EURweb |
10-16-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
BLACK MAN FROM MCCAIN RALLY STORMS OFF CNN SET: James T. Harris gets upset during exchange with another black conservative.
*James T. Harris, the African American Republican who begged GOP candidate John McCain during a rally to "take it to Obama," stormed off the set of a CNN interview yesterday during a debate with another black conservative.
The Milwaukee radio host appeared via satellite to face off against fellow radio host Shelley Wynter, who says he is voting for Democratic candidate Barack Obama because McCain is not a true conservative.
Harris, who said he has been called "sambo," "Uncle Tom" and "sellout" since his comments at the McCain rally, tried to argue that McCain is still a better choice for Republicans because he's more likely than Obama to be pulled to the far conservative end of the spectrum.
When CNN's Kyra Phillips asked Wynter if it was fair for black listeners to call Harris a sellout, he said the word sellout applies, but not to Harris' race.
"I repudiate anybody that would call James out of his name because of his political views," said Wynter. "Where I think James has sold out - is on his principles as a conservative. James calls himself a conservative but he supports the least conservative candidate that the Republican Party could put up for the presidency."
As Wynter went on to rail against the Bush administration, Harris tried to cut him off by saying, "Stop, stop, stop the madness."
The word "sellout" apparently struck a nerve. Earlier in the exchange, Harris had mentioned being called one himself in the myriad of hate mail he has received.
"I am sick to death of the word sellout, and the guest just on used it about seven or eight times," Harris said, growing more and more agitated.
"I would really appreciate it if people would just back up off of the name calling because it gets nowhere in the dialogue."
He continued: "I'm tired of coming on this station and getting this type of treatment. I told you before I came on, I'm all for back and forth, I'm all for dialogue, but I'm not for name calling. .I am making my choice as a free American, and I'm sick to death of liberals coming on bashing me because of my choice as a man! .I am sick and tired of people bleeding all over me because of their insecurities. You are insecure, man. Don't tell me what I am."
Wynter - who is conservative, not liberal - said "Whoa" as he tried to get a word in edgewise. Harris replied, "Nah. Whoa, nothing. I'm done,"
and started to remove his microphone and earpiece."
View entire clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rmq_Tu_vRjI
JANET HAD MIGRAINES CAUSED BY VERTIGO: Camp finally confirms reported mystery illness that temporarily sidelined tour.
*A rep for Janet Jackson released a statement Wednesday confirming that the she was suffering from vestibular migraines, described as an unusual condition that creates the sensation of vertigo.
As of press time, Jackson was in Washington D.C. moments away from taking the stage at the Verizon Center in her first show back since Sept. 29, when she fell ill before a show in Montreal and was briefly hospitalized.
"[Janet is] a world-class entertainer and needs to be at the top of her game to give her fans the show they expect," manager Kenneth Crear said in the statement. "She's feeling much better and is ready to hit the road again."
Jackson's show at Madison Square Garden, originally slated for tonight, has been rescheduled for Nov. 1. New dates for other cancelled shows are still being worked out
As previously reported, Janet's brother Randy told a Michael Jackson fansite earlier this month that his sister was suffering from vertigo, but her camp would not reveal the cause of her illness. A week later, Santa Barbara-based firm One Way Publicity released a statement denying the vertigo reports.
MTV, CNN TEAM FOR CONCERT HONORING VETS: Kanye, Ludacris, Nelly, Beyonce, J-Hud in the lineup.
*MTV's Choose or Lose campaign and CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" are partnering for a two-night event to support veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
"A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE" will air Oct. 24 on MTV (8 p.m. EDT) from a performance taped in New York the previous day, reports the Associated Press. BRAVE stands for Bill of Rights for American Veterans, a petition created by MTV and several veterans' organizations.
The concert, which will also broadcast online at www.vMTV.com, features performances by 50 Cent, Ludacris and Saving Abel, as well as taped performances from Kanye West, Kid Rock, Fall Out Boy, Angels and Airwaves, Nelly, Juanes and Taylor Swift. Also making taped performances are Beyonce, Will Ferrell, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend and others.
On Oct. 25, CNN will air a special of "Anderson Cooper 360" titled "Back From Battle" that focuses on stories of young veterans. News packages from CNN and MTV News will air throughout the special, which will be held in front of an audience of young veterans and their families.
"It doesn't matter where you stand on the war, we can all agree that young veterans serving our country must receive the benefits they've earned for their sacrifices," said Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks. "We aim to elevate these issues and ensure they're a top priority for our government officials."
NENE OF 'REAL HOUSEWIVES' WANTS STARDOM: Atlanta cast member says she wants to be 'a black Lucille Ball.'
*NeNe Leakes, one of the ladies of Bravo's "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," says she's got dreams that extend far beyond the weekly display of her own lifestyle via a reality show.
"I would love to just act. I would love to have my own show," she tells E! Online. "Yes, honey, The NeNe Show. I want to be like a black Lucille Ball."
"Honey, I'm coming out for pilot season," she continues, adding that she's currently seeking an agent to help her land auditions. "They're not going to hold me back. I'm not waiting a minute!"
