounced and

kept him from passing through.
"I went into the Standard to get

some food. I showed the security
guards my money but they threw me

right out, because I looked homeless

and my money was in change,” he said.

"I slept in the rain. My tent was stolen.
I experienced how these people live.”
"People aren't going to understand

what it was like until they see it,” he

added. “Human beings should

not be sleeping among rats."
Pras hopes to premiere “First

Night” at the Toronto Film Festival in
September.

MUSIC BITS: Busta’s ‘Bang’;

we remember Don Alias; Diddy’s

‘Proactiv’; Clue moves to Hot 97.

*The release date of Busta

Rhymes’ new album “The Big Bang”

was pushed back from its scheduled

release this week to May 16. The
Aftermath/Interscope disc features

current single “Touch It" and his next
single, "I Love My B****" featuring

will.i.am and Kelis. The track will be
delivered to radio outlets later this

month. Guest appearances on “The

Big Bang” include Mary J. Blige, Missy

Elliott, DMX, Stevie Wonder, Ludacris and
Lloyd Banks. Production was supplied

by Aftermath’s Dr. Dre, Swizz Beats

and will.i.am.

*Jazz drummer Don Alias, who

performed behind such artists as Miles
Davis and Nina Simone, has died in New

York, his Web site said. He was 66.
In a career spanning nearly 50 years, Alias

has accompanied such headliners
as Carlos Santana, Al Jarreau, Herbie

Hancock and Roberta Flack. He played
his first professional gig when Eartha Kitt

took him to the Newport Jazz
Festival in 1957 and he played with

Dizzy Gillespie's band. In 1969, he
joined forces with Davis on the

landmark "Bitches Brew" at the height

of jazz-rock fusion. He also formed his

own group, Stone Alliance, with Perla.

*SOHH.com’s story about Sean

“Diddy” Combs suing Proactiv because

of a nasty skin breakout was a big ol’

April Fools Joke by the Web site. The
story was picked up here, as well as

New York’s Hot 97 and VH1's Best

Week Ever blog. A rep for Guthy Renker,

makers of the product, says: "Diddy

has been using the skin care product

for years and will continue to endorse
Proactiv in the future." SOHH.com

founder Felicia Palmer explains: "Our
April Fool's Day jokes have become

a tradition that SOHH.com fans look
forward to annually. We concocted

the joke in the spirit of fun... in no way
did we intend to diminish Proactiv's

effectiveness in 'preserving [Diddy's]
sexy and moisturizing [his] situation.'"

*DJ Clue is moving from New

York radio station Hot 97 to join rival
station Power 105.1 and take over

its 6 -10 p.m. timeslot – which puts

him in direct competition with Hot

95’s Funkmaster Flex and his Monday

through Thursday, 7 p.m.-12 a.m.

stretch. Clue, also an artist on Jay-Z's
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam label and host

of MTV’s “Direct Effect,” had been
hosting Hot 97's Monday Night Mix

Tape show from midnight-2 a.m. He

says of his new gig: "I'm really looking

forward to being part of the Power 105
team. I try to be the voice of the

streets. From wherever I am to wherever

I go, people are always feeling what I'm

feeling." Clue is also CEO of Desert
Storm Records, and is working on a

new album, “The Professional Part III.”

FILM/TV BITS: Whoopi on ‘L&O’;

G. Clinton ‘Up Close & Personal’;
‘Girlfriends’ spin off; ‘College Hill’

marathon; MTV’s ‘Life’; Chadha

does ‘Dallas’; ‘Tucker’ music.

*Whoopi Goldberg will guest

star on the NBC drama "Law & Order:
Criminal Intent" as a really bad foster

mother named Chesley Watkins.
"Whoopi never gets to be the bad

guy. In the world of 'Criminal Intent'
she'll be the baddest," said "CI"

executive producer Fred Berner. The
character will be written as a criminal

nemesis to Detective Mike Logan
(Chris Noth), and introduced in an

episode scheduled to air in May.

"Law & Order" star S. Epatha Merkerson

will make a crossover appearance in the
episode, reprising her character as

Lt. Van Buren.

*BEMA (Black Entertainment

& Music Association) and Bob Lott of
Philadelphia based Teamwork International

Productions, have joined forces to
produce “Up Close and Personal,”

(UCAP) a new one-hour television series
hosted by award-winning black music

personality Gary Shepherd. The initial
pilot production, scheduled to tape

April 15 at Philadelphia’s Clef Club,
focuses on funkateer George Clinton.

