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01-12-07 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
FAITH EVANS IS PREGNANT: BET says singer had to cancel ‘Celebration of Gospel’ appearance because OBGYN put her on bed rest.
*Faith Evans was due to perform on BET’s “Celebration of Gospel”
taping next weekend in Los Angeles, but the R&B singer had to cancel per doctor’s orders because she is pregnant.
According to BET, Evans’ doctor has ordered her on bed rest until the birth of the baby. The due date has not been reported.
This is the fourth child for the Grammy-winning widow of The Notorious B.I.G. Chyna Evans, her daughter with Kiyamma Griffin, was born in 1993. Christopher Jordan Wallace, fathered by Biggie, was born in 1996; while Joshua Russaw was born in 1998 with father Todd Russaw.
Hosted by Steve Harvey, BET’s “Celebration of Gospel” will include appearances and performances by Tyler Perry, Kirk Franklin, Fantasia, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Fred Hammond, Smokie Norful, Coko and more.
ANOTHER ‘MICHAEL’ DROPS N-WORD AT LAUGH FACTORY: Anthony Michael Hall caught on tape saying, ‘whassup ni**a?’
*Paparazzi cameras were rolling outside of the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood as actor Anthony Michael Hall, best known for his roles in “Sixteen Candles” and “The Breakfast Club,” used the N-word twice while joking around with fans.
When a large Hispanic man approached him to take a picture, Hall
uttered: “I’m scared of this ni**a right here.” Moments later, he was posing with another fan when he looked to someone off camera and said, “What’s up, ni**a?”
The video also shows him jokingly telling several people to “Get the f**k out of here,” adding that a camerawoman among the paparazzi would probably sell the video to E! News.
View the video here at TMZ.com:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid285859616?bclid=294430730&bc
tid=416306244.
The Laugh Factory was also where “Seinfeld” star Michael Richards unleashed a series of N words toward black patrons during his stand up set.
‘BEING BOBBY BROWN’ OFFICIALLY CANCELED: Bravo says ratings were too low without Whitney.
*Bravo says it has officially canceled its top-rated reality series “Being Bobby Brown” because not enough viewers were tuning in without the presence of his soon-to-be ex-wife, Whitney Houston.
According to gossip columnist Janet Charlton, Brown’s attempt to convince Bravo executives to film a new season featuring his exploits with troubled boxing champ Mike Tyson fell on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, Brown is keeping company with former video vixen Karrine Steffans, while Houston just had belongings from her abandoned storage unit in New Jersey sold at an auction.
Among the items unloaded were a set of 16 awards Brown won throughout his music career. A magician from New Jersey reportedly paid $25 a piece for the trophies and plans to sell them on eBay.
JASON KIDD’S WIFE REBUTS ‘ABUSE’ CLAIMS: NJ Nets star accuses her of ‘extreme cruelty’ in divorce filings.
*Looks like New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd is headed toward a nasty divorce amidst accusations of physical and mental spousal abuse at the hands of his wife, Joumana.
The 33-year-old athlete filed dissolution papers Tuesday in state Superior Court in Bergen County accusing Joumana Kidd of "extreme cruelty over a long period of time," including physically and mentally abusing him, threatening to make false domestic violence complaints against him to police, and of interfering with his relationship with his children.
"The defendant's extreme and unwarranted jealousy and rage has left the plaintiff concerned about her emotional stability," Kidd's attorney, Madeline Marzano-Lesnevich, said in a statement Tuesday.
On Wednesday, an attorney for Joumana fired back at those claims, telling the Associated Press that the 6-foot-4, 210-pound basketball star has no reason to fear his client.
"He says he's threatened by her? He's a star athlete. She's 5-foot-2, I think, and 105 pounds," said New York divorce lawyer Raoul Felder, one of the attorneys representing Joumana Kidd. "It's shameful what he did here.
The truth will come out."
Felder said Wednesday that his client, a former Budweiser model, planned to file a counter complaint, and that it was "absurd" to believe that she was the abuser in the relationship given Kidd's former domestic violence charge.
