12-01-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE

TIGER WOODS 'HAS NOTHING MORE TO ADD': Golfer's lawyer says he now has no plans to speak to police about the car crash.

       *After Tiger Woods refused questioning from Florida Highway Patrol officers on three separate occasions regarding his controversial car crash Friday, a lawyer for the golf champ now says he has no plans to discuss the incident with police, ever.
       
        "We have been informed by the Florida Highway Patrol that further discussion with them is both voluntary and optional," Woods' IMG agent Mark Steinberg wrote in an e-mail Sunday. "Although Tiger realizes that there is a great deal of public curiosity, it has been conveyed to FHP that he simply has nothing more to add and wishes to protect the privacy of his family."

       Police first tried to interview Woods, 33, on Friday, but his wife Elin Nordegren asked if they could return the next day because he was sleeping. Woods then turned them away Saturday and again on Sunday.
       
       Woods' new attorney Mark Nejame also issued a statement late Sunday: "We stand by Mr. Woods' previous released statement regarding his privacy.
Otherwise, I have nothing further to add at this time."
       
       However, TMZ.com is claiming that FHP is now trying to get a search warrant -- allowing them to seize medical records from the hospital that treated Woods -- in an attempt to determine if the wounds Woods sustained are consistent with a car accident or domestic violence.
       
       TMZ has reported that Woods facial lacerations were actually inflicted by his wife, Elin, who was upset over a National Enquirer story two days earlier claiming he had an affair with Rachel Uchitel.
       
       Woods also spoke out Sunday, saying on his Web site: "This situation is my fault and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again."
       
       Meanwhile, Woods has backed out of his Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif., which benefits his foundation. Citing injuries from his car accident, Woods announced he would neither play nor appear at the four-day tournament, which begins Thursday at Sherwood Country Club.
       
       "I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods wrote in a post on his official Web site on Monday. "I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there."

SERENA FINED LARGEST AMOUNT IN USTA HISTORY: US Open tirade will cost her more than 82 grand.

       *Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her U.S. Open outburst against a lineswoman and could be suspended from the annual New York event if she has another "major offense" at any Grand Slam in the next two years.
       
       Monday's ruling from Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock said Williams faces a "probationary period" at tennis' four major championships in 2010 and 2011. If she has another "major offense" at a Grand Slam tournament in that time, the fine would increase to $175,000 and she would be barred from the following U.S. Open.
       
       "But if she does not have another offense in the next two years, the suspension is lifted," Babcock told the Associated Press.
       
       He said Williams must pay $82,500 right now, already nearly double the previous highest fine for a Grand Slam offense — about $48,000 Jeff Tarango was docked in the 1990s.
       
       Williams cursed out a lineswoman after a foot-fault call at the end of her semifinal loss to eventual champion Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open in September. The outburst drew a $10,000 fine from the U.S. Tennis Association in September — the maximum onsite penalty a tennis player can face. But because it happened at a Grand Slam tournament, Babcock was charged with investigating whether further punishment was merited.
       
       He concluded that Williams violated the "major offense" rule for "aggravated behavior." The Grand Slam committee — with one representative from each of the sport's four major championships — approved his decision Saturday.
       
       Williams, currently in Barbados for an exhibition tournament, has been informed of the ruling, Babcock said.
     
CONGRESS WANTS WHITE HOUSE PARTY CRASHERS: Salahai's called to testify before Congress on Thursday.

       *The Secret Service director and the reality show wannabes who crashed the Obama administration's first state dinner have been called to testify before Congress on Thursday to discuss what went awry.
       
       Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security committee, said he wants to know what Secret Service security deficiencies allowed Michaele and Tareq Salahi into the Nov. 24 White House dinner, even though they were not on the guest list.
       
       "This is a time for answers," Thompson said in a statement Monday.
"This is not the time for political games or scapegoating to distract our attention from the careful oversight we must apply to the Secret Service and its mission."
       
       Some lawmakers have called for criminal charges to be brought against the couple, but the Secret Service has yet to do so.
       
       The Secret Service declined to comment on whether Director Mark Sullivan would testify on Thursday. On Friday, Sullivan issued a statement saying that his agency is "deeply concerned and embarrassed" by the circumstances.
       
       "The preliminary findings of our internal investigation have determined established protocols were not followed at an initial checkpoint, verifying that two individuals were on the guest list," Sullivan said.
"Although these individuals went through magnetometers and other levels of screening, they should have been prohibited from entering the event entirely. That failing is ours."
       
       White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday the president shares the Secret Service director's concern about the incident.
       
       Michaele Salahi is a reality TV hopeful trying to get on Bravo's "The Real Housewives of D.C." The couple's publicist, Mahogany Jones, could not immediately be reached for comment about whether the Salahis would testify Thursday. But earlier Monday, Jones said allegations that the Salahis are shopping interviews and demanding money from television networks to tell their story are false.

JACKSON'S 'THIS IS IT' SETS DVD ARRIVAL: Movie will come with loads of extras, including mini-documentaries and music videos.

       *The Michael Jackson documentary "This Is It" is coming to DVD and Blu-ray Disc on Jan. 26, Sony announced Monday.
       
       Both versions will include several mini-documentaries and other special features. The Blu-ray Disc also will include two versions each of the Jackson music videos "Smooth Criminal" and "Thriller."
       
       The DVD of "This Is It" will carry a suggested retail price of $28.96 and the Blu-ray version an SRP of $39.95. A PlayStation Portable disc is also planned, priced at $24.94.
       
       The film has made $71 million in domestic box office since its Oct.
28 premiere in theaters.
       
AUNJANUE ELLIS JOINS 'THE MENTALIST': Actress to play new head of the California Bureau of Investigation.

