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10-22-08 EUR ALL ONE PAGE
OBAMA VOTED 'MOST INFLUENTIAL MAN': Online poll has Democrat on top, and Sen. McCain at No. 10.
*Readers at the lifestyle Web site AskMen.com have voted Sen. Barack Obama the most influential man of 2008 in a poll released Tuesday, reports Reuters.
The Democratic presidential candidate beat his Republican White House rival John McCain, who came in at No. 10 on the list.
Obama also topped Apple chief executive Steve Jobs and Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps, who landed in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.
The tally was compiled on the basis of 200,000 votes from readers of the Web site whose average age is 27-28 years-old.
The Top 10 on the AskMen.com Most Influential Men list:
1) Barack Obama (Democratic presidential nominee)
2) Steve Jobs (Apple CEO)
3) Michael Phelps (Olympic swimmer)
4) Robert Downey, Jr (actor)
5) Stephen Colbert (political TV commentator)
6) Gordon Ramsay (celebrity chef)
7) Christian Bale (actor)
8) Rob Kay ("Rock Band" video game designer)
9) Cristiano Ronaldo (soccer player)
10) John McCain (Republican presidential nominee)
BEYONCE PUT ON 15 POUNDS TO PLAY ETTA JAMES: Singer said she loved every minute of the weight gain.
*Beyonce says she had a much better time preparing for her role as curvaceous soul legend Etta James in "Cadillac Records" than for her character of Deena in the 2006 musical "Dreamgirls."
"I gained almost 15 pounds to play the [Etta James] role," Beyoncé, 27, says in the November issue of In Style. "It was way easier – and tastier – than having to lose so much weight for Dreamgirls."
As for her upcoming as-yet-untitled album, due Nov. 18, Beyonce said:
"Lyrically, it's deeper than what I've done before. I wasn't mature enough or old enough, or in touch with myself enough, to do this type of album before. I didn't have the guts."
Last week, Beyonce finally opened up about her marriage to longtime boyfriend Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter.
"This is a new chapter for me," she told People. "I'm terrified, but excited. It's like I'm a new woman."
In related news, Beyonce's parents, Mathew and Tina Knowles, are due to receive the PTA Commitment to America's Children Award for their work on behalf of families and children in need. The event will take place Oct. 30 in Chicago at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel (17 East Monroe St.) and feature a special performance by CeCe Peniston.
VICK TO ENTER GUILTY PLEA ON STATE CHARGES: Jailed NFL quarterback hopes it will win him early release from federal prison.
*Michael Vick is expected to enter a guilty plea next week on the state dogfighting charges he faces in Virginia, a court official told the Associated Press.
Surry County Circuit Court administrator Sally Neblett says a hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 30 on a motion to hear a videotaped plea from the jailed Atlanta Falcons quarterback.
The Virginian-Pilot reported that Vick hopes his guilty plea to the state charges will earn him an early release from federal prison based on documents filed in Surry County Circuit Court. Vick is currently serving a 23-month sentence on felony charges related to dogfighting.
Surry County Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Poindexter previously announced he would not seek a trial date for Vick, and his three co-defendants, until they have served their federal time due to logistics and expense. The Virginia indictment charges Vick with one count of torturing and killing dogs and one count of promoting dogfighting. Each carries a maximum five-year prison term.
Citing court papers, the newspaper said Vick would enter a halfway house, but added that he needs to resolve his state charges before he can be eligible for entry into such a facility. Vick’s scheduled release date is July 20 and the soonest he could enter a program is six months before that, the AP reported.
SPIKE LEE DUMPS AGENT AFTER 'ANNA' FLOP: Director leaves William Morris for Endeavor in the wake of poor box office.
*Spike Lee has ended his 15-year relationship with the William Morris Agency in the wake of disappointing box office receipts for his latest film "Miracle at St. Anna."
According to the trades, the filmmaker has signed with Endeavor for representation. The move comes three weeks after his WWII film opened to just $3.5 million, and has grossed just $7.5 million to date.
Before "Anna," Lee directed the largest-grossing film of his career, the heist thriller "Inside Man," which drew $176 million worldwide in 2006.