UCAP deals with entertainers across the
spectrum of music, film, theater, and

TV, featuring veterans as well as
newcomers. A limited number of free

tickets are available for the taping,
which begins at 2 p.m. There will be

a screening of the Independent Lens PBS
television special, "One Nation Under

A Groove," followed by the taping of
“UCAP.” For information, visit the

BEMA website at www.bemanow.org,

email: info@bemanow.org or contact

BEMA at (215) 545-5850.

*Monday’s episode of UPN’s

“Girlfriends” will serve as the spin-off
for a sitcom currently under consideration

for the CW’s fall schedule. In the episode,

titled “The Game,” Joan tries to convince

her cousin Melanie to attend a top medical

school instead of following her boyfriend,

professional football player Derwin, to

San Diego. Her advice falls on deaf

ears, but Melanie finds it difficult to

adjust to being the "girlfriend" of a football
player and everything that is expected

of her. Meanwhile, Kelly, wife of San
Diego Sabers' receiver Jason, tries

to persuade Melanie to become involved
in the football team's charity

organization. Later, Tasha, the mother

and manager of the star quarterback

Malik, gets Kelly to confess how her
husband's frugal behavior is making

her life miserable. The episode airs
April 17 at 9 p.m.

*BET will run a “Halfway

There” marathon of its reality series
“College Hill” tomorrow, from 2 to

5 p.m. ET/PT. The show’s current third
season takes place at Virginia State

University and features the eight
co-eds engaging in various activities,

including homecoming celebrations,
scandalous hot tub encounters and

visiting the funeral of Rosa Parks.

*MTV’s new half hour series

“The Life & Rhymes” is described by

the network as “an explosive, intimate,

and revolutionary new breed of hip-hop
biography that takes viewers deep

inside the minds of today’s hottest
emcees.” Monday’s premiere episode

at 11 p.m., features LL Cool J performing
“Mama Said Knock You Out,”

“Headsprung,” and his latest single with

Jennifer Lopez, “Control Myself.” The

following Thursday (Apr 13), Mary J. Blige
takes center stage to perform “No

More Drama”, “My Life” and “Be

Without You.”

*“Bend it Like Beckham” director

Gurinder Chadha is in talks to take
over the big-screen version of “Dallas”

for Regency Enterprises/20th Century
Fox. As previously reported, the film’s

former director Robert Luketic
walked away from the gig over a

dispute with casting choices. Jennifer Lopez
is in talks to play Sue Ellen, and John

Travolta is mulling the part of J.R.
Luke Wilson and Shirley MacLaine

are also in discussions to join the
project. The film is scheduled to be

released on Nov. 10. Luketic,
meanwhile, has signed on to direct

“21,” the adaptation of Ben Mezrich's
best-selling nonfiction book "Bringing

Down the House: The Inside Story of
Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas

for Millions."

*Queen Latifah tells MTV that her

upcoming big-budget remake of
"Hairspray" will be adapted from both

the Broadway version, and John Waters’
1988 cult film that inspired it. "[The

filmmakers are] gonna kinda step

away from [previous versions] a little

bit — as much as they can — to make

it as contemporary and edgy as it can

be," she said of the film, which stars the
rapper as Motormouth Maybelle and

John Travolta as Edna Turnblad. "They

want to try some more interesting things

with it. ... It's already given you whatever

you need, and we can only enhance it by

adding more to it and making it as edgy

and fresh as we can."

*MySpace and Wind-Up Records

are teaming for a contest that gives
unsigned artists a chance to have their

music appear in the upcoming movie
"John Tucker Must Die" and its soundtrack.

The film stars Ashanti, “Desperate Housewives”

heartthrob Jesse Metcalfe, Sophia Bush,

Brittany Snow and Jenny McCarthy. The

winner will be chosen May 26 by a panel

of celebrity judges and will score a $10,000

production budget for a professional
recording of their song. The soundtrack

will be released on July 18.

MAGAZINE/BOOK BITS: Madea’s

new book; Jada in ‘Essence’; ‘Neo Soul’
cookbook; Alba vs. Playboy; Maxim

supersizes Longoria.

