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03-22-07 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
‘TALENT’ REPLACING BRANDY? FOREMAN JOINS ‘INVENTOR’: Shows gear up for new seasons with fresh judges.
*NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and ABC’s “American Inventor,” both executive produced by “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell, will each return for second seasons with new faces among the judging panel.
The New York Post is reporting that Sharon Osbourne may replace troubled singer Brandy on “America’s Got Talent,” while ABC has announced that boxing legend George Foreman will be one of four judges on “American Inventor” when it kicks off its new season June 6.
Osbourne, the wife of heavy metal star Ozzy Osbourne, is reportedly in talks with producers to take over for Brandy, who will likely be embroiled in legal trouble stemming from her traffic accident that resulted in the death of a woman. Osbourne also appears as a judge on Cowell's hit UK talent show, "X-Factor."
Foreman, 58, will be joined on the “Inventor” judging panel by former NBA executive Pat Croce, British businessman Peter Jones and undergarments entrepreneur Sara Blakely, creator of Spanx, FremantleMedia North America Inc. announced Tuesday. The show's new host is Nick Smith.
The program allows inventors to compete for a chance to mass-produce their product and win a $1 million prize.
VIVICA A. FOX BUSTED BY CHP: Actress pulled over for driving under the influence.
*Auntie Viv has been caught being a bad girl. That's right, actress Vivica A. Fox was arrested by the California Highway Patrol for driving under the influence. The star of "Soul Food" and "Kill Bill: Vol 1" was released from jail early Wednesday, however.
CHP officer Leland Tang said Fox, 42, was stopped Tuesday night around 11pm after her Cadillac SRX passed a patrol car on the Hollywood Freeway at 80 mph - 15 miles above the speed limit.
Fox was arrested after failing a field sobriety test, he said. She was taken to Van Nuys jail and submitted to two breathalyzer tests.
"The test results indicate her blood-alcohol level was greater than
.08 percent," the legal limit in California, Tang told the AP.
Fox was cited and released, and authorities will submit the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney's office.
Calls placed to Fox's manger were not returned by EUR's deadline time.
In other Vivica A. Fox news, she appears on the cover of the premiere issue of the new travel magazine, "Reservations" whose tagline is "The
Ultimate African American Travel Guide."
Fox speaks candidly with Reservations Editor-In-Chief Kirstin N.
Fuller, about her favorite vacation getaway, ultimate dream vacation and taking her family to Disneyworld VIP Style.
SERVICES SET FOR LUTHER INGRAM: Singer’s funeral to be held Sunday in East St. Louis.
*Funeral services for Luther Ingram have been scheduled for Sunday, March 25, in East St. Louis, Mo.
The R&B singer-songwriter, best known for his hit “If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don’t Want to Be Right),” died Monday at a Belleville, Ill. hospital of heart failure following years of diabetes, kidney disease and partial blindness, his wife, Jacqui Ingram, said. He was 69.
Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at St. Augustine Church (408 Columbia Pl.). Services will follow at 7 p.m.
Ingram will be laid to rest on Monday, March 26, at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Belleville, Ill.
Flowers may be sent to M. E. Officer & Sons Mortuary, 8501 West Main Belleville, IL, 62223 (618)397-8538.
ARTEST HIT WITH FOUR MISDEMEANORS: Kings forward faces charges from domestic dispute earlier this month.
*Late Tuesday, the district attorney’s office in Placer County, Calif. filed four misdemeanor charges against Sacramento Kings forward Ron Artest in connection with the domestic dispute at his home earlier this month.
Placer County D.A. Dan Quick said the NBA star will be arraigned today (3/22) on charges of battery and corporal injury to a spouse, false imprisonment and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. Each carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
The athlete was arrested March 5 after Artest’s wife Kimsha called 911 complaining that her husband was trying to take a vehicle from their home in Loomis, 25 miles northeast of Sacramento.
She and Artest were arguing inside the home when he pushed her, she told police. The argument moved outside when Artest tried to leave in his Hummer. Kimsha told police she threw a pot at the Hummer, shattering its windshield. She told the 911 dispatcher that her finger was cut and leg scratched. Their 3-year-old daughter was inside of the house during the incident.
According to the Placer County sheriff's report, Kimsha said Artest took the phone away from her the first time she tried to call 911.
Artest was arrested and taken into custody, but released hours later after posting a $50,000 bond. Five days after his arrest, Artest said he'd stumbled as a father and husband and apologized to his wife and his family, as well as to the Kings and his teammates.
JERMAINE DUPRI SIGNS JAGGED EDGE, HOT DOLLA: New Island Urban Music pres anchors label with old and new friends.
*Jermaine Dupri, the brand spankin’ new president of Island Urban Music, has announced that his former So So Def group Jagged Edge will join new rapper Hot Dolla as the first to be signed under his new stewardship.
A new Jagged Edge album is due for release sometime this year and will carry the So So Def imprint, according to Billboard. The group was previously signed to Sony Urban/Columbia, where their self-titled album debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Meanwhile, Compton rapper Hot Dolla is currently working on his debut album for Island Urban, due in the fourth quarter of 2007. The first single will be "Streets on Lock.” Dupri recently told allhiphop.com that Dolla is the real deal.
"This record is one of the hottest I heard this year,” JD told the Web site. “I wasn't only brought in to make the hits, but find them as well. And I found one from the first listen as a true lover of hip hop. You can tell soon as it drops, that it's that s**t."
Hot Dollar recently released his new DJ Nik Bean- hosted mixtape, “Money, Respect and Techs Vol. 1.”
JESSE TAKES DIVERSITY ‘PUSH’ TO HOLLYWOOD: Rev. still trying to get more minorities behind the camera.
*Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow/PUSH Entertainment Initiative met Monday night at the home of TV’s “Judge Mathis” to reiterate the intent to lobby Hollywood for greater diversity among its talent and executive ranks.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the gathering included 80 minority industry players and others who discussed the group’s two main
agendas: meeting with industry leaders and buying stock in studio parents to facilitate eventual shareholder actions against the companies, if necessary. So far, Rainbow/PUSH has acquired shares in Time Warner, General Electric and Disney, according to spokesman Butch Wing.
"We intend to meet with the heads of the studios to talk through a plan for inclusion," Jackson told the trade Tuesday. "At this point, I don't think it's confrontational."
"There were people from a great range of disciplines, including writers, directors, financial people and so forth," Jackson said. "I was very impressed by the enthusiasm."
The Hollywood project is patterned after Rainbow/PUSH's previous initiative on Wall Street, Jackson noted. That effort 10 years ago engaged business sector luminaries such as then-New York Stock Exchange chief Dick Grasso and Citicorp CEO Sandy Weill in a series of annual conferences aimed at attracting and nurturing minority professionals in the financial-services industry. The entertainment committee hopes to stage a similar conference in Hollywood within eight to 12 months, Mathis said.
"As is the case with most industries, there's not as much minority participation as the industry would like or as those who would like to get into the industry would like," said Mathis, a member of the steering committee and a Rainbow/PUSH national vice president.
KIMBERLY ELISE: The Pride Interview with Kam Williams
Kind of Kimberly
*Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 17, 1967, Kimberly Elise Trammel studied acting at the University of Minnesota, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in communications before continuing her studies at the American Film Institute. Though she made her screen debut in 1996 in Set It Off, Kimberly first caught the public’s eye with her work in Beloved.
Subsequent appearances in films like Bait and John Q served to establish her name further until her breakout role arrived as the abuse victim in the center of Woman, Thou Art Loosed. Since that unforgettable performance, the attractive actress has appeared on the big screen in the Manchurian Candidate and Diary of a Mad Black Woman. On TV, she stars on the CBS crime drama Close to Home, where she plays prosecutor Maureen Scofield.
Here’s she talks about her latest feature film, Pride, where she appears opposite Terrence Howard as Sue Davis. The inspirational bio-pic recounts the efforts of real-life role model Jim Ellis to found an African-American swimming team in a disadvantaged Philly neighborhood back in the Seventies.
Kam Williams: How would you describe your character’s motivation in this movie?
Kimberly Elise: My character, Sue, is a councilwoman in the community, and also the older sister and guardian of one of the young swimmers. And my fight is for the community, also. I want great things to happen there, for it to turn around, so all the kids can get a good education, and come back and continue to build it up. I don’t really get the swimming thing, at first. I’m much more traditional, and believe in getting a good education to be able to go out into the world and make a difference. But I come around, eventually, and see the value in it. I become one of the team’s biggest supporters, and help take the team very far.
KW: What attracted you to this project?
KE: I think it’s always nice to have a film where the underdog comes out on top, doing their best, and surpasses everybody’s expectations. Especially when it has characters you really care about, individuals you get to know and want good things to happen for. And when they do happen, you leave the theater feeling good, and thinking about those people you met and what happened to them. And to know that Jim Ellis is a real coach and that this stuff really happened, makes those feelings even stronger.
KW: What did you think of Sue’s relationship with Jim?
KE: At first, I don’t really get what he’s doing. I don’t completely trust him. So, I’m really protective of these kids, especially my brother, and our community. And I don’t want the kids to be distracted by pipe dreams. I feel that if that’s what he’s bringing in, that’s not going to help them. That’s my initial opposition to him, but eventually I see he has a great heart, that he has great intentions, that he’s genuine, and that he’s the real deal. He can teach these kids to swim and to blow everybody’s mind.
KW: What was it like working opposite Terrence?
KE: Terrence is just such an extraordinary actor. He’s multi-layered, and multi-dimensional, and never chooses the clichéd approach. I love working with him, because we dance, basically, and sort of volley back and forth, throwing new things at each other. And we always manage to catch them and to create something new and exciting. It’s really fun to work with an actor like that who’s really intelligent and creative. You don’t often find that combination. So, he just infuses Jim with intelligence and sensitivity and strength and all of these other elements which make for a great hero.
KW: And Bernie Mac?
KE: Bernie plays Elston, lovable Elston. Bernie is very sensitive and strong, and he brings a wit and a humor and a sincerity to the film that is really valuable.
KW: What did you think about the young actors’ swimming ability?
KE: Supposedly, black people can’t swim. But within a matter of weeks, these boys were really swimming. Even if they don’t become professional swimmers and go to the Olympics, or whatever, they exceeded everybody’s expectations,including their own. And that’s just the beginning of continuing to exceed expectations.
‘PRISON BREAK’ COMING BACK FOR THIRD SEASON: Scofield and company to expand escape overseas.
*Fox has tacked on a third year of time for “Prison Break,” clearing the popular jail-break series through the 2007-08 season.
The program, featuring star Wentworth Miller and Rockmond Dunbar, debuted in 2005 following a man (Miller) who gets himself sent to prison so that he can break out along with his wrongfully-convicted brother. The show’s current second season follows the brothers and several other inmates on the run after escaping at the end of season one.
Executive producer Paul Scheuring said his team had been proceeding with this year's season finale cliffhanger and had already mapped out much of season three when they received news of the pickup Tuesday.
"We already knew where we were going," he told Variety. "Most of the major players are returning, but it will be a reconceptualization again, just like it was in season two."
Season three's storyline will expand internationally; the show also plans to add at least four new cast members -- two men, two women, none American. Casting likely will take place in May.
Brett Ratner and Kevin Hooks are among the show’s executive producers.
MUSIQ SOULCHILD DEBUTS ATOP ALBUM CHART: Lloyd, Rich Boy, 8Ball & MJG, Winehouse all enter in the top 10.
