EURweb |
10-24-07 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
HALLE BERRY'S 'JEWISH NOSE' JOKE CUT FROM 'LENO': Mortified and apologetic over comment, actress asks host to edit it out.
*A simple appearance on "The Tonight Show" to plug her new movie "Things We Lost in the Fire" turned disastrous for Halle Berry after a joke she told was viewed as anti-Semitic, reports the New York Post.
During the Friday afternoon taping, Berry was showing photos of herself using the Mac program Photo Booth, which distorts images like a carnival fun-house mirror.
Commenting on the first picture showing her nose as oversized, Berry reportedly said: "Here's where I look like my Jewish cousin." A source in the audience told Page Six an awkward silence followed before Leno nervously said, "I'm glad you said that and not me." Berry, 41, followed with: "Oh my God, have I just like ruined my career?"
The show aired that night with Berry's "Jewish" comment edited out and a laugh track added to fill the silence. [View clip below.]
Another guest in the audience told the Post: "If you watch the clip, you can see Halle saying the word 'Jewish,' though obviously there is no audio. NBC covered her ass. Ms. Berry should know how unbelievably inappropriate her comment was . . . She should be ashamed of herself."
Berry, currently four-and-a-half months pregnant with her first child, was contacted by Page Six and reportedly seemed near tears when she explained: "I so didn't mean to offend anybody - and after the show I realized it could be seen as offensive, so I asked Jay to take it out, and he did."
She continued: "What happened was I was backstage before the show and I have three girls who are Jewish who work for me. We were going through pictures to see which ones looked silly, and one of my Jewish friends said [of the big-nose picture], 'That could be your Jewish cousin!' And I guess it was fresh in my mind, and it just came out of my mouth. But I didn't mean to offend anybody. I didn't. I didn't mean any harm."
The Post's Page Six said Berry even offered to contact the paper's source and apologize in person.
"It was just a lighthearted segment that was meant to make fun of myself," Berry said. "There was a picture where I said I looked like Monica Lewinsky and one where I said I looked like Jay. It was just supposed to be a silly segment. I am so sorry, and I apologize."
Halle Berry's Edited Appearance on "The Tonight Show":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bygoNcmLc68
SEXUAL, PHYSICAL ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AT OPRAH'S SCHOOL: Host flies in over weekend to personally assess the situation.
*More details of the alleged misconduct by a dorm parent at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa have surfaced.
According to Fox News, an Afrikaans-language newspaper reported that the female employee is accused of various incidents of physical and sexual abuse against the students.
The woman, who has since been removed from the campus, allegedly grabbed a girl by the throat and threw her against a wall. Other alleged charges were that she swore and screamed at the girls, assaulted them and had sexually fondled at least one of them, according to Rapport newspaper.
The alleged incidents went public after one of the pupils ran away from the school because the abuse had become intolerable, according to Rapport. Her parents immediately notified the school.
Winfrey, herself the victim of childhood sexual abuse, immediately caught a flight to South Africa to check on the allegations. She is said to have arrived just over a week ago, missing an important Hollywood engagement. She then returned unexpectedly on Friday and left again on Sunday, reports Fox News.
The TV mogul met with the school's executive and private investigators and held a two-hour meeting with the parents of her students, who were flown to Johannesburg from all over the country. A report by a private investigator flown in from the United States to conduct an inquiry with a South African counterpart has been turned over to the local police.
In her only public comment about the incident, Winfrey issued a statement saying: "Nothing is more serious or devastating to me than an allegation of misconduct by an adult against any girl at the academy."
FOXY BROWN THROWN IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT: Rapper snatched from gen pop after committing three separate offenses.
*Foxy Brown is in "the hole" at Rikers Island after she reportedly committed three separate violations this month, sources tell the New York Post.
The rapper, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was taken from the general-population on Oct. 16 and tossed into solitary confinement, where she is currently serving a 76-day sentence.
