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10-10-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
SEN. OBAMA BUYS 30 MINUTES ON CBS, NBC: Democratic candidate to try and close the deal Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m.
*Barack Obama has purchased a half-hour of primetime television on CBS and NBC to air at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29, less than a week before the general election and one night before the start of November sweeps, the Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Sources say the Obama camp also talked to Fox, but the network might not be able to accommodate the campaign as the time period might conflict with a potential Game 6 of the World Series.
The price tag is said to be in the "tens of millions of dollars," according to NBC News.
"This is another indication, if there needs to be any more, that Barack Obama's got more money than [available] television time to buy," said Evan Tracey, COO of the Campaign Media Analysis Group in Arlington, Va.
The networks are obligated to offer the similar time and the same price to Republican candidate John McCain but his campaign may not be able to afford it. He's already had to pull ads from battleground state Michigan after Obama moved way ahead in the polls.
Unlike Obama, who rejected public financing of the presidential campaign, McCain is accepting it. That means the McCain camp is limited in the amount of money that it can spend and raise.
Obama's ad buy will push CBS comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine" to 8:30 p.m. and pre-empt "Gary Unmarried." NBC typically airs the hourlong "Knight Rider" in the slot, and will likely throw in a comedy repeat at 8:30 p.m.
Ross Perot did a similar 30-minute purchase in 1992 during his presidential campaign. Earlier this year, the Hillary Clinton campaign bought time on the Hallmark Channel, a nearly fully distributed cable channel, for a town-hall meeting before Super Tuesday.
LIL' KIM SUED BY RECORD LABEL: Brookland Media says rapper committed breach-of-contract
*A $2.5 million breach-of-contract lawsuit has been filed against Lil Kim by Brookland Media over claims that the rapper failed to deliver tracks as required by their contract.
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Manhattan's state Supreme Court, says Brookland paid Atlantic Records $200,000 to get her out of her previous contract, spent $240,000 to produce eight songs and shelled out $12,000 per month in rent for a home near Kim's Alpine, N.J., home.
The filing says she had recorded only a few tracks toward a new album by the beginning of September before trying to alter the contract and refusing to continue recording unless Brookland agreed to her changes..
Brookland wants the court to declare the contract valid and bar Lil'Kim from recording for another company. Lil' Kim's lawyer, Londell McMillan, says Brookland sued "to leverage their own position" in the contract dispute.
"We think they're wonderful people and we expect to do business with them," Kim's attorney Londell McMillan told the New York Daily News. "But they did not honor the terms of the agreement."
NEW DIDDY VLOG TACKLES 'THAT ONE': John McCain's description of Barack Obama during debate has mogul furious.
*Diddy takes on Sen. John McCain in his latest vlog entry for referring to Sen. Barack Obama as "that one" during their presidential debate Tuesday in Nashville.
In the video, titled "John McCain Scares Me Even More than Sarah Palin," Diddy shows the clip of McCain making the dismissive comment, rewinds it several times in disbelief, then cries out, "This is 2008, not 1962!"
Next, Diddy picks up the camera for a walk-and-talk, stating, McCain "referred to a grown man as 'that one.' A man that has worked hard, that has done the impossible, has fought for every amount of respect that he should deserve. Whether you agree with somebody or not, you are trying to be the President of the United States and you're referring to another man as 'that one?'"
Diddy goes on to say, "We'll see you Nov. 4 at the polls." The video fades to black with the message, "Vote for 'That One' on Nov. 4."
MLK FILM AMONG 8 ON OSCAR SHORTLIST: Plus, civil rights leader's love letters to Coretta are due in court.
*The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday announced that a film about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is among eight that made a shortlist of titles up for a documentary short Oscar.
"The Witness From the Balcony of Room 306," by Adam Pertofsky, is an account of the King assassination as witnessed by Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles.
The film was among 31 overall submissions for the best documentary short subject category. Documentaries about Cesar Chavez's grape boycott, gay men in China and historian David McCullough also made the shortlist of eight, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Three to five of them will be named when nominees in all the categories are announced on Jan. 22.
In other MLK news, the civil rights icon's youngest daughter, Rev.
Bernice King, has been ordered by an Atlanta judge to bring intimate correspondence between her father and late mother, Coretta Scott King, to a Fulton County courtroom Tuesday for a hearing to determine the letters’
fate, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
At stake, among other things, is a $1.4 million publishing contract for the autobiography of Mrs. King.
Bernice King, also the administrator of her mother’s estate, has refused to hand over letters and photos for an autobiography she says her mother didn’t want. That pits her against brother Dexter King, who is head of the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr. Inc., or King Inc., the corporation that handles the rights to their father’s works. In May, he signed the contract with Penguin Group, clearing the way for the autobiography of Mrs.
