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Russell Simmons to Obama on Hip-hop / Don Imus's would-be host Gov. Corzine
2007-04-16 21:21:00
~ Rap music mogul Russell Simmons seems to be the media's unofficial go-to guy for statements about hip-hop being the impetus behind Don Imus 's career-damaging words. And apparently, Russell feels at least partial responsibility lies elsewhere. He has challenged hip-hop critic Barack Obama to fix the societal issues that make furtile ground for the anger manifesting as rap music.The Def Jam founder makes a valid point. People with jobs and advancement opportunities don't typically go into rapping, and certainly not of the "gangsta" variety. They're not frustrated enough with their lives to create the dark thoughts that are so pervasive in rap lyrics. Pursuit of happiness is a constitutional right tied to the laws of human nature. Marginalized individuals who're determined to make a mark will do so by whatever devices they can access.~ It was apparent even from the sparse, initial news coverage that New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine had critically suffered during the car accident ...
More About: Hip-hop

Oprah Takes On Racism, Sexism, Hip-hop
2007-04-16 16:45:00
Still reeling from the Don Imus incident like most of America, Oprah today presented an excellent second of three shows related to Imus's controversial racial and sexist slur and firing. Last week, the Rutgers women's basketball team appeared on Oprah; tomorrow, Oprah's guests will include two of hip-hop's head statesmen: Def Jam founder Russell Simmons and Grammy Award-winning rapper Common.As dynamic as the next show in the series promises to be, today's show featured a robust panel of African Americans with great thoughts as well. Guests included New York Daily News columnist and gangsta rap critic Stanley Crouch, Rev. Al Sharpton, the Spelman College women who protested Nelly's "Tip Drill" video, Bruce Gordon (former head of the NAACP), and brilliant neo soul artist India.Arie. India's new black girl anthem, "I Am Not My Hair," was shown lots of love, as its message so perfectly fit as a dignified response to those who think like or side with Don Imus. Check out India's ...
More About: Hip-hop , Take , Racism , Sexism

All the Presidents' Children / Obama Money / Dom Imus Firing Triggers Death
2007-04-15 18:14:00
Are you a fan of First Kids? You know, the Chelseas, John-Johns, and First Twins Barb and Jenna of America? If so, you'll be enlightened by this round-up in the Washington Post, which tells about each presidential candidate's children. While many have grown children, quite a few have young ones poised to fascinate us -- and provide late-night joke fodder -- for at least four, formative years. That is, should their ambitious parent win the 2008 presidential election.In terms of fundraising prowess, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama seems to be a lucrative cash cow. According to the Washington Post, Obama is enviably receiving campaign contributions from every nook and cranny. Even on the Internet, Obama has out-fundraised Senator Hillary Clinton. In "Obama Taps Two Worlds," the Post explores a few strategic friends of Obama, ranging from Penny Pritzker (the Hyatt heiress) and David Katzenberg (partner to Steven Spielberg and David Geffen). They and others have helped mon...
More About: Children , Money , President , Imus

Don Imus : The Aftermath
2007-04-13 23:43:00
Some good, late editions well worth checking out... The Wall Street Journal's "Behind the Fall of Imus " lays out a timeline that includes behind-the-scenes details of the double-loss of talk show titan Don Imus .The New York Times covers CBS's perspective, and evaluates the media landscape of Don Imus's possible come back via Sirius or XM.Editors & Publishers gives a nod to late Daily News columnist Lars-Erik Nelsen, who in 1995 foretold the controversy at Imus In the Morning.Newday asks, "Is Rap Next?" Story with good analysis of the "ho" landscape includes this quote from rap mogul Russell Simmons:"Comparing Don Imus' language with hip-hop artists' poetic expression is misguided and inaccurate and feeds into a mindset that can be a catalyst for unwarranted, rampant censorship." I'm not sure of the value of any poetic expression that refers to me, mother or daughter in the pejorative terms that rap uses. But with Rev. Jesse Jackson vowing to next take on any corporation th...
More About: Math , After , Erma