The first of her three violations occurred in the Rose M. Singer facility on Oct. 3 as she and another inmate were en route to the dining hall for a meal. For some reason, they got into a shoving match, prompting correction officers to jump in and pull them apart, according to sources.
The other two infractions occurred the following day, when Foxy reportedly cursed out some correction officers and refused to undergo a random drug test, sources said.
The Department of Corrections reviewed the three violations and decided to send Foxy to "punitive segregation" for 76 days.
The new arrangement calls for her to spend up to 23 hours alone in her cell, sources said. For an hour each day, she is allowed to see visitors, meet with an attorney, go to the library or exercise in a recreation area away from the general-population inmates.
The other inmate involved in the shoving match was given 11 days in the segregation unit, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Foxy could face more disciplinary charges when correction officials examine her refusal to board a Rikers Island bus at least twice to go to a scheduled Brooklyn court date on Oct. 12.
As previously reported, Foxy missed the first bus because she was still doing her hair and makeup. She skipped the second bus because she wanted to finish eating her lunch.
The artist was sentenced on Sept. 8 to a year in jail for violating her probation after several arrests.
OBAMA PRESSURED TO DROP DONNIE MCCLURKIN FROM TOUR: Gay rights groups say singer spreads false information about homosexuality.
*Barack Obama is being pressured by a gay rights group to remove gospel star Donnie McClurkin from his fund-raising tour because of the singer's views on homosexuality.
The artist, who has spoken openly about his belief that sexual preference is a choice, reiterated his stance Monday in a telephone interview with the Associated Press, stating: "I don't believe that it is the intention of God. Sexuality, everything is a matter of choice."
McClurkin - who is among several gospel singers scheduled to raise money for the Democratic presidential candidate at a concert in South Carolina this weekend - said he does not believe in discriminating against homosexuals.
"What people do in their bedrooms and who they are as human beings are two different things," he said.
In a statement, Obama said he believes gays and lesbians are "our brothers and sisters" and should be afforded the same respect, dignity and rights granted all other citizens.
"I have consistently spoken directly to African-American religious leaders about the need to overcome the homophobia that persists in some parts our community so that we can confront issues like HIV/AIDS and broaden the reach of equal rights in this country," Obama said. "I strongly believe that African Americans and the LGBT community must stand together in the fight for equal rights. And so I strongly disagree with Reverend McClurkin's views and will continue to fight for these rights as president of the United States to ensure that America is a country that spreads tolerance instead of division."
The statement, however, did not specify whether McClurkin has been booted from the tour.
"We strongly urge Obama to part ways with this divisive preacher who is clearly singing a different tune than the stated message of the campaign," Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, said in a statement.
In 2004, McClurkin performed at the Republican National Convention and told AP Radio at the time that he was "once involved with those desires and those thoughts," which he attributed to being raped at 8 and 13.
"That's what thrust me into it, and then God delivered me from that and gave me back who I really am and my true purpose," McClurkin said.
TYSON BECKFORD TO HOST BRAVO REALITY SHOW: Model joins Niki Taylor to oversee 'Make Me a Supermodel.'
*Models Tyson Beckford and Niki Taylor will team to co-host Bravo's "Make Me a Supermodel," a reality competition that will feature both men and women vying to launch their own modeling careers and pocket a $100,000 prize in the process.
Based on a British series by the same name, "Supermodel" will feature 14 fresh-faced hopefuls living together in a New York City loft over a 12-week period, according to E! Online. Through the course of the show, the contestants will face various challenges designed to test their potential as professional models.
The series, due to premiere early next year, is nearly a dead ringer for CW's Tyra Banks-hosted "America's Next Top Model," but instead of a judging panel deciding who leaves each week, the fate of "Supermodel's"
contestants are left up to the voting public.
Beckford broke onto the modeling scene when he appeared in the 1994 Polo Sport advertising campaign. He subsequently landed a multiyear contract with Ralph Lauren and worked as a spokesmodel for Polo Fragrances and Polo Sport.
