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USHER AND TAMEKA EXPECTING A BABY: Couple confirms another child is on the way.
*A source close to R&B star Usher has confirmed that he and his wife, Tameka Foster, are expecting another baby.
Their second child together will be a little sister or brother to 10-month-old son Usher Raymond V, who was born to the couple three months after their wedding in August 2007. There's no word yet on when the new baby is due.
The news follows reports of Foster dressed in a belly-disguising outfit during Usher's Sept. 4 NFL kick-off concert in New York.
The dress was "very deceiving," a source tells People.com. "You couldn't tell she was pregnant when she was sitting down."
NEW BEYONCE ALBUM DUE IN NOVEMBER: Third solo project described as 'most personal' to date.
*Columbia Records has announced that Beyonce will have a new album in stores on November 18.
The as-yet-untitled release, her third solo album apart from Destiny's Child, is led by two tracks "If I Were A Boy" and "Single Ladies," to be shipped to radio on October 7.
Beyonce co-wrote and co-produced all of the songs on her upcoming album, which Columbia describes as "her "most personal, reflective and revelatory collection to-date."
Meanwhile, Beyonce's younger sister, Solange Knowles, debuted at No. 9 on the chart last week with her second album, "Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams."
OPRAH TO GUEST STAR ON '30 ROCK': Talk show host to appear on NBC sitcom this season.
*Actress Tina Fey has gotten her wish. The star of NBC's "30 Rock," who has said in numerous interviews that her dream guest star would be Oprah Winfrey, will see that dream come true during the upcoming season.
Co-star Alec Baldwin confirmed to "Extra" that Oprah, as well as former "Friends" star Jennifer Aniston, will make guest appearances on the series, which will have its season premiere on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 9:30 p.m.
“Yes, Jennifer Aniston and Oprah. What more do you want?" he said. "We’re only on episode four!”
He remained tight-lipped about the role Oprah would play, but was more forthcoming about Aniston's guest stint.
She plays Tina Fey's pal and "has a reputation of a man-eater," Baldwin said.
"She loves to seduce alpha men," he said, explaining how Aniston's character falls for his character, network executive Jack Donaghy. "Tina warns me about her, and I say, 'Don't worry, I recognize those kinds of women....' Count to three, and she and I are coming out of my bathroom with our clothes off."
COLOR ME BADD FRONT MAN ARRESTED: Bryan Abrams nabbed Friday for public intoxication and domestic abuse.
*Singer Bryan Abrams of the 90s R&B quartet Color Me Badd was arrested Friday for public intoxication and domestic abuse after allegedly punching a woman in the nose and making threats against her, reports the Oklahoma News.
According to a police report, a waiter at the Oklahoma restaurant where the incident happened said he was setting tables when he witnessed Abrams punch the victim in the face and yell “I’m a kill you! You and me!
You and me!”
The victim agreed to press charges against Abrams, who was booked into the Oklahoma County jail and remained there as of press time.
Abrams' rap sheet includes a Sept 2006 arrest for drunken driving, to which he pleaded no contest. He was also arrested on a drunken driving complaint in 2005, for which he received a deferred sentence.
NAOMI CAMPBELL OPENS UP ABOUT INFERTILITY: Model gives more details about her March surgery for "removal of small cyst."
*People magazine is reporting that Naomi Campbell had surgery this spring to address her infertility, a procedure she had previously described as "the removal of a small cyst."
"They thought it was a cyst," she explained, according to Britain's Press Association. "When they opened it up they realized it was more."
Since the surgery, Campbell, 38, said she's now in perfect health and hoping to conceive.
"I was not able to have children up until March," she said. "Now it's in God's hands. I would love to have a family."
DIDDY'S PRIVATE JET NOT ENTIRELY HIS: Fact-checkers scramble after he blames gas prices for having to fly commercial.
*After Sean "Diddy" Combs filmed a video blog complaining about having to give up flights on his private jet because of high fuel prices, the Palm Beach Post decided to do a little investigating.
The newspaper said it reviewed federal records that showed that no plane in this country is registered to a Sean Combs or any of his numerous companies, including clothier Sean John and his music company, Bad Boy Entertainment."
One private aviation source told the paper: “It’s my jet this, my jet that, he’s just pretending. I have list of every plane with the name of the owner, and he’s not on it.”
Turns out, Diddy is a fractional owner of a jet under NetJets. The company's spokeswoman, Maryann Aarseth, did not provide the amount of his share or the tail number of the plane.
