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05-21-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
NATALIE COLE HAS A NEW KIDNEY: Singer underwent 'successful transplant'
surgery; will suspend summer tour to recuperate.
*Natalie Cole is the recipient of a brand new kidney, according to an announcement Wednesday from her reps.
The 59-year-old singer underwent successful kidney transplant surgery, her camp stated without any further details at press time.
Cole will reportedly postpone her summer tour as she recovers.
The daughter of the late Nat King Cole has been receiving dialysis three times a week since September. She still continued her concert tour in support of her latest album, "Still Unforgettable."
The Grammy-winner announced she was diagnosed with hepatitis C in February 2008. Her kidneys failed after treatment and she had since been seeking a donor.
SUSPECT IN DOLLA MURDER CHARGED: Georgia man accused of gunning down rapper at the Beverly Center.
*The Georgia man suspected of killing up-and-coming rapper Dolla in Los Angeles Monday was charged Wednesday with one count of murder and two counts of assault with a firearm, reports the Associated Press.
Prosecutors say Aubrey Louis Berry, 23, shot and killed the Atlanta-based artist in broad daylight outside of the Beverly Center mall in Beverly Hills before fleeing the scene.
He was arrested hours later at Los Angeles International Airport and is currently being held on 1.1 million dollars bail. He faces a maximum of life imprisonment.
Dolla -- real name Roderick Anthony Burton II -- had signed a deal with rap star Akon's Konvict Muzik, and released such singles as "Feelin Myself" and "I'm Tore Up."
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the slaying, but Burton's publicist has said the rapper got into a fight with a passenger during a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles.
MIJAC POSTPONES FOUR CONCERTS: Kickoff to 50-night stand moves delayed five days; three July shows move to 2010.
*Reps for Michael Jackson's upcoming string of London concerts have announced that several will be postponed, prompting more speculation that the singer's health is not as good as his camp is claiming.
The opening night at the 02 Arena had been set for July 8 but will be pushed back to July 13, promoters stated. In addition, shows scheduled for July 10, July 12 and July 14 will instead be held in March 2010.
Jackson's rep, Dr. Tohme Tohme, denied earlier reports that the King of Pop is suffering from skin cancer. The singer's collaborator, Kenny Ortega, said the postponements were made not for health reasons, but to ensure the delivery of a flawless production.
"We apologize to all disappointed Michael Jackson fans and remain extremely dedicated and focused on creating an exceptional live music experience," said Ortega, according to the Associated Press.
Promoters said anyone who chooses not to attend the rescheduled shows will be entitled to a full refund.
BET SPINS OFF 'FRANKIE AND NEFFE': Mother and sister of Keyshia Cole to get own reality show.
*Now that BET has secured a new unscripted series about singer Monica for the fall ("Monica: Still Standing"), it appears the network doesn't have enough room for two reality shows surrounding R&B starlets.
With "Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is" not appearing on the fall schedule, BET announced Wednesday that it will present a spinoff series starring Cole's popular mother Frankie and sister Neffe.
Premiering Aug. 25 at 10 p.m., "Frankie and Neffe" will follow the pair as they "strive to gain financial independence, while taking on the responsibilities of implementing and maintaining positive lifestyle changes, raising families, and handling the drama and men in their lives," according to BET.
The eight episode series is executive produced by James DuBose of DuBose Entertainment for BET.
MICHAEL VICK OUT OF JAIL, BACK IN VA: Suspended QB on home confinement until July 20.
*Michael Vick is back in Virginia to begin the home confinement leg of his prison sentence for financing an illegal dogfighting ring.
After serving 18 months at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, the suspended NFL star left before dawn Wednesday to continue a two-month stretch at his five-bedroom house in Hampton.
Vick, his fiance, Kijafa Frink, and several members of a security team arranged for by Vick's lawyers and advisers traveled back east by car, according to the Associated Press. Also along for the 19-hour drive was a videographer, likely taping the event for a planned reality show.
"It's a happy day for him to be starting this part of the process,"
Larry Woodward, Vick's Virginia-based attorney, said. "He looks forward to meeting the challenges he has to meet."
Ultimately, Vick's goal is to rehabilitate his image and return to the NFL, but Woodward said his first priority "is spending time with his children and his loved ones."
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Wednesday that Vick has paid his debt to society and merits a second chance. But Blank said that second chance won't come with the Falcons.
"We've made it clear Michael's not going to play for us again, as you know," Blank said. "Right now his salary is being tolled so it has no effect on our cap, beyond the allocation of signing bonus which happens under any circumstances. So we'll deal with it at the time we think is correct."
Vick, once the NFL's highest-paid player, is scheduled to report to a probation officer Friday in Norfolk, Woodward said. He will be allowed to leave home to work a $10-an-hour job as a laborer for a construction company and for other limited purposes approved by his probation officer. He will serve three years of probation after his home confinement ends.
The Humane Society of the United States said Tuesday that Vick met its president recently in prison and wants to work on a program aimed at eradicating dogfighting among urban teens.
Vick is scheduled to be released from federal custody on July 20.
PROSECUTORS CLARIFY T.I.'S JAIL TIME: Reports that rapper would end up serving two months of 366-day sentence are inaccurate.
*The U.S. attorney's office is calling inaccurate an Associated Press report that suggested T.I.'s upcoming 366-day prison sentence on gun
charges would likely end up as a two-month stint due to time served.
The rapper, born Clifford Harris, is due to report to the Forrest City low-security federal prison in Little Rock, Arkansas, on May 26.
The AP reported that T.I. had been given credit for 305 days of home detention, "so his stay at Forrest City prison will likely be only two months." But, according to Charysse Alexander, a spokesperson for the U.S.
Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the news agency misread the sentencing report.
Alexander says the artist was indeed given credit for the 305 days of home confinement he served while awaiting trial in the case, but that has nothing to do with his prison sentence.
She explained that, at best, according to federal sentencing guidelines, anyone who serves more than one year in prison is eligible for a
15 percent "good time" credit, which in T.I.'s case could shave almost 55 days off his sentence.
The confusion may have stemmed from mixing the credit for home confinement with the prison sentence, which are separate terms, Alexander said. Once T.I. completes the prison term, he will still have to serve out the remainder of his home confinement, she said, which will amount to about two months.
The crimes T.I. was accused of usually come with a sentence of five or more years, but due to the plea deal worked out with prosecutors, he was able to receive a reduced sentence provided he performed more than 1,000 hours of community service over the last year, speaking to kids about the pitfalls of drugs, crime and gangs.
NBC WANTED OPRAH IN PRIMETIME: Jeff Zucker asked her to bring daytime talk show to 10 p.m. weeknights.
*Two years before NBC signed Jay Leno to host a nightly series in primetime, the net approached Oprah Winfrey and even CBS rival David Letterman about taking on similar gigs, according to Variety.
NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker said he talked to Winfrey in 2007 about moving her show to 8 p.m. weeknights on the network, but she declined.
According to Zucker, Winfrey said she might have considered it a few years earlier, but it wasn't the right fit at that point.
Zucker said the idea for a Letterman strip at 8 p.m. was floated to the CBS host about 10 years ago.
Leno, who signs off "The Tonight Show" for good next week, confirmed that the 10 p.m. run would indeed be titled "The Jay Leno Show."
R.ORDER AGAINST MEMBER OF R&B TRIO NEXT: Restraining order filed by ex-girlfriend; she says he broke into her home.
*Singer Raphael Brown, formerly of the R&B trio Next, has been ordered by a California judge to stay away from an ex-girlfriend after allegedly harassing her and breaking into her home.
TMZ.com is reporting that Nikki Giavasis claims she broke up with Brown last year after a brief fling, but he continued to pursue her and reportedly broke into her house in the San Fernando Valley, stealing a pair of $700 shoes and a $1,000 handbag.
She called police to her home last week after Brown tried to enter the gated community, and he was arrested on an outstanding warrant, according to TMZ.com.
Giavasis filed papers for a restraining order against the singer earlier this month and the request was approved by a judge on May 11.
LEGEND PERFORMS FOR HIS 'SHOW ME' CHARITY: Plus, singer pads summer tour; dates added in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Cleveland and more.
*John Legend held a posh benefit dinner for his two-year-old nonprofit organization Show Me on Tuesday night, and celebrated the event with an intimate performance for his invited guests.
Wyclef Jean, NAACP president and CEO Benjamin Jealous, former New York Giants player Tiki Barber, top economist Jeffrey Sachs and others were on hand for the event, which promotes the message that individuals have to step up to change the circumstances of the poor.
"Our organization by itself can't do it, but we believe we can be part of the solution and we don't want to wait around for everybody else to do it," he told the Associated Press in an interview.
"We're funding a village in Tanzania and we're seeing positive results on the ground that show that our work is making a positive impact over there, and if we were just to replicate that throughout the world, we can see a lot of progress made," Legend said.
The event raised about $300,000 through a private auction.
Meanwhile, Legend has added more stops on his upcoming summer jaunt behind "Evolver" for the second time in recent months, tacking on 29 new dates through early fall, reports Live Daily.
The outing, which launches June 27 in Muskegon, WI, now has the singer/songwriter/pianist on the road through the Austin City Limits Festival Oct. 2-4. Stops were added in Milwaukee, WI (6/28); Hollywood, FL
(7/9 and 7/19); Indianapolis, IN (7/28); Cleveland, OH (8/1); New York (8/13); Santa Barbara, CA (9/5) and Honolulu (9/12), among others.
The full itinerary is below.
June 2009
27 - Muskegon, MI - Heritage Landing
28 - Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater 30 - St. Louis, MO - Fabulous Fox Theatre
July 2009
2 - Robinsonville, MS - Harrah's Event Center at Harrah's Casino Tunica
3 - New Orleans, LA - Louisiana Superdome
5 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre
8 - Fort Myers, FL - Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
9 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Live
11 - North Charleston, SC - North Charleston Performing Arts Center
14 - Portsmouth, VA - Ntelos Wireless Pavilion
15 - Charlottesville, VA - Charlottesville Pavilion
17 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
18 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre
19 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Live 20, 21 - Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Festival at Ravinia Park
24 - Elizabeth, IN - Horseshoe Southern Indiana
25 - Windsor, Ontario - Caesars Windsor The Colosseum
28 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre
31 - Cincinnati, OH - Paul Brown Stadium
August 2009
1 - Cleveland, OH - The Nautica Pavilion
3 - West Homestead, PA - Riverplex Amphitheatre at Sandcastle
5 - Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center for the Performing Arts
7 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion
8 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand Theater 10 - Canandaigua, NY - Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
12 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
13 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden Arena
15 - Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center for the Performing Arts
17 - Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
18 - Orillia, Ontario - Casino Rama Entertainment Centre
22 - Kansas City, MO - Ameristar Hotel & Casino
24 - Tulsa, OK - SpiritBank Event Center
28 - Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
29 - Goldendale, WA - Maryhill Winery Amphitheater
September 2009
1, 2 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
4 - West Sacramento, CA - Raley Field
5 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
6 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre
10 - Kahului, HI - Castle Theater
12 - Honolulu, HI - Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall
October 2009
2, 3, 4 - Austin, TX - Zilker Park
DJIMON HOUNSOU JOINS CAST OF 'MANDRAKE': Actor to star in adaptation of Lee Falk's comic strip.