Leakes is a "Housewives" standout after just the first two episodes, which followed the saga and aftermath of being left off the guest list of a birthday party for fellow cast member Sheree Whitfield. Leakes gave a piece of her mind to the security at the door and stormed off in a huff, with fellow Housewife, Kim, in tow.
"I just know that she better not ever leave my damn name off of her list again. She better make sure no matter what party she has, that my name needs to be at the top of the list, because I will cause some drama at yo party," Leakes said of Whitfield.
Next week's episode will focus largely on NeNe's own family drama after she receives a letter from a relative who expresses doubts about her father's paternity.
"You have to tune in to see what happens," says Leakes, a wife and mother of two boys. "But it really could help somebody. I'm sure there are lots of women and men in the world that are in my situation."
EMINEM, DR. DRE HELP 50 CENT 'SELF DESTRUCT': Rapper's album due Dec. 9; led by Scott Storch-produced first single.
*Rapper 50 Cent has production and guest turns from his mentors Eminem and Dr. Dre on his upcoming album "Before I Self Destruct," due Dec. 9 via Shady/Aftermath/Interscope. Producer Scott Storch helmed first single "Get Up."
According to Billboard.com, the package comes with a 90-minute, feature-length movie about an inner city boy named Clarence who seeks to avenge the death of his mother. 50 Cent wrote, directed and stars in the movie. (View trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLtPmlCC6-U.)
"My film captures the harsh realities that reflect so many communities today," 50 Cent said in a statement. "There will be some who will greatly identify with the characters and the situations presented and then there will be others who may be shocked at the struggles that go on in the inner city. I made the film for both groups."
ANGELA & VANESSA 'RUN' TO MTV SPINOFF: Simmons daughters to get their own reality series
*MTV is developing a spinoff series to "Run's House" that would star Reverend Run's daughters Vanessa and Angela Simmons.
Titled "Daddy's Girls," the show will follow the famous sisters as they adjust to life in Los Angeles and attempt to transform their Pastry shoe and clothing line into a more mature brand, reports AOL's Blackvoices.
"I appreciate my process because that's going to make me stronger in the end and the best talent that I can possibly give the world," says Vanessa Simmons.
"Run's House" also stars mom Justine Simmons, and brothers JoJo, Diggy and Russy.
TROY DAVIS EXECUTION SET, AGAIN: Action taken after Supreme Court rejects appeal.
*A new execution date has been set for Troy Anthony Davis, the black Georgia man convicted of killing a white police officer, after the Supreme Court decided earlier this week not to hear his appeal.
Judge Penny Haas Freesemann signed the death warrant on Wednesday and set Oct. 27 as his execution date, reports the Associated Press.
Davis, 40, was sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of 27-year-old Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail. But, doubts about his guilt have led supporters to urge that the case be reconsidered, as 7 of 9 key witnesses against him have recanted their testimony.
His case has attracted international attention, with Pope Benedict XVI and former President Jimmy Carter among those challenging the fairness of his execution.
Now that the new execution date has been set, Davis' lawyers can ask the state board of pardons and parole for clemency.
MEL B REJECTS $1.8 MILLION PLAYBOY OFFER: Singer says nudie show is for her husband's eyes only.
*Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown says she has turned down a $1.85 million offer from Playboy to pose in the buff because that vision is strictly reserved for her husband.
"I'm not going to do it," she tells Access Hollywood, adding that she'd prefers to show off her birthday suit to her husband Stephen Belafonte in the privacy of their own home.
She said: "There is (an exhibitionist side to me) - in my bedroom, late at night for hours on end!"
The former Spice Girl does strip down to her lacy underwear as the spokesmodel for underwear company Ultimo.
D.L. HUGHLEY HIRED BY CNN: Comedian to host own show offering skewered look at news and current events.
*As reported yesterday, D.L. Hughley has been tapped by CNN to host a new broadcast that offers his own unique take on the day's news, reports Variety.
The show will air Saturdays at 10 p.m. beginning Oct. 25 and feature the comedian riffing on politics, entertainment, sports and pop culture. Hughley will also conduct one-on-one interviews with newsmakers and the reporters covering them.
The effort is part of CNN's effort to attract younger viewers who get more of their news from "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" than they do from mainstream news outlets.
"D.L. is a very thoughtful, well-informed guy with unpredictable views, and I've always admired his comedy," said CNN/U.S. president Jon Klein. "The basic premise of the show is, what if a guy like him was let loose in the CNN building for a weekend after the lights went off?"
Klein said CNN could not release the name of the show yet, but he did say the tone would be a bit different Comedy Central's "Daily" and "Colbert." Those are "fake newscasts," Klein explained, "whereas this is really D.L.'s observations and comments on the week's events and his riffs on the news."
"I'm a big fan of both of those shows," Hughley added, "but I've got a different skill set. I'm not going to parody a news show or a news anchor. My show will reflect my views on things just as their shows reflect their views."
For instance, Hughley continued, "There have been six movies with a black man as the president, and in all those movies, the world was coming to an end. If this election isn't art imitating life, I don't know what is."
Hughley's show will tape before a live audience on one of CNN's news sets in New York. Klein says the comic will have full access to the network's global newsgathering operations, adding: "We expect he'll run amok a little."