Fractional owners, according to NetJets.com, pay for a limited number of flight hours on any company jet. Other celebrity fractional owners include Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Christina Aguilera and Jerry Seinfeld.
Diddy also said on his blog: “As you know, I do own my own jet … and (flying from New York to Los Angeles twice a month) it’s $250,000.” The newspaper's unnamed private aviation expert said Diddy’s math is fuzzy.
Flying back and forth to the Left Coast twice would set him back $100,000, even with the high price of fuel.
“Believe me,” said the spy, “the truly rich aren’t affected by oil when it comes to private planes. Monthly payments on a $20 million-plane and crews, that’s expensive.”
AKON DENIES NEW FAN TOSSING ALLEGATION: Singer releases his own footage from a different angle, suggesting it was an accident.
*Reps for singer Akon have released a video tape they hope will squash reports that he assaulted two female fans while surfing the crowd at an Aug. 30 concert in Guyana, South America.
As previously reported, a videographer captured footage of Akon appearing to knock one woman off of a camera platform in the crowd, then pushing another woman off seconds later.
His rep says that their raw video (seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1sO__98vJI) shows the singer's actions were not intentional.
"The unedited footage shows Akon struggling to find his balance and accidentally knocking into her (one woman)," said Akon's rep. "He did not let her fall and gave her a hug and then they started dancing. You can see her smiling."
A statement from concert promoters Hits and Jams Entertainment reads: "We are shocked to hear that there is a video clip circulating that suggests Akon treated a fan badly during his August 30th performance in Guyana. There were no incident reports stemming from the event. Despite a late start, the concert was a tremendous success and we hope that Akon will come back soon."
The incident came just a year after he was charged by police for allegedly throwing a fan into the crowd during a gig in Fishkill, N.Y.
HAROLD PERRINEAU TO MAKE A 'KILLING': "Lost" actor to play hostage in upcoming indie thriller.
*Former "Lost" star Harold Perrineau is set to join Michael Madsen and Danny Trejo in the forthcoming indie thriller "Killing Jar."
According to Variety, the story revolves around a stranger armed with a shotgun who takes seven patrons at a remote roadside diner hostage. As the body count rises, the survivors discover that one of the hostages may be more dangerous than their captor.
Perrineau plays one of the hostages, a traveling salesman named John.
Production began over the weekend in North Carolina. Mark Young ("Tooth and Nail") is directing from his own script.
Perrineau recently appeared in the one-hour ABC drama "The Unusuals," which was picked up by the network for a midseason start.
50 CENT WINS VISITATION RIGHTS: Family Court gives rapper every other weekend with Marquise until custody trial.
*A family court ruled Monday that 50 Cent can see his son more frequently than originally stipulated in an order of protection taken out by the boy's mother, Shaniqua Tompkins.
Long Island Judge David Freundlich is allowing the rapper to see 11-year-old Marquise every other weekend until an Oct. 22 custody trial in Suffolk County Family Court, according to reports.
His previous visitation called for 50 to see his son for only one week in the summer.
When asked by reporters afterward if the increased visits from his son would change his playboy lifestyle, 50 Cent said absolutely not. "I'm going to hang out with some hoes, make some movies, make some music, and continue to kick it," he answered.
Tompkins' lawyers said his comments are cause for concern. "This is exactly what we are worried about," said attorney Paul Catsandonis. "We don't want Marquise to be in an environment like that."
The longstanding war between the former couple flared up in May, when a fire destroyed a Dix Hills home owned by 50 Cent where Tompkins and Marquise were living. Tompkins blamed the rapper for the blaze, and stood by her accusation yesterday.
Tompkins said he showed interest in seeing Marquise only after she began to publicly criticize his parenting. "His handlers went into damage control," she said.
DWAYNE JOHNSON'S 'TOOTH FAIRY' FILM EXPLAINED: 20th Century Fox says don't let the title fool you.
*More details have emerged regarding Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's role opposite Ashley Judd in 20th Century Fox's upcoming comedy "Tooth Fairy."
Initial trade reports described his character as "a hockey player who's brought in to try to save the tooth fairy kingdom." With Tuesday's announced addition of Julie Andrews to the cast, a fuller description of the storyline was also revealed.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Johnson plays Derek Thompson, a minor-league hockey player whose nickname is the Tooth Fairy because of his ability to knock out opposing players' teeth. Judd plays his girlfriend.