A sequel is one of several upcoming projects set up by William Morris.
TIGER WOODS MOONLIGHTS AS A CADDIE: Golf legend makes good on commitment to Buick-sponsored sweepstakes.
*Four months after beating Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff at the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods returned to Torrey Pines on Monday as a caddie to 59-year-old John Abel as part of the "Tee Off with Tiger" online sweepstakes sponsored by Buick.
Showing no signs of his season-ending knee surgery a week after the U.S. Open, Woods wore a green caddie's bib inscribed with Abel's name as he guided him around the back nine of the South Course, where he has won six times in the Buick Invitational.
Woods said his knee may not be healthy enough by early February to defend his title.
"That's the most frustrating thing for me, because I don't know,"
Woods told the AP. "I like having things planned out. I like understanding what I need to shoot for, but I don't know.
"And the surgeons don't know, either, because they've never dealt with an injury like this for a person who plays golf at an elite level. For an amateur, it's no big deal, just come back nine months from now or 10 months from now. But for me, I don't know what the schedule's going to be."
EVE CAST IN DREW BARRYMORE FILM: Philly rapper-actress to play a roller derby queen.
*Rapper Eve has taken a role in the upcoming comedy/drama "Whip It!," which doubles as the directorial debut of actress Drew Barrymore.
The film is adapted from the book "Derby Girl," about the life of author Shauna "Maggie Mayhem" Cross of the L.A. Derby Dolls.
The story follows a small-town Texas girl who finds her identity through a local roller derby league. Barrymore will also play a character in the movie. Eve has been cast as a roller derby diva named “Rosa Sparks.”
Ellen Page and Juliette Lewis also star in the film, which is produced by Barrymore’s Flower Films along with Barry Mendel and Kiwi Smith for Mandate Pictures. Filming is slated to begin in March of 2009.
FUNERAL ARRANGMENTS MADE FOR LEVI STUBBS: Also, Motown Alumni Web site is accepting condolences.
*A public viewing for famed Four Tops singer Levi Stubbs will be held in Detroit on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 25 and 26) at the Swanson Funeral Home (14751 W Mcnichols Rd.) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Funeral services will follow on Oct. 27 at Greater Grace Temple - City of David (23500 W. Seven Mile Rd., Detroit) beginning at 10 a.m.
Stubbs died Friday at the age of 72 following a long illness. The Motown legend is survived by his wife, five children and 11 grandchildren
Fans may send condolences via the Web site www.Levi.MotownAlumni.com.
OBAMA'S GRANDMA HAS BROKEN HIP: "Toot's'" brother says she is "gravely ill." Senator will suspend campaign to visit.
*Barack Obama's 85-year-old grandmother Madelyn Payne Dunham broke her hip recently and is "gravely ill," her brother told the Associated Press Tuesday
Dunham, who goes by the nickname Toot, "has not been well for a long time. Then she fell and broke her hip fairly recently," Charles Payne said in a telephone interview from his home in Chicago. "She's unhappy with the condition that she's in, I can tell you that."
Obama said he will suspend his presidential campaign on Thursday and Friday to visit his grandmother, and Payne, Obama's great-uncle, is planning to fly there for her 86th birthday, which is Sunday.
Payne said his sister was hospitalized briefly but is back home in her Honolulu apartment, where Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, takes care of her. Payne, 83, said he spoke to his sister briefly on Monday.
"We had a short and as upbeat as possible conversation," said Payne, a retired university library administrator. "She hated the hospital."
Payne declined to speculate on whether his sister had the strength to see her grandson through the election on Nov. 4.
"I think, of course, it's been terribly important to her," he said.
"And she would like nothing better than to see that."
BOB JOHNSON HAS NO PLANS TO SELL BOBCATS: But BET founder had to gut the company to save money in failing economy.
*Bob Johnson says he will hang on to his struggling Charlotte Bobcats no matter how bad the economy gets.
Johnson, the first black majority owner of a major professional sports team, paid $300 million for the expansion franchise four years ago, and has laid off nearly 40 employees in the past month to save money, reports The Associated Press. Also, three top executives have left the organization.
