09-09-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
CHRIS BROWN, MARY J. TO ROCK MJ VIENNA GIG: Natalie Cole also booked for Sept. 26 tribute to the King of Pop.
*In what will be his first performance since the legal woes surrounding his beating of Rihanna, Chris Brown joins Mary J. Blige and Natalie Cole as headliners for the Sept. 26 Michael Jackson tribute concert in Vienna, organizers announced Tuesday.
Sister Sledge, Akon, Angela Bassett, and the Germany-based boy band
US5 are also among the 13 artists confirmed for the event so far, according to the Associated Press. As many as 25 performers are expected to join the lineup, revealed event promoter Georg Kindel at a packed news conference in Vienna's city hall.
The concert is being billed as the main global tribute for the King of Pop, who died June 25 in Los Angeles. More names will be unveiled later this week in London and Berlin, Kindel said.
"We're very excited — the list is growing more and more," Jermaine Jackson said, adding that "many major Bollywood names" and artists from the Middle East also would be involved.
All the artists will play some of Jackson's greatest hits at the concert, including "Thriller," "Billie Jean," "Black or White" and "Bad."
"We will honor on this night not only the musician and artist Michael Jackson but also the humanitarian," Kindel said. "He's really someone who changed the history of music."
Jackson's family and children — as well as 65,000 fans — are expected to attend the tribute to be held on a large stage with a crown on its roof and two runways in front of Vienna's former imperial Schoenbrunn Palace, one of the Austrian capital's top tourist attractions, Kindel said. A "significant portion" of the proceeds from the event will be donated to charity, he added.
JANET TO PERFORM VMA TRIBUTE TO BROTHER?: Plus, Disneyland may bring back 'Captain EO'; prices of graves around singer's crypt rise.
*Word has it that Janet Jackson has been busy rehearsing a performance for the upcoming MTV Video Awards that will honor her late brother Michael.
"Ms. Jackson is set to put on a huge MJ-honoring performance featuring 20 backup dancers -- which is being put together by some of the best choreographers in the world, including Frank Gatson and Travis Payne,"
reported TMZ.com. "According to Kryiss Grant, one of the dancers involved (who was also an usher at MJ's burial), some rehearsals have lasted 15 hours a day."
Once Janet is finished honoring her brother, Grant tells the Web site "there won't be a dry eye in the house."
In other Michael Jackson news, Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. is reportedly considering plans to bring back regular screenings of "Captain EO," the 17-minute 3D movie starring the late King of Pop which was originally shown at the venue in the 80s and 90s.
The film was about a space crew who were on a mission to take a present to an alien leader and stars Michael, who also performs two songs in it. Disneyland officials are expected to make an announcement about the plan on Sept. 10, reports Contact Music.
Meanwhile, the real estate surrounding Jackson's final resting place at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Michael has suddenly jumped in price. Plots near Michael's burial plot have risen in price by between $2,000 and $3,000, reports TMZ.
People who already own space near Michael's crypt are also trying to cash in - one wants $34,000 for a two-man space inside his mausoleum. The owner said: "We've had a tremendous response. We're weighing all of our options."
JAY-Z MOVES UP ALBUM RELEASE: Plus, rapper announces fall tour and airdate for Oprah interview announced.
*Less than a week after Jay-Z's entire album "The Blueprint 3"
leaked online, the set's initial Sept. 11th release date was scrapped and pushed up to yesterday. Also, dates for the rap mogul's fall tour and "Oprah Winfrey Show" episode were announced on Tuesday.
With 21 dates confirmed, the tour will make stops at a mix of college campus arenas and traditional venues across North America starting at Penn State University on Oct. 9. Tickets go on sale in select markets beginning on Friday, Sept. 11 at www.LiveNation.com. [Scroll down to see tour dates.]
As previously reported, Jigga will precede the tour kickoff with a charity concert at New York's Madison Square Garden on Sept. 11 in support of the New York Police & Fire Widows and Children's Benefit Fund. One hundred percent of the proceeds from tickets sales and concert merchandise will go directly to the charity. For more information please visit www.answerthecall.org.
Meanwhile, the interview Jay-Z gave to Winfrey's O magazine will air on her talk show Sept. 24.
