Brooklyn Ready to Get "Deep" for Michael Jackson's Birthday

Brooklyn might not be able to get the MTA to honor Michael Jackson at a subway station, but Kings County can still throw down for the King of Pop.

As many as 10,000 people are expected at the Nethermead meadow in Prospect Park -- rain or shine -- on Saturday to honor MJ on what would have been his 51st birthday.

Even if the weather doesn't cooperate, the event promises to be a “Brooklyn style block party,” Spike Lee, the organizer of the event told The Root. “It’s going to just be how we do it, Brooklyn style, I’ll leave it at that. It’s going to be a joyous, festive, celebratory party.”

The initial crowd estimate of 2,000 swelled to more than 10,000, prompting police and organizers to settle upon Prospect Park instead of Fort Greene Park as initially planned, The New York Times reported Friday.

The Rev. Al Sharpton will say a prayer at the party; Borough President Marty Markowitz will present a proclamation declaring Aug. 29 Michael Jackson Day in Brooklyn, and Brooklyn's own DJ Spinna, famous for his Wonderful and Michael Jackson versus Prince parties, will play all things Michael.
Complete story at source>>>

Celebrity Disc Jockey 'DJ AM' Found Dead in New York Apartment

Celebrity disc jockey Adam Goldstein, known as DJ AM, was found dead Friday evening in his New York City apartment, and media reports say drug paraphernalia was found nearby.

Goldstein, 36, was a DJ for hire who performed at Hollywood's most exclusive parties. He became a celebrity in his own right with a glamorous lifestyle and high-profile romances, including with Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore.

Paramedics had to break down the door to his Manhattan apartment before they found his body at about 5:20 p.m., a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. There was no evidence of foul play, the official said.

Goldstein had talked openly about past addictions to crack cocaine, Ecstasy and other drugs, but he claimed he had been drug-free for years.

He died nearly a year after surviving a South Carolina plane crash that killed four people and seriously injured rock musician Travis Barker.


"This comes as a complete shock. I will miss him forever. He was a great friend to me," DJ AM's friend, actor Simon Rex, who was at his welcome home party after the tragic plane crash, told FOXNews.com.

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Will New Mexican Law Make It A Haven For Drug Tourism?

MEXICO CITY — Mexico now has one of the world's most liberal laws for drug users after eliminating jail time for small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and even heroin, LSD and methamphetamine.

"All right!" said a grinning Ivan Rojas, a rail-thin 20-year-old addict who endured police harassment during the decade he has spent sleeping in Mexico City's gritty streets and subway stations.

But stunned police on the U.S. side of the border say the law contradicts President Felipe Calderon's drug war, and some fear it could make Mexico a destination for drug-fueled spring breaks and tourism.

Tens of thousands of American college students flock to Cancun and Acapulco each year to party at beachside discos offering wet T-shirt contests and all-you-can-drink deals.

"Now they will go because they can get drugs," said San Diego Police Chief William Lansdowne. "For a country that has experienced thousands of deaths from warring drug cartels for many years, it defies logic why they would pass a law that will clearly encourage drug use."

Enacted last week, the Mexican law is part of a growing trend across Latin America to treat drug use as a public health problem and make room in overcrowded prisons for violent traffickers rather than small-time users.

Brazil and Uruguay have already eliminated jail time for people carrying small amounts of drugs for personal use, although possession is still considered a crime in Brazil. Argentina's Supreme Court ruled out prison for pot possession on Tuesday and officials say they plan to propose a law keeping drug consumers out of the justice system.

Colombia has decriminalized marijuana and cocaine for personal use, but kept penalties for other drugs.

Officials in those countries say they are not legalizing drugs — just drawing a line between users, dealers and traffickers amid a fierce drug war. Mexico's law toughens penalties for selling drugs even as it relaxes the law against using them.

"Latin America is disappointed with the results of the current drug policies and is exploring alternatives," said Ricardo Soberon, director of the Drug Research and Human Rights Center in Lima, Peru.