But the founder of Black Entertainment Television said he has no intention of unloading the team, and will spend whatever it takes to get the Bobcats to the playoffs for the first time.
"I'm not selling the team," Johnson said. "We have had calls from people wanting to know if they would want additional investors in the team.
But there have been no discussions and I'm not interested in selling the team."
At the recommendation of a consulting firm, Johnson gutted the business and marketing departments, leaving just a skeleton crew and plenty of empty cubicles. But he insisted the basketball operations will not be affected by the cost-cutting.
The team re-signed forward Emeka Okafor to a six-year, $72 million deal this summer and hired Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown to replace Sam Vincent. Charlotte's payroll of about $63 million this season is above the NBA's $58.7 million salary cap.
"Part of that study was focused on if you're able to put together a winning combination on the court, it's going to have an impact on your ability to sell tickets, attract sponsorships and advertisers," Johnson said. "So we're doing the things we believe are most critical to drive the value of this team and to demonstrate to the community that we are committed to winning with our basketball product."
LOUIS VUITTON, GUCCI HOLD UP T.I. VIDEO: Fashion houses take issue with their logos in rapper's 'Swing Ya Rag' clip.
*T.I. griped to MTV Monday that his new video for "Swing Ya Rag" is being held up by fashion houses Louis Vuitton and Gucci, who are apparently upset over his use of their logos.
"We did it, and it came out hot," the rapper said of the clip. "Louis [Vuitton] and Gucci started trippin' about it. They were saying we were infringing, in one way or another. They weren't happy about it. They didn't want it to come out. But it's hot, though."
Tip has instead decided to shoot a video for his latest single, "Live Your Life" with Rihanna, as well as a possible clip for "Swagger Like Us," featuring Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne.
"I hope we can pull that off," he told MTV. "That was the definite intentions initially. We have to see when everybody is all available. I'm available whenever they are."
50 CENT JOINS CAST OF '13 TZAMETI': Rapper to co-star with Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham.
*Rapper 50 Cent has booked a part in director Gela Babluani's English-language remake of "13 Tzameti," a French Film that won the 2006 Sundance Grand Jury Prize.
The story centers on a man who steals a mysterious package that promises to pay out a fortune, reports Variety.
The project will begin shooting Nov. 17 in and around New York City.
As previously reported, 50 Cent has also landed a role in "Dead Man Running." According to his British co-star Danny Dyer, the plot revolves around a character "who basically gets in a serious bit of trouble with a real gangster and he’s got one day to live or he’s going to get ironed out if he doesn’t raise the funds. So, it’s basically about a dead man running, which is 50, and I play his sidekick who’s trying to get him out of trouble.”
LACHANZE BIRTHS OFF-BROADWAY 'BABY': 'Color Purple' star toplines production at Playwrights Horizons.
*Broadway sensation LaChanze has signed on to star in "Inked Baby"
at Off Broadway's Playwrights Horizons, marking her first stage role since winning the 2006 Tony for her performance in "The Color Purple."
Press notes describe the play as follows: "Stuck for money and unable to conceive, Gloria (LaChanze) enlists the aid of her sister to make the child that she and her husband can't. As they uneasily await the baby's arrival, a mysterious contamination spreads outside. But consumed by their own struggles, is anyone paying attention?
"In this imaginative, other-worldly new drama, one family fights to find its place in a neglected neighborhood."
Opening night will be March 23, and the production will run through April 5.
MARIAH THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT NICK'S AGE: But singer says his 'intelligence' and maturity made the difference.
*Age ain't nothing but a number to Mariah Carey. She was 20 years younger than her first husband, music mogul Tommy Mottola, and is a decade older than her current spouse Nick Cannon.
Carey, 38, married the entertainer in April following a six-week whirlwind romance. But the decision was not entirely without consideration of the age difference.
When asked if she ever had second thoughts about Cannon being 10 years younger, she told WENN: "You know what, I did. But he doesn't act like it (younger) -- he's really very intelligent. He's a very business-minded person, but he's also a lot of fun so you don't really think about those things. It is what it is.
