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ASHANTI'S BLOODY ALBUM PROMOTION BACKFIRES: Site allowing fans to personalize a fake murder spree removed amid protests.
*Ashanti's record label Universal Music Group has taken down a controversial Web site amid protests and outrage over its use of a fake killing spree to promote her new album, "The Declaration."
Visitors to the Web site TheWayThatILoveYou.com were able to personalize a news report about the murders and send a "Gotchagram" e-card/video to folks with the target's name listed as the killer's latest victim.
Parents and religious groups protested outside of her record company Tuesday and threatened to disrupt her scheduled performance of the National Anthem at Game 5 of the NBA finals at LA's Staples Center. As a result, Universal shut down the gotcha-grams and removed the Web site altogether.
The drama started several months ago with the video for her single "The Way That I Love You," which depicts Ashanti as a spurned lover appearing to exact revenge on her cheating boyfriend by stabbing him to death. The clip's images of blood-spattered walls were included in the Gotchagram e-card promotion on TheWayThatILoveYou.com.
Visitors to the former site were greeted by a fake news headline from the UCN, the Universal Crime Network, which reported that, "police are investigating a recent wave of violence in New Jersey. The police commissioner has hinted that there may be a tie between the recent attacks and the music video for Universal/Motown recording artist Ashanti's single 'The Way That I Love You.'
A fake news story on the site ended with the warning that police fear the prime suspect in the alleged string of killings, Victoria Jackson, "may be planning to open a big can of whoop-a**. Authorities have already expressed apprehension at the pending release of Ashanti's album, The Declaration, on June 3rd, fearful that the power of the album will lead to more violence. Only time will tell."
Fans accessing the site were immediately greeted by a large, blood-soaked knife, carving out a box at the top of the page. A menu popped up that let users send the Gotchagram to a friend or enemy. After putting in your name, the name of your friend and their "crime," a menu titled "Your Victim's Crime" dropped down with such options as "sleeping around," "suspected sleeping around," "playing you like a fool" and "breaking your heart."
The next drop-down menu, for "Weapon of Choice," featured options such as "boot," "knife," "can," "sledgehammer," "rolling pin" and "guillotine." Once the information was typed in, a customized UCN news report was generated featuring the victim's name splattered in blood on a wall, the weapon of choice, the sender's name in a fake newspaper headline and a reference to their home state. The clip ends with a plug for the album and a cartoonish voice stating: "Ashanti and Universal Music Group do not encourage or condone violence of any kind. This is for parody purposes only."
Najee Ali of Project Islamic Hope joined more than two dozen concerned parents and religious leaders outside of LA's Universal/Motown offices Tuesday in calling for the Web site to be taken down. Former radio veteran and BET staffer Paul Porter of the nonpartisan media justice think tank Industry Ears, said the video came to his attention on Monday, and he immediately called Ali.
"I questioned not only the content of the video, but also why Universal/Motown would support this effort," Porter said. "The real shock is that Ashanti is squeaky-clean ... and the song has nothing to do with murdering someone, so the video is definitely constructed for shock value, and we feel there's enough violence in our inner cities without you picking your weapon of choice."
A statement released Tuesday through Ashanti's personal publicist, Michelle Huff, stressed that "the Web site that Mr. Porter is referring to is not controlled by Ashanti nor is it her creative work. We respect what Mr. Porter is working to accomplish with his organization. But it is important to point out that Ashanti's history of creative expression does not glorify violence at all."
Unsatisfied with the response, Porter released a statement Wednesday announcing plans to disrupt Ashanti's performance of the National Anthem before the Los Angeles Lakers meet the Boston Celtics for Game 5. That's when Universal Motown president Sylvia Rhone responded to Porter with a one-sentence e-mail that read: "The sight is down, I took it down this morning."
The official statement from Universal was sent out a short time
afterward: It said: "Following discussions with Ashanti, we have jointly decided to remove the TheWayThatILoveYou.com website that hosts the Gotchagram. Ashanti and her music have always been about self-empowerment and addressing the issues that are most meaningful to her. We stand by our artist and her creative choices."
'ENTOURAGE' STAR WANTS WHITNEY ON THE SHOW: Jeremy Piven hit up the singer during flight to L.A.
*Don't' be surprised if Whitney Houston suddenly pops up on HBO's "Entourage" next season.
Jeremy Piven, who plays ruthless Hollywood agent Ari Gold on the hit series, took some cues from his frenzied character when he happened upon the singer on a recent flight from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
According to gossip blogger Janet Charlton, they were seated next to each other aboard Planet Hollywood's private jet when "they started chatting about 'Entourage' and Jeremy suggested that it would be fun to have Whitney make an appearance on the show. Whitney liked the idea."
Piven then reportedly went into Ari mode to close the deal.
"Jeremy was overheard calling a producer and telling him about Whitney as soon as the plane touched down in LA," Charlton wrote.
LAILA ALI REVEALS SEX OF HER BABY: Boxer and retired NFL hubby ready to break out the cigars.
*Laila Ali, former boxer and current co-host of NBC's "American Gladiators," revealed Saturday (June 7) that she and her husband, retired NFL star Curtis Conway, are expecting a boy.