As Mexico ratcheted up its fight against cartels, drug use jumped more than 50 percent between 2002 and 2008, according to the government, and today prisons are filled with addicts, many under the age of 25.

Complete story at source>>>

Texting While Driving PSA Causes Internet Stir

Woman Beat At 50's Mansion For Refusing Oral Sex

A man employed by 50 Cent’s G-Unit Records is accused of attacking a woman last Sunday (August 16), after she refused his requests for oral sex.

News broke last week that Dwayne McKenzie, 28, and Michelle Krzykowski, 21, were accused of assaulting a woman on 50 Cent’s sprawling mansion in Farmington, Connecticut.

The incident began after McKenzie made the request, which resulted in an argument between McKenzie and one of the woman’s friends.

When the two women and their friends attempted to leave, Krzykowski attacked one of the women, striking her in the head with a hard object, as McKenzie held the woman down.

The unknown woman, who had danced in music videos in the past, managed to pepper spray McKenzie, Krzykowski, flee the scene and call 911.

According to the Hartford Courtant, the woman’s head wound was serious, requiring a total of 9 staples to close the gash.

Krzykowski has told police that she was intoxicated during the assault and only remembers that the women had called her a “cracker.”
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Ted Kennedy dead at 77

WASHINGTON -- In the quiet of a Capitol elevator, one of Edward M. Kennedy's fellow lawmakers asked whether he had plans for a family Thanksgiving away from the nation's capital. No, the Massachusetts senator said with a shake of his head, and mentioned something about visiting his brothers' gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery.

In his half-century in the public glare, Kennedy was, above all, heir to a legacy - as well as a hero to liberals, a foil to conservatives, a legislator with few peers.

Alone of the Kennedy men of his generation, he lived to comb gray hair, as the Irish poet had it. It was a blessing and a curse, as he surely knew, and assured that his defeats and human foibles as well as many triumphs played out in public at greater length than his brothers ever experienced.

He was the only Kennedy brother to run for the White House and lose. His brother John was president when he was assassinated in 1963 a few days before Thanksgiving; Robert fell to a gunman in mid-campaign five years later. An older brother, Joseph Jr., was killed piloting a plane in World War II.

Runner-up in a two-man race for the Democratic nomination in 1980, this Kennedy closed out his failed candidacy with a speech that brought tears to the eyes of many in a packed Madison Square Garden.
Complete story at source>>>

Bisexual singing teacher Gets Simon's Attention

He's done it with boys, he's done it with girls. That's what the 27-year-old "X Factor" singer Danyl Johnson said after his hit singing performance. He even said he finds Simon Cowell attractive.
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Commercial: He Kicked That Man In The Penis

Cosby Mom Phylicia Rashad loses 35 pounds

Check out the new Phylicia Rashad. After 8 months as Jenny Craig spokesperson, she has lost 35 pounds and met her weight loss goal. Each week, Phylicia, 61, met with a consultant about her program, based on 1,200 calories a day and 30-45 minutes of activity up to four times a week, including a variety of floor exercises, light strength training and the use of a recumbent bike.

"The most rewarding thing about reaching my goal weight is that I feel so much lighter," she says in a statement. "There's just an overall sense of well-being. And there's the increased energy as well, too. It's nice to have people say you look nice."

The Cosby Show actress will reveal her new figure (no word on whether that means still be sporting a bikini, a la Valerie Bertinelli) -- in a commercial set to debut Saturday.
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Chris Brown sentenced in Rihanna assault case

A judge on Tuesday sentenced Chris Brown to five years' probation, six months' community labor for the beating of Rihanna and ordered the R&B singer to stay away from his former girlfriend for the next five years.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg told Brown that he could be sent to state prison if he violated any terms of his sentence, including an order to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna unless they're attending music industry events.

