KIM "TOOTIE" FIELDS TAKES A SECOND TRIP DOWN THE AISLE WITH HER NEW BABY'S DADDY

HERE COMES THE BRIDE!

Actress Kim Fields (star of The Facts Of Life and Living Single) reportedly married her longtime boyfriend and the father of her child - Broadway dancer/actor Christopher Morgan.

We've met Kim on several occasions and she is good people. After her first brief marriage which ended in divorce, she deserves all the happiness in the world.

In acknowledging the nuptials, her fansite is saying that the private ceremony took place on July 23rd, 2007, with Pastor Donnie McClurkin officiating.

Of course, no celebrity hook-up these days is absent from some hint of scandal. MediaTakeOut.com has put it out there that one of Christoper's former co-workers questioned whether Morgan was heterosexual (see story here).

They go on to add that coincidentally - or maybe not so coincidentally, that Pastor McClurkin's ministry specializes in counseling men that homosexuality can be "overcome" through Bible study and intense prayer. While the Pastor has admitted to engaging in homosexual acts, he now claims to be "healed" and is currently living a celibate lifestyle.

Today it seems like Black folks can't win. If they don't get married, they're setting a bad example. If they marry outside their race, they're a traitor. When Black people decide to marry each other, one of them has to be gay.

You know what family, sometimes we are our own worst enemy.

So with that, we'll just say, "CONGRATULATIONS!"

DARK NEWS FOR ROBIN ROBERTS

Good Morning America co-anchor Robin "Rockin'" Roberts announced today that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. "I never thought I'd be writing...I have breast cancer," she writes in a message posted on ABCNews.com.

According to Roberts, she performed what is suggested for all women over the age of 20 do: a self-breast exam every month. She found a lump and immediately went to a doctor the next day where it was determined that she has an early form of breast cancer.

"Hearing the doctor say those words out loud was surreal," Robert writes.

But the 46-year-old telejournalist is remaining upbeat. More than 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, but the survival rate has climbed thanks to increased education about the disease and early screenings to help catch it before it spreads.

As fans of our blogsite know, we kid around a lot, but cancer--of any kind--is no joke, so in the spirit of ultimate health and wellness, we wish and pray for the best for our sister.

Keep rockin' it Robin!

THE BIG, BREAKING NEWS COMING FROM SISTERGIRL STAR JONES

Star Jones: Okay, Okay - I Had Gastric-Bypass Surgery

Nike Reaches $7.6M Settlement in Discrimination Suit
US Likely to Allow Liberian Refugees to Stay
U.N.: Brutality Against Women in Congo 'Beyond Rape'
Supporters of the Jena 6 Gather 43,000 Signatures

Anti-Affirmative Action Group Sues Over Missouri Ballot
Disparities in Infant Mortality Not Related to Race
Tom Joyner Seeks to Increase Black Men at HBCUs
Mel B on Eddie Murphy: We Planned this Pregnancy

BLACK WOMEN ARE DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES: BLOGGING!

When I first started blogging regularly, I did it as a way of formulating a body of work for my writing. Little did I know how technologically creative I'd become. And believe me when I say "technologically creative" it's relative.

My priority was, is and will always be to provide solid, rational, thought-provoking content, intended to mentally stimulate and encourage dialogue among the least understood among us. As a condition of my recognition, I've been asked to highlight five other blogs that make me think.

My blogroll says it all. So, here it goes:

What About Our Daughters - Sistah is doing big things like keeping sponsors from supporting offensive, not to mention just plain bad stuff on BET and anywhere else that's offensive. Keep doin' your thing Gina girl.

Mocha Momma - In a world where it seems that most of the mommy bloggers are white, this sistah is making sure that mommies of color have their rightful place when it comes to recognition. She's all that y'all.

