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10-08-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
ALICIA KEYS EXPANDING BUSINESS VENTURES: Singer launches company to handle jewelry line, Web site and more.
*Singer-songwriter Alicia Keys has launched AK Worldwide, a new company that will handle her various projects, particularly those outside of the music business.
"It really explores the ways I can affect the world in a positive way, even outside of music," Keys told the Associated Press Tuesday. "It is really about finding ways to bring forth things into the world that will give you and all the people that encounter them, and myself, inspiration."
The first project for the 28-year-old is The Barber's Daughters, a handcrafted jewelry line engraved with messages of hope and wisdom.
"The words, when you read them, they really do resonate with you.
They kind of inspire you to want to find that place in yourself," she said, sporting a silver oval ring that read: "May you find inspiration and meaning soaked in the wonders of the imagination cradled in compassion of the heart and hold a will to make difference."
There are also plans for a new Web site, www.iamasuperwoman.com, devoted to spotlighting inspirational women and causes that will fill a missing gap in the blogosphere, Keys said.
"It really calls out to all those brilliant, amazing, fantastic women every day that are doing their thing and need kind of a community to support each other," she said.
Her fourth studio CD, "The Element of Freedom," is scheduled for release on Dec. 1.
ABC BOOKS JENNIFER HUDSON CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: Program to feature artist retracing childhood with musical performances around Chicago.
*Oscar and Grammy-winner Jennifer Hudson has secured her own primetime Christmas special to air in December on ABC.
"Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas" will feature the singer-actress reliving her childhood holidays with musical performances filmed at various locations around her hometown of Chicago.
The chosen venues will be specific to her youth; they include her church and the music academy she attended, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
I can't wait to hear her take on Christmas classics as we discover what she loves about her hometown of Chicago," said Vicki Dummer, senior vp alternative series, specials and late-night at ABC Entertainment Group.
BURRUSS' FIANCEE FOUGHT OVER CONTROL OF CLUB?: New developments have A.J.
starting the incident after feeling disrespected.
*According to CBS News, the fight that led to the beating death of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Kandi Burruss' ex-fiancé, Ashley "A.J."
Jewell, may have been started by Jewell because he felt disrespected.
Also, TMZ.com is reporting that Jewell was walking and talking as he left the fight early Saturday morning at the Body Tap Club, where he had an altercation with his co-worker – and now suspect – Fredrick Richardson.
Sources tell the Web site that Jewell declined an ambulance; instead choosing to have a friend drive him to the hospital. The medical examiner has yet to release the cause of death, although it had previously been reported that Jewell died of a massive head injury.
According to family rep Joyce Farley-Sands, Jewell was interested in purchasing a portion of the club. Atlanta PD Homicide Unit Chief Lt. Keith Meadows told CBS News that "Jewell had some words about a business decision.
... It seems like it was a struggle for power over the club. ... Apparently they just didn't like each other. A.J. felt like he deserved more respect from Richardson and it wasn't given to him."
Richardson has been arrested for voluntary manslaughter in Jewell's death and is currently being held without bail. He is due back in court on Oct. 20.
SHEILA E. TO LEAD WHITE HOUSE 'FIESTA': Drummer will head house band for next week's Obama-hosted Latin music night.
*Percussionist Sheila E. will perform at the White House next Tuesday as head of the house band for Fiesta Latina, a concert to be hosted by President Barack Obama in honor of Hispanic musical heritage.
Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan and Jose Feliciano are also scheduled to perform at the event, which will be taped by PBS for broadcast on Oct. 15.
It will then air on Telemundo Oct. 18 and on V-me Dec. 25, according to Daily Variety.
Other entertainers scheduled to perform include Jimmy Smits, Pete Escovedo, George Lopez, Thalia, Los Lobos, Tito "El Bambino" and Aventura.
Chef Maricel Presilla will serve as the evening's guest chef.
Fiesta Latina follows previously Obama-hosted concerts to highlight the arts, including a jazz session in June and a country music performance in July. Next up for the White House is a classical music night in November.
USHER STILL HASN'T SIGNED THOSE 'PAPERS': Tameka finds irony in singer's first single, as he has yet to finalize the divorce with his signature.
*Usher's new single "Papers" details his divorce from Tameka Foster Raymond, but he has yet to put his John Hancock on the real divorce papers, which has reportedly caused a delay in the monetary settlement reached last month in court.
"Tameka thinks that it's ironic that 'Papers' is his comeback single when she just wants him to sign the paperwork and finalize the divorce," a source told RadarOnline.com. "The terms and conditions have been agreed on for around a month but he keeps stalling on them, and she's the one that wants to move on with her life."
The estranged couple, who were married in August 2007, has two sons, 1-year-old Usher Raymond V, and Naviyd, 10 months.
As part of their ugly split earlier this year, Ursh demanded a DNA test to determine whether he is Naviyd's biological father. It was also reported that Tameka accused her soon-to-be ex's camp of running a "smear campaign" against her.
In the song "Papers," from his upcoming album tentatively tilted "Raymond versus Raymond," (due Dec. 8) the singer paints himself as a sympathetic figure on the wrong end of a one-sided relationship.
Lyrics include: "I can't deny how much I loved you / I done gave up everything I had too / As hard as it is I'm afraid I've gotta say, I'm ready to sign them papers."
The tune, which premiered online Monday, also references his decision to fire his mother as his manager. "I gave my heart and turned my back against the world 'cuz you were my girl," he sings, continuing, "I done damn near lost my mama/I done been through so much drama/I done turned into the man I never thought I'd be/I'm ready to sign them papers."
