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CHRIS ROCK QUESTIONS B. CLINTON'S OBAMA LOVE: Comic pokes fun of former president's lukewarm praise of Dem. nominee.
*Former President Bill Clinton has been making the TV rounds this week to promote his Clinton Global Initiative charity organization, and folks are noticing that he's spent little time trying to plug his party's candidate for president, Barack Obama.
During Monday's visit to "The View," Clinton had very nice things to say about Republican candidate Sen. John McCain, even praising his help in improving relations with Vietnam during the Clinton administration. But, glowing support for Obama was not as forthcoming.
Huffington Post blogger Jason Linkins put it this way: "If you happened to catch 'The View,' you likely marveled at Bill Clinton's ability to call the 2008 election for Barack Obama without actually suggesting that Obama, as a candidate, had any particular quality that would enable the win, which would instead come about through a confluence of happy electoral accidents."
It appeared to be more of the same during Clinton's chat with David Letterman Monday night, as the former president twice referenced his wife Hillary as someone who took an early stand against the mortgage crisis that led to Wall Street's current collapse. He never once mentioned that Obama was speaking out early and often against subprime mortgages as well.
For Obama supporter Chris Rock, also a guest on "The Late Show With David Letterman" Monday night, it was the last straw.
"Is it me or he didn't want to say the name Barack Obama?" Rock said to laughter by both Letterman and the audience. "Hillary ain't runnin! …I love Hillary, but she lost! She got a lot of votes, she did. The Patriots got a lot of points, too, but they lost to the Giants!"
KANYE BRINGS PILOT TO COMEDY CENTRAL: Rapper's TV project produced by Jimmy Kimmel's company.
*Kanye West and Comedy Central have teamed for a new half-hour pilot that mixes music and puppets.
Tentatively titled "Alligator Boots," the project has been described as hip-hop meets the Muppets, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The show will feature music produced and performed by West and fellow rapper Rhymefest, both of whom are serving as executive producers on the project targeted for a 2009 debut.
West also serves as host of the pilot, but the idea is to have a different celebrity guest host for every episode, similar to the setup on the original "Muppet Show."
"Alligator Boots" is from Jackhole Prods., the production company founded by Jimmy Kimmel, Daniel Kellison and Adam Carolla that also was behind Comedy Central's puppet-centric "Crank Yankers."
TYLER PERRY DONATES FOOD IN ATLANTA: Mogul spent early Tuesday pitching in at Hosea center.
*Tyler Perry is fighting back against the bad news on Wall Street by helping some needy citizens on Main Street. The director of "The Family That Preys" spent part of Tuesday morning at Hosea Feed the Hungry and the Homeless care center in Atlanta.
The 39-year-old stood side-by-side with volunteers to hand out food to those in need, reports the Associated Press. Perry said he felt compelled to help out after hearing about the center's efforts on the news.
"I had to do something," he told the AP.
Perry, who was homeless for a time in his New Orleans hometown, donated enough food to feed 1,000 families for the next two weeks.
"I've been out on the street, I know what it's about," said Perry. "I couldn't imagine doing that with children looking at me for food."
ISAAC HAYES ESTATE SETTLED: Portions to go toward his foundation and family members.
*The estate of famed singer-musician Isaac Hayes will be divided among his widow Adjowa, his children and the Isaac Hayes Foundation, which promotes literacy, music and nutrition.
According to the Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Hayes' will was filed last week in Probate Court, but the value and contents of the estate has not been filed.
Hayes, 65, was discovered by his wife, son and his wife's cousin who returned home from buying groceries to find him on the floor of a downstairs bedroom on Aug. 10. After being taken to hospital, Hayes was pronounced dead.
Part of Hayes' humanitarian work included building a school in Ghana.
DMX BROUGHT TO EMERGENCY ROOM: Rapper went to Fla. hospital for 'fear of a stroke.'
*TMZ.com reported that rapper DMX was admitted to a hospital in Florida Tuesday for "fear of a stroke."
The hip-hop star, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was reportedly taken to the emergency room at a hospital in Aventura, Florida.
He was due to remain in doctors' care through his scheduled court appearance on Tuesday in Arizona - where he was set to face theft charges.
According to TMZ, his attorney has drafted a letter to the judge on the case, detailing the rapper's condition.
The rapper also faces several animal cruelty and drug possession counts in the state.
EBONY-JET BRANDED PRODUCTS NOW ON SALE: Recent 'Obama Cool' cover on t-shirts; classic issues available; bibs, etc. at new Web site.
*Two publications considered staples in the African-American community for decades now have a line of apparel and accessory merchandise named in their honor.
Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. (JPC), publishers of Ebony and Jet magazines, recently announced the official launch of branded products through Ebony-Jet Licensing. The products, available online, range from apparel for all sizes to home and office furnishings such as coffee mugs and wall clocks. “Jet Beauty of the Week,” named for the popular weekly swimsuit centerfold feature, appears on T-shirts, mouse pads, jogging suits and several other items.
“The African-American community has been extremely loyal and supportive of our brands for many years,” said Linda Johnson Rice, president and CEO of JPC. “This product line further establishes the quality of the Ebony and Jet brands while introducing new generations to our legacy.”
To commemorate the historic presidential election, a special line of Ebony and Jet Barack Obama products were created. Framed artwork of classic Ebony covers is also available.
For more information about Ebony and Jet branded products, visit
http://www.cafepress.com/ebonyjetshop or http://www.ebonyjet.com/shopjpc/
'GREY'S' SHONDA RHIMES ON NEW SEASON: Writer/creator says strike helped her to see characters like never before.
*"Grey's Anatomy" writer-creator Shonda Rhimes says the recent Hollywood writer's strike that halted TV production for months ended up being the best thing for her creativity.
"It was the first time in four-and-a-half years I wasn't working nonstop. It was a chance to sleep and clear my brain," she told the Associated Press. "I know what happens next for these characters in a way I hadn't known before."
At the end of last season, Meredith Grey and her love, Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd, had a romantic candlelit reunion on the patch of land where their new house is to be built. But is this too good to be true?
"We ended last season with the end of the fairy tale," Rhimes told the Associated Press. "I always thought this season was about what happens after the 'happily ever after,' for all our characters."
An on-air promotion for Thursday's two-hour season debut included a brief scene in which Derek is confronted by nurse Rose (Lauren Stamile).
"I wish there were a good way to say this: I'm carrying your child," Rose tells Derek. However, in an ABC podcast in May, Rhimes said Rose isn't pregnant, and was later quoted as saying she wouldn't deceive "Grey's"
loyalists.
Rhimes refuses to settle the confusion, but says she is excited about the various plot twists on deck for season five.
"We've settled in from all the attention paid and all the hoopla. We feel like we're back to where we were in seasons one and two, in the sense that the writers feel a little bit fearless," Rhimes said. "We know our characters so well at this point that now is the time to take chances."
WE REMEMBER NANCY HICKS MAYNARD: Journalism trailblazer dies at age 61.
*Nancy Hicks Maynard, the first black female reporter at The New York Times and, with her husband, became publisher of the Oakland Tribune, has died at age 61.
Maynard died Sunday, said the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, the renowned institute that trains minority journalists and founded by the Maynards. She had been ill for several months.
"She was a fearless, astute champion of diversity in news media," A. Steve Montiel, a former president of the institute, said in a statement posted on the site. "We've lost a leader who made a difference."
The former Nancy Hicks began her journalism career in the mid-1960s at the New York Post. Later, at age 23, she became the first black female reporter at The New York Times.
After marrying Washington Post reporter Robert C. Maynard in 1975, the couple helped found the non-profit institute that bears their name to train minority journalists. As president of the institute, she made it "a leader in training, not only for reporters, but also for editors — the decision makers on who gets hired and how news events are covered," said Frank O. Sotomayor, associate director of the University of Southern California's Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism.
"She shared with her late husband, Bob, the vision and goal of giving readers and other media consumers a more complete view of what was occurring in all communities," he said.
In 1983, the couple purchased the financially struggling Oakland Tribune from Gannett Co. They sold it in 1992 as Robert Maynard was struggling with prostate cancer. He died the following year. The paper remains the only major metropolitan daily to have ever been black-owned.
Survivors include her partner Jay T. Harris; sons David and Alex; and daughter Dori.
'IDOL'S' RANDY SAYS CONTROL YOUR DIABETES: Musician joins new initiative from American Heart Association.
*"American Idol" judge Randy Jackson is again teaming up with the American Heart Association to encourage people with type 2 diabetes to enroll in The Heart of Diabetes campaign.
The effort provides educational information and tools for people with type 2 diabetes to better manage their disease. Only 7.3 percent of those who have the disease achieve blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol treatment goals.
As one who has lived with type 2 diabetes for years, Jackson will travel throughout the U.S. to urge the more than 21 million adults with diabetes to work with their healthcare providers, develop a comprehensive plan to achieve their treatment goals and ultimately improve their management of type 2 diabetes.
"I know first hand the impact this difficult disease can have on someone's life," Jackson said. "That's why I'm encouraging folks to log onto IKnowDiabetes.org and enroll in The Heart of Diabetes program. When they enroll, they will learn more about how I personally manage type 2 diabetes and get some great educational information and tools to help them manage their disease more successfully."