A probation report prepared for Tuesday's sentencing describes two previous violent incidents. The first happened about three months before the February beating while the couple was traveling in Europe; Rihanna slapped Brown during an argument, and he shoved her into a wall. In the second instance, Brown allegedly broke the front and passenger side windows on a Range Rover they were driving while visiting Barbados, Rihanna 's home country. Neither attack was reported, the probation report states.

Brown will serve his sentence in his home state — Virginia — and his community labor will be overseen by the police chief in Richmond.

The judge said she wanted to ensure that Brown, 20, performs physical labor instead of community service, such as mentoring young people. He will also undergo a year of domestic violence counseling.

Rihanna did not attend Tuesday's sentencing.

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Michael Jackson's Death Ruled A Homicide

Michael Jackson died of "lethal levels" of the powerful anesthetic propofol, according to a search warrant affidavit unsealed today in Houston.

The court documents quote the L.A. County coroner's office as reaching that conclusion after an autopsy of the pop star.

The documents address one of the major unanswered questions surrounding Jackson's death. But they also raise new questions about how Jackson was treated, particularly in the hours before his death.

Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal doctor, told detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department that he had been treating Jackson for insomnia for about six weeks. He had been giving Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol every night using an intravenous line, according to the court records.
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Is Porn Company FlavaWorks Copying the Blatino Erotica Awards?

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Posing Perfection

Old School Rapper Makes Label Pay For Her Ph.D

From The New York Daily News

Roxanne’s revenge was sweet indeed.

Twenty-five years after the first queen of hip-hop was stiffed on her royalty checks, Dr. Roxanne Shante boasts an Ivy League Ph.D. - financed by a forgotten clause in her first record deal.

“This is a story that needs to be told,” Shante said. “I’m an example that you can be a teenage mom, come from the projects, and be raised by a single parent, and you can still come out of it a doctor.”

Her prognosis wasn’t as bright in the years after the ’80s icon scored a smash hit at age 14: “Roxanne’s Revenge,” a razor-tongued response to rap group UTFO’s mega-hit “Roxanne, Roxanne.”

The 1984 single sold 250,000 copies in New York City alone, making Shante (born Lolita Gooden) hip hop’s first female celebrity.

She blazed a trail followed by Lil’ Kim, Salt-N-Pepa and Queen Latifah - although Shante didn’t share their success.

After two albums, Shante said, she was disillusioned by the sleazy music industry and swindled by her record company. The teen mother, living in the Queensbridge Houses, recalled how her life was shattered.

“Everybody was cheating with the contracts, stealing and telling lies,” she said. “And to find out that I was just a commodity was heartbreaking.”

But Shante, then 19, remembered a clause in her Warner Music recording contract: The company would fund her education for life.

She eventually cashed in, earning a Ph.D. in psychology from Cornell to the tune of $217,000 - all covered by the label. But getting Warner Music to cough up the dough was a battle.
Complete Story At Source>>>

City Hires First Black Officer In 152 Years

Green Bay has a black police officer for the first time in the 152-year history of its Police Department.

Solomon Ayres starts the first phase of a 17-week training regime this week. He says he expects some resistance from both black and white residents. But thinks his life experiences will help defuse difficult situations and make him open to different points of view.

Fran Jonet, president of Green Bay’s Police and Fire Commission, says hiring a black recruit is a long-awaited step in the right direction.

Census figures show that African-Americans make up about 2.5 percent of Green Bay’s more than 98,000 people. Its Police Department as 177 officers, including 15 women, four American Indians or Alaska natives and one Hispanic.
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Whitney Houston to be Oprah’s first guest

The Grammy Award-winning singer, 46, whose much-anticipated upcoming album, “I Look to You” will be released Aug. 31, will sit down with the talk show queen for her first interview in almost seven years.

Calling it “the most anticipated music interview of the decade,” Winfrey, 55, will welcome Houston as her first guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show's” 24th season, which airs Sept. 14.

Talk Show Host Loses Sponsors For Calling Obama Racist

NEW YORK – Glenn Beck returns to Fox News Channel on Monday after a vacation with fewer companies willing to advertise on his show than when he left, part of the fallout from calling President Barack Obama a racist.