In January 2001, the then Phoenix Sun was arrested after his wife told police he hit her during an argument over their son, Trey Jason (T.J.), who was 2 at the time. Kidd pleaded guilty to spousal abuse, was fined $200 and ordered to take anger management training.
Joumana is "a battered and harassed wife in every sense of the word," Felder said Wednesday. "He's going to have to deal with the real court and not the basketball court."
In his complaint, Kidd accuses Joumana of kicking, hitting, punching and throwing household objects at him as she became "increasingly controlling and manipulative" in the past few years. Kidd also said she is a vitriolic, jealous and paranoid wife prone to public outbursts and threats, including during a recent Nets game.
In that episode, according to the complaint, Joumana Kidd used their 8-year-old son on Dec. 27 to enter the Nets locker room and rifle through her husband’s locker to find his cell phone. After scrolling through the names and numbers on it, the complaint said she left her son behind as she sat courtside during the game yelling insults at her husband.
Kidd also accused his wife of installing tracking devices on his cars and computers and harassing his trainer, friends and family.
His divorce filing came days after he filed a domestic violence complaint seeking a temporary restraining order against his wife. They were married in 1997 and live in Saddle River, NJ. Besides 8-year-old T.J., the Kidds have 4-year-old twin daughters, Miah and Jazelle.
Despite the numerous accusations by Kidd in the complaint, he did not ask for sole custody of the children.
"It is in the best interest that the parties share physical and legal custody of the children," the complaint said.
SHORT HOPES TO ‘STOMP’ BOX-OFFICE COMPETITION: Choreographer-turned-actor helps take stepping to the big screen.
By Kenya M Yarbrough
*This weekend the film “Stomp the Yard” comes to theaters; a rhythmic flick in the vein of the popular film “Drumline,” but picking up another element of the African American college experience – Greek Organization step shows.
“Stomp the Yard” follows the life of a troubled 19-year-old street dancer named DJ after the death of his younger brother, Duron.
He leaves Los Angeles and enrolls in a historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia and is courted by two rival campus fraternities who hope to recruit the dancer for their battling step teams.
The role of DJ is played by choreographer/dancer Columbus Short, and his co-stars include Meagan Goode, Ne-Yo, Michael J. White, and Chris Brown in his motion picture debut. While Short’s resume features roles in the films “Save the Last Dance 2” and “Accepted,”
Short said that what really prepared him for this film was his experience touring with the musical dance show “Stomp”.
“The language is the same,” Short said of the work he did with the stage tour “Stomp” in comparison to the step-dancing in the film. “We did stuff with our bodies, but we were more individual and with stepping it’s more unified. It’s from the same directorate, African boot dancing – that’s where the form was adapted.”
And in facing actual steppers and step masters that may have questioned his step style, Short said he wasn’t really concerned.
What he thought was his greatest concern was proving himself in the
acting realm.
“I felt like because I understood the language, that was the least of my concerns,” he said. “I was going to apply it to the stepping and create something you’d never seen before. My main concern was making sure the artistic of the character was there and the authenticity of the project was there. I wanted to delve into [the character], that was the most important thing, because dancing, at this point, in my DNA.”
Dancing is definitely in this cat’s DNA, and apparently he’s confident of that skill. Short’s current claim to dance fame is choreographing Britney Spears’ “In the Zone” tour. Interestingly, Short was romantically linked to Britney in 2003, while his wife was seven months pregnant – apparently a part of Britney’s M.O. In a recent interview, reporter Jawn Murray referenced Short’s path to fame in comparison to fellow Brit dancer Kevin Federline.
Short replied, "I believe in my talent ... not to diss Kevin, he's a boy of mine ... I'm grateful in the career decisions that I've made and God directing my path."
Still, although Short’s dance skills needn’t any confirmation, the actor said that he did prove himself on the set. With a host of “Greeks” – members of Greek-lettered organizations, involved in the film, Short said he felt a little bit of pressure to represent.
