07-06-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE

STEVE MCNAIR, WOMAN FOUND DEAD: Bodies of former NFL QB and friend discovered in Tenn. condo; his wife said to be 'very distraught.'

       *At press time, authorities in Nashville were still trying to figure out the relationship between slain former NFL quarterback Steve McNair and a 20-year-old woman police are calling "his friend," who was found shot to death alongside him in his downtown condominium.
      
       McNair's body was discovered on a sofa in the living room Saturday with multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head, according to the Associated Press. His friend, Sahel Kazemi, was very close to him on the floor, killed by a single gunshot. A pistol was discovered near her, but police said it took a while to find the firearm.
      
       McNair, 36, orchestrated the famous Tennessee Titans' drive that came a yard short of forcing overtime in the 2000 Super Bowl.
      
  He and Kazemi were together just two days earlier, when she was pulled over driving a 2007 Escalade registered to her and McNair. She was arrested on DUI charges, and he was allowed to leave in a taxi.

       McNair and Kazemi apparently knew each other from a Dave & Buster's restaurant the quarterback and his family frequented, but workers there would not discuss their relationship. Police also refused to release any details about their relationship, simply calling Kazemi a "friend."
      
       Autopsies were planned for Sunday.
      
       Police spokesman Don Aaron said McNair's wife, Mechelle, is "very distraught."
"At this juncture, we do not believe she is involved," he said. "Nothing has been ruled out, but as far as actively looking for a suspect tonight, the answer would be no."

       Fred McNair, Steve McNair's oldest brother, said some family members likely will travel to Nashville on Monday to consult with Mechelle.
      
       "It's still kind of hard to believe," Fred McNair said. "He was the greatest person in the world. He gave back to the community. He loved kids and he wanted to be a role model to kids."
      
       He said he did not know who Kazemi was.
      
       The bodies were discovered by McNair's longtime friend, Wayne Neeley, who rents the condo with McNair. Neeley told authorities he went into the condo, saw McNair and Kazemi, but walked first into the kitchen before going back into the living room.
Neeley then called a friend, who alerted authorities.

       Police said a witness saw McNair arrive at the condo in the upscale Rutledge Hill neighborhood between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Saturday and that Kazemi's vehicle was already there. The condominium is located within walking distance of an area filled with restaurants and nightspots, a few blocks from the Cumberland River and within view of the Titans' stadium.
      
       An arrest affidavit from Thursday said Kazemi had bloodshot eyes and alcohol on her breath when she was pulled over, but refused a breathalyzer test, saying "she was not drunk, she was high."
      
       Kazemi was a waitress at the Dave & Busters frequented by McNair.
Keith Norfleet, Kazemi's ex-boyfriend, told The Tennessean newspaper that McNair and Kazemi met at the Nashville restaurant.
      
       "She was reliable 90 percent of the time," manager Chris Truelove said of Kazemi. "She was pretty outgoing. A lot of the guests liked being around her, and she liked being around the guests."
      
       In June, McNair opened a restaurant near the Tennessee State University campus. It was closed Saturday evening, but had become a small memorial, where flowers, candles and notes had been placed outside the door.
      
       McNair, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, led the Titans to the 2000 Super Bowl, which they lost 23-16 to the St. Louis Rams. He was co-MVP of the NFL with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 2003. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens before retiring in April 2008.
      
       McNair grew up in rural Mount Olive, Miss., and became a nationally known college football star playing for Alcorn State, a Division I-AA school in his home state. He was so dominant in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, he became a Heisman Trophy contender. National media flocked to little Lorman in the southwest corner of the Magnolia state to get a look at "Air McNair." He still holds the Division I-AA (now known as Football Championship Subdivision) records for career yards passing (14,496) and total offense (16,823).
      
       McNair was the third overall draft pick in 1995 by the Houston Oilers, who eventually became the Titans. He finished his career with 31,304 yards passing and 174 touchdowns.

NETWORKS ANNOUNCE MIJAC MEMORIAL COVERAGE:  Several will preempt regular programming to air service live.

