12-02-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE

TIGER CASE CLOSES AS NEW WOMAN SURFACES: Plus, alleged NY mistress offers to take a lie detector test. Nike still stands behind golfer.

       *A new woman entered the Tiger Woods tabloid maelstrom Tuesday with claims that she had a 31-month fling with the golfer and has a voicemail and more than 300 text messages to prove it.
      
       Jaimee Grubbs, according to Us Weekly, claims she met Tiger in Las Vegas in April, 2007, when she was a 21-year-old cocktail waitress. Grubbs said she began a long-running affair with the athlete -- who married Elin Nordegren in 2004.

       Grubbs, who has appeared recently on VH1's "Tool Academy," claims to have had 20 sexual encounters with Tiger. Us Weekly, on newsstands today, has photos, racy texts from Tiger, and a voicemail from Nov. 24, in which Tiger suggests his wife might be on to the alleged affair.

       The new affair allegation came as the Florida Highway Patrol ended their investigation of Tiger's car crash outside his Orlando-area mansion last week without filing any criminal charges against him. He will, however, face a $164 fine and four points against his driver's license for careless driving.

  According to an accident report, Woods crashed his SUV into a fire hydrant and a tree at 2:25 a.m. Friday. The airbags did not deploy and Woods' wife told Windermere police she used a golf club to smash the back windows to help him out.
      
       Meanwhile, the former New York night club hostess alleged in a National Enquirer story to have had an affair with Tiger in Australia has called the allegations "ridiculous" and has offered to take a lie detector test to prove it.
      
       In an interview with the New York Post, Rachel Uchitel said of the report, "Not a word of it is true. It's the most ridiculous story. It's like they are asking me to comment if there are aliens on Earth."
      
       Uchitel said Woods had been to the New York City club where she worked, and she did escort Woods and his group in and out, but that was the extent of their contact.
      
       "I've always been the director of VIP services, that's my job -- to know these people, to have a relationship with them, to hang out with them.
It doesn't mean I'm having sex with them or an affair with them. ... But Tiger and I are not friends. That's a whole different ballgame. I've only met him twice," Uchitel told the Post. "I have never spoken on the phone with Tiger Woods, or texted him, ever. ... I do not have sex with celebrities, and I have not had an affair with Tiger Woods."
      
       "I told the [National] Enquirer and Star that it wasn't true. I told them not only did I have information to disprove the story, but I offered to take a lie-detector test."

       Woods' reputed affair with Uchitel was first reported by the National Enquirer, but the allegation spread when the report was linked to Woods' car crash -- an incident that Woods has so far refused to speak with police about.
      
       Uchitel blamed the rumors on an unidentified "acquaintance" who was seeking revenge against her and was allegedly paid $25,000 for her story.
      
       "She had a personal reason to make this up. She got herself invited on a trip that I went on [to Europe]. She conducted herself in a manner that was so embarrassing that the trip ended after a day. It was a total nightmare," Uchitel says of the woman. "I saw her again last week in Vegas.
I was embarrassed by her behavior. She fell down the stairs at the restaurant because she was so wasted. She's a train wreck."

 The car accident and the rumors surrounding it have not deterred Tiger's sponsor Nike from continuing to back him.

 "Tiger and his family have Nike's full support," read a statement released from the athletic apparel company Monday. "We respect Tiger's request for privacy and our thoughts are with Tiger and his family at this time."

CHARGES PLANNED AGAINST 40/40 BOUNCERS: Men were videotaped beating two men outside Jay-Z's nightclub. (video)

 *Police in Atlantic City plan to file charges against several bouncers who were videotaped beating two men outside Jay Z's 40/40 night club early Saturday.

       The video, shot by a disc jockey who had just finished performing inside the venue, shows about nine security guards kicking and punching two men in a parking lot. One of them could be heard screaming, "Stop! Stop! Stop! I didn't do nothing!"

       The footage shows one of the two men being kicked while he was lying on the ground, and also shows as many as six bouncers swarming and punching the other man, Tyrell Durant, 26, of Neptune.
      
