Everything Pop Culture

TRIVIA: KAT VON D'S TATTOOS

2009-07-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

1. On the back of Kat Von D's neck there is a tattoo of Carmen Miranda, the lady famous for wearing fruit on

her head. Carmen Miranda is famous for the popularity of a certain fad, a fad for which Kat Von D is most grateful.

Which fad is it?

Platform shoes

Big hats

Fishnet stockings

Spanish music

2. What did Kat Von D do before she returned to Los Angeles?

She was tattooing for Miami Ink.

She was a model for "Vogue" magazine.

She was a makeup artist for ABC TV.

She was a dancer in Las Vegas lounge act.

3. Kat Von D prefers to create full color tattoos.

True

False

4. Kat Von D has colored tattoos on only one part of her body. Which body part would that be?

Her left arm.

Her right leg.

Her left leg.

Her right arm.

5. Kat Von D has had laser tattoo removal.

True

False

6. Kat Von D and her co-worker, Steve-O, made a bet, a bet that Kat lost. What was supposed to happen if Kat lost?

She was to drink only a lemon flavored drink for three days.

She was to let her co-worker keep her Sphinx cat for one week.

She was to paint the shop black and red instead of its bright pink color.

She was to kiss her co-worker's feet.

7. Kat Von D and her co-worker, Steve-O, made a bet. When she lost the bet, she decided to let Steve-O, an amateur

tattooist, tattoo her instead. What tattoo did Steve-O give her?

A skull with a sailor's hat.

A tiger cub.

A flaming heart with S & K.

A flaming arrow going through a heart.

8. When Kat Von D is getting tattooed, she falls asleep during the process.

True

False

9. Kat Von D and Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue have the same tattoo. Which one is it?

Broken hearts that fit together.

A little guy wearing a top hat and holding a cane.

"In Love We Trust".

7 Cherry blossoms.

10. At what age did Kat Von D first become acquainted with the tattoo scene?

CELEBRITY IN TERVIEW

2009-07-22T17:14:00.000-07:00

HERE’S A LITTLE TREAT FROM THE BIG HOMEY, YOURS TRULY. ANOTHER DOUBLE DOSE OF CELEBRITY CHATTER, A FUN Q&a duo for you to enjoy. Today’s featured celebs are two funny men who are enjoying a current run of commercial success in their respective fields. I’m referring to jay mohr & steve zahn. I know you’ll dig, so go ahead & do that.

Got a minute? Comedian Jay Cox Mohr (né Jay Mohr), the star of Gary Unmarried (Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS), sounds off about the sitcom's success, packing on a few pounds, and taking his wife's last name.

Q: You've appeared in several short-lived TV series, and Details crowned you the King of Pilots. How does it feel to be on a People's Choice Award–winning sitcom?

A: It's about time. Whenever you do a pilot, you put all your interest and passion into it. This really is a business based on rejection and failure. Baseball has a higher success rate. If you hit 30 percent of the time, you go to the Hall of Fame. In acting, if you hit 30 percent of the time, you're Gene Hackman.

Q: What's in store for Gary in the rest of the first season?

Gary's going to play the field more. He's going to break up with his girlfriend. We went from "Gary unmarried" to "Gary very committed" very quickly. And hopefully I'll be a thinner Gary in Season 2.

Q: Have you put on weight?

A: When you get into a relationship where you're truly happy, the belly seems to grow a bit. I was talking with Ed Burns on the set of The Groomsmen, and we both have larger bellies than we're used to. He said to me, "Show me a happily married man with a six-pack and you have to question his sexuality." As long as you have big arms, it's all right to have the big belly —like Harvey Keitel.

Q: Is it tough to play a divorced character when you're so happy in your marriage (to actress Nikki Cox)?

A: There's no character I would find depressing to play. I want to be on TV and enjoy its benefits, its wonderful health and dental plan. You know what's depressing? Not playing anything on television. Getting cut out of movies. It's also depressing to have to go through your IMDb page with a complete stranger at a Dodgers game. "Where do I know you from?" "Jerry Maguire?" "No, never seen that."

Q: You've been married for two years, but in December you added your wife's last name to yours. Why?

A: She took mine. It only seemed fair. We both have the same name now: "Cox Mohr."

Q: Better that than the other way around.

A: We thought about sending out wedding invitations for "Mohr Cox." Who could say no? Even if you're a heterosexual male, out of curiosity you'd wonder, Where is this room with "Mohr Cox"—and how will they all fit?

By: Ryan Wenzel

Got a minute? Veteran actor Steve Zahn sounds off about living in the moment, his new movie Management (in theaters May 15), and groping Jennifer Aniston's butt.

Q: Your character in Management, Mike, falls in love with Sue (Jennifer Aniston), a guest at his family's motel. Early on, she lets him touch her butt. How'd that go down when you were filming?

A: The butt-touching scene is supposed to be the most awkward scene in the world. It's fucking bizarre. In any other movie, they would go on a date, it would be funny, and the montage would begin. But this turns into two 11-year-olds in the basement playing doctor. It's odd and yet at the same time very sexy. It had to be perfect—not just with what Jennifer and I were doing but with the camera. We did a lot of takes. I'm embarrassed by the outtakes.

Q: Did she use a butt double?

A: No, that would have been ridiculous. Because then I would have used a stunt hand.

Q: Mike tries to woo Sue by serenading her with Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love." Was this kind of stuff part of your courting repertoire?

A: I pursued my wife (actress Robyn Peterman) so much it was embarrassing. We were doing a musical, Bye Bye Birdie, and I remember planning my routes—crossing backstage just because she was crossing backstage. Ridiculous shit, but that paid off, man.

Q: You're known for playing funny, quirky characters. What's it like to be a leading man?

A: It's the same kind of character, but busier. It wasn't like I was replacing some hunk. If I'm the romantic lead, you know it's going to be different from what you're used to. Even years ago, in New York when I was reading scripts, I always responded to the other parts. I was like, "I like this guy. I like the buddy."

Q: You have five movies scheduled for release in 2009. Has that been overwhelming?

A: Honestly, a lot of those movies were shot a while ago, like The Great Buck Howard, Sunshine Cleaning, and this one. It's always interesting when people say, "Man, are you busy." A week earlier, I'm selling the car because we need money, asking, "Are there any bad movies out there I could do?"

Q: What's next for you?

A: I have to take a pee, man—I don't think too far ahead.

By: Ryan Wenzel

BOOK REVIEW: KARRINE STEFAN'S THE VIXEN MANUAL

2009-07-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

Since she exploded on the scene with her two juicy and impossible-to-put-down tell-alls, readers have wanted to know even more about what makes Karrine Steffans tick. How was she able to meet all the high profile politicians, movie stars, and other celebrities that are her close acquaintances? What skills does she possess to keep men wanting more? Finally, Karrine lays it all out and explains exactly what a woman must do to win over the man of her dreams. With chapters like "Never Let Him See You Sweat,""Flirting,""Encouraging His Manhood," and "Give Him What He Wants," this hot and sexy manual is a must-have for every woman's bookshelf.

About the Author

Karrine Steffans became a New York Times best selling author after releasing her debut tell-all book Confessions of a Video Vixen in June of 2005. Since the success of her books, Karrine speaks at universities and celebrity panels. She has also established The Karrine Steffans Girls Club, The Karrine Steffans Book Club , and The Steffans Commentary on MySpace. Check out Karrine's website at www.karrine.com

POP CULTURE: INTERACTIVE CSI EXHIBIT PREMIERES IN VEGAS

2009-07-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

TYRESE GIBSON

Made Man

Words By Billy Johnson Jr.

Something happened at Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon’s one-year anniversary party in April at the Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas that left Tyrese Darnell Gibson feeling dazed. After the dinner, he went back to his hotel room to change clothes. A friend noticed that his mood seemed down and asked him if something was bothering him. It took him a second to figure it out.

“It finally hit me,” the 30-year-old says via phone two days later, while in Louisville at his first Kentucky Derby. “I miss being married. I missed that feeling of just having someone to call my own. Even though there are lot of random things running around, you still want that solid foundation at home. So I just had a moment when I seen them hitting glasses and toasting…I just had a moment like, ‘Damn.’”

Interestingly, many did not know that Tyrese even had a wife until he filed for a divorce from Norma Mitchell last October after being married for just 10 months. And though he won’t get into the specifics of the split, he does offer this much: “I filed for divorce. I’m not perfect. I’ve made some major mistakes in the past and she has too. Sometimes marriages just don’t work out.”

Still, he maintains that the divorce won’t stop him from being a great father to their daughter, Shayla Somer Gibson. He thinks that too many parents allow their personal conflicts with their exes to get in the way of their relationships with their children.

“There’s gonna be moments where the energy is funky and uncomfortable, but do your part,” Tyrese argues. “There’s a lot of people in your life that you do not necessarily get along with or are not on the same page with, and you’re still in their life. So do what you have to do so that you can do what you want to do, which is spend time with your child.”

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW: TYRESE GIBSON & BEYONCE

2009-07-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

A TREAT FOR YOU, MY BELOVED READERS. I HAVE A CELEBRTIY DOUBLE FEATURE FOR YOU. THANKS TO UPSCALE MAGAZINE I HAVE INTERVIEWS WITH TWO OF HOLLYWOOD’S SEXIEST, TYRESE GIBSON & MRS. CARTER, OR, AS YOU MAY KNOW HER, BEYONCE. CHEERS, & ENJOY. YOU CAN THANK ME LATER.

Truly Beyoncé

Words by Isoul H. Harris

“I am my biggest critic,” says Beyoncé, while taking a rare break from the rigorous rehearsals in New York for her upcoming world tour. A pop superstar feigning self-critique for greater public endearment isn’t novel, but in her case it’s probably genuine. Why else would someone so successful continue to work and produce at such a dizzying pace? Her infinite drive has been ceaselessly documented and written about: there is no argument that this young, black girl from Houston has worked for her reported $315 million net worth (and—gasp!—that’s without hubby Jay-Z). But what truly keeps her going?

“I stay motivated and I don’t get jaded because I love what I do. If you love what you do, you just want to work harder and do more. I always feel I could have done something better,” says the notorious workaholic. Despite her ridiculously successful career so far—which includes more than 50 million albums sold with Destiny’s Child, three successful solo albums, countless endorsements from Tommy Hilfiger and Armani perfumes to L’Oreal and even DirecTV, a string of high-profile movie roles and sold-out worldwide tours—she still feels the need to upgrade. Diddy won’t stop out of a craving for relevancy; Tina still tours selectively because she’s wanted; but Beyoncé is fueled by the fear of mediocrity.

She has been in rehearsals for the tour since February, and in true Beyoncé fashion, she is determined for perfection. “I always want to challenge myself to do something new and better and I feel this tour will be the best I have ever done,” she interjects.

From the new routines showcasing songs from her third solo outing, I Am…Sasha Fierce (a mixed bag of languid ballads and beat-driven anthems) to the costumes designed by legendary Parisian atelier Thierry Mugler, the former core of Destiny’s Child knows what it takes to thrive as an artist in a time when people are more concerned with their house and car notes than paying to hear musical ones. Her last tour was a critical and commercial triumph: she could have been Diana Ross at Caesar’s Palace circa 1979. “My all-female band and my dancers are amazing. My mother (Tina Knowles) introduced me to Thierry Mugler and we brought him on as creative advisor. Visually and musically, I want this to be an incredible experience,” she says easily. But then, she allows a little vulnerability to seep in. “But,there is always pressure to do better than the last time

TYRESE GIBSON

Made Man

Words By Billy Johnson Jr.