Listen to "Papers" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRS_DZNGEyo
SHYNE FREED, BUT FACING DEPORTATION: Rapper released from prison Tuesday, but taken into custody by immigration.
*Rapper Jamal "Shyne" Barrow was released from prison Tuesday after serving 10 years for a club shooting, but he was quickly taken into custody by immigration officials who may deport him to his native Belize because of his felony rap sheet.
Shyne has a green card, but U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Mike Gilhooly said the artist "is in violation of U.S. immigration law," reports the New York Daily News. He offered no further details.
While in prison, Shyne changed his name to Moses Leviy in recognition of his Jewish mother. His father is now the prime minister of Belize.
Recently, Jay-Z denied a report that he had visited Shyne at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility to sign him to a record deal.
SAMUEL L. IN A 'DIFFERENT' DIRECTION: Actor signs on for adaptation of nonfiction bestseller.
*Samuel L. Jackson has agreed to topline the upcoming indie film "Same Kind of Different as Me," based a nonfiction bestseller that has been adapted by screenwriters Roderick and Bruce Taylor ("The Brave One").
Jackson will play Denver Moore, an ex-con drifter who develops an unlikely friendship with a wealthy Dallas art dealer named Ron Hall. The book, written by Hall, Moore and Lynn Vincent, was optioned by Veralux Media in 2008, reports Variety.
With Jackson in the picture, the script is now being shopped for production financing.
Meanwhile, Jackson is currently filming the Adam McKay-directed Columbia Pictures comedy "The Other Guys" and recently wrapped an adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy play "Sunset Limited" for HBO, co-starring Michael Sheen.
LAWSUIT OFFICIALLY FILED OVER 'SHAQ VS.': Todd Gallagher sues after attempts to negotiate were unsuccessful.
*The man who accused Shaquille O'Neal and his talent agency of stealing his concept for the television show "Shaq Vs." filed a lawsuit in L.A. County Superior Court on Wednesday seeking $5,000,000.
Todd Gallagher – a former professional basketball coach, writer for ESPN, and television producer – authored the book "Andy Roddick Beat Me With a Frying Pan," in which he competed against pro athletes in their various sports.
In August, Gallagher claimed his idea was stolen by the William Morris Endeavor Agency and pitched to O'Neal as "Shaq Vs.," which aired over the summer on ABC. In the series, the NBA star competed against professional athletes in their various sports.
Gallagher wrote a letter to the agents in hopes of settling the case, but they refused, according to TMZ.com. Shaq has stated publicly that he came up with the idea by himself.
RZA MAKES A 'DATE' WITH WARNER BROS: Wu-Tang rapper books role in new comedy opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx.
*On the heels of joining Paul Haggis' thriller "The Next Three Days," rapper RZA has just signed on for the Todd Phillips-directed comedy "Due Date," joining Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx and Zach Galifianakis of "The Hangover."
The Warner Bros. film follows a man with a mismatched travel companion who races home in hopes of arriving before his wife delivers their first child.
Michelle Monaghan is also set to co-star, while Phillips is producing through his company Green Hat.
In addition to co-starring in "The Next Three Days" for Lionsgate, RZA is scoring producer Robbie Brenner's film "Warriors Way" for Relativity Media. The Wu-Tang Clan founder's feature credits include "Funny People" and "American Gangster"; and he has scored music for films by Ridley Scott, Jim Jarmusch and Quentin Tarantino.
JAY-Z LOOKING FOR AN OASIS HOOKUP: Rapper wants to work with lead singer Liam Gallagher.
*Jay-Z is putting it out there that he wants to work with Liam Gallagher of the alternative band Oasis.
The Brooklyn mogul admits he first became interested in the collaboration after reading that Snoop Dogg would be interested in signing Liam's brother and bandmate Noel Gallagher to Priority Records, where the Long Beach rapper serves as creative director.
"I hear Snoop Dogg might be teaming up with Noel. If that's the case then I would love to work with Liam," Jay-Z told The Sun. "Their [Oasis'] music is tight and I think we could blend our styles well."
The rapper said that hooking up with Gallagher could yield similar results as his collaboration with Linkin Park, with whom he released the joint album 'Collision Course' in 2004, as well as playing live with them.
"When I teamed up with Linkin Park nobody expected that to work but we made a massive success of it," he said. "The same could happen with Liam."
LAWSUIT FILED OVER MICHAEL JACKSON AUCTION: Bidder upset sale was cancelled; now wants $5 million in compensation.
*A man who says he placed the highest bids on 170 items in a canceled Michael Jackson auction is now suing the organizers for at least $5 million, reports TMZ.com, claiming the value is the "true market value of the items"
he was bidding on.
In the lawsuit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court against Jackson's estate and Julien's Auction House, Richard Lapointe claims he was the only (and therefore the highest) bidder on 82 items and "may have been the highest bidder on not less than 88 additional items."
The auction was cancelled in April after Jackson's camp and Julien's owner Darren Julien ended up butting heads.
Richard claims Julien's notified him in writing on April 11 and 14 that his registration was complete and his bids had been received. Then, on April 15, Richards claims Julien's canceled the auction "despite having accepted bids."
He's suing for a minimum of $5 million because he claims that's the "true market value of the items" he was bidding on.
In response to the lawsuit, Julien told TMZ: "He called us the day the auction was canceled and told us he has been emotionally damaged, and he asked what we would do to compensate for it. If he is that emotionally damaged, he can bet on the items when they come back up for auction on November 21st. Also, he accepted the terms on the bidder form which said the auction could be canceled at any time."