"I've been with someone older and that could be a disaster or maybe you have to throw that side away and don't think about it -- think about who's right for you."
Carey and Mottola split in 1998 after five years of marriage.
METH & RED TOUR ADDS DATES: Rappers tack on handful of new shows and rearrange schedule.
*Method Man and Redman have announced new dates for a handful of upcoming shows after postponing the start of their trek earlier this month, reports Live Daily.
The pair have shuffled six dates back to the last week of November and the first week of December, including a Dec. 12 tour-closing show in Providence, RI, which originally was to serve as the tour's opening date.
The newly-launched tour continues tonight (10/22) in Covington, KY, and a complete list of dates (including rescheduled shows) is included below.
October 2008
22 - Covington, KY - Mad Hatter
23 - Detroit, MI - Crofoot Ballroom
24 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
27 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
29 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
30 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Tavern
31 - Salt Lake City, UT - Murray Theatre
November 2008
2 - Bellingham, WA - Western Washington University
4 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
5 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
6 - Arcata, CA - Humboldt State University
7 - San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom
8 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
9 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theater
11 - West Hollywood, CA - House Of Blues
13 - San Diego, CA - Cane's
14 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theater
15 - Albuquerque, NM - Albuquerque Convention Center
16 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
18 - Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ
19 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
21 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theater
22 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
23 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
25 - Norfolk, VA - NorVa Theatre
26 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
28 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony
29 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero (rescheduled from 10/18)
December 2008
2 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar (rescheduled from 10/19)
3 - Richmond, VA - Toad's Place (rescheduled from 10/18)
4 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground (rescheduled from 10/12)
5 - Worcester, MA - Palladium (rescheduled from 10/13) 10 - New Haven, CT - Toad's Place (rescheduled from 10/14)
12 - Providence, RI - Lupo's (rescheduled from 10/10)
MUSIC BITS: JT retires 'SexyBack'; rapper Rick Ross' Toro murdered; Xzibit's avoids Buble duet; Experience Hendrix wins lawsuit.
*At a charity concert Friday night in Las Vegas, Justin Timberlake announced that his performance of "SexyBack" would be his very last. According to WENN, the sold-out crowd at the Planet Hollywood Theatre gasped upon hearing the news. Timberlake went on to duet with Maroon 5's Adam Levine and both attempted to beat box with 50 Cent. Timberlake also teamed up with Lionel Richie to belt out the Commodores' "Easy." The benefit concert was part of his inaugural Shriners Hospitals for Children Open golf tournament week.
*A collaborator of rapper Rick Ross has been murdered in a drive-by shooting in Miami, Florida, reports WENN. Local rapper Toro, real name Derek Johnson, was riding in a car with a friend at about 4 a.m. Saturday (Oct.
18) when shots rang out from a passing a car near strip club Coco's, killing Johnson, 23, and injuring his male companion. Johnson's friend sustained a minor injury. As of press time, Miami-Dade police officers did not have a description of the shooter. Johnson was well-known for his Ross collaboration "Ride."
*Xzibit told E! Online that he was thisclose to performing a gimmicky song with Canadian crooner Michael Buble, and is thankful that it didn't happen. "Michael Bublé and I were supposed to work together, believe it or not," Xzibit said Saturday at the Galpin Auto Sports Grand Opening in Van Nuys. "It was supposed to happen in Australia for a little skit on some late-night talk show, but it just didn't happen—thank God! I mean, I'm seriously an artist."
*Seattle-based Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. and Authentic Hendrix, LLC, owners of the Jimi Hendrix music, trademarks and licensing rights, won their trademark infringement case against Craig Dieffenbach and his companies. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Zilly entered a permanent injunction prohibiting Dieffenbach, Electric Hendrix Spirits, LLC and others, from using Experience Hendrix trademarks on their vodka and other products. The injunction also requires Dieffenbach to demand that all distributors and licensees immediately withdraw the vodka and other infringing products from the market and cease all related advertising.
FILM/TV BITS: Oprah's Tina Turner dinner; 'Big Momma's House 3'; Mowry twin considers 'Dancing'; Tyler Perry on 'TV One on One.'