*A potent spill of R&B and hip hop has taken place in the top tier of Billboard 200’s album chart, triggered by the No. 1 debut of Musiq Soulchild’s new album “Luvanmusiq.” The Atlantic set, fueled by the top 5 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs single “Buddy,” sold 149,000 copies in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Fellow R&B star Lloyd enters the Billboard 200 at No. 2 with his sophomore set, "Street Love" (The Inc.), which sold 144,000. Its lead single "You" has already topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The self-titled album of rapper Rich Boy bows at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart with 112,000 units. The artist's breakthrough single, "Throw Some D's," currently sits at No. 27 on the Hot 100.
Following Daughtry's self-titled RCA debut at No. 4 is Akon's "Konvicted" (SRC/Universal), which falls 4-5 with 71,000 (-6%).
Other urban acts debuting in the top 10 include British R&B sensation Amy Winehouse with "Back to Black" (Universal) at No. 7, and 8Ball & MJG's "Ridin' High" (Bad Boy South) at No. 8.
EUR DVD REVIEW: The Bridesmaid (La Demoiselle d'honneur) Sub Headline: Latest Psychological Thriller from Claude Chabrol Released on DVD
by Kam Williams
*Philippe (Benoit Magimel) is a bachelor with Oedipal issues who still lives at home, even though he has a good job as a contractor. The Momma's Boy is so devoted to caring for his dysfunctional family that he hasn't had any time to think about his own social life.
His divorced mother (Aurore Clement) is dependent on her son for emotional support, despite the fact that she's being courted by a well-to-do country gentleman (Bernard Le Coq) with a Jaguar and a sprawling estate. And his younger sister, Patricia (Anna Mihalcea), is a self-destructive misanthrope with a penchant for shoplifting, while his other sibling, Sophie (Solene Bouton), is about to marry a geek (Eric Seigne) less out of love than as a means of escaping their dysfunctional household.
The wedding turns out to be just as transformational for the inexperienced Philippe, too, when he falls head-over-heels for a flirtatious bridesmaid named Senta (Laura Smet). Once this shameless temptress reels him in, her devious side emerges as she attempts to exact four promises out of her new beau.
As proof of his love, she asks him to write a poem, to plant a tree, to sleep with a man and to murder someone. Philippe has some serious reservations about the last two requests, but her persistence has him considering compromising his values to save the relationship.
This intriguing premise is central to The Bridesmaid, the latest flick from France's Claude Chabrol (The Swindle). Here, the legendary director, known for fashioning fascinating psychological thrillers with ordinary everymen swept up into unusual predicaments, has created another absorbing examination of the human psyche.
Adapted from the novel by Brit mystery novelist Ruth Rendell, this neo-noir masterpiece is an understated exercise in edge and intensity worthy of favorable comparison to Alfred Hitchcock.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In French with subtitles
Running time: 110 minutes
Studi First Run Features
KRS ONE RETURNS WITH ‘HIP HOP LIVES’: Veteran MC has a lot to say on new album due in May.
*May 22, 2007 marks the long awaited return of “The Teacher,” better known as South Bronx MC, KRS-One. Addressing Nas’ recent album title, “Hip Hop Is Dead,” the former Boogie Down Productions frontman has titled his new collection, “Hip Hop Lives.”
Executive produced by veteran beatmaker Marley Marl, the KOCH release will be led by the title track and “Kill A Rapper,” described by the label as “two very relevant songs for the hip hop community right now.”
"Kill A Rapper" touches on the murders of popular rappers and asks why the cases are never solved by the police. "Hip Hop Lives" focuses upon the genre’s immortality and reminds us of the ways in which hip hop continues to reinvent itself.
Upcoming KRS-One appearances are listed below:
MARCH 2007
22, Malibu, CA, Malibu Inn
23, Garden Grove, CA, Bellunos
31, Santa Monica, CA, (Hip Hop Unity Day) The Greek Theatre
APRIL 2007
4, Agoura Hills, CA, Canyon Club**
6, San Diego, CA, Cane's**
7, Los Angeles, CA, Key Club**
22, Long Beach, CA, Long Beach College
** with De La Soul
MAY 2007
12, Carrboro, NC, Cats Cradle
18, New York, NY, BB Kings
19, Washington, DC, H 20
WYNTON MARSALIS TO HEADLINE MONTREAL JAZZ FEST: Jazz musician to perform with Lincoln Center Orchestra and Ghanian drum master.
*The 28th Montreal Jazz Festival, to be held June 28 through July 8 in various spots around the Canadian city, has recently announced Wynton Marsalis as a headliner, along with the Roy Haynes Quartet and world music stars Manu Chao, Cesaria Evora and Seu Jorge.
Marsalis will take the stage with his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Ghanaian drum master Yacub Addy, according to Reuters.
The New Orleans trumpeter joins previously announced performers the Dave Holland Quintet, Holly Cole, the Wayne Shorter Quartet, Joshua Redman, Keith Jarrett and Branford Marsalis.
The 12-day festival, billed as the largest jazz event in North America, puts on an eclectic music program each year ranging from traditional jazz through to blues and reggae played by musicians from all over the world.
This year will also include performances by rock guitarist Derek Trucks, vocalist Mark Murphy, drummer Billy Cobham, French violinist Didier Lockwood, and the North American premiere of the Spaghetti Western Orchestra, with its tribute to the film scores of Italian composer Ennio Morricone.
FILM/TV BITS: Van Peebles in ‘Sarcasms’; Richie faints again; UNCF’s record ratings.
*Mario Van Peebles joins Timothy Hutton, Mira Sorvino, Dana Delany and Stockard Channing in the ensemble drama "Multiple Sarcasms," set in 1979 New York City. The story follows a man stumbling through a series of midlife missteps and deciding to write a play based on his relationships with the women in his life. Just as the play becomes wildly successful, his real life collapses. The $2.5 million film is financed by Seattle-area investors and directed by Brooks Branch. Shooting will take place in New York.