A total of 33 Fox advertisers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., CVS Caremark, Clorox and Sprint, directed that their commercials not air on Beck's show, according to the companies and ColorofChange.org, a group that promotes political action among blacks and launched a campaign to get advertisers to abandon him. That's more than a dozen more than were identified a week ago.

While it's unclear what effect, if any, this will ultimately have on Fox and Beck, it is already making advertisers skittish about hawking their wares within the most opinionated cable TV shows.

The Clorox Co., a former Beck advertiser, now says that "we do not want to be associated with inflammatory speech used by either liberal or conservative talk show hosts." The maker of bleach and household cleaners said in a statement that it has decided not to advertise on political talk shows.

The shows present a dilemma for advertisers, who usually like a "safe" environment for their messages. The Olbermanns, Hannitys, O'Reillys, Maddows and Becks of the TV world are more likely to say something that will anger a viewer, who might take it out on sponsors.

They also host the most-watched programs on their networks.

"This is a good illustration of that conundrum," said Rich Hallabran, spokesman for UPS Stores, which he said has temporarily halted buying ads on Fox News Channel as a whole.

Beck can bring the eyeballs. With the health care debate raising political temperatures, his show had its biggest week ever right before his vacation, averaging 2.4 million viewers each day, according to Nielsen Media Research.

He was actually on another Fox show July 28 when he referred to Obama as a racist with "a deep-seated hatred for white people." The network immediately distanced itself from Beck's statement, but Beck didn't. He used his radio show the next day to explain why he believed that. He would not comment for this article, spokesman Matthew Hiltzik said.

Complete story at source>>>

Miami MC borrowed the hit's hook from a pair of mambo musicians.

NEW YORK — When Pitbull made his first top-10 hit, "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," a Dominican duo who weren't even thinking about the Billboard charts powered the idea.
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Un-beweavable No More For Tyra

Just weeks ago Solange Knowles caused an internet buzz when she shaved off her long hair into a natural, closely-cropped cut. And now Tyra Banks reveals on her Twitter that she is gearing up to go natural and lose her extensions. “Guess What! I’m rockin’ my REAL hair on my talk show September 8th.” she says. “No fake hair at all! Will be the hair coming out of my scalp! 4 all 2 C!” She continues, “no ponytails, no ballet bun head. hair will be out and free!” We are setting our TVs to record now! Tell us: Will you tune in to see Tyra’s natural look?

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After Glow

South African female track star faces questions about her gender

AP)—Facing questions about her gender, South African teenager Caster Semenya easily won the 800-meter gold medal Wednesday at the world championships.

Her dominating run came on the same day track and field’s ruling body said she was undergoing a gender test because of concerns she does not meet requirements to compete as a woman.

Semenya took the lead at the halfway mark and opened a commanding lead in the last 400 meters to win by a massive 2.45 seconds in a world-leading 1 minute, 55.45 seconds. Defending champion Janeth Jepkosgei was second and Jennifer Meadows of Britain was third in 1:57.93.

After crossing the line, Semenya dusted her shoulders with her hands. Semenya did not speak to reporters after the race or attend a news conference.

About three weeks ago, the international federation asked South African track and field authorities to conduct the verification test. Semenya had burst onto the scene by posting a world-leading time of 1:56.72 at the African junior championships in Maruitius.

Her dramatic improvement in times, muscular build and deep voice sparked speculation about her gender. Ideally, any dispute surrounding an athlete is dealt with before a major competition. But Semenya’s stunning rise from unknown teenage runner to the favorite in the 800 happened almost overnight. That meant the gender test—which takes several weeks—could not be completed in time.

Before the race, IAAF spokesman Nick Davies stressed this is a “medical issue, not an issue of cheating.” He said the “extremely complex” testing has begun. The process requires a physical medical evaluation and includes reports from a gynecologist, endocrinologist, psychologist, internal medicine specialist and gender expert.