NY POST DUMPS EDITOR CRITICAL OF RACIST OBAMA CARTOON: Sandra Guzman spoke out against chimp drawing.
*A New York Post editor who spoke out against a controversial cartoon the paper ran comparing the author of the president's stimulus package to a dead chimpanzee has been fired from her job, the Huffington Post blog reported.
Sandra Guzman was removed from her post as associate editor last week for reasons that are being hotly debated by personnel inside the company. An official statement from the New York Post, provided to the Huffington Post, said that her job was terminated once the paper ended the section she was editing.
But employees at the paper – owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, said Tuesday's firing seemed retributive.
Guzman was the most high-profile Post employee to publicly speak out against a cartoon that likened the author of the stimulus bill (whom nearly everyone associated with President Barack Obama) with a rabid primate. Drawn by famed cartoonist Sean Delonas, the illustration pictured two befuddled policeman -- having just shot the chimp twice in the chest -- saying:
"They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."
"I neither commissioned or approved it," Guzman wrote to a list of journalist colleagues shortly thereafter. "I saw it in the paper yesterday with the rest of the world. And, I have raised my objections to management."
According to HuffPo, Guzman's response was a rare instance of dissension within the halls of the paper making its way into the public domain. And sources at the Post now say it cost her a job.
"I think ever since then, she has been on their sh** list and they were trying to look for a reason to get rid of her," said a Post employee who was granted anonymity in exchange for speaking freely. The problem at the Post is a revenue problem, the employee said. "My whole thing is, she is not in charge of advertising. She is an associate editor. Whoever is in accounting or advertising should have been held accountable."
'BLACK GIRLS ROCK' TO HONOR MARY J., NAOMI AND MORE: Fourth annual awards to take place next Saturday in New York.
*Regina King and Tracee Ellis Ross are hosting the fourth annual Black Girls Rock! Awards, to take place Saturday, Oct. 17, at New York's Times Center located in the Times Square District.
The 2009 honorees include Grammy Award winner Mary J. Blige, actress/producer Raven Symoné, poet and playwright Sonia Sanchez, singer Janelle Monáe, supermodel Naomi Campbell and TruthAIDS founder, activist and White House Fellow, Dr. Mehret Mandefro.
Other participants include: actress Kerry Washington, philanthropist Jessica Seinfeld, Essence Magazine's Emil Wilbekin, renowned visual artist Vic Muniz, multi-platinum producer Bryan-Michael Cox and more.
To purchase tickets, please visit http://blackgirlsrockinc.com/Awards09/ or www.blackgirlsrock.org.
Black Girls Rock! is a youth empowerment mentoring organization established for young women of color with a mission to promote the arts and encourage positive life-changing activity and critical thinking. The group also pushes for a more balanced and positive depiction of women of color in entertainment and the media.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Whip It
Drew Barrymore Makes Directorial Debut with Female Empowerment Flick
Film Review by Kam Williams
*17 year-old Bliss Lavendar (Ellen Page) is a small-town girl who has reluctantly entered the Miss Bluebonnet Beauty Pageant by her domineering mother (Marcia Gay Harden).
Sadly, her henpecked father (Daniel Stern) is of no help, since he’s so afraid of his wife that he secretly watches football games in his van.
What we have here is a tragic case of a parent attempting to live vicariously through a child, since Mrs. Lavendar sorely wants to see her daughter win a competition she never could herself at that age.
She’s even desperate enough to spend $800 of her hard-earned pay as a mail carrier on a custom-made rhinestone-encrusted gown just for the occasion.
In reality, however, Bliss is a rough-and-tumble tomboy who’d rather be a jammer on the Hurl Scouts, the all-girl roller derby team that competes in an arena in nearby Austin, Texas. But she seems already too busy to fit anything else into her schedule, between preparing for college and her after school job as a waitress at the Oink Joint, Home of the Squealer.
Nonetheless, curiosity gets the better of Bliss, so one day she surreptitiously hitches a ride from Bodeen to the big city on a Bingo bus full of senior citizens. She attends a tryout for the Hurl Scouts, where she makes fast friends with Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig), a veteran who shows her the ropes.
Bliss can’t help but notice that the rest of her teammates have equally-punny monikers, including Smashley Simpson (Barrymore), Eva Destruction (Ari Graynor) and token black Rosa Sparks (Eve), to name a few.
So, it’s no surprise when Coach Razor (Andrew Wilson) gives his raw recruit a nickname of her own, Babe Ruthless.
Despite all the bumps and bruises, Bliss takes to the sport, though deciding to tell her mother she’s enrolled in an SAT prep course instead of the truth. This sets up the classic “one big lie which must be hidden at all costs” premise which underpins Whip It, an estrogen-fueled, female empowerment flick based on Shauna Cross’ novel of the same name. The movie marks the directorial debut of Drew Barrymore who had the wherewithal to assemble a very talented cast to play an array of colorful characters, from the smarmy emcee (Jimmy Fallon) to the tattooed butch (Juliette Lewis).
The cliché-ridden plot thickens predictably when the Hurl Scouts’ make the playoffs and the championship game against their cross-town rivals, the Holy Rollers, is scheduled for the same night as the Bluebonnet Pageant. At that juncture, the tension builds around whether Bliss will follow her heart or capitulate to her mother’s wishes?
Pleasant, if formulaic, Whip It is mostly a mindless diversion designed to hold your interest via a profusion of such teensploit staples as the gratuitous hot tub party and the cafeteria food fight. Juno on roller skates!
Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, crude humor and drug use.
Running time: 111 minutes
Studi Fox Searchlight
To see a trailer for Whip It, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQGPdXnb2Gg
EUR FILM REVIEW: Surrogates
Bruce Willis Back in Futuristic Sci-Fi Thriller
Film Review by Kam Williams
*It’s Boston in 2017, a time when people live in near total isolation from one another. Instead of ever leaving their homes, they send remote-controlled robots out into the world as their virtual emissaries.
In this scenario, you are legally allowed to rely on a surrogate that looks like a younger version of yourself, although it’s a felony to control a computerized clone registered to someone else.
With nothing but cyborgs out on the streets, it’s no surprise that the world has been transformed into a virtual utopia where crime has become a thing of the past.
However, the peace of Beantown is suddenly shattered when the city suffers its first murder in years. What’s curious about the slaying is that the victim is Jarid Canter (Shane Dzicek), the son of Dr. Lionel Canter (James Cromwell), the inventor of surrogates.
Assigned by FBI Chief Andrew Stone (Boris Kodjoe) to crack the case are Agents Greer (Bruce Willis) and Peters (Radha Mitchell). Initially, the baffled partne wonder why anyone might want the kid dead.
Then, more killings occur, and the investigation reveals that the murder weapon is a high-tech gadget capable of destroying a surrogate while simultaneously liquefying its corresponding human’s brain.
Soon, the trail leads to the Dread Reservation, a sanctuary for rebels who have refused to surrender their autonomy to Dr. Canter’s race of robots.
After it becomes apparent that The Prophet (Ving Rhames) must be masterminding the revolution, Greer opts to bring his aging body out of mothballs in order to take on the leader of the resistance movement, mano-a-mano. Next, his boss strips him of his badge and gun for this infraction of the Bureau’s rules. Nonetheless, this does nothing to discourage Greer from continuing the pursuit as a rogue cop.
So unfolds Surrogates, a futuristic Dirty Harry directed by Jonathan Mostow.
Adapted from Robert Venditti’s graphic novel of the same name, the film unfortunately fails to live up to its promising premise. The problems start with the screen being cluttered with way too many characters (two of
everybody) and the futility of asking an audience to invest emotionally in robots. Ultimately, the twists turn preposterous, and it doesn’t help that the cast can’t sell the ludicrous script.
Yetta nudder cautionary tale issuing dire warnings about the pitfalls of technology run amuck.
Fair (1.5 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, disturbing images, sexuality, drug use and
intense violence.
Running time: 88 minutes
Studi Touchstone Pictures
To see a trailer for Surrogates, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8Co2DHPxlA
VERONICA'S VIEW: If You’re Feeling Alone, You’ve Got Company
Veronica Hendrix
*Feeling a little lonely these days? Or how about isolated?
Do you spend long stretches alone or in the company of folks making superficial chit chat?
Well, you are not alone, at least according to a survey conducted by the General Social Survey. The Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades survey says we are growing into a culture that is far more socially isolated today than we were twenty years ago.
As a writer I spend a considerable amount of solitary time, sitting perpendicular before my laptop. It’s a lonely endeavor, being isolated from signs of life for hours and hours at time.
Sometimes the isolation makes me stir-crazy, because I am a social archetype by design and I love being around people. However, the intermittent phone calls I receive from family and close friends while working are welcome interruptions. They pierce the solitude that wraps me like a cocoon.
But that’s not the isolation the survey speaks about.
Unlike the situational isolation that I experience from week to week, the survey found that what Americans are experiencing is chronic, social isolation, unlike never before.
In fact according to the survey, nearly 50% of the American population is grappling with the pang of social isolation from what researchers believe is a progressive decline in close, consistent and meaningful relationships with kin folk as well a non-kin folk.
But why is this happening?
My non-scientific conclusion is because of technology. It has certainly contributed to my state of isolation and disconnectedness professionally as well as socially. In the old days, reporters would hand carry their copy to their editors and discuss their rewrites face to face. Now most of the communication is by email without a single personal or phone conversation.
Instead of sending hand written notes or invitations to family or friends, I’ve fallen into the ease of electronic missives and e-vites. While technology allows us to reach out and touch more folks in cyber space, it does little to strengthen social relationships. In fact it does quite the opposite, eclipsing human contact with the press of a button.
However the survey says that the main culprits of our isolation are the frenetic demands of our work schedules and our longer commute times. And in the past 20 years both have increased, exponentially, while decreasing the meaningful time we spend with family, friends and social organizations exponentially, too.
Social relationships that took the biggest hit, according to the survey, were those involving contact with neighbors, religious groups and volunteer organizations, which – by the way -- have traditionally been the maintained by women that is until they began entering the workforce in record numbers.
After putting in a 9 to 10 hour work day, enduring a brutal commute – and rustling up dinner and handling home work – there’s not much time, interest or energy in nurturing social relationships outside the home.
But there’s more.
The most surprising finding of the survey was this: the number of people who said they don’t have a close confidant nearly tripled in 20 years. The survey revealed one in every four Americans says they have no one in their lives that they talk with about things that are important to them, such as their most inner struggles, challenges and hurts. And as the survey underscored, these relationships support us the same way beams support the structure of a building. Without these kinds of relationships, we collapse literally and figuratively in a number of ways.
So when times get tough, it seems most Americans suffer in silence. Or it is really silence when diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity are at an all time high. And my non-scientific conclusion is that the decline in close, consistent and meaningful relationships is the catalyst that ignites a host of stress and lifestyle related ailments.