"His name is going to be Curtis Jr. and Mohammed is the middle name," Ali said at the "Celebrity Family Feud" taping in Los Angeles. The 30-year-old daughter of Muhammad Ali said she hopes to work with a midwife to do a "natural home birth with no medication."
Ali said she has gained about 20 pounds during the pregnancy and is working hard to keep the weight gain from getting out of control.
"[I do] an hour of cardio on the elliptical or spinning, but not such high impact," she says. "Then, I also do some light weight training, but nothing very strenuous."
At times, though, she admits she has gone overboard.
"My husband has got on me a couple of times saying, 'You're not supposed to be doing that with those weights!'" she reveals "I'm like, 'Oh, okay.'"
Ali says she's due in about three months.
SHAQ WANTS TO HELP STRUGGLING HOMEOWNERS: NBA star offers to buy mortgages of Orlando borrowers facing foreclosure.
*While our two presidential candidates debate the best way to handle the nation's foreclosure crisis, Shaquille O'Neal wants to offer immediate relief by buying the mortgages of homeowners who are drowning in high interest rate loans.
"I want to come in not to kick them out, but to work with them and save them so they can stay in their homes," O'Neal told the Orlando Sentinel during an impromptu stop Tuesday at Orlando City Hall.
Shaq would sell the homes back to those troubled buyers with more affordable terms, hoping to make a small profit.
"He's become a businessman with a conscience," said attorney Mark NeJame, who arranged the NBA star's visit along with longtime friend and Realtor Curtis Cooper.
NeJame said Shaq might also develop an affordable-housing project,
stating: "He's looking to find out where he can make a significant investment in Orlando -- specifically downtown Orlando -- but also all over Central Florida."
ARSENIO HALL BACK AS TV HOST: MyNetworkTV books late night pioneer for new comedic clip show.
*Arsenio Hall, who broke racial barriers in the early 90s as the first black man to host a late night talk show, is returning to television as the host of MyNetworkTV's new comedic clip series "Funniest Moments."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the program is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. Wednesdays starting in the fall.
"Bringing years of comedic experience and timing, both behind and in front of the camera, we are thrilled to welcome Arsenio to the MyNetworkTV schedule," network president Greg Meidel said.
Next up for Hall is a voice part in the Weinstein Co.'s upcoming animated film "Igor," which is scheduled for release in the fall.
TERRENCE HOWARD SETS A DATE FOR MUSIC DEBUT: He says Marc and J.Lo heard new album and thought it was 'incredibly sick.'
*Terrence Howard will make his official entry into the music business with the Sept. 2 release of his long-promised debut album, "Shine Through It."
According to E! Online, the Columbia Records project was also produced and written by the actor, whose role in 2005's "Hustle & Flow"
earned him an Oscar nomination.
So far, the album has gotten good feedback from musical couple Marc Anthony and his wife Jennifer Lopez.
"They heard it...[Anthony] was like, 'This is so incredibly sick,'"
Howard told E! News. "Marc Anthony asked me to come on tour with him so I can sit there and watch...He wants to show me the way to perform this as honestly as possible. Lost his mind over it. He's like my best friend now.
Because he respects the music."
OBAMA CAMPAIGNS ON LIFETIME'S 'ARMY WIVES': Plus, Obama nomination coverage boosts ratings for CNN and MSNBC.
*The 4.5 million viewers who tuned in to Lifetime Sunday for the second season premiere of its original series "Army Wives" also got a message from the Democratic and Republican nominees running for president.
Senators Barack Obama and John McCain paid tribute to real-life military families in individually taped segments that aired preceding the show, which stars Kim Delaney and Catherine Bell and focuses on civilians who are married to servicemen.
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"When a soldier goes off to fight, it's the whole family that's serving by their side," said Democratic nominee, Obama. "And our entire nation owes our troops and those who love them our abiding gratitude for their service, their courage and for the sacrifice they make each day on their behalf."
Both clips encourage viewers to visit MyLifetime.com to support real military wives and to learn about ways to help their families. Click here to view Obama's "Army Wives" Message:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVctuMLY8HM
While 4.5 million viewers made "Army Wives" the second most watch scripted show on cable last week, per Nielsen Media Research, CNN's coverage of Obama's nomination speech averaged 4.7 million viewers, making it cable's top prime-time broadcast for the week. MSNBC's coverage of the historic night averaged 3.5 million.
NEW KATRINA DOC HEADED TO THEATERS: Filmmakers keep camera rolling before and during storm.
*The Hurricane Katrina documentary "Trouble the Water," winner of this year's Sundance Grand Jury documentary prize, has been picked up for U.S. distribution by Zeitgeist Films, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The film uses camcorder footage that aspiring rapper Kimberly Roberts and Scott Roberts shot before and during the New Orleans disaster. The couple is also tracked through the storm's aftermath
Additionally, "Water" includes critical coverage of the government's response to the crisis, as well as reaction by the media.
The film will open in Los Angeles and New York beginning August 22, followed by a gradual national rollout.
Kimberly and Scott Roberts Interviewed Following 2008 Sundance Premiere of "Trouble the Water" (Interview starts at 3:30)
MARCUS RABOY TO DIRECT CUBE'S 'JANKY': 'Friday After Next' helmer reteams with actor for new project.
