10-19-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE

TYSON AND HOLYFIELD BURY HATCHET ON LIVE TV: 'Oprah' moment offers fighters first talk since ear incident.

       *It was a love fest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" Friday as former enemies Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield had a proper discussion for the first time since their 1997 bout ended with a chunk of Holyfield's ear in Tyson's teeth.
      
       In a separate broadcast that aired four days earlier, Tyson told Winfrey that his initial apology after the incident was insincere, and that he wanted to have a sit down with Holyfield to apologize again. Winfrey said she got a phone call from Holyfield that night seeking to make it happen.
      
       "This is a beautiful guy," Tyson said Friday, holding Holyfield's arm affectionately for several seconds. "I just want you to know it's just been a pleasure ... being acquainted with you."
      
       Asked by Winfrey if he was still missing part of his ear, Holyfield pointed to it and said, "Just a little bit."
      
       Holyfield also confessed that he has been known to dole out bites of his own during childhood roughhousing with his siblings – but only as a way to get out of headlocks.
      
       "You talk about biting," he said. "I'm the person that bit every brother in my family."
      
       Holyfield hopes that his joint appearance with Tyson will serve as an example of how bitter rivals can find common ground. "We can come together,"
he said. "We know you can come together."
      
       After sitting down with Winfrey, Tyson spent about 25 minutes meeting with Chicago Mayor Richard Daley at his City Hall office, the AP reported.
Tyson had asked for the meet-and-greet with Daley and a spokeswoman said the mayor was interested in the chance to talk to the boxer about the problem of youth violence.
      
       Chicago has been in the national spotlight since a cell phone video captured the fatal beating of a high school honors student last month.
      
       Tyson said he understands the pain some young people feel. "I was one of them. I'm that guy," he said.

HALLE, WHOOPI IN NEW 'DIVAS ON SCREEN' BOOK: Grier, Dandridge and Oprah also featured in examination of 'Black Women in American Film.'

       *Oscar pioneers Dorothy Dandridge and Halle Berry join Pam Grier, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey as subjects of the new book "Divas on
Screen: Black Women in American Film."
      
       Author Mia Mask, who teaches film and drama at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., said she was inspired to write the book after noticing the huge amount of attention given to black male stars, while their female counterparts were often looked over.
      
       "These women have pushed the racial boundaries for audiences, setting new standards for beauty and body type," Mask told the Associated Press.
      
       Dandridge received an Academy Award nomination for her lead role in the 1954 classic "Carmen Jones," alongside Harry Belafonte. Berry won an Oscar in 2000 for playing the wife of an executed murderer in "Monster's Ball." She also had portrayed Dandridge as a stunning femme fatale in a 1999 HBO film about Dandridge's life.
      
       When Dandridge became a star, "she was working in an environment in which there were almost no women of color (in leading roles)," said Mask, and Dandridge "had to fit into the mold of shapely and svelte."
      
       Grier was chosen for her ability in the early 70s to break that mold with her forceful but hip physical presence as an action heroine. As for Winfrey, Mask said she chose her because the talk-show host's television presence catapulted her film appearances to the level of global stardom, transcending any category.
      
       In spite of vast changes, Mask said, sore points persist in casting black women for star roles: a paucity of quality parts, and a new trend of pairing black lead actors with female leads who are not.
      
       "Studio heads don't think two black characters will appeal to general audiences," said Mask.
      
       She chose Dandridge and Berry "as bookends" for the time span that transformed black women in commercial films.
      
       "We've gone from the trope of the tragic (mulatto) to biracial beauty," said Mask, who is taping a five-part series for National Public Radio to air in late October — each on one of the women in the book.

USHER'S 'PAPERS' EXPLAINED BY SONGWRITER: Sean Garrett says 'some of it is true and some of it isn't.'

 *The writer of Usher's latest single "Papers" is setting the record straight about the lyrics, which appear to reference his pending divorce from wife of two years Tameka Foster Raymond.