       *Aunjanue Ellis has joined the cast of sophomore CBS drama "The Mentalist" in a recurring role as the "beautiful but tough new head of the California Bureau of Investigation," according to the Hollywood Reporter.
       
       Ellis' character is installed following the resignation of the unit's former chief, Virgil Minelli, played by Gregory Itzin. She is brought in to restore discipline and morale to the division after the murder of three agents, including Agent Sam Bosco (Terry Kinney), and will be the new supervisor of Agent Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney).
       
       "The Mentalist" revolves around Lisbon's team and the help they get from independent consultant Patrick Jane (Simon Baker).
       
       Ellis, who appeared in "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" and co-starred on Broadway's "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," is tentatively set to make her "Mentalist" debut in April.

        Her next big screen project is "Game of Death" opposite Wesley Snipes, due in 2010.

NAOMIE HARRIS TO STAR IN 'FIRST GRADER': Film based on true story of an elderly woman's attempt to start elementary school.

       *British actress Naomie Harris has signed on for director Justin Chadwick’s Kenya-set drama “The First Grader,” based on the true story of 84-year-old Kenyan Kimani Nganga Maruge.
       
       Maruge attempted to take advantage of a Kenyan government initiative to give free elementary school education for all, but was initially denied access to go to the school with the 6-year-old first-graders. She eventually took the government to court.
       
       Harris, most famous for her role as Tia Dalma in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, will play Jane Obinchu, the teacher who supports Maruge’s struggle to gain admission to the education program. Newcomer Oliver Litondo will play Maruge.
       
       Production on "The First Grader" has begun on location in Kenya. BBC Films co-developed the project and is co-financing along with the U.K. Film Council, Videovision Ent., Lipsync Prods. and Origin. International sales are being handled by Anant Singh’s Distant Horizon.

IT'S 'RIDE' OR DIE FOR ICE CUBE: Rapper stars in new action-comedy feature for New Line and Cube Vision.
 
       *Ice Cube is set to star in the action-comedy feature "Ride Along,"
which has the rapper as a rogue cop who tries to break off his sister's engagement to an upper-crust white psychiatrist by inviting his future brother-in-law on a ride-along.
       
       The project from New Line and Cube Vision was penned by Greg Coolidge, but has gone through a couple of rewrites. Jason Mantzoukas, who wrote the NBC pilot "Off Duty" last season, has been hired to rewrite the final version, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
       
       Cube and his Cube Vision partner Matt Alvarez are producing, with Chris Bender and JC Spink executive producing.
       
        Last year, Mantzoukas' buddy-cop comedy pilot "Off Duty," starring Bradley Whitford and Romany Malco, was in serious contention for a series pickup at NBC.

LAURYN HILL, WYCLEF TO PERFORM IN NEW ZEALAND: Former Fugees members on the same bill.

       *Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill, formerly of The Fugees, are scheduled to make solo appearances at the Raggamuffin Music Festival in Rotorua, New Zealand on January 23, 2010.
       
       The ex band-mates will co-headline the festival at Rotorua International Stadium along with Shaggy, Julian Marley, Sly & Robbie, Sean Kingston and others, according to Allhiphop.com.
       
       Hill's appearance will be her first major outing since cancelling a string of high profile dates in June of 2009 due to health reasons. She had been scheduled to headline the Stockholm Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
       
       Wyclef filled in for Hill on a number of the cancelled dates.
 
JAY-Z TO HEADLINE 2010 ISLE OF WIGHT FEST: Rapper joins group that includes Blondie, Strokes, Pink, Orbital and Squeeze.

       *Jay-Z has been tapped to headline the 2010 Isle of Wight Festival in June, leading a lineup that includes The Strokes, Pink, Blondie, Orbital and Squeeze according to organizers.
       
       Over 55,000 people are expected to attend the concert, which takes place from June 11 to June 13. Jay Z will headline the event on Friday, June 11.
       
       "Ever since I heard the first Strokes album, I've wanted them for the Isle of Wight," said festival promoter John Giddings. "Jay-Z and Pink are two of the best live acts I have ever seen and the Blondie hits speak for themselves. I can't wait."
       
       Tickets go on sale this Friday (Dec. 4), which is also Jay-Z's 40th birthday.
       
CHRIS BROWN DENIES CALLING JAY-Z 'CORNBALL': Singer explains Twitter post during 'American Music Awards.'

        *Chris Brown is trying to explain himself once again – this time for a tweet he says was taken out of context.

        He called into DJ Whoo Kid's show on Shade 45 satellite radio Saturday to squash reports that he called Jay-Z a "cornball" on Twitter during the Nov. 22 "American Music Awards."

       "My Twitter ain't get hacked," Brown told DJ Whoo Kid about the tweet, which was quickly picked up and strewn across the Internet. "People blew [it] out of proportion. ... I was also commenting on certain things that was going on on the AMAs. I was tweeting randomly about what was going on ... so, the homies was at the house and everybody was like, 'He's making an excuse.' All I twittered, I said, 'cornball' — I wasn't talking about homie at all," Brown explained.
       
       "But the funny thing is, my homies was rapping and [I was like], 'Ya'll are just corny,' and so I just typed it in, and at that moment I started seeing the comments: 'Oh, you talkin' about Jay?' I was like, 'Hell naw, what you mean?' I said let me delete this before this be another story.
I don't need no more problems right now, I don't need no more people cussing me out."
       
       Brown clarified that he has no beef with Jay — who happens to be Rihanna's longtime mentor. "I've never really talked to homie," he said.
"Ain't no beefs. I just get my money, [he] get his."
       
       During the interview, Brown also confirmed that in addition to the 13-track "Graffiti" that drops on Dec. 8, an 18-track deluxe version will be released on the same day.