POP CULTURE: ILLINOIS GRAVE SITE DESECRATED; FAMILIES DEVASTATED

2009-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Thousands seek relatives' graves at Ill. cemetery

ALSIP, Ill. — Thousands of relatives hoping to find their loved ones showed up Saturday as officials exhumed one grave in a cemetery where four former employees are accused of digging up and dumping hundreds of bodies in a scheme to resell plots.

One body was found in the exhumed grave at the historic black cemetery, the Cook County sheriff said, despite an earlier report that two bodies were there. The former workers also have been accused of burying some bodies in shared graves.

Authorities closed Burr Oak Cemetery, home to the graves of civil rights-era lynching victim Emmett Till and blues singer Dinah Washington, on Friday and declared portions a crime scene. Saturday, lines snaked out of white tents where relatives filled out forms in an effort to find their loved ones' bodies.

"It's a zoo, and it's going to be a zoo because every black person in Chicago has someone buried here," said Chicago resident Jennifer Gyimah, 51, who was waiting to check on family members' graves. "As a living human being, you give dignity to the dead. The dignity today has been shattered."

Officials said they'd try to respond to families in the next week, but Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said the investigation was hampered by a lack of maps for large sections of the cemetery. Many of those his staff had found were hand-drawn and sketchy, he said.

"You might as well be talking about hieroglyphics here," he said. "This is unheard of."

A portion of the cemetery devoted to children, called "Baby Land," was particularly poorly documented, Dart said.

Chicago resident Gail Cooper's 7-year-old daughter was buried there in 1984. She was trying to check on the grave Saturday.

"I had trusted her to these people," said Cooper, 48. "How could you have someone so shady and underhanded to do something like this?"

One man who had long suspected his mother was buried on top of another person had her grave dug up Saturday in an exhumation scheduled before the investigation started.

Three former gravediggers and a former cemetery manager have each been charged with one count of dismembering a body. The four sold existing deeds and plots to unsuspecting customers, authorities said. They then allegedly dug up hundreds of corpses and either dumped them in a weeded, vacant area of the cemetery — which authorities labeled the original crime scene — or double-stacked them in graves.

The four made about $300,000 in a scheme that stretched back at least four years, authorities said.

While Till's grave site was not disturbed, investigators found his original glass-topped casket rusting in a shack at the cemetery, police said Friday. He was exhumed in 2005 during an investigation of his death and reburied in a new casket. The original casket was supposed to be kept for a planned memorial.

POP CULTURE: BOY SET AFIRE, AND THEN CHARGED AFTERWARDS

2009-07-16T13:28:00.000-07:00

NOW THIS IS TRULY A DAMN SHAME. PLEASE READ THIS, & NEVER FORGET THAT RACIAL PREJUDICES & DISCRIMINATION IS STILL ALIVE & SICKLY WELL. TRUE, I WASN’T THERE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, BUT KNOWING WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD WE LIVE IN, I’LL JUST SAY THIS: THE TRUTH ALWAYS COMES OUT, & KARMA IS A LIVING ORGANISM THAT PREYS ON PREDATORS. HAVING SAID THAT READ THE ARTICLE, & LEAVE YOUR COMMENT.

Teen Set Afire Now Charged for Earlier Fight

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2009

By:

A black Missouri teen, who last month was doused with gasoline and set afire by two white schoolmates, now faces charges himself as he recovers from burns over most of his body.

Walter Currie Jr., a 15-year-old in Poplar Bluff, Mo., was burned on June 13 after an exchange with two teens with whom he reportedly had a previous altercation.

The youth who allegedly doused him with the gasoline and lit the fuel has been charged with assault as a juvenile, Currie’s parents said.

On July 6, several weeks after the incident, authorities gave Currie and his parents notice that he is being charged in connection with another incident where a teen related to the youth who set him afire was hit in the face, said Winonia Currie, Walter’s mother.

“All of a sudden, they decided to charge him with something that happened on June 10, but Walter said he didn’t have anything to do with it,” she said.

Because all of the people involved are juveniles, court officials in Butler County, Missouri said they can give only limited details on the incidents and cannot discuss names.

“I can tell you that there are charges against everyone involved,” Lesi Smith, chief juvenile officer for Butler County, told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

The suspects have not been revealed publicly and could not be reached for this story.

Walter Jr. said the teen who burned him told him he had gasoline and a lighter, and then began to spray him with the fuel before striking the lighter. Walter Jr. ran and jumped on a car, rolling on it to try to stop the burning. He even shed some of his clothing.

Initially, the youth suspected of burning Walter Jr. was arrested and was being held in a juvenile detention facility. He has since been released, according to sources familiar with the case.

The Curries say they want to see justice for their son. They want the 16-year-old to face stiff penalties.

“I want him to serve some time,” Walter Currie Sr. told BlackAmericaWeb.com.

Winonia Currie said her son is scheduled for a hearing on Aug. 5 at 1 p.m. and the teen that set her son afire is scheduled on the same day, in the same courtroom, at 2:30 p.m.

The Curries say they have only lived a couple of years in Poplar Bluff, a town about 125 miles south of St. Louis, Mo.

“It’s like a country city,” Winonia Currie said.

Though the family has received words of encouragement from black and white residents, Mrs. Currie said she questions whether everyone will get just treatment.

“The prosecutors have told us they will do everything they can to try him as an adult, but we’re getting very little information,” she said.

The charges for Walter Jr. bring additional hardships for the family.

“We’ve had all these medical bills. The insurance will only cover so much. We have to take him back and forth to the hospital in St Louis,” she said. “Now we have to try to find a lawyer. That’s more money.”

Doctors have told the Curries that it may be two years before their son’s burns are completely healed. He suffered burns on much of his body, including his face, chest, neck and arms.

“The physical wounds are healing, but we still have to deal with the mental stability,” Mrs. Currie said.

The incident has taken a devastating toll on the Walter Jr. and the family, said Tierra Shaffer, Walter’s older sister via email. “He has nightmares of being burned alive,” she said.

POP CULTURE: NICK JONAS SET TO OPEN UP ABOUT HIS DIABETES ON CNBC

2009-07-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

DO YOURSELVES A FAVOR AND TUNE IN TO CNBC THIS SUNDAY, JULY 19, AT 7P. NICK JONAS, OF THE UBER POPULAR ‘JONAS BROTHERS’ BAND, WILL SHARE HIS STRUGGLE WITH DIABETES 1 IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW. I’M A HEALTH NUT, & BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE WHO KNOWS DIABETES IS HEREDITARY IN THEIR FAMILY, AND THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW THEIR FAMILY HISTORY, TO WATCH WITH AN OPEN MIND. I APPLAUD NICK FOR DOOING THIS, AND I PRAY THAT PEOPLE TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS GREAT SERVICE HE’S PERFORMING FOR US. CHEERS.

NICK Jonas Opens Up about His Diabetes

The candid and extensive TV interview about his 4 year challenge with type 1 diabetes will be broadcast by CNBC on Sunday, July 19.

WESTPORT, CT—dLife, the world's largest and only multi-media diabetes resource, announced today that Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers will be featured in a candid and extended interview about his four-year challenge with type 1 diabetes. It will air on dLifeTV Sunday, July 19th, 2009 at 7:00PM ET on CNBC.

Jonas has succeeded in integrating diabetes management into the daily lifestyle of a pop music superstar, balancing frequent blood sugar testing, a restricted diet, and insulin delivery while touring and playing to 50,000 adoring fans. "Sometimes having diabetes can take away the joy of a situation," says Nick about the reality of diabetes. "It's a full life change."

Jonas agreed to the dLife interview to help raise awareness about diabetes, motivate others and ensure they know they are not alone. Nick's story will be delivered across dLife's comprehensive multi-media network that uses television, web, and other media to reach more than 1.5 million people living with diabetes every month.

"Nick Jonas is just 16 but he is a larger than life player in our culture and has a unique opportunity to share his story to benefit so many," said Howard Steinberg, founder and CEO of dLife. "He deserves credit for seizing this moment to help others. The reality is that every single American is touched by diabetes in some way. dLife's goal in interviewing Nick Jonas is to ensure he empowers the people that really need to hear his message."

Steinberg created dLife in part because he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes four decades ago.

"I was about Nick's age when I was diagnosed with diabetes," said Steinberg. "Thankfully, the tools available to manage this disease have advanced light years, but diabetes is still a 24 hour, 7 days a week disease that requires not just hypervigilance by patients, but awareness among their family and friends to achieve the highest quality of life possible."

POP CULTURE: MIKE VICK TO STAR IN THE UFL???

2009-07-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

Is Michael Vick looking at a salary of $620,000 in 2009?

By MJD

There’s nothing close to a guarantee that says Michael Vick will be plying his trade in the National Football League in 2009; in fact, if you judge by Roger Goodell’s suspension-happy past, it’s more likely that Vick won’t be in the big leagues this season.

That would leave Vick looking at the upstart UFL and presumably their maximum salary of $620,000. That’s the figure at the high end of the new league’s salary scale, with $35,000 being what most of the anonymous UFL’ers will make.

There are pros and cons to the UFL path for Vick. On the pro side, he would be playing football again and he’d have an opportunity to knock some rust off and show that the skills are still there.

On the con side, if he plays for the relatively light UFL paycheck, he risks major long-term injury, in which case he’d never get back into the big leagues, where the real money is to be made. One could even argue that Vick would be better off just sitting out a year entirely, as opposed to taking the risk of playing a year in the UFL.

Given his debt situation, though, it’s hard to imagine a court saying to Vick, “Yes, feel free to just ignore that potential $620,000 salary.”

From a fan perspective, the UFL is probably the best thing. It would be exciting to see Vick on Sundays, but we probably wouldn’t see him as a full-time quarterback. Realistically, he’s probably looking at seeing action in just a few plays a game and spending most of his time riding pine.

In the UFL, though, he’d be the star attraction. Vick would almost certainly be running someone’s team, he’d be out there for every offensive play, we’d see the full range of his skills as a quarterback and he’d provide a reason to watch the new league.

From Vick’s perspective, though, it might not be the best idea. With each day that passes, though, it seems like it gets closer and closer to being his reality.

POP CULTURE: PARENTS & ALLOWANCES

2009-07-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

POP CULTURE: PRESIDENT OBAMA TO PUMP $2 BILLION INTO COMMUNITY COLLEGES NATIONWIDE

2009-07-16T13:07:00.000-07:00

GOOD NEWS FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADS, AMBITIOUS WORKERS, THOSE LOOKING TO SHIFT CAREERS, & ANYONE LOOKING TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION. PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS UNVEILED A NEW PLAN TO FUND COMMUNITY COLLEGES OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. READ BELOW FOR DETAILS, AND TAKE YA A$$E$ TO STAPLES & GRAB SOME SCHOOL SUPPLIES. CHEERS, & NOW IT’S TIME TO LEARN SOMETHING. TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE

the Los Angeles Times

Obama unveils plan to invest in community colleges

The president says he intends to inject $12 billion into the nation's two-year schools over the next 10 years to help struggling workers prepare for new careers.