B.I.G. WAX FIGURE TO BE UNVEILED IN NY TOMORROW: Madame Tussauds immortalizes slain rapper; Ms. Wallace to attend ceremony.
*Madame Tussauds in New York will unveil its wax figure of the late Notorious B.I.G. during a ceremony scheduled to take place tomorrow at 11 am.
According to Allhiphop.com, the life-sized statue features the rapper dressed in a white three-piece suit, white hat and white shoes. One hand is placed in his pocket, while the other rests on a gold and wood cane.
The figure also features multicolored light beams that trigger clips of B.I.G.'s songs as people approach.
The museum's artists reportedly studied hundreds of photos and hours of video footage of the rapper to make sure the likeness was spot on.
Biggie's wax figure will be unveiled by his mother, Ms. Voletta Wallace. Also, members of the Brooklyn High School of the Arts' choir will be on hand to perform "I'll Be Missing You" and the gospel song "I'll Fly Away."
Additionally, fans will be able to take photos and hug B.I.G.'s figure, which will be featured in its own room on the ninth floor of the famous museum.
IT'S TWIN BOYS FOR GARCELLE BEAUVAIS-NILON: Actress gives birth to Jax and Jaid on Oct. 18.
*Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon and husband Michael Nilon on Oct. 18 became the parents of new twin boys, a rep for the actress tells People magazine.
Jax Joseph Nilon arrived at 8:30 p.m. weighing 4 lbs. 7 oz., while Jaid Thomas Nilon was born one minute later and weighed 4 lbs. 9 oz.
"We're so in love with them," said Beauvais-Nilon, who delivered the babies in Los Angeles. "The boys are just gorgeous."
Friends such as Angie Harmon and Virginia Madsen have already lavished them with gifts, including individual outfits from Janie & Jack and Gymboree.
"She wants to establish each twin's own identity," says a friend who attended the actress's baby shower last month. "She doesn't want to dress them up the same."
Beauvais-Nilon, a former cast member of "NYPD Blue" and "The Jamie Foxx Show," posed nude for the August issue of Playboy during her pregnancy.
The twins join Oliver, the actress's 15-year-old son from a previous marriage. Michael Nilon, an agent for Creative Artists Agency, married the actress in Los Angeles in May 2001.
LADAINIAN TOMLINSON EVACUATES HOME AMID FIRES: Also, MLB player Tony Gwynn flees with his family.
*San Diego Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson is one of more than 321,000 people, at last count, who have been forced to evacuate their homes due to wildfires raging throughout Southern California.
The entire team had to leave town and set up shop at the Arizona Cardinals' headquarters in Tempe Monday because the air quality was so bad, reports the Associated Press. Practice was cancelled Monday so that the players could make arrangements for their families. The team's home field, Qualcomm Stadium, is now housing evacuees.
Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and his wife left their home in the hard-hit Poway area of northern San Diego County at 6 a.m. and were waiting out the fire at their daughter's house in Mission Valley.
"I think we're going to be all right. I hope," Gwynn told the AP.
"When we left it was fine, but who knows?"
Gwynn - now the baseball coach at his alma mater, San Diego State - said he and his wife didn't wait for a reverse 911 call notifying them to get out.
"We were up watching the news, they gave a description of what area they wanted evacuated, and it was us," said Gwynn, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 29 with Cal Ripken Jr.
"There was lots of smoke," Gwynn said. "It was still dark, but you could see ash falling everywhere. Trees were down and the power had just went off when we left."
Gwynn said they scooped up some clothes and insurance papers and got out of dodge.
"I hope my house is there when it's all over, but that's why you have insurance," he said.
J.LO DISPUTES $16,000 LIMO BILL: Plus, Fox411 columnist breaks down poor showing of her new album 'Brave.'
*Both the New York Post's Page Six and Fox411's Roger Friedman took shots at Jennifer Lopez in their respective columns Tuesday.
The Post reports of the singer's alleged refusal to make good on a limousine bill of just over $16,000, while Friedman cites the poor performance of her latest album "Brave" as the demise of her singing career.