DISNEY STARTS MULLING OPRAH REPLACEMENT: 'We are certainly in the process right now of reviewing our options.'

       *ABC television says it has a great head start on dealing with the impossible task of replacing Oprah Winfrey, who announced plans to end her talk show in 2011.
       
       "Oprah has given us two years' notice, which is not something you generally see in television," Disney/ABC Television Group president Anne Sweeney told Reuters on Monday. "We are certainly in the process right now of reviewing our options."
       
       Sweeney, who is also co-chair of Disney Media Networks and oversees the ABC Television Network, described Winfrey as "one of a kind" but nonetheless said she could foresee a "myriad" of ways to replace the TV star.
       
       While refusing to name names, Sweeney said, "I think it's going to be really interesting to see who comes forward and who emerges during this time as the next great idea, personality and then the next great piece of programming," she said.
       
       "It's a matter of understanding the marketplace and thinking about what it's going to look like in two years and what is the best thing that you could be programming at that hour for consumers, and I think it's going to vary station to station," she said.
       
       Winfrey will end her show to focus on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, a cable channel to be launched in partnership with Discovery Communications Inc.

CRIMINAL CHARGES IN JACKSON DEATH MAY TAKE MONTHS:  Law enforcement saying decision is 'months rather than weeks away.'

       *A decision on possible criminal charges over the June death of Michael Jackson is "months rather than weeks away," according to law enforcement sources quoted Monday by the Los Angeles Times.
       
       Authorities have consulted medical experts and say there is much evidence to review, the newspaper reported, and no charges are expected to be filed before 2010.
       
       Police began investigating Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray after coroners ruled Jackson's death a homicide. The official report said the anesthetic propofol and the sedative lorazepam were the primary drugs that led to the "Thriller" singer's sudden death on June 25.
       
       Authorities have searched the Houston and Las Vegas offices of Murray, who has denied any wrongdoing and who was with Jackson, 50, on the morning of his death. He had been caring for the singer in Los Angeles as he prepared for a series of comeback concerts in the weeks before his death.

BILL COSBY TO STRETCH STANDUP INTO 2010: Comedian to stay on the road into early summer.

       *Bill Cosby, at age 72, will continue his stand-up comedy tour well into the early summer of 2010.
       
       The comedian and author closed out 2009 with a Nov. 27 Las Vegas show, followed by a Nov. 28 appearance in Rochester, NY. He'll begin the New Year with shows in January and February before settling into a regular one-city-per-week pattern beginning March 6 in Schenectady, NY.
       
       Cosby will perform two shows per night at most stops currently on the calendar, reports Live Daily. The full itinerary is listed below:
       
December 2009
5 - Lynn, MA - Lynn Auditorium
5 - Lowell, MA - Lowell Memorial Auditorium
6 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theatre

January 2010
9 - Cupertino, CA - Flint Center for Performing Arts
23 - Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall

February 2010
13 - Reno, NV - Silver Legacy Hotel Casino
14 - Valley Center, CA - Harrah's Rincon
15 - Palm Desert, CA - McCallum Theatre

March 2010
6 - Schenectady, NY - Proctor's Theatre
13 - Hartford, CT - Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
26 - Fort Myers, FL - Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
27 - Clerwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
28 - Augusta, GA - Bell Auditorium

April 2010
1 - West Palm Beach, FL - Kravis Center for the Performing Arts 10 - Brookville, NY - Tilles Center for the Performing Arts
11 - Montclair, NJ - Wellmont Theatre
17 - Bozeman, MT - Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
18 - Casper, WY - Casper Events Center
25 - Charlotte, NC - Blumenthal Performing Arts Center

May 2010
1 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
2 - Toledo, OH - Stranahan Theatre
8 - Petoskey, MI - Odawa Casino Resort
15 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
16 - Cerritos, CA - Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

June 2010
20 - Seattle, WA - Benaroya Concert Hall

July 2010
17 - Red Wing, MN - Treasure Island Casino

EUR DVD REVIEW: Angels & Demons
Disappointing Da Vinci Code Sequel Due on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams

 
      *Between its preposterous storyline and its blasphemous revisionist history, the highly-anticipated screen adaptation of The Da Vinci Code was the most over-hyped disappointment of 2006.

      Although there was a lot less buzz surrounding this sequel, Angels & Demons, nonetheless, proves to be equally underwhelming.  

      Based on the Dan Brown best-seller of the same name, the film was directed by Ron Howard and stars Tom Hanks who reprises his role as Harvard symbologist Dr. Robert Langdon.

      Howard assembled an international ensemble which included Scotsman Ewan McGregor, Prussian Armin Mueller-Stahl, Israeli Ayelet Zurer, Dane Nikolaj lie Kaas, Italian Pierfrancesco Favino and Swede Stellan Skarsgard.

      At the point of departure, we learn that the Pope has just passed away and that the College of Cardinals is convening in Vatican City to pick his successor. However, before the conclave can arrive at a consensus, the four favorites to ascend to the papacy are abducted by a madman who announces plans to execute them one-by-one, beginning at 8 PM.

      With time being of the essence, Dr. Langdon is summoned to Rome by the Vatican which suspects the crime to be the work of the Illuminati, a vengeful, secret society of heretics who have been at odds with the Church for hundreds of years. Soon, Professor Langdon lands in Europe, where he teams up with veteran Inspector Olivetti (Favino) and a beautiful, if vapid scientist named Vittoria Vetra (Zurer).

      Again and again, the terminally-loquacious Langdon proves to have an uncanny knack for deciphering precisely what every inscrutable mark and message means, as each discovery invariably only confirms another one of his cockamamie conspiracy theories. The only question is whether they’ll be able to crack the case in time to save lives.