*“Don’t Make a Black Woman

Take Off her Earrings,” a new book

written by Tyler Perry as his most famous

character, Madea, will hit bookstores on
Tuesday. Madea, herself, wrote a letter

to her fans promoting the book. “I
talk about every thing from the miracles

of Vaseline to ‘klink klink lock
down,’” she writes. “So, pick it up.

It is wonderfurr. You can get the book
at my favorite store Wal-mart, or any

book store, including that Barney and
Nobles place, and all them other

places where you readers go to get
something to read. I hope you enjoy

it and put it on your book club list
cause it ain't never gonna make it to

Oprah's book club. I guess if
Springer had one, this book would

be right at home.”

*Jada Pinkett Smith talks about

her relationship with husband Will
Smith in the upcoming 36th anniversary

May issue of Essence – which features
the actress on the cover. "People think

I'm kidding when I say Will saved my
life,” she says in the interview.

“But he did. I was literally killing
myself when we started dating ten

years ago. I was doing drugs, drinking
alcohol, and sleeping around. I was

on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

I was trying to off myself because

I just hadn't found a way to cope with

the things we all go through in life.

But Will gave me the comfort zone of
knowing that I had a relationship that

was solid and was going to be there."
Pinkett leads Essence’s second annual

list of The Bold and the Beautiful,
celebrating 25 of the world’s most

courageous, powerful and inspiring

women.Included this year are Oprah

Winfrey, Robin Roberts, S. Epatha

Merkerson and Raven-Symone.

*A new cookbook is available from

the grandson of Harlem's queen of
soul food, Sylvia Woods. “Neo Soul:

Taking Soul Food to a Whole 'Nutha
Level,” from Avery/Penguin Group,

features recipes from Lindsey Williams
that puts a healthy twist on such soul

food staples as collard greens,
macaroni-and-cheese and corn

bread. Raised in the kitchen of his
grandmother's restaurant, Williams

was overweight for much of his childhood.
After tipping the scales at 400 pounds,

he decided to make drastic changes,
beginning with a complete overhaul of

his lifestyle and diet. He lost more
than half his weight and eventually

created his own brand of healthy soul
food cooking, which he serves today

through his successful event planning
and catering business, Neo Soul

Events and Catering.

*Jessica Alba settled a feud

with Playboy over her unauthorized
appearance on the March cover. The

24-year-old actress had demanded that
founder Hugh Hefner pull the issue

from stands over concern that the cover
might lead readers to believe she

appeared nude inside. But Hefner wrote

her a letter of apology, and now,

all is well. "I appreciate Mr. Hefner's
acknowledgment of the distress caused

by Playboy's actions, and I'm happy to
put this unfortunate event behind me,"

Alba said in a statement. Going a
step further, Playboy made donations

to two charities Alba supports: Keep

A Child Alive (embraced by Alicia Keys

and Oprah Winfrey) and Until There's

A Cure.

*You thought Eva Longoria was

everywhere before? Maxim magazine has
stepped up her presence by creating a

75-by-110-foot vinyl mesh replica of
her January 2005 cover and sticking it

in the middle of the desert outside
Las Vegas. The display, a celebration

of Maxim’s 100th issue, took nine
workers more than 15 hours to build.

It’s so big that satellites are able to
photograph the image from space. In

fact, satellite search engine Google
Earth and the city of Las Vegas helped

Maxim pull off the stunt. (Google
Earth displays the image at

www.maximonline.com/maximusa.)

SPORTS BITS: Man sentenced in Price

murder; NFL releases schedule; Duke
player’s disturbing e-mail; Griffey’s

homer; black grad rates; Robinson on
stamp.

*Suspected gang member Edward

Maxfield, 25, was sentenced to 15
years in prison Thursday for the 2003

drive-by shooting death of Yetunde
Price, the 31-year-old half-sister of

tennis stars Venus and Serena
Williams. Prosecutors say Maxfield

fired about 11 shots from an assault
rifle to protect a drug house before

midnight in September 2003. One of the
bullets struck the head of Price as she

was driving past the house in
Compton. Serena addressed Maxfield

before he was sentenced. "I wasn't going
to speak today because it's too hard

for me to talk," she said, but she
"wanted to let you know that this was

unfair to our family, and our family
has always been positive and we always

try to help people." A murder charge
against a second man, Aaron Hammer,

was dismissed after the first trial.
Authorities concluded that his

alleged firing of a handgun during

the incident did not cause the fatal

wound.