       "We came down to Atlantic City to have a good time, not to have the crap beat out of us," Durant told The Associated Press on Monday. "We did not do anything to deserve this."
      
       Durant and his friend, 25-year-old Leonard Clark, were charged with disorderly conduct and released pending a Dec. 11 court date. An ambulance was called for Durant, who said he was sprayed in the face by a fire extinguisher. He was treated at the scene.
Durant also said bouncers stole his watch and some cash from him.

       Durant said it all started when he and Clark, also of Neptune, were at 40/40 to celebrate Clark's birthday. Clark was waiting for his $15 chicken order at the bar when a bouncer who had just tossed someone else from the club told him to move, Durant said.
Clark protested, saying he was waiting for his food, and a bouncer began escorting him from the club, Durant said.
      
       Durant said he followed Clark, asking why he was being ejected. He said security grabbed him and led the two of them down a steep staircase where Durant felt like he was about to fall and grabbed the closest person to him to keep his balance. The club manager told police someone ripped his collar during the altercation inside the club, and police said Durant punched a security guard in the face.
      
       The video was shot and posted to YouTube by a Staten Island, N.Y., disc jockey who calls himself DJ Zeke. It starts when security and the two patrons are outside the club in a parking lot.
      
       Detective Thomas Holton said police are reviewing the video to try to identify the bouncers who would face charges stemming from the assaults on Durant and Clark. Watch the video here: http://tinyurl.com/ybv7pb6

'PRECIOUS' NOMINATED FOR SPIRIT AWARDS: Honor salutes independent films; Lee Daniels effort earns five nods.

       *The urban drama "Precious" and the Leo Tolstoy period piece "The Last Station" have each collected a leading five nominations for the Spirit Awards that honor independent film.
      
       The two acclaimed movies will compete in the best feature category with the romance "500 Days of Summer" and the immigrant dramas "Amreeka" and "Sin Nombre."
      
       The war-on-terror drama "The Messenger" ran second with four nominations, including best feature from a first-time director.
      
       Also nominated for best first feature is the horror sensation "Paranormal Activity," which was shot for just $15,000 and has taken in more than $100 million at the box office.

BET/CENTRIC 'SOUL TRAIN AWARDS' RATINGS: Telecast sets a record for BET; encore airings to run on CENTRIC.

 *The BET premiere of the "Centric Presents: 2009 Soul Train Awards"
on Sunday, Nov. 29, drew 4.0 million total viewers – making it the highest rated fourth quarter telecast in BET history.

       Compared to the last airing of the Soul Train Awards in 2007, the
2009 broadcast posted triple digit gains in viewership (+144%) and ranked as the highest rated Soul Train Awards telecast ever among adults 18-49.
      
       Hosted by Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, the CENTRIC special honored the outstanding careers of legendary artists Chaka Khan and Charlie Wilson, acknowledged the late Michael Jackson with an Entertainer of the Year Award and featured performances by Erykah Badu, Robin Thicke, Toni Braxton, Keri Hilson, Fantasia, Boyz II Men and Chrisette Michelle.
      
       Encore telecasts are set for:
      
Thursday, Dec. 3 on CENTRIC from 8-10 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5 on BET from 8-10 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5 on CENTRIC from 10 p.m.-12 a.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6 on CENTRIC from 8-10 p.m.

ALICIA KEYS CONTEST ALLOWS VISIT TO AFRICA: Singer to take five winners to the continent through Keep a Child Alive charity.

       *Alicia Keys has come up with a contest that will give five people the chance to visit Africa with her when she travels there for her charity, Keep a Child Alive.
      
       The singer hopes the winners will have the same profound transformation that she had during her initial trip to the Mother Land, a journey she says "totally changed my life."
      
       "Going to Africa was unbelievable for me," the 28-year-old said. "I was probably like 19 or something. I was asked to come to Africa to perform, and so you think, `I'm just the girl from Harlem, I wrote a couple of songs on 137th Street, and then suddenly you want me to come to Africa? And people will know me? And people will know the songs?' It was a mind-blowing experience for me."
      
       "I was able to see the great separation between have and have not,"
Keys said. "I was able to see the incredible spirit of people. I was able to learn firsthand about the AIDS pandemic of Africa."
      