*Djimon Hounsou will star opposite Hayden Christensen in the Mimi Leder-directed "Mandrake," an adaptation of Lee Falk's comic strip "Mandrake the Magician."
According to ComingSoon.net, the story follows Jackson Mandrake (Christensen), whose acts as an underground magician and escapologist have grown increasingly dangerous. Following a daring escape from an SUV that has been dropped out of an airplane at the Burning Man Festival, he is coerced by the CIA into breaking a deep-cover agent out of a maximum security jail - then learns that the whole operation was a set up.
Hounsou will presumably be taking on the role of Mandrake's assistant, Lothar.
Mandrake and Lothar will be familiar characters to any watchers of the 1986 cartoon series "Defenders of the Earth," which starred the pair alongside Flash Gordon and The Phantom.
WILL SMITH'S OVERBROOK TO HELM KATRINA FILM: Story follows ex-Marine who helped rescue hundreds of neighbors during storm.
*Sony Pictures announced in a Wednesday Twitter that Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment will produce the Hurricane Katrina drama "The American Can," written and directed by John Lee Hancock.
The story tells how ex-Marine John Keller orchestrated the rescue of hundreds of his neighbors during the deadly storm.
Standing a 6-foot-seven and 260 pounds, Keller lived in a five-story apartment building and after chasing some looters, emerged as the man in charge of the edifice and of the 244 residents, many of them elderly or handicapped.
For five days, Keller, dubbed the "Can Man," kept the building, isolated by 11 feet of water, safe from the chaos raging around the city. He also directed the eventual rescue operation from the building's roof.
Sony and Overbrook have picked up movie rights to his life story, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Hancock, meanwhile, is in production on "The Blind Side," the true story of an impoverished black teen who attracted the interest of a white couple and became one of the top high school football prospects in the country.
ELGIN BAYLOR SUES OVER LEAKY ROOF: NBA legend blames insurance company for
*Basketball legend Elgin Baylor is suing an insurance company over a dispute regarding roof repairs on his Los Angeles mansion.
The retired sports icon's Beverly Hills home was battered by a "violent rainstorm" in February 2008, which caused a bad leak in his roof that damaged several rooms in the house, reports TMZ.com.
He claimed insurance for the leak and was granted a payout from the unnamed firm. Baylor alleges investigators at the company contacted him months later wanting to run tests on the roof - but the builder they hired reportedly caused more damage to the home, according to TMZ.
In legal papers filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, Baylor claims insurers "failed to repair damages from the testing, leaving holes and openings in the structure."
The dispute remained unresolved in February 2009, when a new storm led to further damage to Baylor's home. He's suing executives at the insurance company and the builder involved for unspecified damages.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Randy's accessories; Brolin as John Brown?; FCC probes Arbitron; former Latifah lawyer in trouble; Eminem's free concert.
*Now that an "American Idol" has been crowned, judge Randy Jackson can turn all of his attention to his second-favorite pastime - the fashion business. With a line of designer eyewear under his belt, the musician took a meeting last week at the W Hotel in LA's Westwood area to discuss a line of women's accessories. A witness told the New York Daily News, "Randy met with a PR agency to discuss how to market a new line of handbags, but he had to cut the meeting short to film 'Idol.'"
*Josh Brolin is reportedly looking to produce a biopic about John Brown, the American abolitionist who killed five Southern slave-owners before the start of the Civil War. "It's a great, great project," Brolin told ComingSoon.net. "The script was already out there; I read the script, I loved it. It would be a very tough character for me to play. We're going to do some tests, but it's a great script and story. .People have been wanting to do it forever and there's a lot of directors who'd love to be involved, so I think now's the time."
*The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday launched a review into whether a Columbia-based broadcast research firm undercounts minority radio listeners, reports the Washington Post. In a notice of inquiry, the FCC said broadcasters and media organizations have raised concerns that Arbitron does not include enough minorities in its sample groups, which are used to determine radio audience ratings. The FCC said it is also looking into complaints that Arbitron does not distribute enough of its measuring devices in African American and Hispanic communities. As a result, critics say, minority audiences are undercounted and the stations they listen to most frequently have a harder time competing for advertisers.
*A former New Jersey prosecutor who once had Queen Latifah and Lil'
Kim as clients is accused in New Jersey of arranging the murder of a witness in a drug case. FBI agents arrested Paul Bergrin and three others Wednesday.
Prosecutors say Bergrin led a racketeering conspiracy that included the murder of a witness in a drug case, the attempted hiring of a hit man in another drug case, wire fraud and money laundering.
The charges come two weeks after the Morganville resident pleaded guilty in New York to helping run an exclusive Manhattan call-girl ring.
*Eminem performed a free concert at Detroit's Motor City Hotel Tuesday night to celebrate the release of his new album "Relapse." He ripped through eight songs in just under 40 minutes; seven of the tracks were from "Relapse," the eighth was "Lose Yourself" with members of D12 joining him on stage.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Revanche
Ex-Con and Call Girl Enter Ill-Fated Conspiracy in Tawdry Tale of Lust, Loss & Revenge
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Desperate times call for desperate measures. And times are getting pretty desperate for Tamara (Irina Potapenko), a Ukranian call girl plying her trade in a Viennese brothel, and her boyfriend, Alex (Johannes Krisch), an Austrian ex-con who works there greeting her Johns at the door.
Not surprisingly, both find this arrangement somewhat unsatisfying. Besides the obvious fact that she's sleeping with lots of strangers, they can't even let on that they are in love, because her pimp, Angel (Aleksander Reljic-Bohigas), has expressed a romantic interest in Tamara himself.