King.
Attorneys for King Inc. have asked a Fulton County Superior Court judge for a temporary restraining order forcing Bernice King to relinquish control of her mother’s papers. They cite a 1995 contract signed by Mrs.
King and all the King children giving the corporation the rights to any work that exploits relationships with Martin Luther King Jr., including “autobiographies relating to the life of any of the heirs.”
MARILYN MANSON CALLS NE-YO'S BLUFF: Pair to collaborate after producer boasts in interview he could write a song for rocker.
*R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo and goth rocker Marilyn Manson may be teaming up to record a duet in the near future.
Ne-Yo bragged in a media interview that his talent is so far reaching that he could even write a song for Marilyn Manson. The rocker's people saw the interview and called Ne-Yo to put him to the test.
"It's going to be interesting," Ne-Yo told E! Online this week at the L.A. premiere of The Secret Life of Bees. "I have no idea what we're going to do, what it's going to sound like. Just Ne-Yo and Marilyn Manson in the same room—we're going to figure something out."
Also at the "Bees" premiere were Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Sanaa Latham, Nate Parker, Tristan Wilds and Eva Pigford.
PACMAN JONES FLIRTS WITH TROUBLE AGAIN: Cowboys corner involved in fight with one of his bodyguards.
*Adam "Pacman" Jones is flirting with trouble again after he reportedly got caught up in a fight with one of his bodyguards the night before attending a previously-scheduled team meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
According to the Associated Press, no arrests were made and no one will be charged in connection with the fight late Tuesday night in the bathroom of The Joule, an upscale hotel in downtown Dallas. Local news station KTXA claims a mirror was broken in the fracas and Pacman left without paying his hotel bill.
Jones missed all of last season for the Tennessee Titans while serving an NFL suspension for various off-field incidents. Goodell fully reinstated the cornerback, acquired by Dallas in a trade in April, just before the season opener.
Before meeting with the Cowboys on Wednesday, Goodell said to reporters in San Antoni "Adam knows how much emphasis I put on making sure that he makes good choices going forward, that he avoids situations where he can reflect poorly on himself, the Cowboys or the NFL. So far he seems to have been able to do that very effectively.
"I am supportive of him and am hopeful that he will be able to do that for the rest of his life. I am hoping he will not only be a great NFL player but he will continue to do the right things so he can lead a productive life off the field as well."
MAN CHARGED WITH MURDER OF DARRENT WILLIAMS: Willie D. Clark faces 39 counts in fatal drive-by shooting.
*Police have charged a suspect in the drive-by shooting death of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams, who was gunned down on New Year's Day 2007.
Willie D. Clark, 25, was indicted Wednesday on 39 counts, including first degree murder, attempted murder, assault, crimes of violence and a weapons violation, Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey told the Associated Press.
Clark is in federal custody in a separate case. He was long considered a "person of interest" in Williams' slaying but is the first suspect to be indicted.
Williams a former Oklahoma State standout, was shot and killed while riding in a rented limousine early on Jan. 1, 2007, after leaving the Safari Club, a Denver nightspot. He was 24.
The indictment said Williams and Clark were at the club with separate groups of friends when an altercation flared between the two groups. Quoting witnesses, it said Clark got into an SUV, followed the rented limo carrying Williams and opened fire.
At least 15 shots were fired into the limo. Williams was shot in the neck, and two other passengers, Nicole Reindl and Brandon Flowers, were wounded, the indictment said.
FOREST WHITAKER STUMPS FOR OBAMA IN MI: Actor spoke in Lansing and has Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and other cities on horizon.
*Oscar winner Forest Whitaker has been on the campaign trail in the battleground state of Michigan to drum up support for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
The actor spoke to African American labor, religious, business and grass roots community leaders on the importance of moving from working on voter registration to actually getting people to cast their vote, reports the Huffington Post.
"In Florida, just 500 votes decided the 2000 election. And in Ohio, 2.5 percent of voters decided the 2004 election," he said, according to HuffPo. "Eleven percent of registered African Americans actually voted in the last election. If we can just move that percentage up we can make a difference."
Also on Whitaker's schedule are stops in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Benton Harbor through Saturday.
The 47-year-old father of four told Obama supporters, "There is no more important state than Michigan in this election." He cited the 35 percent poverty rate in Detroit and the 11 percent unemployment rate across the state as reason for residents and leaders to move for change.
"There are 10,000 homeless people in Detroit alone," he said. "And the mortgage foreclosures are the worst in the nation."