"After two weeks in release, 'Brave' has sold fewer than 75,000 copies," Freidman writes. "Most of those were sold in the first week.
'Brave' already is down around No. 220 on Amazon.com. This is the shocking end of a relatively short, concocted recording career invented by Tommy Mottola less than a decade ago."
"Lopez never was a singer, but she was a great diva," Friedman continues. "The furs, the shootouts, the high expenses, the temper tantrums.
It was almost like she was playing a part. Alas, she could never really tour because she wasn't a musician, and that hurt her. Her last album, 'Get Right,' was a dud. But then staying away for three years after that meant losing whatever audience was left."
As for the limo drama, Spiegel Limousine Corp tells Page Six that Lopez ordered cars for her husband, Marc Anthony, stylist, Ken Paves, sister, Linda Lopez, and other members of her entourage during the July premiere of her Spanish-language movie "El Cantante." But when the bill came, Lopez reportedly balked at the tab hovering around $16,000 and is refusing to pay.
"Jennifer is being very difficult," said Spiegel Limousine Corp.
head Sherif, who asked that his last name not be used. "We've been calling for several months to collect on the bill. When I asked why they aren't paying, the account person claimed nobody had authorized the transactions."
A rep in J.Lo's camp told Page Six: "The bills were being reviewed because there were some inaccuracies. An amount has been decided on, and payments are being made."
BEYONCE CANCELS CONCERT IN TURKEY: Recent Kurdish turmoil prompts venue to shut down centenary event.
*Due to the unstable situation in Turkey - sparked when an ambush by rebel Kurds killed 12 Turkish soldiers and left eight missing - the venue that was to host Beyonce's concert today has announced the show will be cancelled.
"Following recent unsettling events in Turkey, Fenerbahce Sports Club has cancelled its centenary celebratory event which was planned as a stadium concert to be performed by the worldwide star Beyonce in Istanbul on Wednesday," the stadium said in a statement. "The Club expresses its condolences to the country.
"We also express our gratitude to Beyonce Knowles for her understanding that we are left with no alternative but to reschedule the concert to a more appropriate time."
The U.S. has been bending over backwards trying to convince Turkey not to invade northern Iraq in retaliation for the ambush. The increased dialogue led to one announcement by Iraq's president, a Kurd, who said Monday that Kurdish rebels will announce a cease-fire, as Turkey threatened to attack Kurdish guerrilla bases in northern Iraq.
NBA PLAYER IN THREESOME ACCUSED OF RAPE: Kings center Justin Williams and girlfriend say sex with woman was consensual.
*A lawyer for Sacramento Kings reserve center Justin Williams says he and his girlfriend had consensual sex with an unidentified woman who is now accusing him of rape.
"The truth is nothing happened that night that was not consensual and we have proof of it," Williams' layer, William Portanova told the Sacramento Bee. "While some people may find it distasteful to think about it, it's a reality of 21st-century life."
Williams and his girlfriend have told police their version of the Oct. 11th sexual encounter, which led to the woman reporting an alleged assault the next day. Police conducted a search of Williams' home Wednesday and removed items as evidence, the newspaper reported.
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old athlete was given a personal leave from the Kings to deal with the claim.
ALLAN HOUSTON BACKS OUT OF NBA COMEBACK: Guard, 36, attempted to rejoin his old Knicks team, but couldn't hack the workouts.
*Former NBA All-Star Allan Houston says there's no way he can be physically ready in time for the New York Knicks' first game against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 2.
After one exhibition game and 10 days of workouts, the 36-year-old former guard has ended his efforts to come out of retirement and help his former team turn things around this season.
"After much consideration, I have decided to end my comeback with the Knicks," Houston said. "While my body and my knees, in particular, feel fine, I know what is required for me to be truly effective in the NBA again.
"It involves a timing and progression that would not be fair to the Knicks right now. With the season opening less than two weeks away, I think it is best for the team to move on without me. I appreciate the opportunity.
I wish the team nothing but success."