       *ABC, CNN, MSNBC and E! Entertainment have already announced plans to carry live broadcasts of Tuesday's 10 a.m. memorial service for Michael Jackson at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. 

       Charles Gibson will anchor ABC's coverage, while Chris Jansing will man the desk for MSNBC.
      
       CNN will carry the live broadcast on the main network as well as HLN (formerly Headline News). Anderson Cooper, Larry King and Don Lemon will cover for CNN, and Robin Meade, A.J. Hammer and Jane Velez-Mitchell will anchor at HLN. CNN en Espanol will also broadcast live.

       E! Entertainment announced it will beam the ceremony on its television network as well as its Web site.

       As for the other broadcast networks, CBS has dispatched "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric to the Staples Center, but producers have yet to announce whether it will cover the service live.  NBC will not feature live coverage, but will wrap up highlights in a one-hour prime-time special to air Tuesday night. Fox News Channel hadn't announced its plans at press time.

       More than 1.6 million fans registered for tickets to the memorial during the two-day registration period that ended Saturday at 6 p.m. A total of 17,500 tickets were made available to the general public—11,000 for inside the Staples Center and 6,500 for across the street at the Nokia Center, which will be filled with huge-screen TVs streaming the live event.
      
       On Sunday, 8,750 names were drawn randomly and each will receive two tickets. Winners will receive a unique code and instructions on how to pick up their tickets today at an off-site distribution center. At the distribution center, they will receive the ticket and a wristband that will be placed on their wrists at that time.

       Assistant Police Chief Earl Paysinger says anywhere from a quarter-million to 700,000 people may try to reach the arena, even though a wide area around Staples Center will be sealed off to those without tickets.
      
       City Councilwoman Jan Perry strongly urged people to stay home and watch the memorial on TV.

DRAKE APOLOGIZES FOR BET PERFORMANCE:  Rapper said having Wayne's young daughter and her friends dancing on stage 'wasn't planned like that.'
      
 *Drake was asked about his controversial BET Awards performance of the song "Every Girl," which featured Lil Wayne and – in a reportedly spur-of-the-moment decision – Lil Wayne's young daughter and her friends dancing in the background.

       In the song, Wayne and Drake rap about having sexual relations with "every girl in the world," which made the presence of Wayne's underage daughter and her friends upsetting to many viewers.
      
       There are reports that the girls' appearance took place at the last minute after Weezy's daughter demanded that she and her friends be allowed onstage. In an interview with Complex magazine, Drake said he regrets the decision to bring them onstage.

       "Yeah, it was just timed very poorly and it definitely wasn’t planned like that, but with that being said, it is what is," said Drake. "I believe in Wayne and myself and it’s nothing we can’t bounce back from. To anyone who was offended, my personal apologies, it wasn’t intended to offend anybody."
      
ROWE WANTS HER KIDS AWAY FROM PAPA JOE: Biological mom of MiJac's two oldest children says she will fight Katherine for custody.

 *Debbie Rowe, the biological mother of two of Michael Jackson's kids, told a Los Angeles news anchor Thursday that she will seek custody, even though the singer's will named his mother Katherine as guardian in the event of his death.

       "I am stepping up. I have to," she told KNBC's Chuck Henry in a 90-minute phone conversation on July 2. "

 Rowe, the mother of Prince, 12, and Paris, 11, said she'd be willing to take custody of Blanket to keep the three children together – and all of them away from her former father-in-law, Joe Jackson.  She may also seek a restraining order to keep the Jackson patriarch from having contact with her kids, Rowe added.
      
       "Frankly, she won't have to fight for them," Rowe's attorney, Iris Finsilver, tells People.com. "She is the children's biological mother. She loves her children."
      
       A source close to the Jackson family says they intend to seek permanent custody. "They will fight," says the source.

FORMER MIJAC DOC TREATED JANET, TOO: TMZ says physician was reprimanded by Medical Board for 'fraudulent practice.'

 *TMZ.com is reporting that a doctor who has treated Michael Jackson was reprimanded by the Medical Board of California for writing fraudulent prescriptions for Michael's sister, Janet.