*Six years after directing Ice Cube in "Friday After Next," director Marcus Raboy is teaming with the rapper-turned-actor again for the upcoming film, "Janky Promoters."
As previously reported, Cube penned the script about a pair of shady concert promoters in Modesto, Calif. who run into trouble while trying to book a big name hip hop act. Complications come in the form of a pot-growing neighborhood nemesis named Mondo and Cube's character's son (Nickelodeon star Little JJ).
"It's Cube going back to his roots as a writer and an actor," Raboy said of the project, which stars the former NWA member and Epps in the title roles. "He's writing about a world that he knows."
"Janky" is Cube's first screenplay since "Friday After Next." The film will be released by the Weinstein Co. unit Dimension, where Cube has a first-look deal.
NICK & MARIAH CIRCUS STOPS IN HAWAII: Injury rumors follow couple during video shoot. Plus, Mimi's camp still looking for wedding gifts?
*Rumors of Mariah Carey suffering an injury on her video shoot in Hawaii this week have been greatly exaggerated, according to her camp.
Apparently, paparazzi shots taken on the Oahu set of her video "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" appeared to show her being physically held upright by her husband, Nick Cannon, after she suffered some sort of injury. But that was not the case.
"Nothing happened," her rep told E! News. "No truth to this at all."
According to E!, the Hawaiian shoot was a last minute decision by Carey, as the video was supposed to be filmed in Los Angeles.
"She was so excited to be shooting in Hawaii," a source told E! News.
"She wanted all her friends to come down and be a part of the shoot."
In related news, Page Six is quoting an "insider" who said Mariah's camp is soliciting wedding gifts from folks who weren't even invited to the original island ceremony.
"Mariah's assistant, Gina, sent out over 100 e-mails to her wealthy friends letting them know that she's registered at Bergdorf Goodman if they want to buy her a present," the source said. "It's odd because she's not even having a big wedding party or anything. It was assumed they'd have a big celebration when they got back, but no. They just want the gifts."
On the list are "fine china, very expensive silver stemware" and other items.
BLACK NASCAR OFFICIAL ALLEGES DISCRIMINATION: Mauricia Grant says colleagues made comments that were racist and sexist.
*Mauricia Grant, an African American, female NASCAR official, is suing the stock car organization for $225 million, alleging racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
The 32-year-old worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until her termination, reports the Associated Press.
In the lawsuit, she alleged she was referred to as "Nappy Headed Mo"
and "Queen Sheba," by co-workers, was often told she worked on "colored people time," and was frightened by one official who routinely made references to the Ku Klux Klan. In addition, Grant said she was subjected to sexual advances from male co-workers, two of whom allegedly exposed themselves to her, and graphic and lewd jokes.
Grant said she routinely complained to her supervisors. Two weeks after her final complaint, Grant said she was warned during the week of August 18, 2007, at Michigan International Speedway that she had engaged in "conduct unbecoming of a NASCAR representative" and would be fired unless she changed her behavior. She said the warning stemmed from a confrontation with a track official who stopped her as she passed through a gate to use the restroom.
Roughly two months later, Grant was fired, and NASCAR cited a poor work performance in ending her employment. The lawsuit claims other than a previous warning for using "street" language, Grant had never been disciplined for job performance and routinely received positive reviews.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, lists 23 specific incidents of alleged sexual harassment and 34 specific incidents of alleged racial and gender discrimination beginning when she was hired in January 2005 through her October 2007 firing.
NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said the organization had not yet reviewed the suit.
"As an equal opportunity employer, NASCAR is fully committed to the spirit and letter of affirmative action law," Poston said, adding NASCAR has a zero tolerance policy for harassment.
DIDDY'S MAYBACH IN A FENDER BENDER: Plus, mogul clears up name change rumors; wants lunch with Queen Elizabeth.
*A drunk driver crashed into several expensive cars outside of a Manhattan nightspot last Friday, and one of those rides was Diddy's $400,000 Maybach Benz, reports TMZ.com.
Charles Lorenzo was hit with DUI charges after cops arrived on the scene outside of club 1Oak and found him passed out drunk on the pavement near the smashed vehicles.
In other Diddy news, the mogul has filmed a video blog to deny that he's changing his name back to Puff Daddy. He also suggested that bloggers focus more time on important stories from now on, such as the need for young people to vote during the upcoming election.
Speaking of which, Diddy also filmed a "blog" expressing his admiration for Barack Obama. After the Democratic senator became the first African American to win the party's nomination for president, Diddy said:
"This is just so incredible. This is a day that I was blessed - and you guys were blessed - to be alive to see." [Scroll down to view both blogs.]
And finally, Diddy told the U.K.'s Telegraph newspaper on Tuesday that he would love to kick it with Queen Elizabeth someday.
"I don't know why I've never met her. She's never invited me to the palace - not yet, anyway."
Diddy Did Not Change His Name: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYqqUEqz6Z4
Diddy talks about Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbioTWvnqYc&feature=user
KIMORA LEE SIMMONS AGAIN DENIES BEING A DIVA: This time fashionista takes her argument to Giant magazine.