 In the song, Usher proclaims he is ready to "sign them papers" while detailing late-night fights and nearly losing his mom. But singer-songwriter Sean Garrett, who penned the tune's lyrics, says parts of the song are fiction.

 "Some of it is true and some of it isn't," Garrett tells People.com. "That's what makes this record so intriguing and explosive. Some of it is about his life and some of it is not."

 But what about the one line in the song that had everybody talking: "I damn near lost my mama/been through so much drama"?

 "That was more so from the perspective of when Usher and his mom weren't working together that much. And, in every relationship, it's important for the man to get his mother's approval. That's the perspective I was coming from," Garrett explains.

 Noting that Usher never revealed anything to him about his personal life, his relationship with his mother, or his romance with Tameka, Garrett, who has written hit songs for everyone from Beyoncé to Fergie, says the track was simply "inspired by Usher."

 "I wrote that record about eight months ago, before he was even getting a divorce. The record is not about Tameka and those are not his words," he clarifies with a laugh. "I'm a great songwriter; I know how to write great songs!"

 Garrett adds: "I felt like it was a record he needed to say. It's a record about life. There were days I could just imagine what Usher was thinking. The record is about what a male or female can go through when they feel like they have given 100 percent [in a relationship] and they feel like they can't take anymore."

 He also notes that Usher did have reservations about releasing the explosive track, which the duo recorded about a month and a half ago in Atlanta. "He definitely had a lot on his mind," Garrett says. "We talked about this record coming out quite a few times. 'Should it come out? Should it not come out?' We had questions about how it would be taken."

NJ MAYOR SETS CONAN STRAIGHT: Corey Booker squashes faux feud on 'Tonight Show,' goes home with $100,000 check for Brick City.

       *The Tyson/Holyfield summit on "Oprah" wasn't the only live show mending fences on Friday. Newark Mayor Cory Booker ended his play fight with Conan O'Brien during his appearance on NBC's "Tonight Show."
      
       The back-and-forth jokes paved the way for Booker to promote his national blueprint for urban transformation in Newark, long an icon for urban decay. The visit culminated with a $100,000 donation to Booker's Newark Now charity from O'Brien and NBC.
      
       The fake beef began Sept. 23 with O'Brien joking that Booker's new health care program consisted of a bus ticket out of Newark, which is just west of New York City and is often scarred by violence. The mayor hit back with a humorous video on YouTube in which he banned O'Brien from Newark Liberty International Airport.
      
       "Many jokes are made about Newark by comedians," O'Brien said on Friday's show. "You honed in on me like a cruise missile. Why me, Mayor Booker?"
      
       "When there's a herd going after you, you have to sort of look at the weakest gazelle," Booker joked.
      
A.J. JEWELL'S PARENTS RESPOND TO SICKLE CELL REPORTS: Family says the blood disorder had nothing to do with his death following assault.

 *After reports that the blood disorder sickle cell anemia may have contributed to the beating death of A.J. Jewell, his parents released a statement attempting to set the record straight.

  "Our son 'AJ' had the sickle cell trait which caused no related medical problems during his life," read the statement given to TMZ.com by the family's rep. "We feel AJ's death was a result of the malicious attack by the individual and/or individuals present during the fight."

       TMZ is also reporting that the defense attorney for Frederick Richardson, the club manager who was charged with voluntary manslaughter of Jewell, told the Web site: "I would have liked to have found a cause of death before rushing to judgment."

KANDI BURRUSS' 'FLY ABOVE' EP DUE OCT. 29: Disc to whet appetite for 2010 solo album 'B.L.O.G.'

 *The show must go on for singer/songwriter Kandi Burruss, who is expected to promote her new EP while still mourning the death of her former fiancé.