      A farcical, farfetched, patience-testing, 2½-hour insult to the intelligence.

 
Poor (0 stars)
Rated PG-13 for violence, mature themes and disturbing images.  
In English, Italian and Latin with subtitles.
Running time: 146 minutes
Studi Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

2-Disc DVD Extras: Separate discussions by Dan Brown and the screenwriters, by the filmmakers and by the cast, “The Making of” and several other
featurettes.  

To purchase a copy of Angels & Demons on DVD, visit:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002O5M4TE?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCo
de=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002O5M4TE

To see a trailer for Angels & Demons, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2BqTf2hcp8

EUR FILM REVIEW: Uncertainty
Alternative Tales Unfold Following Flip of a Coin on Brooklyn Bridge
Film Review by Kam Williams

 
      *Kate (Lynn Collins) and Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a carefree young couple living in NYC, are weighing their options about how to spend 4th of July as they walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. On the one hand, they could attend her tight-knit, Argentinian family’s picnic, although that would probably involve dealing with pressure from her parents to settle down and get married. On the other hand, they could simply saunter into Manhattan for whatever serendipitous adventure might lay in wait.

      The lovebirds impulsively agree to base their decision on a fateful flip of the coin, blissfully unaware of just how much is riding on its landing head versus tails. For, while the duty-bound barbecue will basically be an uneventful, if socially-awkward, annoyance, a day in the city will morph into a harrowing, never-ending nightmare.

      And how do we know this? Because Uncertainty is a bifurcated drama depicting exactly what will transpire, depending on which direction Kate and Bobby take off the bridge. The picture was co-written and co-directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel, the same brains behind The Deep End (2001), an equally-compelling whodunit starring Tilda Swinton.  

      To make it easy for the audience to keep the two strands straight, one story features the protagonists wearing yellow and heading into Chinatown, the other, wearing green and going to Kate’s folks’ place in Brooklyn. There’s no reason to reveal the details of the family picnic at all, because it essentially serves as mundane counterpoint to the riveting alternative.

      Meanwhile, the plot of the former thickens right off the bat when they find a cell phone left behind on the seat of their taxicab by the previous passenger. The desperate owner calls to retrieve it, and Bobby unwittingly arranges a meeting in a nearby Chinese restaurant.

      But the guy happens to have mob connections and is shot dead on the street just as he’s approaching the place. Suddenly, instead of a leisurely lunch, Bobby and Kate find themselves on the run with a gangster in hot pursuit.
Soon, they’re hopelessly embroiled in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse with a shadowy figure offering as much as a half-million dollars for the phone when he’s not threatening to kill them.

      A brilliantly-conceived, well-executed, micro-budgeted, action-packed thriller which gives a whole new meaning to 4th of July fireworks.  


Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated  
Running time: 105 minutes
Studi IFC Films

To see a trailer for Uncertainty, visit:
http://www.ifcfilms.com/videos/uncertainty-3

STEVEN IVORY:  Words Way Overused
   
     *Three years  before he took it upon himself to pee on a little girl's campfire on national television, rapper Kanye West's face appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine. Next to the purposefully scowling image was the cover line, "Brash genius."
   
    West is a lot of things.  Ambitious,  successful, arrogant.
   
    Genius?   Hmmmm.
   
     That word used to be reserved for the likes of Albert Einstein, Madame Curie and Louis Armstrong, people whose sheer brilliance, in ways both subtle and far reaching, left an indelible mark on mankind and popular culture.
   
     West is neither innovator nor pioneer. Nothing wrong with that; the world is filled with those influential within the scope of established ideas and concepts. However, West's moniker followed by "genius" do both word and rapper a disservice.
       
     Then again, words such as genius--and innovator, legend and icon, once definitive and airtight in their declaration--are,  in these days of shameless, narcissistic  celebism, applied gratuitously and recklessly. In  an era where cultural standards have plunged lower than the bar at a limbo championship,  the spoken word has taken a serious hit. Characteristically, there isn't a heavy explanation for the void. We're just lazy.
   
     Alternately anxious and lackadaisical while stuck in a  multitasking trance, we can't be bothered to communicate in more than a barely functional miscellany of basic English and trendy catch phrases.  We acquaint ourselves with inspired jargon to describe people, places, situations or emotions, in the process neutering words to accommodate whim.
                 
    Thus,  now everything is proclaimed "amazing," even if realistically it is merely "sufficient" or "remarkable." Back in the day, before the word was slowly emasculated, amazing was considered damn near Biblical. Something truly had to be amazing to be called that.

    But today, let us tell it,  all things are amazing, and that simply cannot be the case.  It all can't be amazing.  Some things are just..."surprising."  Show "staggering" some love.  Occasionally, "just okay" is more than appropriate. Nudge the boundaries of the imagination and find another word. Please.
   
    Meanwhile, "like" and "whatever" are used, like, ad nauseam--knowhatImsayin'?
   
    The only utterance more annoying--okay, besides "awesome"--comes after  any remark made in earnest and then systematically chased with, "Does that make sense?" Answer: No. The value of whatever you said before it could either be on the mark or duly debated, but THAT line, rhetorical and self effacing by dysfunctional design, makes no sense at all.
   
     Nor does our collective neglect of language.  Relying on just a handful of words  to describe everything from grandma's meatloaf to the sex you had the night before--quite often,  the same word--is akin to eating the same meal day after day or never venturing outside your neighborhood.
   
     Why should you learn  new words?  Well, because there are some really useful ones out there. Because they already exist and are just sitting there and we don't have to invent them or pay taxes on them. Because life is big, the world is wide and succinct communication, in its  abiding beauty and might, is a wonderful thing.  
   