*"I hear the craziest things, like, 'She has to have a champagne glass filled within a quarter inch of the lip,'" says Kimora Lee Simmons, speaking to Giant magazine about constant reports that she is a bona fide diva.
"The reality, is I'm a dedicated mother [to daughters Ming Lee, 8, and Aoki Lee, 5] and a very kind, funny and hardworking person," she says in the publication's new June/July 2008 issue. "My reality-TV show helps to shed a bit of light, but even that's glamorized."
Simmons - who in March filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years, Russell Simmons - is currently dating actor-model Djimon Hounsou, an endeavor that comes with its own separate rumor mill.
Ultimately, she says, she doesn't care what others think of her, though "sometimes people who don't know me say really cruel things that are way off base. But you can't care too much about what people think of you.
You have to establish your own set of core values and live by them"
And those core values? "Honor, respect, tenacity, intelligence and humor," she says, adding, "Do your best, and live with the repercussions of your choices - good or bad."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Oprah tops Forbes; Cheadle honored; Cantrell & Sabato?; Storch's child support; Buddy Guy's 'Skin'; no vintage Hendrix for UME; baby Alba's name; "Cocaine Cowboys II."
*Oprah Winfrey has for the fifth time topped Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List, despite a 2008 that has seen her ratings dip and popularity decline according to recent polls. During the past year Winfrey made $275 million, while second place earner, golfer Tiger Woods, raked in $115 million. Both ranked 1 and 2 respectively on Forbes' 2007 list. Beyonce Knowles' $80 million and her husband Jay-Z's $82 million also made the top ten. The full list can be seen at http://www.forbes.com/celebrities.
*Actor Don Cheadle has been chosen to receive the Los Angeles Film Festival's Spirit of Independence Award for outstanding contributions to film, reports Variety. The star of such works as "Crash" and "Hotel Rwanda"
will be honored at the fest's awards ceremony on June 29. Jada Pinkett Smith will host the fest's filmmaker reception on June 23. LAFF runs June 19-29, opening with the premiere of "Wanted" starring Morgan Freeman, rapper Common and Angelina Jolie.
*Blu Cantrell and actor Antonio Sabato Jr., both contestants on NBC's new reality show "Celebrity Circus," are reportedly becoming more than just competitors. E! Online quoted an "insider" who said: "They've been getting close and hanging out after rehearsals. Antonio seems smitten with her." A rep for the 31-year-old "Hit 'Em Up Style" singer would only say of the tw "They are having fun right now." Cantrell recently posed for Playboy after losing some 25 pounds since she began training for "Circus."
*A Miami Judge issued a pick-up order for producer Scott Storch yesterday because he owes $46,000 in child support payments, reports TMZ.com. The order authorizes cops to put him in jail until he can be taken to court. Storch is also reportedly $500,000 behind in payment of property taxes on his $10.5 million home, according to TMZ. Meanwhile, a second babymama is claiming that Storch is $5,000 behind in support payments to their 16-year-old son. The woman also claims they were just evicted from their Florida home.
*Buddy Guy has corralled Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks for his album "Skin Deep," due July 22 for Silvertone/Zomba. Clapton appears on "Every Time I Sing the Blues," while Randolph guests on "Out in the Woods" and "That's My Home." The album is led by the title track, which features Trucks. Guy will on July 20 receive the Great Performer of Illinois Award during a ceremony at Chicago's Millennium Park. His North American tour stars July 23rd in Silverton, Ore., with support from George Thorogood & the Destroyers.
*Universal Music Enterprises (UME) says there are no plans to release Jimi Hendrix archival material as part of a recent agreement with Wolfgang's Vault to sell vintage live performance downloads on the latter Web site. As previously reported, Universal signed a deal with Wolfgang's that allows UME to release certain live recordings by UMG artists. The master tapes originated from the archives of late concert promoter Bill Graham and were purchased in 2003 by Wolfgang's Vault. A UME rep told Billboard: "UME will only be releasing those performances to which they have rights or can acquire rights from the artists concerned. .And, contrary to any previous reports, the estate of Jimi Hendrix has not granted any rights to the release of Hendrix's performances and any claims that indicate otherwise are not correct."
*Jessica Alba and her husband Cash Warren have named their newborn daughter Honor Marie, according to her brother, Josh. "She is gorgeous. She looks just like my sister," Josh Alba told E! News. "Jessica did everything natural ... It went really well." Born June 7 in Los Angeles, Honor Marie is the first child for Alba, 27, and Warren, 31.
*The film "Cocaine Cowboys II" will be released on DVD July 29 from Magnolia Home Entertainment. Set in Oakland circa 1991, cocaine dealer Charles Cosby writes a fan letter to the "Cocaine Godmother" Griselda Blanco, who is serving time at a nearby federal prison. Six months later, Cosby is a multi-millionaire, Blanco's lover, and the head of her $40 million a year cocaine business. Also known as "The Black Widow" for her deadly history with past lovers, Blanco will stop at nothing to ensure that Charles is faithful to her. Cosby soon learns that he's in way over his head.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Jumper
Time-Travel Sci-Fi Marred by Ludicrous Plot Leaps
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*I have a problem with mediocre sci-fi flicks where you have to accept a patently preposterous premise in order to enjoy the picture's subsequent plot developments.