By Peter Nicholas

Reporting from Warren, Mich. — With unemployment continuing to climb, President Obama on Tuesday unveiled a plan to pump $12 billion into the nation's community colleges over the next 10 years to help struggling workers prepare for new careers, saying a better-educated workforce was crucial to long-term prosperity.

"Time and again, when we have placed our bet for the future on education, we have prospered as a result -- by tapping the incredible innovative and generative potential of a skilled American workforce," Obama said.

In his appearance here at Macomb Community College and earlier in the day in Washington, Obama sought to draw a direct connection between recovery from the economic crisis and a broad array of administration initiatives, including education, the stimulus package and overhauling the healthcare system.

Before flying to Michigan, Obama acknowledged that unemployment might "tick up for several months," but he said his prescriptions, taken together, offered the best hope for creating jobs.

And here, in a state where the jobless rate tops 14% compared with the national average of 9.5%, the president pointed to the healthcare debate raging in Congress and said stabilizing medical costs was crucial to restoring prosperity.

"Now is the time to build a firmer, stronger foundation for growth that will not only withstand future economic storms, but that will help us thrive," he said on the Macomb campus. "To build that foundation, we have to slow the growth of healthcare costs that are driving us into debt."

He took a barely veiled shot at Republicans, who were in power when the recession began but who have relentlessly attacked his recovery plans.

"I love these folks who helped get us in this mess and then suddenly say, well, this is Obama's economy. That's fine. Give it to me," the president said. "My job is to solve problems, not to stand on the sidelines and harp and gripe."

Obama added: "The hard truth is that some of the jobs that have been lost in the auto industry and elsewhere won't be coming back. They are casualties of a changing economy."

He argued that community colleges could play an important role in helping displaced workers build new careers, but that they needed more resources at a time when state and local budget problems could lead to capped enrollments and fewer course offerings.

Obama's education plan would provide funds for new construction, online education and competitive grants.

About 6 million people are enrolled in community colleges in the U.S., but nearly half fail to complete degree and certificate programs, according to government figures.

The administration seeks to boost the number of graduates by 5 million over the next decade.

Obama, apparently mindful of polls showing many Americans are worried about the steep rise in government spending to combat the recession, noted that the school aid "isn't adding to the deficit."

Rather, he said, the money will come from ending subsidies to banks and private student loan companies.

Obama's appearance here came as Republicans pounded the argument that his economic policies were faltering. Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) held a news conference Tuesday timed with the president's visit to criticize his performance.

"Look, the stimulus bill hasn't worked, and it was sold as something that had to be done immediately, that would create jobs immediately, that it would have an immediate effect," Camp said.

Fighting back, the Democratic National Committee alerted reporters to a news release issued by the congressman's office in April touting a $12.7-million grant for a local airport -- money that was part of the stimulus program. In the release, Camp said the project would "stimulate the area's economy, help create new long-term job growth for the region and improve the airport experience for area travelers."

After leaving Michigan, Obama flew to St. Louis to throw out the first pitch at Major League Baseball's All-Star game.

POP CULTURE: MICROSOFT PRESENTS BING

2009-07-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

I’VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THIS NEW SEARCH ENGINE, COURTESY OF MR. GATE’S BRAINCHILD, MICROSOFT, CALLED BING. CURRENTLY I’M A GOOGLER, I WOULD SAY BY DEFAULT. I HAVE TRIED YAHOO, BUT I DON’T PARTICULARLY CARE FOR IT. I’LL TRY BING OUT & SEE WHAT HAPPENS THEREAFTER. I SUGGEST YOU DO THE SAME, AFTER YOU READ THIS ARTICLE, OF COURSE. CHEERS, & ENJOY.

http://www.professionaldoordealer.com/

If you’ve been hearing a lot about something called “Bing” lately, it’s because the rebranded search engine is expected to (finally) give search king Google a run for its money.

Bing search service was unveiled last week, and its beta version is available now (officially launches June 3). The re-tooled Microsoft Live (also known as Kumo) has so far received favorable reviews from the tech community. So, why is Bing different than Google? That’s the big question.

First, Microsoft is marketing Bing as a “decision engine,” stating that the search functions bring more relevant results and organizes them in a more meaningful way. Bing offers tabs for different kinds of searches similar to Google and including “images,” “videos,” “maps” and “shopping.”

Aesthetically, Bing’s home page has been called “prettier” than Google’s, often featuring landscapes and other stunning photography, and is set to change daily.

According to Microsoft, Bing isn’t expected to be a “Google killer,” but merely a start to more improvements on their search engine that are to come; so if it doesn’t quite tickle your fancy yet, come back again soon.

TV NEWS: TBS ORDERS 'ARE WE THERE YET' FROM CREATOR ICE CUBE

2009-07-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

MY BIG HOMEY, DARK BUFF BAGWELL MYSELF, TERRY CREWS IS BACK ON THE TUBE IN A MOVIE TURNED SITCOM, FROM MY OTHER BIG HOMEY, MR YEAH-E-YEAH, AKA ‘TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY’, AKA CRAIG, AKA DOUGH BOY, ICE CUBE. I THINK THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL, IF DONE RIGHT, TO ACTUALLY HAVE A LIFE ON TBS. LET’S HOPE IT DOES. I ROCK WIT TERRY & CUBE. CHECK IT OUT, & ENJOY

'Are We There Yet?' Becomes a Sitcom

TBS orders 10 episodes of the new comedy, starring Terry Crews and Ice Cube, that is based upon the hit movie of the same name, for 2010.

SANTA MONICA Calif. and VANCOUVER British Columbia, July 15 — Using the unique model created by Debmar-Mercury for Tyler Perry's "House of Payne" and "Meet the Browns," TBS is teaming with Joe Roth and Ice Cube for "Are We There Yet?," a sitcom starring Terry Crews ("Everybody Hates Chris") and based on the hit Revolution Studios film of the same name. TBS has ordered 10 episodes of the new sitcom, slated to premiere in June 2010, with the option for an additional 90 episodes. The series is produced by Cube Vision and distributed by Debmar-Mercury, with Revolution's Joe Roth and Cube Vision's Ice Cube and Matt Alvarez serving as executive producers, along with multiple Emmy-winning show-runner Ali LeRoi ("Everybody Hates Chris"). In addition to executive-producing, Ice Cube will have a recurring role.

This is the fourth television series for which Debmar-Mercury has utilized its groundbreaking approach to launching shows into distribution and syndication, following in the footsteps of Tyler Perry's two hit sitcoms, "House of Payne" and "Meet The Browns," which also air on TBS, and the new Jon Heder sitcom from writer-producers Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy ordered by Comedy Central last week.

The movie "Are We There Yet?," a breakout 2005 hit, told the story of Nick (Ice Cube), a smooth operator who is trying to land a date with Suzanne, a divorcee stuck working out of town over New Year's and miserable because she misses her kids. Nick gallantly offers to make her New Year's wish come true - and his own in the process - by driving her two children to be reunited with their mom. What Nick doesn't know is that Suzanne's children, whom he's never met, hate every man their mom dates on sight. The movie grossed more than $82 million at the box office and was followed in 2007 by a sequel, "Are We Done Yet?"

In the sitcom "Are We There Yet?," Crews will star as Nick, the character Ice Cube played in the film.

Debmar-Mercury's association with TBS began in 2006, when the company devised a groundbreaking distribution strategy for Tyler Perry's "House of Payne." Debmar-Mercury offered a 10-episode experiment in select markets that produced strong ratings, leading TBS to order a full-fledged series with an unprecedented 100 episodes. In January 2009, TBS premiered 10 episodes of Tyler Perry's "Meet the Browns" to strong ratings, leading the network to order additional episodes for a total of 80. So far this year, the two series have ranked as the top television programs in delivery of African-American viewers.

"When we set out to expand on the television comedy model that the amazing Tyler Perry has turned into a runaway success at TBS, we knew we had to be in business with Ice Cube, a cultural icon who can do it all: an acclaimed hip-hop artist, film phenomenon, actor, writer, director and producer," Debmar-Mercury co-president Mort Marcus said.

Debmar-Mercury co-president Ira Bernstein added, "To be back with TBS again and have a dream team of creative partners like Ice Cube, Joe Roth, Matt Alvarez and Ali LeRoi attached to this project, plus a breakout star in Terry Crews, this show has all the elements to be a major hit."

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW: THE DREAM

2009-07-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

Napoleon Dynamite to Star in Sitcom

Comedy Central has ordered 10 episodes of a groundbreaking series, starring Jon Heder as an out of work computer IT specialist, to be co-written by Will Ferrell.

NEW YORK, NY —Comedy Central has ordered an initial run of 10 episodes of a new, untitled sitcom starring Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite," "Blades of Glory") from Gary Sanchez Productions and Debmar-Mercury, it was announced today by Gary Sanchez Productions, Comedy Central and Debmar-Mercury.

Produced by Gary Sanchez Productions, the production company led by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy, distributed by Debmar-Mercury, the untitled, multi-camera sitcom for Comedy Central will star Jon Heder as an out of work computer IT specialist who leaves the big city and returns to his small home town, where he moves back in with his parents and younger brother. Ferrell, McKay and Henchy will write and produce the series.

Modeled after previous successful groundbreaking Tyler Perry sitcom ventures from Debmar-Mercury co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, Comedy Central has initially ordered 10 episodes of the Heder sitcom and will then have the option to order an additional 90 episodes upon a successful first-season run. Debmar-Mercury would retain the rights to take the series into syndication after its run on Comedy Central. Prior to this deal, Debmar-Mercury had partnered with Comedy Central in 2003 to distribute the broadcast syndication rights to the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series "South Park."

"Combining the creative genius of the Gary Sanchez gang with the brilliant business model established by Mort and Ira at Debmar-Mercury should ensure many, many great laughs in the years to come on Comedy Central says Michele Ganeless, president, Comedy Central. "With a proven track record featuring some of the most memorable comedy films ever made, we are so excited to be in business with Will, Adam, Chris and Jon," says Lauren Corrao, president, original programming and development, Comedy Central.

"We've always been fans of Jon's," McKay comments. "This deal gives us a chance to take some big creative swings without the risk of testing and focus grouping the show to death."

"We immediately jumped at the opportunity to be in business with this elite team of A-list comedy talents, who are among a handful of people in Hollywood capable of pulling off a project of this magnitude," notes Marcus. Adds Bernstein, "As we expand on a proven business model, we could not be more pleased that Comedy Central chose this concept to serve as its first full-fledged, live-action original sitcom."

David Bernath, Comedy Central's senior vice president, programming, negotiated the deal with Debmar-Mercury's Marcus and Bernstein.

Heder, 31, who came to fame starring as the title character in "Napoleon Dynamite," studied animation at Brigham Young University in Utah and appeared in student-produced short films, including a comedy, "Peluca." It was later expanded into the feature-length "Napoleon Dynamite." Its surprise hit status coming out of the Sundance Film Festival led the film into national distribution and, by the end of 2004, Heder's portrayal of the hapless Napoleon was widely imitated as the movie went on to gross more than a hundred times what it cost to make. Heder's acting career took off. He next appeared in the Reese Witherspoon romantic comedy "Just Like Heaven" (2005) and landed roles in other comedies, including the animated feature "Monster House" (2006) with Maggie Gyllenhaal and the ice-skating farce "Blades of Glory" (2007) with Ferrell.