Houston had not played in either of the previous two seasons because of arthritis in his left knee.
JERMAINE JACKSON ORDERED TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT: Singer also loses request for 50/50 custody.
*A judge in California ordered Jermaine Jackson to pay his ex-wife Alejandra child support and rejected the singer's bid to retain 50/50 custody of their children, Jaffar and Jermajesty.
According to TMZ.com, Alejandra told the judge that Jermaine is a lousy parent because he "doesn't help them with their homework, forgets to pick them up from school, and doesn't give them lunch money."
Instead of granting Jermaine's request to divide custody equally, the judge ordered both parents to settle the matter in mediation court. The current arrangement has Jermaine seeing his boys on alternating weekends.
Jermaine, meanwhile, was ordered to pay $11,511 per month in support payments, comprised of $7,762 of spousal support and $3,749 in child support, retroactive to July 1, the Web site reports.
In August, the judge did not force Jermaine to pay child support because his lawyers successfully argued that he had no income. But Alejandra's attorney, Brian P. Lepak, was able to prove that Jermaine got a $450,000 paycheck for his appearance on UK's "Celebrity Big Brother."
TMZ is also reporting that attorney Debra Opri dumped Jermaine as a client.
PROMOTER MULLS LAWSUIT OVER NIXED LIL' WAYNE SHOW: Concert at NC high school scrapped after battle with school board.
*The promoter of a canceled Lil' Wayne show at a North Carolina High School is considering a lawsuit against the state's school board for interfering with his ability to properly promote the show.
As previously reported, the rapper was booked to play at New Hanover High School on Sunday (Oct. 21), but he left the students hanging when the show was cancelled at the last minute due to a low turnout.
The promoter blames the poor ticket sales on a battle with members of the School Board, who had initially objected Lil' Wayne's "Stop the Violence" concert at Brogdon Hall citing security concerns.
According to the Wilmington Star, gang violence near the school had forced two lock downs in a one-week period. After the school board cancelled the concert, the promoter filed a lawsuit claiming they could not prove that the show posed a threat to safety. Both parties agreed to the presence of additional police officers and the concert was allowed to continue.
But only a fourth of the venue's capacity was filled Sunday night. At 10 p.m., an announcement was made that Lil' Wayne's performance was canceled. The promoter is now considering a lawsuit against the school board, alleging that the original cancellation prevented him from being able to properly promote the concert and has cost tens of thousands of dollars.
WYCLEF JEAN APPOINTED HAITI'S GOODWILL AMBASSADOR: Russell Simmons on hand for ceremony in New York.
*Wyclef Jean was named goodwill ambassador to Haiti by its President Rene Preval during a ceremony Thursday in New York City.
The rapper-musician, formerly a member of The Fugees with Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel, was issued a red diplomatic passport before hundreds of fans and well-wishers, including music mogul Russell Simmons and Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones, reports the Miami Herald.
Jean received the official honors from his uncle Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States.
Jean promised to represent Haiti to the fullest, stating: "I promise never to make you ashamed.'
He joked that NYPD should take notice because he's an official diplomat now.
"Life has changed for the rapper,' he said, "If it were not for hip hop I would not be standing here tonight.'
After the ceremony, Wyclef gave the crowd a sample of his upcoming album "Carnival Vol. II Memoirs of an Immigrant," due Dec. 4.
O.J.'S CO-DEFENDANTS ENTER GUILTY PLEAS: Walter Alexander and Charles Cashmore agree to testify against ex-NFL star in armed robbery case.
*Two co-defendants pleaded guilty to reduced charges Tuesday in the O.J. Simpson armed robbery case, agreeing to testify against Simpson and three others in the alleged hotel room theft of sports items from two memorabilia dealers, reports the AP.
"Guilty, sir," said Walter Alexander, who entered the plea to felony conspiracy to commit robbery. Minutes later, Charles Cashmore pleaded guilty to felony accessory to robbery during a separate arraignment.
Clark County District Attorney David Roger agreed to drop charges including kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy against both men, who remained free pending sentencing.