"It's like getting to drive my father's Mercedes to school. I'd like to know what Jesse Jackson is going to do for a living if Obama is elected," Hughley said, adding that he would invite Jackson to appear. "I'd like to know what Sarah Palin is going to do if she doesn't get elected. Ever notice that she does all the things a good waitress does when she wants better tips? You know, wink and smile."
Politics will not be the only fodder for the show, Hughley emphasized.
"In three weeks, 50% of the country is going to be angry. So we'll be looking at a lot of other things, too," he said.
T.I.'S 'PAPER TRAIL' STILL NO. 1: Rapper's new album spends second week atop Billboard; J-Hud's debut drops to No. 4.
*T.I.'s new album "Paper Trail" survived a 69% drop-off in sales to remain at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart for a second week.
The Grand Hustle/Atlantic set sold 177,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, after debuting last week with 568,000.
Elsewhere on the chart, Jennifer Hudson's self-titled Arista debut fall 2-4 on a 71% sales decrease to 63,000, and Ne-Yo's "Year of the Gentleman" (Def Jam) continues its decline, falling 6-8 with 47,000.
50 CENT DROPS 'MONEY' ON MTV: Mogul prepares to debut new competition series.
*On Nov. 6 at 10 p.m., MTV will debut 50 Cent's new reality series "The Money and the Power," which features 14 contestants competing in various business challenges to become the next big mogul.
The hopefuls live together in a Brooklyn warehouse dubbed "Camp Curtis" and will see one contestant per week eliminated until a champion is crowned. G-Unit member Tony Yayo will serve as the show's "Underboss,"
keeping the contestants in line and making sure they're prepared for the various tasks.
The winner, 50 says, must possess the best combination of "business flair, strength, ambition, and fearlessness," and will be awarded a grand prize of $100,000 plus assistance from 50 to help pursue their music dreams.
Making special appearances this season are LL Cool J, Aubry O'Day of Danity Kane, Lloyd Banks, and blogger Miss Info.
BEASTIE BOYS EXTEND OBAMA TOUR: Dates to run from Oct. 27 through Nov. 2; Norah Jones, Ben Harper on the bill.
*The Beastie Boys have added three dates to their swing state tour in support of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.
The "Get Out the Vote" trek will now begin on Oct. 27 in Charlotte, N.C., with Sheryl Crow and Santogold in the lineup, reports Billboard.com.
Crow, Ben Harper and Norah Jones will join the effort two nights later in Youngstown, Ohio, while Crow and Harper will play Oct. 30 in Dayton, Ohio.
Jack Johnson, Tenacious D and David Crosby and Graham Nash are on board in various incarnations for previously announced shows on Oct. 28 in Richmond, Va., Nov. 1 in St. Paul, Minn., and Nov. 2 in Milwaukee.
SPORTS BITS: Sebastian Telfair suspended; Shaun Alexander joins Skins; Chris Mims found dead.
*Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Sebastian Telfair was suspended on Tuesday for three games after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced last month to three years' probation following his April 2007 arrest while he was a member of the Boston Celtics. Police found him carrying a loaded gun in his car. "It is what it is," said Minnesota coach Randy Wittman of the suspension. "That was something in his past, happened a couple of years ago. Now we have to deal with that. Since he's been here with us he's been a model citizen. He's been great in the community. He's done everything I've asked him to do. ...Finally now maybe he can put this thing behind him and move forward." Telfair will miss home games against Sacramento and Dallas and a road game at Oklahoma City. He's eligible to return for a home game on Nov. 5 against San Antonio.
*Former NFL MVP Shaun Alexander signed with the Washington Redskins on Tuesday, part of a flurry of roster activity in which the team cut its punter, shuffled its safeties and displayed coach Jim Zorn's strong ties to his Seattle Seahawks roots, reports the AP. Alexander, unemployed since being cut by the Seahawks in April, signed a one-year deal to back up NFL leading rusher Clinton Portis. Portis' usual backup, Ladell Betts, sprained his knee in Sunday's 19-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams and is expected to be sidelined two to four weeks. The Skins also cut sixth-round draft pick Durant Brooks, who ranks last in the league in punting, and replaced him with former Seattle punter Ryan Plackemeier.
*Former San Diego Chargers defensive lineman Chris Mims was found dead in his downtown apartment, reports the Associated Press. Police say the 38-year-old was discovered shortly before 9:30 a.m. by officers conducting a welfare check. Police say there does not appear to be any evidence of foul play. Coroner's officials declined to comment as of press time because Mims'
relatives had not yet been notified. Mims played eight seasons in the NFL, seven with the Chargers and one with the Washington Redskins. He retired in 2000.
*Venus Williams began her bid to re-capture the Zurich Open title she last won in 1999 by defeating Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday. The second round match did not go entirely smoothly for the third seeded American, although she was never placed under any real pressure.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Ripple Effect
Forest Whitaker and Virginia Madsen Co-Star in Karma-Driven Drama DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Amer Atrash (Philippe Caland) is an ambitious immigrant from Lebanon living in hot pursuit of the American Dream.
The fledgling fashion designer has been so focused on finding the seed money to launch a trendy clothing line that he’s ended up neglecting his trophy wife Sherry (Virginia Madsen) and their adorable young daughter.