       Keys was to announce the contest last night during her concert at the Nokia Theatre in New York's Time Square for World AIDS Day. Fans will be able to enter the contest online at the foundation's Web site, or by sending a text. The fee for the text is $5, but it will be donated to Keep a Child Alive.
      
       Keys said the winners, who will travel throughout Africa for five days sometime next year, will visit the people and places that were most influential to her.
      
       "Some will probably not want to come back, some will totally want to stay so that they can be a part of just all this beauty that we're spreading and light that we're spreading. And some will come back and say, `I'll never turn my back,' which is what happened to me," said Keys, who has traveled throughout South Africa (Johannesburg, Soweto and Durban) and Uganda.

LIL WAYNE AND NIVEA WELCOME SON: Young Money president tweets birth announcement.

 *Two months after Lil Wayne's son with actress Lauren London was born, another baby boy fathered by the rapper and another starlet has come into the world.

 According to a tweet from Young Money president Mack Maine, R&B singer Nivea gave birth on Nov. 30 to a baby boy named Neal. 

       "Thank god," Mack Maine said via Twitter. "Baby Neal was born healthy to Nivea Nash and Dwayne Carter!!!! Thanx 4 all the blessings n support!!!!
Love ya heard me!!"
      
       The baby is Lil Wayne’s third son and fourth child overall, including ten-year old daughter Reginae with reality star Toya Carter of BET’s "Tiny & Toya."
      
       Nivea also has three children from a previous relationship with producer The Dream, who is currently married to R&B singer Christina Milian.

NICOLE RICHIE RETURNS TO TELEVISION: 'Simple Life' star to star in sitcom for ABC.

       *Nicole Richie, who shot to fame as Paris Hilton's BFF on the Fox/E!
reality series "The Simple Life," will return to television as the star of a scripted comedy in development at ABC.
      
   The single-camera half-hour sitcom, which is being produced through Sony Pictures TV, would feature Richie as a professional woman with complicated family relationships and struggling to figure out what role she'll take as her life and her family evolve.

 Richie, who came up with the show's initial idea, will get a producing credit in addition to starring. Daisy Gardner ("Californication") is set to write the comedy, while Warren Bell ("According to Jim") will executive produce and supervise the pilot script. Jamie Tarses is attached as an executive producer.

       Richie's TV credits include NBC's "Chuck," "8 Simple Rules," "American Dreams" and "Eve." Separately, Richie is working on her second novel, as well as the debut of her clothing collection and shoe line.

50 CENT AND VIVICA ARE FRIENDS AGAIN: 'I said, 'You got to stop fighting and be in my video,' rapper boasts.

       *Rapper 50 Cent recently discussed his disastrous relationship with Vivica A. Fox six years ago, and the motivation behind their recent reconciliation, which apparently took place when it was time for the artist to film a video.
      
       "I called her," the artist, 34, told Tyra Banks on her talk show while promoting his new album "Before I Self Destruct."
      
       50 Cent says that he dated Fox, 45, for "about a year," despite reports that it was only a month-long romance. "It was like a month, but we were still going back and forth with each other for the rest of the year," he said, adding that after their public blowout, "she was really upset with me."
      
       "I said, 'You got to stop fighting and be in my video,'" he says of his latest single, "Do You Think About Me."
        
       He says they are now friends, but they'll never date again.
      
       "The song's about when relationships don't work, and when I explained it to her it kind of intensified what the song was about," he says. "And it's now being a visual which the public sees us as that relationship that didn't work."

JUDGE BARS DWIGHT HOWARD EX FROM SPEAKING HIS NAME: Baby mama cannot utter, tweet, publish nor hint of NBA star.

 *A judge in Florida has put the kibosh on any attempt by Dwight Howard's ex Royce Lyndsay Reed to profit from his name – either financially or in boosting her own celebrity.

       According to documents filed in Florida, the Orlando Magic superstar made a legal effort in October to prevent Reed, the mother of his 2-year-old son, from continuing to speak out against him – which included calling him a deadbeat dad on her blog, via Twitter and even during an ESPN interview, TMZ.com reported.
      