Don Imus : Bernard McGuirk Is Show's Real Problem
2007-04-13 12:56:00
Want proof that today is Friday the 13th? Here's all the proof I need: Today's the first day the mighty Don Imus , host of Imus In the Morning, awakens banished from both his MSNBC television and WFAN radio shows. The tsunami of criticism finally took its toll, washed away one of many hugely popular but negative influences that keep America in darkness, less than we're called to be.I hope that one day Don Imus stands up a much taller man from this devastating experience and returns to the airwaves. I believe he bought Sirius stock fairly deeply, so that's clearly an opportunity for The I-Man.But whatever Don Imus does next, he simply must not bring his producer, Bernard "Bernie" McGuirk, along. Or if he does, he shouldn't allow Bernie to speak on-air as before. Bernie's the real hate-monger on the show, not Imus. McGuirk revels in angry, piss-on-everybody talk on a level that far exceeds his boss, Don Imus. I would say that Bernie seeds most of the comments in poor taste, and h...
More About: Show , Problem , Real

Imus Dropped From MSNBC / Bush Defends Imus
2007-04-11 12:04:00
News Flash: MSNBC has dropped Imus In the Morning from its line-up. Suddenly, all eyes are on The I-Man, but few are looking lovingly at the MSNBC and WFAN Radio talk show host. That's because Don Imus has done the impossible: he's managed to give the term "nappy-headed hos" a million-dollar price tag. That's probably how much advertising revenue his stations have suddenly lost now that GM, Sprint, Procter & Gamble, American Express and Staples have suspended their media buys on Imus In the Morning.Most of the advertisers are quietly taking a wait-and-see stance. If Imus is able to weather the storm over his "nappy-headed hos" comments about the Rutgers women's basketball squad, the commercial life-blood of the show may be resuscitated down the line. The radio portion of his act, however, remains in tact for now. That is, following a two-week, off-air suspension.Accused of one too many divisive slurs, the embattled radio personality now is taking hits from every angle -- protest...
More About: Bush , Ends , Drop

Don Imus : A 'nappy-headed' fan speaks
2007-04-10 08:13:00
This'll be the toughest piece I've written here. You see, I'm one of Don Imus ' biggest fans. I'm also African American. And I'm a woman. There, I've said it: You won't find another African American female on the planet who's watched and enjoyed MSNBC's Imus In the Morning more than me. I've watched Imus near-religiously for, I don't know, over a decade? That is, until a little over a year ago...I was physically and irreversibly sickened by similar -- if not worse -- racially offensive banter on Imus. Long before the current Rutgers University women's basketball crisis...It wasn't Don Imus who uttered the shockingly hurtful comments, but two of his side-kicks: his producer Bernie McGuirk and MSNBC news anchor, Contessa Brewer, who used to do the news teaser cut-ins on Imus. These two completely lost their minds on-air. Brewer said she didn't like to stand near the show's director (who is African American) because of an alleged odor. She crinkled her nose and may have ...
More About: Speak , Head , Nappy

Cybering : Morocco
2007-04-08 12:04:00
Sure, it's Easter. But it's still Sunday. Which means it's time for another Cyber Martini! Today it's an immersion in exotic Fez, Morocco , a culture shrouded in mysticism and mystery. Like many Americans, I'd be remiss, dishonest or something if I didn't credit Hollywood film legends Bob Hope and Bing Cosby for first sparking my imagination about Morocco. Their comedy classic, "Road to Morocco," is a movie that -- right or wrong -- has informed several generations of Americans about Morocco. And it looks like a trip. A world of instantly hypnotic intrigue.Many years after seeing "Road to Morocco," while in college actually, I made wonderful new friends who were Moroccan. I'm still delighted about discovering couscous, thanks to their superb kitchen witchery. But most notably, those guys were the sexiest dancers! By the looks of this video, humps-shaking wasn't unique to the guys I got to know. This YouTube piece reminds that in Morocco, the softer sex still shuts things down....
More About: Ring , Erin , Rocco