Lynne D. Johnson - She is keepin' it real and us informed to what's really happening when it comes to technology and its impact on communication media as we know. This sister is badder than bad. She's even talking about Web 3.0 (I'll give you a hint - it has to do with widgets!). Come on now - can you say, "hand on the pulse" of all that really matters in technology and social networking on the web. Deeper than deep.

Get the rest from our sister here.

LINDSAY LOHAN: IS GOING GANGSTA THE NEW BLACK?

Lindsay Lohan’s Bubble

Lindsay Lohan has done it again, just a lot more extreme this time. After recklessly chasing two different vehicles in a car that didn’t belong to her while drunk and high on drugs, the actress apparently told police that she wasn’t driving, it was the Black guy.

Since the troubled actress has been in the news recently for her wild partying ways and excessive drug and alcohol abuse, many people have taken sides in this knockout battle she's having with herself. While everyone agrees that her latest decisions are dangerous, fans seated in the adoring home section naturally come up with reasons for her inevitable downfall.

A discussion on the talk radio show I produce involved one such supporter that pointed out this child actress has grown up in the spotlight, causing her to be in a bubble. She sees the world so differently that she thinks stealing a car, running over a lucky escapee’s foot, and taking the remaining hostages in the vehicle while chasing another car is just fine.

In fact, while terrifying the hostages in the SUV she boasted, "I can't get in trouble. I'm a celebrity. I can do whatever the f*** I want." If we continue to allow celebrities to live in this vodka and cocaine-laced bubble, we should simply begin to acknowledge the “bubbles” that many young offenders grow up in.

A young 18 year-old man might be arrested for selling drugs in every city in this country. Should the police take him in, rid his pockets of the narcotics, and then send him back home. His father is nowhere to be found, and his mother works two jobs in hopes to support her children. The young drug offender is the oldest and sees his little sisters can’t buy new clothes or multiple meals each day.

This is one hell of a bubble that covers a 'hood he didn’t choose to live in. What he sees is money can satisfy the needs and wants of his family. Does he have the right to say, “I’m from a bad neighborhood, I’ve never seen my father, and my sister is hungry. I can do whatever the f*** I want to help my family.”

People in this kind of bubble aren’t envied and praised like gods. They are labeled criminals from birth. If someone wants to give this young man an opportunity to attend a school where the teachers have the chance to actually teach, and where he is surrounded by peers that are planning careers that place them into a "prestigious" society, its called reverse discrimination.

Lock him up, throw away the key, and pat yourself on the back for getting another menace to society off the streets.

When Lindsay Lohan breaks the law, all that’s seen is a troubled starlet we’re all rooting for who has stumbled due to her life in the spotlight and irresponsible parents. Slap her with a chump-change fine, another rehab vacation, and hope she doesn’t kill someone in August.

Keep talking, it’s the only way they’ll ever hear you.--JJJ

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE LINDSAY LOHAN, IT'S THE ATTACK OF THE GIANT NEGROES!

By Undercover Black Man

Gather round, dear readers, and you will hear of a time when “giant negroes” roamed the earth. These giants committed shocking crimes. Newspapers from sea to shining sea documented their foul deeds.

Especially the New York Times.

The Times first acknowledged the existence of these fearsome creatures on August 5, 1897. The headline was “Insane Negro Giant in Newark.”

Over the next four decades, the New York Times provided all the news that was fit to print about “giant negroes.” Articles with headlines such as these:

“Giant Negro Attacks Police.” [Sept. 24, 1900]

“Negro Giant Guilty.” [July 28, 1905]

“Armed Negro Giant Goes Mad on Liner.” [May 15, 1916]

Click here to get the rest of this fascinating piece.

SISTERS ARE SMELLIN' WHAT THE SUDDENLY SINGLE ROCK IS COOKIN'

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson at his 'Summer On The Pier' Charity benefit. (website)

Half-Black, half-Samoan, half-tatted, all eyebrow. I don't know about y'all, but it works for me ladies.

HOLLA!