       Howard also alleges Royce "is attempting to become a celebrity" from being his baby mama ... even agreeing to "participate in a VH1 television show called 'NBA Wives.'"
      
       Dwight won a permanent injunction against Royce, meaning she is banned from "using or publishing (orally, in writing, or otherwise), directly, indirectly or by innuendo, [Dwight's] name, nicknames, image, brand photographs, and/or likeness."

VH1 SETS PREMIERE DATE FOR FANTASIA: Singer's reality series to highlight balance between motherhood and recording.

 *Fantasia's anticipated VH1 reality show, "Fantasia for Real," will premiere on Jan. 11, 2010 at 10 p.m. and follow the "American Idol" champ as she juggles single motherhood with the recording of her third album.

       The sole breadwinner for her large family, Fantasia struggles to balance career, family, and the demanding life of a performing artist. Her
VH1 series delves into how she has dealt with the seismic aftershocks of fame, all while managing the daily demands of life on the road and writing and recording new music that will connect with her fans.
      
       "Fantasia has engaged millions of fans not only through her music and her amazing talent but also by her incredible fairytale life story," said Jeff Olde, Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Production, VH1.
"Our audience helped Fantasia become an 'American Idol' and now, with this series, they get a backstage pass into her real life as she confronts obstacles to realize her true potential as an artist, a mother, a daughter and a sister."
      
       The 8 episode, 30 minute docu-series will kick off with a sneak peek of the first episode on VH1.com - several days before the on-air premiere.
Subsequent episodes will be available on VH1.com the morning after they air.

      
       Additional video content from "Fantasia For Real," including extras from each episode, will be available on VH1.com and on VH1 Mobile throughout the season.
      
FLORIDA DEFENSIVE END CHARGED WITH DUI: Police said Carlos Dunlap was spotted 'slumped over and asleep at the wheel.'

       *Defensive end Carlos Dunlap of the No. 1-ranked Florida Gators was arrested early Tuesday and charged with driving under the influence, just days before the biggest game of Florida's season against No. 2 Alabama.
      
       The junior from North Charleston, S.C., was arrested at 3:25 a.m.
Tuesday morning and released later on his own recognizance after his initial appearance at the Alachua County Jail, reports the Associated Press.
      
       According to Gainesville Police spokesman Keith Kameg, an officer was dispatched to investigate reports of a reckless driver near campus. When the officer spotted the car stopped at an intersection, he noticed the red 2000 Chrysler was not moving through several green lights.
      
       The officer found Dunlap slumped over and asleep at the wheel. The officer woke up Dunlap through a cracked window, but he "would only open his eyes momentarily and then fall back asleep," Kameg said. The officer unlocked the door, put the car in park and turned off the ignition. Dunlap got out and "was very groggy and had difficulty speaking and listening to instructions," Kameg said.
      
       According to police, Dunlap had watery and bloodshot eyes, and there was a smell of alcohol. Dunlap failed a field sobriety test, refused a breath test and was booked.
      
       Dunlap, the defensive MVP of last season's Bowl Championship Series national title game, has started every game this season for the defending champs. He has 35 tackles and is tied for the team lead with seven sacks heading into Saturday's SEC title game.
      
REV. AL'S DAUGHTER EXPLAINS COP BUST: Dominique Sharpton says she cut off an officer in traffic because she was late for a play.

       *Prosecutors have accused the daughter of Rev. Al Sharpton of cursing out a police officer and cutting him off in traffic because she was in a rush to get to a theater, reports the Associated Press.
      
       "You were driving too slow. I have a play to go to," Dominique Sharpton told an officer who pulled her over Oct. 30, prosecutors told a Manhattan judge Monday.
      
       Dominique Sharpton and the civil rights activist's ex-wife, Kathy, face charges including resisting arrest after the Harlem traffic stop.
Defense lawyer Michael Hardy denied the allegations, but also said they amounted only to complaining, not crimes.
      
       Police said Dominique Sharpton veered out of her lane, ran a red light and forced another car to swerve out of her way. After being ticketed, she and her mother cursed at the officers, ignored orders to return to their cars and resisted being handcuffed, according to a criminal complaint. Kathy Sharpton pushed an officer with her hands, police said in the complaint.
      