 Dr. Allan Metzger, who went on tour with Jackson and even videotaped Jackson's wedding to Debbie Rowe, received a public letter of reprimand from the Medical Board in September, 2000. The letter states, "You engaged in fraudulent medical practice based on prescriptions written for an international entertainer, using a false/fictitious name."

       TMZ says they were told by Dr. Metzger himself that the "international entertainer" was Janet Jackson.
      
       Dr. Metzger is a lupus specialist -- Michael Jackson reportedly had the disease. Dr. Metzger traveled with Jackson during the HIStory Tour in 1996.
      
       In the late 90s, he wrote prescriptions for Janet Jackson using the name of her private chef, Ricardo Macchi, he told TMZ, describing the prescribed medicine as diuretics (any drug that elevates the rate of urination).
      
       He also wrote a prescription for a hepatitis B injection -- he says he wrote it because Janet was going on tour and wanted to guard against the disease. Again, the name on the prescription was Ricardo Macchi, even though it was for Janet.
      
       Dr. Metzger told TMZ, "I had done this for Janet for her anonymity."
      
       Macchi filed a lawsuit against Dr. Metzger, but it was dropped and no money was paid out, Metzger said.
      
       As for Michael, Dr. Metzger says, "I have not treated Michael Jackson for many years." But, he wouldn't say what drugs he prescribed for the singer. "I am not at liberty to discuss Michael's medical care."
      
       Metzger said he last spoke with Michael in April. The doctor says he talked to Jackson about the tour, his children, nutrition and hydration.
      
       Dr. Metzger added, "I have nothing to do with this tragedy with Michael. I have not prescribed any medication in relation to what happened to him."

ROLAND MARTIN TO HOST NEW TV ONE SHOW: 'Washington Watch" will cover
politics; feature interviews with key newsmakers.  

       *Political commentator Roland Martin has been recruited by TV One to anchor a new Sunday public affairs show that will debut in September and cater to an African American audience.
      
       "Washington Watch with Roland Martin" aims to tap into a new interest in politics and government due to the election of President Barack Obama, said Johnathan Rodgers, TV One's president and CEO. It debuts Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. ET, and the show will be repeated each week at 5 p.m.
      
       “With the election of President Obama, Washington has taken center stage in the hearts and minds of African Americans, and with the many critical issues facing our country, this was the perfect time for us to launch a program to help our viewers understand what impact Washington policy decisions are likely to have on their lives,” said Rodgers, who with Martin announced the new program Saturday at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans.

       Martin will sit down each week with key newsmakers and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, according to the network, which is currently available in more than 47.5 million homes.

       Also, American Urban Radio Networks White House Correspondent April Ryan and Comcast Network host and Philadelphia Tribune columnist Robert Traynham will join a rotating panel of journalists and experts to discuss the top stories in Washington.

       "Our goal is to also speak to a wide variety of individuals, whether they are Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, moderate, independent, African American, Hispanic, white, Asian, Native American, you name it,"
said Rodgers.

MADONNA REMEMBERS MICHAEL AT 02 ARENA: Singer paid tribute throughout Saturday concert.

       *Madonna paid tribute to Michael Jackson Saturday night during her concert at London's O2 Arena, the venue where the King of Pop was to begin a series of 50 comeback concerts starting July 13.
      
       According to the AP, a picture of a young Michael appeared on stage while Madonna was performing "Holiday," then an MJ impersonator took over, wearing a sequined jacket, white T-shirt, white glove and white socks.
      
       The music then switched to Jackson's song, "Wanna Be Starting Something," and the impersonator worked through Jackson's moves, including the famous moonwalk. The impersonator didn't sing.
      
       After the number, Madonna told the crowd, "Let's give it up for one of the greatest artists the world has ever known," and the crowd roared its approval.
      
       In the last set, Madonna and her dancers all donned jeweled gloves on their right hands in a simple tribute. Behind the stage some words from Jackson's "Man in the Mirror" were flashed up briefly: "If you want to make the world a better place look inside yourself and make a change."
      
       In an interview with The Sun newspaper, Madonna had said she was "terribly sad" about Jackson's death.
      