FLAV, FAT JOE, LATIFAH ADDED TO 'HIP HOP HONORS': VH1's annual tribute also changes airdate.
*VH1 has added more than a dozen artists to its talent roster for the Fifth Annual Hip Hop Honors, including Flavor Flav, Fat Joe and Queen Latifah, the network announced yesterday.
The network has also changed the show's airdate from Tuesday, Oct. 7, to Monday, Oct. 6 at 10 p.m.
Actor Tracy Morgan returns as host of the annual affair saluting hip-hop luminaries who broke new ground and pioneered the genre into a true cultural phenomenon. This year's honorees include Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Naughty by Nature, Slick Rick and Too $hort.
Other new additions to the lineup announced Tuesday are: Busta Rhymes, Cee-Lo, Chuck D, Estelle, EPMD, Gym Class Heroes, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, Luke Campbell, Mack 10, Michael Rapaport and The Roots.
They join previously-booked guests Big Boi, Biz Markie, Bun B, DJ Kaos, Ghostface Killah, Kid Rock, MC Lyte, Lil' Jon, Q-Tip, Scarface, Wyclef Jean, and Sanaa Lathan.
"VH1 Hip Hop Honors" tapes at New York City's famed Hammerstein Ballroom on Thursday, Oct. 2. Additional performances and appearances will continue to be announced.
GEORGIA MUSIC HALL GRABS LUDACRIS: Keith Sweat also among inductees honored over the weekend.
*Atlanta-based entertainers Chris "Ludacris" Bridges and Keith Sweat were among the seven artists who were inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Saturday.
“And just think 10 years ago I was trying to put pizzas through the oven at Pizza Hut to make sure I didn’t get fired,” Luda told the audience gathered at the Georgia World Congress Center. “Now the only way I’ll get fired is if I fire myself, so that’s a beautiful thing right now for sure.”
Ludacris, whose new album "Theater of the Mind" is due Nov. 11, is the Georgia Music Hall of Fame's first rapper to be inducted. He was introduced by Atlanta's Mayor Shirley Franklin.
The artist did not perform, but Keith Sweat sang a few of his numbers to mark the celebration of his 23 years in the music industry.
The evening’s other inductees were Widespread Panic, Dottie Rambo, Hamp Swain and Fred and Dinah Gretsch.
O.J. WITNESS SAYS MEMORY IS FOGGY: Charles Ehrlich's admits fuzzy memory of hotel incident since suffering two heart attacks.
*A witness who admitted skirting a potential life sentence by testifying against O.J. Simpson conceded Tuesday that his memory of the hotel room confrontation at the center of the case hasn't been the same since he suffered two heart attacks.
Charles Ehrlich, Simpson's longtime friend and former co-defendant, frequently answered "I don't recall" during a tough cross-examination by Simpson's lawyer Yale Galanter, reports the Associated Press.
Ehrlich said he and O.J. were so tight that they spent holidays together for the past six or seven years and went on numerous trips together with their families. The last one was to Las Vegas in September 2007 when they and four other men were arrested after allegedly robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint.
For nearly a year, Ehrlich stood by Simpson as a co-defendant, facing 12 charges that included kidnapping, armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and coercion. In August he became the fourth co-defendant to plead guilty to reduced charges and agree to testify against Simpson. The only co-defendant remaining is Clarence "C.J." Stewart, who like Simpson has pleaded not guilty.
Ehrlich gave damaging testimony against Simpson on Monday, contradicting Simpson's claim that he never saw a gun in the hotel room. Galanter attacked Ehrlich's credibility Tuesday, repeatedly asking for specifics. Who was standing where, he wanted to know, and who told him what was going to happen?
"I can't remember that," Ehrlich said. "I can't recall. I can't remember that particular conversation."
SPORTS BITS: Abdur-Rahim retires; Wizards coach extends contract; Gary Sheffield suspended.
*Sacramento Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced his retirement Monday, ending a 12-year NBA career that included winning an Olympic gold medal. The 31-year-old has been battling problems in his right knee, which forced him to miss almost all of last season. He was drafted third overall by the Vancouver Grizzlies out of California in 1996 and a member of the US Olympic Team that brought home the gold medal in 2000 in Sydney, Australia. He was an All-Star selection in 2002 with the Atlanta Hawks, for whom he played for 2 1/2 seasons before being dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers.
*The Washington Wizards have extended the contract of head coach Eddie Jordan, keeping him with the team through the 2009-10 season, the team said on Monday. Jordan has a record of 196-214 in five seasons in Washington and is the NBA's third-longest tenured head coach behind Utah's Jerry Sloan and San Antonio's Gregg Popovich. He has led the team to the playoffs in each of the last four seasons.