       Hardy said he would ask the court to dismiss the charges, all misdemeanors or violations, calling them "frivolous" and saying there were no grounds for the arrest.

 Dominique Sharpton, 23, and her 53-year-old mother didn't enter a plea Monday. They declined to comment afterward, as did a spokeswoman for Al Sharpton. He didn't attend.

MARION JONES PIVOTS TOWARD WNBA: Former track star has been training with San Antonio squad after getting a call in May.
      
 *Booted from track-and-field for lying about performance enhancing drugs, former Olympic sprint champion Marion Jones is seeking to earn a living in another sport – professional women's basketball.

       Coach Dan Hughes of the WNBA's San Antonio Silver Stars confirmed Monday night that Jones has been training with his assistants to possibly play in the league, more than a year after the 34-year-old was released from federal prison for lying about doping.

       The New York Times first reported that Jones has been working on her skills and conditioning in San Antonio since October. Jones told the newspaper she received a call in May from someone in the NBA asking if she might play in the WNBA.

       "I thought it would be an interesting journey if I decided to do this," Jones said. "It would give me an opportunity to share my message to young people on a bigger platform; it would give me an opportunity to get a second chance."

       Jones played college basketball at North Carolina, where she was the starting point guard on the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1994.
She told the Times that she hopes to play in Europe this winter and in the WNBA next season.

       "It's important for people to know that it's possible to make a mistake in your life, but it's what you do after the mistake that people are going to remember you by," she said. "Are you going to make whatever negatives that happened in your life a positive? Are you going to disappear? That has certainly never been in my horizon. How can I use my experience, my story, to help people and in the process hop on this journey of trying to make a team?"

JUDGE CONTINUES BAN ON RELEASE OF J.LO VIDEO: Footage from ex-husband Ojani Noa blocked by judge. Plus, another J.Lo ex gets married.

       *Home videos featuring Jennifer Lopez and a movie project based on the footage remains banned from distribution after a judge's ruling on Tuesday.
      
       Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant issued the preliminary injunction against Lopez's ex-husband, Ojani Noa, and manager, Ed Meyer, who have sought to distribute the video, reports the Associated Press.
      
       Lopez – who married Noa in 1997 and divorced him 11 months later – sued the pair for $10 million last month, claiming Noa was trying to violate the terms of the couple's divorce and a confidentiality agreement by releasing 11 hours of footage. The injunction also covers a film project that Meyer and Noa have called a "mockumentary" about Noa's escape from Cuba and his life since then.
      
       The injunction issued Tuesday will remain in effect until the case is resolved. Lopez's attorney, Jay Lavely, said it will now go into arbitration.
      
       An attorney for the singer-actress said the footage doesn't contain sexual situations. Noa confirmed, saying after Tuesday's hearing that the footage was shot when he and Lopez traveled to Cuba.
      
       He vowed to fight the case, although he didn't speak during Tuesday's hearing and wasn't represented by an attorney. Lopez, 40, did not attend the hearing.
      
       Meanwhile, another Lopez ex, choreographer Cris Judd, has just tied the knot with his girlfriend of nine months Kelly A. Wolfe. The small ceremony in Laguna Beach, Calif. included about 35 invited guests.

       "It was completely and utterly perfect," says Judd, who adds that they even wrote their own vows, which made the ceremony "fantastic."

GIANT MAGAZINE SHUTTERS PRINT EDITION: Radio One publication suffers due to economic downturn.

       *Giant Magazine, owned by Radio One’s Interactive One subsidiary, has suspended its print publication and will now publish online only, reports Washington Business Journal.
      
       Radio One acquired the bi-monthly lifestyle magazine in 2007 for $270,000. The conglomerate has decided to move its content GIANTlife.com as part of its Interactive One division.
      
        “The economic downturn has had a tremendous impact on print media and we had to make the decision to suspend printing the publication,” said Tom Newman, president of Interactive One in a statement. “Additionally we recognize the increase in demand for real time information and see this as an opportunity to leverage our existing robust online platform to better serve Giant consumers and advertisers through our interactive medium.”
      