Jumper is one such an adventure, revolving around a teenager who discovers that he has the magical ability to teleport himself anywhere and anywhen in an instant, merely by directing his thoughts to another era and locale.
Directed by Doug Liman, the movie is based on the 1992 best seller of the same name by Steven Gould.
It stars Hayden Christensen as David Rice, a young man who has had a hole in his soul since the day his mother (Diane Lane) disappeared into thin air, ostensibly abandoning her five year-old son to be raised alone by his father (Michael Rooker).
At the point of departure, we find a teenaged David falling through the ice after venturing onto a frozen lake to retrieve a treasured snow globe tossed there by a bully. Trapped beneath the surface where he is certain to drown, he suddenly becomes aware of his supernatural powers and saves himself by "jumping" to his local public library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Turns out he is not alone in the world, as there are numerous other "Jumpers" who share this unique ability. However, all is not well with this race of time-travelers as they have a set of ready-made enemies in the "Paladins," a group currently led by NSA Agent Roland Cox (Samuel L.
Jackson).
He believes that Jumpers are "an abomination" and is inclined to rip out the guts of any he can track down with his trusted Bowie knife. With Cox and company in hot pursuit, David is befriended by fellow Jumper Griffin (Jamie
Bell) who shows him the ropes.
But it's impossible to generate any tension in this yawner, because all the hero has to do is think his way out of each successive predicament. The worst sci-fi concept since The Adventures of Pluto Nash placed Eddie Murphy on the moon.
Poor (0 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, brief sexuality, and intense violence.
Running time: 87 minutes
Studi 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment 2-Disc DVD Extras: Audio commentary by the director and two producers, a half-dozen deleted scenes, an animated short, several featurettes and 20th Century Fox trailers.
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: The Healing Power of Children’s Laughter
*I lay in bed floating on an antihistamine high. I felt a presence at the side of my bed so I opened my eyes and stared into the face of innocence. Barely able to see into the bed my four-year-old son stood on his toes watching me. “Daddy, are you okay?” he was concerned.
“Daddy is just a bit under the weather today.”
‘Can I give you hug?”
Let me tell you, nothing satisfies like those little skinny arms around my neck. I felt better immediately. He ran downstairs to announce to his mother that he had given daddy a feel better hug.
Ahh Childhood. A time when puddles are for stomping in, running is just so we can feel the wind in our face and a hug and a kiss will cure most anything that ails you; A time that disappears all too quickly. Age often brings more than just wisdom it brings cynicism as well. Perhaps we suffer too much heartbreak. Maybe its just that we no longer have boundless reserves of energy, but as we get older what was possible becomes impossible or not worth the effort. We avoid puddles lest we dirty our shoes, run only so we can lose weight and for my money we don’t hug or kiss nearly enough.
We recognize how precious those qualities are. As adults we bust our humps to provide safety and security for our children and are outraged when anything or anyone acts to rob them of their innocence. Yet, often we become so focused on protecting them that we forget to enjoy them. We are focused on paying the bills, preparing dinner and getting projects for work finished on time and forget to revel in the healing power of our children's laughter. We focus in on the “why me Lord?” and tune out their stories that go on and on with no direction and no end. We sit them in front of the television rather than put business to the side and indulge in that wonderful sense of everything being possible.
I plead guilty as charged. And it’s too bad really because my boys will not be young forever and I will miss their childhood when it is gone.
The other day my oldest didn’t take my hand as we crossed the parking lot. Over the years I have grown used to feeling him slip his fat little hand in mine as we cross the street or walk through a parking lot. This time my son didn’t take my hand as he normally does. He jumped out of the car and simply walked by my side. It was so subtle that I almost didn’t even notice it, but I missed the feel of his fat little hand in mine. When did it happen? I thought. When did he stop needing me to hold his hand? When did my first baby become a boy? It happened so fast.
It may have been the cold medication playing tricks with my mind but in the midst of the fog I had a moment of clarity. I was suddenly outside myself watching, seeing time march by; days falling like leaves. My sons were men. The innocence of their big brown eyes was replaced with the wisdom and cynicism of adulthood. Sadness washed over me.
The day will come when my 4-year-old will not look up to me lying on my bed sleeping off a few ounces of cold medicine, but will look down upon my elderly body lying in my deathbed. That’s just the way it is. The cycle of life. He will take my hand as I took my fathers hand in his last moments. I wonder if his hands will still feel as small.
THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: Guitarist Lawson Rollins releases World Music solo debut, 'Infinita,' and Court TV's Adaora Udoji debuts syndicated radio talk show, The Takeaway
By Eunice Moseley
Guitarist Lawson Rollins releases multi-cultural World Music debut solo album
*When I listened to guitarist Lawson Rollins’ debut solo release, “Infinita,” on Infinita/Baja/TSR Records, I said to myself, “now this is World Music.” The album is a melting pot of sounds from almost every major country.
The Spanish guitar, which is my favorite instrument, is consistent throughout the album, so much so, I actually got up and did the Cha Cha. “Infinita,” is produced by Shalin Shahida and Dominic Camardella. You will find Latin, Indian, Persian, Arabic, South America, European and American music on the 11 selection CD.