Cashmore could get probation or up to one to five years in prison at sentencing, which will come after an April 15 status check. The district attorney said he would seek a suspended sentence for Alexander, which could get him probation instead of one to six years in prison.
FILM/TV BITS: BET's 'Keyshia 2'; JJ to open for Jagged Edge; Whoopi's Scholastic Book program.
*BET's reality series "Keyshia Cole 2: The Way It Is" returns for its second season on Tuesday (Oct. 30) at 10:30 p.m. During this go-round, the singer attempts to deal with her family drama while working on her new CD, "Just Like You." Keyshia has invited several members of her family to live in her multi-million dollar Atlanta mansion, including her mother, recently released from prison after serving three years for drug-related charges, and her sister, Neffie, who suffers from alcoholism. Her mother and sister soon grow frustrated with Keyshia's rules, including "no men in the house."
Neffie complains: "No company? Are we just going to look at each other? Are we in prison? We don't get no conjugal visits?"
*Suddenly Jimmy "J.J." Walker is everywhere. Last week he was spotted dining out with conservatives Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh in New York.
Next weekend, he's due to open for R&B act Jagged Edge on Nov. 3 at Spotlight 29 Casino in California's Coachella Valley. The former "Good Times" star currently tours the country 25-30 weeks a year doing his stand-up comedy and also performs on late night T.V. and game shows. Tickets for the concert are $35, $45 and $50 and are on sale now at Spotlight29.com and at the Spotlight 29 Casino Gift Shop or by calling (800) 585-3737. Show time is 8 p.m.
*Continuing their commitment to promote literacy for all children, Whoopi Goldberg and Scholastic Book Clubs has announced the launch of the Whoopi! We're Reading! Sweepstakes as part of the Scholastic Book Clubs'
ClassroomsCare program.
The actress and co-host of "The View" is inviting classrooms from across the country to read 100 books for a chance to win ten 100-book collections for them to donate to the local charity or charities of their choice. The sweepstakes is open to teachers in all classrooms participating in Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program. For more information and complete rules, please visit http://www.scholastic.com/classroomscare.
MUSIC BITS: Whitney's massage; Fantasia's pipes; JT Money's defense; Terror Squad's deal; Keys sings for Heineken.
*Fresh from her surprise appearance at London's Fashion Rocks event (view clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSBlC3xcwRo), Whitney Houston continues to get positive feedback as she works to put recent struggles behind her. The New York Daily News reports that the singer "got nothing but good grades on her recent stay at the Mayfair in London. Our spy reports that Houston, who got deep-tissue in the a.m. and Swedish in the evening, 'had no weird requests and was so down to earth, she even left a thank-you note for the staff.'"
"The Color Purple" star Fantasia Barrino brought down the house during a send-off party at New York's Tillman's Bar & Lounge for her co-star Kimba Shannon. According to the New York Post, the "American Idol" champ "jumped onstage the other night to toast her pal and gave an impromptu performance of songs from the show, in which she plays Celie, bringing the crowd to tears." Shannon is leaving the Broadway production to be a dancer on Celine Dion's tour.
*An attorney for rapper JT Money says his client was not involved in a shooting last weekend at the Opera Club in Midtown Atlanta, where singer Trey Songz was about to perform. Carl Edwards Green, II, 29, was shot in the abdomen and taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. According to JT Money's lawyer, the artist was in Florida at the time and had nothing to do with the incident, reports Allhiphop.com. Police are searching for a black Hummer with three men who left the scene of the Oct. 11 shooting.
*KOCH Records announces a new deal with supergroup Terror Squad, which features among its members founder Fat Joe and DJ Khaled. Under this universal deal, the Bronx crew will release two albums for the label. Fat Joe says: "We've had major success with KOCH and the Terror Squad imprint in the past, especially with DJ Khaled's two albums. We will continue this success with this new Terror Squad deal at KOCH Records. It's a perfect place to unveil our new members."