     And because language, when considered and clearly articulated, quietly commands respect. The distinction sought for your life in designer clothes, the brand you sip or what you drive can actually be found in your willingness to elaborate in a fashion that is  savvy and coherent.  Indeed, speaking well has about it a funky, sexy eloquence.  
   
     Nevertheless, in the cosmos of words overused, there exists a  term mistreated even more than those griped about here. This word's infinite, seductive power to entice and incite has been exploited, abused and debased since the beginning of time.
   
     However, love is a subject for another column.

Steven Ivory's book, FOOL IN LOVE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster) is available at Amazon.com (www.Amazon.com). Respond to him via STEVRIVORY@AOL.COM    

THE BRIDGE:  The Rules of Exchange

By Darryl James  
 

      Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve written about a primary result of Radical Feminist propaganda—The Bitter Woman.

      Of course, bitter women abounded to launch attacks on me, alleging misogyny, while refusing to pay attention to their own misandry.

      But Radical Feminist propaganda and its assault on love, family and traditional sexual roles are a part of reality, whether some choose to ignore them or not.

      Some of the fallout from Radical Feminism includes confusion in male/female behavior.  Radical Feminism has fooled some women into thinking that the route to being equal to men is to actually become men.

      This includes adopting a number of poor social behaviors that really aren’t acceptable from men, including plentiful detached sexual activity and a proclivity towards violence and violent posturing.

      Confusion in traditional gender behavior has caused a marked change in the rules of exchange.

      In today’s society, more women are being prosecuted for violent crimes against other women and against men.  These are not “catfights” where an item of clothing gets burned or torn, but real pathological acts of physical violence requiring police intervention.

      And even in discussions, some of today’s so-called women are quick to launch visceral attacks against men for the simple crime of disagreeing with what is being said.  Those attacks are clearly acts of war, but disturbingly, they cast aspersions on men’s sexuality and/or actual standing as men instead of having real discussion.

      Ignoring them or taking the high road is only making things worse, because it gives them the illusion that their behavior is acceptable.

      I have no problem returning the hatred when it is launched because I know where it some of it comes from.

      The sad fact is that for the past forty years, Radical Feminism has waged an all-out assault on men and male behavior.

      Radical Feminism has attempted to define male behavior and that has failed.  It failed because there are too many real men still left who are defining themselves, while rejecting definitions from outside.

      Radical Feminism attempted to define male behavior while allowing for “evolutions” in female behavior.  It failed because it is hypocritical and silly.

      For example, men often hear how things would improve if men only got themselves together, as though women have no problems.

      But society has problems, which affect both men and women. As if in some twisted attempt at parity, more women are unleashing physical violence.

      And, sometimes, even when men disagree with women in “safe” places like the internet, the so-called females attack men and attack their behavior as well as their sexuality when disagreeing.  These same females recoil in horror, crying “misogyny” when men call them “bitches.”

      But, really what else is there to provide in response to violent behavior and posturing?

      If a woman attempts to physically harm a man, why is it a problem for him to defend himself?

      The same question has to be asked where discussions are concerned.

      The point is that once you start an argument and escalate it with insults, there are no longer any rules.  There is very little difference, in say, calling a man a “fag,” and calling that manly so-called female a “bitch.”

      Most of the time, the hatred men draw comes from the lack of self-love that the so-called female is projecting.

      Part of the problem is a growing number of women who have no idea what being feminine is about, but part of it is that there are now a generation of men and women who were raised with blurred lines of sexual behavior. There are a growing number of men who have no idea what being masculine is about, yet both of the pools of confused genders still talk incessantly about being “real” men and “real” women.

      In addition, many people today, after having been severely dumbed down are such poor communicators, that they don't know how to accept divergent views.  Instead, they focus on trying to convince the other person that they are wrong.

      Typically, men shy away from discussions of relationships, because of what it has become. Too frequently, such interactions disintegrate into chaos and an exchange of insults.

      In my case, foolish women who disagree with me launch verbal insults and threats, instead of disagreeing and then proving me wrong with evidence. Typically, these so-called females are cowardly, in addition to ignorant. If there is only one, they will eventually turn and run.  But if there are multiples, they attack like sharks in a feeding frenzy.

      Their ignorance shines brightly, because for them, there are only two answers when they disagree with a man—that he hates Black women or that he is gay.  Really?  How enlightening.

      When we see behavior unbecoming of a woman, why would we respect that? Why would we respect someone who doesn’t respect others?

      There’s a reason for the word “bitch,” and while some women want to abolish it, others are now using it to toss at men.

      Where does this come from?

      Well, we already know that a great deal of families are raised by single females who either don’t have strong men in their children’s lives, and/or choose not to have such in their own.

      But in addition, Radical Feminism has provided for Black women to do something that they previously never did, or we would have been over as a race a long time ago.

      Radical Feminism has provided for some so-called women to stop focusing on ladylike behavior, while trying to jam their dreamed-up concepts of manhood down our throats.

      This explains why we hear women talk about what a man is supposed to do, what a man is supposed to be, and what a man is supposed to give to them, while shying away from what a woman is supposed to do.  The stupidity usually begins with “If you were a real man…”

      Radical Feminism has also called for women to discuss and define men and male behavior in the absence of men.  They take these twisted definitions to their male children, their dysfunctional relationships with weak-hearted men and into unproductive discussions with solid and stable men.

      Only a sane woman with solid relationships with the men in her life will understand how irrational and pointless these discussions are.

      If a group of so-called females have no positive relationships with men, how can they define men or male behavior?

      And, if they have no positive relationships with men, the only result will be negative concepts of men and male behavior in those discussions.