“I really thought I’d take a risk,” Lawson said about the solo World Music project.
The vocals are also multi-cultural with such artists as Afghan vocalist Humayun Khan, and percussion legend Moreira. Also featured on the album are Middle Eastern Azerbaijani kamanche master Imamyar Hassanov, Pejman Hadidi on tombak; Grammy Award winning violinist Charlie Bisharat; bassist Randy Tico; trumpeter Jeff Elliot, and drummer-percussionist Dave Bryant.
Lawson Rollins fell in love with the Spanish guitar as a teenager. In his early 20s Lawson was drawn to rhythmically dynamic Spanish folk music and the freedom of Latin Jazz and South American Music.
Rollins is part of a duo, Young & Rollins (Daniel Young). They established themselves on the international music scene. Their music is a mixture of Salsa music, Latin Jazz, Blues, Samba, Bossa Nova, Flamenco and Classical styles. Young and Rollins debut was on TSR Records and entered the Billboard Top 25 New Age Chart shortly after its release in 2000. In 2005 Young and Rollins signed onto Bolero Records.
Court TV anchor hosts new syndicated morning drive radio talk show
Court TV’s Adaora Udoji adds Morgan State University’s WEAA radio’s morning drive to its syndicated list of stations airing, The Take Away with John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji. The talk show is news driven and WEAA is one of many stations now airing it.
“It was too good of an opportunity to pass up, a chance to flex every muscle: international, local, cultural, the market, science, which I don’t know anything about,” Adaora Udoji (pronounced Adora Doji) said about her new job.
Of her partner on the show, John Hockenberry, Adaora says he is an “extraordinary human being” and that what makes the show interesting is that they have a different take on everything.
“There is no friction,” she points out.
Udoji’s experience includes a correspondent job with ABC News and CNN where she covered some of the most critical domestic and international stories of the past 15 years. Those stories included the presidential elections, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan; the O.J. Simpson trail, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
She was also part of the CNN team that earned a Peabody Award for its heralded coverage of Hurricane Katrina and was among those who contributed to the Tsunami Disaster coverage in South Asia that won the network a DuPont-Columbia University Award. In addition, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences cited her for her coverage of the war in Afghanistan and she is a Woodrow Wilson National Fellow.
At ABC, Adaora served as a foreign correspondent based in London, filing reports from Europe, the Persian Gulf, the Middle East and Central Asia. She also contributed to an ABC prime-time documentary about death row in 1997, which was recognized with a Cine Eagle Award.
Ddoji earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from the University of Michigan and her law degree from UCLA School of Law. She lives in New York City with her husband, Ron Allen, who is a correspondent for NBC News.
“What we are hoping to do is build an enormous table (discussion),” Adaora says. “We have some brilliant brothers and sisters.”
WNYC Radio and Public Radio International (PRI) launched The TakeAway with John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji. It is designed to expand and enrich the American dialogue on key issues. The show also airs in Boston on WGBH.
To learn more about the show or submit your ideas for a show topic visit www.thetakeaway.org.
VERONICA'S VIEW: Black Men Talking – Meet James B. McCann
Veronica Hendrix
*It seems anomalous when Black men speak. If still waters run deep, so do the feelings of Black men. They are painfully and beautifully human. Too often their voices go unheard. And when their voices are heard, it is a rich and luminous moment, revealing the deepest insight of their experience and faith.
Those were the words from a piece I wrote entitled “Black Men Talking.” I put out the call for men to raise their voice within the confines of my column. Someone did answered the call.
Over the years I have received hundreds of letters from inmates, from rambling streams of consciousness, to poetry and pleas for help in expediting their release. My editor usually handles my correspondence. But this one letter stands out. In fact it speaks out from a place we hear little about.
Meet T-49431, James B. Cann. He’s an inmate at Chuckwalla Valley State Prison in Blyth, California. He writes, “When you invited men to express our views, I did not want to pass up the opportunity.”
James is astutely aware of the alarming and arresting incarceration rates among African American men: 1 out of 15 in California, according to the recently released Pew Center Report.
“We have made our mistakes. We’ve had our share of mishaps . . . And if I may speak boldly for the Black men incarcerated that I have known, most of us have learned this: that we must turn a negative situation into a positive one,” explained James.
He never mentioned what offense landed him in Chuckwalla or how long he has been there. What he did say is that his time in prison has afforded him the opportunity to re-connect with his faith and as a result he has earned an Associates Arts degree in religious education. “The degree has been a tremendous motivator for me to continue my education upon my release,” he wrote. I sense it has been a journey of self-discovery and accomplishment for him, one he is proud of.
“In a few months I will be celebrating my 48th birthday . . . I am drug free, and in better health than I have been in years,” said James adding that as his knowledge about God has increased, he has accepted his rightful position as a son of God.
What do Black men talk about in prison? “We don’t sit back idly without speaking out. We have strong opinions about God, our wives, girl friends, and our children,” James penned. “Many of us talk about music, the arts, movies and politics. We are watching, with interest, the presidential race. We have heated debates . . . but I think most of us are very proud to be able to witness history in the making - even if it is behind bars.”