When he discourages a youngster, Derek is ordered to one week's hard labor as a real tooth fairy, complete with wings, magic wand and frilly tutu. Along the way, he rediscovers his forgotten dreams.
Andrews, 72, will play Lily, a high-ranking, acerbic supervisor with the Tooth Fairy Department charged with overseeing Derek's stint as a tooth fairy.
Also on board are "Extras" star Stephen Merchant, who also co-created "The Office," and pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler (MTV's "Life of Ryan"). Merchant plays Tracy, a socially awkward, low-level tooth fairy who has not yet earned his wings but is assigned to be Derek's case worker and trainer. Sheckler plays arrogant young hockey player Mick Donnelly, who makes a pit stop in the minor leagues before heading to the NHL and treats Derek like a has-been.
LL COOL J JOINS JANET JACKSON TOUR: Rapper will hop on board Sept. 25 to support his 13th album, "Exit 13."
*Janet Jackson's North American "Rock Witchu Tour," set to kickoff tonight in Vancouver, will soon include opening act LL Cool J supporting his 13th album, "Exit 13."
The rapper will appear from Sept. 25 through the currently scheduled Oct. 22 finale in Dallas.
An Oct. 16 performance at New York City's Madison Square Garden was recently added to the tour itinerary, which is detailed below.
As previously reported, Jackson is supporting her 10th studio album, "Discipline," which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 in March--her sixth album to do so.
Below is the Rock Witchu Tour itinerary:
September 2008
10 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place
13 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
17 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
19 - Las Vegas, NV - Mandalay Bay Resort 20 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena
25 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
27 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
28 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
29 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
October 2008
1 - Boston, MA - TD Banknorth Garden
2 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center
4 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
5 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
7 - Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center
11 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
15 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
16 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
17 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
21 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
22 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
COP TESTIFIES IN LIL WAYNE GUN CASE: Hearing to determine if officer had probable cause to search tour bus.
*Lil Wayne attended a Manhattan court hearing yesterday on whether a police officer violated his rights by searching his tour bus in November, which turned up a loaded 9mm gun and led to a felony weapons charge.
Officer Diane Hornung testified Monday that she searched the vehicle only after seeing and smelling marijuana coming from the bus as it was parked outside of New York's Beacon Theater, where Lil Wayne had just finished a sold-out concert with Ja Rule.
The officer said she was working crowd control outside the theater when she saw Lil Wayne and about 15 people board the bus around 11:30 p.m., shortly before marijuana smoke began wafting out of the windows. Hornung said she decided to wait until they drove off from the Broadway venue to investigate, so as to avoid a confrontation with fans.
The bus was pulled over 14 blocks away on Columbus Ave. She testified that she first found one of Lil' Wayne associates trying to flush a bag of marijuana down a toilet. Then she spotted the rapper himself sitting on a bed in a back room wearing only boxer shorts and trying to hide a Louis Vuitton bag containing a 9mm gun.
(Lil' Wayne claimed he had a permit for the gun from Florida, but that wouldn't affect the New York charges.)
Despite Hornung’s account, Lil Wayne's lawyer Stacey Richman, got the officer to admit that she didn’t see anyone smoking marijuana when she went on the tour bus. Also, the artist, born Dwayne Carter, was not charged with marijuana possession in the ordeal.
Richman also argued that the entire case should be thrown out because the officer conducted an illegal search by stopping and boarding the bus without probable cause.
Meanwhile, the rap star is also awaiting trial on weapons charges in Arizona after cops there found a .44-caliber pistol in his bus in January.
In other Lil Wayne news, his no-show at the "Fashion Rocks" taping on Friday is now being blamed on his refusal to go through security.
According to Allhiphop.com, the initial explanation from Young Money Entertainment rep Cortez Bryant was that Lil Wayne's appearance was cancelled at the last minute due to a change in the show’s line-up.
However, the New York Post is quoting a "senior production person" for the CBS special who said Tuesday: "When Lil' Wayne showed up to perform in the show - and he showed up on time - he was carrying a bag and refused, point blank, to go through security. Everyone else - including Rihanna, Chris Brown, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake and Kid Rock - went through security, and we couldn't make an exception. He's obviously not a Boy Scout and has a history with drugs and guns.