      Those discussions, combined with unresolved pain from relationships with men, and/or rejection by men, allow these so-called females to begin to act like men.

      Witness the behavior of these insane creatures when confronting men.

      In public, they are quick to fistfight or brandish weapons.

      In discussions, they attack with insults designed to cause injury, while still expecting to be treated with chivalry.

      Those insults are typically unresponsive to the actual subject matter, and in these situations, there will be no real exchange of ideas and information.

      Weak men are quick to capitulate and cower in their presence.

      Strong men are quick to do what men d ignore these childlike fools where possible, or when avoidance is impossible, defend themselves.  In defending themselves, of course, violence can escalate to lethal proportions. In arguments, the word “bitch” can be hurled, along with an assortment of labels that actually fit, thank you.

      And, the response of the so-called females who have launched the war in the first place is to make up rules.

      Those rules, while ignoring that the so-called female took the first jab, require that men still respect their womanhood—even if their womanhood is non-existent.

      The answer?  Simple:  Grown women need to keep it cool to begin with when dealing with level-headed men who have not harmed them or insulted them.

      No human—male or female—should have to withstand violent attacks.

      And really, no man who is a man should have to tolerate a simple-minded so-called female attacking his manhood simply because she hates men and wants to act like one when she disagrees.

      Taking the high road and/or shying away from this discussion is leading to a whole host of poor social behaviors, for which a growing number of women are being prosecuted and jailed for.

      Again, I do preach that people should honor and respect the Black woman.  But I also preach that some of them are not worthy of respect when they are not being respectful.  I am open, honest and clear about that.

      I am also honest, open and clear when I admonish men to avoid these women at all costs.  Interaction with them in public can cost you your freedom.

      But there are men who will take the punches and return them.

      And there are men who will take the insults and bring the noise.

      So, attention, manly women:  Keep your hands to yourself or take your beating like a man and your imprisonment like a criminal.

      And, in discussions, disagree with respect and we can have an enlightening exchange.

      If you alter the rules of exchange, please understand that we all will.
 

      Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” Now, listen to Darryl live on BlogTalkRadio.com/DarrylJames every Monday from 7-9pm, PST. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.                                  

GLENN'S STRATEGIES FOR WELL-BEING: Dieting Tips for the Holidays

      *According to current statistics, between 50 and 66% of African American women can be classified as being "overweight." African American women suffer from obesity at an alarmingly disproportionate rate when compared to women of other races. 44% of black men are considered overweight, and 24% are obese. Cultural factors that influence dietary and exercise behaviors are reported to play a major role in the development of excess weight in minority groups.  
 
     I want to briefly share some information about nutrition and the human body so that maybe even a few women will avoid the dangers of dieting and the cycle of despair it brings.  

      Typical 'crash diets' fight your body's natural reaction to starvation. Lipoprotein lipase is an enzyme in the body that promotes fat storage and it increases tremendously when someone is not taking in enough food. The lowest energy level that a female who is 90 years old, bedridden, and under 5 feet tall needs, is still approximately 1167 calories per day! Concentration camps during WWII have shown that humans need a minimum of 800-900 calories for sheer survival for any extended period of time. An average meal is around 500-600 calories so if someone skips breakfast, has a diet pop and salad for lunch, and a small dinner you can see how they could run dangerously close to these levels. A person's metabolism is the complex of chemical and physical processes involved in the maintenance of life, and the rate at which your body uses substances (i.e. burns calories). When a human drastically reduces their food intake, their metabolism lowers, making it harder and harder to lose weight. This makes sense from a survival point of view, because if it continued at the same rate you would literally burn up! This is how people can end up 'yo-yo' dieting, because the body just gets better and better at storing energy. Cut calories, metabolism lowers; eat again (even if equal amount eaten before the dieting), and weight goes up. Usually higher than where they started.
 
      Let's look at starvation in the human body a little closer. When fuel is scarce, the body uses up the stored sugar in the liver and muscles first. This stored sugar is called glycogen. Each glycogen is stored with a molecule of water, and this makes it relatively heavy. When they are metabolized, this is where one might see initial weight loss. During the first five to seven days of inadequate calorie intake, skeletal muscle protein is also broken down for energy. It is lost at approximately 0.8 lb lean tissue per day. The body then shifts back and forth using muscle and fat tissue alternately. The last tissue to go would be the intercostal muscles (the muscle between the ribs) necessary for respiration. The body also adapts to starvation by reducing activity, increasing one's need for sleep, and lowering body temperature.  
 
      As one can see from this information, the weight loss that is seen with typical diets is mostly muscle and water.  

      Okay, enough science. Hopefully you're convinced this is a dangerous way to lose weight. If someone really needs to lose weight to reduce their risk of heart disease or diabetes, for example, then how should they do it? Well, the answer is not magic, but it works with the body not against it and involves commitment and education.  
 
      First, let's look at what raises a person's metabolic rate: eating regularly.

      I like to say every 4 hours or so - a meal or a snack - depending on the types of foods eaten. For example, a breakfast that includes whole wheat toast with peanut butter, a glass of milk, and a piece of fruit will last a lot longer than a bowl of cereal with a glass of juice, because it has fiber and more protein. The second thing that raises one's metabolic rate is the increase in muscle tissue. Good old exercise. Initially, someone may even gain a few pounds or stay at the same weight while from exercising.

      Walking can help make your heart and lungs function more efficiently, help you lose weight, sleep better, and reduce stress. You should try to walk four times a week for at least thirty minutes each time.
 