*Cleveland Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona was suspended for six games and Detroit Tigers slugger Gary Sheffield for four for their roles in a bench-clearing brawl, Major League Baseball said on Monday. The fight occurred during the seventh inning of the Indians' 6-5 victory in Cleveland on Friday. Carmona first hit Sheffield with a pitch and the Detroit designated hitter glared at the pitcher while he walked to first. Following a pick-off attempt by Carmona, Sheffield charged the mound, triggering the brawl.
NM GOP LEADER SAYS 'HISPANICS ABOVE BLACKS': Fernando C' de Baca claims his comments were taken out of context.
*A Republican Party leader in New Mexico has caused members of his own party to call for his resignation after suggesting in an interview that Hispanics will never vote for a black presidential candidate.
Fernando C. de Baca, the chairman of Bernalillo County Republicans, was quoted by BBC reporter Jon Kelly on Friday as saying that even though the polls show Barack Obama with a substantial lead over John McCain among Hispanic voters, "The truth is that Hispanics came here as conquerors. African-Americans came here as slaves. ... Hispanics consider themselves above blacks. They won't vote for a black president."
The Hispanic community is expressing anger over the remarks. Ralph Arellanes of the Hispanic Roundtable of New Mexico told CNN, "I'm insulted and I'm outraged." The chairman of the New Mexico Republican Party, Allen Weh, told KOAT News in Albuquerque that "the comments were inappropriate, they were offensive to a lot of people" and stated that de Baca needs to step down for the good of the party.
The Obama campaign issued a statement by the speaker of the New Mexico House, Democrat Ben Lujan, saying, "I am outraged. ... It is an insult to the Hispanic community and to all of the voters of New Mexico."
C. de Baca told KKOB radio reporter and blogger Peter St. Cyr that Kelly took his comments “totally out of their historical context.”
“The point I was trying to make was that there is a generational difference between those folks who were born before the civil rights and those born in more recent periods,” C. de Baca told St. Cyr, adding, “In my humble opinion, the older set of Hispanics would probably not vote for a black for president, but that the younger ones would flock to vote for (Obama), conceivably.”
C. de Baca also told St. Cyr that his comments came in response to a question from Kelly, who he said asked him “to help him understand the history of New Mexico, vis-à-vis Hispanics, and how they interacted with the Native Americans and blacks, you know, African-Americans.”
Kelly denies C. de Baca's explanation, telling the New Mexico Independent: “He raised the subject, not me.”
EUR DVD REVIEW: Passing Poston
Japanese Internment during WWII Revisited by DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*The decree uprooted 120,000 individuals who were summarily shipped them with little more than the clothes on their backs to ten different locations scattered across remote regions around the country.
This picture focuses on what transpired at Camp Poston, Arizona, a dusty desert area surrounded by barbed wire where about 17,000 Japanese had to live in barracks and eat in a mess hall for the duration of World War II.
To add insult to injury, they were forced to perform slave labor, building homes, schools, roads and the basic infrastructure for a town they would never be allowed to enjoy themselves.
Furthermore, upon return to the West Coast in 1945, many families found their own homes either trashed or occupied by strangers. Understandably, children who witnessed such mistreatment at the hands of their own country during their formative years might never fully recover from the trauma.
That is the message convincingly conveyed by Passing Poston, a poignant documentary about a shameful chapter in American history. The film relies primarily on the reminiscences of four senior citizens still haunted by the experience 60 years later after the fact: Ruth Okimoto, Leon Uyeda, Kiyo Sato and Mary Higashi.
Who would think that full-fledged citizens, born in the States, could have lost their homes and businesses, never to recover financially or even own another house? Finally, in 1988, the U.S. made a belated gesture acknowledging its exploitation by paying $20,000 apiece in reparations to the 62,000 camp victims still surviving. “For the first time in 46 years, I was proud of America,” one beneficiary wistfully admits.
But no amount of money could really ever compensate her for the utter humiliation.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 105 minutes
Studi Docurama
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, theatrical trailer; filmmaker biography and “The Making of” featurette.
To see a trailer for Passing Poston, visit: http://www.passingposton.com/trailer.php
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It's the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and the scorching sun."
— Napoleon Hill
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Sept. 24: Singer Cedric Dent of Take 6 is 45.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Soulful Detroit is just that ... a site dedicated to old school Detroit soul artists, labels and more. Check it out at www.SoulfulDetroit.com.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Sept. 24, 1935: Boxer Joe Louis becomes the first black boxer to draw a million dollar gate. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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