Does the survey offer any solutions to ameliorate our pervasive isolation?
Nope. It wasn’t the focus of the survey. But we know what they are. Doing something about it is a different topic altogether. Perhaps that will be the subject of a subsequent article.
So, if you’re feeling alone and isolated these days, you've got company. (If you have comments about Veronica’s View, email them to vsview@yahoo.com)#
PEOPLE OF NOTE: KISS FM’S OPEN LINE CELEBRATES 20 YEARS DOMINATING THE AIRWAVES By Nivada Kahn
Photo Courtesy of Kiss-FM
*Twenty years ago, an intrepid news director at WRKS 98.7 Kiss FM in New York, noticed a disturbing trend wherein African Americans were largely unable to receive relevant information on the issues affecting them. So in true trendsetting fashion, Bob Slade, the award-winning broadcaster and producer, created a public affairs program catering to this disenfranchised community. It was then that Slade established a talk radio medium that was eventually responsible for the election of Mayors and other political figures. The talk show also took on issues wherein they blew the whistle on bogus cases such as the Central Park Jogger 5. Now, two decades later, the crew of ‘Open Line’ welcomes its loyal audience for a star-studded broadcast at the legendary BB Kings on 42nd Street in Manhattan on Sunday, October 11th.
‘Open Line’ will air live from Times Square during its regular broadcast hours of 10 AM to noon, along with a pre-show at 9 AM. Opening the doors to its dedicated listenership in the NY tri-state area, Bob Slade, James ‘The Third Answer’ Mtume and Bob Pickett will host this 20th anniversary special along with a slew of special guests from the highest levels of government to some of the biggest names in entertainment.
“The secret to the show’s success is our audience, who consistently jam the phone lines every week patiently waiting on hold for the chance to weigh in on the topic under discussion,” explained Mtume who has been a co-host of ‘Open Line’ since 1994 after an overwhelmingly stellar career in the music business.
Entrenched in news radio since 1971, Bob Slade juggles multiple hats at Kiss-FM where he maintains his news director role, while appearing as an on-air personality for the station’s morning show with DL Hughley, as well as ‘The Week In Review’ and ‘Open Line’. He also executive produces ‘Soul Beginnings’ at Kiss-FM, and is the recipient of several awards, including a Peabody Award; the 1998 & 2002 New York Metro A.I.R. Award for the ‘Best Public Affairs Program’; the Garden State Association of Black Journalists award for ‘The Best Syndicated Show,’ and two Armstrong Awards from Columbia University, et al.
“I am extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the past 20 years, and hold those accountable who previously believed they could ignore the community,” Slade said.
Bob Pickett, who first appeared on ‘Open Line’ in 1994 to provide legal expertise on the O.J. Simpson murder trial, is regarded as one of the top legal minds in talk radio. A former administrative law judge in NJ, former aide to Vice President Hubert Humphrey and assistant counsel for education to Governor James Florio, Pickett has practiced law for 36 years with experience in complex litigation in both civil and criminal court. A member of the Bar of the United States Supreme Court and the United States Circuit Court for the Third and Sixth Circuits. He has provided extensive knowledge to cases such as the Central Park Jogger 5 and the Amadou Diallo trials. An on-air personality for ‘The Week In Review’, Pickett also serves as the executive producer of the station’s ‘Legend Music Series’ and producer for ‘Soul Beginnings’ with Bob Slade.
“What makes this show so unique is the triangle of voices - Mtume’s, Slade’s and myself that dissect issues and events while occasionally disagreeing at the same time on issues, without being disagreeable,” explained Pickett.
And last, but certainly not least, is the tutelage of the third answer James Mtume whose moniker remains ‘there is the right answer, the wrong answer and then of course the third answer’. Passionately expressing his views on everything from music, politics and international suffering, Mtume brings a unique perspective to radio that stems from an award-winning entertainment career. A former jazz percussionist who played and toured with the legendary Miles Davis, Heath Brothers, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, etc., Mtume established himself as an incomparable producer and writer, and chart topper for artists like Stephanie Mills and Roberta Flack, unleashing hits like ‘You, Me and He’ and ‘Juicy Fruit’. The two-time Grammy award winner, has produced music on TV’s ‘New York Undercover’ and his political activism and global initiatives make him a perfect fit on ‘Open Line’.
As Bob Slade, James Mtume, Bob Pickett, executive producer Fatiyn Muhammad, associate producer Robin Williams and supporting cast members prepare to celebrate 20 years on the airwaves next Sunday, the NY tri-state area cannot ignore their impact. Voted as one of the top 100 shows in America in Talkers Magazine in 2003, recipient of numerous awards and a consistent ratings winner in its time slot since 1994, ‘Open Line’ has played a critical role in the elections of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Newark Mayor Cory Booker and one of the first to garner tri-state area support for candidate Barack Obama. But perhaps most importantly, this program has played an integral role in the lives of everyday folks. Therefore, the public is invited to join these “Open Line” luminaries in celebrating their historic milestone at BB Kings in Times Square on Sunday, October 11th from 9 AM to 12 noon.
GLENN'S STRATEGIES FOR WELL-BEING: All Fall Down – Accidental Falls and Seniors
*Falling is the most common cause of accidental death among older people, with one person dying every 5 hours as a result of a fall in the home.
The majorities of accidental falls are not job-related or involve situations of extreme danger. They occur in homes during everyday activities.
Seniors living in institutions have 3 times the chance of falling compared to those living in their homes. Accidental falls are also very common in children of all ages. Young children learning to walk and toddlers are at greater risk of accidental falls resulting in possible brain injury.