The two stars were filmed last month visiting the rapper's former home in Brooklyn's Marcy Projects as well as his grandmother's old home in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
Appearing Tuesday on New York's Hot 97, Jay-Z told morning show jocks Cipha Sounds and Peter Rosenberg he wanted to bring Winfrey to Brooklyn so local residents could see that her success is tangible.
"I brought her around there really for the neighborhood," he explained. "'Cause a lot of times when you see people or you hear about Oprah Winfrey, she seems almost untouchable. When I saw her, it was shocking to me. So I know how that feels, to see someone on TV and hear their name and know there so hugely successful. They seem unattainable ... but for them to be around the way and for kids to just see that."
Jay-Z said he wasn't worried about returning to his old neighborhood, joking that Winfrey had a presidential-like level of security with her.
"There was a lot of people out there," he said. "It was Oprah, you know? You don't want people to come snatch her up. [There was] like secret service and helicopters all around."
Jay-Z's tour dates are listed below:
September 2009
11 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
October 2009
9 - University Park, PA - Bryce Jordan Center 10 - Highland Heights, KY - Bank of Kentucky Center
13 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
14 - Calgary, Alberta - Pengrowth Saddledome
15 - Kelowna, British Columbia - Prospera Place
16 - Vancouver, British Columbia - General Motors Place
17 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
24 - Providence, RI - Dunkin Donuts Center
25 - Amherst, MA - Mullins Center
27 - Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena
28 - Columbus, OH - Value City Arena
29 - London, Ontario - John Labatt Centre 30 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
31 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
November 2009
1 - Ottawa, Ontario - Scotiabank Place
12 - Champaign, IL - University of Illinois - Assembly Hall
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Tingley Coliseum
20 - El Paso, TX - Don Haskins Center
22 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center Arena
FILM ABOUT OBAMA'S LATE MOTHER IN THE WORKS: Charles Burnett to direct documentary about life of Stanley Ann Dunham.
*The life of President Obama late mother will be the subject of a feature-length documentary to be directed by Charles Burnett for the big screen, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
"Stanley Ann Dunham: A Most Generous Spirit" will show how Dunham raised her son in Indonesia and Hawaii as well as her pioneering work in the field of Third World microfinance, which assists small entrepreneurs, mostly women, in developing countries.
"She gave a lot of the backbone to our current president and his compassion to the people," the project's executive producer Mary Aloe told the Hollywood Reporter. "With these small-scale economies, she took a concept that was emerging just as women were getting their rights and got them to think outside the box. She is a fascinating woman, and she was ahead of her time."
The project will begin shooting early next year in Indonesia, Hawaii and Washington. The independent production is currently in talks to secure Obama's involvement.
Dunham died of cancer in 1995, aged 52.
OPRAH REVS UP PROMOTION OF WHITNEY EPISODES: TV host tells Access Hollywood, 'I think it’s the best interview I’ve ever done.'
*Oprah Winfrey is in full promotion mode for her two-part season premiere on Sept. 14 and 15 featuring Whitney Houston, who gives her first sit-down interview since battling back from substance abuse.
“I think it’s the best interview I’ve ever done. But I guess you’re supposed to let other people say that about yourself. I can’t think of a moment, ever, when I had a stronger connection to the person I was interviewing,” Winfrey said in a statement to "Access Hollywood."
“My approach to this interview was to not be judgmental in any way, and not to go in trying to get her to say things to make a ‘moment.’ I just wanted to be able to have an honest conversation with her. One woman to another woman," she continued. "And the day of the interview I literally prayed about that all day long. I just wanted a connection between the two of us. And that is what happened.”
According to "Access," Houston "brought down the house" on "Oprah"
with an emotional performance of “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength” from her new album “I Look To You,” which is expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts."
“I think whether you liked or loved Whitney Houston before you will certainly have a deeper appreciation for what she has been through as a human being,” Winfrey continued. “And I mean, the fans are just going to love her even more.”
Clive Davis and Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina appear with Whitney on the two shows.
Meanwhile, thousands of fans showed up to Michigan Ave. in Chicago Tuesday for a public taping celebrating the 24th season of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
At press time, the Black Eyed Peas, Rascal Flatts, Jennifer Hudson, James Taylor and magician Criss Angel were expected to perform.
Winfrey's Harpo production company said it would cover all costs for police, paramedics and sanitation at the outdoor taping. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has supported the undertaking, saying it will give the city global exposure and create jobs.