       The company did not say if, or how many jobs would be cut as a result of ceasing print publication of Giant. Current Giant magazine subscribers will be notified in the next few weeks regarding their subscriptions, the company said without elaborating.
      
       Radio One’s other properties under its Interactive One umbrella include BlackPlanet, NewsOne, TheUrbanDaily, HelloBeautiful and Elev8.”

BLACK EYED PEAS ANNOUNCE WORLD TOUR: North American leg launches Feb. 4 in the ATL.

 *The E.N.D. is near for the Black Eyed Peas. The quartet has announced a 100-date world tour that will include their first North American outing since 2006's jaunt behind "Monkey Business."

       The North American leg of "The E.N.D. World Tour 2010," produced by AEG Live, will kick off at Philips Arena in Atlanta on Feb. 4, and conclude on April 11 at GM Place in Vancouver. After a short break, the tour resumes in May with shows across Europe and the UK.
      
       Special ticket pre-sales for The Black Eyed Peas' fan club members will be announced in the days ahead. National ticket on-sale dates begin Dec. 12.
      
       In support of their multi-platinum No. 1 album, "The E.N.D" [The Energy Never Dies], featuring the chart record-breaking consecutive No. 1 singles, "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling" - The Peas will replicate the party vibe of a hot dance club (complete with guest DJs including will.i.am
) in arenas across the country and around the world.

 Below is the tour itinerary:

February 2010        
4  Atlanta, GA          Philips Arena
6  Miami, FL            American Airlines Arena
9  Jacksonville, FL     Jacksonville Veteran's
                                     Memorial Arena
10  Tampa, FL            St. Pete Times Forum
12  Nashville, TN        Nashville Arena
13  Birmingham, AL       BJCC Arena
16  Columbus, OH         Schottenstein Center
17  Lexington, KY        Rupp Arena
19  Raleigh, NC          RBC Center
20  Charlotte, NC        Time Warner Cable Arena
23  Washington, DC       Verizon Center
24  New York, NY         Madison Square Garden
26  Boston, MA           TD Garden

March 2010
1  Uniondale, NY        Nassau Coliseum
3  Philadelphia, PA     Wachovia Center
4  Pittsburgh, PA       Mellon Arena
6  Toronto, Ont.        Air Canada Centre
9  Detroit, MI          The Palace
11  Milwaukee, WI        Bradley Center
13  Chicago, IL          United Center
19  Dallas, TX           American Airlines Center
20  Tulsa, OK            BOK Center
22  St. Paul, MN         Xcel Energy Center
24  Kansas City, MO      Sprint Center
25  Des Moines, IA       Wells Fargo Arena
27  Denver, CO           Pepsi Center
29  Los Angeles, CA      STAPLES Center
31  Glendale, AZ         Jobing.com Arena

April 2010
2  San Jose, CA         HP Pavilion
7  Sacramento, CA       ARCO Arena
 10  Tacoma, WA           Tacoma Dome
11  Vancouver, B.C.      GM Place

HARLEM CHOIR LEAVES GLENN BECK HANGING: Gospel group pulls out of scheduled performance in Fox News star's holiday film.

       *The Harlem Gospel Choir announced Monday that it has cancelled its scheduled performance in a simulcast of Glenn Beck's holiday film "The Christmas Sweater - A Return To Redemption," which opens in nationwide release on Thursday.
      
       The choir blamed the last-minute pull out on financial reasons, however, James Rucker, executive director of Color Of Change – the online advocacy group that has spearheaded the advertiser boycott of Glenn Beck's television show – told the New York Daily News that the Harlem Gospel Choir nixed their appearance after he contacted them about Beck's racist rants.
      
       "We wanted to make sure they understood who Beck was," Rucker told the Daily News. "We believe their mission is about spreading the Gospel and promoting harmony, and we thought Beck was the antithesis of that."
      
       The Daily News reports:
      
        Rucker sent the choir excerpts from some of Beck's shows, including one where he said President Obama "has a deep-seated hatred for white people."
       
        Anna Bailey, the choir's manager, said the decision to pull out was purely financial.
       