“At first I had a bit of ignorance to the whole history of the fraternal order, but once I got there and started understanding, I thought ‘Oh my God.’ I met a lot of the divine nine – some Alphas, Sigmas, Deltas, Kappas, AKAs, Ques. They just all kept saying, ‘You’d better come correct.’ And then they were on the set the day we shot the finale number, and they said, ‘You guys were killin’ it.’ It meant a lot that they felt we did it justice,” he said.
The film was shot in Atlanta on some of the most historic campuses in the country. The trip and the history was something new to Short – which is something he shared with his character.
“In [Atlanta] art reflected life,” Short said of his set surroundings. "Atlanta is a completely different culture, especially on the campuses. We were on the Spelman, Clark, Morehouse campuses. Morris Brown was shut down, which was sad, so we had this whole college campus that was empty – so we shot there a majority of the time.”
Short explained that the scene where his character walks into the campuses Heritage Hall is his absolute favorite. Mostly because it was an enlightening experience for him.
“I didn’t go in to see [the set] because I wanted to go in and experience it with DJ (the character). I was really surprised. I didn’t know Martin Luther King Jr. was in a fraternity, and Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King were in sororities. I didn’t know Michael Jordan was a Que. It blew me away. It was a compelling scene to me.”
Short admitted that he learned a lot in doing this film. In addition to learning about famous “Greeks”, he fell into his character and honed the craft of acting, and he picked up some entirely new steps – particularly because the fictional frat couldn’t use the famed styles of the actual organizations. Even more he learned about the importance of these colleges and organizations, beyond step shows.
“The significance – [that] we don’t really hit on in the movie – of what fraternities and sororities do is community service… I wish we touched on that in the movie. And the things that live long after you graduate. The type of loyalty and brotherhood…of lifelong sisterhood that these organizations hold.”
“Stomp the Yard” opens today in theaters nationwide. For more on the film, check out www.sonypictures.com/movies/stomptheyard/.
BELAFONTE BELIEVES THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE: Activist speaks at Wright State U; Dave Chappelle in audience.
*Entertainer and activist Harry Belafonte spoke before students at Wright State University in Ohio Wednesday about their importance in generations to come.
"You are responsible for this generation the way we were responsible for the last one," Belafonte said, according to the AP. "So if you see things that are unacceptable, you have a responsibility to change them. Make a difference. If you don't, you have no one to blame but yourself."
Comedian Dave Chappelle, who has a home in the southwest Ohio village of Yellow Springs, was also in the audience during Belafonte’s two-hour talk. His mother, Yvonne Seon, is founding director of Wright State's Bolinga Black Cultural Resources Center and introduced Belafonte to the audience.
Belafonte, famous for his calypso-inspired music, also spoke about the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and others who have helped inspire him.
"I was born in Harlem but at an early age my mother took us back to her homeland, Jamaica," Belafonte said. "When I returned to New York at age 13, it was common for me to see Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington, W.E.B.
DuBois and, the tallest tree in the forest, Paul Robeson.”
RAY J TRYING TO SELL SEX TAPE?: Broker allegedly trying to sell video footage of Brandy’s bro and Kim Kardashian.
*A man has reportedly approached the New York Daily News claiming to have viewed a sex tape of singer Ray-J and Beverly Hills socialite Kim Kardashian, and that it is in the process of being brokered for one million dollars.
"It's your typical graphic sex tape," he tells the paper, adding "there's a golden shower at the end."
Kardashian, the daughter of former O.J. Simpson defense lawyer Robert Kardashian and homie of Paris Hilton, has gone on record denying that the sex tape even exists.
"There is no tape. It is false," she was reported as saying.
But the Daily News source said: "She and her camp want to decide exactly what gets released and what doesn't. She is actively involved in its sale, but wishes to do it through a third party."
Kardashian has been linked romantically with rapper The Game and Nick Lachey, among others.
JAMES BROWN JR. LEFT OUT OF WILL: Attorneys say Godfather’s will had not been updated before his death.
*The five-year-old son of the late James Brown was left out of his father’s last will and testament, said attorneys representing the music icon’s estate.
E! News reports that James Jr. was not mentioned in the will read Thursday to six of Brown’s other children, which were all reportedly provided for in some manner.