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Underwear Show Including Sean Jean

Barney Frank Reads Woman At Health Care Forum

Ellen - Should Oprah Quit TV?

Nelly Featuring Pharell "Let it Go"

11 Year Old Damon Weaver Interviews Obama

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee - What Were You Thinking?

What was Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee thinking?

On CNN today, she totally avoided Rick Sanchez's direct question "Why were you on the phone?" She went on to say that she was seeking information for the town hall meeting that she was in.

Congresswoman Jackson, when you are the guest speaker, (Barring a national or family emergency)talking on your cell phone while a constituent is asking a question is flat out inappropriate.

Is this her way of selling Obama's healthcare reform plan to the people?
This is bizarre behavior from a person who is supposed to be politically savvy.

The congresswoman needs to admit that it was wrong and move on before this thing blows up in her face even more.

Joe

Man Faces 6 Months In Jail For Yawning

Drowsy spectators in one suburban Chicago courtroom might want to stifle their yawns from now on. Clifton Williams, 33, of Richton Park, is facing six months in jail for making what court documents call a yawn-like sound in Will County Judge Daniel Rozak’s court last month. The yawn happened as Williams’ cousin, Jason Mayfield, was being sentenced for a drug charge on July 23.

Rozak found Williams in contempt of court and sentenced him to six months in jail. However, Rozak could free Williams after a status hearing Thursday, if Williams apologizes and the judge accepts. By then, Williams will have served 21 days.

Witnesses disagree about whether Williams’ yawn was out of line.

Charles Pelkie, spokesman for the Will County state’s attorney’s office, said the prosecutor in the courtroom at the time told him that what came out of Williams’ mouth could hardly be called a “yawn.”

“This was a very loud, boisterous, deliberate attempt on the part of this individual to disrupt the proceedings and show disrespect to the court,” Pelkie said. “It was not a guy who involuntarily yawned. This guy was making a statement — a very loud statement — in court.”

Mayfield disagreed, saying it was “not an outrageous yawn.” Williams has written his family to say that he can’t believe he’s in jail “for nothing.”

A message left for Rozak Tuesday was not immediately returned.

Six months is the maximum sentence judges can give for criminal contempt without a jury trial.

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WHITE GAY HYPOCRISY...KARMA IS A BITCH

The Advocate is talkin shit again, complaining about what Barack Obama is or isn’t doing.

Didn't Obama, just the other day recognize Harvey Milk's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement & Billy Jean King's contributions to society?(see posting below).
Which other president has made a gesture to the gay community such as this?

Civil Rights for all is the obvious right thing to do for the gay community and all Americans. However, when will white gay people, who exhibit some of the most racist and elitist behavior of any group, stop acting like their heterosexual white counterparts when it comes to issues of race in the gay community?

In cities across America, particularly in San Francisco, white gay people continue to treat African American LGBTQ people like 3rd class citizens in the struggle for social and economic equality. Which is ironic since our African American ancestors as an enslaved and then oppressed minority established the foundation for the gay civil rights movement of today.

Face it, most gay white people never wanted Obama in the White House, they wanted Hillary!

There is a famous line in the movie "The Color Purple" where actress Whoopie Goldberg (Celie) turns to her oppressor and says..."Until You Do Right By Me, Everything You Even Think About Will Fail."

How can you (white gays) ask for that which you don't display toward gay people of color?

Karma is a bitch...

Joe Hawkins
Cuppa Joe

Angry white man snatches 'Rosa Parks' sign from black woman at town hall meeting

If there was any doubt that race is playing a role in the town hall confrontations taking place in recent weeks, a new video demonstrates exactly how racially polarized the debate has become.

A provocative scene shown on the news Tuesday night featured a black woman being escorted from a town hall meeting in Missouri held by Senator Claire McCaskill. The clip on the news showed the black woman hauled off by the police, which seemed to indicate the black woman was angry at something being said.