OSCAR BUZZ CONTINUES FOR MO'NIQUE: Role in upcoming film 'Precious' still impressing critics.
*As Mo'Nique prepares for the Oct. 5 launch of her BET talk show, industry buzz has the comedian a clear front-runner to pick up a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her forthcoming role in "Precious."
According to the New York Post's Page Six, Dick Cavett, Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, Bob Balaban and Joel Schumacher saw the film over the holiday weekend in East Hampton, and emerged in awe of the performance by Mo'Nique.
"She doesn't steal the film -- she kicks, screams and pummels it into an Oscar no-brainer," Forbes.com media critic Bill McCuddy told Page Six.
The filmed, backed by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, has already earned raves at Cannes and Sundance, and Mariah Carey has even received praise for her makeup-free role.
Said McCuddy: "If Oprah can get Barack [Obama] elected, she can get Mo'Nique either a Best Supporting Oscar or a Cabinet post."
Set in Harlem in 1987, "Precious" is the story of Claireece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a 16-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She's pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo'Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write.
Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One. Precious doesn’t know the meaning of "alternative," but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms.
Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination.
Watch trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx-3jYJkUWQ
DEBORAH COX BOOKS BROADWAY ROLE: Singer to star in musical about Josephine Baker.
*Singer-songwriter Deborah Cox will portray the late, legendary Josephine Baker in the new Broadway-bound musical Josephine, based on the life of the iconic entertainer who dazzled Paris audiences.
The musical, according to press notes, is "inspired by actual events, and takes place in Paris between 1939 and 1945: Josephine Baker is queen of the Paris music halls, involved in a liaison with Crown Prince Gustav VI of Sweden and secretly serving her adopted country in the French Resistance.
"Her heroic work during the war brings her the self-worth she so vainly sought in fame, money and the arms of royalty."
Theatre and production dates will be announced at a later time.
Cox previously starred in the title role of the Broadway production of Aida.
JENNIFER HUDSON ADDED TO 'VH1 DIVAS': Oscar/Grammy winner joins Tony Braxton, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge for upcoming special.
*Jennifer Hudson has been booked to perform at the "VH1 Divas"
concert, to be televised live from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn on Sept. 17 at 9 p.m.
J-Hud joins fellow musical guests Sheryl Crow, Martina McBride, Cyndi Lauper and Melissa Etheridge. The ceremony will be hosted by former "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul.
"We are excited that Jennifer Hudson will share her award-winning talent with our 'VH1 Divas' audience next week. Adding Jennifer to our roster of young yet hugely successful performers guarantees that the show will truly be a night to remember," said Tom Calderone, President, VH1. "We can't wait for our viewers to enjoy the performances that will reflect the talent, hard work and tenacity that has come to define this new generation of divas."
Kathy Griffin, Toni Braxton, Ryan Kwanten, Lauren Conrad, Whitney Port and the cast of MGM film "Fame" (Asher Book, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Kherington Payne, Naturi Naughton, and Walter Perez) will serve as presenters for the evening.
Previously-announced "Divas" include Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis, Jordin Sparks and Miley Cyrus.
DOUG E. FRESH TALKS SCIENTOLOGY: Rapper is the first hip hop star to publicly embrace religion.
*In an interview with Essence magazine, veteran rapper Doug E. Fresh confirms that he is indeed a Scientologist, and has been a member of the controversial faith for the past eight years.
"I am the first hip-hop artist to do it," he told the publication, adding that he was introduced to Scientology by his ex-girlfriend, Hot 97 radio personality Miss Jones.
"Isaac Hayes was a former co-worker of Miss Jones and he told her about it. I went with her to one of the classes," he said. "Miss Jones stopped going but I continued. I found it fascinating.
"It changed how I thought. I've learned how to look at things and not judge them but respect them and use it in a way that people understand that I respect them, show them love and respect their reality."
Scientology has had its share of critics throughout the years.
Founded in 1953 by L. Ron Hubbard, it teaches that people are immortal spiritual beings (thetans) through a life force/source known as theta - and all humans are capable of realizing a nearly godlike state through Scientology practices.