James Jr. is Brown’s son with his former backup singer and companion Tomi Rae Hynie. Her attorney, Thornton Morris, told the Associated Press that his client was not informed about the will, which has not yet been filed in probate court.
"She was locked out of the house so she doesn't know where the will that's being probated was found," Morris said. "She has no knowledge to when this particular will was executed."
As previously reported, Hynie has been barred from entering the home since Brown’s death on Dec. 25. She told CNN’s Larry King that she had been in rehab in California when Brown died of congestive heart failure in an Atlanta hospital, but that she immediately returned to the house they shared in South Carolina—only to find eight padlocks on the door.
"Right now, the family has put [the house] into probate and they are fighting me to get into the house," Hynie said, according to E!. "They are allowing me to go in and remove my belongings. But they will not allow me to go into my home."
Brown family attorney Buddy Dallas said that the house hadn't been in Brown's name since August 2000 for tax purposes, and the property was locked up so the entertainer's legal camp could get his affairs in order. Dallas also told E! Online that Hynie hasn't visited the property in six weeks and had made no requests to collect any personal items from the house.
OPRAH TO HOST OSCAR SPECIAL: Program will feature Oscar winners interviewing fellow Oscar winners.
*Oprah Winfrey has ventured into Barbara Walters territory with a planned ABC primetime Oscar special to air on Feb. 22, the Thursday before the network's broadcast of the 79th annual Academy Awards.
But unlike Walters’ traditional Oscar special, Oprah’s program will feature Academy Award winners doing one-on-one interviews with an Oscar-winning actor of their choice.
Julia Roberts will interview her “Ocean’s 11” co-star George Clooney at his Los Angeles home. Nicole Kidman will grill fellow Aussie Russell Crowe at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and Jamie Foxx will sit down with Sidney Poitier on the stage where the veteran actor collected his Oscar for "Lilies of the Field" in 1963.
"The Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special" will not interfere with Barbara Walters' 25th annual Oscar Special, which ABC will air as usual the night of the Awards.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Tears of the Black Tiger (Fah Talai Jone)
Magenta Shades of John Wayne in Imaginative Thai Western
by Kam Williams
*Anybody wondering whether Brokeback Mountain might have signaled the demise of the spaghetti Western need only check out Tears of the Black Tiger to see that the genre is alive and kicking.
There is one minor complication, however, since this flick was made in Thailand and features a cast comprised entirely of indigenous actors.
It's difficult to determine whether first-time writer/director Wisit Sasanatieng intended his picture as a parody or a homage, but that shouldn't matter to fans of the likes of Sam Peckinpah, John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.
For this old-fashioned shoot 'em up is certain to satisfy the bloodthirst of anyone nostalgic for such classics as A Fistful of Dollars or The Wild Bunch.
Tears of the Black Tiger is a tale of forbidden love revolving around Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan), a lowly peasant boy, who falls in love with Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi), a little rich girl from the other side of the proverbial tracks. Despite several noble gestures on his part, their budding romance is repeatedly put on hold, due to distance, her arranged marriage, and the murder of his father by a gang of ruthless outlaws.
However, the transparent plot remains secondary to the movie's campy recreation of the ambience of the typical Western from Hollywood's Golden Age. The macho swagger. the stiff dialogue. the cartoon physics... the gruesome gunplay with no emotional consequence. it's all in there. Yet, also of note are its self-conscious technical wizardry (such as a slow-motion replay of a complicated death by ricocheted bullet) and its striking cinematography, ever awash in visually-stunning, if digitally-enhanced hues not found in nature.
In much the same way that the endlessly inventive Kung Fu Hustle (2004) took considerable cinematic license while satirizing the Prohibition-era gangster saga, Tears of the Black Tiger represents an equally adventurous attempt to lampoon cowboy movies while simultaneously paying tribute to them as well.
For better or worse, and mostly better, a jaw-droppingly bizarre bastardization.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sensuality, crude humor, and violence.
In Thai with subtitles.
Running time: 113 minutes
DANCER IN DUKE CASE CLEARS ONE DEFENDANT: Woman says Reade Seligmann did not engage in alleged attack.