Then, when a prospective investor (John Billingsley) withdraws his promise of a $12 million line of credit, Amer watches as yet another foolproof plan blows up in his face, a pattern he’s become painfully familiar with.
Fed up with being ignored, Sherry asks her husband to move into his office.
Left alone with his thoughts, he finds himself forced to confront a deep, dark secret he’s hidden from everyone, namely, that 15 years ago he hit Philip Blackman (Forest Whitaker) with his car, a pedestrian left paralyzed by the accident. Suddenly, Amer suspects that his inability to get his business off the ground might be the consequence of bad karma caused by his failure to help the unfortunate paraplegic.
So, he sets out to track down Philip to offer him financial support and to beg for forgiveness, and this quest for redemption sits at the center of Ripple Effect, a thought-provoking drama which takes some surprising twists and turns en route to resolution. For it turns out Phil he has no interest in pity, having long-since made peace with his lot in life.
Furthermore, he has a flourishing career as a college professor, as well as the love if not exactly the fidelity of a pretty wife (Minnie Driver) with whom he shares a rather unorthodox relationship. And when Phil won’t accept any money from Amer, this leads to a valuable lesson about what really matters.
Kudos to writer/director/co-star Philippe Caland for crafting such a refreshingly unpredictable cautionary tale filled with complex characters, and for coaxing inspired performances from an A-list cast topped by Forest Whitaker, Virginia Madsen and Minnie Driver.
Very Good (3 stars)
Rated R for profanity.
Running time: 83 minutes
Studi Monterey Video
DVD Extras: Actor bios, “Thoughts from the Director” and “Behind-the-Scenes” featurettes, and the theatrical trailer.
To see a trailer for Ripple Effect, visit:
http://www.montereymedia.com/independent/ripple_effect_trailer.html
EUR FILM REVIEW: Nights and Weekends
Earnest Romance Drama Examines Emotional Challenges of Long-Distance Relationship in Flux
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Mattie (Greta Gerwig) lives in New York while her boyfriend James (Joe Swanberg) makes his home in Chicago, and the distance between them tends to heighten the intensity of the precious little time they get to spend together, for better or worse.
Whether they’re feeling pangs of passion, pettiness, jealousy or doubt, their emotions always seem to remain right on the surface.
Less a fully-fleshed out story, than an impressionistic sketch flick which leaves the rudiments of plot structure to the viewer’s imagination, Nights and Weekends is, nonetheless, an engaging slice-of-life adventure as riveting as a train wreck.
This claustrophobic feature zeroes-in microscopically on modern-day battle of the sexes, in a manner most reminiscent to such other low-budget pix as Four Eyed Monsters and Swanberg’s own LOL.
Here, Mr. Swanberg shares writing and directorial credits with his comely co-star, which makes sense since most of the script sounds almost improvised. Fortunately, the talented twosome share a compelling screen chemistry (despite not dating in real life) along with an uncanny knack for convincingly portraying characters wrestling with relationship issues.
The point of departure is the Windy City where we find Mattie just arriving at James’ modest crib. The sex-starved pair lovers are so in heat that they tear each other’s clothes off, with the camera capturing full-frontal nudity, including explicit evidence of arousal, if not penetration. In fact, in the spirit of cinema verite we’re later treated to the sight of Mattie not only relieving herself on the toilet but wiping herself as well.
Eventually, the action fast-forwards a year and we learn that things have deteriorated from a state of pneumatic and romantic bliss to one of deception and distrust. Nights and Weekends turns out to be best during those introspective moments when we catch the protagonists musing aloud.
For example, Mattie worries whether or not they will remain together unless she anchors her man with a baby. Otherwise, she fears she’s fated to be reduced to a distant memory that James will refer to in a simple sound bite. He, on the other hand, exhibits his vulnerability by admitting that he has a mental image of himself as more handsome than the mirror reveals.
A frequent-flyer drama examining 21st Century mating habits.
Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 79 minutes
Studi IFC Films
To see a trailer for Nights and Weekends, visit:
http://www.nightsandweekendsmovie.com/trailer.html
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: Trouble In River City
*Using a bit of legislative slight of hand in order to get around constitutional rules granting the House of Representatives sole authority to originate revenue legislation, which includes appropriations bills, the senate last week approved a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, otherwise known as the 2008 Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Titles, of course make all the difference in the world. The week previous a similar bill presented in the house went down to defeat. Polls showed Americans decidedly opposed to bailing out the financial sector by a two to one margin. No doubt now that we are not bailing out Wall Street but stabilizing the economy Americans can get firmly behind this measure. The bill was quickly passed by the house with no changes and signed into law by our president. The stock market responded to the decisive action by our political leaders by promptly falling like a rock. The Dow Jones Industrial average plummeted to below 9,000 for the first time in five years and was followed closely by markets in Asia, Australia and Europe.
In an effort to restore confidence in the financial system the White House announced that it is considering taking ownership positions in many of our nations banks.
I don’t know about you but if the idea of an economic Czar with unprecedented power over our economy made me hesitant, the thought of nationalizing our banking industry has me brimming with confidence. My new bank is called Sealy Posturpedic.