Mims : He's Hot 'Cause We Not
2007-04-07 09:23:00
Here's a brilliantly funny read! It analyzes one of the most infectious -- but bafflingly inane -- hip-hop songs getting massive urban radio spins today. The song, of course, is the club-banger "This Is Why I'm Hot" by Mims . In Hot Hot Heat, writer Rob Harvilla is himself on fire, having given way too much thought to Mims' Seinfeldian lyrics... "This is why I'm hot. I'm hot 'cause you're not! I can make a mil' sayin' nuthin on a track."Have to admit that Harvilla makes a fine point: Any rapper gutsy enough to brag about "saying nothing on the track" -- yet breaks the Billboard sound barrier -- deserves inspection. Watch the video for "This Is Why I'm Hot" at Mims' spot.
More About: Cause

Grindhouse, Tourettes Guy, Pope Benedict, Jazz DVDs
2007-04-05 08:53:00
What am I diggin', Daddy-O? : Cool Clay Cane's juicy review of Quentin Tarantino's new double-movie "Grindhouse ." I was interested because Rosario Dawson's in it, but Clay's made me definitely want to see it. *** Jivin' Jason @ GorillaSushi's "Toure ttes Guy" video find. I can't tell if this man is an actor or is actually suffering with the illness, but he's odd as hell! {{{BOB SAGAT}}} *** The very hip, very velvet viewpoints of Pop e Benedict, whose forthcoming (4/16) book Jesus of Nazarus cites and expands on Marx's theories and boldly criticizes rich nations for "robbing Africa and other poor nations." His Highness is deep... (Or is it, His Excellency?) *** Groove news at All About Jazz , which features two exciting new DVDs : bass great Stanley Clark jamming with friends including Stevie Wonder on a Coltrane tune, and a DVD of Wayne Shorter and Carlos Santana smokin' at Montreaux Jazz Festival '88. Ahhh, the music of progressive jazz masters!
More About: House

Abbate's Brother : Also a Cop and Bar Brute
2007-04-04 23:24:00
I'm amazed by -- and appreciative of! -- the readership the South Side Star is experiencing for having written about Anthony Abba te. You know Abbate: the Chicago cop whose vicious beating of a petite bar maid recently made headlines around the world. What some of you may not know are the latest developments jutting like prickly spokes from this shameful, central incident. At this point, the Windy City's "black eye" for off-duty police brutality is making Denzel Washington's "Training Day" look Disney-esque.Now Abbate's brother -- Terry Abbate, also a Chicago policeman -- is in the media glare for a completely separate bar brawl. Terry's bar fight also was caught by a security camera. However, the footage has not been made public or available to the media. We're looking bad enough without it, some savvy public relations person seems to have decided.The only good news is that it wasn't a woman that brother Terry abused while off-duty. His incident involves an altercation with a...
More About: Other , Brother , Roth , Brot

Obama "Christ" Statue
2007-04-04 05:01:00
I really wish the art student who created the statue portraying Barack Obama as Chris t hadn't. Because there already are a whopping 964 comments -- the most I've ever seen -- at an Apostropher.com post questioning Obama's authenticity. Most of the comments express an extraordinary amount of fear and foreboding about the presidential candidate. If you're not familiar with the ground-swell of hysterical, conjecture about Obama, click 666 to read the post and the head-spinning comments it generated.I've held off as long as I could on posting anything that could help perpetuate this heinous rumor. But I've now discovered that as far back as 2004, when Obama wowwed the audience at the Democratic National Convention, this libelous Group Think started taking shape. Plenty of time to panic the masses before the 2008 Presidential Election.Obama is not Christ, nor is he Christ's evil twin. The Christ statue stunt by the Art Institute of Chicago student gets him 15 minutes of fame, but ...
More About: Statue , Tatu