*The exotic dancer accusing three Duke University lacrosse players of rape changed her story during an interview with investigators in December, stating one of the men did not commit any sex act on her during the alleged attack.
The accuser told investigators that Reade Seligmann was repeatedly encouraged to participate in the alleged attack, but said he could not because he was getting married, papers stated. Lawyers have said Seligmann, 20, has a girlfriend, but there has been no indication that he was engaged or married.
In her latest statement, the accuser said Seligmann helped Evans and Finnerty drag her into a bathroom where the assault allegedly took place.
In the same Dec. 21 interview with an investigator with the district attorney’s office, the accuser also said she was no longer sure that she had been penetrated vaginally by a penis, which constitutes rape in the state of North Carolina.
That led District Attorney Mike Nifong to dismiss rape charges against Seligmann and defendants Dave Evans and Collin Finnerty. The players, who have insisted they are innocent, remain charged with sexual offense and kidnapping.
The accuser also changed the time of the attack during the December interview, stating it occurred between 11:35 p.m. and midnight, which is earlier than she had first reported. The initial police report on the case suggested the alleged attack took place about midnight.
The new timeline would put the attack outside of the apparent alibi window established by Seligmann's attorneys, based on records that include ATM receipts and cell phone records. Also, the defense motion said the accuser's cell phone records show that she was on her phone during part of the time she now says she was attacked. Records also show Seligmann received a call on his cell phone during that period, the defense said.
The filing came a day after the judge overseeing the case ordered a paternity test to determine the father of a child recently born to the woman. Nifong has said the pregnancy was almost certainly unrelated to the team party, and both sides agreed the test should be conducted to silence any doubts.
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
For movies opening January 12, 2007
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Alpha Dog (R for sexuality, nudity, profanity, graphic violence, and pervasive drug use) Grisly bio-pic based on the life and times of teen drug kingpin Jesse James Hollywood (Emile Hirsch), the youngest person ever to land on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. Cast includes Justin Timberlake, Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis.
Pathfinder (Unrated) Remake of Ofelas (1987), a Norse adventure set around 1000 A.D. about a Norwegian boy (Jay Tavare), left behind and raised by Native Americans after a shipwreck on the East Coast, who grows up to reclaim his Viking warrior birthright.
Stomp the Yard (PG-13 for sex, expletives and violence) Musical melodrama about a troubled kid from L.A. (Columbus Short), attending a black college in Atlanta, who finally fits in after pledging a fledgling fraternity where he can put his street-style dance moves to work towards the National Step Show Championship. Cast includes Meagan Good, Sway, Robin Thicke, Laz Alonzo, Daisy Jade, Ne-Yo and Lil C,
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
The Abandoned (R for nudity, profanity, disturbing images, and gory
violence) Eastern bloc horror flick about a Russian orphan (Anastasia Hille), adopted by Americans as a baby, who returns to her homeland as an adult only to discover that the family farm she's never known is now inhabited by ghosts.
God Grew Tired of Us (PG for mature themes and disturbing images) Road documentary retraces the harrowing escape of four Sudanese orphan boys fleeing the civil strife of sub-Saharan Africa who find asylum and their version of the American Dream in Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
Lonely Hearts (R for nudity, profanity, graphic sexuality and gruesome
violence) John Travolta and James Gandolfini co-star in this crime saga based on the real-life 1940s case of the Lonely Hearts Killers, a sadistic couple (Salma Hayek and Jared Leto) answered the personal ads of war widows by in order to fleece them of their life savings before slaying them in a sexual frenzy. With Laura Dern and Scott Caan.
Tears of the Black Tiger (Unrated) Cult parody of Western genre from Thailand relates a tale of forbidden love between a criminal wanted dead-or-alive (Chartai Ngamsan) and the stunning beauty (Stella Malucchi) already engaged to the police captain (Arawat Ruangvuth) trying to track the outlaw down. (In Thai with subtitles)
Verdict on Auschwitz (Unrated) Holocaust documentary, set in 1965, revisits the courtroom in Frankfurt, Germany where 22 Nazis were put on trial for crimes against humanity. Includes the chilling testimony of concentration camp survivors as they confronted tormentors they had not seen since their internment. (In German with subtitles)
N.O.R.E. TAKES STAND IN MURDER TRIAL: Rapper testifies on behalf of man on trial for 2002 incident.