"Scientology is not a white religion. It is not just for white people," Fresh told Essence. "Scientology is not written with disrespect toward God. It doesn't worship something that is evil. It is scientific, mathematical, and spiritual. The black community has to check it out and see what's there. I'm not saying it's for everyone, but you have to take a look.
You may be amazed at what you get."
MARK MCEWEN LOSES MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE LAWSUIT: Former 'Early Show' weatherman accused hospital of failing to diagnose stroke symptoms.
*Former CBS "Early Show" personality Mark McEwen has lost his medical negligence lawsuit brought against a Baltimore hospital that diagnosed him with the stomach flu when his symptoms actually indicated a stroke.
Two days after that 2005 hospital visit, McEwen boarded a flight home to Orlando, Fla., and suffered a massive stroke. His attorneys claim the stroke could have been prevented if McEwen had been given drugs including aspirin and anti-coagulates.
But U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz disagreed, ruling last week that those drugs were not effective enough in the short term to have made a difference in McEwen's case.
"I was very disappointed," McEwen, 54, told The Associated Press.
"When you're up against something that's kind of murky, it tends to throw a person who's used to knowing the difference between right and wrong."
Since the abrupt end of his TV career, McEwen has written a book about his experiences - titled "After the Stroke: My Journey Back to Life" – and travels the country for speaking engagements, trying to raise awareness about stroke warning signs and recovery. His attorneys say they are considering an appeal.
ESSENCE ATKINS ENGAGED TO MATCH.COM DATE: Actress puts profile on Internet dating service and strikes gold (as in a ring).
*Actress Essence Atkins got herself a fiancé through Match.com.
The former "Half and Half" star got engaged to Jaime Mendez in February following a year-long courtship that started when they came across each other on the popular Internet dating site, reports TMZ.com. Their wedding is set to take place on Sept. 26.
Atkins, who started her career on "The Cosby Show," says she preferred using Match.com because she didn't have to post a picture of herself. She ended up sending Jamie a message on Valentine's Day because they were 97% compatible.
UFC FIGHTER WINS B.A. BARACUS ROLE: Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson reportedly in Vancouver preparing for six-week 'A Team' shoot.
*The Vancouver Sun is reporting that UFC champ Quinton "Rampage"
Jackson has been cast as B.A. Baracus in the forthcoming big screen adaptation of "The A-Team."
The role, originated in the TV version by Mr. T, had been famously sought after by Ice Cube, The Game and Tyrese Gibson. Rampage, however, won the role after meeting with producers in Vancouver on Aug. 19.
According to The Sun, he arrived in town on Friday to prepare for a film shoot that will last for six weeks.
If officially confirmed, he'll be joining Bradley Cooper, starring as Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck, and Liam Neeson, who's playing Hannibal in the Joe Carnahan-directed film, due June 11, 2010 from 20th Century Fox.
OBAMAS TALK HEALTH IN SEPARATE MAGAZINES: President featured in Men's Health; Michelle talks to Women's Health.
*The president and first lady of the United States discuss their fitness routines and eating habits for the new October issues of Men's Health and Women's Health magazines respectively.
President Barack Obama says he makes a point to carve out time each day – six days a week – for exercise and healthy eating. "Since I was a kid – when I looked at my grandfather, at 55 he already looked old,” President Obama says in the interview. "These days, at 55, people are in the prime of life."
The president's commitment to a healthy lifestyle even follows him into the Oval Office, where he keeps a bowl of apples at the ready. "It was our first step toward health reform," he jokes.
With health care a topic of his speech to Congress tonight, Obama says his commitment to the issue is rooted in his own experiences.
"Even when I was a community organizer – I was paid $13,000 a year – I benefited from the fact that the guy who hired me insisted that I get health care as part of the package," Obama says. "And, you know, at the age of 24, 25, you think you’re immortal. So I was thinking to myself, boy, I could use that money to pay the rent. But he was very firm about everybody having health care, and I think that he did me a great service during that time."
In Women's Health, Michelle Obama revealed why she takes good health (and healthcare) so seriously.
“My father had multiple sclerosis, so I never took health for granted, because I saw a father that at the prime of his life was struck with an illness that completely changed his life,” said Mrs. Obama.
Although healthy eating habits were instilled in her at a young age, Mrs. Obama admits to indulging in not-so-good-for-you foods every now and then.