 Due Oct. 29, "Kandi Koated Entertainment Presents The Fly Above EP" includes the title track, which she performed on her Bravo reality series "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," as well as the songs “Trade Him In,” which features Gucci Mane and is produced by Drumma Boy; the Jazze Pha-produced “Must Be Good”; the Nitti-produced “I Like Him,” featuring Rick Ross and Rasheeda, and the Kuya Productions love song, “I Just Know.”

 The former lead singer of R&B group Xscape is also featured on “Try It Out,” the hit song by Big Bank Black which has been a staple on Atlanta radio. And “Tardy For the Party,” the track she revamped for "Housewives" cast mate Kim Zolciak, reached the Top 10 on iTunes' Dance chart upon its release.

 Burruss is scheduled to begin a promo tour for the EP "in the coming weeks," her camp stated.  Her full-length CD, "B.L.O.G.," is due out in early 2010.

RIOT SPARKED AFTER DMX DENIED CONCERT: Rapper goes off after security tried to stop him from performing at scheduled charity gig.

       *A scheduled DMX concert in Colorado Springs turned horribly wrong on Friday night (Oct. 16) when security tried to prevent him from taking the stage because he was an hour and a half late.
      
       According to Allhiphop.com, the Yonkers MC was to perform at the benefit for American Charities, but upon his arrival at around 11 p.m., he was approached by a security guard and told not to go through with his set. The guard reportedly explained to X that he was supposed to be there by 9:30 p.m., and fans had already been told he wasn't coming.
      
       The conversation got heated and the security guard reportedly threatened to have X arrested if he attempted to get on stage.
      
       “[Arrest me] for what?! You ain’t no police!” DMX argued, according to the Web site. “I’ve been paid to perform.”
      
       When X attempted to force his way on stage, several authorities tackled him to the ground. His entourage and fans joined the fracas, and DMX’s publicist Pam Pinnock reportedly suffered a minor concussion and face laceration after being trampled on the floor.
      
       DMX eventually took the stage, but was not given the supporting sound system.
      
       Allhiphop says the American Charities’ refusal to let DMX perform is allegedly the result of the non-profit not having the remaining money needed to cover X’s performance. The rapper was paid an $8000 deposit, with a remaining amount of $7000 to be delivered upon the show’s completion.
      
       Instead of informing DMX’s management, the show promoters allegedly opted to completely cancel the set rather then negotiate a new arrangement, the site reported.
 
'PRECIOUS' DIRECTOR COURTS MISS SAIGON; 'SELMA': Lee Daniels looking to helm film based on Broadway musical and project set in civil rights era.

       *Director Lee Daniels is reportedly hoping to follow up his upcoming film "Precious" with a feature adapted from the hit Broadway musical Miss Saigon.
      
       According to ComingSoon.net, Daniels is considering the Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil musical set in Southeast Asia as one of his projects after the Nov. 6 release of "Precious," which has been one of the most critically-acclaimed films of the current festival circuit.
      
       In addition to Miss Saigon, Daniels is also said to be eying a civil rights story, tentatively titled "Selma."  
      
       "It's a moment in time in Martin Luther King and LBJ's (life) around the signing of the Civil Rights Act," Daniels told the Web site. "It's a snapshot of the march. It's really Lyndon Johnson's story. Martin Luther King is a part of it, but it's really the arc of a man that starts out as a racist who is forced to look at himself in the mirror and then ultimately side with King. It's really a journey of a white cat and how he sneers at tradition and against George Wallace, against everybody, and says, 'Uh-uh.'"

        According to ComingSoon.net, "Selma" has already been developed by producer Christian Colson and screenwriter Paul Webb.

FBI PROBED THREATS TO NFL'S BRAYLON EDWARDS: Cleveland Browns alerted feds to warnings in wake of player's night club assault.

       *The FBI says it investigated reported threats to former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards after he allegedly punched a man outside a downtown night club, the AP reports.
      
       FBI Special Agent Scott Wilson said Saturday that the Browns contacted the Cleveland field office about the threats shortly after the Oct. 5 incident.
      