*Oprah Winfrey hosted a dinner for Tina Turner following her concert last week in Chicago. Tom Cruise showed up for the soiree at the Peninsula Hotel with his son Connor, according to the New York Post. Winfrey was reportedly excited that Turner introduced her to the concert crowd as "my best girlfriend."
*While conducting interviews for the new Bernie Mac/Samuel L. Jackson comedy "Soul Men," producer David Friendly announced that he's currently working on a third film in the "Big Momma's House" franchise. Friendly said FOX is fast-tracking the project and hopes to have it in theatres for 2009. The first two films starred Martin Lawrence as a cop who goes undercover as an overweight grandmother.
*E! Online spoke with former "Sister, Sister" costar Tamera Mowry about chances she would ever do a reality show. "I've been asked to do 'Dancing With the Stars,' and I've thought about the possibility, but I'm so afraid," Mowry said. "It's so terrifying to go out there and learn all those dances. My boyfriend, my boyfriend's dad and my sister all tell me to go after it, but there's no way you're going to see me on there anytime soon, because it just scares me. I've heard it's really hard on the body, and I think I would just cry all the time. Maybe in two or three years I would be willing to give it a try."
*TV One viewers can get a behind-the-scenes tour of Tyler Perry’s new studio as well as learn more about his childhood, his creative successes and his road to forgiveness when he talks with Cathy Hughes on “TV One on One,”
Sunday, Oct. 26 at 10 p.m., repeating at 1 a.m. (all times ET).
OBAMA BITS: Senator wins Nickelodeon's 'Kids Vote'; Google CEO gives endorsement; Miri Ben-Ari's video tribute.
*Sen. Barack Obama has won Nickelodeon's 2008 Kids Pick the President "Kids' Vote" following a record-breaking number of votes -- upwards of 2.2 million -- cast in the online poll. Obama received 51% of the vote (1,167,087), and Senator McCain received 49% (1,129,945). Kids were able to vote online from Oct. 12-20. Leading up to the vote, Nick News aired four election-themed episodes including: "Kids Primary"; "Election Issues"; Tales from the Trail"; and "Kids Pick the President." Additionally, this year Nickelodeon hit the campaign trail with its Election Connection Team-Lily Collins, Lil' JJ and Pick Boy-providing kids with an insider's look at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions through blogs, interstitial programming and PSAs.
*Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, an informal adviser to Barack Obama for several months, is joining the Democratic nominee on the campaign trail, reports the San Jose Mercury News. Schmidt was to appear Tuesday with Obama in the swing state of Florida to talk about the economy. Although Schmidt announced his backing of Obama in Monday's Wall Street Journal, he has been advising the campaign on technology and clean-energy issues for most of the summer. A statement from Google said the company "of course remains neutral" in the presidential race. As for Schmidt, the statement continues, "he believes that it is time for a change in America. In addition, his personal views on technology and energy are similar to Senator Obama's." Online fundraising records indicate that among Google employees, Obama is much more popular than GOP rival John McCain.
*Hip Hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari has released a new music video entitled “Stand With Me,” a rendition of the National Anthem dedicated to Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. [Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqDNl_9-SEo] With her native Israel being an important foreign policy subject, Ben-Ari hopes to influence the Jewish community to place more support behind Sen. Obama. “At this time of economic crisis, we need leadership that can bring change to our country while capturing the essence of the American Dream,” Ben-Ari explained to AllHipHop.com. “Coming to America as a new immigrant, poor and without my family helped me to better understand and appreciate the American Dream.”
Russell Simmons and fashion designer Marc Ecko make appearances in the clip.
SPORTS BITS: Larry Johnson investigated; Coach Mike Singletary; Reggie Bush's surgery; Marcus Vick pleads guilty.
*A 24-year-old woman claims that Larry Johnson intentionally spit his drink in her face at a Kansas City nightclub earlier this month, according to a police report released Monday. No charges had been filed or citations issued as of Monday, but Kansas City police said they were continuing to investigate the Oct. 14 incident at Club Blonde. The NFL is also conducting an investigation. Johnson, who has been accused by a woman of criminal offenses four times since he joined the Chiefs five years ago, could eventually be suspended for violating the league’s personal-conduct policy.