During Obama's last campaign visit to Michigan, the John McCain camp announced that it was shuttering its offices and ending media buys in the state.
Whitaker said that the Obama campaign was focusing energy in the waning days of the campaign in the cities like Detroit. "Barack wants to implement programs that will help cities move forward," he said. "Where the bailout offered trickle-down solutions, Barack is working to get bottom-up solutions in place, too."
Obama has said he would appoint the first White House Director of Urban Policy to address the needs of major cities.
T.I. TELLS KING READERS TO GET MORE POLITICAL: Rapper is guest-editor for November issue.
*In the new politically-themed November issue of King magazine, T.I. served as guest editor and urges readers to put the video game controllers down and plug into the presidential race.
"When I'm speaking to young people and they say, 'Who you voting for?' I say, 'Well, what you think's wrong with the country?," says the rapper, 28, in a roundtable discussion. "What problems do you need to be fixed? OK, then cut your PlayStation off and turn to CNN and listen to these people."
"Listen to each of the candidates' platforms, and whoever you think is speaking passionately and intelligently and will do the things you think need changed, that's who you vote for," he adds.
In another segment of King's November issue, T.I. wrote a fantasy collaboration with T-Pain, which included riffs on mistakes the rapper believes President Bush made in his two terms.
As for his guest editor gig, T.I. said in a statement: "It's only right that King would indeed have a king as editor in chief. I guess this is, indeed, my magazine. Understand that. ... Keep it pimpin'."
OMAROSA WRITES BOOK ABOUT BEING A 'B****': Reality show star tells readers 'How to Turn It On and Off' as needed.
*Omarosa, TV's favorite "woman you love to hate," is hoping to further capitalize on her famous reputation with a new book titled "The Bitch Switch: Knowing How to Turn It On and Off."
A press release from Phoenix Books states, "She's ready to show the women of the world that they, too, can harness the power of the B-Switch. Using accessible, proven tactics, in 'The Bitch Switch,' Omarosa shows women everywhere how to turn on and off their B-Switch to increase their assertiveness and conquer whatever obstacles they may be facing: in the workplace, in their relationships, and at home."
The book includes letters from fans (and foes) in What Would Omarosa Do? segments, presents lessons from her self-taught communication classes, and chronicles her stints working in the White House and competing on NBC's "The Apprentice."
DID CINDY MCCAIN REALLY SNUB MICHELLE OBAMA?: Barack's wife asked about handshake-gate and more on 'Daily Show.'
*During a visit to Comedy Central's "Daily Show" on Wednesday, Michelle Obama addressed the so-called handshake snub from her GOP rival Cindy McCain following Tuesday's presidential debate in Nashville.
[Click here to view:
http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=187586]
The First Lady hopefuls crossed paths while greeting audience members after the debate, and Mrs. McCain appeared to have wanted no part of shaking Mrs. Obama's hand.
Michelle told "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart: "Some of that gets over analyzed," adding that she had already shaken Cindy's hand backstage. "She's very cordial."
Michelle said she gets so nervous during her husband's debates that she wouldn't mind just staying at home and getting updates from friends.
"I'm fine with people calling me and saying he did a good job," she explained to Stewart. "And it's like, Good, I got to watch Dick Van Dyke."
Calling herself "an Obama-Mama," Michelle said she's nonetheless a tough critic. "I'm not soft on Barack. I put myself in the position of a voter and I tell him ..., 'If I don't believe you, I'm not voting for you, buddy. You've got to win me over.'"
OBAMA ADMITS NICOTINE RELAPSES: After quitting, Senator says he's bummed cigarettes a couple of times during the campaign.
*In the November issue of Men's Health, Sen. Barack Obama admits that his struggle to quit smoking has not been easy, especially in the midst of a stressful presidential campaign.
"There have been a couple of times during the campaign when I fell off the wagon and bummed one, and I had to kick it again," Obama says in the article. "But I figure, seeing as I'm running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack."
His advice for would-be quitters? Eliminate "certain key connections – that first cigarette in the morning, or after a meal, or with a drink," he says.
Obama, 47, says he commits to 45-minute workouts, six days a week. "I lift one day, do cardio the next," he says. "I wish I was getting a 90-mintue workout. Most of my workouts have to come before my day starts.
There's always a tradeoff between sleep and working out."
GROUPS APPLAUD BET FOR NIXING 'RAP CITY': PTC, Enough is Enough release joint statement.
*The Parents Television Council, the Enough is Enough Campaign for Corporate Responsibility, the National Congress of Black Women, and Industry Ears jointly praised the announcement that BET has cancelled the music video show, "Rap City."