       Wilson refused to elaborate about the nature of the threats or who made them, but said the FBI is no longer investigating the matter.
      
       Edwards was traded to the New York Jets two days after he allegedly punched a friend of NBA star LeBron James in the altercation. Browns spokesman Bill Bonsiewicz says it's not unusual for the team to communicate with local law enforcement agencies about such matters.

P. MILLER REMODELS NEW ORLEANS PROJECTS: Percy teams with HUD secretary to reopen B.W. Cooper after Katrina.

       *Inspired by the real estate expertise of Donald Trump, rap mogul P. Miller has teamed up with HUD secretary Shaun Donovan to break ground on the newly rebuilt B.W. Cooper Housing Projects in New Orleans, reports Allhiphop.com.
      
       The refurnished mixed-income development – renamed Marrero Commons after activist Yvonne Marrero, who passed away following Hurricane Katrina – represents a goal Miller had to bring development money into his community after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
      
       "I want to be able to show these guys look at me. I changed my image, I changed my life and I had to grow up,” Miller explained. “I’m honored to be a part of the ground breaking alongside President Obama’s right hand man Secretary Shaun Donovan who shares the same goal as me, which is to help B.W. Cooper residents get back into their new homes.”
      
       According to Secretary Donovan, 30,000 families were still awaiting disaster help, as “duplication of benefits” rules left many homeowners without the necessary funds needed to finish home repairs.
      
       "We worked closely with the state and the city to get services to them so we could help them with whatever challenges were keeping them from getting into a permanent home,” Donavan stated. “And as you heard today we made a number of changes to speed assistance to help rebuild homes.”
      
       The development is scheduled to open to residents by the end of 2010.
 
DIDDY'S HUNT FOR ASSISTANT CONTINUES: VH1 reality series returns in November with 11 new hopefuls.

       *VH1's "I Want to Work for Diddy" returns for its second season beginning Monday, Nov. 2 at 10 pm. ET/PT.
      
       Once again, Diddy is searching for the one assistant able to meet his super-high standards. The 11 new applicants must do their best to impress both the rap mogul and a panel of judges, including Bad Boy executive Phil Robinson and former Diddy assistant Capricorn Clark, now serving as Diddy's global brand director. Both are returning from season one.
      
       This season they will be joined by Diddy's mentor Andre Harrell, founder and president of Uptown Records.
      
       "Last season I was hands off and left it to the judges," says Diddy. "This season I'm taking a foot in ass, all over your brain approach to finding this assistant."
      
       Each one-hour episode showcases a range of challenges, many based on the real life experiences of Diddy's previous assistants.
       
       Beginning Monday, Oct. 26, fans can catch a sneak peek of the season's first episode on VH1.com - one week before the on-air premiere.
Subsequent episodes will be available on VH1.com the morning after they air. Additional video content from "I Want to Work for Diddy 2" including extras from each episode will be available on VH1.com and on VH1 Mobile throughout the season.

TAYE DIGGS ON DELIVERY OF HIS SON: It was 'the Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup, everything wrapped up into one.'

 *Taye Diggs says he completely lost his cool on the day his 6-week-old son Walker Nathanial was born.

       In an interview with Ellen Degeneres, the "Private Practice" star got candid about the moments before and after his Broadway star wife Idina Menzel went into labor.
      
        “It was amazing. I was holding her hands and cheering her on,” he said on Thursday's show. “I said I would look two times. I would look when the baby was crowning, and I wanted to look right when Walker came out.”
      
       “Then when he came out, all the sudden it was like my inner gangster came out. I was like, ‘Yeah baby, you did that thing, that’s what I’m talkin’ about, that’s my boy!’” Adding that “it was crazy” and that he “couldn’t control” himself, Taye likened the experience to “the Super Bowl, World Series, World Cup, everything wrapped up into one.”

       There were some tense moments leading up to Walker’s debut, and watching Idina experience childbirth in full was almost too much to bear.
      