E.U. vs iPod ------- Cat vs Dog
2007-04-03 04:19:00
No, I won't be equating the European Union to a cute but sneaky cat and the iPod to a lovably manipulative dog. (But I could!) The E.U. versus iPod part of this post's title is about the E.U. sending formal charges to Apple and the Big Four Music Labels. Acting on behalf of consumers in 30 European countries, the E.U. says Apple and the labels are unlawful in not offering all of the same music there that's available in the U.S. The E.U.'s Commission also is displeased with iTunes' price variances from one E.U. country to the next.Just hours prior, Apple and EMI announced an exciting DRM-free venture... I suppose the people at Apple and EMI stopped celebrating when they learned the E.U.'s complaint had actually left the station and arrived. Both unfortunately collared by the long arm of international law.The record companies say they can't sell certain music abroad due to legal limitations. But these things are usually about money, bottom line. I imagine the labels can do it, ...
More About: Cat , Ipod

Apple Peels-off (some) Digital Rights Management Restrictions
2007-04-02 23:10:00
That Steve Jobs is no joke. He must be a follower of The Secret. Because Jobs fairly recently "wished" the impossible could happen: to be allowed to do away with music copy protection on iTunes... and poof, the Apple chief has now announced that it will happen in May!Apple and EMI are embarking on a revolutionary change in digital rights management (DRM), a loosening of the noose that outlandishly landed many "free-loading," downloading children in court. The Apple / EMI partnership involves use of a non-MP3 format called AAC, which delivers music at a higher bit rate, and therefore better quality sound.Importantly, for the first time (certain) music players other than iPods will be able to play iTunes. And all of those who buy the EMI-backed artists will pay a higher price. It will cost $1.29 a pop for the higher quality, AAC formatted EMI tunes. It'll be interesting to see if/when the other three major labels take a larger bite of our Apple dollars, too. I mean, fall in line with...
More About: Management , Men , Rights , Right

Beyonce : Double "B-Day" Album Drops
2007-04-02 15:51:00
Did you happen to catch Beyonce on the Today Show this morning? Boy, does she look and sound as wonderful as ever. (Gotta get some of that super-shiny, magenta lip gloss Beyonce wore!) She was on the show promoting her special re-released solo album, B-Day -- now with exclusive new tracks and videos.The deluxe, double-CD version of B'Day includes new tracks by the super star recording artist, in addition to -- get this -- a DVD of eight, exclusive new videos for some songs.Beyonce is, without doubt, the hardest working woman in show business. In a nod to her huge Hispanic fan base, she includes a Spanish version of her smash hit "Irreplaceable," one of the songs she performed impeccably live on Today Show... Though she admitted during her interview with Matt Lauer that she doesn't speak a lick of Spanish.Interestingly, it's difficult to find information online about Beyonce's re-released CD, B Day. I believe it is sold exclusively at Wal-Mart! So to connect with the world's mos...
More About: Double , Album , Once , Drop

Brace Yourself, Northsider : CTA Work Begins
2007-04-02 00:11:00
That's right: It's your turn, Northsiders. We on Chicago's South side have had the Dan Ryan Reconstruction Blues for a few years now. So with CTA poised to begin overhauling two key transit stations -- the Belmont and Fullerton stops -- we're happy to now share the transportation headache with you. Check this Sun-Times article for details, as CTA's work along the Brown Line will impact three other train lines, too. Ouch!Links: chicago cta dan ryan
More About: Work , Yourself , Self , Race , Your

Hip-hop Planet / National Geographic Cover Story
2007-04-01 16:19:00
If these words intrigue you, do not miss James McBride's cover story for National Geographic: Biggie, Senegal, TuPac, China, Grafitti, Harlem, Herc, Basement, Slapped, Jobless, Culture, Rap. To explain the phenomenon of hip-hop in his "Hip-hop Planet " piece, McBride writes this illustrative graph:Burning ManImagine a burning man. He is on fire. He runs into the room. You put out the flames. Then another burning man arrives. You put him out and go about your business. Then two, three, four, five, ten appear. You extinguish them all, send them to the hospital. Then imagine no one bothers to examine why the men caught fire in the first place. That is the story of hip-hop. Excellent article, particularly for those interested in hip-hop history and how the music and dynamic lifestyle is now purposefully embraced worldwide. BTW, you can watch video of author James McBride trumpeting hip-hop's global migration at ABC News.Links: hip-hop music harlem rap grafittinew york
More About: Story , National Geographic