The straw that breaks the camel's back is when Alex overhears his lecherous boss asking her to satisfy him orally on the spot.
What to do? Tamara can't quit, since she's $30,000 in debt. So, Alex hatches a cockamamie plot to rob a bank.
Only after he reassures her repeatedly that "nothing can go wrong" with his "foolproof" plan, does this proverbial hooker with a heart of gold reluctantly agrees to participate.
However, as Robert Buns once said, "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." While Alex is inside the bank pulling the heist, a cop (Andreas Lust) saunters over to the getaway car quite by coincidence and strikes up a conversation with the gorgeous gun moll. Alex soon arrives with a big bag of loot and, pointing his pistol, forces the officer to lie on the ground as they drive off.
But then the patrolman jumps to his feet and empties his revolver in the general direction of the auto. And Alex's exuberance over escaping turns to regret when he realizes Tamara has taken a bullet to the head.
This sets the stage for some sweet revenge in Revanche, a tawdry tale of lust, loss and revenge directed by Gotz Spielmann. For, as luck would have it, Robert the cop and his wife, Susanne (Ursula Strauss), happen to live in the same rural village as Alex's hideout on the farm of his aging, accordion-playing grandfather (Johannes Thanheiser).
Things are about go from bad to worse for the couple, who were already emotionally-estranged because Bob's been shooting blanks in the bedroom. Now he's so distraught over killing an unarmed woman in the line of duty that takes a leave from the force for psychological reasons, and starts hanging out at the local pub as therapy.
The plot thickens, tensions rise, and the surprising developments of this cleverly-concealed whodunit lead to a resolution so intriguing it's hard to resist the temptation to spoil the ending. A mesmerizing masterpiece which eloquently meshes the raw, super-realism found in Eastern Promises with the manipulative, mental chess moves of David Mamet's House of Games.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In German and Russian with subtitles.
Running time: 121 minutes
Studi Janus Films
To see a trailer for Revanche, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJwGep3MIO0
EUR FILM REVIEW: Lemon Tree (Etz Limon)
Palestinian and Jews Settle Differences in Court in Middle East Drama
Film Review by Kam Williams
*When you think of the Middle East, probably the last thing that comes to mind is anybody settling their differences in a civilized manner.
But that is exactly what we find in Lemon Tree, a gripping drama based on a real-life incident which revolved around a standoff between a Palestinian widow (Hiam Abbass) and the Israeli Minister of Defense (Doron Tavory).
With her children grown, Salma Zidane had been quietly minding her own B.I.
business on a modest estate she inherited from her father, tending to the lemon grove located on the property with the help of an elderly caretaker (Tarik Copty).
But because the land lay along the border between Israel and the West Bank, everything changed the day that Mr. Navon and his family moved into the newly-built McMansion right next-door.
The problem was that the Israel equivalent of the Secret Service was charged with the unenviable task of protecting the Minister from terrorists. And the first thing they noticed in reconnoitering the perimeter was the cluster of 300 trees directly across from the house which posed a security risk since it could easily provide cover for an assassination attack.
When they inform Salma of their plans to flatten the field, she urgently summons her son (Loai Nofi) back from America where he has been working as a busboy in a restaurant in the nation's Capital. But the pissed-off Palestinian doesn't ask Nasser to strap on a vest of plastic explosives and blow himself up on a bus filled with Jews, but to return home to help her fight the arbitrary order in court.
She also retained his services of a handsome, young attorney (Ali Suliman) who just happens to be recently divorced. And while the lonely lawyer is trying to focus on getting an injunction and preparing for a tough trial, it's no surprise that his head might be turn by the well-preserved cougar who hired him.
Still, the point of the picture is to highlight the legal case which the secret lovebirds appeal all the way up to the Supreme Court, despite the overwhelming odds in the favor of the Israeli military. However, a pivotal player proves to be the Defense Minister's wife, Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael), whose compassion helps lead to an 11th hour compromise that would warm the heart of Solomon.
If only every Arab-Israeli conflicts could resolved with Biblical wisdom rather than with bombs and bullets!
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
In Hebrew, Arabic, French and English with subtitles.
Running time: 106 minutes
Studi IFC Films
To see a trailer for Lemon Tree, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIoowHIpUT0
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: Resuscitating the GOP 2: The Brand
"And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
Mark 3:25
*It is both reasonable and fair to ask reformers of the Republican Party – those suggesting that we jettison the right wing and seek the gooey center of American politics -- exactly how many of their convictions they are willing to compromise in pursuit of electoral success. It is also fair and reasonable to ask whether the people can truly admire or trust any public servant that is willing to sacrifice their convictions upon the altar of political power.
Party reformers are quick to point to the Democratic Party model that has proved successful, to whit: silencing the far left of their party and supporting centrist or blue dog candidates. Or so they say. The list of pro-life, pro-family, pro-second amendment, Global warming skeptic democrats in party leadership positions is very short indeed.
More significantly, a new liberal by any other name is, well, still a new liberal. The bed-sheets in the white house had barely been changed before the newly empowered party approved new funding for abortions internationally and attempted to hide funding for domestic abortion clinics in the stimulus bill, moved to nationalize banks and auto manufactures, pushed to nationalize healthcare, reversed welfare reform and killed the D.C. school voucher program. Then they had lunch. No. Far from moving to the center -- from abandoning their principles -- democrats simply lied about what they were up to. In some circles this is called being politically savvy; in others it is more correctly called being dishonest. And there is a reason the left is deceptive about their intentions: they know that if they told the truth they could only get elected in California and certain districts of Caracas.