*The New York Daily News is reporting that Nicole Richie collapsed again on the set of “The Simple Life” last week. According to columnist Ben Widdicombe, Lionel’s kid had to be "taken to her trailer immediately" after the on-set incident, and that at times she has "had trouble walking and speaking clearly," though no ambulances have been called. The show's co-creator, Jon Murray, said: "There were a couple times when [Nicole] felt a little woozy and she sat down for a moment, [but] we continued within five to ten minutes."
*More than three million households tuned in to watch the United Negro College Fund’s (UNCF), An Evening of Stars Tribute to Aretha Franklin, generating the show’s largest audience to date. The annually televised variety special earned a 2.8 “live” national Nielsen rating, which represents 3,170,000 households watching the program, an 88 percent increase from the previous year. “I am thrilled to learn the ratings for my UNCF tribute were the biggest in the history of this most prestigious and caring institution,” said Franklin, the honoree of the evening. “It was truly a touching and memorable presentation and tribute that I will always cherish and remember. Many thanks and kudos to all of the artists who participated, producer Lou Horvitz, UNCF and most importantly my fans and the viewers who took the ratings over the top. I saw it three times myself, and most people I talked to saw it twice – they enjoyed it so much.”
MUSIC BITS: Blige signs with ICM; MiJac’s candy; Lil Flip’s CD.
*Mary J. Blige has signed with management agency ICM for representation in all areas, reports Variety. The recent three-time Grammy winner has already appeared on such television shows as “Ghost Whisperer,” “Strong Medicine” and “The Jamie Foxx Show.” She currently appears in Chevrolet’s “An American Revolution” TV spots. Her latest album, “The Breakthrough,” has sold 3 million copies to date. Blige is also represented by manager Kendu Isaacs and the law firm Grubman, Indursky & Shire.
*Staff members at London’s posh Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel are sneaking information to the local tabloids about their high-profile guest, Michael Jackson. A hotel source tells Britain's the Daily Star: "He wanted lots of bowls filled with Haribo
(http://www.groovycandies.com/V2brand_ProdNameALL.asp?mfg_id=74) and he also asked for a toy xylophone. The weird thing is that they weren't for his kids. He also asked for a giant mirror."
*Lil Flip’s new two-disc/35-track album, “I Need Mine,” is due Tuesday via Warner Bros. Records/Asylum. Also on Tuesday, Houston’s “Freestyle King” will roll by the studios of BET's "106 & Park."
THEATER BITS: ‘ER’s’ Yvette Freeman in ‘All About Us;’ ‘Color Purple’ in Cleveland.
*Obie Award-winning actress Yvette Freeman (“ER”) joins the cast of the new Kander and Ebb musical “All About Us,” described as “a wild, humorous, poignant and emotional journey about the bewitched, befuddled and becalmed Antrobus family who have survived a thousand calamities by the skin of their teeth. The musical is a tribute to their indestructibility and a testament of faith in humanity. Freeman will play Mrs. Antrobus. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.westportplayhouse.org/allaboutus.htm.
*The Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio announced a seven-show schedule of touring plays and musicals for the 2007-08 KeyBank Broadway Series at Playhouse Square. Among those announced is “The Color Purple,” which will run March 26 through April 13, 2008 at the Palace Theatre. See the full schedule or purchase tickets at www.PlayhouseSquare.org. Subscriptions to the KeyBank Broadway Series at Playhouse Square are now available by calling (216) 830-7221.
SPORTS BITS: Phillies’ Rollins launches label; Tyson addresses Africa rumor; Raiders’ Rhodes pleads guilty.
*Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, an Oakland, Calif. native and three-time All-Star, has launched his own entertainment company, Rollins Entertainment, and record label, Bay Slugga's Inc. Rollins is personally overseeing the albums of his newly signed artists, R&B act Sergio and rap group The League. The project also includes producer Mannie Fresh and master mixologist, Mr. Leslie Braithwaite. "I launched my entertainment company because I love challenges, said Rollins. “Through my business ventures I intend to be a part of something great. Not just in sports, but in life."
*Mike Tyson says he’s not visiting South Africa for an appearance in May despite recent reports to the contrary. Word got out that the former heavyweight champ would attend a boxing tournament at Emperors Palace on May 12, but his agent Harlan Werner said Tuesday that a South African firm approached the boxer about securing Tyson but nothing came of the one conversation on the matter. "Mike never had a deal in place with any South African company to appear on their behalf," Werner said. "These were unfounded rumors, and it is unfortunate that these types of rumors get started." Tyson hopes his supporters are not disappointed or misled by the rumors. "Mike does have a very loyal following in Africa and he wants all his fans to know he looks forward to going there some day in the future," Werner said.
*Oakland Raiders running back Dominic Rhodes pleaded guilty to reckless driving Wednesday after prosecutors dropped drunken driving charges against him. The 28-year-old athlete, who spent the past six seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, was fined $1,000 in exchange for the guilty plea during a brief appearance in Marion County Criminal Court. He was also sentenced to 180 days in jail, but 178 were suspended and he received credit for two days. Rhodes was stopped on Feb. 20 and originally charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with a blood-alcohol level greater than 0.08. Those counts were dropped due to evidence problems and Rhodes' blood-alcohol level being 0.09, said David Wyser, chief trial deputy for the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. The legal limit to drive in Indiana is 0.08.
EVENT CALENDAR: Life Camp in Harlem; Patti Austin at USC; Ice T at Columbia.
*In honor of Women’s History Month, LIFE CAMP Inc, in association with Harlem Dowling West Side Center and Ravenel Records, presents the Women on the Move Speaking Series on Wednesday, March 28. The event takes place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Harlem Dowling West Side Center (2090 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd.) and will bring women from various business and professional sectors together with youth groups throughout Harlem for conversation. Guest speakers will include author, Nikki Turner; hip hop artist, Cheryl “Salt” James; TV personality, Jacque Reid; rap artist, Nina B; radio personality, Dee Vasquez; along with social entrepreneurs, Erica Ford and April Silvers. Harlem Dowling, which celebrates its 170th anniversary this year, is a leading multi-service child and family centered agency.