James said he along with other Black men at Chuckwalla are taking the “bull by the horns” in educating themselves because they don’t want to be warehoused as slaves at the bottom of the ship. The 70% recidivism rate is not daunting to James either. He said he and other inmates believe that the best way to beat the odds is to return to their communities with marketable skills and training by taking advantage of all the resources that have been made available to them.
James wrote that one of the inmates has formed a business class and is currently teaching inmates how to develop a business plan, read the stock market pages and the fundamentals of investing.
“Many of us will come out of here with a better understanding of business, budgeting and finance,” wrote James. “The number one topic discussed among us is how to become self-supportive without turning to a life of crime.”
James has already begun to put some of the business principles he has learned into practice. He writes that he has started a clothes laundering business, which enables him to lessen the financial burden and expense families often incur in providing basic toiletries and snacks when a loved one is behind bars. He even writes that he plans on starting a dry cleaning business when he is released in December of this year.
“We are often overlooked, as if our thoughts and views and feelings are meaningless. We seemed to have become the bye-word . . . out of sight out of mind,” concluded James. “Thank you for the opportunity to express my views as a Black man incarcerated.”
Thank-you James for expressing your views. You are out of sight no more. May your success and self-discovery continue.
Veronica Hendrix is a syndicated journalist and columnist whose work has covered the span of the human continuum - from clinical trials of male contraceptives, to the gang violence. She is the producer of the highly acclaimed half hour talk show called "LA Woman," which airs on L.A. City View Channel 35, and is a Los Angeles Emmy nominated producer. Veronica's career as a journalist has included being a reporter for USA Today and a producer for a radio talk show in Los Angeles, which focused on issues impacting the African American Family. Veronica is a proud native of Southern California where she lives with her two sons.
AUDREY’S SOCIETY WHIRL: FREDERICK DOUGLASS AWARD DINNER
New York Urban League Confers Coveted Frederick Douglass Award on Franklin A. Thomas, Marva Allen and Raymond McGuire at 43rd Annual Awards Dinner
By Audrey J. Bernard, Lifestyles/Society Editor
“I know of no rights of race superior to the rights of humanity.” - Frederick Douglass
*The New York Urban League (NYUL) 43rd annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner, which was inspired by the life and deeds of Frederick Douglass, who was born a slave and escaped to freedom to become a fiery abolitionist and today is regarded as the "Father of the Civil Rights Movement," took place on Tuesday, May 13, at the gorgeous Mandarin Oriental Hotel grand ballroom with its plush, panoramic view of Central Park as a backdrop.
The Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner was initiated in 1965 to acknowledge and honor leaders in the private and public sectors whose contributions to society serve to eliminate racial barriers and promote opportunities for the disadvantaged.
The black tie gala attracted a diverse and prestigious audience of corporate executives, celebrities, community leaders and elected officials in celebration of diversity, equal opportunity and the rights of humanity.
This year’s festivities themed “A Struggle Started. Progress Continues,” began with a cocktail reception followed by dinner and a live auction presided over by ace auctioneer Audrey Smaltz who raised additional funds to benefit NYUL programs.
Noel N. Hankin, chairman of the board, NYUL, and Darwin M. Davis, president & CEO, NYUL, opened and closed the dinner with memorable remarks. “Welcome to the 43rd Annual New York Urban League Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner. During this current period of increasing economic challenges, your support of the awards dinner and the Urban League’s programs and services is ever more critical,” stated Hankin.
“With the difficult economy, high prices for food and gasoline and mounting layoffs, the work of the League is needed now more than ever by thousands of New Yorkers who rely on us for help,” he concluded.
Davis remarked about the evening’s stellar honorees. “This evening we are fortunate to have the opportunity to honor three remarkable individuals who have each made outstanding contributions to our community,” he said.
“Tonight we salute Marva Allen for her dedication to literacy and for cultivating talents within the Harlem community and beyond; Raymond J. McGuire for his contributions in economic development and empowerment, and Franklin Thomas for his steadfast leadership across racial lines,” he added.
During the Frederick Douglass Awards presentation, the 2008 coveted medals were presented to Franklin A. Thomas, consultant, TFF Study Group, by Ellen Kheel Jacobs; Marva Allen, CEO, Hue-Man Bookstore, by Melvin Van Peebles; and Raymond J. McGuire, co-head, global investment banking, institutional clients group, Citigroup, by William M. Lewis, Jr.
At the end of the awards ceremony, Hankin guided guests in a Moet Chandon champagne toast in recognition of the honorees and their tireless work to eliminate racial barriers and promote opportunities for the disadvantaged and the vigilant work of the NYUL.
Another highlight of the evening was NYUL’s salute to the Champions of Diversity Award to 2008 recipients -- Bank of America, Darden Restaurants, FedEx Express and Toyota Motor North America. The award was inspired by the outpouring of corporate and business support or the June 2003 Supreme Court decision upholding the basic tenets of affirmative action.
Shortly following the Supreme Court decision and recognizing the importance of that decision, the New York Urban League resolved to salute corporations that have made a strong commitment to diversity and truly embody the outstanding corporate citizenry, hiring, supplier relations and philanthropic practice that characterize a successful and powerful organization.
Proceeds from the Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner will enable NYUL to focus on education and employment – two areas that are essential to the viability of any community, but especially our great city.