*Mike Singletary is the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers after the team fired Mike Nolan Monday in the wake of four straight defeats – the latest being Sunday's 29-17 loss to the New York Giants. Singletary, the famed centerpiece of the Chicago Bears' defense on their 1986 Super Bowl team, has been at Nolan's side since 2003, when he worked for Nolan on the Baltimore Ravens' coaching staff. Singletary interviewed for a handful of head coaching vacancies in recent years, but was out of the NFL from the end of his playing career in 1992 until joining the Ravens. "I am confident that Mike Singletary's leadership ability, along with his experience as both a Hall of Fame player and coach, gives him the ability to turn our season around," said general manager Scot McCloughan.
*New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush underwent surgery on his left knee Monday following an injury suffered during a punt return in Sunday's 30-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers. "He has been a big part of what we have been able to do offensively and it's an injury that we have to deal with," said head coach Sean Payton. "Hopefully on a short-term basis rather than a long-term basis, and it sounds like that's the case." It's unclear when the will be back with the team. Bush sustained cartilage damage, and some athletes have missed several months because of surgery to repair similar injuries. Aaron Stecker or Pierre Thomas will be called on to play alongside Deuce McAllister in the backfield.
*Former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick, the 24-year-old brother of former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, has pleaded guilty to drunken driving, eluding police and driving on the wrong side of the road, says Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney spokeswoman Amanda Howie. Marcus was arrested in June after fleeing from a bicycle patrol officer who saw him and a woman involved in a dispute. He was stopped minutes later. A judge suspended a 12-month jail sentence on the DUI charge, but Vick must pay $530 in fines and lose his license for a year. The athlete was cut from the Virginia Tech team in 2006 after a series of problems. The Miami Dolphins released him a year later.
BHERC SETS SCHEDULE AND ITINERARY: Annual Film Marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase kicks off Thursday.
*The Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center (BHERC) hosts the 15th Annual African American Film Marketplace and S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase October 23-27, in Hollywood, Calif.
The schedule is as follows:
Thursday, October 23, 2008 – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
A Great Day in Black Hollywood – Honoring Black Directors of Photography Program - Paramount Pictures – 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038 Reception - Raleigh Studios – 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038 – Immediately Following
Friday, October 24, 2008 – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Opening Night Reception Honoring:
William Allen Young, Actor – President’s Award Regina Jones, Publisher and Publicist – Lifetime Achievement Award Joseph “Joe” Wilcots, Director of Photography – Ivan Dixon Award of Achievement Lyndon Barrois, Animator/Producer – Award of Excellence Gloria Pualani, Business Executive – Corporate Award Desiree Edwards, Owner Watts Coffee House – Community Service Award
Program - Paramount Pictures – 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038 Reception - Raleigh Studios – 5300 Melrose Avenue – Immediately Following
Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26, 2008 – 10 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase
Program at Raleigh Studios – 5300 Melrose Avenue Films/Documentaries – 10:00 am to 10:00 pm Panel Discussions – 11:00 am to 5:00 pm Sunday Night Special Soulful Buffet and Film – 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm Night Special Soulful Buffet and Film – 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 pm
Monday, October 27, 2008 – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
closing night – “An Evening of Hair and Flair”
Program - Crenshaw Mall – Museum of African American Art 3650 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., Los Angeles, CA (Located at MACY'S on the 3rd Level, Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Mall) Panelist include: film hairstylists Robert L. Stevenson, Kenneth Walker, Pauletta Lewis, Erma Kent, as well as makeup artists Vonda Morris and Wynona Price.
For complete information visit www.BHERC.org or call (310) 284-3170.
MLK III TO DISCUSS POVERTY/VIOLENCE CONFERENCE: Rep. John Lewis and Jeffrey Sachs join son of civil rights icon at D.C. press event.
*Today in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King III will convene a meeting of the world's foremost civil rights and social leaders to galvanize a national debate to confront poverty, civic disengagement, and violence.