SOURCE: POP TOWER

TV NEWS: JON HEDER MOVES TO COMEDY CENTRAL FOR HIS OWN SHOW

2009-07-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

Napoleon Dynamite to Star in Sitcom

Comedy Central has ordered 10 episodes of a groundbreaking series, starring Jon Heder as an out of work computer IT specialist, to be co-written by Will Ferrell.

"We've always been fans of Jon's," McKay comments. "This deal gives us a chance to take some big creative swings without the risk of testing and focus grouping the show to death."

David Bernath, Comedy Central's senior vice president, programming, negotiated the deal with Debmar-Mercury's Marcus and Bernstein.

SOURCE: POP TOWER

TV NEWS: NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE HEADS TO LIFETIME

2009-07-13T16:26:00.000-07:00

The New Adventures of Old Christine' Goes to Lifetime

The women's network has acquired the exclusive cable rights to the hit CBS comedy which will make its off-net cable premiere in the fall of 2010.

LOS ANGELES, CA—Lifetime Television, the number one women's network, has acquired the exclusive off-net cable rights to Warner Bros. Television's critically acclaimed hit comedy "The New Adventures of Old Christine," starring Emmy Award-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus, in a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lifetime will hold the exclusive cable rights to all 88 existing episodes of the program, as well as the exclusive cable rights to all episodes produced in future seasons. The comedy, for which Louis-Dreyfus won an Emmy in 2006 for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and which won a Humanitas Prize in 2007, will make its off-net cable premiere on Lifetime in fall 2010.

SOURCE: POP TOWER

POP CULTURE: GM EXITS BANKRUPTCY

2009-07-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

GM exits bankruptcy; CEO vows better performance

By TOM KRISHER and KEN THOMAS, Associated Press Writers

DETROIT – General Motors completed an unusually quick exit from bankruptcy protection on Friday with ambitions of making money and building cars people are eager to buy.

Once the world's largest and most powerful automaker, new GM is now leaner, cleansed of massive debt and burdensome contracts that would have sunk it without federal loans.

But GM, whose 40 days under court supervision was far shorter than anyone predicted, faces the worst auto sales slump in a quarter-century.

At a news conference, CEO Fritz Henderson said the revamped automaker will be faster and more responsive to customers than the old one. It will generate cash and repay billions in government loans ahead of a 2015 deadline.

The new company will build more cars and trucks that consumers want and launch them faster than in the past, the CEO said. GM also announced a partnership with online retailer eBay to test auctioning vehicles online.

"We recognize that we've been given a rare second chance at GM, and we are very grateful for that. And we appreciate the fact that we now have the tools to get the job done," he said.

Known for its sluggish decision-making process and bloated management ranks, GM will create a single, eight-member executive committee to speed up day-to-day decision-making, replacing two senior leadership forums.

Henderson said General Motors Corp. will streamline its bureaucratic management structure, cutting U.S. salaried employment by 20 percent, or 6,150 positions, by the end of 2009. The cuts include 450 executive jobs.

Henderson, who was promoted to chief executive in March, will run the global company and oversee its North American operations. GM's former chief operating officer, Henderson was chosen when President Barack Obama said former CEO Rick Wagoner's restructuring plans didn't go far enough.

Top executives at the new company will focus on business results, new vehicles, brands and consumers.

Bob Lutz, a legendary industry executive, was "unretiring" to become a vice chairman responsible for creative elements of products, marketing and customer relationships, Henderson said. Lutz had previously planned to retire at the end of the year after more than four decades in the auto business.

Nick Reilly, who has served as GM's Asia-Pacific president, will become executive vice president of GM's international operations based in Shanghai, China.

The new company will focus on customers, cars and culture.

"If we don't get this right, nothing else is going to work," Henderson said at GM's Downtown Detroit headquarters. "Business as usual is over at General Motors."

The automaker is launching a "Tell Fritz" Web site to allow owners and the public to share their concerns with senior management, and Henderson plans to go out on the road every month.

He said GM will partner with eBay in California to allow consumers to bid on vehicles just as they would in a typical eBay auction. They could also choose a "Buy it Now" option in an experiment to make car shopping easier. Dealers would still distribute the cars.

"As a culture, General Motors needs to be prepared to experiment and adjust," he said.

New Chairman Edward Whitacre Jr. said GM's trip through bankruptcy protection had been extremely challenging. "There have been a lot of long hours, there have been a shuttering of plants, there have been painful layoffs."

Whitacre cited the "strong leadership" of Henderson and the management team, giving the CEO a vote of confidence.

The company's logo will remain blue with white underlined GM letters, although the company had considered changing the background to green to symbolize an environmental focus. GM has no plans to change the background, Henderson said.

He said the U.S. government, which owns a majority stake in GM, has vowed that it would not get involved in day-to-day decisions.

The Treasury Department released a statement Friday afternoon crediting GM's restructuring with saving both the automaker and "tens of thousands" of American jobs.

"The hard work of charting a path to viability now rests with GM's board and management," Treasury said in its statement. "But we are confident that we remain on track to ultimately see returns on these taxpayer investments."

GM received $19 billion to $20 billion more in federal aid on Friday, the remainder of the $50 billion it will receive, Henderson said. A large part of the money will be held in escrow.

GM, in a viability plan presented to the government, said it would break even before interest and taxes next year, and be slightly above break-even for 2011 on a pretax basis.

"Sitting here today, I don't have any reason to disbelieve those numbers," Henderson said, giving no details of when the company would make a net profit.

Turning a profit will not be easy. GM has piled up losses and survives only because of government loans.

Besides the U.S. government's 61 percent controlling interest, the United Auto Workers union gets a 17.5 percent stake of the company through its retiree health care trust, and the Canadian government will control 11.7 percent. The remaining shares went to bondholders of the old company.

Concessions made by the United Auto Workers union just before the company entered bankruptcy protection have brought GM's labor costs down to where they are fully competitive with Toyota Motor Corp., Henderson said.

The parts of GM not moving to the new company will become part of "old GM," a collection of assets and liabilities that will be sold to pay creditors.

Ken Thomas reported from Washington, D.C.. AP Auto Writer Kimberly S. Johnson and AP Business Writer Jeff Karoub in Detroit contributed to this report.

POP CULTUR: COMCAST TO ADD HBO & CINEMAX TO STREAMING TRIAL

2009-07-13T16:20:00.000-07:00

COMCAST ADDS CINEMX, HBO TO ITS STREAMING TRIAL

PHILADELPHIA— And you thought the HBO hit TV series "Entourage" would never be streamed over the Internet — at least legally.

Comcast Corp. said Monday it will be streaming HBO and Cinemax shows, movies and other content online to 5,000 subscriber households in a national trial set to start in coming weeks. It is the first time the two premium movie channels will be offering their programs over the Internet to computers. Downloads to mobile devices may come in the future.

HBO and Cinemax will join TNT, TBS and Starz in Comcast's online video trial. If the technical test is successful, Comcast will roll out access coast-to-coast to its subscribers at no additional cost.

The trial is part of a joint effort with Time Warner Inc. to offer cable programming on the Internet as viewership increasingly moves outside of the living room. But programmers and pay-TV operators will provide access only behind a walled garden of subscribers.

Unveiled last month, the venture dubbed "TV Everywhere" by Time Warner and "On Demand Online" by Comcast began with TNT and TBS.

The cable channels will be available through Comcast.net and Fancast.com, Comcast's video aggregator site supported by advertising. About 750 hours of programming a month initially will be available and expected to increase over time.

Critical to the trial is authentication of viewer as a paying subscriber. Users will be asked to log on with a user name and password. If they are paying for the five cable networks, the system will authenticate them.

The trial includes only Comcast customers of both video and Internet services. In the future, deals will be made with other ISPs, even Comcast rivals such as phone companies.

The HBO and Cinemax trial will include full-length episodes of "Entourage" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" as well as movies including "Kung Fu Panda" and "The Dark Knight."

Subscribers can watch the programs online right after they are shown on television. They also can access a library of older programming.

POP CULTURE: ASK MEN- TOP 10 MALE ENTOURAGES

2009-07-13T16:19:00.001-07:00

EW DISNEY STAR ANIKA NONI ROSE TO HOST AFROPOP PUBLIC TELEVISION SERIES

Documentary Series on Contemporary African Diaspora Returns in October for Second Season

New York, NY (BlackNews.com) - Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, who recently made history by being cast as the first-ever African-American princess in Disney's The Princess and the Frog, has signed on to host the new season of AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange. An innovative documentary series on contemporary life, art and pop culture in the African Diaspora, AfroPoP's second season comes to public television in October 2009. The series is produced by the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), and co-presented by American Public Television (APT).

As the series host, Rose will introduce audiences to powerful stories about African boxers who journey across the Atlantic to match their skills against the best in global contests; a teenage girl who travels to Ghana and a Sierre Leonian ex-patriate who returns to his homeland, each hoping to dispel prevailing myths about the two continents; and, Hurricane Katrina victims who find themselves refugees in their own country.

In announcing Rose's hosting role on AfroPoP, NBPC Executive Director Jacquie Jones explained: "Anika's body of work reflects not only a strong connection to the African-American experience, but her recent work in Africa shows she shares a link to and insightful understanding of Black life in other parts of the world. At the same time, we were looking for a youthful voice who could express the great breadth of the Diaspora. She is a perfect fit for the series."

Film audiences will be reunited with Rose in November when she plays "Princess Tiana" in the animated, Disney musical feature opening in November. Her other recent acclaimed roles include secretary "Makutsi" in Anthony Minghella's HBO series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, "Lorrell Robinson" in the major motion picture Dreamgirls, and "Maggie" in the all-black cast of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof on Broadway. Rose won a Tony Award for her performance in Caroline, or Change.

To preview the series or for more information on the films or filmmakers, visit www.AfroPoP.tv

ABOUT THE FILMS:

The Fighting Spirit

Dir. George Amponsah

Boxing is show business with blood--a tough sport, which has always found its top competitors from the poorest neighborhoods. Bukom, a tiny district in Ghana's capital city of Accra, is one such locale. Grounded in a long cultural tradition of wrestling that over the years developed into boxing, the tiny fishing village trains young people to fight--and win. Bukom has produced up to five percent of the world's champion and Olympic medal boxers. The Fighting Spirit tells the story of three fighters from Bukom--two men and a woman--as they battle their way to the glittering rings of Europe and America to compete for the biggest prizes in the business. Viewers watch the athletes fight for respect and reward for their tribe and their home, and witness their triumphs and defeats in and out of the ring.

Black to Our Roots

Dir. Tre Whitlow

Living in a housing project in Atlanta, Georgia, 17-year-old Sylvia Dorsey is frustrated by the drug abuse and violence that surrounds her. Black To Our Roots is the inspirational story of the journey Sylvia takes to explore her ancestral home in Ghana in an attempt to escape the cycle of violence and poverty of her Atlanta neighborhood. In Africa, Sylvia confronts several challenges that test her patience and change her life forever. When she returns to the United States, will she be able to adjust to her old world as a new woman? This film is a testament to the power of change.