"But he wouldn't budge and refused to have his bag searched or have a security wand passed over him. Then he started getting abusive: 'I don't need your [bleeping] show - I'm leaving if you make me do this.' So he had to leave, I mean, who knows what was in that bag?
"He got back in the car we'd paid for and drove off. Minutes later, we got frantic calls from his management and record label begging us to have him back. We said, 'OK, we have an opening at 7 p.m.' The next thing you know, Wayne's people are saying, 'Can we do a bit later. He's not going to be ready.'
"We had a crew of 250 people waiting for him . . . Then he calls at, like, 9:30 and says, 'I'm five blocks away,' which is like 500 blocks away in New York traffic, so we just pulled the plug. It was just so disrespectful to the crew and to the 5,000 audience members. Unbelievable."
WHOOPI TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH MUPPETS: 'View' host follows up Broadway's Xanadu with NBC holiday special.
*Fresh from her limited engagement in Broadway's Xanadu, Whoopi Goldberg has signed on to appear in the NBC holiday special "Letters to Santa — A Muppets Christmas."
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film will feature songs by Paul Williams, who penned the score to "The Muppet Movie." Co-stars include Equus' Richard Griffiths as well as Madison Pettis and former "Sopranos" stars Tony Sirico and Steve Schirripa.
Muppet appearances will include Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo and Miss Piggy, among other Muppet friends.
The story "is set on Christmas Eve when Kermit and company mistakenly avert three letters en route to Santa Claus, which triggers a race against time to bring a happy Christmas to the kids whose wishes were lost in the mail."
COURT MULLS CLIP OF BABY DANCING TO PRINCE: Mother battles Universal Music Publishing for right to keep footage online.
*The woman who placed a 30-second clip of her baby dancing to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" on YouTube is still embroiled in a court battle with Universal Music Publishing over copyright infringement.
In February 2007, Stephanie Lenz uploaded the short film of her unnamed son to the video sharing site, only to have it removed four months later after infringement complaints from Universal, which owns rights to publish the song. (View clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KfJHFWlhQ)
Lenz, who said she posted the clip so that friends and family members could see her son, successfully applied to have the video reinstated, triggering a lengthy legal battle in the federal courts in California.
Universal argues that it was entitled to send YouTube a takedown notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, because the use of Prince's material was "not authorized by the copyright owner." But Lenz, backed by digital rights lobby group the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is seeking a judgment that the video is covered by "fair use" provisions in copyright law, as well as unspecified damages.
MIJAC'S 2003 UNDERWEAR ON EBAY: Calvin Klein briefs were evidence in his 2003 child molestation case.
*The New York Post is reporting that a pair of unwashed size-28 Calvin Klein white briefs once belonging to Michael Jackson will be auctioned on eBay today, with a reserve price of $1 million.
The underwear was confiscated by then-Santa Barbara DA Tom Sneddon as evidence in the singer's 2003 child-molestation case. Jackson was acquitted of the charges.
The briefs, which come sealed in an evidence bag and wrapped with police tape, are part of a larger collection of Jackson items offered by New Jersey businessman Henry Vacarro, who gained possession of the artifacts in a bankruptcy case.
Also being sold is Jackson's handwritten note explaining why he wants an annulment from Lisa Marie Presley and a used half-ounce tube of skin-bleaching cream.
J.LO TO JUDGE FINALE OF 'PROJECT RUNWAY'?: Entertainer said to be taping episode Friday during NY's Fashion Week.
*Us Magazine is quoting a source who says Jennifer Lopez will serve as a celebrity judge for the upcoming season finale of Bravo's "Project Runway."
The episode, which usually features the final three contestants showing their designs in a runway show, will be taped on Friday during New York's Fashion Week.
A Bravo rep would neither confirm nor deny Lopez's role on the show.
"Project Runway's" resident judge Nina Garcia also refused to reveal the guest judge's identity, but did say: "The guest star is one of the most iconic women around. It’s going to take the cake."
MORE CELEBS ANNOUNCED FOR 'VH1 HIP HOP HONORS': Big Boi, Ghostface Killah among artists scheduled to attend.
*Lil Jon, Lil' Wayne, Q-Tip, Scarface, Wyclef Jean, Cheech and Chong and Sanaa Lathan are among the newly-announced guests for the Fifth Annual "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" special honoring Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick and Too $hort.
The network's annual tribute to hip-hop pioneers will also feature Big Boi, Biz Markie, Bun B, DJ Kaos, Ghostface Killah, Kid Rock and MC Lyte.