*Patti Austin has scheduled two gigs at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles next month to promote her new album, “Avant-Gershwin.” On April 15, she will perform with the USC Trojan Marching Band and on April 18, she will hit the stage with USC's Thornton Jazz Orchestra. In addition, Austin will teach masters classes on Gershwin to USC music students the week of April 15.
*Rapper Ice-T will be a featured speaker at Teach, Think, Play:
Popular Culture in the Classroom, an event designed to explore the power and challenges of integrating popular culture into classroom curricula with celebrities, media professionals, classroom educators, and academics. The sessions will be held at Teachers College at Columbia University on March 24 and 25. Other keynote presentations will be made by Taylor Mali, four-time National Poetry Slam champion and star of the film Slam; Will Pearson, president and co-founder of mental_floss magazine; jan jagodzinski, author of Youth Fantasies and Professor of Education at University of Alberta; and Renee Hobbs, Temple University Professor of Mass Media & Communication and Director of Temple’s Media Education Lab. To register, visit www.tc.edu/ceoi/teachthinkplay or call 1.800.209.1245
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and Don’t Disagree
*General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has come under fire following remarks he gave during an interview with the Chicago Tribune. Responding to questions about the military's policy of don't ask, don't tell, which allows homosexuals to serve in the armed forces so long as they keep their sexual orientation private, the general said: "As an individual, I would not want (acceptance of gay behavior) to be our policy, just like I would not want it to be our policy that if we were to find out that so-and-so was sleeping with somebody else's wife, that we would just look the other way, which we do not. We prosecute that kind of immoral behavior." The general's description of homosexual behavior as immoral and akin to adultery outraged gay advocacy groups, who have described his remarks as prejudiced, insensitive and homophobic, and have demanded that the general apologize. (Still to be heard from are the adulterers who no doubt are also upset at the description of their behavior as immoral.)
The following day, the general retreated a bit from his position allowing that perhaps he spent too much time discussing his personal views. However, he stopped well short of an apology. Good for him!
Just for kicks, I would like to ask: is anything immoral? And if so, on what basis are these decisions made? Is it simply a matter of personal opinion? History? Is morality decided by popular vote? Certainly, a society's notion of right and wrong is not arbitrary, it must have a foundation and that foundation must be more substantial than "it exists." Americans have largely based their ideas of morality on Judeo-Christian teachings found in scripture. It is in fact these same moral teachings on which we based our entire system of government. America was founded on the idea that there is in fact an objective truth that is the same for all of men throughout all time.
There are a substantial number of Americans that share the general's Christian upbringing and agree with him that morality is determined by scriptural revelation. Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards is among them. During a CNN interview, Edwards confessed that because of his upbringing he is struggling with the issue of homosexual marriage. His struggles with adultery are no doubt based on the very same upbringing and moral framework.
All Americans do not share this view of morality it's true. However, that is a reason for discussion and debate, not for apologies. It is clear from where the general’s understanding of morality comes. Other than an appeal to injured sensibilities, those that disagree with him have not made it clear on what foundations their conception of morality is based. They may perhaps have a convincing argument; it is incumbent upon them to make it.
That assumes of course that one is interested in discussion. The sputtering indignation and the new and odd belief that to hold ideas that are not "politically correct" makes one sick and in need of rehabilitation are all designed to prevent any civil engagement of ideas. For those screaming the loudest at General Pace, there is no room for discussion. All dissent must be silenced. No doubt this is why when homosexual rights advocates express views that those of us that disagree with their agenda find offensive -tacking their struggle onto the back of the centuries old struggle American Blacks have waged for equality for instance -- we do not hear apologies. To the contrary, it is simply assumed that to disagree with them on this point
or any other makes one a bigot and a Neanderthal.
Homosexuality is not the biggest threat to our society. Nor are the hurt feelings that invariably arise from the exercise of free speech. Our culture is at a far greater risk when we attempt to intimidate those opposing points of view into silence and when we refuse to ground our notions of right and wrong in the terra firma of reason and an association with the divine.
ASK ADVICE CHICK: Answers to YOUR Dating, Sex, Life, & Love Questions!
© - AdviceChick@ameritech.net – (312) 205-0850
Dear Advice Chick,
*My man doesn’t trust me because when I met him I lied about being finished with my divorce. The truth is that I occasionally still saw my ex for sex and drugs. I also lied that I wasn't talking to or sleeping with anyone else since meeting him. I told him that all these things had happened in the past, but some were still happening.
I only stopped completely seeing someone else a little after he slept with me and we got closer. He was not with anyone when we met, but in the year before we hooked up he did date a girl and then went back to his ex from before. He never lied about it but didn’t talk about it with me unless I asked.
When I stood him up one night to go sleep with another guy after we (my man and I) started talking regularly it caused him to think I wasn't that serious so he kept on talking to other females and may have slept with one. We got serious shortly after that, but he found out about the lies I told as we got closer and revealed his secrets and lies to me. He was a bit more honest than I was.
My problem is that I was raped as a child and sometimes I lie to avoid problems with those I love. How do I keep him from distrusting me and leaving eventually?
Advice Chick replies,
You and this guy need a break away from each other. You lied; he lied. You slept around; he slept around. How can you honestly expect to be treated like a lady when you behave like a whore? The guy you’re seeing is behaving as badly as you are. Both of you are chronic liars and don’t need to be with each other right now. You, my sweetie have a lot of issues that seriously need to be addressed.
Regarding your childhood abuse, I sympathize with you. So many of us were abused as children, and we all have our ways of dealing with the pain. I’m here to tell ya - using drugs, lying, and ho’in around are not the best ways to deal with this.
I did some research and suggest you visit the web site below for information on childhood abuse.