Desert Bayou

Dir. Alex LeMay

In the wake of one of the worst natural and humanitarian disasters ever to visit American shores, nearly 600 African Americans were airlifted to the almost entirely white state of Utah...without their knowledge. Desert Bayou seeks to examine whether two cultures can come together in a time of utter chaos, or whether their differences prove too great a challenge to overcome. In their own words evacuees of Hurricane Katrina, tell how they survived the storm of the century and out of the rubble ended up at a military installation in the deserts of Utah. With interviews from evacuees, political, military and religious leaders, community and social figures, the questions of race, politics and religion hurtle towards each other in this truly American story: a story of loss and reunion, of sorrow and rebirth, of anger and rejoicing, but most of all...a story of hope.

Moving to the Beat

Dir. Caleb Heymann/Abdul Fofanah

Moving to the Beat explores how youth in Africa and America are using hip hop music to communicate with one another and as a language for social change. The documentary follows Rebel Soulz, a hip hop group from Portland, Oregon, as they journey to Freetown, Sierra Leone to bring the radical roots of American hip hop to the motherland of Africa. In the process of collaborating and interacting with the local artists, the visitors confront their own stereotypes and fantasies of Africa while shattering the Sierra Leoneans perception of America as a "second heaven." The result is a deeply forged connection that transcends centuries of misunderstanding and separation, and becomes an inspiring call for people worldwide to transcend boundaries.

ABOUT NBPC

The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC), a national, nonprofit media arts organization, is the leading provider of black programming on public television and the greatest resource for the training of black media professionals within the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). NBPC develops, produces and funds television and online programming about the black experience and, since its founding in 1979, has provided hundreds of broadcast hours documenting African American history, culture and experience to public television. For more on NBPC and its initiatives, visit www.nbpc.tv

ABOUT AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION

With more than 10,000 hours of programming in its library, American Public Television (APT) has been a prime source of programming for the nation's public television stations for 47 years, distributing more than 300 new program titles per year. APT milestones include distribution of the first HD series on public television and the 2006 launch of Create(TM) - the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. Known for its leadership in identifying innovative, worthwhile and viewer-friendly programming, APT has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules, such as: Carreras Domingo Pavarotti in Concert, Winged Migration, Battlefield Britain, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves' Europe, Great Museums, Jacques Pépin: Fast Food My Way, America's Test Kitchen From Cook's Illustrated, Broadway: The Golden Age, Lidia's Family Table, California Dreamin' - The Songs of The Mamas & the Papas, Rosemary and Thyme, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, The Big Comfy Couch, Monarchy With David Starkey, and other prominent documentaries including AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange Program, dramatic series, how-to programs, children's series and classic movies. For more information about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org

TV NEWS: ANIKA NONI ROSE TO HOST AFRO POP PUBLIC TV SERIES

2009-07-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

EW DISNEY STAR ANIKA NONI ROSE TO HOST AFROPOP PUBLIC TELEVISION SERIES

Documentary Series on Contemporary African Diaspora Returns in October for Second Season

To preview the series or for more information on the films or filmmakers, visit www.AfroPoP.tv

ABOUT THE FILMS:

The Fighting Spirit

Dir. George Amponsah

Black to Our Roots

Dir. Tre Whitlow

Desert Bayou

Dir. Alex LeMay

Moving to the Beat

Dir. Caleb Heymann/Abdul Fofanah

ABOUT NBPC

ABOUT AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION

POP CULTURE: LAPD CRIME STATS CONTROVERSY

2009-07-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

IT SEEMS AS IF THE LAPD, ALLEGEDLY, HAVE BEEN ‘COOKING THE BOOKS’, SO TO SPEAK, WITH REGARDS TO THEIR CRIME STATISITICS. HAVING TROUBLE BELIEVING, READ BELOW, & DROP ME A MESSAGE.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd-crimemap9-

the Los Angeles Times

LAPD's public database omits nearly 40% of this year's crimes

The map, touted as a way for residents to monitor the safety of their neighborhoods, doesn't include about 19,000 serious crimes reported in other LAPD data. Officials say they're looking into it.

By Ben Welsh and Doug Smith

The Los Angeles Police Department's online crime map intended for public use has failed to include nearly 40% of serious crimes reported in the city, a Times analysis has found.

The omissions, which date back at least six months, include thousands of crimes known to LAPD officials and are included in their official crime statistics.

Among the 19,000 incidents between Jan. 1 and June 13 that do not appear at lapdcrimemaps.org:

* 26 homicides

* 137 rapes

* 10,766 personal, vehicle or other nonviolent thefts

In one of those rapes, a man hid in the back of a woman's car, forced her to drive to an abandoned North Hollywood apartment and assaulted her. It was the kind of incident that residents of the neighborhood around Sherman Way and Kester Avenue would have wanted to know about.

The March 26 attack was reported on the LAPD's blog but has yet to show up on the public map.

The lapses mean that the map, touted by city leaders as an important and innovative resource for city residents to determine whether their neighborhoods are safe, presents a drastically incomplete image of city crime.

Some residents have tried to bring the problem to the department's attention, to no avail. Jason Insalaco, a former resident of Atwater Village who uses the pen name GlendaleBlvd, posted a message about unmapped crimes in that area on a neighborhood message board earlier this year, but his concerns were dismissed by the department. He said he was outraged by the site's inaccuracies.

"The community is not being accurately informed," Insalaco said. "They are being misled and lulled into a false sense of security."

The Times discovered the magnitude of the problem while developing its own online map to display LAPD data. Comparing the LAPD map with the department's official totals revealed that thousands of crimes through mid-June were missing. The department’s official crime tally recorded more than 52,000 serious crimes this year. But the database on the public mapping site contained fewer than 33,000 for the same period.

Among the omissions, caused by a programming error, were more than a thousand violent robberies, including two out of seven street robberies committed in April and May by men posing as police officers.

The Times informed the LAPD last week of the discrepancy and specific examples of missing crimes.

This week, the LAPD added about 20,000 crimes from 2009 to data it provides The Times. But as of late Wednesday, those additions had yet to appear on the LAPD map.

"The department is looking into the issue that you brought to our attention," said Lt. Rick Banks, the officer in charge of the online unit. "When we come up with our findings, we will respond to you."

Banks declined to say whether the crimes were lost before the information was sent to the private contractors who produce the maps or whether the problems took place when the contractor processed the data. It was also unclear whether the problem dated to the origin of the project or was more recent.

The missing crimes mark the second major problem with the LAPD's public maps. In April, The Times found that programming errors by the LAPD's contractor had caused thousands of crimes to be mapped in the wrong place, mistakenly portraying the Los Angeles Civic Center as the most crime-ridden location in the city. To resolve the problem, the contractor has dropped those crimes from the map, but has not yet placed them in their correct locations.

When the LAPD launched the mapping site in March 2006, it was promoted as a publicly accessible version of Chief William J. Bratton's vaunted CompStat system. CompStat is a computer-powered tracking process first developed under Bratton at the New York Police Department that uses maps to track crime trends and guide deployment.

The internal CompStat system is managed by LAPD staff, and CompStat's top official emphasized that the problems with the public system had not affected the department's internal statistics.

"It's not something we had anything to do with," said Det. Jeff Godown, head of LAPD's CompStat unit. "It is what is. It's for the general public. For what we do [at LAPD] we have a much more robust thing."

By contrast, the map available to the public at lapdcrimemaps.org is a joint venture between the Web development firm LightRay Productions and the engineering company PSOMAS, which manages it. Together, the two companies market a product known as ePolicing, which sells the mapping application first built for LAPD to other police departments.

In an e-mail to The Times late Wednesday, PSOMAS Vice President Craig Gooch said his company had identified an inadvertent programming error and fixed it. However, reported crimes continued to be missing from both the LAPD map and data sent toThe Times.

The public map, which includes an e-mail notification service, was created as part of an overhaul of the LAPD's website funded with $362,000 raised by the Los Angeles Police Foundation.

The scale of the errors undermine the LAPD's expressed purpose in publishing the information. LAPD officials have said that a key reason for publishing the maps is so that residents can spot crime trends.

But earlier this year when the so-called Salt & Pepper Bandit robbed 13 Los Angeles banks in less than a month, only six of the heists found their way onto the LAPD map.

In Atwater Village, Insalaco and other residents saw that about half the crimes reported by the news media had failed to appear on the LAPD's site. But when their concerns about a "massive misinformation campaign" came to the attention of local police officials, Northeast Division Capt. William A. Murphy dismissed them.

"The simple answer -- no," Murphy wrote in an April 22 newsletter responding to Insalaco's allegations. "There is no way that we under report crimes in [the Northeast division] by 50%."

Contacted Wednesday, Murphy said he was troubled by the map's flaws.

"From my perspective, any time it's even slightly off, that can cause a question on all the statistics," Murphy said.

He conceded, though, that he did not check the map for accuracy even though he urged community groups to use it.

"I'm a police officer, I'm relying on the technology," Murphy said. "I'm not an expert on computer systems."

Those who are experts on technology say data omissions on this scale suggest a lack of attention to accuracy.

It means "someone was not being particularly concerned about their data quality," said Clay Johnson, director of software development for the nonprofit Sunlight Foundation, which republishes government data online and urges the government to release more.

Still, Johnson commends government agencies that make an effort to post data online.

Although he called a 40% data loss a big problem, he added that some level of error is unavoidable when working with complicated databases.

"I think it is acceptable as long as it's correctable," Johnson said. "You have to accept failure because it's going happen."

ben.welsh@latimes.com

doug.smith@latimes.com

POP CULTURE: COMPLEX MAGAZINE- 50 GREATEST ACTION MOVIES OF ALL TIME

2009-07-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

CHECK OUT THIS COOL ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTING THE 50 GREATEST ACTION MOVIES OF ALL TIME, AS THUS SAYETH MY GOOD FRIENDS OVER AT COMPLEX MAGAZINE.

LINK: http://www.complex.com/ENTERTAINMENT/MOVIES/The-50-Greatest-Action-Movies-of-All-Time

2009-07-06T08:07:00.001-07:00

Paparazzi lyrics - Lady Gaga lyrics

Paparazzi Video - Lady Gaga Music Videos

Music Videos by VideoCure

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW: DRAKE

2009-07-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

Finally. After months of everyone bumping Drake’s “Best I Ever Had”—sweat pants, hair-tied, chillin’ with no makeup on—the biggest song in the country finally gets a video. A video directed by Complex homie Kanye West, no less. And it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. This past week, the Toronto native’s smash single rocketed up 24 spots to #3 on the Billboard charts, right as he solidified his much gossiped-about record deal.

Just before premiering the highly anticipated video (whatup, OnSMASH!), Drake stopped by the Complex office to discuss working with Kanye, the truth about his new deal, his handicapped experience at the 2009 BET Awards and his thoughts on World Star Hip Hop’s newfound love of Degrassi…

Interview By Damien Scott

Complex: Everyone’s been waiting on this video. Can you take us through the making of it?

Drake: Yeah. The video is directed by Kanye West. Basically we decided, as opposed to taking ourselves super serious, we just wanted to have some fun with it. Myself, being a young man, a young single man at that, I kind of wanted to be real about the way I function with women at this current point in my life. Which is, I don’t have one woman that I call my girl. There’s different girls in my life that play different roles and I see at different times, but collectively they kind of make up the roster of happiness for me [Laughs].