Deborah Roberts and Al Roker served as honorary chairs; Eric V. Eve, executive director, community relations, Citi, and Allan H. (Bud) Selig, commissioner, Major League Baseball, served as co-chairs. Photos by Margot Jordan)
Audrey J. Bernard is an established chronicler of Black society and Urban happenings based in the New York City area.
GLENN'S STRATEGIES FOR WELL-BEING: About sugar
*There's no doubt that Americans are addicted to sugar. We consume an average of 150 lbs. per person per year. For many of us, that means we eat our own weight in sugar every year! So it might be helpful to find out what that means - what sugar really is, what food value it has, and what problems it causes.
The sugar industry is big: $100 billion per year. As with any other billion dollar business, there's bound to be a ton of information that will support such an empire anywhere you look - the media, bookstores, advertising, etc.
Boats like this don't like to be rocked.
On the other side is a group claiming that white sugar is poison, a harmful drug, barely differing from cocaine, etc. Some claims are true; others are unreferenced opinion, often bordering on hysteria. For our purposes, we'll focus on what we really can verify about sugar, and hopefully avoid the errors of disinformation on both sides of the fence.
The first question to be asked is, “What is sugar?”
That's easy - it's that white stuff in the sugar bowl. Refined white cane sugar is only one type, however. There's also brown sugar, raw sugar, fruit sugar, corn sugar, milk sugar, beet sugar, alcohol, monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides. All these are also sugar.
Start with white sugar. It is made by refining sugar cane, a process involving many chemicals. Or from beets, whose refinement also involves synthetic chemicals, and charcoal. The big problem is that the finished product contains none of the nutrients, vitamins, or minerals of the original plant. White sugar is a simple carbohydrate, which means a fractionated, artificial, devitalized by-product of the original plant. The original plant was a complex carbohydrate, which means it contained all the properties of a whole food: vitamins, minerals, enzymes.
Refined sugar from beets and cane is sucrose. Up to the mid 1970s, sucrose was the primary sugar consumed by Americans. That changed when manufacturers discovered a cheaper source of refined sugar: corn. A process was evolved that could change the natural fructose in corn to glucose, and then by adding synthetic chemicals, change the glucose back into an artificial, synthetic type of fructose called high fructose.
High fructose became big real, fast. In 1984, Coke and Pepsi changed from cane sugar to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Today high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is the preferred sweetener in most soft drinks and processed foods. Read the labels.
Remember, natural fructose is contained in most raw fruits and vegetables. It is a natural food. Moderate amounts of natural fructose can be easily digested by the body with no stress or depleting of mineral stores. Natural fructose does not cause rollercoaster blood sugar, unless the person overdoes it. Natural fructose is not addicting.
High fructose corn syrup, by contrast, cannot be well digested, actually inhibits digestion, is addicting, and causes a great number of biochemical errors. HFCS is artificial; a non-food.
White sugar requires enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and insulin from the body in order to act. All enzymes and nutrients have been purposely removed from white sugar by processing. The result is a synthetic manmade carbohydrate, occurring nowhere in nature. The body regards such as a foreign substance as a drug.
Another way to look at it is this: when complex carbohydrates are broken down, the result is a usable glucose molecule. When simple (refined) carbohydrates are allowed to ferment in the digestive tract because they can't be broken down, the results are alcohol, acetic acid, water, and carbon dioxide.
In addition to these by-products, simple carbohydrates do increase blood glucose. And this is the real problem with refined sugar: the quantity of pure glucose suddenly taken in.
So, how much sugar do we really “need”? White sugar, none.
But our modern needs are something created by business, by advertising, and by politics. How many people do you know who drink at least one 12 oz soft drink per day? If the sugar from each bottle could be crystallized out, it would amount to 10 teaspoons. Put 10 teaspoons of sugar in the bottom of an empty coke bottle and look at it. Is that a lot? In a normal bloodstream, which is about 5 liters, approximately 2 teaspoons of glucose should be circulating at any one time. That means that one coke raises the blood sugar to 5 times its normal level, for at least four hours.
Now stop here a minute. This is one soft drink. Do you know anyone who drinks more than one soft drink per day? How about per hour? Do the math.
To that, add the sugar in desserts, ice cream, jams, jello, artificial fruit drinks, and candy. This is not even mentioning hidden sugar found in ketchup, processed meats, baby food, condiments, cereals, and most other processed foods whose label you may chance to read.
And by the way, did you know that alcohol is a sugar? So add wine, beer, liquor. And even tobacco! Getting the picture here? Think you know anyone with only 2 teaspoons of glucose in the blood?
Got Diabetes?
Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.
Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended, nor implied, to be a substitute for professional medical advice.
Glenn Ellis, author of Which Doctor?, is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics.
For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts....take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature." — Marcus Aurelius
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
June 12: Rapper Grandmaster Dee of Whodini is 46. Blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd is 31. Singer Robyn is 29.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Www.RushmoreDrive.com is a new site designed expressly for the purpose of black/urban search.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
June 12, 1963: Medgar W. Evers (37), NAACP field secretary in Mississippi, assassinated in front of his Jackson home by a segregationist. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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