The move comes on the heels of a recent announcement that BET President Reginald Hudlin resigned.
PTC and Enough is Enough Campaign's recent study of daytime music video programming from BET and MTV concluded that as recently as March 2008, children who watched BET's "Rap City" and "106 & Park" and MTV's "Sucker Free" were bombarded with adult content - sexual, violent, profane or obscene - once every 38 seconds.
The following is a joint statement by PTC President Tim Winter; Enough is Enough Campaign Founder Dr. Delman Coates; National Congress of Black Women Chair Dr. E. Faye Williams; and Industry Ears Co-Founder Paul
Porter:
"We are heartened by the recent changes at BET, and we are gratified that our collective efforts were a catalyst for this positive change. It is apparent that our voices were heard by the public, by the corporate sponsors who underwrite television programming and by BET network executives. Parents across this country want a cessation of marketing harmful, graphic and offensive images to children. But let us be clear about our goal: we are not trying to get a particular show cancelled or a particular executive fired. Rather, our goal is a reduction in the harmful and offensive messages on BET and MTV programming - especially when the programs are targeted at children. We have called for the networks to take responsibility for their products, and this program's cancellation is evidence of a step in the right direction."
MAN ACCUSES MARVIN HARRISON OF SHOOTING HIM: Indianapolis Colts standout sued for $100,000.
*Indianapolis Colts star Marvin Harrison is being sued by a man who says the player shot him in the hand and body in April.
Harrison, who was never arrested or charged, is being sued by Dwight Dixon for $100,000 in damages in a suit filed in Philadelphia on Sept. 2. Police have opened up an investigation, the District Attorney's office said Wednesday.
Dixon says he sustained "serious and permanent injuries" to his arm and body and a "severe shock" to his nervous system on April 28, reports the Associated Press. His lawsuit contends he was shot by Harrison and he was shot by someone using Harrison's gun. That approach covers both what Dixon says happened — that Harrison pulled the trigger — and Harrison's defense that someone else fired the player's gun.
Dixon's lawyer, Robert Gamburg, told The Associated Press that Harrison has admitted that his gun was used in the shooting, making the player liable because he was negligent in storing the weapon.
In late April, Dixon and Harrison had a confrontation, Gamburg said. "It apparently built up over time," the lawyer said. "I don't know if it actually came to blows, but certainly there were words exchanged."
Police said the shooting occurred near a North Philadelphia car wash owned by the All-Pro receiver that is about a half mile from a bar he also owns.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Brazilian duo taps Kanye, Ghostface; Bill Bellamy's 'Jokes' returns to TV One.
*Kanye West, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Chuck D and George Clinton are among the guests appearing on the debut album of Brazilian-influenced duo N.A.S.A. (which stands for "North America / South America"). Due Feb.
17, "The Spirit of Apollo" also boasts appearances from M.I.A., Santogold, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard and dancehall star Sizzla. N.A.S.A. is planning to tour in the near future with "dancers, visual effects, art installations and special guests," a spokesperson told Billboard.
*"Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes?" returns to TV One for its third season on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10-11 p.m. This spring, TV One, Bellamy and producer FarCor Studios hit the road in search of the hottest rising comics in the U.S., who are competing to be crowned “Jokes” champion later this year. The show went overseas for the first time for the semi-finals. Working in conjunction with the USO, the cast headed to Germany to tape the show in front of soldiers and their families stationed at the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern, home of the largest military community outside the U.S.
JUDGE ORDERS CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR RAP FAN: Man lasted only 15 minutes of his 20-hour sentence for blasting car radio.
*When 24-year-old Andrew Vactor was caught playing his rap music too loudly on his car stereo last summer, a judge said he could either pay a $150 fine, or spend the next 20 hours listening to classical music and pay only a $35 fine.
Champaign County Municipal Court Judge Susan Fornof-Lippencott says the idea was to force Vactor to listen to something he might not prefer, just as other people had no choice but to listen to his loud rap music.
Vactor chose the judge's classical music offer to save money, but he only lasted 15 minutes before deciding he'd rather pay the $150 ticket instead. Vactor claimed he didn't have time to last any longer because he was late for basketball practice.
"I didn't have the time to deal with that," he said. "I just decided to pay the fine.
Judge Fornof-Lippencott told the Associated Press: "I think a lot of people don't like to be forced to listen to music."