WINGS Foundation, Inc. exists to help adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse heal - http://www.wingsfound.org/
-- Call (312) 205-0850 to be a part of my Internet video show! Call (312) 205-0850 to ask YOUR questions, give your comments, and drop the gossip! Do me a favor? Please forward this info to your friends!
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REGGAE UPDATES FROM JAMAICA: Beenie Man Dropped from Virgin Records?
By Kevin Jackson
Rumors have been circulating here in Jamaica that dancehall star Beenie Man has been dropped from the Virgin Records roster. Beenie Man had signed a five album deal with Virgin in 1998 based on the strength of the inescapable song Who Am I (Zim Zimmer) which was a hit on several Billboard charts. To date only four albums from the deal have been released.
A source close to Beenie Man's former management team, Shocking Vibes Productions, told this writer that Beenie Man no longer had a contract with Virgin. 'Beenie Man was signed to Virgin through Shocking Vibes. Now that he is no longer with Shocking Vibes, the contract is no longer valid', said the source.
When contacted for a comment, Beenie Man said 'I left Virgin, they never dropped me. I have no contract with Virgin. Virgin has merged with Universal EMI so there is no more Virgin'. When asked about the last album on the deal with Virgin, Beenie Man said 'I am going to release my album on MAFIA House Productions.'
Beenie Man's last album for Virgin Records was 2006's Undisputed. The album debuted at number one on Billboard's Reggae album chart. Considered a commercial flop, the disc has to date sold 61,240 units according to Nielsen Soundscan. His most commercially viable release for Virgin was the album Art & Life which contained the Billboard charting single Girls Dem Sugar with R&B singer Mya. Art & Life which won a Grammy award for Best Reggae album, has to date sold 404,932 units. The album Back to Basics which was released in 2004, sold 165,311 to date, while the 2002 release Tropical Storm which featured the hit single Feel it Boy with Janet Jackson, has so far netted
282,976 copies.
.Ce'Cile is back with a new image
Ce'Cile is back with a hot new image. She calls it 'bad gyal meets Marilyn Monroe'. Additionally, Ce'Cile is working on a bundle of singles just ahead of the June release of her long-awaited debut album.
"The album is finally coming out. It will be released in June in Japan. I am pretty excited about it," Ce'Cile said in a recent interview with this column.
Ce'Cile is the sole Jamaican female artiste featured on the EMI Latino/Danga Zone compilation titled Matadore. Reggaeton acts including Jobar, Shadow Blow and Checka, as well as dancehall artistes including Buju Banton and Elephant Man, are also featured on the compilation.
Ce'Cile can also be heard on the new Danga Zone rhythm project Jamdown. She offers the singles Waiting and Jamdown. Another of her latest releases is No Soft Inna Bed, which can be previewed on my space page at www.myspace.com/cecile
She recently collaborated with UK Def Jam artiste Smujji on the single Take It Off. A remake of Mr Luxury with early 1990s singer Ronnie Thwaites and deejay Hit List, was recently completed.
Richie Spice's In The Streets To Africa album rides the Billboard Reggae Album chart
Richie Spice's latest album In The Streets To Africa released on Fifth Element/VP Records, is perched at number seven on the Billboard Reggae Album chart, after just three weeks on the chart. The album peaked at number six last week.
On local shores, lead off single Brown Skin, which was re-released upon the release of the accompanying music video, continues to make strides on the charts. It is number two on both RETV and Hype-TV charts. The song is sitting inside the Top 10 of the BBC1Xtra Dancehall chart in the UK.
Richie recently returned to the island after wrapping up a three-week promotional tour in the US and parts of the Caribbean for his new disc. The March 2007 issue of Playboy magazine gave the album a four-star rating. The publication said "Spice offers an exception to the slackness and hyperactivity of dancehall. One of the best roots releases in years".
The In The Streets To Africa Tour made stops in Washington DC, Long Beach, California, and in New York. Spice plans to make his first trek to Africa later this year. Last weekend he shot the video for his next single, Can't Stop Loving Jah. It was shot on location in Hollywood, Florida.
.Donsome Records teams up with Solar Entertainment
The Portmore-based Donsome Records has signed a non exclusive booking deal with the New York-based Solar Entertainment, headed by Delroy Carroll. The deal will see Solar Entertainment securing tour dates for three of the Donsome Records' main acts including Ras Handsome, JADP and Erasto.
"It is a blessing to know that Solar Entertainment recognises the talent and hard work of the artistes on Donsome Records", commented a jubilant Ras Handsome. "It will give our fans from all over the world a chance to see us at a venue near them soon", he added.
Donsome Records came into being in 2004. It was founded by Ras Handsome and Matthew McKinley. Donsome's management and its artistes had decided that the concept behind the record label is to create good, clean and uplifting music to give to the public.
Ras Handsome has struck a familiar chord with the single Life Is A Journey, a collaborative effort with Dr Marshall. JADO's Poverty and Galchesta have gotten rotation on FM radio, while Erasto's initial solo efforts Tek Away and Future Of Tomorrow have generated some interest.
.Chart Updates
The number one song here in Jamaica is Beyonce Wine by dancehall star Vybz Kartel. Over in Canada, Shaggy is number one on the reggae charts with Church Heathen. That track is also number one on the New York Reggae chart.
In Germany, the top song on the reggae chart is Fade Away 2006 by Million Stylez featuring Junior Byles. Over on the BBC 1Xtra Dancehall chart in the UK, The Traffic Jam by Steven Marley featuring Junior Gong and Buju Banton, is number one.
MADISON CHASE FITNESS: Fitness Myths
*As a celebrity personal trainer/coach I hear so many horror stories. Often, I am amazed at what tricks and quick fixes people will try to loose weight. But, by far the most common myth is that not eating will produce incredible weight loss.