*The NFL released its 2006

schedule yesterday, and all eyes fell

on Oct. 8, the day Terrell Owens and

his Dallas Cowboys visit Philadelphia to
play his former team, the Eagles. Owens

was dismissed by Philly a month ago
following “behavior detrimental to the

team.” Another special game takes
place on Sept. 25, when the New

Orleans Saints return to the Superdome

for the first time since Hurricane Katrina

forced the team to play home games
last season in San Antonio, Baton

Rouge and East Rutherford, N.J.

*An e-mail sent by a Duke

University lacrosse player that vows

to kill and skin strippers in his dorm

room has led to the resignation of the
coach, the cancellation of the season

and an internal probe into the
university's response to alleged

violence by athletes. The e-mail is

the latest fallout from allegations that

three white players on the men’s
lacrosse team raped a black stripper

at an off-campus party on March 13.

On Wednesday, authorities unsealed

documents stating that less than two

hours after the alleged rape, a player

sent an e-mail saying he was planning

an encore to "tonights (sic) show." The

message, addressed "To whom it may
concern," said, "however there will be

no nudity. I plan on killing the
b****es as soon as the(y) walk in

and proceeding (sic) to cut their skin
off." The player signed the e-mail with

his jersey number. The player's name
does not match the three names the

woman gave to police as her attackers.
Shortly after the e-mail's release,

lacrosse coach Mike Pressler resigned,
ending a 16-year run that included

three Atlantic Coast Conference
championships and a trip to last

year's national final. Duke President
Richard H. Brodhead followed Pressler’s

exit with the announcement of a
series of steps planned to address the

allegations, including examining the
culture of the lacrosse team and

investigating the school's

response to the scandal.

*Ken Griffey Jr.’s home run

against the Chicago Cubs Wednesday

moved him ahead of Mickey Mantle

and into 12th place on the all-time

home run list. His Cincinnati Reds

went on to beat the Cubs 8-6. The

homer, Griffey’s 537th, also gave him

1,538 career RBIs, breaking his tie with

Joe DiMaggio for 31st on the career list.

Last year, Griffey was on the mend
from reconstructive hamstring surgery

at the start of the season and didn't
crack his first homer until his 22nd

game of the season, the longest

such drought of his career.

*Graduation rates for black

athletes have risen 24 percent from

1984 to 2004, according to a new study

released Thursday by the University of
Central Florida's Institute for Diversity

and Ethics in Sport. The boost in
diplomas marks big gains for

a demographic that once recorded just

35 percent graduation success. Female

black athletes remained more successful
than males, graduating 73 percent of

the time compared with 54 percent for
men. The same was true of whites, with

73 percent of women graduating and 66
percent of men. Graduation success

for all whites still outpaced black
athletes 66 percent to 52 percent,

according to federal graduation

rates cited in the study.

*A new 39-cent stamp will honor

legendary boxer Sugar Ray Robinson.
The unveiling ceremony takes place

today at Madison Square Garden in New
York. Its design will resemble a vintage

fight poster of the 1940s and '50s.
Ray Robinson II told the Associated

Press: "I think he would have thought
[the stamp] was a gift from God."

Robinson was world welterweight champion
from Dec. 20, 1946, until Feb. 14, 1951,

when he won the world middleweight
title for the first of five times. Robinson

fought 201 bouts overall, winning 174

(109 by knockout) against only 19

losses, six draws, and two no

contests. He was voted "Fighter

of the Century" by a panel

of experts in 1999.

EVENT CALENDAR: ‘Poseidon’ at

Tribeca; LL at Virgin MegaStore; Luda

at Kentucky Derby; Aretha on Joyner

cruise; BET's Rap-It-Up in Springfield, IL.

*The upcoming action adventure

film “Poseidon,” co-starring Andre
Braugher and directed by Wolfgang

Petersen (“Troy,” “The Perfect Storm”),
will have its world premiere at the 2006

Tribeca Film Festival, presented by
American Express. The Warner Bros./

Virtual Studios remake of “The Poseidon
Adventure” also stars Kurt Russell, Josh

Lucas, Richard Dreyfuss, Emmy
Rossum, Jacinda Barrett, Mike Vogel,

Mia Maestro and Jimmy Bennett, many

of whom will attend the star-studded gala

premiere on Saturday, May 6. Poseidon
will be released May 12in both standard

and IMAX theaters. Visit tribecafilmfestival.org

or call 866.941.FEST (3378) to purchase

festival passes and tickets.

