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05-28-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE(May 28, 2008)
FOX ANALYST APOLOGIZES FOR OBAMA JOKE: Liz Trotta 'jokingly' called for the senator's assassination during live segment. *Fox News Channel contributor Liz Trotta, a former Washington Times editor and three-time Emmy winner, has issued an apology for making a cruel joke that suggested she wished death to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Liz Trotter's Assassination Joke (May 25, 2008) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjYpkvcmog0&feature=related Liz Trotter's Apology (May 26, 2008) TWO MORE ID R. KELLY'S ALLEGED VICTIM: Kelly's lawyers raise "braces" defense and accuse one witness of lying to prosecutors. *Two more witnesses in R. Kelly's child pornography trial made positive identifications of the girl whom prosecutors believe was underage when she was filmed having sex with the singer. During cross, Adam barked at Gengler: "So when you went down to see [the investigators] you told [them] you recognized the voice, didn't you?" "At that time, I don't believe I spoke about her voice," Gengler said. "I can't recall, it was a long time ago." Adam read from her grand jury testimony, given March 31, 2002, in response to the question of whether she had ever seen the tape: "No, thank God." "By March 24 of 2002, you have not yet reviewed the video, yet you told [a detective] you recognized a voice you hadn't heard?" Adam asked. "I ask you, Miss Gengler, if it is that you've been pressured into saying these things." "I don't understand why I would have said that it was his voice if I had not viewed the video," she replied. "The answer is because you were getting pressured by the detectives and the state's attorney's office," he shot back. "I would never lie," she said. On redirect, prosecutor Shauna Boliker sought to clarify that the only time Gengler recognized the voices was when she most recently viewed the tape in the state's attorney's office. Testimony was also heard Tuesday from Alexandra Guerrero, an investigator with the Cook County state's attorney's office called by the state to describe Kelly's former North Side home, where prosecutors allege the sex tape was made. Guerrero described—and prosecutors provided photos of—a mural plastered on the wall of a half basketball court in the lower level of the home. In the mural – based on the movie "Space Jam" that featured his hit single "I Believe I Can Fly" – Kelly is playing and committing a flagrant foul against the cartoon character Tazmanian Devil, one of the stars of "Space Jam." The defense has suggested this testimony could be key to establishing whether Kelly owned the home at the time he's alleged to have made the videotape.
*Xzibit is mourning the death of his newborn son Xavier Kingston Joiner. The baby was born prematurely on May 15th and passed away on Monday, “Well, this week was extremely difficult for him, because his lungs were not strong enough to handle regular oxygen on his own,” he wrote.
*Sherri Shepherd, a Daytime Emmy nominee as co-host of ABC's "The View," will also serve as co-host for the annual ceremony next month along with "All My Children" star Cameron Mathison. The 35th annual gathering, to be held on June 20 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, will mark the first time either host has served as emcee for the broadcast. Shepherd, who has appeared in such TV shows as "30 Rock," "Less Than Perfect" and "The Jamie Foxx Show," is nominated in the category of best talk show host along with her "View" comrades Whoopi Goldberg, Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar were nominated.
*The niece of Kanye West's late mother Donda West has teamed with Calif. Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter to try and pass state legislation that requires plastic surgeons to give patients a physical exam before performing any surgical procedure. Yolanda Anderson, also Kanye's cousin, said the bill would be named after Donda West, who died the day after undergoing plastic surgery from Dr. Anderson tells the L.A. Times that Dr. Adams didn't give her aunt a physical exam before her surgery in November, though a rep for Adams insists he "thoroughly questioned" West before the procedure. Other bills inspired by Donda's death are currently in state legislatures in Florida and Canada, amongst others.
*Yes, that was apparently Michael Jackson at an Ultimate Fighting Championship match in Las Vegas Saturday night wearing a black hoodie, dark sunglasses and a black veil covering his face. According to multiple reports, the King of Pop rolled into the MGM Grand – literally rolled in a wheelchair – and took in a match featuring UFC fighter and recent "Celebrity Apprentice" contestant Tito Ortiz. Other celebs in the crowd included Donald Trump and his son, Shaquille O’Neal and ”My Name Is Earl’s” Jaime Pressley.
*On the heels of his new album "Here I Stand" hitting stores this week, Usher has announced the debut of his new video podcast, Usher’s uCast, through his partnership with podcasting network Wizzard Media.
*Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons, star of MTV's reality series "Run's House," has a new side hustle with Kraft Foods to promote a new initiative for its beverage product Kool-Aid. The Run DMC vet will serve as brand ambassador and spokesman for the Kool-Aid KaBOOM! Initiative, which aims to build 24 playgrounds in cities around the country, provide grants toward building 20 more, and work with local communities, parents and children to encourage healthier and more active lifestyles. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, the organization has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,400 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. As ambassador and spokesman, Rev. Run and his famous family will join the brand on local community build sites. Additionally, Kool-Aid will include Reverend Run in POS displays and other promotions, and he will speak directly to consumers about healthy lifestyle choices and the benefits of play. "I grew up drinking and loving Kool-Aid and associate it with fun childhood memories," said Run. "I'm personally committed to bringing families together -- at the dinner table, in communities and on playgrounds. I'm hopeful that by working together, Kool-Aid, KaBOOM!, and I can make a real difference in kids' lives by allowing them to have fun and create the memories that will serve them well for many years to come."
*This fall, LL Cool J will debut his new line of kids streetwear exclusively at Sears department stores.
*Filmmaker Tyler Perry is getting some help from Def Jam artist Chrisette Michelle in the promotion of his TBS series "House of Payne." The Grammy nominated-singer has recorded a track, "I Gotta Love Jones," that serves as the centerpiece for on-air spots and ancillary promos plugging the sitcom, according to Media Daily News.
*The Bahamas tourist board is looking to cash in on the recent attention surrounding the secret wedding of Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon, which took place at her $5 million mansion on the island of Eleuthera. Carey, 38, and Cannon, 27, tied the knot on April 30 after a courtship that began in late March.
*Jazz/blues musician Jimmy McGriff, a legend on the Hammond organ and best known for his 1960s recordings of "I've Got A Woman" and "All About My Girl," died Saturday from multiple sclerosis, the Associated Press reported.
*Singers Romeo and Akon have just released their new single "Get Low Wit It" as a free download on AmieStreet.com. Romeo, meanwhile, will begin his freshman year at USC in the fall as a member of the Trojans basketball team. He is also working on a reality TV show "Romeo's World: Welcome to the Good Life" and his animated children's series "Gee Gee the Giraffe." BET BITS: MC Lyte featured on BET J's 'Real Life Divas'; 'American Gangster's' season two on DVD in June. *BET J will premiere an all-new episode of its original series "Real Life Divas" tomorrow night (May 29) at 10 featuring rap pioneer MC Lyte. In the half-hour episode, Lyte discusses her rise from being one of rap’s first female stars to successfully breaking into acting, TV appearances, radio and film. Whodini’s Ecstasy, rap legend Kool Moe Dee, veteran rap diva YoYo and DJ K-Rock are among those who make appearances. *BET’s "American Gangster: The Complete Second Season" arrives on DVD June 10. Season 2 features 10 hour-long episodes highlighting the stories of Frank Lucas, John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, The Philly Black Mafia, Larry Hoover, "Little Melvin" Williams, Felix Mitchell, Jeff Fort, Chaz Williams, Rayful Edmond III and Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff. *"Hendrix Revealed: A Life Through The Lens" opens Thursday, May 29 at the Celebrity Vault gallery in Beverly Hills (345 N. Canon Drive) and represents the largest exhibition of Jimi Hendrix photographs ever shown in the Los Angeles area. The exhibit includes works from more than 15 photographers spanning 1967-1970. Images range from famously iconic shots to rarely seen treasures -- edition sizes will vary, and several will be one-of-a-kind, hand-finished "editions of one." Ten percent of opening day sales will benefit Experience Music Project (EMP) in Seattle, the city in which Hendrix was born. For more information, log on to http://www.thecelebrityvault.com. *Hundreds of authors, publishers, illustrators, cartoonists, comic writers, storytellers and spoken word artists will attend the 2nd annual Leimert Park Village Book Fair on May 31st in Los Angeles' Leimert Park Village (43rd St. and Degnan Blvd.) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The theme will be “Celebrating Our Literary Legacy: Our Heritage, Our Words, Our Stories (Preserving Our Past/Building Our Future)." Authors Tananarive Due and Steven Barnes will offer a posthumous tribute to Octavia E. Butler Celebrity authors Denise Nicholas, Bern Nadette Stanis, Kim Wayans, Donzaleigh Abernathy, Recording Artist and Producer Kashif, and Chef G. Garvin will autograph their books. For additional information call 323.730.0628 or visit the book fair’s official website at www.leimertparkbookfair.com. *The First Annual Newark Celebrity Golf Classic and Hip Hop Business Summit, from organizers ECSMG Consulting, LLC, will be held in Newark, New Jersey in August. The Golf Classic will take place at Weequahic Park on Aug. *The Essence magazine-sponsored "Made to Uplift Tour" featuring singer Jill Scott promoting her Butterfly Bra Collection for Ashley Stewart stores will make its final stop on June 4 in Culver City, Calif. The Grammy winner and budding actress teamed with Ashley Stewart to design the bra specifically for full-figured women. A panel discussion will explore why it is not necessary for voluptuous women to have surgery and why the Butterfly bra is an alternative to going under the knife. The tour kicked off in NYC on May 15 and has traveled through five cities. The June 4th date takes place from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at Westfield Shoppingtown Fox Hills (256 Fox Hills Mall, Culver City).