*Rapper N.O.R.E., formerly known as Noreaga, testified Wednesday on behalf of a defendant on trial in a triple murder case.
Darryl Henderson is facing charges stemming from a Jan. 21, 2002 incident in which three men were killed near Yankees Stadium. He faces a possible death penalty if convicted.
N.O.R.E., whose real name is Victor Santiago, told the court that he met Henderson in the Bronx in 1998 or 1999 and hired him as a roadie to go on food and beer runs for the performers, among other tasks.
The rapper also befriended members of a Bronx gang called Murder Unit, but said he was unaware that the some of the gang members had violent histories, sold drugs and carried weapons. N.O.R.E. said he took members of Murder Unit on tour with him to give them a chance in the business.
On the stand, the artist admitted that life on the road at times involved smoking marijuana and chasing women.
"Hard-core hip-hop tends to sell more records," N.O.R.E. said in court, noting the advantage of a rough edge in the business. "It's about selling an image."
In opening statements, Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Rody said Henderson and two other members of Murder Unit committed the murders to steal 30 kilograms of cocaine worth more than a half-million dollars.
Rody said two of the victims were stabbed more than 20 times and all three had their throats slashed. Within three days, Rody said, the three killers had fled to Miami, Fla., where they were "drinking, partying, posing for pictures and spending the money they made from the stolen cocaine."
The attorney for Henderson said his client is not in a gang and did not kill anyone, although he has sold drugs.
Rody repeatedly attacked N.O.R.E.'s memory, which seemed sketchy about the facts whenever violence erupted near him, but firm in the recollection that Henderson was never directly involved.
N.O.R.E. drew some laughs in the courtroom with his comments, including that the prosecutor in his suit looked like a music booking agent.
He waved to them as he left the witness stand, AP reports.
WHITAKER GOES GREEN FOR VEGETARIAN CAMPAIGN: Actor teams with PETA to promote meat-free diet.
*”The Last King of Scotland” star Forest Whitaker and his seven-year-old daughter True have joined forces with animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to help promote vegetarianism.
Father and daughter star in a new PSA touting the virtues of a diet completely free of meat.
"Life is full of choices, and many years ago, I chose to become a vegetarian. (It) was one of the best choices I've ever made,” Whitaker says in the spot. "You may decide to go vegetarian for better health, for a better environment, or you can be like True and me and just decide you don't want to eat meat anymore."
Whitaker’s current film role as Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland” has earned best actor awards and nominations from film critics groups around the country and is heavily favored to be considered for an Academy Award.
TRUMP SHOUTS OUT STAR JONES IN ROSIE FEUD: Also, will Mo’Nique ever return to ‘The View?’
*All was quiet Thursday on the Rosie/Trump front, but a former host of “The View” suddenly had her name dragged into the drama.
One day after Barbara Walters called Donald Trump a “poor pathetic man” for releasing a letter that called her out as a liar, the real estate tycoon told the New York Times: “I just got a congratulatory call from Star Jones.”
In his letter about Walters, the Donald made ample mention of the controversy surrounding Jones’ dismissal from the ABC morning show, suggesting that Walters had dirty hands in the situation and lied to Jones about the fragile condition of her employment during the last months of her run.
Trump said in his letter: Barbara "lied with Star Jones and now she has chosen to lie again"
Meanwhile, comedian Mo’Nique told a Chicago radio show that she may never be invited back to guest host “The View” again after a little misunderstanding with Barbara Walters.
The comic told Kendra G of Power 92’s "Trey the Chocolate Jock Morning Jump-Off" show that she took offense to Walters calling her kids “creatures” during one of the shows. When Kendra G. asked Monique what she said to Walters during the commercial break, Monique just laughed.