       “When that first pain hit her and I saw her face, I was like, ‘Okay, I’m just going to be in this other room…’” the 38-year-old actor joked.
      
       Things got off to a far more mellow start, however. “There was something going on that morning, so we knew, ‘Okay, this is going to be a special day,”‘ Taye explains. “She said, ‘Go off to work, and if I need you, I’ll call you.’”
      
       When that call came, Taye was ready.
      
       "In the movies and on TV, you always hear everybody’s rushing, but everyone is telling me when it actually happens, there is no need to rush.
There’s no need to speed. So on the way home, I was constantly telling myself, ‘Relax, relax, be cool.’”
      
       After arriving at the hospital “the labor really start[ed] to kick in,” Taye added, and ultimately lasted between seven and eight hours.

OBAMA 'HOPE' ARTIST COMES CLEAN: Shepard Fairey's legal team to withdraw from case after client admits fabrications.

       *Artist Shepard Fairey has admitted that he never used an Associated Press photo of President Obama for his famous red, white and blue image, which he claimed fell under the "fair use" rule that allows copyrighted work to be used without compensation.
      
       Instead, Fairey used a picture the news organization has claimed was his source — a solo picture of the future president seemingly closer to his tri-colored image of Obama, underlined with the caption "HOPE."
      
       Fairey said that he tried to cover up his error by submitting false images and deleting others.
        
       The distinction is critical because fair use can sometimes be determined by how much of an original image or work was altered in the creation of a new work. If Fairey didn't need to significantly alter the image he used — in this case the solo shot of Obama — then his claim could have been undermined. Fair use cases also may consider the market value of the copyrighted material and the intended use of the newly created work.
      
       "Shepard Fairey has now been forced to admit that he sued the AP under false pretenses by lying about which AP photograph he used," said AP vice president and general counsel Srinandan R. Kasi. "Mr. Fairey has also now admitted to the AP that he fabricated and attempted to destroy other evidence in an effort to bolster his fair use case and cover up his previous lies and omissions."
      
       It's still unclear if Fairey will continue with his case, but a person close to the artist said that he would, the AP reported.  His lawyer, Anthony Falzone, said in a statement that the legal team's decision to withdraw had nothing to do with the "underlying merits" of Fairey's case.
      
       "We believe as strongly as ever in the fair use and free expression issues at the center of this case, and believe Shepard will prevail on those issues," Falzone said. "We hope this unfortunate situation does not obscure those issues."

MIJAC BITS: Debbie Rowe sues; AllGood amends lawsuit; Jackson fam snubbed from film premiere?; giraffes to be evicted.

 *Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe is suing the Florida woman who told a TV interviewer that she was only interested in getting money from Jackson's family and wasn't interested in gaining custody of her two children. In a filing last week, Rowe's attorneys said she should be awarded $490,000 in general and punitive damages from Rebecca White, who was sued by Rowe in July for her comments to "Extra." White hasn't responded to the lawsuit and Rowe is seeking a default judgment against the Key West, Fla. resident.

       *AllGood Entertainment has amended its original lawsuit against Michael Jackson over profits from the upcoming movie "This Is It." The original suit, which was filed before Michael's death against the singer, AEG Live and Frank Dileo for $40 million, now goes after the King of Pop's estate in federal court for more than $300 million. The company claims Dileo acted as Jackson's agent and agreed to a Jackson family reunion concert – and that got torpedoed when the London concerts were booked. In justifying the $300 mil, AllGood says it never anticipated that Jackson would die and that a movie would be made, which now ups the ante.
 