       "I don't know what artist wasn't inspired by him," she said. "To be able to do what he did at such an early age was unearthly, everybody grew up in awe of him. To work with him and become friends and hang out with him was exciting for me. I used to love picking his brains about musical stuff."
      
       Madonna confirmed that before Jackson died, she had offered to do a duet with him at the O2 shows. "I don't know what we could have done together, I could have carried his bags for him maybe," she said.

MIJAC WAS WORKING ON A CLASSICAL ALBUM: Singer had demos of two pieces he'd written.

       *Billboard is reporting that Michael Jackson was working on two albums at the time of his death, a previously reported pop project and another that would consist of an instrumental classical composition.
      
       Jackson was working on the pop album with songwriter Claude Kelly and R&B star Akon, who says that Jackson was motivated by the ticket sales for his performances.
      
       "He said, 'My fans are still there. They still love me. They're alive,'" Akon told Billboard. "His kids are like his first priority, and they had never seen him perform live. He was trying to create the most incredible show for his kids."
      
       Kelly, who wrote "Hold My Hand," the Akon-produced Jackson track that leaked last year, says Jackson never lost his passion. [Scroll down to listen to track.]
      
       "He was the King of Pop, the biggest to ever do it, and the one thing you never lose -- whether known by the whole world or just 10 people -- is your love for music," Kelly says. "That never goes away, and it never went away for him amidst his troubles."
      
       As for the classical project, Jackson reached out two months ago to composer David Michael Frank, who had worked with him on a 1989 TV tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. Jackson invited Frank to his Holmby Hills home and told him he was working on an instrumental album of classical music and asked for help with orchestration.
      
       "He had two demos of two pieces he'd written, but they weren't complete," says Frank, who adds that he was impressed with Jackson's knowledge of classical music. "For one of them, he had a whole section of it done in his head. He had not recorded it. He hummed it to me as I sat at the keyboard in his pool house and we figured out the chords. I guess this recording I made is the only copy that exists of this music."
      
       A few weeks ago, Jackson called to see how Frank was progressing on the orchestrations. "He mentioned more instrumental music of his he wanted to record, including one jazz piece," Frank says. "I hope one day his family will decide to record this music as a tribute and show the world the depth of his artistry."
      
       Akon last spoke to Jackson three months prior to his death. "He would always tell me to eat right and ask me if I was exercising and drinking water," he says. "He'd always stress you had to take care of yourself before you can go off and do anything else."
      
       Frank agrees. "He seemed totally healthy, not frail, and gave me a firm handshake when we met. He seemed in good health, had a good voice and was in good spirits," he says. "He was very skinny, but from what I knew, he was always thin. He was also taller than I pictured, but he might have been wearing some platform shoes. And he was impeccably dressed."

SERENA BEATS VENUS IN WIMBLEDON FINAL: Youngest Williams sister earns third title at the All England Club.

 *Serena Williams stopped her sister Venus's hopes of earning a sixth Wimbledon title and avenged her defeat last year by winning the ladies final 7-6, 6-2.

       After a tight first set the younger of the Williams sisters used her huge serve to full effect as she dominated her sibling in the second to take the title in straight sets.
      
       The win brings Serena to 11 Grand Slam titles and the current title holder of the three Grand Slam titles - Wimbledon, Australian and US Open.
It was the eighth time in the last 10 years that one of the sisters has won Wimbledon.
      
       To prepare for the match, Serena says she kept telling herself she was facing just another foe on Saturday. "I didn't think about Venus at all today. I just saw her as an opponent," said the athlete, who also beat her sister in the 2002 and 2003 finals at the All England Club. "At one point, after the first set, I looked on the side of the court at the stats, and it was like 'Williams,' 'Williams.' I couldn't figure out which was which."
      
       Today's new rankings will have Serena at No. 2, and Venus No. 3 — behind No. 1 Dinara Safina, a 6-1, 6-0 loser to the elder Williams in the semifinals — but it is clear to Serena who the best woman in the world is at the moment.