        "I had to gracefully back out," she said. "There wasn't enough money to pay our agent's commission."
       
        Bailey said the choir does not play politics, and the group was unaware that critics consider Beck racist.

ITTY BITTY BITS: Common at tree lighting; Kimora's child support; Shaq files papers; Rihanna plugs nude pics; Snoop's GPS gig; black 'Cat' in London; new 'Frog' featurette.

       *Rapper Common and singer Sheryl Crow are scheduled to perform at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on Thursday near the National Mall. Singers Jordin Sparks, Ray LaMontagne and Celtic Woman, and jazz musicians Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman are also on the bill. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will help light the tree between the White House and the Washington Monument.

       *Kimora Lee Simmons practically snapped when a New York Post reporter asked about rumors of her ex Russell Simmons giving her $40,000 a month in child support for their two daughters. "I hate that. He has such a big mouth. It drives me crazy, and it makes me want to thump him in the side of his head . . . It's not accurate," she said, without offering further details. The Baby Phat designer, her new husband, Djimon Hounsou, and the kids -- Ming Lee, 9, Aoki Lee, 7, and 5-month-old Kenzo -- posed for a family portrait at their Saddle River, NJ, mansion.
      
       *Shaquille O'Neal has filed legal documents attempting to negate his estranged wife from filing her legal separation papers in California.
Shaunie filed for separation last month - just days after moving to California from Florida. The sudden move west is believed to be motivated by California's more liberal spousal support laws. According to TMZ.com, Shaq's lawyers filed legal docs, alleging Shaunie has no right to use the California divorce courts because they are residents of Florida.

       *Don't be surprised if more naked pictures of Rihanna start popping up on the Internet. The 21-year-old, promoting her new album "Rated R," told London's The Sun: "Every woman should have naked pictures taken. In five years my body might not look like this! …When naked pictures I'd sent to a boyfriend were leaked this year I was so nervous and embarrassed that my mom was going to see them. But she reacted in the most surprising way. She just sent me a text saying, 'You're an adult now.' Basically saying, 'Welcome to the real world'. She says I'm a woman now so I have to handle things like an adult."

       *Snoop Dogg has become the new voice of a satellite navigation system. TomTom's Global Positioning System has tapped the rapper to record audio directions for its GPS product. Users will hear the Long Beach native advising motorists to, "Keep left ahead, and you'll be bona fide" and "Turn around when possible and keep it 'G', ya d-i-g?"

 *The 2008 Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, which featured an African-American cast led by James Earl Jones as Big Daddy and Phylicia Rashad as Big Mama, opened Dec. 1 at the West End's Novello Theatre after previews from Nov. 21. Jones and Rashad reprise their roles for the limited run to April 10, 2010. Also in the cast are British actor Adrian Lester replacing Terrence Howard as Brick, while Broadway's Sanaa Lathan replaces Anika Noni Rose as Maggie.

       *Speaking of Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Disney's first African American princess, the studio has just released a new featurette for "The Princess and the Frog," which features the magic of the villain Dr. Facilier (voiced by Keith David) and Mama Odie (voiced by Jenifer Lewis). The animated film, now playing in limited engagements in New York and Los Angeles, will be released nationwide on Dec. 11th. Watch the featurette
here: http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=61082 

JESSE JACKSON WANTS FORECLOSURES HALTED FOR HOLIDAYS: Rev. asked Georgia banks to boycott Tuesday's auction.

 *On Monday evening, the Rev. Jesse Jackson asked Georgia banks to boycott home foreclosure auctions that were scheduled the following day, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

 "We're asking banks to withdraw," Jackson said from the steps of the Federal Home Loan Bank in Midtown.

 As an example of getting into the holiday spirit, Jackson cited Wachovia Bank's decision to pull out of the auction in October, saving more than 1,400 homes from foreclosure.

 "Why should banks subsidized by the government and protected by insurance paid for by homeowners put people out on their homes at Christmas?" he asked.

 Jackson, a long-time civil rights activist who founded the Chicago-based Rainbow/P.U.S.H. Coalition, said he and his organizers would be on the steps of the Fulton County Courthouse calling out banks that ignore his call for a reprieve.