Complex: Understandable. So what’s the concept?

Drake: The concept of the video is, I’m a coach at a high school and the girls of my life are all on my high school basketball team. Throughout the video you see us prepping for this big championship game, and my team ends up losing. You see the looks on their faces at the end of the video, but the moral of the story, I guess, is win or lose, you can still be the best to somebody. When women see the video and see all the breast and ass, hopefully they don’t take offense. Hopefully they see the real meaning.

Complex: Well, now they’ll know.

Drake: [Laughs.] Now they’ll know.

Complex: Kanye is known as kind of a control freak. How was it working with him on set with him directing?

Drake: Me and Kanye have a great eye to eye. I can’t speak for anybody else, but I would give Kanye the utmost credit for actually being one of the most understanding creative people that I have worked with. I think me and Kanye have mutual respect for each another and I listen to what he has to say regardless, ’cause I trust him. I don’t really fight his suggestions [Laughs.] But he was great. It was a long day and I just thank him for dedicating the time he dedicated. He was great.

Complex: Speaking of basketball, you tore your ACL playing basketball, right?

Drake: Yes sir. It was intense casual, I guess [Laughs]. It was just a regular pick up game and I just took the wrong step.

Complex: Damn, that’s horrible. At the BET Awards this past Sunday, everyone was shocked to see you sitting on a stool. Did you ever think to yourself, Maybe I shouldn’t perform?

Drake: That, actually—to be honest—was a terrible idea that I’ll never do to myself again. [Laughs] But I was being pressed from different areas to perform, and I think what really happened at the BET Awards is with the passing of Mike, the climate really changed, as far as the award show goes. I don’t think it called for us to perform “Every Girl” and “Always Strapped,” and I think it was an award show filled with tributes and music and these genuine heartfelt speeches. And to sort of climax out of a very tongue-in-cheek point, and then people misconstruing Wayne’s daughters and her friends coming out on stage…

Complex: Yeah, it really was an awkward moment.

Drake: Yeah, it was just timed very poorly and it definitely wasn’t planned like that, but with that being said, it is what is. I believe in Wayne and myself and it’s nothing we can’t bounce back from. To anyone who was offended, my personal apologies, it wasn’t intended to offend anybody.

Complex: Watching it at home, the BET Awards seemed to be a mess. Did it seem that way in person?

Drake: Well, I can only speak for my portion of it. I had asked for something very specific for my performance and none of those were met, as far as production value, so…

Complex: That’s BET for you…

Drake: I understood my situation, as far as sitting in one place, and figured there was a way to make it interesting. But when I looked around and noticed that none of that was going on [laughs], I kind of just realized that it was going to be a loss for me. But at the end of the day, it is what it is.

Complex: How did you feel when you heard Mike passed?

Drake : Shocking. Because Michael is just one of those people that you just kind of expect to always be there—he’s Michael Jackson. He’s like one of those guys you never think about…

Complex: …as a real person?

Drake: Yeah. I just never thought Mike could die. And it’s tragic. I know before this tour, a lot of people never had the opportunity to see Mike perform. It’s unfortunate and I always find it interesting to see when people pass away and people find this new found love for the person

Complex: Yeah, a lot of people were saying if Mike never passed, a lot of the comedians would have still gone on making jokes and what not.

Drake: Yeah, you know it’s just…it’s a very interesting thing when somebody passes away and people sort of…the world loves Michael Jackson, I just think that there are certain people who use it as an opportunity to talk more. With that being said, I always appreciated what Mike did and my condolences go out to Mike’s family.

Complex: For real. Going back to your music, “Best I Ever Had” jumped to #3 on the Billboard charts. And then you announced yesterday that you signed your deal with Universal…

Drake: Nah…I definitely want to clear this up, I didn’t sign to Universal. I’m actually signed to… a lot of people were telling me, “Oh, you should do it independent.” I’m actually 100% independent. I signed to Cortez Bryant and G. Roberson, my managers, so I signed a joint venture between Aspire Music Group, which is them, and Young Money. So the only part that Universal plays is P&D [pressing and distribution]. I’m not a Universal artist. I’m signed to myself.

Complex: What does Young Money bring to the table?

Drake: Since the beginning of this, Lil’ Wayne has always put himself out there on behalf of me, from spitting my verse at the VMAs, to jumping on the songs that I needed him on and always promoting me. Right now it’s more about building up Young Money, as opposed to what Young Money brings to the table at this point. Obviously, what Young Money brings to the table is Lil’ Wayne. He’s a powerhouse and I felt it was only fair to stay loyal. I thought it was only fair for him to get that look and I wanted the YM logo on the album and to make sure that he knows that I don’t take what he did for me for granted.

Complex: You were entertaining other offers from Atlantic and Interscope, right?

Drake: I can definitely say that I wanted to be over at Interscope for a while, but it wouldn’t allow me to work with Wayne the way that I wanted to work with Wayne. I had to make a sacrifice. But with that being said, if we sell some records and people actually see how the record deal breaks down… Somebody told me they saw my deal the other day and they said it was one of the worst record deals in history [for] the label. That’s a good thing for me. I own everything, I have 100% creative control, I own all my masters, everything. I’m blessed to be in that situation. If we sell some records, I think we’ll just add to the historic pace that this has been going at.

Complex: There was a feeling that if you didn’t sign to a major label, that would signal the demise of the record industry.

Drake: I think that it all depends on the success on the project. I can have this conversation with you and tell you the impact I think it may have, especially when the details of the deal get out. But it’s all dependent on what I do. I first have to make the right album that will sell some records. With that being said, I definitely think it could cause a bit of a shift if we find a way to sell a million records.

Complex: What made you want to strive to stay independent?

Drake: Since I started, I’ve always been giving my music away for free…I’ve always kind of done it for the people, you know? So I just want them to still have some attachment to this project. I don’t want to lose my fans completely because they support me in a way that’s more than just listening to my music. They support me like we’re friends. They support me like they have emotions invested in it. So I want there to be a challenge to it, so when it drops, they’re looking at the numbers, they’re maybe even clicking it twice on iTunes just to prove a point. I want it to be fun, man. This shit is just not exciting if it’s so straight forward like, “I’m putting a record out, go to the store and buy it” and there’s so many people behind it, it has nothing to do with me. You know? It’s like, fuck it, let’s just have fun, let’s see if we can shake up the world, let’s see if we can fuck with the system. I just figure it’d make it more interesting on the album day.

Complex: There were rumors of a $4 million bonus…

Drake: [Laughs] Where is it? Tell me where it is, I’ll go pick it up right now. I got some money. I got a little money. I’ll be alright for a couple months.

Complex: Lately there have been a couple videos on World Star Hip-Hop showing you in your Degrassi days. It doesn’t seem like your past bothers you in any regard…

Drake: I think World Star Hip-Hop thinks it bothers me. There was a time in my life when I really lashed out against World Star Hip-Hop. And it wasn’t World Star Hip-Hop the site, ’cause I’m not gonna pretend like I don’t go there every day. It was just the way people look at World Star Hip-Hop as an outlet for them to talk about shit. There are artists that I feel could be doing a lot better for themselves that go on there and kill their own careers by just talking too much, and I think that they took that personally and now all they do is air Degrassi clips of me and potential things that could embarrass me. But with me, man…the great thing about me being me in this game is that I’ve been so honest up until this point, I really have nothing to hide, I don’t fear any clip, you know? It’s out there already, everyone knows that’s my story. At the end of the day, it’s part of me, it’s my stepping stone. I’m proud of every moment thus far.

FASHION: FRINGE STYLE

2009-07-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Fringe Style

It was as if a single, defined element was plucked from 2008's flapper revival, elaborated upon and then modernised. That element was fringing; and if there's one thing every girl should be partying in during Spring/Summer 2009, it's that perfect fringed piece.

Who designed it

On the Spring/Summer 2009 runways, this burgeoning trend was prominent. Alexander McQueen's pieces were more to the structured side with sinew-esque fringing slinking around the body. Jil Sander's fringing was long and free-flowing, Alberta Ferretti's delicately pretty; while Gaspard Yurkievich took inspiration more from the Burlesque than the Jazz Age.

How to wear it

It depends largely upon the style and themeing of the piece. A pair of long, toned legs work wonders for a short fringed skirt; those lacking need to be a tad more cautious. The appeal of fringing also owes alot to the way it moves, so pay careful attention to buying quality fabrics that shimmy and shine and don't clump unattractively together.

POP CULTURE: ASK MEN- TOP 10 STATUS GADGETS

2009-07-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Top 10: 2009 Status Gadgets

Think an iPhone will still impress? Pick up these 10 gadgets in order to have envious eyes looking your way.

By Adam Weinberg,

Page 1:

This article is sponsored in part by Lexus (What's this?)

From the business world to your immediate group of friends, guys are always trying to one-up each other through their gadgets. In any walk of life where status is important, our personal electronic accessories have always essentially been an extension of personal success. In a market like gadgets that is always evolving, improving and upgrading, your slick and new device may have become nothing more than ordinary by the time you unbox it.

This list of the top 10 2009 status gadgets is designed as a road map to point out what will be some of the most exclusive, talked about, elite gadgets of the coming calendar year. Whether you’re looking for something to show off or just to enjoy the newest and greatest electronics, these status pieces are worth the attention.

Page 2: mypressi TWIST

Price: $129.00

What is it: A sophisticated and compact portable espresso machine that can offer up barista-level coffee anywhere, anytime.

What makes it elite: Espresso no longer has to be associated with big hulking machines and slow-moving coffee shop lines. This stylish gas-cartridge-powered gadget can deliver a flawless shot of caffeine any time you need it. The mypressi TWIST requires no batteries or wire hookups, and it works with your favorite ground blend or a ready to use E.S.E pod to give you plenty of beverage options.

Page 3: Samsung HMX-R10 HD Camcorder

Price: $500.00

What is it: This gadget takes the latest mini HD camcorder craze and supercharges it with high-end features and renowned Samsung style.

What makes it elite: Most compact HD recorders shoot in 720p and have minimal internal storage -- not the HMX-R10. This tiny powerhouse has a 5x zoom that shoots in full 1080p resolution and has a 2.7” LCD touchscreen. Besides the HD filming, the camera is also capable of capturing still photos with up to 9MP. The otherworldly design is both eye-catching and functional, giving you 25 more degrees of field vision for more natural images.

Page 4: Onkyo Bluetooth iPod Headphones

Price: $270.00

What is it: These padded headphones deliver high-quality sound minus the annoying, tangling wires of your standard iPod earbuds.

What makes it elite: Being able to ditch those restrictive white cords isn't the only benefit of using Onkyo Bluetooth iPod Headphones. Specifically, they were designed with a recording-studio-level frequency response time of 50Hz to 20Hz for superior clarity. The whole gadget is encased in a stylish metallic shell, which is a serious upgrade from the clunky plastic you are used to shoving in your ears. The battery life on the Onkyo headphones is an impressive eight hours, allowing you to listen to wireless audio for the duration of a long cross-Atlantic flight.

Page 5: Jawbone PRIME

Price: $130.00

What is it: Aliph’s coveted Bluetooth headsets get a boost in both function and form with the technologically impressive Jawbone PRIME.