       "If you hold three Grand Slam titles, maybe you should be No. 1, but not on the WTA Tour, obviously," Serena said. Then, alluding sarcastically to two less-than-major events won by Safina, Serena doubled over in laughter after saying: "I see myself as No. 2. That's where I am. I think Dinara did a great job to get to No. 1. She won Rome and Madrid."
      
       Asked if it's easier or harder losing to a sibling, five-time Wimbledon champion Venus said: "There's no 'easy' to losing, especially when it's so close to the crown."
      
       She was the two-time defending champion and had won 20 matches in a row at Wimbledon, the last 17 in straight sets. But Venus — at 29, she's 15 months older than Serena — appeared a step slow, perhaps bothered by the left knee that's been heavily bandaged since the second round, although she refused to place blame there.
      
       "She played so well, really lifted her game," Venus said. "I had an error here and there. Today, I couldn't make errors."

 Later Saturday, the sisters won their fourth Wimbledon doubles title beating Rennae Stubbs and Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (4), 6-4.

       "One out of two's not bad," Venus said. "I really wanted to win the singles, but they're two separate events. If I won the singles and not the doubles, it's still not the same."

VIDEO FOR THE GAME'S MIJAC TRIBUTE RELEASED: Clip intercuts mourning fans with studio and bathtub footage.

       *A video for the song "Better on the Other Side" – a tribute to Michael Jackson from rapper The Game, Chris Brown, Diddy, Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men, Polo and Mario – world premiered recently on the Web site
www.WorldStarHipHop.com.  
      
       The clip features footage of fans mourning the loss of their icon on Thursday evening at the UCLA hospital and at Jackson’s home. Video director Taydoe tells the Web site that "the footage was so monumental in the sense that everyone was together and enjoying each other's love for MJ."
      
       The mourning fans are then intercut with The Game doing his own private mourning in a candlelit bathtub as well as the artists working in the studio. And then, at the end, The Game reveals the ultimate M.J.
tribute—a tattoo of the legend from the fedora-surgical-mask era.

       "Taydoe enjoyed the process of directing this tribute video and feels honored to be a part of history," read a post accompanying the video at the Web site.
       
JOE JACKSON'S RECORD LABEL NAME ALREADY TAKEN: Owner of Texas-based Ranch Records says he's not giving it up.

       *As if using the death of his son to plug his new record label didn't give him enough problems, Joe Jackson may run into another snag if he moves forward with the name he has chosen for the operation.
      
       Papa Joe announced plans for his new business venture Ranch Records during interviews before the BET Awards and at a press conference held in the wake of Michael Jackson's death.
      
       The Jackson family patriarch revealed he was developing the label with Chi-Lites singer Marshall Thompson, telling reporters, "I established a record company... and the company is called Ranch Records."
      
       But the news has come as a surprise to Dixon Shanks, owner of Ranch Record Label in Texas – because he registered the firm in 2001.
      
       Shanks found out about the name clash on Wednesday (July 1) - two days after Jackson's announcement - and he's been inundated with calls from members of the media, mistaking his company for Jackson's.
      
       "The last few days, we've been getting calls from all over the
country: Rolling Stone Magazine, Toronto Press, (and) Kansas City... to see what's going on with Ranch Records, I guess," he told WENN.
      
       Shanks claims he's not been contacted by Jackson about the copyright issue - but he is vowing to keep hold of his label name.
      
       "As far as Ranch Records goes, they must not have done their research. ...We were here first," he said.

UNIVERSAL CITYWALK SALUTES MIJAC: Tribute to include screenings of "The Wiz"
and "Thriller."

       *Universal CityWalk will become "Universal MoonWalk" for one night with an event billed as "Southern California's largest outdoor public celebration of Michael Jackson's life and music" on Thursday, July 9.
      
        Done as part of CityWalk's ongoing Summer Block Party free summer marathon of movies and music, the MJ tribute will begin at 7 p.m. and will include screenings of "The Wiz" and "Michael Jackson's Thriller," plus a "live" dance retrospective of Jackson's phenomenal musical history, from his days as the youngest sibling in The Jackson Five to his history-making solo career as the world's most renowned pop music star. Admission is free.
      