*An exclusive in-store appearance

and fashion show from LL Cool J
will take place at 6 p.m. April 11 at

the Virgin MegaStore in New York
City's Times Square. The event, open

to 500 fans, will mark the release of
the rapper’s Todd Smith clothing line.

LL Cool J's 12th album, “Todd Smith,”
will arrive in stores the following day.

His upcoming promotional stops
include the following: MTV’s “TRL”

and “Life & Rhymes” April 10; FUSE

and MTV's DFX April 11; BET's 106th

& Park April 12; “The View” April 16;
Blueprint April 19; BET's Top 25

Hosted Saturdays April 22 and

Jimmy Kimmel April 25.

*Ludacris is scheduled to appear

at the 132nd Run for the Roses in
Louisville as a guest of the Kentucky

Derby Festival and the Barnstable
Brown Gala, reports Allhiphop.com.

The rapper-turned-actor will join family
and friends in River City for the

Republic Bank Pegasus Parade on

May 4 and the Barnstable Brown

bash before the Derby.

*Aretha Franklin, Ne-Yo,

Chris Brown, Kirk Franklin and
comedian/actor Sinbad are among

the acts scheduled to perform at the

2006 the Tom Joyner Family Reunion at

Walt Disney World. The Queen of Soul

will headline the annual event, which runs

Aug. 31 – Sept. 5. "This year will be
bigger and better than ever," says Joyner,

whose radio show airs in 115
markets throughout the nation. "Every

time we do this we make sure that
there's something for everybody, and

that it's unforgettable. This year,
we're stepping it up as usual!" For

more information about the events and
to book specially priced packages, log

onto http://www.blackamericaweb.com
or call 1-888/TJ-FAMILY (888/853-

2645) 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday,

and 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday

and Sunday.

*BET's Rap-It-Up, the cable

network's award-winning national
HIV/AIDS public awareness initiative,

brings its campaign to Springfield,
Ill. on Wednesday, April 12 from

11 a.m. - 2 p.m. to host a teen health
forum at the Springfield Hilton Hotel

(700 E. Adams St.) The Rap-It-Up teen
health forum will address the social

issues, sexual behavior and attitudes
impacting today's teens; and the rise

of HIV/AIDS in the urban community.
BET's Gerard Henry, host of BET's

gospel program “Lift Every Voice,”

will serve as the forum moderator,

and forum panelists will include AIDS

activist Denise Stokes, Center for

Minority Health Representatives and

peer educators. Following the forum

will be performances featuring Grammy

winner Canton Jones, gospel phenomenon

Izzy, and soultress Lisa McClendon. There
will also be free HIV testing administered

by the "Wellness on Wheels"
mobile unit and various community

- related exhibit booths on display

for event attendees.

WAL-MART COMING TO A HOOD

NEAR YOU: Retail chain announces

new initiative to build over 50 stores

in high crime/high unemployment

zones.

*Wal-Mart Stores CEO Lee Scott

has announced the company’s new
"Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zones"

initiative, which will see more than
50 new stores built over the next two

years in neighborhoods in dire need

of revitalization.
These new stores are expected

to create between 15,000 and 25,000
jobs, mostly within minority communities,

and generate more than $100
million in state and local tax revenue

for these communities, reports Target
Market News.
"Wal-Mart has never been afraid

to invest in communities that are
overlooked by other retailers. Where

those businesses see difficulty, we see
opportunity. That is who Wal-Mart has

always been, and that is who we remain
today," Scott said Monday at the

Newspaper Association of America's

annual convention. "This is a commitment

to reach beyond our stores, to further
engage the community, and to offer an

even greater economic boost to people
and neighborhoods that need Wal-Mart

the most."
Wal-Mart will build stores in

areas affected by high crime or
unemployment rates, on sites that

are environmentally contaminated,

or in vacant buildings or malls in

need of revitalization.
A new Wal-Mart currently under

construction on the West Side of
Chicago will anchor the first "Wal-

Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zone." Each

of the ten "Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity

Zones" will be anchored by a store
and engage a host of local businesses

and organizations with which the
company will work to increase job

creation and economic opportunity

in surrounding neighborhoods. The

locations of the remaining nine zones

will be announced in the coming months.

EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
-- by Jewel Diamond Taylor

"Sometimes you could find yourself

so structured, paralyzed and operating on
automatic pilot, that you realize you're

not living. Or you can find
yourself fantasizing wishing you were

somewhere else or dwelling too much
about past pain. Been there --- done

that --- had to tell myself, "Snap out
of it and COME BACK."
The present moment is filled with

joy and happiness. Wish for yourself and
everyone around you happiness and

health. Chose to be alive in this moment.
Take a deep breath. Talk to yourself

in a confident, reassuring and positive
way.
It's necessary to work with all the

messy and delightful parts of yourself.
It takes courage and faith to not run

away from your self. Place your feet
firmly in this present moment and yet

still have hope, dreams, goals and a
plan for the future you desire.
Whether you are suffering from past

choices or circumstances out of your
control, know that you can make it

through this. Learn to motivate yourself.
Have the courage to live, learn, laugh

and let go of any thought, habit or
person that is harmful to your well

being.
The thoughts you think, the words you

speak , the prayers you pray and the
actions you take have power to create.

They shape your world and create your
destiny. Mind the gap between reality

and illusion --- between faith and
fear --- between action and

procrastination --- between adventure

and stagnation --- between hate and love

--- between anger and peace --- between
forgiveness and bitterness --- between

despair and hope --- and the gap
between you and your next opportunity

to grow."

~ by Jewel Diamond Taylor

April 12 - Radio guest 102.3 FM KJLH

Frontpage 4:30 AM - 6 AM with Dominique
DiPrima April 14 - Atlanta School

District Education Conference April 15 -
Wome n on the Grow - Los Angeles

April 20 - L. A. Dept of Public Works -
Admin Professionals Day April 22 -

Sacramento - St. Jude Christian
Tabernacle Prayer Breakfast April 29 -

Maryland - Sisters4Sisters Ladies Tea
May 6 - Balitmore, MD - The Joy of

Living Women's Pavilion, for tickets go
to www.thejoyofliving.biz May 14 -

Los Angeles - Hamilton Methodist Church -
Morning Service Guest Speaker May

20 - Women-CEO Network's presents Sisters
Suite Retreat at the Wyndham Buttes

Resort www.women-ceo.com May 27 - New
Philadelphia AME Church Women's

Conference Breakfast Keynote Read on...

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
April 7: Singer Mark Kibble of

Take 6 is 42. Actor Bill Bellamy
("Fastlane") is 41.

       April 8: Rapper Biz Markie is 42.

       April 9: Actress Keshia Knight

Pulliam ("The Cosby Show") is 27.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Here's an online music and modeling

directory, central resource, and
forum for aspiring and established

professionals in the music and modeling
industries.

(http://www.musicandmodeling.com)
Submit your favorite Web site to

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

BLACK HISTORY
Apr. 7, 1867: Johnson C.Smith

University is founded in Charlotte,
N.C.

Apr. 8, 1960: The Student Non-

\Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
was organized on this date.

Apr. 9, 1866: Civil Rights Bill

passed over the president's veto. The
bill conferred citizenship on blacks

and gave them "the same right, in every
State and Territory... as is enjoyed

by white citizens." (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)

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

EUR FEEDBACK (MYfeedback@eurweb.com)

*Goddess, Los Angeles, CA

"What an a**hole Jayceon Taylor, AKA:

The Game (04-04-06 EUR) is. How dare this

brotha. He basically bragged about how he

'gamed' his ex-girlfriend with the terrible low

life things he did ... just to stay in an

apartment? I'm sick. Someone

give me a bucket.

This may be a bit over the top, but

where is the integrity of EUR to even publish

a story like this! Glorifying a rapper (who is

not at the top of his 'Game') who got a big

house ... and what he did before to a sistah,

and a good one, to stay in a place before

he got to where he is now.

What a freakin insult. It insults himself

and her! All Jayceon did through this article

was reveal what level he would go for a little

of nothin' and embarrass himself. And we

should be happy for the brotha? Well, we

all know that what goes around, comes

around. Nobody is exempt from the

payback."

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