       *Katherine Jackson is reportedly claiming that she and other family members have been snubbed from attending the Los Angeles premiere of "This Is It." TMZ.com says it has "multiple sources" claiming that she was never contacted about getting seats to the event, despite an offer of 60 tickets to the family. Sources say Sony not only offered the Jackson family seats to the premiere, but also offered a private screening. TMZ says Katherine doesn't want to see the movie anyway, because in her eyes, "there is no acting -- just rehearsal footage." However, Jackson's three kids "have been telling Katherine they want to see it ... bad," the Web site reported. Meanwhile, Papa Joe insists "This Is It" is mostly body doubles and "the media is going to tear this movie apart."

       *Four giraffes once belonging to Michael Jackson may be evicted from their new home in the Banjoko Wildlife Preserve in Page, Ariz. unless their new owner can raise $100,000 for insurance on the animals. TMZ.com is reporting that Freddie Hancock, who has cared for the giraffes since 2006, is trying to obtain a $100,000 bond from an insurance company to look after the pets, as required by local council officials. The legislators refused to issue the insurance that would provide emergency cover for the giraffes.
      
SENATE PANEL SAYS RADIO SHOULD PAY FOR MUSIC: New measure would force stations to pay a royalty fee for playing songs.

 *New legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee would require radio station owners to pay new fees to play music on the air.

 Despite opposition from broadcasters, the measure was approved in a voice vote after such music labels as Warner Music Group Corp.,Vivendi SA, and Sony Music Entertainment say their artists deserve to be compensated for the value their songs bring to radio stations, Bloomberg reports.

 The measure would establish a royalty to be split between recording artists and labels. Satellite and Internet radio already pay such fees.
Similar legislation passed the House Judiciary Committee in May.

 Before approving the bill, the committee softened its financial impact on local radio stations. Broadcasters making less than $50,000 can pay a flat annual fee of $100, and stations making less than $1.25 million can pay a flat fee, said Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat who heads the Judiciary Committee.

 Music labels and radio stations are struggling with declining revenue amid the economic slump as listeners are relying more on the Internet and mp3 players for their music sources.  Texas Senator John Cornyn, a Republican, said new fees under the legislation may amount to $1 billion annually.

 “I worry that the bill could put small- and mid-sized broadcasters out of business,” Cornyn said.

 Broadcast companies including CBS, Clear Channel Communications Inc., Cumulus Media Inc. and Citadel Broadcasting Corp. say radio play promotes music and should remain free. The National Association of Broadcasters, a Washington- based trade group that represents commercial radio, said in an e-mailed news release today that 251 House lawmakers and
26 U.S. Senators oppose the new fees.

 “A performance tax is bad for free, local radio,” said Dennis Wharton, the trade group’s executive vice president, according to the news release. “It’s bad for radio’s 235 million weekly listeners. And it’s bad for the legions of new and legacy artists whose careers were launched and nurtured by free radio airplay.”

 The fees face opposition in the House and Senate, said Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.

 “I don’t think we’ve reached a consensus yet,” Sessions said.

 “I think it’s going to be some time before this bill comes to the floor,” said Senator Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Democrat.

EUR FILM REVIEW: Law Abiding Citizen
Foxx and Butler Square-Off in Cat-and-Mouse Revenge Thriller
Film Review by Kam Williams

      *Burglars Clarence James Darby (Christian Stolte) and Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart) both broke into the suburban Philadelphia home of Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) and forced him to sit and watch helplessly while they brutally murdered his wife (Brooke Mills) and daughter (Ksenia Hulayev).

      However, only one of the perps had to pay for the crime, since the former was permitted to turn state's evidence and testify against the latter under the terms of a plea deal which let him off with a slap on the wrist. 
          
      Consequently, Clarence was set free while his co-conspirator was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection.

      This outcome made perfect sense to most of the people in the courtroom, such as the judge (Annie Corley), the District Attorney (Bruce McGill), Prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) and his assistant, Sarah (Leslie Bibb), but it never sat well with Clyde, the actual victim of the crime.