       "The Wiz," an updated version of "The Wizard of Oz," stars Diana Ross as Dorothy, Jackson as Scarecrow Nipsey Russell as Tinman, Lena Horne as Glinda the Good Witch and Richard Pryor as The Wiz.
      
       The 14-minute "Thriller" music video, released in 1983 and directed by John Landis who co-wrote the screenplay with Jackson, features the singer transforming into both a zombie and a "werecat" and performing the now iconic dance sequences.
      
       CityWalk's Summer Block Party provides seven-nights-a-week of entertainment, featuring top tribute band concert performances, outdoor movie night, swing dance lessons, star-making talent competitions and Latin entertainment nights. Summer Block Party continues through August 30.

       More information on CityWalk's "Summer Block Party" is available at www.CityWalkHollywood.com or by calling 818-622-1111.

NEW BOOK SAYS 'GOODBYE' TO MICHAEL: Pages feature photos of singer from childhood through March 5, 2009, as well as fans mourning his death. 

       *A new hard-cover book, "Michael Jackson: The World Says Goodbye to the King of Pop," in bookstores now with 128 pages of tributes and memories from those who knew him best as well as average people who were touched by his talent.
      
       The book contains 65 historic photographs – from Michael's earliest days with the Jackson 5 to his very last public appearance on March 5, 2009 in London.
      
       All four decades of Jackson's career are represented: early black-and-white photos showing a smiling ten-year old and live concert photography from the 1980s and '90s capturing the King of Pop in his prime.
      
       There are also photos chronicling the spontaneous outpouring of fans in cities around the globe in the days following Michael's death.
      
       "The World Says Goodbye" is available for $12.95 at www.whitmanbooks.com as well as major retailers, including Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Costco, Sam's Club and Wal-Mart. Or, by calling 1-800-546-2995.

SNOOP, STEPHEN MARLEY TOUR ADDS DATES: Trek kicks off July 10 with new stops in Miami, Elkton, FL, St. Paul and Tempe.

       *Snoop Dogg's "Blazed and Confused" tour with Stephen Marley and Slightly Stoopid has expanded by four more dates, according to Live Daily.
      
       The July 10th launch will now visit amphitheaters in 22 cities – including recently-added stops in Miami on Aug. 1; Elkton, FL on Aug. 2; St.
Paul, MN on Sept. 2 and Tempe on Sept. 19.
      
       Each performance will include opening sets from Marley and rapper Mickey Avalon, followed by full sets from Snoop and Slightly Stoopid.
      
       Snoop, who wrapped a two-week headlining jaunt in mid-May, is slated to release his 10th studio album, "Malice in Wonderland," in September. The set features tracks produced by The Neptunes and Scott Storch, among others.

July 2009
10 - Primm, NV - Star of the Desert Arena
11 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
12 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Bowl
14 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
15 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
17 – Ridgefield, WA - Amphitheater at Clark County
18 - George, WA - Gorge Amphitheatre
19 - Nampa, ID - Idaho Center Amphitheater 20 - West Valley City, UT - Usana Amphitheatre
22 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Pacific Coliseum
24 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
25 - Chula Vista, CA - Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre 30 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade Music Park
31 - Saint Petersburg, FL - Vinoy Park

August 2009
1 - Miami, FL - Bicentennial Park
2 - Elkton, FL - St. Johns County Fairgrounds
5 - Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion
6 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony Summer Stage
7 - Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier at Penn's Landing
8 - Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center

September 2009
2 - Saint Paul, MN - Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
19 - Tempe, AZ - Tempe Beach Park

MAGAZINE CLAIMS MIJAC HAD CANCEROUS LESION: Reporter Diane Dimond says singer had it removed from his nose days before his death.

       *Us Weekly is reporting that Michael Jackson had a cancerous lesion removed from his news just days before his June 25 death, according to biographer Diane Dimond and an unnamed family source.
      
       "Last week, I had two real sources call me and say he's getting surgery right now for removal of skin cancer off his nose," Dimond told Us.
"This is not a man who suffers pain well. He likes painkillers. So he got some from here, he got some from there -- who knows how much."
      