*Alicia Keys, DJ Cassidy and Emily King are set to perform at the Heineken Red Star Soul finale concert in New York. Heineken Red Star Soul is a series of live musical concerts and events created by Heineken to celebrate and recognize emerging and established artists and individuals who have blazed independent paths to success in soul and R&B music inspiring others along the way. The invitation-only evening will also feature a presentation of the Heineken Independent Achiever Award to legendary founder of Video Music Box, Ralph McDaniels. The award, established in 2006, honors individuals who demonstrate the hustle, integrity and drive to succeed while inspiring others along the way.
NOOSE SENT TO BLACK PRINCIPAL IN BROOKLYN: Plus, media groups file joint petition to unseal criminal trial of Mychal Bell.
*A noose was mailed to the African American principal of Canarsie High School in Brooklyn along with a letter containing racially-charged comments, the New York Times reports.
The mailing was delivered over the weekend to principal Tyona Washington, who is in her first year at the school. The package was opened Monday morning. The letter, found around 10:30 a.m., was signed with the name of a white administrator at the school, police said, adding that they believed that the signature was not genuine.
According to the police, the letter did not make any direct threats but said, "I'll give you enough rope to hang yourself." The letter also included the words "white power forever" and included a racial slur, said authorities.
The incident follows a rash of noose-related activity sprouting from the Jena Six case, in which race-based fights were sparked at a high school after three white students hung nooses from a tree to rankle black students.
The Canarsie episode was at least the eighth time in the past few weeks that a noose was discovered in the New York area alone. As previously reported, a noose was placed on the doorknob of the office of a black professor at Columbia University's Teachers College.
The hate crimes unit of the Police Department is investigating, but the police said yesterday that there were no suspects. Rev. Al Sharpton was to appear outside of the Federal Building in Atlanta yesterday to announce plans for a Nov. 16th March on Washington to protest the outbreak of hate crimes around the country.
Meanwhile, a coalition of major American media companies filed a 1st Amendment petition Monday seeking to unseal the criminal trial of Mychal Bell, one of the teenage defendants in the controversial Jena Six case in Louisiana.
The legal motion, filed in LaSalle Parish District Court, challenges the decisions by presiding Judge J.P. Mauffray to close the proceedings in Bell's juvenile case and order all the parties involved not to speak about it. Mauffray's orders run counter to Louisiana juvenile laws, precedents set by the Louisiana Supreme Court and provisions of both the Louisiana and U.S.
Constitutions, the petition asserts.
The Chicago Tribune is the lead plaintiff in the petition, which has been joined by the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times Co., the Associated Press, the Hearst Corp., the Belo Corp., the Gannett Corp., CNN and ABC News.
Bell, 17, is one of six black teenagers charged in an attack last Dec. 4 at Jena High School in which a white student was beaten and knocked briefly unconscious. That incident capped months of violent racial tensions in the small, mostly white central Louisiana town that was also sparked after the three white youths hung nooses from the tree.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Home of the Brave
Iraq War Drama Starring Samuel L. Jackson and 50 Cent Released on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*In 2003, Samuel L. Jackson announced he would no longer make movies co-starring rappers-turned-actors, because they’d been taking too much work from legitimate, classically-trained thespians.
Despite his gallant defense of the profession, Sam has since appeared opposite plenty of hip-hoppers including such films as S.W.A.T. (LL Cool J and Eve) and xXx 2 (Ice Cube and Xzibit).
Here, he buddies-up with 50 Cent in an ensemble drama revolving around the challenging readjustment of Iraq War vets back to private life in the States. But first, the story opens overseas during a furious firefight in the desert.
The film subsequently telescopes in on four physically and/or emotionally-fragile GIs with just two weeks left in their tour of duty. There’s Vanessa (Jessica Biel) who lost a hand to an improvised explosive device and was treated on the battlefield by Dr. Will Marsh (Jackson). Meanwhile, Jamal (Cent) has killed an innocent civilian and Tommy (Brian
Presley) has been wounded and watched a pal die.