Folks we have trouble right here in River City; trouble with a capital “T”. That rhymes with “P” and that stands for politicians getting together to “fix” a crisis they are largely responsible for creating.
Make no mistake there is plenty of blame to go around. The promise of easy money led investors to speculate and borrowers to over extend, taking on more debt than they could afford. There were some lenders that took advantage of the emotional decision to purchase a home and offered deals that were in the end too good to be true. Brokerage houses pawned the junk off on investors and made a killing. And let us not forget the politician’s, fat from campaign donations that looked the other way. All are complicit! But none more than those granted the privilege of speaking for the people, the very same politicians we now look to to solve the mess they created.
Under pressure from “predatory politicians” Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lowered their lending standards. The result was “that by 2008 about 33 percent of Fannie and Freddie’s business involved risky loans. And as of May 2008, Freddie and Fannie had guaranteed $2.2 trillion in mortgages, about 75% of all mortgages in the U.S., and owned a quarter of the all the mortgage back securities issued on the market.” Then these same predators ignored the warnings of a pending implosion and resisted efforts to tighten regulation of the GSE’s. In fact many of these same protectors of the people encouraged Fannie and Freddie to increase their portfolios. These representatives of the people were “pissed off” at the “political lynching” claiming concerns about The GSE’s were “overblown.” “We do not have a crisis.”
What is truly remarkable is that for these men and women there is no political price to pay. None of them will ever admit, “I was wrong” or be held accountable for their ignorance, blindness or some combination of the two. Each and every one of them will be reelected – sent back to Washington to “solve” problems.
Just some of the highlights from the recently passed “fix” for our broken economy:
-Section 503 provides a tax exemption for certain types of wooden arrows made for children.
-Section 308 extends a tax rebate on imported rum from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
-Section 325 provides tariff relief for fabric and clothing manufacturers that use imported yarns and worsted wool products.
-Section 211 allows employers to provide a benefit for workers that commute to work by bicycle.
No wonder investors were less than confident. But why aren’t taxpayers downright angry? The rescue bill is chalk full of pork for projects that have absolutely nothing to do with toxic mortgages.
Yes sir we have trouble here in River City. Trouble with a capital “T”, which rhymes with “P” and that stands for politicians breaking things they never should have touched, riding in to fix the crisis and sending the American people the bill.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
ASK ADVICE CHICK: Answers to YOUR Dating, Sex, Life, & Love Questions!
Sexy All Male Revue! Get your tickets NOW to my sexy and talented all male revue event of November 8, 2008! Have a GREAT time, Visit http://www.ultimateladiesniteout.com to see clips from the last show!
Dear Advice Chick,
*I'd like to say I read your column every week. I have never written to any column before but I have a problem. My man is great in bed but he gets limp when I try to get on top. What can I do to keep him solid while I perform? He performs well in any other position but for some reason that is not one. Thanks ;)
Advice Chick replies,
We so seriously always want what we can’t have. Your man is putting it down in EVERY other position, and here you go rattling your mouth off about him going limp when you want to ride. Shut it up! Enjoy all of the other satisfying positions the two of you share together.
He could have had a past bad sexual experience involving a woman on top. He also could have had some other sexual experience he hasn’t shared with you. Maybe the sensations are better for him when he’s on top. Some guys just like to be the dominant partner at all time. As always, I suggest you and he discuss this when the two of you are not having sex.
Send YOUR questions to Advice Chick right NOW! Please put “Dear Advice Chick” in the subject line so your email isn’t deleted as spam. Thanks! Send your emails t advicechick at ameritech.net
----------
Ask Advice Chick about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING related to dating, sex, love, and life! She is THE resident dating expert at EURweb.com, and calls on over 11 years of dating and relationship industry experience.
THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: Philly's singer/songwriter Voice signs with Troy Patterson, Mario's original manager/label Third Street Music; and, Gospel singing sensation Wanda Nero Butler releases 'No Failure' on Motor City Praise
By Eunice Moseley
Philly singer/songwriter signs with Troy Patterson’s Third Street Music Group, original home of Baltimore’s Mario
*“I was signed three months ago, “ singer/songwriter Voice (Tazin Singh) said about signing with Troy Patterson, the original manager and label to Baltimore’s national singing sensation Mario that introduced him to Clive Davis. “Allen, my manager, brought me to Troy. Troy heard me on the Anthony Jeter machine (local Baltimore talent showcases). Troy saw me and the next day I went to see him and I signed.”
Voice is the son of a black mother and a father from India, resulting in his trade mark long hair and Hip-Hop street look. What is also unusual is his voice, thus why his fans call him Voice. He has an eight-octave or higher voice and a smooth sexy Urban flavor delivery style.
A graduate of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia (with a vocal Jazz concentration) Voice is a master at not only Urban R&B, which you will find on his upcoming debut release, “Set the Mood,” on Third Street Music Group/Shy Boy Entertainment, but he is also a master at Jazz, Opera, Gospel, Soul and Pop. He has vocally performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra and Philly Pops.
“I have mixed reactions, “Voice said about the reaction of people to his voice, which is a contrast to his Hip-Hop look and personality. “I don’t look like I sing. Most are surprised at how I carry myself. They say with all that talent I should have a big head.”