Comedian/Actor Tracy Morgan returns as host of the annual event, which will be broadcast on Monday, Oct. 6. The music and influence of each of the honorees will be recognized through performances in collaboration with some of today's hottest talent.
Additionally, on Tuesday, Sept. 16, VH1.com will launch its "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" Web site with honoree profiles, exclusive online programming, show information and more at HipHop.VH1.com.
OBAMA BITS: Streisand fundraiser; Bill T. Jones' advice; Student GOP leader's racism.
*Barbra Streisand will perform at a $2,500-per-person reception and concert fund-raiser for Barack Obama on Sept. 16 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The one-time Hillary Clinton supporter announced that she would back Obama when he secured the nomination in June. Some 700 people are expected to attend the event hosted by DreamWorks partners Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, as well as political consultant Andy Spahn. Earlier in the evening, Obama will attend a $28,500-per-person dinner event at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills for an expected 250 people.
*"Spring Awakening" choreographer Bill T. Jones wants everyone to see his new musical "Fela!" about the life of late Nigerian Afrobeat artist and human rights activist Fela Kuti – everyone except a certain Democrat running for president. "It's too dangerous," he tells The New York Daily News, noting Fela once made a movie called "Black President." Given Fela's fondness for pot and sex (he married 27 women in one ceremony), Jones says: "People would ask, ‘Is this what a black president is like?' Right now, Obama has to convince voters there's nothing to be scared of."
*Adam LaDuca, 21, the former executive director of the Pennsylvania Federation of College Republicans, was forced to resign after posting racially insensitive comments about Obama on his Facebook page. In a passage posted late July, he wrote that Obama has "a pair of lips so large he could float half of Cuba to the shores of Miami (and probably would.)." LaDuca, who previously had called Martin Luther King Jr. a "pariah" and a "fraud," also wrote: "And man, if sayin' someone has large lips is a racial slur, then we're ALL in trouble." LaDuca said Monday that he regrets posting the comments. "In hindsight, when you read it a second time, it's like, 'oops,'" he said. "It was just a dumb move on my part to make a statement like that public." He said he is not a racist and that he admires prominent blacks such as economist and author Thomas Sowell and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He compared the comment about Obama to jokes about Republican presidential nominee John McCain's thinning hair or President Bush's large ears.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Carey/Medina rumors; vintage Hendrix album; Carl Weathers divorce; Atlanta Mayor's ex-husband dies; Ashford & Simpson live; NAMIC lauds Hunter-Gault.
*The New York Post's Page Six is reporting that Mariah Carey fired her manager Benny Medina Friday "over rumors that he was courting his former client, and her nemesis, Jennifer Lopez, again." But Medina told the column: "I just had lunch with Mariah today. We're restructuring her company and streamlining it. That's all." Page Six commented: "If he ends up streamlining himself out of a job, Carey would be his third major loss this year - Tyra Banks and Usher both recently left him."
*Jimi Hendrix's incendiary 1970 concert album, "Band Of Gypsys," will be issued Sept. 30 on fiery red 180-gram vinyl from Capitol/EMI's high quality "From The Capitol Vaults" U.S. vinyl. All "From The Capitol Vaults" titles feature carefully replicated artwork and packaging true to their original single or gatefold jacket LP releases. More "From The Capitol Vaults" titles will soon be announced.
*Actor Carl Weathers, best known for his role as Apollo Creed in "Rocky," is divorcing his third wife after just 17 months of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. According to divorce papers filed Thursday in L.A. County Superior Court, Weathers is asking a judge to make his soon-to-be ex, Jennifer Peterson, pay for his legal costs, reports TMZ.com.
*David McCoy Franklin, ex-husband of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and a key adviser to former Mayor Maynard Jackson, died Sunday at the age of 65. Longtime friend Tom Houck, an Atlanta political consultant, said Franklin had suffered several strokes in recent months. A native Atlantan, Franklin joined Jackson’s law firm in 1972 after returning home from Washington. D.C., where he had attended American University law school. It was there he met Atlanta’s current mayor. Before entering politics, Franklin represented a celebrity clientele including Richard Pryor, Miles Davis and Peabo Bryson. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Sept. 11 at Radcliffe Presbyterian Church on Hamilton E. Holmes Drive in Atlanta. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Morehouse College Scholarship Fund in honor of David Franklin.