In 2005 (the latest year for which figures are available), close to 16,000 Americans 65 and older died from falls. Another 1.8 million fell and injured themselves seriously enough that they ended up in an emergency room. A quarter of them were admitted to the hospital.
As we get older, our balance starts disappearing. We lose motor neurons (Motor neurons are nerve cells that transmit signals from the brain or spinal cord to the muscles. And that means fewer messages traveling from the brain to the muscles. 35% of people have evidence of what is called vestibular dysfunction.
The vestibular organs of the inner ear provide the brain with information about changes in head movement. When the vestibular system doesn't function properly, patients experience dizziness, vertigo or imbalance, increasing their risk of a dangerous fall. The good news is that there is hope for patients who have vestibular dysfunction. Balance exercises that train the brain to compensate for the deficits. Diabetics are 70% more likely to suffer from vestibular problems.
30 or 40 years ago, more of our older citizens had been laborers throughout their lives, so they were physically stronger. Today, people are much flabbier and more likely to fall.
A full third of American adults, 69 million men and women over age 40, are up to 12 times more likely to have a serious fall because they have some form of inner-ear dysfunction that throws them off balance and makes them dizzy
Falls hit women hardest. They tend to be less physically active than men and don't have as much strength in their legs. Both make them more prone to falls. And women are more likely to have osteoporosis, which makes them twice as likely as men to break a bone--and to be hospitalized--when they do fall.
Researchers found that, after the mid-to late-60s, the female body's response to food and exercise starts to decline as muscle protein synthesis--the process by which the body builds muscle--slows. Men are able to store protein in muscle, but women are less able to respond to food to build muscle. This makes it more difficult for women to replace muscle that is naturally lost as we age. The results underline the importance for older women of both resistance exercises and eating protein-rich foods.
While most people survive their falls, many suffer broken hips and other injuries that force them into nursing homes. Falling and getting hurt is one of the leading causes of people losing their independence. That's why falling is truly one of the greatest fears among seniors.
1 out of 3 people aged 65 and older fall each year. Of those who fall, only half are able to return home to live independently. Half of all falls could have been prevented.
Here are some tips:
* Install at least one long handrail on a staircase. Make sure it has a comfortable grip. Tighten any loose fixtures.
* Secure carpet or stair runners that are not fastened down.
* Wear well-fitted shoes or slippers with non-slip soles.
* Paint steps with a rough textured paint or use non-slip strips.
* Avoid deep pile, dark-colored, or patterned carpeting that can make it difficult to see the step's edges clearly.
* Avoid sharp changes in flooring levels such as from high carpet to low vinyl.
* Hold on to the banister when going up and down stairs.
Mature Americans represent the fastest growing segment of our society today. In the near future, almost half of this country's population will be over fifty. As we age, our bodies change. This physical change is common, but as a result our bodies may become unsteady from physical conditions, medicines, illnesses, and/or low blood sugar.
A few more tips to help avoid mishaps:
* Always take prescription drugs according to the instructions. Medicines such as antihistamines, sleeping pills, and tranquilizers can cause dizziness.
* Have regular eye check-ups. Impaired sight can lead to unsteady walking.
* Monitor blood pressure. Report any dizziness to your doctor immediately.
* Get up slowly after eating, resting, or lying down to avoid falls.
* Exercise to build strength and muscle tone and to keep joints, tendons, and ligaments more flexible.
You want in particular to build up your strength in the two sets of muscles that are most important to stopping a fall. That's your quadriceps, or thigh muscles, and the muscles that control your ankles.
Have your doctor or pharmacist examine the medicines you take (including ones that don't need prescriptions such as cold medicines). As you get older, the way some medicines work in your body can change and make you drowsy or light-headed.
Have your eyes checked by an eye doctor. You may be wearing the wrong glasses or have a condition such as glaucoma or cataracts that limits your vision.
Accidental falls among elderly people is a growing public health problem which results in high costs for society and significant deterioration in quality of life for individuals.
The problem of falls among older adults is expected to increase.
Even when fall-related injuries are minor, they can seriously affect an older adults' quality of life by inducing a fear of falling, which can lead to self-imposed activity restrictions, social isolation and depression.
Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.
Take good care of yourself, and live the best life possible!
Glenn Ellis, author of Which Doctor?, is a Health Advocacy Communications Specialist. He is a national health columnist and radio commentator who lectures on health related topics
For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.com
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: A Political Warranty
*In his first year in office former president Bill Clinton, who had run as a centrist, was drawn into the new left vortex of socialized healthcare, which led to a resounding defeat for Clinton and the Democrats in the 1994 mid-term elections. Current President Barack Obama too is attempting to reform healthcare and like Clinton has seen his popularity sink. Some political pundits are drawing comparisons between the two administrations and positing that democrats are setting themselves up for a bit of a spanking come 2010. It is, as Shirley Bassey sang, “all just a little bit of history repeating.”
Or is it?
In 1994 the political right offered voters something more than simply criticism of the President. Republican members of the House of Representatives presented voters with the “Contract with America.” This document, signed by all but two Republican congressmen and all of the Republican congressional candidates, detailed the specific legislative action Republicans would take if the American people handed them the reigns of government. The contract was a “detailed agenda for national renewal, a written commitment with no fine print.”