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun For movies opening October 10, 2008 by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Body of Lies (R for pervasive profanity and graphic violence, including torture) Ridley Scott directs this international thriller about a CIA operative (Leonardo DiCaprio) who attempts to infiltrate a Middle East terrorist network with the help of an veteran agent (Russell Crowe) and Jordan’s chief of intelligence (Mark Strong). (In English and Arabic with subtitles)
City of Ember (PG for mild peril and mature themes) Futuristic sci-fi fantasy about a couple of enterprising teenagers (Harry Treadaway and Saoirse Ronan) who try to save the day when their underground metropolis is suddenly plagued by blackouts. Cast includes Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Martin Landau and Mary Kay Place.
The Express (PG for violence, mature themes, ethnic slurs and brief sensuality) Rob Brown handles the title role in this bittersweet bio-pic about college football great and first African-American Heisman trophy-winner Ernie Davis who succumbed to leukemia before having a chance to play in the NFL. Cast includes Dennis Quaid, Charles S. Dutton and Omar Benson Miller.
RocknRolla (R for violence, drug use, brief sexuality and pervasive profanity) Campy crime caper, directed by Guy Ritchie, about a shady Russian billionaire (Tom Wilkinson) whose attempt to corner the London real estate market leads to lots of other mobsters muscling-in on the get rich quick scam. Ensemble cast includes Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven, Ludacris, Idris Elba and Gerard Butler.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Ashes of Time Redux (R for violence) Remake of 1994 samurai saga, set in ancient China, about a broken-hearted hit man (Jacky Cheung) who moves to the desert where he sets up shop as a middleman arranging contract killings by skilled swordsmen. Cast includes Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung and Brigitte Lin. (In Mandarin and Cantonese with subtitles)
Breakfast with Scot (PG-13 for profanity, drug use and mature themes) Three’s a crowd romance drama about a gay lawyer (Ben Shenkman) and his sportscaster (Thomas Cavanagh) life mate whose utopian bliss is ruined when they are awarded custody of the effeminate, 11 year-old son (Noah Bennett) of a recently-deceased friend. With Graham Greene, Megan Follows and Billy Parrott.
Choose Connor (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama about an idealistic 15 year-old’s (Alex D. Linz) loss of innocence after taking a summer job as the youth coordinator for a Congressman’s (Steven Weber) cutthroat, political campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Delwende (Unrated) Female empowerment saga, set in the African nation of Burkina Faso, revolving around the misfortunes of a traumatized, 16 year-old rape victim (Claire Ilboudo) and her mother (Blandine Yameogo) who is run out of town for being the witch behind a rash of mysterious deaths among local children. (In More and French with subtitles)
Good Dick (R for sexuality and profanity) Romance drama about a sexually-traumatized young woman (Marianna Palka) who finds herself being stalked by a geeky, creepy clerk (Jason Ritter) after renting some porno films at the video store where he works. With Tom Arnold, Charles Durning and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Happy-Go-Lucky (R for profanity) Slice-of-life romance drama about a Pollyanna-ish school teacher (Sally Hawkins) who finds her cheery optimism tested when she starts taking driving lessons from a cynical instructor (Eddie Marsan) with anger management issues.
Nights and Weekends (Unrated) Frequent-flyer romance drama exploring the emotional challenges faced by a couple (Greta Gerwig and Joe Swanberg) trying to maintain a long-distance relationship between New York and Chicago.
Quarantine (R for profanity, terror, gory violence and disturbing images) High-attrition horror flick about an L.A. apartment building sealed shut by the Center for Disease Control after blood-curdling start to emanate from inside. When the quarantine is lifted, the only evidence of what transpired is contained on a videotape shot by a TV reporter (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman (Steve Harris).
Talento de Barrio (R for violence, pervasive profanity, drug use and brief sexuality) Puerto Rico’s barrios provides the setting for this gritty crime saga about a drug dealer (Daddy Yankee) who finds himself torn between loyalty to his gang and his dream of finding fame as a Reggaeton singer. (In Spanish and English with subtitles)
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus." — Alexander Graham Bell
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Oct. 10: Actor-dancer Ben Vereen is 62. Singer Cyril Neville of The Neville Brothers is 60. Actor Mario Lopez is 35. Singer Mya is 29.
Oct. 11: Singer Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates is 62. Rapper MC Lyte is 37.
Oct. 12: Comedian-activist Dick Gregory is 76. Singer Sam Moore of Sam and Dave is 73. Singer Claude McKnight of Take 6 is 46. Singer Garfield Bright of Shai is 39.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Just Us Books - Creators of Black interest books and products for young people. Get more info here: www.justusbooks.com
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Oct. 10, 1899: IR Johnson patents his bicycle frame.
Oct. 11, 1887: The elevator as well as safety devices for elevators where invented by Alexander Miles, Patent # 371,207
Oct. 12, 1999: Basketball legend, Wilt Chamberlain, dies at age 63.
(Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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