      He felt that the politically-ambitious Rice had cared more about maintaining his 94% conviction rate than the fundamental question of whether or not justice was being served. So, over the next decade, he set about methodically planning to exact a measure of retribution, and then some. For, what nobody suspected was that this mild-mannered family man secretly happened to be a retired CIA Agent/assassin/genius inventor/mad scientist all rolled into one, which means he's the wrong guy to make into an enemy. 

      Fast-forward to the present, and we see that this "Law Abiding Citizen" has morphed into a bloodthirsty vigilante with a hit list containing the names of Clarence and everyone he considers responsible for a guilty man still being able to walk the streets. What ensues is a gruesome splatter flick ostensibly designed by director F. Gary Gray (Be Cool) to up the ante in terms of the revenge genre's generous helpings of gratuitous gore.

      As suavely played by Gerard Butler, Clyde proves to be an increasingly-unsympathetic cross of Hannibal Lecter and Paul Kersey, the obsessed protagonist played by Charles Bronson in the Death Wish franchise. It is easy to understand why he might want to behead Clarence after first castrating the creep with a scalpel, but he begins to lose the audience's support when he subsequently sets his sights on the legal community.

      Nonetheless, even after he's apprehended and arrested for taking the law into his own hands, Clyde's reign of terror magically continues, courtesy of high-tech wizardry ranging from booby-trapped cell phones to remote-controlled napalm bombs to weaponized robots. In fact, he manages to slay so many more victims while incarcerated that the frustrated mayor (Viola Davis) decides to declare martial law and to issue shotguns to meter maids.

      Don't be duped by Law Abiding Citizen's prevailing "victims' rights" theme into thinking this a morality play questioning the legitimacy of the criminal justice system. Quite the contrary. Sure, Jamie Foxx's character might have made a mistake, but certainly not one that he should have to pay for with his life. And by the time the big showdown between Nick and Clyde arrives, don't be surprised to have shifted allegiances from the grieving widower-turned-madman over to the well-meaning prosecutor full of regret.

      A high-octane, high body-count thriller posing the question, how do you stop a psycho on a killing spree who's already behind bars? Apparently, by any means necessary. 

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for graphic violence, rape, torture and pervasive profanity. 
Running time: 108 minutes
Studi Overture Films

To see a trailer for Law Abiding Citizen, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMoP35u8oN0

INSURANCE FRAUD: Church leader accused of arson.

      *A church music director in Kansas has been indicted by a federal grand jury after he allegedly set fire to his Leavenworth church. According to the Kansas City Star, court records show Carva Lee White, 45, is facing three counts of mail fraud, two counts of using arson to commit a federal felony and one count of making a false statement to a federal investigator.

      Authorities say White wanted to collect insurance money from the fires for inflated repair bills. The insurance company paid out about $109,000, according to the indictment. The pastor was not charged in the indictment, and the indictment did not indicate whether White actually pocketed any money.

      The indictment accused White of setting fire to the Sunflower Missionary Baptist Church on two separate days while he worked as the church’s music director. He had planned to persuade the pastor to file an insurance claim, collect the money, help inflate the repair bill and then embezzle the money, according to the indictment. Federal authorities said White lied when he told them that he was in Fayetteville, Ark., at the time of the arson and told authorities he couldn’t imagine anyone torching the church.

INVESTMENT FRAUD: Church member accused of stealing from parishioners:

      *Members of St. Bernard's Catholic Church in Watertown, WI. are out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and they say one of their church members is to blame. St. Bernard's is suing Arthur Eith for alleged fraud. Parishioners say Eith told fellow members he had a multi-million dollar business deal brewing in Nigeria, and he needed them to provide upfront financing.

      Although Eith has refused to talk about the incident, a spokesman for the Madison Diocese told a local television station more than 30 members of St. Bernard's have lost nearly $350,000 dollars to Eith. And the church itself lost about $55,000 dollars, thanks to a parish priest who also gave Eith money.

      The parish priest who gave Eith money has been put on administrative leave, until the courts decide the outcome of this case. The Watertown Police Department is conducting a criminal investigation, with assistance from the state Department of Justice.