“Well whatever she said, according to Monique it had to be bad enough to make sure that she never gets another invitation to co-host the daytime talk show,” Kendra G tells the EUR.
ITTY BITTY BITS: ‘NY’ ratings; Dutton for DGA; Beyonce at Grammys; White in ‘Lemon’; Robertson’s book; Clooney in Darfur; Abdul plugs Cowell.
*The Jan. 8 season premiere of VH1’s “I Love New York,” starring two-time “Flavor of Love” runner-up New York in a search of a male companion, has scored the highest debut for a program in the network’s history. A whopping 4.4 million people between the ages of 18 and 49 tuned in to watch the shenanigans, which included some 20 men competing for the hand of the flamboyant woman, born Tiffany Pollard. "Ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show," where Caucasian MCs compete for $100,000, drew 2.3 million viewers for its premiere immediately following “New York.”
*Actors Charles Dutton and Edward James Olmos are among nominees for DGA's five nominees for a Directors Guild of America award in the movies-for-television category. Dutton, an Emmy-winning actor, was nominated for directing an episode of Showtime’s "Sleeper Cell," while Olmos, an Oscar nominee for his role in 1988's "Stand and Deliver," was nominated for directing Time Warner Inc.'s HBO movie "Walkout." Other nominees are Randa Haines for TNT's "The Ron Clark Story," Walter Hill for the AMC miniseries "Broken Trail" and Peter Markle for A&E's "Flight 93."
*Beyonce, Gnarls Barkley, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Dixie Chicks are among the performers for the 49th Grammy Awards, to be broadcast live Feb. 11 on CBS from Los Angeles' Staples Center. Dixie Chicks, Gnarls Barkley and Red Hot Chili Peppers are all nominated in the album of the year category, while Beyonce is up for Grammys in best R&B song, best contemporary R&B album, best rap/sung collaboration and best female R&B vocal performance.
*Lillias White has joined the cast of the York Theatre Company's off-Broadway premiere of Blind Lemon Blues. Created by Alan Govenar and Akin Babatunde, the show features more than 60 Blind Lemon Jefferson songs. Performances begin February 15 and continue through February 25 only, at the York Theatre at St. Peter's.
*The book “Not in My Family: AIDS in the African American Community” from journalist Gil Robertson has been nominated for a 2007 Image Award in the Best Non-fiction category. Now in its 2nd printing, the book was recently the subject of a major profile in the Atlanta Journal Constitution and a lead review in the Philadelphia Tribune. Upcoming media features include Newsweek, the Detroit Free Press, Miami Herald and Associated Press.
*The Darfur footage filmed by actor George Clooney and his journalist father Nick Clooney will be aired Monday in a documentary for the AmericanLife TV Network. "A Journey to Darfur" recounts the trip the two made in April with a photographer and another family member, flying by small plane into Sudan and visiting a village just outside the Darfur border. A premiere of the film Wednesday was attended by members of Congress and Martin Luther King III.
*Paula Abdul says her fellow “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell provided a supportive shoulder to lean on during the 2003 sex scandal involving ousted second-season contestant Corey Clark. Paula told The New York Post: "I have to be honest about Simon. There's the times when he's like a big brother - or a lover. He was extremely distraught and protective and supportive of me when that happened."
SPORTS BITS: Game vs. Game; Luke hosts another NYFL tourney; Barry Bonds fails drug test.
*Rapper The Game has beef with a World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler who is using his same stage name, and has challenged the athlete to a fight over the moniker. "I'm much stronger than (wrestler The Game) is,”said the rapper, born Jayceon Taylor. “I was 'The Game' long before he came about. He's on TV wrestling and it's pretend, made up. I wrestle in real life and I win."
*Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell will host the 2nd Annual Battle of the Stars Football Tournament in Miami from Jan. 25-28 at Curtis Park Football Stadium in Miami. Teams competing in the event via the National Youth Football League (NYFL) are coached by a number of celebs, including T.I., Rick Ross, Warren Sapp, Chad Johnson and Edgerrin James. Partial proceeds from the game will go to the NYFL, which has partnered with the Orange Bowl Committee to help improve computers, playing fields and facilities of participating member schools.