So, it’s no surprise that upon their platoon’s return to Spokane, Washington, it’s just a matter of time before signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder start to kick in. Friends and relatives notice that their loved ones aren’t acting normal, and it falls to fatherly Dr. Marsh to offer some sage counsel, despite his own issues.
Unfortunately, Home of the Brave handles a serious subject with all the subtlety of a superficial John Wayne World War II flick. Will is given to delivering macho soliloquies romanticizing America’s role in the Middle East via simplistic analogies to the Revolutionary War like, “We’re trying to build a country. We did the same thing here a couple of hundred years ago.”
Patriotic claptrap masquerading as a touchy-feely salute to the troops.
Fair (1 star)
Rated R for profanity and war violence.
Running time: 105 minutes
In Arabic, English and Spanish with subtitles.
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
EUR DVD REVIEW: Commune
Retrospective of Hippies’ Free Love Lifestyle at California Ranch Out on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*During the hippie movement back in the Sixties, many young people retreated from the cities to the wilderness. Whether visionary or merely naïve, these discontented souls sought to reshape the cultural landscape by creating a utopian society based on free love and shared property.
Commune examines what life was like at one such idealized oasis, Black Bear Ranch located in an abandoned gold mine in Siskiyou County, California. The film is fascinating because it features an abundance of archival footage showing exactly how they lived, and also because many of the original Black Bear members (including actor Peter Coyote) participated in the project, allowing themselves to be interviewed on screen to reflect upon how their lives were subsequently shaped by the unique experience.
This revealing documentary shares that at Black Bear the men were macho and wielded Bowie knives, while the women were very submissive. And in order to prevent the formation of any nuclear families, orgies were the order of the day, and no one was allowed to mate with the same person for more than two nights in a row.
At its peak, 36 adults and 11 children lived there, but in an atmosphere apparently permeated by pain and jealousy. The proverbial bull substance hit the fan, however, when a cult of child worshippers arrived and ugly rumors about pedophilia reached the FBI which launched an investigation.
Sadly, a lot of the Black Bear alumni don’t seem very well-adjusted today, especially the kids raised in an atmosphere which must have been confusing to impressionable young minds. One recounts how her mother handed her over to hippies headed for The Philippines, where she was soon abandoned to be raised in a tree house by a family of aborigines.
Not exactly groovy, or anybody’s idea of nirvana, dude.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for sex, expletives, and frequent nudity.
Running time: 78 minutes
Studi First Run Features
DVD Extras: Black Bear family album and history, extended Peter Coyote interview, secret FBI file on Black Bear Ranch, filmmakers’ biography, original theatrical trailer, trailer gallery and “Uncensored – The Bare Truth of Communal Living” featurette.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
You’ve Gotta Go To Get It Going!
By Willie Jolley, Host of the “Willie Jolley Weekend Show” on XM 169 –The Power!
I recently told you about the power of Action, and how you must take action to be a success in America. In order to take action you must be motivated. Webster defines motivation as “a need or desire that drives or causes a person to act”. I see motivation as having three parts, first is to get you to dream and conceive of a concept. Second is to get you to believe that you can achieve that dream or concept, Scripture says all things are possible if you can just believe) and the third part is to take action on that dream or concept. In short, to motivate you is to get you to understand that is you can conceive it and believe it then act…and you can achieve it!
Willie Jolley is America’s “Premier Celebrity Speaker, Singer and Author”
and was recently inducted into the Speakers Hall Of Fame. Visit www.williejolley.com for FREE Motivation and Information on his Hot New “Money Making Music and Motivation” Program designed to Grow Your Faith, Your Future and Your Finances!”
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Oct. 24: Singer Monica is 27. Singer-actress Adrienne Bailon of 3LW ("The Cheetah Girls") is 24.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
House of David is the world's premier distributor of biblically based health products (www.houseofdavid.net).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Oct. 24, 1935: The first black-authored play to become a long-run Broadway hit, Langston Hughes' "Mulatto," opens. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)
Share and Bookmark |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