Most of the town hall participants and angry protesters in recent weeks have been white, so the image was a bit unusual. But a new video released on YouTube puts yesterday's news clip in context. The black woman, identified later as Maxine Johnson, had just been attacked by a white man, who walked up from his seat in the bleachers and yanked away a sign the black woman was holding that depicted civil rights icon Rosa Parks.

As the black woman was showing the sign to a news photographer who asked to see it, the white man, identified by the local press as 67-year-old James Winfrey, walked over and grabbed the black woman's sign and stole it from her. The mostly white audience cheered when the man returned to his seat and ripped up the sign. (Editor's Note: From the video, the white person appears to be a woman but the commentary from the YouTube poster and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story indicate the white person was a man.)

When the black woman got up and walked over to get her sign back, the police intervened and separated the two. But the part that was shown on most television stories only depicted the black woman being carried away by police.
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Harvey Milk, Sidney Poitier among Obama's Medal of Freedom recipients

President Obama has named the 16 recipients of the Medal of Freedom. All honorees were chosen for doing their part to be “agents of change.”

In addition to pioneering gay rights activist Harvey Milk and veteran actor Sidney Poitier, Obama selected American civil-rights activist the Rev. Joseph Lowery, South African freedom fighter Desmond Tutu, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, tennis star Billie Jean King, retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Republican Congressman Jack Kemp and singer Chita Rivera.
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Oakland California taxes weed to escape deficit

Against the backdrop of budget deficits across the Golden State, the Californian city of Oakland votes yes to a proposal to tax the sale of medical marijuana.

Nearly 80 percent of Oakland voters endorsed the idea to make the city the first in the United States to impose taxes on medical marijuana proceeds.

To celebrate the approval, supporters hand-rolled marijuana cigarettes at Oaksterdam University where some students train to work in the marijuana industry.

Cannabis is California's biggest cash crop. It is valued at $14 billion annually.

"It is important because the city of Oakland is facing a massive deficit like many jurisdictions in California," CNN quoted Steve DeAngelo, a leader of one of the city's cannabis clubs, as saying. "And we decided to step up to the plate and make a contribution to the city in a time of need."

Some anti-drug fighters say the tax measure sends the wrong message. The City Council in Oakland, however, has a different opinion.

"Given that the medical cannabis dispensaries are something that was legalized in California, why not have revenue from it?" said councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan.

The new measure places a 1.8 percent gross receipts tax on the four licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in Oakland.

The endorsement comes after Democrat Tom Ammiano earlier this year introduced a bill that if approved, would allow the recreational use of marijuana in the state of California.

Under the bill, people of over 21 years of age would be able to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis

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Oprah's $1 trillion lawsuit dismissed

Oprah Winfrey has fired back at reports an author is suing her for plagiarism, insisting she only found out about the $1 trillion lawsuit after a judge dismissed it.

A U.S. tabloid last week (ends07Aug09) alleged the TV mogul was being sued by author Damon Lloyd Goffe, who claimed her internet-published work Pieces of My Soul copied his book A Tome of Poetry.

The National Enquirer claimed to have access to the lawsuit Goffe filed at the District of Columbia Court on 31 July (09), in which he alleged Winfrey admitted to the alleged plagiarism.

The talk show host was left stunned by the claims. Her spokesperson tells WENN, "We were never served with this lawsuit, but we've been informed that the judge dismissed it."
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Jennifer Hudson Gives Birth To Baby Boy

NEW YORK — Jennifer Hudson has a new role — that of a proud mother.

The 27-year-old Oscar winner gave birth to her first child, David Daniel Otunga Jr., on Monday, according to her publicist, Lisa Kasteler of WKT Public Relations. He is named after her fiance, David Otunga. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

"The baby is beautiful and perfect," says Hudson's publicist Lisa Kasteler. "His parents are ecstatic."

Hudson, who is also a Grammy-winning singer, had not confirmed she was expecting before announcing news of the birth.