      Granted we can't eat fries and burgers, and drink lots of beer everyday to lose weight, but we can eat the amount of energy our bodies need in the day. The best way to do this is to decrease the fat intake in our diet (butter, oils, margarine, deep fried foods, pastries, chips, nuts, bologna, etc.). Notice, I said decrease, not eliminate. It is still okay to enjoy these foods once in awhile as long as one is eating a well-balanced, low-fat diet most of the time. The other improvement to make in one's diet would be an increase in fiber.              Fiber is a non-digestible plant component found in foods such as brown rice, whole grain breads, bran and oat cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Fiber helps with digestion and elimination and also helps to fill a person up without adding too many calories.

      It is advisable that you to drink six to eight glasses of water daily (given that you have no other medical conditions). Water is important in body heat regulation; maintenance of blood volume; helps eliminate wastes and acts as an appetite suppressant.
 
      So, there you have it - A low-fat, high fiber diet, and plenty of enjoyable exercise. This is what will help an individual lose weight, and more importantly keep it off. No magic, no money to be made, just good sound information. Good luck, goodbye to unhealthy diets, and here’s to healthy living!

Remember, I’m not a doctor. I just sound like one.

Take good care of yourself and live the best life possible!


Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician.  It is neither intended, nor implied, to be a substitute for professional medical advice.


Glenn Ellis, author of Which Doctor?, is a health columnist and radio commentator who lectures, and is an active media contributor nationally and internationally on health related topics

For more good health information, visit: www.glennellis.co


vERONICA'S VIEW: Missing But Not Forgotten
 

      *The hue and cry about 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson is real and righteous and without repose.

      She went missing on Friday, September 16, 2009 when the Malibu Sherriff’s Department released her after she was arrested and booked on suspicion of failing to pay an $89 bill for a meal and drink at Geoffrey’s Restaurant.

      Just after 1:00 a.m. she was set free when the authorities found no reason to hold her. Mitrice then set out on foot in the peak of darkness armed with nothing but a youthful sense of invincibility; her 1990 Honda Civic had been impounded and she had no money or cell phone in her possession.

        Mitrice was said to have been acting strangely and speaking incomprehensively during that evening, according to those interviewed at Geoffrey’s.  Instead of concerned or caring acquaintances or citizens circling the wagons to come to the aide of this young woman that some reported appeared in some kind of distressed state, they did nothing. They were spectators who sat by and watched the drama unfold, perhaps an emotion breakdown of sorts or maybe someone spiked her drink. They probably whispered among themselves, gawked and stared. And God knows what they were thinking or maybe we do.

      Her subsequent arrest was not surprising given where she was. I often wonder had she been from the other tribe (meaning if she where blonde and blue-eyed) would someone have come to her rescue and tried to  get her some help, found a way to contact her family or even banded together to pay her tab so she could find her way back home to South Los Angeles.

      All the questions have been pondered: why would the police released her into the dead of night on foot in an unfamiliar place? Why didn’t they escort her home, call her family to pick up her, call her a cab or keep her until daylight? Why didn’t they give a damn? Wasn’t her well-being and life worth protecting? This whole incident conjures up the sentiments echoed in Sojourner Truth’s 1851 speech “Ain’t I a Woman” where she proclaimed that her color should not preclude her from being valued, respected and protected by those who had the humanity to do so.

      Yet, so many individuals failed Mitrice that evening. And an institution whose founding principles are to protect and serve decidedly failed to do just that.  That’s where the real breakdown occurred.

      Her parents are doing everything to keep this case alive so she won’t be viewed as just another faceless, nameless, missing person. They have portrayed her as a young woman who, despite the challenges of youth, had a bright future as an educator and friends and family who loved her. Their efforts have not gone unnoticed in the press or by the community.

      Her parents also believe she is alive even though alleged sightings of her in South Los Angeles and the West San Fernando Valley have not proven conclusive.  I believe she is alive too.

        I will never forget a story I read about seven years ago about a young, beautiful woman who lived in Livermore, California. She was walking home from school when she vanished without a trace. Her parents searched desperately for her to no avail. For nine months she was missing with no conclusive leads.

      Turns out she was abducted and inducted into human slavery where she was forced into an underground brothel. Her will had been broken through drugs and repeated sexual assault. Her captors trafficked her from Los Angeles to New York and every point in between. She was later sold to a business interest in Japan, according the account. Her captors had taken her to the airport to start the next leg of her journey. However, she was able to slip a note to an employee that she needed help. Airport authorities intervened and it was later discovered she was the same young woman that had gone missing nine months earlier.

      Take the recent case of Jaycee Dugard. She was abducted in 1991 at the age of 11 near a bus stop in Lake Tahoe, California. She was held captive for eighteen years and was recently discovered after a parole officer for her accused kidnapper became suspicious, leading to a search of his home.

      I don’t know if Mitrice has been abducted. But she is missing. If it is unusual behavior for her to “opt out” of sight by her own volition when she apparently had so much to “opt in” for, then perhaps authorities need to explore other possibilities. (If you have comments about Veronica’s View, email them vsview@yahoo.com.)###

THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: Law and Order: SUV's Tamara Tunie supports Hearts of Gold by hosting its Fall Gala; The Sax Pack is back with a new Jazz CD off the Shanachie Entertainment imprint.

By Eunice Moseley


Law and Order: SUV's Tamara Tunie supports Hearts of Gold by hosting its Fall Gala

   *The Hearts of Gold non-profit organization helps New York City mothers and their children in residence at their three Manhattan shelters. It recently hosted their 13th Annual Fall Fundraising Gala “It's a Love Thing” hosted by Law and Order: SUV's Tamara Tunie. The event offered a fashion show, auction, after-hours party and more. Tamara shared hosting duties with CNN's Soledad O'Brien, the organization's Goodwill Ambassador.