“I do love a good burger and fries. French fries are my favorite food in the whole world. If I could, I’d eat them at every meal — but I can’t,"
she said. "My whole thing is moderation. If I make good, healthy choices most of the time, then having what I love every once in a while won’t hurt.”
And she values the importance of eating together as a family, even at the White House. Mrs. Obama explains, “Dad’s office is just downstairs, and it’s rare that we don’t have dinner together. No matter what’s going on, he sets aside that time. Dinner time is at 6:30 p.m., and he comes in, we sit down.”
Read more from the first lady, including tips on her workout from her trainer, in this month’s issue of Women’s Health (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/michelle-obamas-workout). Read more of the president's interview in Men's Health http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=health&cate
gory=doctors.hospitals&conitem=72387ea369683210VgnVCM10000030281eac____&page
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ITTY BITTY BITS: Spike Lee's 'Evolution'; Gov. Deval Patrick home from hip surgery; 2 Live Stews replace entertainment reporter.
*The New York Post is reporting that Spike Lee has partnered with Internet marketing guru Jay Kubassek to co-produce "Evolution of a Criminal," a film by Darius Clark Monroe about his life as a bank robber who worked to redeem himself. Monroe hit bottom when he robbed a Bank of America branch at age 17 and did three years in a Texas prison. Once free, he took a film class from Lee at NYU. The rest is history.
*With the assistance of crutches, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick limped his way out of Massachusetts General Hospital Monday, less than a week after undergoing hip replacement surgery. He'll spend at least two weeks away from the State House recuperating at his “Sweet P” farm in Richmond, his vacation home in the Berkshires. He chose to stay at the farm because it has a first-floor bedroom, according to the Boston Herald. The operation relieved chronic pain from an injury he suffered in a 1978 truck accident while he was on a United Nations youth training project in Darfur, Sudan.
*Atlanta’s syndicated sports radio show 2 Live Stews has announced that Triena Lewis will be joining the program as an entertainment reporter.
Triena began her career as a weekend sports reporter in metro-Detroit, eventually moving on to become an entertainment correspondent before spending several years at WIMO AM1300 in Athens, Georgia as a sports radio host and producer of “Sports Total Access.” Triena has replaced Lady Simone, who had been the entertainment reporter for the 2 Live Stews for the past year.
SUDANESE WOMAN JAILED FOR WEARING PANTS: Lubna Hussein convicted for public indecency; refused to pay $200 fine.
*A Sudanese woman was convicted Monday of public indecency for wearing pants at an outdoor cafe and sentenced to jail for one month when she refused to pay a fine.
The case has sparked worldwide outrage and spawned protests in Sudan over the Islamic-dominated government's treatment of women.
Lubna Hussein, a journalist and former U.N. staffer based in Khartoum, could have received 40 lashes with a plastic whip under Sudan's criminal code, which is based largely on Islamic Sharia law.
But with the eyes of the world watching, a judge ordered Hussein -- who attended court in the very pants she had on when arrested -- to pay a $200 fine. Hussein said she would refuse to pay, and was taken to a women's prison to serve a one-month sentence.
"If I paid, it would mean I'd lost the battle," Hussein said after the verdict was announced. "I would rather serve my time in jail."
Hussein was arrested in early July with a dozen other women, most of whom have since paid a fine or were lashed, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Western nations lodged complaints about the case. Amnesty International, a human rights group, last week likened public floggings to "state-sponsored torture."
Hussein, believed to be in her 30s, said she hoped her case would put a spotlight on the repressive treatment of women in Sudan.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Extract
Latest Mike Judge Comedy Misses the Mark
Film Review by Kam Williams
*While Mike Judge may be best known as the creator of the MTV animated series Beavis and Butthead, he also has a cult following of devoted movie fans who love his live-action masterpieces like Office Space and Idiocracy.
But they are apt to be disappointed by his latest offering, Extract, an ensemble comedy starring Jason Bateman as a sexually-frustrated, flavoring factory owner.
Judge surrounded Bateman with a talented cast which includes SNL's Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck, J.K. Simmons, Mila Kunis, David Koechner and Gene Simmons.
Unfortunately, they were asked to execute a sorry script which simply isn't very funny. In fact, its highlights have already been spoiled by the movie's TV commercial.