THRWARTED ROBBERTY: Cashier stands her ground against assailant:

      *The cashier at a Christian bookstore in Martell, CA. is being called a s-hero for standing up to a would-be robber. That’s because when a man walked into the store and demanded money the cashier simply told him "no," and he ran away empty handed.

      According to the Amador Ledger-Dispatch, the assailant walked into the store while the cashier was alone and presented a note that demanded money along with a bag for the money. According to the police report, the suspect told the cashier he had a gun, but never showed it. After reading the message, the cashier looked up at the robber and simply said, "No." At that point, the suspect verbally commanded her to "just put the money in the bag." Again the cashier refused to cooperate. Frustrated, the robber fled the scene. The entire event happened in less than a minute. The employee never saw an actual gun brandished in the attempt.

      Police said video surveillance shows the suspect to be a white male, between 55 and 60 years of age, weighing approximately 160 pounds with gray hair and a gray goatee. During the robbery attempt he was wearing a dark blue baseball cap, a dark blue windbreaker, brown, knee-length shorts, ankle socks and black tennis shoes. Anyone with information about this suspect is asked to contact the Amador County Sheriff's Office at 223-6500 or Amador County Secret Witness Program at 223-4900.

LINGERING LITIGATION: Rev. Henry Lyons files another lawsuit against NBC.

      *A month after losing his long-shot bid to return as president of the National Baptist Convention, the Rev. Henry Lyons is once again suing the organization he used to lead. According to the St. Petersburg Times, Lyons has filed a lawsuit in a Washington, D.C., court claiming election fraud and improper vote counting in the September contest, which he lost in a landslide.

      Lyons is well known in the Tampa Bay area for rising to the top of an organization that represents millions of African-American church members, and then falling hard a decade ago as he was convicted of swindling more than $5 million from the organization's corporate partners. He spent nearly five years in prison.

      During his candidacy last month, Lyons filed a lawsuit attempting to stop the election, claiming that new bylaws violated the organization's constitution. He lost. Now he has filed suit again, claiming irregularities in the election itself.

      Lyons lost last month's election to the Rev. Julius R. Scruggs of Huntsville, Ala., who could not be reached Friday. But Scruggs told the Nashville Tennessean newspaper that the "overwhelming" margin of victory in the election "sort of suggests that the opposition did not have as much influence as they thought they had." Lyons, who formerly was pastor of a St. Petersburg church, is now pastor at New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Tampa.

REID TEMPLE WORSHIP CONFERENCE: Week long seminar to teach creative worship.

      *Pastor Smokie Norful will be the featured guest at the 2009 Music and Worship Conference at Reid Temple in Glen Dale, Maryland. The conference, which is set for the first week of November, is a training event designed for pastors and other church leaders who want to develop a deeper relationship with God through worship.

      A variety of workshops will be held to discuss the importance of creativity and diversity in worship. And presenters also will share techniques and strategies that can be used to improve the music and worship on the local level.

      Other featured guests include the MIME Boyz, gospel recording artist L’Tanya Moore and guest psalmist Kevin LeVar & One Sound. For registration information and special group discounts, contact us at: 301-352-0320 ext. 640.

EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE

       "Great spirits have always faced violent protest from mediocre minds." — Albert Einstein

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS  

       Oct. 19: Singer Jennifer Holliday is 49. Singer Pras Michel of The Fugees is 37. Actor Omar Gooding ("Hangin' With Mr. Cooper") is 33.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
 
      *Afro Puffs and Ponytails seek to inspire African American teen girls and young girls by providing positive articles, resources and words of
encouragement (http://afropuffsandponytails.com).  

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

BLACK HISTORY
    
        Oct. 19, 1943: On this date, Paul Robeson opened in Othello at the Shubert Theater in N.Y. City. The show ran for 296 consecutive performances.
(Source: www.BlackFacts.com)