   “I was invited to a gala about five years ago through a friend who is president (Jack Gindi),” said actress Tamara Tunie about how she became involved in the non-profit organization. “I was impressed with the organization. It is such a grassroots organization. Her drive (Founder and Executive Director Deborah Koenigsberger) impressed me. If you ever met a person no one can say no to she is the person.”

   Tamara said Deborah's energy and passion was infectious. After attending a couple of the events, Tamara Tunie was made an honorary chair on the advisory board that also includes The Honorable David N. Dinkins, Rhonda Ross (Diana Ross' daughter), and Vanessa L. Williams (“Ugly Betty”).

   “What I really found attractive is its mission to help those moms with education and employment,” Tunie said. “So they can step out...and govern aide on their own.”

   Tamara Tunie, a Pennsylvania native, started her work as an actress as Jessica Griffin McKechie Harris on the day-time soap opera “As the World Turns” from 1986-1995 and again from 1999-2007. She also appeared on NYPD Blue as Lillian Fancy from 1994-1997, Alberta Green on “24” and is currently Melinda Warner on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit since 2000. In film, Tamara narrated the story for Eve's Bayou and acted in Devil's Advocate and Snake Eyes.

   Hearts of Gold (HoG) was founded in 1996 by former model and fashion stylist Deborah Koenigsberger who was touched by the struggles of homeless women (and their children). To date it has raised over $1.6 million for its shelters and also other city shelters such as Icahn House East, Nazareth Housing, Alexander Abraham Residence and Semiperm HDFC.

   For more information or to donate to the HoG organization log onto www.HeartsofGold.org and for more information on actress Tamara Tunie log onto www.nbc.com/Law_and_Order_Special_Victims_Unit/about/tamara-tunie.shtml.  


The Sax Pack is back with a new Jazz CD off the Shanachie Entertainment imprint

   Three outstanding saxophone players, Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters and Steve Cole, together make the triple-Jazz-threat The Sax Pack. The Sax Pack recently released their second joint project on Shanachie Entertainment titled “The Pack is Back.”

   “I was backstage on another show watching the remake of The Rat Pack. I called Steve and Kim (with the idea of thanks to a friend Miles Gildersale who joked he should do The Sax Pack),” said sax player Jeff Kashiva about how he founded the group. “We had no material but great chemistry!”

   Steve Cole laughs and says, “We were the only ones who took his call!”

   While you know how God works things out because the collective of Jeff, Steve and Kim Waters saxophone playing together is like no other and makes for a powerful group, a group that has thus far recorded two powerful projects. Not to forget their “rat pack” image of them in suits with open collar, loose tie and a martini in hand.

   The first single off “The Pack is Back” CD release, “Fallin' For You,”  was number one on the Jazz charts for 11 consecutive weeks. They just released a hot remix of that single by Davy D.

   “We are diverse,”  Jeff admits when I mentioned that I could tell the difference in the horn playing on the CD. “I never hung out with Kim but we have a great relationship.”

   “We all have certain strengths,” Steve adds. “A non verbal communication...the music writes itself.”

   The Sax Pack has been touring for the last five years to sold-out venues. Their Shanachie debut was self-titled and released in 2008.

   Jeff Kashiwa is a soulful Jazz sax player, Kim Waters brings his Urban/Jazz sax playing and Steve Cole adds his R&B/Jazz influence.

   “We perform in suits,” Jeff points out. “They are provided by a Touch of Class, Steve Hooks' H&M.”

   My favorite cuts on the CD include the first single “Fallin' For You” because its a hand clapping jam; “Wanna Get Closer” a feet-tapping number; the title track “The Pack is Back” which gives you something fast to dance to, and “All That I Am” is a sexy slow dance selection.

   For more information on The Sax Pack log onto www.TheSaxPack.com and to hear songs from the “The Pack is Back” CD log onto www.myspace.com/TheSaxPack.

THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: The Video Doesn’t Lie
 
      *Just eleven months after a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer shot and killed an unarmed man as he lay face down on a train platform, another BART officer has been captured on video forcing the head of another man into a plate-glass window and shattering it, before the officer arrested the man at the train station.

      Somebody posted the video on YouTube, but it was removed. Authorities won’t say who the unidentified BART officer is. But the man arrested was Michael J. Gibson of San Leandro, California. Before it was removed the video showed Gibson shouting at other passengers on the train for no apparent reason. Then the BART officer showed up as passengers applauded. The officer pulled Gibson from the train with his arm gripped behind his back as if he is about to be handcuffed then the officer walked him head first toward the station wall, which is topped by large widows. One window shatters as the officer appears to force the man’s head against it. One report said the officer’s face was cut and he suffered a concussion, while Gibson suffered cuts to his head, hand and arm when he tried to protect himself by putting up his free arm in defense. Both were treated at a hospital.

      Gibson was charged with battery on an officer and resisting arrest -- both felonies -- and public intoxication, a misdemeanor. The officer has been put on a leave of absence. Some so-called experts have said the officer’s actions were justified. But I disagree.
 
      It’s the latest example of a man with a badge using excessive force unnecessarily. And if the murder last New Year’s Eve by another (now former) BART officer wasn’t an indication of that, I doubt this latest incident will make a difference in the way over zealous officers are disciplined or how they are trained to guard against such actions.
 
      BART police said they welcome any information and videos to help their investigation. And that’s what they should say. At least they got that part right.
 
      The former BART officer indicted for the New Year’s Eve murder, has yet to stand trial. But just as in this case thanks to the amateur video posted on YouTube everybody can see the truth for themselves, regardless of the results of an official investigation.

 
Send questions, comments or requests for speaking engagements to Steffanie Rivers at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com. And see the video version of her

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