You may recall the scene in the trailer where the word "temp" is mistaken for "tramp," another where a horse tranquilizer is mistaken for Xanax, and finally the extended one in which an assembly line worker loses a testicle as the coup de grace in an industrial accident which unfolds like a Rube Goldberg contraption. That's it, all the best laughs right there in the trailer.
The picture's premise revolves around the miserable plight of Joel, the owner of Reynolds' Extract, a company which manufactures flavorings. Unhappy both at work and at home, he frequently retreats to a local pub to cry on the shoulder of the bartender, his best friend, Dean (Affleck).
Too bad Dean doles out nothing but awful advice. For instance, when Joel is tempted to cheat on his seemingly-frigid wife (Wiig), his pal suggests that he hire a new pool boy (Dustin Milligan) to seduce her first. According to Dean's convoluted logic, this will enable Joel to sleep with his pretty employee Cindy (Mila Kunis) with a clear conscience. Of course, that ploy backfires because Suzie starts having an affair with the gigolo but then Cindy shows no interest in sleeping with her boss.
Meanwhile, Joel's plans to sell the struggling factory falls through after General Mills catches wind of the multi million-dollar, personal injury lawsuit being filed against Reynolds by Step (Clifton Collins, Jr.), the guy who lost one of his gonads. A further complication involves gold digger Cindy's taking an interest in Step to get her hands on his anticipated legal settlement.
Trust me, the understated humor is decidedly-dull rather than the droll tone which Judge ostensibly was aiming for. Plus, the characters are invariably annoying, most of all Joel's next-door neighbor Nathan (Koechner), a shameless resurrection of Lundbergh of Office Space fame. Nathan even reuses Lundbergh's recurring trademark "I went ahead and." line and repeats it in the very same fashion.
Maybe Judge is just all out of ideas. In any case, there's no reason to waste your hard-earned bucks on this derivative dud, when you can rent the originals, Office Space and Idiocracy, and actually laugh your butt off.
Fair (1 star)
Rated R for profanity, drug use and sexual references.
Running time: 91 minutes
Studi Miramax Pictures
To see a trailer for Extract, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzJI08YUNik
CHURCH OUT OF THE RED: Ponzi scheme pushed parish to near foreclosure.
*Members of a ninety year old church in Detroit say their prayers have been answered. A Sept. 1st foreclosure has been canceled for First Baptist Institutional Church because church leaders secured a new bank loan at the eleventh hour.
First Baptist, one of Detroit’s oldest churches, was one of approximately 300 churches nationwide that bought millions of dollars' worth of bonds from Alanar Inc. Federal prosecutors allege that the company, run by a former pastor and his sons, convinced churches to buy $120 million worth of bonds to finance construction projects but then pocketed $6 million in an illegal ponzi scheme.
Church leaders secured $560,000 to refinance the church and cancel foreclosure proceedings at the last minute. Now the church can celebrate its 92nd birthday in October.
"Our church has been saved," parishioner Valerie Weatherly of Livonia told the Detroit News. "We're very, very happy. "God has smiled down on us," Pastor Bob Fauntroy said. And while it may have 15 years to pay off its new mortgage, Fauntroy plans to pay it off quicker than that: "We don't plan on holding on to this mortgage long," he said with a laugh.
CHURCH TITHING AND DONATIONS DOWN: Reduction causes cancelled mission work and repairs.
*Reduced tithing and other church donations have slowed down so much religious sanctuaries around the country are forced to cut budgets and staff to stay afloat. An LA Times report also revealed that 69 long-term foreign missionaries and 350 short-term missionaries for the Southern Baptist Convention will remain home this year because of reduced giving by local congregations to the denomination's cooperative program. Southern Baptist officials also report a $29-million drop in an annual Christmas offering on which half the program's budget depends.
Jewish and Christian seminaries also are feeling the pinch. In Los Angeles, consideration was given this spring to closing the L.A. campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, a seminary serving the Jewish Reform movement. Ultimately, college officials opted to keep the campus open, but only after cutting staff and entering into cooperative arrangements with other institutions and seminaries.
The national Episcopal Church, which recently reduced its 2010-12 budget by $23 million, said that despite the pinch, it too would continue its social mission. Its leadership decided to cut 30 staff positions at its New York headquarters, but restored funding for programs in the developing world. The church said in a statement that the budget was focused on "giving to others first and then to ourselves last."