Conversely the conservative principles of family, faith, personal liberty and entrepreneurship are the very values that resonate with the vast majority of the American people; we need not be fearful of espousing them. Indeed we ought to shout them from the rooftops. But principle is not a brand and it is the Republican brand that is in need of a bit of spit and polish. The party brand has become associated with disingenuousness and weakness, two traits the American people do not suffer lightly (as Democrats will no doubt discover after the honeymoon ends.)
Two recent examples.
In March congressional Republicans lambasted the earmarks in the stimulus bill claiming their Democratic colleagues were not serious about cutting wasteful spending. The furor died down when it was revealed that a full 40% of the earmarks were going to Republicans. It is difficult for voters to take seriously Republican promises to guard the public trough from pork barrel spending when they are sopping their biscuits in the gravy.
Last week the Media reported that the Social Security and Medicare Trust funds will become insolvent much sooner than predicted. Republicans have begun to play “I told you so.” The problem is that 4 years ago when former President George W. Bush attempted to transform Social Security Congressional Republicans retreated from the challenge. Perhaps they were high on the satisfaction of having created a brand new entitlement: prescription drug benefits. It is next to impossible to present oneself as the party of entitlement reform after having created a new entitlement boondoggle and failing to find the political will to reform another.
On the issues people care most about – health care and the health of this economy-- the GOP has failed to define the debate and are in danger of being outflanked by the left just as they were outflanked on social issues. Where the party should have credibility it has lost trust and most importantly when it should have been leading it instead decided to follow.
The conversation Republicans ought to be having is one that has nothing to do with party moderates versus conservatives and everything to do with repairing a brand by standing up for those principles that most Americans still believe in.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
BETWEEN THE LINES: Los Angeles NAACP Life Achievement Award: Still Crazy (Controversial) After All These Years
Anthony Asadullah Samad
*I had a déjà vu moment last week while watching Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, receive the Los Angeles NAACP Chapter’s Life Achievement Award. Watching Sterling try to find the words of why he merited the award was like watching George Wallace try to convince black voters that he had changed from his segregationist ways in the 1972 Presidential election. It just wasn’t selling, given he’d been sued for discriminating against black renters in his many Westside highrises over the past few years, and then sued by his longest black employee, superstar legend, Elgin Baylor, in the past year for running his basketball team like a plantation (again for race discrimination). So when the Los Angeles NAACP announced they were honoring Sterling, a collective “oh boy” shot through the community. This was a controversial pick if there ever was one. Some might even call it, “crazy.”
Now I’m not saying that Donald Sterling is a racist, but he certainly seems to have his share of problems with black people. Maybe it’s just coincidental, that all these black people are suing him for race discrimination—but that would be a problem for me to give the chapter’s highest honor while all this stuff is still going on. At the end of the day (night), all that can be said was that he gives kids tickets to basketball games (how else would you get them to a Clippers game?). It was enough to choke on your chicken. And then he left the award sitting on the table while he left for the hotel bar. Yep. But this still might not have been the branch’s craziest pick.
This whole awards fiasco with the L.A. NAACP took me back, way back, to 1987 and Century Plaza where this same chapter gave this same controversial award to singer Frank Sinatra right after he was the only major entertainer to play Sun City, a South African resort, during apartheid. The choice to honor Sinatra hit like a bombshell. It divided chapter members, officers (I was first Vice President at the time-and I opposed the award), and most importantly, the community that was firmly in the midst of an anti-apartheid movement. Clearly, the choice of Sinatra was about a financially cash strapped branch and the need for Sinatra to get some cover from the bad press he had gotten globally. He needed some black people and the branch needed some money. It was a marriage made in hell. Even the national organization issued a statement that branches make their own award selection (read that as: We don’t have anything to do this and don’t agree with it). If they agreed with it, it would have been no need to make the statement. They had to make one because protesters were threatening to boycott the NAACP and its sponsors. Imagine the “boycotter” being boycotted. Those were crazy days. Sinatra raised the branch $400,000 and got some press to deflect the other press he was getting-mainly about the branch members and community being divided over him receiving the award. And he stayed the whole dinner. But it tore the branch up forever. I became President the following year but the Sinatra planners in the branch sought revenge, and blew up the branch in the process. The branch has never recovered.
Fast forward twenty years later, when Donald Sterling’s “race issues” first came to light over refusing to rent to black tenants. Once the lawsuit hit in the national press, the “un-Donald” was looking for some black friends. Sterling couldn’t get no press so he started buying his own press space in the L.A. Times, running ads showing black occupants in his buildings. Then he started inviting black leaders to parties - taking pictures of them and putting them in the paper around his picture. Insulting but they put themselves in that position. Some demanded he stop, and he did. Then he started having his own award banquets, honoring - you guessed it — himself. It really took megalomania to another level. But finally, Sterling got someone to “bite the cookie.” It was the toothless Los Angeles NAACP. I heard they really needed the money, and with this being their 100th anniversary and all, may have been a little anxious. The community was going to support them (once an NAACPer, always an NAACPer) regardless of who the honoree was for their 100th year (the branch’s 95th year). I just hope Sterling didn’t get them for cheap. But I know he got ‘em. And thus, déjà vu all over again (as Yogi Berra once said).