This talented singer gets a standing ovation every time he sings; it’s just a matter of time before the world gets a chance to partake of that pleasure.
Voice, also an accomplished guitarist and pianist, recently won the 2008 Baltimore “Uplifting Minds II” national talent competition and has an acting role in an upcoming film, “Watch Out I Got Your Man.”
For more on Voice visit his MySpace at “TheOfficialVoicePage.”
Gospel singing sensation Wanda Nero Butler releases new project, ‘No Failure’
“When I was four, they set me up on top of the piano and I started singing,” Motor City song bird Wanda Nero Butler said about the family discovery that she had an unbelievable gift of song.
A year later, she became a member of the Pastor’s Kids choir at her parent’s church. Then one day she said they gave her own song to sing, “Jesus Kept me at the Cross,” and her career as a leading lady in ministry through song began.
Wanda involved herself in a long list of singing projects and activities; some included musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Why Good Girls like Bad Boyz. In 1987 she recorded her first album, “Reach for His Love,” on the Sound of Gospel record label; in 1989 “New Born Soul” was released; in 1992 “Wanda Nero Butler – Live in Atlanta,” which garnered her a GMWA Excellence Award for “Best female Vocalist;” in 1998 she released “Family Prayer," and in 2000 it was her “Wanda Nero Butler – Live in Alabama.”
Butler’s latest CD, “No Failure” is on the Motor City Praise Records label and is filled with soul-stirring, hand-clapping selections. On the title track “No Failure,” it features the vocals of Victoria “Vicki” Vaughn as well as on the “Yes” selection, one of my personal favorites because of its Urban feel.
Some of my other favorites is the powerful heart-felt plea “Deliver Me,” “Clap Yo hands” and “I’m in Need.” Wanda gave me some words of wisdom, which you will find in the lyrics throughout her “No Failure” CD, which I’d like to share: “We are what we think we are. We are what we speak. What we speak is what is in existence.”
BETWEEN THE LINES: What Congressman John Lewis Was Really Saying: White Folk Gettin' Ready To Act Up, Y’all!
Anthony Asadullah Samad
*Much ado has been made over Georgia Congressman’s John Lewis’ statements about the nasty turn the Presidential campaign took at Republican rallies last week. From Palin saying Obama was “palling around with domestic terrorists, to Republican rally supporters calling the Democratic nominee “an Arab,” “a terrorist,” and calling for Obama’s death, shouting out, “Kill him!”, the rhetoric of the campaign finally crossed the “colorline” last week in a way that we always understood was just beneath the surface. At least, black people understood it was just beneath the surface. It was no longer just about politics and political choices anymore. It became about violating another black man in a way that black men, and African Americans, in previous generations were violated when they made serious challenges to gain civil, social and political equal rights—through extralegal and illegal means (usually mob violence). McCain/Palin rallies didn’t resemble political rallies last week. They resembled Klan rallies, only absent the sheets. The venom spewed deep and the television cameras caught it. So did John Lewis, who said the McCain/Palin campaign was sowing the seeds of hatred and division. Lewis, as one of the most racially assaulted of the living frontline activists remaining from the civil right era, called it as he saw it. If anybody would know when a change in racial tone has occurred, I would trust that it would be John Lewis. He’s heard it before, and he’s been in the midst of mob violence—even under the collar of authority—having been assaulted on the Edmond-Pettis bridge in March 1965. Code language is John Lewis’ second language, and code language has become McCain/Palin’s first language or native tongue. Lewis was simply warning McCain, Palin and the rest of the country that this was getting ready to get uglier than we could imagine. Lewis’ code language for, “White folk getting ready to act up.”
Now before y’all start tripping, I’m not talking about all white folk. There are good white folk, then there are “those” white folk that were active in upholding America’s race caste system. They used the same coded language, and usually stayed in line until it appeared that Blacks were too close to being equal, then they voiced their biases or acted in unlawful ways. There’s always been right minded, upright, straight ahead white folk that were fair-minded enough not to engage in the racial divide, and some of them even advocated in the various causes for equality throughout the nation’s history. But most were complicit in supporting the race caste system. That’s the only way slavery and later, legal segregation, could survive as a socially acceptable normative deeply engrained in America’s cultural norms. However, there were many, in significant numbers, that tried to do the right thing—what our grandparents and great grandparents called, “Good white folk.” We see that in those who are really giving the Obama campaign a chance to be heard, and are finding out his candidacy may provide a viable solution to this country’s problem. And Obama is only trying to exercise his constitutional right to run for President of the United States, and he’s getting too close for some white folks’ comfort. So now they want to put the terrorist mob on him like they used to put the lynch mob on generations before him. Different periods, same language. McCain got upset when Lewis provided him the analogy of George Wallace, who Lewis said, “never threw a bomb, never shot a gun…he created the climate and conditions that encouraged vicious attacks against those Americans who were only trying to exercise their constitutional right.” Remember, John Lewis was named as one of the three “wise persons” McCain said he’d seek advice from if he were to become President. Yet, when called to respond to the call for violence” through hated filled rhetoric by some of his supporters, McCain claimed he was insulted to be compared to Wallace and that he can’t control the “fringe element” in his party and defends his supporters, 99% of whom are “good people.” Sounded like more than one percent of the people in attendance at those rallies were booing to me, but John McCain totally missed the point from his anointed “wise man.”