Martin Luther King III, Rep. John Lewis and Jeffrey Sachs will hold an 11:30 a.m. press conference at the Grand Hyatt (1100 H Street NW, Washington DC) to address the pressing need to combat poverty in America.
The press conference is part of The Summit to Realize the Dream. The Summit focuses on three crucial agendas: redressing poverty, building community through civic engagement, and fostering peace through non-violence. These three goals are mutually reinforcing components to any viable outcomes and to the core mission of the Summit's host organization, Realizing the Dream, Inc.
LIMBAUGH STANDS BEHIND POWELL COMMENTS: Talk radio host believes Colin Powell endorsed Obama because of race.
*Conservative talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh is taking issue with folks who are speaking out against his comments accusing Colin Powell of endorsing Barack Obama largely because of race.
"So what if it's race?" Limbaugh said on his radio show. "Why is it so hard to admit that it's race…What's so problematic about admitting it?"
On his radio show and in an e-mail to Politico.com reporter Jonathan Martin Sunday, Limbaugh said he didn't buy Powell's contention that his endorsement of the Illinois senator did not have anything to do with the color of his skin.
"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race," Limbaugh wrote in the e-mail. "OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."
After Limbaugh's comments were widely denounced on several Democratic blogs and by an Obama campaign spokeswoman (who called them "disgusting"), he made clear Monday he is not backing down from them.
"I thought it should be about race," he said. "I thought you liberals thought this was a historic candidacy because finally we are going to elect a black guy…why hide behind this, why act like it's not about race?"
"This was all about Powell and race, nothing about the nation and its welfare," Limbaugh added.
In announcing his endorsement of Obama, Powell said his decision was not based solely on race, but added "I can't deny that it will be a historic event for an African-American to become president."
"Should that happen, all Americans should be proud — not just African-Americans, but all Americans — that we have reached this point in our national history where such a thing could happen," Powell said on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Flight of the Red Balloon (Le Voyage du Ballon Rouge)
Boy Bonds with Asian Nanny in Surreal Drama Now on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Seven year-old Simon (Simon Iteanu) is being raised by a berserk single-mom (Juliette Binoche) so overwhelmed by her assorted responsibilities that she dumps him in the care of a new babysitter (Fang Song) who doesn’t even know where they live.
The trouble is that mother Suzanne is a puppeteer who’s consumed with putting the finishing touches on her next show when not fighting with her troublesome downstairs tenant (Hippolyte Giradot).
By contrast, Song, a nanny from Taiwan, is a relatively-mellow soul. She also happens to be a film school student who wants to make a movie with the very imaginative child now entrusted in her care.
Seems that she is able to escape to a parallel universe where Simon is followed everywhere he goes by a big red balloon, a development reminiscent of the 1956 French classic “The Red Balloon” about a peripatetic Parisian boy also trailed by, what else, but a red balloon.
This praiseworthy homage, directed by Hsiao-hsien Hou, doesn’t provide much of a linear plotline worth following, unless you care to be distracted by foul-mouthed Suzanne’s annoying caterwaul and her selfish concerns. Rather, this is a flick designed to be appreciated for its more subtle moments, those evocative interludes shared by the virtually abandoned child and his sensitive au pair as they perambulate the urban exoskeleton of an enchantingly-framed City of Light.
A slight, surreal cinematic experiment apt to enthrall the more discerning theatergoer, while leaving the mundane masses scratching their heads and asking, “Is that it?”
Very good (3 stars)
Unrated
In French with subtitles.
Running time: 115 minutes
Studi Genius Products
To see a trailer for Flight of the Red Balloon, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYq2tBf3p5s
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
“A good plan today is better than a great plan tomorrow.” by General George S. Patton
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Oct. 22: Reggae rapper Shaggy is 40. Rapper Tracey Lee is 38.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Aspiring African American actors, models, dancers and singers will want to bookmark Young Black Starz.org (www.YoungBlackStarz.org).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Oct. 22, 1953: Clarence S. Green becomes the first African-American certified in neurological surgery. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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