Bon Voyage: Cybering to Paris
2007-03-31 08:28:00
Thanks to Google, a quickie vacation is but a click away! On my mind is sexy, stylish Paris , where everything seems steeped in je ne sais quoi. A special attention to details distinguishes the French aesthetic in areas ranging from architecture to home furnishings to the garbage collectors' uniforms. It's been a few years since I visited, but right now I'm feeling almost, virtually there again...Gotcha! I honestly don't recall seeing anyone -- certainly not any woman -- with this amount of girth in Paris... Maybe it's all of the mustard on fish (delish!) that keeps most of them so thin. Mustard, I learned, is as ubiquitous there as ketchup is here.Check out this American ex-pat in Paris, whose charming blog / photoblog is inspired by delights in the City of Light. You can practically smell the croissants here, as if wafting from a quaint boulangerie on a narrow, winding rue. Our blog host also keeps an eye on European protests over U.S. policies -- stuff not typically covered b...
More About: Ring , Cyber , Voyage , Bon Voyage

Caption This Photo: Obama as a Child!
2007-03-31 07:13:00
Could the little boy shown in this photo become the next president of the United States of America? Believe it or not, this is a pic of a very young Barack Obama . Care to write a caption for this shot? I'll bet his "wheels" about making U.S. history were turning even then! Check out the Chicago Tribune's entire gallery of "young Obama" pictures, including cool pics with his high school sweetheart.
More About: Photo , This , Bama , Child

Google : ooooooooooooooooh yeah?
2007-03-31 00:43:00
Are you a Googl e fan? Like to know much more about the search engine phenom? Well, Google's webmasters make available a cool and finely detailed company Fact Sheet of sorts: the Google Cheat Sheet. It gives a look at all that's happening behind the cybercurtain of this most revered wizard of SEO and stock markets alike. Google's multi-page Cheat Sheet lists loads of company details. Everything from the names of key employees and number of links in the system to a round-up of its music/movie files and the company's fifteen blogs.Get the full scoop and download Google's Fact Sheet as a PDF here.Links: search engine blogs music fact sheet links seo google
More About: Yeah

YouTube : Success Stories Landing Advertising, Film and Other Deals
2007-03-30 22:19:00
NPR's audio interview with the New York Times' Keith Snyder puts YouTube 's impact in a revolutionary, new context. The NPR piece serves up several of the latest YouTube success stories -- ordinary people who've landed advertising, television or record deals. But, Snyder warns, YouTube's current legal issues over free, unauthorized use of copyrighted material could bring this seriously competing channel to a grinding halt.The New York Times writer also says he uses YouTube for research. YouTube, he says, netted surprising footage results of a presidential candidate from long ago. That opens up great ideas for enriching all sorts of projects.I'll put it to the test soon and post the best of my YouTube research results. It would be awesome to discover that YouTube nearly has Google juice in this regard.Links: youtube video writer advertising record deal television presidential candidate
More About: Youtube , Film , Stories , Advertising

American Idol: Lakisha, Melinda, Gina & Sanjaya
2007-03-29 01:21:00
~ Sanjaya Hair Watch: Sanjaya Malakar's peacock-ish hair last night on America n Idol was awesome: A Mohawk of seven springy, bouncy ponytails. Sanjaya believes his show-stopping hairstyles will bring him the luck of sevens. I believe this sweetie-pie is becoming more cunning than we know... And it's cool!~ Go Gina Glocksen, who sang well last night. The Chicago area's American Idol contestant sounded steadier than she has in a while. We got the message, Gina: America shouldn't dare rule you out. I still say that Gina chooses the most interesting pieces of music this season.~ Last week I noted that Melinda Doolittle and Lakisha Jones would need to step-it-up in the apparel department to win America's heart. Perhaps they're reading South Side Star :-) ... because it seems both made strides to present a more contemporary appearance. (Well, Simon told them this in person, so maybe he deserves some of the credit!)*** Lakisha accomplished the mission by wearing a pair of sassy, S&M ...
More About: Kish