 "We know the banks that have loans in the state," he said. "We'll have a roll call."

EUR FILM REVIEW: Ninja Assassin
East meets West in Martial Arts Splatterfest Reminiscent of Bruce Lee
Film Review by Kam Williams

      *As a boy, Raizo (Rain) was abducted by a secret society which kidnaps young kids and turns them into cold-blooded killers programmed to do the bidding of diabolical crime boss Lord Ozunu (Sho Kosugi) by the time they are adults.

      Over the course of his imprisonment in that yakuza dojo, Raizo was put on a rigorous daily regimen and ordered to master a variety of weapons and martial arts disciplines.

      Furthermore, he was expected to internalize a number of mind-control mantras, such as "Pain breeds weakness." and "To survive, you must learn to feel nothing at all."

      However, because of his blossoming romantic relationship with Kiriko (Kylie Goldstein), another captive at the orphanage, he never quite lost his sense of humanity entirely.

      Tragedy ensues after the beautiful girl allows herself to be slashed across the face by the cruel Ozunu rather than attack the boy she has a big crush on. For, she is subsequently slain for her stubborn refusal to capitulate to the demanding sensei's will. Only then does Raizo belatedly wise up in reaction, and run away to Europe where he manages to keep a low profile

      Fast-forward a few years and we find him still in hiding in Berlin, a city suddenly plagued by a series of mysterious political assassinations. The hits are being pulled off surreptitiously, leaving the clueless authorities totally confounded. Truth be told, the murders are being performed by a crack team of ninjas dispatched to Germany from the Far East by none other than Lord Ozunu and led by his evil henchman, Takeshi (Rick Yune). And despite the CIA and Interpol agents' superior firepower, they nonetheless prove no match for these very elusive, shadowy targets.

      Luckily, renegade Raizo recognizes the trademarks of his ex-comrades' work, and he's still smarting over squandering his last opportunity to save a damsel in distress. Therefore, he's pumped to spring into action when he realizes forensic researcher Mika (Naomie Harris) has been marked for death for attempting to crack the case.

      This is the premise of Ninja Assassin, an old-fashioned, martial arts saga directed by James McTeigue (V for Vendetta). The high body-count adventure might be best thought of as an East meets West splatterfest unfolding like a lethal cross of Crouching Tiger and Sam Peckinpah. The film features both ballet-like fight sequences found in the former and the sort of gratuitous gore one would associate with the latter.

      One day, the movie might be best remembered as marking the arrival of Rain as a bona fide Hollywood matinee idol. The handsome, Korean singing sensation cuts a very charismatic screen presence here in the title role, making females swoon when not taking on wave after wave of malevolent bad guys. Yes, he is frequently the beneficiary of state-of-the-art, special f/x and carefully-choreographed stunts, still, don't be surprised if he soon emerges as the heir apparent to Bruce Lee as a karate star with immense crossover appeal.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity and graphic violence.
Running time: 99 minutes
Studi Warner Brothers

To see a trailer for Ninja Assassin, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAJb5BvpPbs

To see a video of Rain performing his hit "I Do," visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk8FOvo3sQE

EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE

Today’s ‘Live Better With Willie Jolley’ Tip: Yes You Can Win!
 
This is part two of the great poem about how your thinking impacts your long-term success.
 
If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win but you think you can’t, It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you’ll lose, you’ve lost.
For in this world you will surely find
Success being with a person’s will,
It’s all in the state of mind.
Think Big and your deeds will grow,
Think small and you’ll fall behind.
Think that you can and you will,
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you’re outclassed, you are, You have to think big to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself,
Before you can win the prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go,
To the strongest woman or man,
But sooner or later the person who wins
Is the person who thinks they can!
 
Just try it. You’ll be surprised at what you will find.

Visit my website at www.williejolley.com free motivation and make every minute count!

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS  

      Dec. 2: Rapper Treach of Naughty By Nature is 39.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
 
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BLACK HISTORY

  Dec. 2, 1884: Granville T. Woods patented his first electric device,
an improved telephone transmitter. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)