Religious leaders said they see another phenomenon at work that may distinguish religious giving from other charitable giving. Those who contribute for religious purposes tend to cut spending elsewhere before holding back on what they put in the offering plate.
NEW BIBLE ERASES GENDER: Some scholars question motives.
*The upcoming New International Version (NIV) Bible will be more gender neutral when it is unveiled in 2011, some say to cater to a conservative evangelical Christian base that prefer a more gender neutral point of view. Church scholars say when the new version is revealed today’s NIV Bible will vanish.
Although evangelical church leaders say the latest revision has to do with the evolution of the English language, New Testament scholar and author Bart Ehrman said in an LA Times interview "They are changing the gender-neutral language, no doubt, because their 'base' is conservative evangelical Christians who are offended by anything that appears to have a feminist agenda behind it, not because the language has changed.
A comparison of original (NIV) and gender-neutral (TNIV) passages read: Psalm 8:4NIV: What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? TNIV: What are mere mortals that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Matthew 7:4NIV: How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? TNIV: How can you say, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?1 Corinthians 15:21NIV: For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. TNIV: For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a human being.
GOSPEL MUSIC CEO STEPS DOWN: Budget cuts to blame.
*The president and CEO of the Gospel Music Association has stepped down from the position to help save the organization money amid the current economic recession. Falling association membership and other reductions in income have caused John Styll to resign his post of six years, although he will remain a member of the GMA board of directors.
"We've been tightening our belts for some time in this economy and now we're at a point where I think it's wise to take my own salary off the books," Styll added in a statement to The Christian Post.
According to the GMA, the streamlining of the organization has been fueled by the economy as well as the changing profile of GMA's membership – the most important audience it serves and the association's principal source of income. While record labels, radio stations, retailers and other traditional categories of members continue to support the GMA, an increasing percentage of GMA's membership is made up of independent artists, songwriters and musicians and other small music business professionals who are looking to GMA for community, networking and advocacy. GMA has also witnessed an increase in the number of volunteers. So with the economy in the state it is in today, the association decided to scale down the number of paid staff and return to a more volunteer-driven operation.
LIFE-THREATENING DECISIONS: New doctors shy away from abortions.
*Some medical school students who believe in a woman’s right to choose an abortion say they won’t offer the service to their future clients because of possible threats against their lives. Recent news stories such as the one about the slaying of George Tiller, a Kansas physician who performed late abortions, has them afraid to get involved.
"I think for a lot of students right now, it's very hard to be confronted with the constant negative energy and constant fighting" that surrounds abortion, Devin Miller told the Washington Post. Miller is a medical school student who grew up in a southern Virginia city where antiabortion sentiment runs high. Medical students who want training in the procedure usually must arrange an elective "externship" in Northern Virginia so as not to bring attention to themselves, she said.
Thirty-six years after it was legalized, abortion remains one of the most common procedures in American medicine -- and the most stigmatized. In 2005, 1.2 million abortions were performed, still Miller said "There's this feeling it's dirty and should not be spoken about. It's hard to be brave and seek everything out yourself."
Even before Tiller's death, and before abortion became entangled in the rancorous debate about health-care reform (antiabortion groups say it will expand abortion, a claim reform advocates say is false), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists warned that "the availability of abortion services is in jeopardy."
The shortage of doctors willing to perform abortions "has huge public health implications," said Lois Backus, executive director of the Philadelphia-based Medical Students for Choice. The organization was founded in 1993 after the murder of a Florida doctor. Backus said because about half of pregnancies are unintended, most doctors will at some point treat women confronting a choice about pregnancy.
Although such care was once common, few physicians currently offer abortion services in their offices, fearing they will be targeted by abortion foes. Instead, Backus said, many tell patients facing unwanted pregnancy to look in the Yellow Pages or call Planned Parenthood.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"I’ve never been poor, only broke. Being poor is a frame of mind. Being broke is only a temporary situation." — Mike Todd
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Sept. 9: Singer Luther Simmons (The Main Ingredient) is 67. Singer Inez Fox is 67. Singer Dee Dee Sharp is 64.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Race Relations is a Web site for racial profiling, but not in the way you may think. Check it out here: www.racerelations.ws/
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Sept. 9, 1915: The father of black history, Carter G Woodson, founds the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. (Source:
www.BlackFacts.com)