All Lewis was saying was that McCain and Palin, like Wallace, were being complicit in creating an environment for hostility and violence to be waged against Obama, by not checking their “fringe element” as McCain likes to call them. 99% of the people of Alabama and Mississippi were “good people” who were complicit in upholding segregation for 68 years. The fringe element, the Klan, enforced the social norms. The intolerance of terrorism, like the intolerance of desegregation or integration, started with the conversation—the rhetoric—that went unchecked and spread once people knew hate talk would be tolerated. That’s the lesson that John Lewis was trying to teach John McCain. McCain said he was stopped in his tracks. Yeah, but it was for the wrong reason. Not because John Lewis was right, but because the Republican spin machine used it as an opportunity to shut down any inference that this really might be about race with a “terrorist” subterfuge attached to it. John Lewis knew exactly what it was, and being the wise man that he is, and that McCain, himself, thought he was, let Johnny boy know what time it was; that white folk was getting ready to act up if he left the crack in the hate door open.
Truth be told, I think John Lewis was right, and I think some white people still getting ready to act up as it becomes more obvious that Barack Obama might win this election. Watch.
Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D., is a national columnist, managing director of the Urban Issues Forum (www.urbanissuesforum.com) and author of the new book, Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. He can be reached at www.AnthonySamad.com
VERONICA'S VIEW: Confronting the Pink Elephant in the Room
Veronica Hendrix
*I can’t take it any more. I simply have to say it.
Sarah Palin is ineptly qualified to be a heart beat from the presidency. Not withstanding her paper-thin portfolio of accomplishments and her lack of understanding or interest in anything outside of the boundaries of Alaska, she is an embarrassment to my gender. And Saturday Night Live’s political parity of McCain’s running mate does seem like satire as much as it mirrors reality. The persona of Palin is painful. It sets the gains we have made as women back at least 30 years.
Oh let me stop tap dancing and be perfectly blunt and honest. Her cutesy and playful “wink-wink” and incessant “you betchas and doggone its” are less than vice presidential – they are trailer park transcendent.
Yea, I went there.
Every time she opens her mouth I winch and cringe at her empty, inane and circuitous ramblings. Quite frankly, I am dizzied and flummoxed by the spell she has cast upon her party. Who would have thought this Hail Mary move in the last quarter of the game would stop the spectators from leaving the stand before the game was over. It was a desperate play that’s getting a bit of a bounce, at least for the moment.Republican political analysts continue to do the old “hop, shuffle, hop” move in defending this dubious choice. And it’s obvious that while their words rise to her defense, their eyes reveal they are struggling with singing this chorus of Kumbaya. Clearly, Palin is the pink elephant in the room wearing fuchsia lipstick that nobody wants to talk about, no matter how many whatnots or knickknacks she crashes into.
I keep saying to my self that selecting Sarah Palin as the Republican pick for Vice President has got to be a the biggest charade in American history. It’s a prank, right? A hoax. She’s a mirage. That’s it. Pinch me so I can wake up from this reoccurring dream that seems to have no end.
Yet sadly, she is not a dream or a mirage. And what’s scarier is the number of women that laud her selection because they believe she represents them, the everyday American woman who is in the trenches advocating for their issues from the glacier towers of Wasilla. And lets not forget the Hillary backlash and the number of defectors that have crossed over to support a female candidate.
However, one of their own has done the unthinkable. She has broken ranks with her party. In one of her latest opinion pieces called, “How to back away slowly, respectfully,” conservative columnist Kathleen Parker wrote in reference to Palin, “because she's a woman -- and the first ever on a Republican presidential ticket -- we are reluctant to say what is painfully true.” She even calls for Palin to stop the charade and bow out of the race for the good of the county. And for being honest, she’s been taken out to the woodshed by her party and characterized as a traitor by her gender. Some people just can’t handle the truth.
I don’t relate to Palin and her folksy fatale. She doesn’t represent me or my views in any way. The only thing we have in common is our gender. Surprisingly, Palin calls herself a feminist. But she’s the antithesis of anything remotely feminist in terms supporting women’s rights and interests. While she’s turning heads of states and taking numbers during her fairly tale ascent, I am taking notes. And I’m alarmed by what I hear and what I see. Here’s why.
Her appeal to the hockey moms and Joe six packs of the world smacks of supremacy. Call me an alarmist, but in my mind her folksy rhetoric is nothing more than code language to spur those who are worried about the changing of the guard in his country to exit the rink, put down the Bud and get to the polls to maintain the status quo. And when she said that Barack “doesn’t see America as we see America,” it’s beyond code language. It’s a rally to the confederacy aimed at deepen the racial divide. Yet when questioned about the racial reference in this comment, she acted in typical Palin fashion – clueless and callow.