Franklin is survived by three children, Kai, Kali and Cabral Franklin, all of Atlanta; two sisters; and three grandchildren.
*New York's Feinstein's At Loews Regency opens their 10th Anniversary season with the return of Ashford & Simpson. Their engagement began Tuesday and will run through Sept. 20. In addition to performing many of their greatest hits – including “I’m Every Woman,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Solid” and “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand” – they will also include several new songs from "Invisible Life," their upcoming musical based on the best-selling novel by E. Lynn Harris. All shows are at the Regency Hotel (540 Park Avenue at 61st St.). For ticket reservations and club information, please call (212) 339-4095 or visit www.feinsteinsatloewsregency.com and www.TicketWeb.com.
*The National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) will present award-winning journalist and author, Charlayne Hunter-Gault with the 2008 Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award on Sept. 16 during its annual conference. The honor was established in 1992 in memory of the late Texas Congressman and his advocacy of social justice and equality for people around the world. Scheduled for Sept. 14-16, the 22nd Annual NAMIC Conference will be held in Manhattan at the New York Marriott Marquis. For more information or to register, visit www.namic.com
RICE CALLS LACK OF BLACK DIPLOMATS 'UNACCEPTABLE': Secretary of State speaks out during gathering of black colleges.
*Agence France-Presse is reporting that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday it was "unacceptable" that there were so few black people like herself in the US diplomatic corps.
"I want to see a Foreign Service that looks as if black Americans are part of this great country," Rice told a gathering of black colleges and universities in Washington.
"I have lamented that I can go into a meeting at the Department of State," said Rice, the second black person to become secretary of state after her predecessor Colin Powell.
"And, as a matter of fact, I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me, and that's just not acceptable," she added.
She said she has been working with black Congressman Charles Rangel to target students at schools with large numbers of blacks, according to a State Department transcript of her speech.
"I've been working hard to double the number of Rangel Fellows... to interest them in foreign affairs when they are young, to give them the training and support to learn languages and to learn about the world, and then to go out into that world to be a part of the great global debate, challenge and difficulty, too, that we face in the international system,"
she said.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Postal
Raunchy Political Satire Directed by Uwe Boll comes to DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*I suppose since almost seven years have passed since 9/11, America might finally be ready to laugh at the tragedy.
If so, submitted for your approval is Postal, a politically-incorrect social satire based on the farfetched notion that President Bush might have been in bed with Osama bin Laden, at least figuratively.
This suggestion has been the subject of widespread speculation on the internet among paranoid conspiracy theorists.
So, they wouldn't be surprised to see Bush and bin Laden holding hands and skipping off into the sunset as an ominous mushroom cloud forms on the horizon just as the curtain comes down on this relentlessly raunchy, expletive-laced adventure.
Written and directed by Uwe Boll, Postal opens aboard a commercial airliner about to hit the World Trade Center. At the point of departure, we find two hijackers (Paulino Nunes and Merik Tadros) piloting the plane but having second thoughts about following through with the plan.
However, this change of heart comes too late to inform the passengers who are rushing the cockpit at that moment and cause the jet to hit one of the towers. Director Boll's sick sense of humor even shows a close-up on the frightened face of a window washer right before impact as he dangles from the buildings roof.
What ensues is likely to amuse you, if and only if, you're inclined to contemplate the lighter side of radical Islam and the War on Terror. Brace yourself for the Taliban TV Network, trigger-happy cops killing innocent civilians, Bush conspiring with Muslim extremists to sabotage a pipeline to increase the price of oil, and the sight of a female suicide bomber blowing herself to smithereens at a convenience store.
Tasteless, profane and farfetched, but undeniably funny, too!
Very Good (3 stars)
Rated R for crude humor, drug use, explicit sexuality, graphic nudity, violence, ethnic slurs and pervasive profanity.
Running time: 102 minutes
Studi Vivendi Entertainment
DVD Extras: Director's commentary, "Raging Boll" during which the director boxes several film critics, "The Making of" and "Verne Troyer Clip" featurettes, plus a theatrical trailer.
To see a trailer for Postal, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KvR0Wkbs6k
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow" — Robert Kiyosaki
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Sept. 10: Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers is 68. Rapper Big Daddy Kane is 40.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Not just a bridal showcase, but www.BlackBridalGuide.com is a community where brides can chat with other brides about their pre and post-wedding experiences.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Sept. 10, 1956: Louisville, Ky., public schools integrated. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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