I hate to talk about my old branch like that, but the truth is the truth. No longer a leader, but a worthy coalition player, the branch did take a role in getting UCLA to admit more African American freshmen. And they did honor UCLA’s Chancellor for doing so last week. But did they get Donald Sterling to rent to more African Americans? You would think that information was readily available…but it wasn’t. Did he settle with Elgin Baylor? Baylor is my all-time favorite of the pre-1980 Lakers and the Lakers first star, but the Lakers never hired him in the organization after his playing days. The Clippers did, for marketing and branding reasons. Baylor presided over twenty years of the worst basketball you ever wanted to watch largely because, with Sterling looking over his shoulder, he didn’t control purse strings. So he drafted college star after college star, who walked away superstars when they became free agents because they wouldn’t re-up. Baylor deserved a better landing than he got. He would’ve been a great lifetime achievement honoree. Sterling dumping Elgin Baylor was like the Dodgers trading Jackie Robinson to the San Francisco Giants, it was cruel and unnecessary. Baylor deserved (and still deserves) a victory lap in Los Angeles. Instead, the NAACP gave Donald Sterling a victory lap. And he left the cup on the table.
Boy, that NAACP Life Achievement Award is a tricky one to gauge. You never know just who earned it, deserved it or straight out bought it. One thing’s for sure… It’s still crazy (controversial) after all these years.
Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D., is a national columnist, managing director of the Urban Issues Forum (www.urbanissuesforum.com) and author of the book, Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. He can be reached at www.AnthonySamad.com
GLENN'S STRATEGIES OF WELL-BEING: The Dangers of High Blood Pressure
*Untreated high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, problems with blood vessels and blood flow, kidney and eye problems, and early death. It is estimated that 1 of 3 American adults has high blood pressure or hypertension.
High blood pressure is often called the ‘silent killer’ because it usually has no noticeable warning signs or symptoms until other serious problems arise. Therefore, many people with high blood pressure do not know that they have it. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. It can lead to hardened or stiffened arteries, which causes a decrease of blood flow to the heart muscle and other parts of the body. Reduced blood to the heart muscle can lead to angina or to a heart attack.
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the artery walls. It is often written or stated as two numbers. The first or top number represents the pressure when the heart contracts. This is called systolic pressure. The second or bottom number represents the pressure when the heart rests between beats. This is called diastolic pressure.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart failure, a serious condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood for the body’s needs. It is also the major risk factor for stroke, which is the third leading cause of death in the United States. A stroke may be caused by a rupture or blockage of an artery that supplies blood and oxygen to the brain.
In addition, high blood pressure can result in damage to the eyes, including blindness. The blood vessels in the eyes can rupture or burst from high blood pressure leading to impairment of sight.
High blood pressure can also result in kidney disease and kidney failure. The kidneys filter wastes from fluids in the body. High blood pressure can thicken and narrow the blood vessels of the kidneys, resulting in less fluid being filtered and wastes building up in the body. Also, diseases of the kidney can be a cause of high blood pressure.
If you have diabetes, you are at least twice as likely as someone who does not have diabetes to have heart disease or a stroke. People with diabetes also tend to develop heart disease or have strokes at an earlier age than other people. If you are middle-aged and have type 2 diabetes, some studies suggest that your chance of having a heart attack is as high as someone without diabetes who has already had one heart attack.
People with diabetes who have already had one heart attack run an even greater risk of having a second one. In addition, heart attacks in people with diabetes are more serious and more likely to result in death. High blood glucose levels over time can lead to increased deposits of fatty materials on the insides of the blood vessel walls. These deposits may affect blood flow, increasing the chance of clogging and hardening of blood vessels (atherosclerosis).
A stroke results when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly cut off, which can occur when a blood vessel in the brain or neck is blocked or bursts. Brain cells are then deprived of oxygen and die. Most strokes are caused by fatty deposits or blood clots — jelly-like clumps of blood cells — that narrow or block one of the blood vessels in the brain or neck. A blood clot may stay where it formed or can travel within the body. People with diabetes are at increased risk for strokes caused by blood clots. A stroke may also be caused by a bleeding blood vessel in the brain, called an aneurysm, which is a break in a blood vessel that can occur as a result of high blood pressure or a weak spot in a blood vessel wall.
There are several types of medications that are used to treat high blood pressure. Frequently, more than one type will be used. It is important to take these as prescribed. High blood pressure medicines fall into one of these types:
Diuretics work in the kidney and flush excess water and sodium from the body. They are sometimes called "water pills."
Beta–blockers reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels, which makes the heart beat slower and with less force.
Angiotensin–converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors cause the blood vessels to relax. ACE inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes the blood vessels to narrow.
Angiotensin antagonists shield the blood vessels from angiotensin II. As a result, the vessels become wider.
Calcium channel blockers prevent calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to relax.
Alpha–blockers reduce nerve impulses to the blood vessels, which allows the blood to pass more easily.
Alpha–beta–blockers work the same way as alpha-blockers but also slow the heartbeat, as beta–blockers do. As a result, less blood is pumped through the vessels.
Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses. This causes the blood vessels to become wider.
Vasodilators directly open the blood vessels by relaxing the muscle in the vessel walls.
It is important to keep in mind that high blood pressure can be prevented or controlled through lifestyle changes and with medications when needed.
Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.
Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!
Glenn Ellis is a Health Advocacy Communications Specialist. He is the author of Which Doctor?, and is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics.
For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com
AUDREY’S SOCIETY WHIRL: New York Urban League Honors Susan Dryfoos, Bill Lewis and Jessye Norman At 44th Annual Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner; NYUL’s Newly Appointed President & CEO, Arva Rice, Thanks Sponsors And Guests For Continued Support
By Audrey J. Bernard, Fashion/Lifestyles/Society Editor
*Now, more than ever, New York needs The New York Urban League (NYUL)!
In her humble words, the newly appointed president and CEO of the New York Urban League, Arva Rice, welcomed a stellar audience to the League’s 44th annual Frederick Douglass awards dinner at the opulent Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Columbus Circle, New York City on Thursday, May 7, 2009.