Look, her presence in the room is a big distraction. Elephants usually are. But pink elephants are disarmingly distracting. It’s really ok to talk about it and finally call it what it is. ###
AUDREY’S SOCIETY WHIRL: MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERPRISES
Magic Johnson Enterprises Launches A New Business Venture Igniting Change In The Workforce Of Tomorrow; Nicole Ganier-Cosme Appointed As President Of MAGIC Workforce Solutions
By Audrey J. Bernard, Lifestyles/Society Editor
*On Tuesday, September 23, Earvin “Magic” Johnson launched the all-new MAGIC Workforce Solutions (MWS), a new staffing services company, with Adecco USA, a leading recruitment and workforce solutions, at the exceptionally beautiful 620 Loft & Garden in Rockefeller Center.
The groundbreaking alliance brings together two leading companies in their respective fields that will result in a “‘best in class’ staffing services company connecting employers of today with the workforce of tomorrow!” As a division of Magic Johnson Enterprises, MWS benefits from an established network and process for successfully tapping into the ethnically diverse urban community.
Johnson knows a thing or two about putting the right people in the right job and nothing could attest to that more than his hiring Marvet Britto, president, The Britto Agency, to handle the launch party. Britto, who’s known worldwide for her incredible event planning aplomb, put together a star-studded event that was blessed in every way starting with the glorious weather.
Second, the rooftop garden -- located directly across from Saks Fifth Avenue with St. Patrick’s Cathedral as a backdrop -- was intoxicatingly gorgeous. I was praying to shop. The garden offers the most dramatic sweeping outdoor views of Midtown Manhattan.
As VIPs entered the all-white loft space revealing a blank canvas on which to create your own experience, Britto brilliantly adorned the cavernous room with red plush seating arrangements and featured the heavenly string music of harpist Brandee Younger and her two accompanists, with elegance, grace and poise.
Outside, the name MAGIC Workforce Solutions flashed across the building using klieg lights. Votive lights were uniformly placed atop sparkling glass tables giving the Victorian style garden atmosphere a Camelot feeling. And with the tall manicured hedges and rococo fountains, I kept waiting for Sir Lancelot to appear from behind them.
Britto’s signature flower, expensive Gardenias, was abundantly placed all over this serene piece of paradise giving the entire place an exotic aroma. Matter of fact, as guests looked over the rim they saw many passerbys enjoying a whiff of the scent and trying to figure out where it was coming from.
Adding to the beauty of the party were meticulously dressed butlers who served drinks and delicious morsels of delights prepared by Artie Thompson of Great Performances. Britto would not have had it any other way. She runs a tight ship and guests are always the beneficiaries of a grand time because of her attention to detail and fine touch of perfection!
During an informal introduction of his new venture and staff, Johnson, chairman and CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises, explained why he joined forces with Adecco USA to create MWS as an arm of his successful Magic Johnson Enterprises, the #1 urban leader. MWS was created to enhance the growth and culmination of today’s talent to strengthen and groom tomorrow’s workforce into a dynamic, diverse masterpiece.
Johnson then introduced Nicole Ganier-Cosme, president of this novel development and her handsome staff consisting – I might add – of mostly African American women. I must also add that that’s one of the things I like most about Johnson that he surrounds himself with lots of highly qualified women. Johnson handpicked Ganier-Cosme because of her strong leadership capabilities; her beauty was an added feature -- but not a prerequisite.
As president, Ganier-Cosme will develop and direct the vision of MWS to become a leader within the staffing industry. To that end, she will oversee all daily operations to cultivate an orderly environment that will ensure the ability to “over-service” their corporate clients and provide workforce opportunities to their associates.
“The ability to take positive qualities from two of the best companies, Adecco and Magic Johnson Enterprises, will place MAGIC Workforce in the forefront, taking the staffing industry to new heights” said Ganier-Cosme.
In addition to providing staffing solutions for Fortune 500 companies, MWS will train for viable jobs in these communities, exceeding customer expectations through operational excellence and market leadership. The National Minority Supplier Development Council certifies MWS as a 100% minority owned, operated and financially controlled organization.
“At Adecco, we are thrilled about the opportunity to help MAGIC Workforce Solutions and serve the urban communities in its network with great job opportunities and the employers in those communities with great talent,” says Joyce Russell, president and CEO of Adecco General Staffing USA. “What we’ve conceived together is an absolute game changer in the recruitment industry.”
Guests attending the lovely launch party included Morris Reid, Steve Stoute, Stephon Marbury, Lola Oguinneike, June Ambrose, Jocelyn Taylor, Kenny Smith, June ambrose, Joyce Russell, Tig Gilliam, Cicely Tyson, Mark-Anthony Edwards, b. Michaels, Curtis Martin, Steve Manning, Don Thomas, Flo Anthony, Chandra Anderson and Tariq Mohammed. (Photos: Johnny Nunez)
Audrey J. Bernard is an established chronicler of Black society and Urban happenings based in the New York City area.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
“Winners are those people who make a habit of doing the things losers are uncomfortable doing.” - by Ed Foreman
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Oct. 16: Actress Terri J. Vaughn ("The Steve Harvey Show") is 39.
Rapper B-Rock of B-Rock and the Bizz is 37.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
A Touch of Classic Soul is your companion to the classic soul music of the early 1970s and the artists who created it (www.touchofclassicsoul.com).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Oct. 16, 1901: Booker T. Washington dined at the White House with President Roosevelt and was criticized in the South. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)
Click for the latest Obama - Political headlines
Share and Bookmark |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