At the time of this writing I am not aware of Republicans having any such detailed agenda nor, unfortunately, am I confident that there is one in the works. I have a recurring nightmare that we will all awake on January 1st with a President and Democrat congress weakened by continued economic malaise, a healthcare boondoggle and threats of huge energy taxes designed to save the planet only to be greeted with the Republican mantra of tax cuts – a tune that has become monotonous and rings rather hollow, due primarily to Republican complicity in building the ship that delivered us to these rocky economic shores.
And yet like 1994 over-reaching by the new left has provided Republicans with a huge political opportunity to perhaps retake the House of Representatives or at the very least deny Democrats their filibuster proof majority. But in order to convince voters that the right is prepared to drive domestic policy the GOP needs more than complaints and criticism; they must present a committed and detailed agenda.
Rather than call it a “Contract with America,” which seems a bit old hat, we can perhaps refer to this as a Political Warranty – a warranty that if the GOP is returned to power they will be bound to a short-list legislative agenda aimed at delivering true healthcare reform, true education reform and truly trying to realize a post racial America.
I am not talking about rhetoric or an articulation of principles. Alas, Republicans are all too adept at articulating principles; they have as of late been rather lackluster in conveying specific policy.
What is the specific legislative action the GOP is going to take to increase competition in health care? How willing is the GOP to buck the system and remove barriers to insurance purchases across state lines? To removing obstacles to new insurance companies entering the industry? How committed is the GOP to instituting real tort reform? True price and quality transparency? Are they willing to butt heads with the AMA and make it easier to build new medical schools in order to train more doctors?
Republicans talk about education reform, but what is the specific legislative action they promise to take in order to remove decisions about k-12 education out of the pockets of the bureaucrats and back into the hands of parents? How will they encourage innovation? How will they rebuild our vocational schools to meet the needs of the 21st century?
Finally, criticism of the President for not moving the nation beyond race means very little without a GOP re-commitment to being the post racial party. Republicans must warranty that they will be most committed to legislation that furthers the battle against discrimination of all kinds. Further the warranty must make it clear that the party will not tolerate bigotry of any sort within its ranks.
I will leave it to others more politically astute than I to fill in the blanks, but the questions must be answered. The GOP has a real opportunity to become the true party of reform, but history will not simply repeat itself without a little nudge.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: Chris Rock's Sundance winning film, 'Good Hair,' hits theaters this week: and, TV One premiers fourth season of 'Who's Got Jokes' with host Bill Bellamy
By Eunice Moseley
Chris Rock's Sundance winning film, 'Good Hair,' hits theaters this week
By the brief discussion with Chris Rock on his “Good Hair” film, released to theaters this week, I think there were a lot of things that influenced him to do a documentary film on the concept of “good hair.” He said not only did his brief conversation with his daughter (five at the time) asking him why she didn't have “good hair,” but his love for Michael Moore's documentaries and the fact that there were no documentary films on “hair” was a driving force as well.
“When she said it I didn't panic, because if you over-react, they'll see that and they will over-react. So I played it off and said, 'your hair is beautiful, want some ice cream?'” recalled Chris Rock about that day which sparked his interest in “good hair.”.
“It was oh so hard to sell this,” Rock pointed out. “Even after winning the Sundance Film Festival, we were still looking.”
Well Chris and Kevin O'Donnell (producer), Jeff Stilson (writer/director), and writers Lance Crouther and Chuck Sklar found a partner in HBO Films and eventually theatrical release through Liddell Entertainment and Roadside Attractions. There are cameo appearances throughout the documentary by Nia Long, Ice-T, Paul Mooney, Dr. Maya Angelou, Salt n Pepa, Eve, Rev. Al Sharpton and Raven Symone all being interviewed by Chris on the subject of “good hair.”
“I was excited about it... I tried to be honest about my hair,” Raven Symone said about her contribution to the film. “I think people need to stop hiding.”
Raven also admitted that when she was on the Cosby Show that he didn't allow them to do anything with their hair, as far as chemically change it.
“I think it is still a sensitive subject,” actress Nia Long said about the conversations that the “Good Hair” film is provoking. “My son at nine said, 'Mama you scary when your hair is short!'”
The documentary follows Chris Rock and crew to barbershops to talk to men about their hair issue and in particular their women's hair issues; he goes to beauty salons and gets shocked with how much money women spend on weaves and how it affects their relationships at home; he takes us to the Bronner Brothers Hair Show to be amazed at seeing 100,000 people come together to learn about hair and hair products; he travels to scientific laboratories and learns the shocking reality of the chemicals we use in our hair, and then he travels to Indian Temples to explore where the hair for weaves comes from, all with shocking discoveries that are sure to provoke “hair” discussions across the country.
Of course the film has lots of laughs with Chris Rock as your host, that goes without saying, but it's the education that amazes me and I think will amaze the audience. Before leaving Rock added that he is working on a DVD on the origin of the Jhery Curl.
“We found six guys that still have their hair in a Jhery Curl!” Chris laughed.
Sounds like good clean fun and I am all for that. The Roadside Attractions film “Good Hair” is released to theaters on October 9, 2009. Log onto www.GoodHairMovie.com for more information.
TV One premiers fourth season of 'Who's Got Jokes' with host Bill Bellamy
Comedian/actor Bill Bellamy host TV One's “Who's Got Jokes” comedian competition and on October 10, 2009 at 10:00 p.m.ET a fourth season will air. Rodney Perry and Tommy Ford co-host the showcase with judges this first episode to include actress Terri J. Vaughn (All of Us/The Steve Harvey Show), R&B singer and reality star Ray J, and actress Wendy Raquel Robinson (The Game). “Who's Got Jokes” is also executive produced by Ralph Farquhar (The Parkers/Moesha).