The entertainer suffered a tragic blow last fall when her mother, brother and nephew were slain in her native Chicago. Her sister's estranged husband is charged with the killings.

Hudson, who gained fame first as a top contender on "American Idol," won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Effie in "Dreamgirls" in 2007. Earlier this year, she won a Grammy for best R&B album for her self-titled debut CD.

The birth was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter's Showbiz411.com.

On the Net:
www.jenniferhudson.com

Did This Criminal Deserve This?

Barack Obama faces 30 death threats a day, stretching US Secret Service

US President Barack Obama is the target of more than 30 potential death threats a day and is being protected by an increasingly over-stretched and under-resourced Secret Service, according to a new book.

Since Mr Obama took office, the rate of threats against the president has increased 400 per cent from the 3,000 a year or so under President George W. Bush, according to Ronald Kessler, author of In the President's Secret Service.

Some threats to Mr Obama, whose Secret Service codename is Renegade, have been publicised, including an alleged plot by white supremacists in Tennessee late last year to rob a gun store, shoot 88 black people, decapitate another 14 and then assassinate the first black president in American history.
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Oakland 2009 Black LGBT Film Festival Cancelled

It is with much disappointment that we inform the community that this year's annual Oakland Black LGBT film festival that was scheduled to take place August 13-17, has been cancelled.

In March we learned from the Speakeasy Theaters owners that they would be going out of business at the Parkway Theater location (see video below). As we scrambled to find new theaters, we were told by the then owners of the Parkway that they were now operating out of the Cerrito theater in El Cerrito (close to Oakland). We took a look at the new space (which was very nice) and decided to move forward with a plan to temporarily move the festival to the Cerrito location.

We then were abruptly notified by the owners that the Cerrito was also closing its doors. (see this link for complete article in East Bay Express about what happened).

Rather than try again to scramble to find another theater, we decided to cancel this year's festival and focus on producing another quality film festival next year.

We appreciate your past support and look forward to your support at our 7th Festival in 2010.

Thank you,
Debra Wilson
Joe Hawkins

FAREWELL PARKWAY - 2009 @ Yahoo! Video

Blatino Erotica Winner Eddie Diaz Far East Fantasy

Official Cause Of Death E. Lynn Harris

LOS ANGELES - A coroner's official says heart disease, complicated by high blood pressure and a hardening of the arteries, is what killed author E. Lynn Harris last week.

County coroner Craig Harvey said Wednesday that the 54-year-old died of natural causes. Harris died July 23 while visiting Los Angeles to promote his latest book.
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HAPPY 48TH BIRTHDAY MR. PRESIDENT

Click here for article.

Transgender mayor's clothes spur complaint

Silverton Mayor Stu Rasmussen's clothing choices are at the center of a formal complaint filed Friday with the city council president.

His appearance at a recent youth leadership training event spurred the complaint, filed by Silverton Together Director Brenda Sturdevant. She said the mayor's attire was in violation of the city council dress code.

Sturdevant said Rasmussen's attire, "high heels, a very short skirt and some sort of halter top revealing much of his bosom, shoulders and back," was inappropriate.

"This puts Silverton Together in a position that will be difficult to defend when we have sent our youth home on various occasions to change into something more appropriate," she said. "I expect our public leaders to follow the same guidelines that we have for our youth."

Rasmussen, deemed the nation's first openly transgender mayor, is a member of Silverton Together's Board of Directors and was invited to speak with the youths, ages 12-17.

Rasmussen said he was surprised by the complaint and initially thought it was a hoax. But when a retraction did not follow, he opted to write a rebuttal.

He noted the description of Silverton Together's annual "Celebration of Cultures" and its goal to raise awareness of diversity.

"It is surprising and disappointing that an organization chartered to promote diversity and cultural understanding would take a public position of intolerance," Rasmussen said.

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BiG Daddy Kane Ain't no Half Steppin

Apollonia 6 sex shooter