It sounds easy enough. And often it works at the expense of harming your body. It can work, but for how long? And when you return to your normal eating habits the likelihood of you doubling the weight that was lost is guaranteed. But, if you’re like myself and have gone through an entire day without eating your body will begin to tell you. It will SCREAM at you if you take the time to listen. You begin to feel drained and lethargic. Our bodies are incredible precise machines. And simply put, we need food to fuel our bodies.
I know…. I know …you just don’t have time. I have heard that excuse far too many times. But, you make time for what you want to make time for. If your favorite team or television show were playing you would make time for that, right? Or if the fine guy or girl asks you out, you make time for them. So, why is it that we can’t make time for what we put in our bodies?
Our days are often too busy to prepare meals that are healthy and taste great. But if you eliminate or find healthy substitutions for items you love then there would be no need to ever skip meals. Try these 5 simple rules to keep your body fueled throughout the day.
1. Instead of mayo or cheese substitute low fat mayo or cheese made from skim milk.
2. Find healthy snacks that you can travel with like almonds, or peanuts.
3. Try an alternate cooking method like broiling, baking, grilling, steaming instead of fried.
4. Get rid of butter and margarine and substitute with olive oil, or canola oil.
5. If you must dine out or go through the drive thru eat chicken without the skin and turkey or fish.
By following the 5 simple rules you can begin to see small changes in your waist. Now, don’t try it for 2 weeks and say I tried it and it didn’t work. In order to see any type of visible change you must implement the 5 items for at least 30 days. So begin your new eating plan with your body mass index in mind. Erase the constant images we are bombarded with. Skinny is fit, and skinny is in. If you could erase those images and be selfish for one moment and know that God created you exactly how you are. Each of us was given a mold, a beautiful, strong individual mold with no flaws. And every day we must take that mold and treat it with respect. But your mold or frame can be compared with the Body Mass Index or BMI. If your weight far exceeds what the national average is for your height and weight re-evaluate that image and begin to implement the 5 rules above. To calculate your BMI you can visit: http://www.caloriecontrol.org/bmi.html
After calculating your BMI Take action. Remember BE YOUR BEST ….EVERYDAY
Madison Chase is a certified personal life fitness and health coach. Her background in fitness began with classical ballet at Julliard, School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Fort Worth Ballet. She has a marketing degree from the University of Oklahoma and is currently working on her Masters in Exercise Physiology. This former NBC Fitness Expert and 3- Time ESPN fitness champion has worked with some of the best in the business. Her clients include celebrities from Jada and Will Smith hit show “All of US,” and professional athletes with many NFL teams including the Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. She currently resides in Los Angeles and believes that everyday you should strive to be your best. For additional information on Madison, you may visit: www.madisonchasefitness.com
Glenn Ellis’ Strategies for Well-Being: HIV/AIDS IN THE PHILADELPHIA BLACK COMMUNITY
*Imagine yourself as a doctor on duty in the emergency room at a busy inner-city hospital. You are going from room to room saving life after life. Afterall, you took an oath to save lives, didn’t you? Babies, youth, adults, the elderly…
Suddenly, a rescue squad rushes in through the emergency room doors, pushing a stretcher with a man severely wounded from multiple gunshot wounds. You ask what happened and are told that he was just in a shoot-out with police after shooting several innocent victims during a drive-by shooting in a peaceful neighborhood. His victims were children in the street jumpimg double-dutch.
Now his fate lies in your hands. Tell me, as a medical doctor, are you going to spare any of your training and skill to save him because of the circumstances that brought him here before you? Of course not!
You will spare no effort to do everything humanly possible to save this man’s life. You leave any judgement or possible punishment for his actions up to another authority, and focus on the ever-present question, “what must I do to save this life?”
Thus you have the mandate for action in the African American community on the epidemic of HIV/AIDS currently ravaging through our community.
Let me, as usual, begin with, “just the facts”:
• According to the 2000 census, African Americans make up approximately 13% of the US population. However, in 2005, African Americans accounted for 18,510 (49%) of the estimated 38,096 new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in the United States in the 33 states with long-term, confidential name-based HIV reporting.
• Of infants infected with HIV, (65%) were African American.
• Of the estimated 18,849 people under the age of 25 whose diagnosis of HIV/AIDS was made during 2001–2004 in the 33 states with HIV reporting, 11,554 (61%) were African American.
Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic 25 years ago, African-Americans have been overrepresented among those living with and dying from AIDS. Over 200,000 African-Americans have died of AIDS, half a million are now living with HIV and blacks are 10 times more likely than whites to have AIDS.
Far too many African-Americans lack accurate information about how HIV is transmitted, prevented and treated. Approximately 250,000 Americans - many of them African-American - are unaware that they have HIV. In addition, African-Americans are diagnosed at later stages in the disease more often than other racial/ethnic groups, diminishing medications' effectiveness. Many African-Americans also distrust the medical establishment, which only adds to the problem.
African Americans are also more likely to face challenges associated with risk factors for HIV infection, including the following.
• Sexual Risk Factors - African American women are most likely to be infected with HIV as a result of sex with men who are infected with HIV
• Substance Use - Injection drug use is the second leading cause of HIV infection both for African American men and women
• Socioeconomic Issues - Socioeconomic issues and other social and structural influences affect the rates of HIV infection among African Americans
Make no mistake, HIV/AIDS is a threat to the health and well-being of many communities in the United States, but for African Americans, HIV/AIDS is a major health crisis.
The “leaders” in the African American must be at the forfront of empowering the community with the understanding and sense of urgency required to make this battle successful.
The Black church is the focal point and the last institution in the African American community where a difference can be made. Until, and unless, the Ministers and Pastors of the respective churches begin to be educated and informed, can they start to influence and lead their congregations to action and acceptance. Clearly, this is a key component.
We must take advantage of all opportunities to arm ourselves and our community with the kind of education and information that will offer hope from what seems now, like an undefeatable foe.
Upon reading this article, take it to your minister or spiritual leader. Plead with her (or him), if necessary to become involved and take the lead with the community of believers of which you are a part of.