       Dimond, a longtime investigative journalist who became well known for covering Michael Jackson's 2003 child molestation trial, wrote a book on her decades-long investigation of Jackson titled "Be Careful Who You Love - Inside the Michael Jackson Case." It was published by Simon and Shuster's Atria books and is often vilified by Jackson fans.
      
       Jackson died after suffering cardiac arrest, though an official cause of death is not expected for several weeks.

ITTY BITTY BITS: MiJac rehearsal footage; Manilow & Taylor; Colin Powell comments; Rihanna's tattoo; Kanye at The Gap.

       *AEG, the promoter of Michael Jackson's planned comeback tour in London, says the rehearsal footage it taped at the Staples Center in the days before his death may become a feature film. Company CEO Randy Phillips says there are over 100 hours of documentary footage of Jackson preparing for his concerts, and there's talk of turning that material into a motion picture or a pay-per-view event, reports the Associated Press.
      
       *Barry Manilow has reportedly agreed to escort Elizabeth Taylor to Michael Jackson's upcoming funeral. The singer was due to fly to California after his July 4 concert in Washington, D.C. to help Taylor through what is sure to be one of the toughest days of her life, according to "Entertainment Tonight." Paying tribute to Jackson earlier this week, Manilow, who performed a medley of the pop superstar's hits onstage at the American Music Awards in 1984 as the King of Pop sat in the front row, said, "He will go down as one of history's greatest entertainers. I was very happy to be in the world when Michael Jackson was in the world."
      
       *Former Secretary of State Colin Powell says Michael Jackson had controversy in his life, but in death his art should be celebrated. He tells CNN, "his art spanned three generations and is worthy of all the tribute that he is receiving." The retired general said his most vivid memory of Jackson is of the young boy performing with his brothers in the Jackson 5.
He said the Jacksons were "fresh, exciting kids with the 'fros in the early '70s and singing those wonderful songs." Powell acknowledges Jackson had challenges, but says "he's now passed on. Let's celebrate his art."
      
       *Rihanna was spotted taking a tattooing lesson at East Side Ink in New York's East Village on Wednesday, report JustJared.com. Sources say she rehearsed drawing small umbrellas with R’s in the center.
      
       *Us Weekly is claiming that Kanye West is a summer intern at The Gap.
The magazine quotes a source who says the artist wants to learn everything about the business and is giving up his time free so he can pick up tips from the professionals. "He works all the time, and one Friday night recently he stayed until midnight," the source said. "He is learning the fashion business from the inside and trying to do it quietly."

POWELL 'CONCERNED' WITH OBAMA'S SPENDING: 'We can't pay for it all,' says former secretary of state.

       *In an interview broadcast Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union,"
Colin Powell, one of President Obama's most prominent Republican supporters, expressed concern that his blitz of costly initiatives may be enlarging the federal debt too much.
      
       "I'm concerned at the number of programs that are being presented, the bills associated with these programs and the additional government that will be needed to execute them," Powell said in an excerpt of an interview with CNN's John King, released by the network Friday morning.
      
       Powell, a retired U.S. army general who rose to political prominence after a long and accomplished military career, said that health care reform and many of President Obama's other initiatives are "important" to Americans.
      
       But, he said, "one of the cautions that has to be given to the president -- and I've talked to some of his people about this -- is that you can't have so many things on the table that you can't absorb it all."
      
       "And we can't pay for it all," said Powell, who was the first African-American to serve as secretary of state, under former President George W. Bush. He was also national security adviser to President Reagan, and was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W.
Bush from 1989 to 1993.
      
       Mr. Powell's comments represent the growing concern that began with hard-line fiscal conservatives but is now spreading to moderates about the rate of government spending and debt under President Obama, and the long-term impact on the country's fiscal sustainability and national security.
      
       Powell expressed alarm at "budgets that are running into the multi-trillions of dollars" and "a huge, huge national debt that, if we don't pay for in our lifetime, our kids and grandkids and great-grandchildren will have to pay for it."
      