*Doctors are fearing that tens of thousands of children who lived in temporary FEMA trailers following Hurricane Katrina may face lifelong health problems due to unsafe levels of formaldehyde fumes, reports the Associated Press. The chemical, used in interior glue, was detected in many of the 143,000 trailers sent to the Gulf Coast in 2006. But a push to get residents out of them, spearheaded by FEMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, did not begin until this past February.
Film Review by Kam Williams *In 2004, Fatih Akin's Head-On brilliantly brought to light the challenges faced by Turks trying to assimilate into German culture. That female empowerment flick revolved around a free-spirited young woman's desperate attempt to escape her orthodox Muslim family's pressure to abide by traditional Islamic principles at a time when she was eager to Westernize and integrate into mainstream society. Now director Akin, who is himself of Turkish-German extraction, has crafted another thought-provoking masterpiece exploring the same theme but almost in reverse. For this go-round he has his protagonists venturing back and forth between Deutschland and Turkey, almost as if they are undecided about exactly in which country they belong. The picture is called The Edge of Heaven, although its German name, Auf der Anderen Seite, is actually more appropriate since that translates to "on the other side." The movie is a character-driven ensemble piece which grows out of the ill-fated relationship of convenience entered into between Ali (Tuncel Kurtiz), a senior citizen on a fixed income, and Yeter (Nursel Kose), a prostitute working in Bremen's red light district. At the point of departure, he's just one of her many clients. But the two Turkish immigrants strike an unusual bargain whereby she moves into his apartment and promises to give up hooking on the condition that he pay her a salary equal to what she was making as a streetwalker. It doesn't take long for the plot to thicken after prideful Ali suspects Yeter of cheating on him and kills her in a jealous rage. First, he's convicted of murder and disowned by his son, Nejat (Baki Davrak), a college professor. Then Nejat decides to provide for Yeter's long-lost, suddenly-orphaned daughter, Ayten (Nurgul Yesilcay), presumably left behind in Istanbul. So, he moves to Turkey unaware that the she's already in Germany and seeking political asylum as a dissident. Not to worry. Ayten is soon denied that request and summarily deported and imprisoned in Istanbul. She is followed there by Lotte (Patrycia Ziolkowska), a lipstick lesbian determined to spring her life partner from the slammer. But before she even gets a chance to approach the authorities, she's shot to death while walking through the slums by a couple of pint-sized, child muggers with a pistol. The loss inspires grieving Suzanne (Hanna Schygulla) to retrace her daughter's footsteps which lead to a fortuitous meeting with Ayten. What a dizzying series of events! With the circle completed, all that's left for this modern morality play to do is deliver the heartwarming universal message that perhaps you can teach an old dog new tricks afterall, especially if they have to do with forgiveness and tolerance. Excellent (4 stars) EUR DVD REVIEW: Meeting Resistance DVD Review by Kam Williams *For the past five years, we've been bombarded with Western press speculation about what fuels the Iraqi insurgency. The pointy-headed, chin-pulling pundits have placed the blame on everything from Al-qaida to Saddam loyalists to Iranian intervention to outside agitators to Shia versus Sunni civil unrest. Now, thanks to a couple of intrepid filmmakers, Harvard grad Molly Bingham and British army veteran Steve Connors, we have a rare opportunity to hear from the participants in the resistance movement themselves exactly who they are and why they have chosen to take up arms to fight the U.S. occupation. Bingham and Connors embedded themselves with the enemy, being careful to mask faces while conducting dozens of candid interviews with so-called terrorists. The subjects turn out to be surprisingly forthcoming about both their motivations for their attacks on American GIs, describing in intimate detail how they conduct guerilla warfare. For instance, we hear from a woman from Baghdad who freely admits to volunteering to serve as a scout and to deliver weapons because her burka can hide them and because as a female she is less likely to be stopped and frisked. Most of the men are locals, too, and invariably see themselves as patriotic freedom fighters. None were even particularly political or religious prior to the occupation, but their consciousness was raised by the condescending treatment they received at the hands of the Coalition forces. One guy said that before the war he never prayed and didn't even know his way to the mosque. Yet, he has now decided to dedicate his life to radical Islam and to driving the infidel out of his homeland. Probably the jihad's best recruiting tool has been the Abu Ghraib prison pictures. The film features some new disgusting snapshots never released in the States, such as one with MP Lynndie England laughing while pointing at a naked detainee's erection, as if making fun of the size of his manhood. No wonder again and again Iraqis cite restoring their pride and dignity as their reasons for planting roadside bombs, firing RPGs and lobbing mortars into the Green Zone. Hell hath no fury like a Muslim humiliated.
DVD Extras: Commentary by directors Molly Bingham and Steve Connors, film notes and a theatrical trailer.
May 28: Singer Gladys Knight is 64. Rapper Chubb Rock is 40.
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