In her remarks, Rice, resplendent in a red formal gown, told the audience how humbled she was to be part of the celebration and to have been selected to lead this great civil rights organization that has championed the fight against discriminatory practices throughout the world for the past 90 years.
“I am humbled and excited to take the helm of the New York Urban League at this point in history. In this time of economic uncertainty, NYUL is ready to serve our community the way we have for over 90 years,” she noted. “The League has made significant contributions to New York City life and will continue to do so for the next 90 years.”
Rice also lauded the evening’s distinguished honorees for their vast accomplishments. “Today we come together to honor three exemplary people in a tradition that was started over forty-four years ago. Today’s honorees for the Frederick Douglass Award are Susan Dryfoos, William Lewis, and Jessye Norman. We are indeed honored to recognize their professional accomplishments and commitment to their community.”
Four-time Grammy Award-winning American opera singer Jessye Norman, Oscar nominated director, writer and producer, Susan W. Dryfoos, and co-chairman of Investment Banking at Lazard Frères Ltd, an investment banking firm, William M. Lewis, Jr., were honored for their outstanding contribution in their respective fields.
The well attended black tie gala brought together a diverse and esteemed gathering of corporate executives, celebrities, community leaders and elected officials including Kenneth Chenault, chairman & CEO of American Express Company; Vernon E. Jordan Jr., senior managing director of Lazard; Dr. John Maeda, president of Rhode Island School of Design; and actress Lynn Whitfield.
The Fredrick Douglass Awards Dinner was first held in 1965 to acknowledge and honor leaders in the private and public sectors whose contributions to society serve to eliminate racial barriers and promote opportunities for the disadvantaged. The award was named in honor of Frederick Douglass, a former slave who escaped to freedom to become one of the nation’s most prominent and influential abolitionists.
Michelle Miller, CBS News correspondent, served as Mistress of Ceremonies. Michael R. Kansler, president and CEO, Energy Nuclear, and Jim Clerkin, executive vice president & COO, Moet Hennessy USA, served as dinner co-chairs. During the celebratory evening, Clerkin led the audience in a warm Moet Champagne toast to the milestone 90th anniversary. “Here’s to many more!,” he exclaimed.
Kevin Anthony added to the luster of the themed “a struggle started . . . progress continues” evening with a stirring rendition of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice And Sing.” Proceeds from the event each year enable the New York Urban league to positively impact the lives of more than 15,000 directly and 35,000 indirectly under-resourced residents.
The evening exceeded its financial expectations including funds raised from a live auction expertly manned by Mistress of Ceremonies Miller as her husband, Marc H. Morial, president, National Urban League, looked on with pride and prejudice.
The NYUL has a rich history and long legacy of service to New Yorkers. The NYUL was founded in 1919 by an inter-racial group of concerned New Yorkers in response to the difficulties faced by African Americans migrating from the agricultural and rural south, to the industrial, urban centers of the north.
Today, the mission of the NYUL is to enable African Americans and other underserved communities to secure a first class education, economic self-reliance and equal respect of their civil rights through programs, services and advocacy. Some of their signature programs include the Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner, the Whitney M. Young Classic and the Champions of Diversity Breakfast.
The NYUL is one of the local affiliates of the National Urban League, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-ethnic, social service organization celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.
“We are committed to developing research based employment and education programs to serve youth, adults and seniors. We will provide supplemental and parent education to help young people reach their full potential,” Rice concluded. (Photos by Margot Jordan)
Audrey J. Bernard is an established chronicler of Black society and Urban happenings based in the New York City area.
InSyNc WITH D. YATES: Stay Connected
With Tethering, it’s easy to stay connected to the Internet, all you need is a Smart Phone.
*What’s been going on Gadgeteers! In this weeks edition of InSYnC, we will be discussing a relatively innovative way to get on the internet using your Smart Phone. I’m talking about tethering. If you don’t know what tethering is, it’s basically a way to connect to the World Wide Web using your phone’s cellular service as a modem.
This can prove to be very handy, especially now when the recession is impacting almost everyone. These days everyone is looking to save a buck or two and here is a way to do it.
Now, this service is great for someone who just gets on the Internet sporadically throughout the course of the day. I wouldn’t recommend this service to someone who stays on the Internet all day as it doesn’t exactly have the greatest download speeds as say maybe Comcast or AT&T, but what it does offer is convenience and at an affordable cost.
So far, I’ve discovered three main ways to tether. The first one, albeit the most expensive, is actually through your carrier. This of course is not the most viable option. But to those of you who must spend, call your carrier and let them know you want to tether. Its probably gonna run you an additional 70.00 bucks a month.
The next option, which is only $59.99 for an annual subscription, is from Best Buy, and its called Mobile HotSpot. This option allows you to turn your phone into a wireless hotspot, which gives other devices that have WIFI the capability to connect to the internet wirelessly. You can connect up to five devices at one time! And you can connect with a range of 200 feet. I saw this during my weekly trip to Best Buy and I thought to myself, “this is pretty neat!” The only drawback is that it only works on Windows Mobile & Symbian (Nokia) devices. So if you ever wondered why you should get a Smart Phone… here’s a reason.
The final option is an even cheaper alternative. This one is called JuneFabrics.com, and this allows for tethering as well, but you can’t connect other devices through WIFI, just one single device; it works generally the same way, though. You download the application to the computer, plug your phone into your computer via the cord that came with it, it downloads the application to the phone and VOILA… your connected.
So there you go. Three ways to get on the Internet through your Smart Phone, and two of the ways are relatively inexpensive for the convenience and benefit of having the Internet everywhere you go!