       "So, I think the president, as he moves forward with his initiatives, has to start really taking a very, very hard look at what the cost of all this is. And, how much additional bureaucracy [will] be needed to make all of this happen?" Mr. Powell said.
      
       Powell said he has been in touch with Obama regularly, including recently.  "I don't insert myself. But, we stay in touch," he said.

EUR FILM REVIEW: Public Enemies
Depp Does Dillinger in Grisly Gangster Saga
Film Review by Kam Williams
 

      *In 1996, Theresa Russell starred in a picture called Public Enemies, a mob saga glorifying Ma Barker’s reign of terror as the matriarch of a crew of bank robbers comprised of her own sons.

      So, it’s hard to fathom why director Michael Mann would now opt to resurrect the same name for a similarly-themed film also glamorizing the exploits of a Thirties crime boss, i.e., John Herbert Dillinger (1903-1934).

      But that recycled title is the least of the problems of this derivative head-scratcher. Its biggest flaw rests with its failure to engage the audience emotionally in either Dillinger’s (Johnny Depp) bloody crime spree or his wooing of a gullible hat-check girl (Marion Cotillard).

      For in lieu of character development, Mann has ostensibly opted to focus on crafting a grisly splatter flick featuring more Tommy Gun muzzle flashes per minute than we’ve witnessed since such gangland-era classics as The Untouchables (1987) and Dillinger (1973).

      While fairly faithfully following the latter’s plotline, Public Enemies squanders the services of a couple of consummate thespians in Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. With Bale playing legendary lawman Melvin Purvis one would think that his dogged pursuit of Depp as Dellinger would make for some really riveting movie magic. Think again. The chase in this case is about as compelling as any nondescript action sequence you can find by accident while channel surfing with a TV remote.

      Equally-wasted is the rest of a stellar, A-list cast, starting with Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard (for La Vie en Rose) who unsuccessfully tests out a variety of unrecognizable accents as Dillinger’s devoted gun moll, Billie Frenchette. Then we have Billy Crudup who fails to do J. Edgar Hoover justice in an uncharismatic interpretation of the feared FBI founder, and Stephen Graham who comes off as a cartoonish clown impersonating trigger-happy Baby Face Nelson.

      And why was an accomplished actress like Leelee Sobieski signed on as an extra? Simply to look pretty strolling briefly down the street on the arm of the ill-fated protagonist? The same must be asked about rising star Channing Tatum, who makes a blink-and-you-missed-it cameo as Pretty Boy Floyd. Ditto for

      Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Dorff and a host of other gifted character actors. The list of disappointing performances is endless.

      Accentuating the positive for a moment, what Public Enemies does have to offer is an old-fashioned shoot ‘em up for filmgoers who enjoy that sort of mindless mayhem. More cerebral cineastes might find themselves offended by the way in which the production goes out of its way to paint Dillinger as an easy to root for folk hero with a code of honor and a lover that he remained faithful to.

      This, unfortunately, conveniently flies in the face of common sense. Truth be told, in real life he was a worthless cop killer and a womanizer who had abandoned his wife for a bunch of floozies. Funny how Hollywood portraits of him have become increasingly empathetic over the years since 1945 when he was originally introduced as a cold-blooded murderer. 

      Hyper-romanticized revisionist history reflecting America’s ongoing love affair with gangsters.

Fair (1.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity and gangland-style slayings. 
Running time: 140 minutes
Studi Universal Pictures

To see a trailer for Public Enemies, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJUIeYb28Vk

EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE

 "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." — Henry B. Adams
 
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS  

 July 6: Actress-singer Della Reese is 78. Rapper Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan is 39. Rapper 50 Cent is 33. Actresses Tia and Tamera Mowry ("Sister, Sister") are 31. Actor Jeremy Suarez ("Bernie Mac") is 19.
 
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
 
      If you're an entrepreneur or a would-be entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial Mentoring Institute is what you need:
www.billboudreaux.com/.  

       Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.     

BLACK HISTORY
  
        July 6, 1853: William Wells Brown published “Clotel,” the first novel by a black American. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)