EYE ~ ~ ~ Saddam's Bathist On the Come-up : Scott Storch vs. Timbaland : Cr
2007-03-27 23:52:00
EYE On ~~~1. New Iraq laws created to woo back Saddam's ousted officials.Wish we could bring back Saddam himself and give him back his #*@! country. It was all so simple then...2. Where's the beef? These days, it's at the top of hip-hop's production echelon, between Lil' Kim's old flame, Scott Storch , and Timbaland , whose tracks do more to save the music than VH-1. Check this great Village Voice piece about the beef between the two (harmless) rap beat titans.3. Those wild and crazy folk who "Rant & Rave" at Craig's List just don't stop. Check out these posts from today's San Francisco page... But check them out at your risk, as a few are pretty shocking: my girlfriend keeps asking me for... * help, i'm a girly with a... * my 14-year-old daughter won't... * confessions from a christian girl...4. What's that in the air?? Oh, American Idol's coming to a television near you tonight! Even the Washington Post seems ready for a fix, today really embracing its Inner Sanjaya -- ...
More About: Bath , This

(Almost) Music History: Hip-hop, Pop, Rap, R&B and Neo Soul CDs
2007-03-27 18:03:00
A tidal wave of change is about to sweep the music industry, and it'll impact the quality of music discovery for fans who digg hip-hop, pop, rap, R&B or neo-soul. The day is coming when top-selling artists such as Justin Timberlake, 50 Cent, Ciara and R. Kelly will be exclusive members of a recording club narrowly defined by major music labels: They're cutting back on who gets to cut an entire album. Most artist will only be financed to release a radio single or two at a time.This disappointing new contract norm could serve a blow to the less commercial artists (e.g., those with a "cult" following like neo soul masters Bilal or Sandra St. Victor), or new talent on the rise (e.g., Lupe Fiasco three years ago). Imagine the excellent album tracks we'll never get to hear now.The problem is the singles-driven digital music craze. iPod users overwhelmingly cherry-pick one or two hit songs to purchase; not enough are paying for entire albums. For record label executives, the bottom line...
More About: Music , History , Pop , Story , Hip-hop

music review... LEFT: this man brought me to tears in my riesling <------ e
2007-03-26 00:48:00
LEFT is the title of eric roberson's latest CD, a true neo-soul music masterpiece. i can't remember the last time a CD not only bumped this hot from first track to last, but swept me through such a powerful range of emotions. eric continues the tradition of soul kings like marvin gaye and stevie wonder with funky, bass-heavy tracks that deliver plenty of d'Angelo flavor. vocally, eric roberson has the smokey magic of brian mcKnight or dwele. all of this and: eric roberson writes soul-stirring lyrics like it's nobody's business!two brilliant songs of the many neo-soul winners i love on LEFT:the track "Pretty Girl" reached in and touched a real sweet spot way deep in my soul. it was a remarkable moment. i wish that every female on the planet could hear this song: it is healing. these are the words that every girl secretly longs to hear.i mellowed and blushed to myself... went ahead and gave into eric roberson's whispering to my soul...by the time he reached track #13 -- "Couldn...
More About: Music , Review , Tear , This , Left

MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA -- A Nigerian-American Reporter Tells Her Story
2007-03-25 20:11:00
Wow: Chicago Sun-Times reporter Maudlyne Ihejirka filed a poignant, personal cover story yesterday about her family's hero, James Wolter. A WWII vet and local financial adviser, Wolter and a few friends went beyond the call of duty, raising funds to help Ihejirika's family of seven escape war-torn Niger ia in the seventies.Rarely does a reporter write herself into a story for a major newspaper, but check out Maudlyne's riveting piece. It's told from her perspective as a child, and from the viewpoint of her Nigerian parents. Their harrowing experience revolves around Nigeria's civil war in 1967, which led separatists to form the Republic of Biafra -- a place that once captured headlines around the world with pictures of children so malnourished their bellies were distended.Three million Igbo were killed in the Biafra War itself, making it a holocaust the world must never forget. Perhaps Maudlyne will follow-up her Sun-Times story with an entire book shedding light on the compelli...
More About: America , Story , Report , Port