What makes it elite: With unique features like the Noise Assassin, no single Bluetooth device is better at canceling out environmental interference and supplying top-notch audio quality. For on-the-go users, Aliph has introduced digital wind reduction for the Jawbone PRIME, making it easy to hold a clear conversation while outside walking or driving on a crowded freeway. For the color-minded status-conscious, this gadget is also offered in a bold array of hues, such as red, yellow and purple.

Page 6: Livio Radio

Price: $150.00

What is it: A poshly designed radio that can stream unlimited music from websites such as Pandora to anywhere you have access to the internet.

What makes it elite: This is the most stylish innovation in internet music services. With built-in Wi-Fi and ethernet capabilities, the Livio Radio gives you easy access to over 11,000 sites and lets you customize your musical preferences by rating each song as it plays. With additional audio inputs for digital music players like the iPod or Zune, the Livio Radio offers endless personal music options with next-generation sensibilities.

Page 7: Dell Latitude E6400 XFR

Price: $4,300.00

What is it: A powerhouse laptop that was engineered from the bottom up to withstand the toughest environments you can throw at it. The rugged and rough exterior gives way to a proficient beast of a computer within.

What makes it elite: There aren't many laptops that are made out of a Ballistic Armor Protection System, but that is exactly what the XFR is. With double the strength of the strongest magnesium alloy models, and a higher drop rating than any other laptop available today, the Latitude is damn near indestructible. The PrimoSeal technology makes the computer virtually invincible to dust, wind and liquid, while protecting the Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 14.1” impact-resistant LCD screen inside.

Page 8: HTC S743

Price: $490.00

What is it: A multimedia-loaded compact smartphone that manages to pack in a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard while still retaining its slim form.

What makes it elite: Located beneath the sleek exterior of the HTC S743 is a Windows Mobile-running smartphone that is as adept at handling business applications as it is personal activities. The robust connectivity of the HTC S743 includes built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth support, GPS navigation, and national 3G network usage. The 3.2MP camera shoots both still and video images in bold resolution, with easy uploading and sharing.

Page 9: Omega 2009 Ploprof Diver's Watch

Price: $7,700

What is it: A modern update on the professional diver’s watch, the Omega 2009 Ploprof is the culmination of four years' worth of development and 40 years of history.

What makes it elite: The Omega 2009 Ploprof is more watertight than a military grade submarine, and features elegant and refined pieces such as a coaxial Caliber 8500, a security push lock and a stainless steel case that is ocean-resistant for up to almost 4,000 feet. In fact, the attractive band on the Ploprof is actually made entirely of shark-proof mesh.

Page 10: Nikon D5000

Price: $850.00

What is it: This digital camera bridges the divide between point-and-shoot devices and pro-level DSLRs. The Nikon D5000 is loaded with all the high-end features reserved for complex upper-echelon cameras, but without the high degree of execution

What makes it elite: When it comes to innovation, the Nikon D5000 has it in spades. Starting with the 12.3MP sensor that can shoot not only amazingly clear resolution photography but also high-definition video, this camera is packed with options and capabilities. Thankfully, Nikon has taken a page from the most successful compact digital cameras by allowing you to control the D5000 through an easy and attractive 2.7” LCD touchscreen. This interface puts things like 11-point autofocus with 3D tracking, ISO 6400 and numerous scene modes at the tip of your fingers, and is beyond simple to operate.

Page 11: BeoVision 9

Price: $19,000.00

What is it: A cutting-edge 50” plasma HDTV from the innovating minds at Bang & Olufsen.

What makes it elite: Besides being one of the most uniquely designed flat-panel sets ever created, the super luxurious BeoVision 9 features an integrated center channel speaker with an acoustic lens and an automatically calibrated picture. After every 120 hours of viewing, the BeoVision 9 uses a robotic white balance arm to optimize your TV’s picture quality. In addition to a silver and black color configuration, Bang & Olufsen will also be releasing limited quantities of frames in red and blue.

BOOK REVIEW: GLORIA VANDERBILT- 'OBSESSION'

2009-07-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

At 85, a Brahmin in Blue Jeans Writes of Sex, Masks and Veggies

By CHARLES McGRATH

Gloria Vanderbilt’s new novel, “Obsession: An Erotic Tale,” which comes out next week, may be the steamiest book ever written by an octogenarian. And it’s one of very few volumes to arrive on the sex-book shelf accompanied by a blurb from Joyce Carol Oates, who calls it, “a remarkable tapestry of human passion — an interior world of highly charged erotic mysteries that teasingly suggest, but ever elude, decoding.”

In other words, it’s not always clear what’s going on. “Obsession,” published by Ecco, is the story of Priscilla Bingham, the widow of a Frank Lloyd Wright-like architect who, after his death, discovers a cache of letters, wrapped in magenta grosgrain ribbon, revealing in considerable detail his secret, kinky sex life. The author of these letters is Bee, a mysterious woman who may be a figment of Priscilla’s imagination, or possibly Priscilla is a figment of Bee’s. Either way, the letters don’t leave much out.

“Obsession” is written in stylized literary prose that owes something to Pauline Réage’s “Story of O,” and is set in a world that’s partly fantastical. It’s erotica, not porn. But it nevertheless uses vocabulary and describes activities of a sort that readers of The New York Times are usually shielded from. There are scenes involving dildos, whips, silken cords and golden nipple clamps, not to mention an ebony, smooth-backed Mason Pearson hairbrush purchased at Harrods. As the book explains, spanking with a Mason-Pearson is a “serious matter,” not the kind of thing that is rewarded with the “luscious afterglow of warm cocoa butter.” Mint, cayenne pepper and a fresh garden carrot are deployed in the book in ways never envisioned by “The Joy of Cooking.” And there is also a unicorn, though, blessedly, it remains a bystander.

Now 85, Ms. Vanderbilt could easily pass for 25 years younger. She still has the high cheeks and the wide, stretchy smile she flashed back in the ’80s, when she was selling jeans on television. She has a Brahminish, boarding-school accent but a down-to-earth steely determination. On days when she doesn’t write she paints or makes collages and Joseph Cornell-like “dream boxes,” some of which have been featured in literary magazines.

“I’m always in love, that’s one of my secrets,” she said recently, sitting in the living room of her apartment on Beekman Place. “I’m determined to be the best I can be for as long as I can, and when I’m not, I have my plans. I walk a lot and watch my diet. That’s the key of it. I’ve always had a lot of energy.”

Sex, presumably, is something Ms. Vanderbilt knows about, after four marriages, as well as affairs with, among others, Howard Hughes, Gene Kelly, Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra. She said she wasn’t at all embarrassed about the explicitness of her book, adding: “I don’t think age has anything to do with what you write about. The only thing that would embarrass me is bad writing, and the only thing that really concerned me was my children. You know how children can be about their parents. But mine are very intelligent and supportive.”

Ms. Vanderbilt’s son Anderson Cooper, the CNN newscaster, who read “Obsession” in manuscript, said: “The six most surprising words a mother can say to her son are: ‘Honey, I’m writing an erotic novel.’ But actually she’s pretty unique, and there’s not much she does that’s surprising anymore. At 85, whatever she wants to write is fine with me.”

Laughing, Ms. Vanderbilt said: “I have two very WASPy friends who are quite disapproving. One of them said, ‘I think it’s going to ruin your reputation.’ ” She went on: “But the book couldn’t have been done any other way, because then it would have been boring. I think that all the very graphic sex is true of self-exploration and true of fantasy. I think it’s poetic.”

The idea for “Obsession” came to her, she said, when she was browsing at the Strand one afternoon and spotted a book with the title “If Ever Two Were One,” which instantly became her first sentence. Her mother was a twin, she explained, and the idea of twinship has always fascinated her. Pairs, doubles, mirrors abound in “Obsession,” and the five-story Brooklyn sex mansion where most of the orgies take place is tellingly named the Janus Club. It’s run by Maja, an elegant madame who keeps up standards around the place by dressing her young ladies in Fortuny tea gowns, without underwear, and blindfolding them with masks of dove and marabou feathers. She also looks after the gilt and lacquered sex toys. If “Obsession” is ever made into a movie, Ms. Vanderbilt said, this is the part she would like to play.

Once she started on the book, Ms. Vanderbilt said, the writing, or the first draft, anyway, went very quickly. “It was as if I were channeling it,” she said, and added: “I do think all art is autobiographical, and I do think I know quite a bit about women. I don’t know anything about men.”

There isn’t much of her in Priscilla, she said, who is sexually timid and frustrated, but Bee, who is highly sensual and an orphan, as Ms. Vanderbilt was in a way after her father died and her mother lost custody of her following a long and scandalous trial, is another story. “Bee is me of course,” Ms. Vanderbilt said. “Absolutely. If you’ve never had a mother or a father, you grow up seeking something you’re never going to find, ever. You seek it in love and in people and in beauty.”

To judge from the book, at least, you can enhance your quest by scrubbing your torso with sea salt, bringing the skin to a glow before applying scented gardenia oil and a smidgen of honey aphrodisiac, so that you “can let loose shaking onto the breasts a goodly amount of chocolate sprinkles, which will adhere prettily.”

Ms. Vanderbilt has already rewritten the ending of “Obsession,” and the new version is available as an audiobook recording. She is also thinking about a sequel. “I can sort of see it, but not clearly yet,” she said, and she added that she thought a second installment would be much harder to write, the sex scenes especially. “I think I’ve already covered just about everything,” she said, and she laughed. “Sometimes I really crack myself up.”

TV PREVIEW: THE GREAT DEBATE

2009-07-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

VH1 Settles the Most Heated Debates of Pop Culture with 'The Great Debate' Hosted by Michael Buffer

The 5 Night Event Premieres on Monday, July 6th at 10 PM*

NEW YORK, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Star Trek or Star Wars? Ginger or Mary Ann? Boxers or briefs? These are some of the most important questions in the history of everything. And now, VH1, the worldwide authority on all things pop culture, is going to answer them--once and for all.

The hottest pop culture debates ever will be argued and settled in "The Great Debate" premiering on Monday, July 6th at 10 PM*. The 5-night event will be hosted by boxing and wrestling ring announcer Michael Buffer, famous for this catchphrase, "Let's get ready to rumble!" No holds will be barred. And all decisions will be final!

Beginning on Monday, July 6th through Friday, July 10th at 10 PM* every night, VH1 will settle the pop culture debates that have caused sleepless nights, ended friendships and consumed millions upon millions of nerd-hours. Each night will grow in intensity, from the "CALIENTE" first hour (Dreamiest Travolta Stud: Danny Zuko vs. Tony Manero) to the "INFERNO" final hour (Who is the greatest band of all-time? Beatles vs. Stones).

In addition to Michael Buffer, celebs of the past and present will appear to make their arguments on these terribly vital issues. Some of the guests include DMC, Gilbert Gottfried, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Hulk Hogan, Jerry Springer, Ray J, Omarosa, Salt-N-Pepa, Tila Tequila, Statler and Waldorf, Shana Moakler and Perez Hilton

Among the topics they'll be debating with the help of VH1 panelists: Who's more bootylicious, Beyonce or J.Lo? Who's tougher, Rocky or Rambo? Whose side are you on, Team Aniston or Team Jolie? What was the most awesome 80's power ballad, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" or "Home Sweet Home?"