*MLB slugger Barry Bonds failed a test for amphetamines last season and originally blamed it on a teammate, according to a report Thursday in the New York Daily News. When first informed of the positive test, Bonds said he got the substance from the locker of teammate Mark Sweeney, the newspaper said, citing several sources. "I have no comment on that," Bonds'
agent Jeff Borris told the Daily News on Wednesday night.
SHARPTON, NY ATTY GEN MEET OVER BELL SHOOTING: Rev. suggests special prosecutor to handle high profile investigations.
*Rev. Al Sharpton was included in a private meeting Wednesday with the state attorney general of New York to discuss the handling of high-profile cases like the recent police shooting of Sean Bell, the young man shot and killed by police in November.
Also at the meeting were Bell’s fiancée Nicole Paultre-Bell and Charlie King, a lawyer representing witnesses of the shooting. Sharpton said he proposed a permanent special prosecutor to handle similar hot-button investigations, and he expressed concern about the pace of the probe.
"It seems to us to be taking a long time," Sharpton said at a news conference.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said he offered his condolences to the Bell family and promised to oversee the investigation.
"Justice must be done, and we must learn from this tragedy," he said in a statement.
As previously reported, Sean Bell was killed and two of his friends wounded by police gunfire early on Nov. 23 as the three sat in their car after leaving Bell's bachelor party at a topless club.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
::A Brand New Way to Look at Your Goals and Dreams::
by Jason M. Gracia
www.motivation123.com
I have great news about your goals.
News that is sure to motivate you to do the things you have always wanted to do and be. And how can I be sure of this news without knowing your particular goal? Because it is something that all goals share.
It doesn't matter what you want, you can use today's idea to give you a powerful boost in confidence and motivation.
And it's quick and easy to do.
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The Answer is Under Your Nose
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You probably don't realize it, but you are wearing the secret to success at this very moment. It's true. You can discover it by looking down at your shirt sleeve. Go ahead, look down.
Can you see it?
The same law of success can be found on your bookshelf, in Egypt, and even on the top of your head.
Any guesses?
Let me help you out. Your sleeve may seem to be a solid piece of material, but taking a closer look will show you hundreds of smaller strands woven together.
That heavy book on your bookshelf is no different. It's a combination of thin pages stitched together. The great pyramids in Egypt are awe-inspiring and overwhelming, but as you know they are made from bringing together thousands of smaller pieces.
And your thick head of hair? You guesses it. Thousands of single hairs brought together to create your signature style.
What does all this have to do with your goals?
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The Truth About Success
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Your shirt, books, pyramids, and hairstyles hold the key to helping you get and stay motivated to achieve everything you want. And the secret they hold is this:
Success, no matter how immense or overwhelming it may seem from afar, is a matter of small, simple steps.
Most people take a look at a successful business, sports team, or family and believe it happened overnight. 'Those people were just born lucky.'
They couldn't be more wrong.
If you could go back in time and watch over the shoulder of a great and worthy success you would find a man or woman following a series of small steps every day that would combine to create something amazing.
A phone call, a letter, an afternoon meeting, a hug...these are the things that lead to powerful and lasting success.
Before we get to the specifics of what you can do with your goal, I want to mention an important note about goals and success. Namely, what if you don't know what you want?
It's a very important question and one that can drive any sane person crazy. It's such a frustrating situation to know you want happiness but not know how to make it happen.
If you would like to work through a series of insightful and eye-opening exercises to help you uncover your goals and live an exciting and happy life, visit http://www.motivation123.com/cmd.php?ad=211382.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Jan. 16: Singer Eartha Kitt is 79. Dancer/choreographer Debbie Allen is 57. Singer Sade is 48. Boxer Roy Jones Jr. is 38.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
The folks at this site say if you want to hear "real music" such as Dwele, Lina, and more, check them out here: http://www.4dasoul.com. You'll find yourself embraced by an extended family.
Submit your favorite website to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Jan. 16, 1986: A bronze bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. is the first of any black American placed in the Capitol. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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