Blog Contest: Win a 'Taste of Chicago' music, DVDs, and books
2007-03-25 17:28:00
What do Barack Obama, The Playboy Club, House music, Oprah, The Boondocks, Lupe Fiasco, Tom Waits, Devil In the White City, Kurt Elling, Studs Terkel, Hillary Clinton, Kanye West and OK Go have in common? They all share a connection to Chicago , of course! Which is why the South Side Star, a hot politics and pop culture blog out of Chicago, offers you a chance to win its 'Taste of Chicago' contest.For details on this fun and easy blog contest awarding top DVDs, best-selling books, jazz and hip-hop music, and more representing Chi-town, visit: South Side Star! Prize winners will be announced April 16, 2007.Links: blogs hip-hop jazz dvd music books chicago kanye west kurt elling studs terkel oprah the boondocks playboy house music obama hillary clinton contests win
More About: Contest , Music , Books , Blog

American Idol: Ashley loves Sanjaya Malakar video + Melinda Doolittle + Jor
2007-03-21 17:37:00
Didn't you enjoy America n Idol last night? From Sanjaya Malakar slightly channeling Michael Jackson to Melinda Doolittle 's perfection to Jordin Sparks' redemption song, I thought Idol's British Pop Invasion night offered plenty of interesting turns. Highlights included:~ Adorable Jordin really showed up last night. A few weeks ago, she grew too emotional when singing a song she'd dedicated to her brother. As a result, her performance(s) suffered. But last night, Jordin proved she has what it takes to possibly make into the top four.~ I wasn't sure until last night which of these two I thought should win Season 6: Melinda Doolittle or Lakisha Jones. They're both quite good. Lakisha, with a little pro vocal training, could hone in on a chart-topping sound. Melinda, however, will likely edge Lakisha out.Melinda already sounds as flawless -- from first note to last -- as an Anita Baker or Oletta Adams. Let's hope both girls continue to jazz it up in the style department, though....
More About: Video , American Idol , Love

Mila Petrovic: From Mommie Dearest to Murderer
2007-03-20 22:15:00
I think I think too much. Unfortunately, it's sometimes about stuff that's none of my business ;-) ... But the child abuse tragedy of a young Chicago area mother, Mila Petro vic, killing her 5-year-old daughter last week keeps popping into my thoughts. Which is why this headline from today's Chicago Tribune stunned me: "There are secrets in the house. We don't tell."Apparently some of Petrovic's other children suggested to the authorities that their mother -- and possibly father, too -- allowed them to join in the beating(s) of little Melanie. She died shortly after her mother rammed her head into a wall for vomitting into a towel. On the same day her mother, Mila Petrovic, gave birth to a seventh child.Now, I don't want to play "blame the victim" here. (E.g., How criminals rationalize rape cases, saying the victim dressed or flirted too suggestively, so she was asking for "it.") But why did everyone in the Petrovic home seem hellbent on kicking the ish out of this 5-year-old? ...
More About: Murder , Rest , Murderer

Hottentot Venus :: Nelly / Mila Petrov :: Child Abuse
2007-03-19 11:10:00
Notes On a Napkin:Please pass this napkin note to: Rapper Nelly and other hip-hop stars who swipe credit cards through the "Apple Bottoms" of voluptuous video vixens.... Laura Washington at the Chicago Sun-Times penned a note touting a new tome on the "Hottentot Venus," an amply-curved South African girl in 1810 who was infamously toured in Europe as a one-woman freak show. Blessed (or cursed) with an abundant derriere and genitalia, the Hottentot Venus is explored in "African Queen: The Real Life of the Hottentot Venus." Author Rachel Holmes not only ponders the subject's tragic personal life, she puts the phenomenon of Venus's popularity in the context of sexual exploitation of black women.Her remains were scientifically studied by the French; her skeleton was on display at a museum until fairly recently. In fact, the French just gave the Hottentot's remains to the South African government a few years ago. Now if we can get Nelly to give back the dignity he stripped from the "o...
More About: Abuse , Petro , Child , Child Abuse