Remember at the beginning of this column, I asked you to imagine yourself a doctor in the Emergency Room? Well, imagine your son, daughter, mother, or father discovering that they were infected with HIV. Would you really love them less? Would it really matter how they contracted it? Would you be unwilling to do anything in your power to support them in their treatment?
The African American community is being devastated by HIV and AIDS, let’s fight back out from a position of knowledge and acceptance, and not be defeated by ignorance and denial…
Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.
TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF AND LIVE THE BEST LIFE POSSIBLE!
Glenn Ellis lectures and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics, including health education and health promotion particularly relevant to the African-American community.
e-mail me at info@glennellis.com
For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com
THE HEART OF THE MATTER: The Rarity of Making a Gracious Exit
By DeBorah B. Pryor
*In only a few weeks’ time, Tia would say goodbye to the position she has held for the past 10 years. This had turned out to be the first job in a long, long time that she would actually leave on good terms. And for good reason too, as the recipient of a great, new, position that would put her in a totally different professional status; where she could more realistically fulfill many of her personal goals.
While she was thrilled at the limitless possibilities of her new role, where she would have the opportunity to impact entire communities, policies and use her skills more proactively; it would be a bittersweet departure from the humble surroundings she had come to know; her close, professional relationship with her supervisor and many of her coworkers, as well as the clientele that they serve.
Tia knew she had grown so much while performing her duties in this position; and felt confident knowing that she had personally contributed so much to the growth of the organization by her obvious personal integrity, diligent work ethic, great people skills and humanity. As she pulled individuals aside bit by bit to reveal her leaving, the emotional attachment they felt towards her was obvious. She knew that as the weeks drew nearer, the intensity of her pending reality would not get any easier.
HERE’S THE DEAL: Tia’s situation is rarer than people may readily be willing to admit. Arguably, most employees today find themselves leaving their places of work by reason of layoffs, firings, worker’s comp claims or resignation due to unhappiness. Let’s face it, to have an employee, especially a long-term employee, depart in an upbeat fashion, for positive reasons, is a noticeable commendation; and more often than not, viewed as a great loss for any employer. Because of the way Tia “closed the deal” – not burning any bridges -- she will most likely find great success in her future endeavors.
MORAL: Professionals should take heed to how they depart from business situations. Though it may not always be for the best of reasons, unnecessary “drama” serves to benefit no one; and let’s face it, you don’t need the karma! Whenever possible, aim to take the high road when you can. When folks look back on you as an employee or business partner, instead of it being a painful reminder, it will serve as a pleasant memory. Believe it or not, this is something you should care about.
DeBorah B. Pryor is an internationally recognized journalist and president of “The Art of Communication: Public speaking for private people” a series of workshops offering valuable strategies to emerging professionals. Contact her for answers to your “Workplace Drama” at DeBorah@DPRYORPRESENTS.COM or visit her website at http://www.dpryorpresents.com
OFF THE BLOCK: The First Black President
By A. Damian Bruce
*Can we get something straight between us? And I don't mean that as a bit of clever repartee between a man and a woman. I mean I'm seeking to establish an understanding here. Can we please stop constantly breathing new life into the popular fiction that Bill Clinton was the first black president? And not for the obvious reason that he clearly ain't black. Please just stop it.
It's not true. And it never was.
I can understand the sentiment behind the myth, given that Clinton could be so “down-home” with us and that he had an uncanny ability to get “churchy”
on cue and speak to us in the cadence of a Baptist preacher whenever he would talk about our predicament of suffering and abandonment in this country. Yes, many of us loved him because we believed that he could “feel our pain.”
But that doesn't make him black. Feeling our pain and having our pain are two entirely different things. Besides, one clear-eyed look at his record smashes the first black president legend to bits. That is, if by being the first black president he could have been expected to have had more than a passing interest in the most important issues of his times that were or would most adversely affect blacks here and abroad. Come on now: how long will we, the misinformed, led by the uncaring, continue to support and vote for the ungrateful? Is it because we have done so much, for so long, with so little, that we have become like the ugly girl at the party who falls in love with the first boy who asks her to dance? Every time history repeats itself the price goes up.
There's a fine line between courage and cowardice. Too bad it's not a fence. Bill Clinton shredded the social safety net with his signing of his welfare reform bill, officially titled the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation act of 1996.
This dubious welfare legislation affected many social service programs: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), food stamps, school meals, summer meals, Medicaid, SSI, child care, etc. Some of the changes in these programs, such as in food stamps, which is 100% federally funded, have already been enacted. For other programs, such as AFDC, the federal government has changed its funding formula, eliminated the federal guarantee of benefits, and given the states greater discretion in how to shape their own welfare systems without ensuring an adequate uniform standard of help for poor households.
While you ponder the lasting implications of that move by Clinton, consider this, because it is even more important: In April, 1994, as Rwanda was engulfed by a maniacal, wanton genocide, the likes of which had not been seen in the 50 years since the heyday of Nazi Germany, U. S. intelligence reports obtained using the US Freedom of Information Act show the cabinet and almost certainly the president had been told of a planned "final solution to eliminate all Tutsis" before the slaughter reached its peak. Clinton did nothing. It took Hutu death squads three months from April 6 to murder an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus and at each stage accurate, detailed reports were reaching Washington's top policymakers. A trip to Africa is not the same as saving African lives.
The good news is that the myth that Clinton was the first black president does give the idea credence. It says that it is possible, and anything that we can conceive, we can certainly achieve when the time comes and we have the man for the job. The time has come and we have the man. Because we are actually, right now, in a position where today is the tomorrow that our ancestors prayed for yesterday.
Barack Obama is the man and the time has finally come where, as Dr. King prophesied that a black person could be exclusively judged by the content of his character and not by the color of his skin. Barack Obama can truly become our first black president. Obama is a literal Godsend who may have the best chance of all the presidential candidates with the wherewithal to begin to reverse the r
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