Tune in next week for another dose of what Gadget Guy has to offer!
THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: NBC Universal is in search of the best talent in short films
By Eunice Moseley
NBC Universal in search of the best talent in short films
*“The focus is to create programs to bring about on camera diversity,” said Kendra Carter, Director of Talent Diversity Initiatives for NBC Universal.
For the fourth year NBC Universal will host their Short Cuts Film Festival and display their submissions in both New York and Los Angeles. In September the semi-finalists short films will be presented at the New York Television Festival and the finalists’ short films will be presented at the NBC Universal Short Cuts Film Festival in Los Angeles. NBC Universal will be accepting 30 minute short films at their website; the deadline to submit is August 21, 2009.
“(We want to) educate the industry at large and keep track of diverse talent on air,” Carter points out. “This year we welcome all genres of films. It is not a contest it’s a talent development program. There is no winner. All finalists we try to (help) with interviews, feed-back and details on (up-coming) projects.”
The finalists will be granted an NBC Universal Talent Holding deal for the Best Actor, an NBC Universal pilot script deal and executive meetings for the Best Filmmaker – along with a special international directing assignment from the SCI-FI Channel.
The NBC Universal Short Cut Film Festival was the brain child of comedian Will Sylvince as a tool to display and celebrate diversity in the entertainment industry.
“We’re looking for comics, writers, skit performers (etc…),” Kendra said. “I keep a track of where they go. The motivation across the board is to identify the diverse voices and programming that reflect what’s going on today. Find that fresh voice and talent to be developed and given a chance.”
To submit your short film for the NBC Universal Short Cut Film Festival log onto website www/nbcshortcuts.com before August 21, 2009.
INSIDE THE CARIBBEAN: Marley, Elephant Man, Kingston climb charts; Ce'Cile's 'Hot Like We'; Nevis and Winfest '09; Mojo and Nike; more...
With Kevin Jackson
Ziggy Marley, Elephant Man and Sean Kingston make big gains on the Billboard charts
*After a six year absence from the Billboard 200 album chart, Ziggy Marley returns this week at number 149 with Family Time, his latest album which has been released by Tuff Gong. The last time Marley had an entry on the Billboard 200 was in 2003 when Dragonfly entered and stalled at number 138.
Family Time also takes the top prize on the Billboard Reggae album chart, giving Marley his first chart topping album since 1999’s The Spirit of Music.
Incidentally, Marley along with his siblings the Melody Makers scored their best showing on the Billboard 200 in 1988 when Conscious Party peaked at number 23.
Elephant Man is no stranger to the Billboard charts. His latest entry Nuh Linga, which had topped charts here in Jamaica in 2008, rises from number 100 to 84 in its third non-consecutive week on the Billboard R&B Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Elephant Man has already charted with titles including Shake that Body featuring PI; Signal the Plane; Jook Gal (Wine Wine); Pon Di River Pon Di Bank; Father Elephant; and Don’t Stop with Janet Jackson.
Sean Kingston has the second highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 this week as his new single Fire Burning debuts at number 29. The single is currently number five on the Black Singles chart in Germany.
Kingston made waves two years ago with the hit singles Beautiful Girls, Me Love and There’s Nothing.
Over on the Billboard R&B Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart, Serani continues to play musical chairs as No Games hops to number 56 up from number 60. The track has been on the chart for the past 23 weeks, and has only gotten as far as number 53.
Ce’Cile’s Hot Like We remix climbs the German Black Music charts
Jamaican dancehall artiste Ce’Cile who got her start in the music industry as a receptionist at the Celestial Sounds recording studio, has been steadily making a name for herself in the Jamaican music industry.
Known for a string of hits over the past nine years, including songs such as Goody, Waiting, Can You Do the Wuk (featuring Sean Paul), Changes and Ride or Die, Ce’Cile is currently making strides on the Black Singles chart in Germany with the inescapable recording, Hot Like We. In its second week on the chart, Hot Like We has jumped from 12 to number 8.
Still on the German Black Singles chart, Jamaican born dancehall artiste Serani climbs from 19 to 13 with No Games. No Games which was last week resting at number 56 on the Billboard R&B Hip Hop Singles & Tracks chart, has already peaked at number eight on the German chart.
Nevis comes alive with the staging of Winfest 2009
Over on the island of Nevis, Winfest 2009 is scheduled for May 28 to June 1. A big addition to this year’s festival is a Calypso Monarch Competition. Other activities for Winfest include a fishing tournament, drag racing and a J’Ouvert parade.
Queen Ifrica to release album Montego Bay on VP Records
While her current single Lioness on the Rise continues to make gains on Media Guide’s Top 10 Reggae chart stateside, Jamaican reggae artiste Queen Ifrica is getting ready for the summer release of her sophomore album Montego Bay.
Ifrica who is the daughter of veteran reggae star Derrick Morgan, is known across Europe and the Caribbean for the hits Daddy Don’t Touch Me There, Below the Waist, Randy and Keep it to Yourself.
Fashion Week to hit Trinidad & Tobago
The second annual Fashion Week Trinidad and Tobago is to be held from May 29 to June 2. This year, the show is going green with the theme, “Save Our Earth, Live Green”. Among the designers will be Michael Hendy, who has dressed P. Diddy, Missy Elliot and Machel Montano, and Millhouse, who has dressed the likes of Jill Scott and Erykah Badu.
Mojo Morgan teams up with Nike
Mojo Morgan’s song “Tonight” has been picked up by athletics giant Nike to be used in its ad campaign for Nike Women.
Mojo recently released his debut solo album, “Got Mojo?” on iTunes.
The ads for Nike will begi
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