“There was a whole family there,” actor Tommy Ford said. “I think thats what makes the whole show special.”
This season TV One, at the request of Ralph Farquhar, takes the show to Las Vegas, so there will be some big “Vegas” surprises.
“Vegas brings the people,” Bill Bellamy said about the experience. “People come there to have a good time.”
Tommy added that they challenged the executive producer to make it bigger and Bill starts to tell a story about a tiger experience, but it was so funny that he could hardly get the story out. Tommy helps him out by saying the show will give the audience the “full Vegas experience.”
Of the comedians that will be competing Bill said they reminded him of how hungry he was in his early career. They travel from city to city, from club to club looking for talent.
“ None of them have more than five years in the business,” Bill pointed out. “Some crashed and burned, but it made it great TV.”
“We had a lot more women (this season),” executive producer Ralph Farquhar added.
“Oh yea and they were good (ones),” Bellamy said. “Especially this girl name Jackie, Jackie Fabulous. She is infectious, lovable and clean.”
Other episode judges will include actresses Kym Whitley and LisaRaye McCoy, former NBA baller Eric Snow and comedian George Wallace. For more information on TV One's “Who's Got Jokes” log onto www.TVOneOnline.com.
Anthony Asadullah Samad
Weighing In On "Black Strategic Alternatives" For Education (and Anything Else)
The challenge of educating black children in Los Angeles is getting some of their so-called "advocates" to understand what time it is. Before former schools Superintendent, David Brewer, came to LAUSD, there was no real plan to save the worse of the lot, African American males. For the past three years, a group of black men within 100 Black Men of Los Angeles have been studying the successful publicly funded single gender school of our New York chapter, The Eagle Academy for Excellence, as a possible solution to the dilemma facing black boys in LAUSD. A group calling itself "Advocates For Black Strategic Alternatives" (whatever the hell that means) called this just an "erratic drip" and attacked me in a recent op-ed "in response" to an earlier commentary. I have no real beef with these people. I can dish criticism and I can take criticism. But how does advancing a success model "hinder the efforts to improve the quality of education for Black students"? Their "response" here is to defend, not the mission of Black Education Task Force (BETF)--because BETF wasn't the real point here but, the actions of the leader of the task force leader (Rev. Eric Lee) whose appearance at Mayor Villaraigosa's "support choice resolution" press conference gave an implied endorsement of the resolution, undermining BETF's open opposition of the resolution. It's okay for the BETF spokesperson to co-op BETF's position taking both sides? That's intellectually dishonest. If you can't figure out what you're advocating for, that's fraudulent advocacy and you're a fraudulent "advocate." Simply put. It's the type of intellectual dishonesty that got him caught up with BOTH the Jews and the Gays. Now he got us caught up and twisted on how we educate black youth? I got two words for this; Bite me!
The convener of these "advocates," Larry Aubry, is a master rhetoritician whose full time occupation is attending community meetings, sitting in a room and whining on other's ideas. Aubry can tell you what you "ain't doing," what you "should be doing" but he never does it. Always calling for "accountability," calling for action--but missing in action to get something substantive done. If it goes past a conversation, Larry Aubry's not there. It's interesting the words Aubry used to try to describe me. He even goes as far to infer that I'm an "undesirable." None of us are perfect, and I'm far from it--but my events are among the most popular in the city. The people know what's "real" and they embrace for who I am--foibles and all. That's all that's important to me. My advocacy has been selfless and at times caused me more grief than joy. My reputation, like it or not, is that I stand up for black people (particularly when others hide, covert or cohort). My idealistic and often futuristic thought and strategic analysis have always played past "the old ways." My biggest critics have been "old heads" (young and old) stuck in old paradigms. When Barack Obama announced he was running for President, the "strategic" black leadership called him "individualistic" and "self-serving" and they put their chips with the white woman. King's biggest enemies weren't just J. Edgar Hoover, who called him "morally bankrupt," it was Roy Wilkins, Whitney Young and Thurgood Marshall who called his "individualistic tendencies" and "opportunistic advocacy" (non-violent direct action), "dangerous to the movement." All because King didn't wait on them. Barack didn't wait on the permission of the "black caucus." Black children, black boys in particular, have been waiting in an educational quagmire for over 30 years. They have become the feeders (and fodder) of California's prison industrial complex. The capacity to provide culturally competent education, for black or Latino children, is not there. Even in the model proposed by BELTF, it is not there. Not utilizing existing LAUSD personnel. The group offers little "accountability" for the 30 years of conversation which has taken place around black children. Who is being "intellectually dishonest" about the realities black children face educationally and the most viable "strategic alternatives" available to them? If you want to expose something, let's expose the practical aspects of the BETF proposal. They are non-existent in its current context and haven't advanced beyond the theoretical concept developed a decade ago. My assessment was neither fallacious nor unsupported. Black children are perishing in LAUSD. Still.
While eight "advocates" seek to try to assail my character and raise what they think are "deficiencies," absent in their critique are successes of advancing partnerships and collaborations that forge an independent voice through the Urban Issues Forum--the only one of it's kind anywhere in the nation--for 10 years now, or the $600,000 I personally raised for the 100 Black Men/LA to mentor and educate black youth (money didn't go to me, it went to them--ask em), or the effort to expose (through Who's Who In Black L.A.) the influence black Angelenos have amidst the perception of a shifting demography and a shrinking African American footprint, and I speak truth to power (for the powerless) every week for 20 years running. Even bringing 8,000 members to an antiquated NAACP branch that wasn't ready to challenge economic subjuga
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