So join VH1 for "The Great Debate" premiering on Monday, July 6th at 10 PM*. The time has come, you've asked the questions and now we're gonna settle them... forever!

Additionally, fans can weigh in on several debates like "Hot or Not?" and "Funny or Not?" online at GreatDebate.VH1.com beginning Monday, June 1. The results of each online debate will appear on-air during the weeklong series.

"The Great Debate" is a production of VH1. Pat Twist and Jon Rubin serve as Series and Show Producers while Jeff Olde, Shelly Tatro and Karla Hidalgo will serve as Executive Producers.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 95 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, VH1Games and extensive broadband video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

POP CULTURE: SOUTH CAROLINA SERIAL KILLER?? 5TH VICTIM FOUND

2009-07-06T07:39:00.000-07:00

'Serial killer' claims fifth victim in South Carolina

Man fatally shoots 5 people in less than a week near Gaffney, South Carolina

"Under the FBI's definition of a serial killer, yes, we have a serial killer," sheriff says

100 investigators from North and South Carolina working the case

People urged to check on relatives, especially those who live alone

From Stan Moberg

CNN

(CNN) -- A 15-year-old South Carolina girl who was shot earlier this week by a man authorities say fits the description of a serial killer has died, police said Saturday.

Abby Tyler died at 11:25 a.m. Saturday at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, said Chief Rick Turner of the Gaffney Police Department.

Her father, Stephen Tyler, 48, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting Thursday in the family-run furniture and appliance store, Tyler Home Center, in Gaffney.

On Friday, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office released a second sketch of a man believed to have fatally shot five people in less than a week.

"Let me say that under the FBI's definition of a serial killer, yes, we have a serial killer," Sheriff Bill Blanton said in Gaffney, a town in the county of about 54,000 residents 50 miles southwest of Charlotte, North Carolina.

He would not detail what has led investigators to conclude the shootings are linked or how they received the description of the suspect that has led to the two sketches. In addition, he said he did not know whether the shooter knew his victims or whether he may have chosen them at random. Watch locals gather to pray for victims and killer »

Police said he may be driving a light gray or champagne tan 1991-94 two-door Ford Explorer.

The first shooting happened Saturday, when peach farmer Kline W. Cash, 63, was found dead by his wife in their home, said Leigh Caldwell, a victims services coordinator for the sheriff's office.

Blanton said Cash's home may have been robbed.

On Wednesday, the bound and shot bodies of 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, were found in the mother's home, where she lived alone.

"We're still trying to determine if anything's missing from there," Blanton said.

Leave has been canceled for all members of the Police Department and the Sheriff's Department, said their respective chiefs, who urged residents to take precautions. Watch how fear has gripped the town »

About 100 investigators from North and South Carolina were working the case, Blanton said.

"I think our community has a right to be concerned," he said. "We're concerned. We're dealing with a man that's killed four people."

He urged residents to check on relatives, especially those who live alone. "We're asking the people in our community to be vigilant, to report anything."

But he cautioned against taking that too far. "Our concern is that people are going to start shooting at shadows," he said.

All AboutMurder and Homicide • South Carolina

Find this article at:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/04/south.carolina.killings/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

POP CULTURE: NFL'ER STEVE MCNAIR FOUND SHOT DEAD

2009-07-06T07:31:00.000-07:00

Former NFL QB Steve McNair found shot to death

NEW: Former NFL QB Steve McNair shot multiple times, including once in head

Gun found near body of woman identified as Sahel Kazemi, police say

Investigators say they do not know circumstances surrounding the shooting

McNair, 36, spent 13 seasons in the NFL, the majority with the Tennessee Titans

(CNN) -- Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was shot multiple times, including once in the head, at a Nashville, Tennessee, condominium, authorities said Saturday.

Police said they found McNair and a woman identified as Sahel Kazemi shot to death after receiving a phone call about an injured person.

McNair's body was found seated on a living room sofa, authorities said.

Kazemi sustained a gunshot wound to the head, authorities said. Police also said a pistol was found near her body.

Autopsies were scheduled for Sunday.

Asked whether the shooting was a murder-suicide, Don Aaron, spokesman for the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department, said investigators have not classified the incident . He said investigators have not ruled out anything but added that they were not "actively looking at suspects" Saturday night.

"I suspect we'll have something to say tomorrow," Aaron said.

The bodies were found just two days after Kazemi was pulled over in a Cadillac Escalade, registered to her and McNair, and charged with a DUI, Aaron said. McNair was in the vehicle at the time.

Although Aaron described Kazemi as McNair's "friend," a law enforcement source close to the investigation said that the woman is McNair's girlfriend and that the residence is her condominium in downtown Nashville.

Witnesses said McNair was a frequent visitor at the condominium.

Authorities were questioning people who were near the home, but they said no one was in custody.

Police could not provide details about the circumstances of the shooting. Watch police update reporters on McNair's death »

Investigators don't think McNair's wife, Mechelle, who is "very distraught," was involved, Aaron said.

McNair's family issued a statement through a spokesman Saturday, saying, "The families of Steve McNair in Mississippi and Tennessee appreciate the concern, thoughts and prayers during this difficult time of our lost of a husband, father and son. The family requests everyone would allow them time to mourn."

McNair's brother, Fred, also confirmed the death but had no immediate details.

McNair, 36, spent 13 seasons in the NFL, the majority with the Tennessee Titans, and was named the NFL's co-MVP along with Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning in 2003. He spent his last two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before announcing his retirement in April 2008.

The owner of the Titans, Bud Adams Jr., said in a statement that the organization was "saddened and shocked" to hear of McNair's death.

"He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans," Adams said.

"He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl."

The Titans marked a Super Bowl loss to the St. Louis Rams in 2000.

McNair attended Alcorn State in Mississippi.

Dozens of fans who rushed to the crime scene were rattled by the news of McNair's death.

"I'm in shock. It's so hard to believe," Sonya Hughes told CNN affiliate WKRN. "Tennessee Titans, Steve McNair -- on the Fourth of July."

Ludy Wallace, former Nashville city councilman, remembered McNair as a "friendly" guy.

"I think he made an everlasting impression with people he came in contact with and the people that attended his [football] camps," Wallace told CNN affiliate WTVF.

CNN's Mayra Cuevas and Mike Brooks contributed to this report.

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POP CULTURE: ROGER FEDERER WINS WIMBLEDON 2009

2009-07-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

Serena tops Venus in straight-sets final

Associated Press

WIMBLEDON, England -- Serena Williams fell to her knees on the grass, eyes closed, arms raised, and threw back her head.

After six years, it was her turn to hold up the Venus Rosewater Dish again.

In the fourth all-Williams final at Wimbledon, Serena beat her sister Venus 7-6 (3), 6-2 on Saturday for her third title and 11th Grand Slam championship.

"It feels so amazing," Serena said. "I'm so blessed. I feel like I shouldn't be holding the trophy. I can't believe I'm holding it. It's named for Venus and she always wins."

Serena came out on top by out-serving her big sister, lifting her game in the tiebreaker and dictating play throughout the second set, finally winning when five-time champion Venus slapped a backhand into the net on the fourth match point.

Serena beat Venus in the 2002 and '03 finals, before Venus prevailed in last year's championship match. Venus was trying to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win Wimbledon three years in a row.

Still, the Williams sisters proved their dominance at the All England Club once more, winning their eighth singles title this decade. As always with Williams vs. Williams matches, the celebrations were relatively muted. The sisters embraced at the net, with the 29-year-old Venus patting 27-year-old Serena on the back.

With the 7-6 (3), 6-2 triumph, Serena Williams took an 11-10 edge overall and 6-2 mark in Grand Slam finals against her sister Venus.

"I didn't think about Venus at all today," Serena said. "I just saw her as an opponent. At one point, after the first set, I looked on the side of the court at the stats, and it was like 'Williams, Williams.' I couldn't figure out which was which."

The sisters were due back on Centre Court later for the women's doubles final, where they will face Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs of Australia. They're seeking their fourth Wimbledon doubles title and 10th Grand Slam crown.

Venus had come into the final as the favorite after playing some of the best grass-court tennis of her career. She hadn't dropped a set in 17 straight matches at Wimbledon, but couldn't cope on this day with the fierce competitive drive and relentless power game of her sister.

"This is one of the few times I didn't expect to come out with the win today," Serena said. "When I won that first set, I was like, 'Wow, this is great. No matter what, I'm a set away.' So I was just trying to relax."

The statistics summed up Serena's superiority: She had 12 aces, 25 winners and 12 unforced errors, compared to two aces, 14 winners and 18 unforced mistakes for Venus.

"She played great, especially in the tiebreak," Venus said. "I would just play a good shot and she'd just hit a winner off of it or put me in a position where she could hit another winner. I played a good tiebreak, but she played a great one."

Serena now has an 11-10 edge overall and is 6-2 in Grand Slam finals against her sister. She currently holds three of the major titles -- the U.S. Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon -- and is one Slam win away from tying Billie Jean King at sixth all-time.

"It's unbelievable," Serena said. "I feel like now I'm just not even in a competition of how many I can win. It's just now I'm looking at the next goal of someone like Billie Jean King, who is completely my idol. To get to her level and have 12 would be even better."

Serena said she found no particular significance in stopping her sister from taking a third straight Wimbledon crown.

"She's won seven Grand Slams on her own, five being Wimbledon," Serena said. "You can't compare that, because she's a living legend right now."

Despite her dominance on the big stages, Serena will stay at No. 2 in the world rankings behind Dinara Safina. The Russian reached the top spot this year even though she has never won a Grand Slam title. She was routed 6-1, 6-0 by Venus in the Wimbledon semifinals.

"I think if you hold three Grand Slam titles maybe you should be No. 1, but not on the WTA Tour obviously," Serena said.

"My motivation is maybe just to win another Grand Slam and stay No. 2, I guess," she added with a laugh. "I'd rather definitely be No. 2 and hold three Grand Slams in the past year than be No. 1 and not have any."

Serena became the second player in the Open era to win the Wimbledon women's title after overcoming a match point, having done so in the semifinals against Elena Dementieva. The only other player to do it was Venus, who saved one in the 2005 final against Lindsay Davenport.

On a sunny, breezy day, there was little to separate the sisters for most of the first set, though Venus failed to convert her chances to break in the eighth game. Serving at 15-40, Serena saved the first break point with a second serve into the body that forced a backhand error from Venus. On the second, Venus went for a forehand passing shot that landed just wide of the line. Serena then hit back-to-back aces to take the game.

Serena dominated the tiebreaker, increasing her intensity and grunting volume and pushing Venus around the court. Serena closed it out in style, flicking a picture-perfect topspin lob that floated over Venus and into the back of the court for a winner.

Venus looked flat and demoralized in the second set and, from 2-2, Serena ran off the last four games. The match was essentially over when Venus double-faulted on break point in the sixth game to hand her sister a 4-2 lead. Two games later, Serena failed to convert on three match points before Venus ended the contest with a final backhand error.

"Serena and I, we both expect from ourselves great results," Venus said, refusing to reflect on what the siblings have accomplished. "At the moment, we're just pushing for everything that we can. And maybe when all these moments are over, then we can look back and kind of be amazed."

POP CULTURE: SERENA WILLIAMS BEATS VENUS WILLIAMS IN 2009 WIMBLEDON

2009-07-06T07:05:00.000-07:00