QUICKIE: DO BLACK FOLKS WHO READ VIBE GET CRUNK'D BEFORE OR AFTER THEY VOTE?

Sen. Barack Obama: the first presidential candidate to grace the cover of Vibe

Obama Makes History

The question is, do you think this is a smart move???

SANAA LATHAN AND SOFT & BEAUTIFUL GIVE $20,000

Actress Sanaa Lathan and the Soft & Beautiful company surprised the HerShe Group by awarding them with a $20,000 check. The HerShe Group, an LA based non-profit organization, assists girls in the foster care system who are nearing emancipation. The gift was presented by executives from Soft & Beautiful and Lathan, who named the HerShe Group as her favorite charity when she was voted "Ms Soft & Beautiful" earlier this year.

The surprise event took place during the HerShe Group's 2nd annual Cinderella Ball which took place at LA's Museum of Natural History this past Saturday. The debutante ball-- replete with flowing gowns, gloves, ladies-in-waiting, tuxedo wearing escorts and a well-choreographed waltz -- is sponsored by Los Angeles County, Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke and assisted by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Links, Inc.

Since its inception, the HerShe Group has received praise for its significant work with foster care girls and garnered support from celebrities like Eve, Dr. Dre, Larissa "Bootz" Hodge, Eminem, Nia Long and Lathan.

"We appreciate the help that companies like Soft & Beautiful and celebs like Sanaa have done for us," says Kenadie Cobbin, CEO of the HerShe Group, "but given the dire need of the thousands of the underprepared girls who will be ejected from the foster care system each year, we'll need more help. A whole lot more."

WOMEN DON'T SAY WHAT THEY MEAN AND MEAN WHAT THE SAY, RIGHT BROTHERS?

THE NINE WORDS WOMEN USE

1. Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

2. Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

3. Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine.

4. Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

5. Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men.

A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)

6. That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

7. Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome.

8 . Whatever: Is a women's way of saying F@!K YOU!

9. Don't worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking "What's wrong?"

For the woman's response refer to #3.

Men, you've been warned!
Women you know you're laughing right now because this is true.

AND THE RECENT LAURYN HILL PICTURES, THAT'S JUST GRAVY!

JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL: AL GORE III PLEADS TO DRUG POSSESSION, SEEKS TREATMENT SO CHARGES CAN BE DISMISSED

You're Next Lindsay Lohan, Don't Be Scurrred!

Media Alert! The son of former Vice-President Al Gore Jr has pled guilty to drug charges in an effort to avoid prison time.

Al Gore III just entered into the plea agreement which allows him to take advantage of California drug diversion program Proposition 36.

A ballot measure overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2000, Prop 36 focuses on treatment and recovery over incarceration.

GET THE INITIAL CHARGES HERE

If Gore III complies with all the terms and conditions of the program, he will be able to withdraw his plea and prosecutors will dismiss the case as early as 2009.

Sentencing in the Orange County case was continued for 6 months until February 7, 2008 for progress and a status report.

Speaking of Lindsay Lohan, you won't believe our next post. Check it out!

WHAT DOES A GUN STORE SELLING AMMO IN INGLEWOOD AND LINDSAY LOHAN'S RECENT ARREST HAVE IN COMMON? ACTIVIST NAJEE ALI

Civil and digital rights activist Najee Ali, the mother of Cheryl Green -- the 14 year old hate crime victim who was shot and killed by Latino gang members -- and a coalition of community leaders will use non-violent civil disobedience to protest the sale of live ammunition by Big 5 Sporting Goods in the city of Inglewood CA.

But first Ali wants Lindsay Lohan to do some hard time on lockdown. We received this press release over the weekend:

"Media reports that Lohan commandeered the vehicle, but our opinion is that if entertainers Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, Snoop Dogg or any Black celebrity had done the same thing it would be called car jacking.

They would have possibly been charged with either car jacking,driving without the owners consent,reckless driving, or assault with a deadly weapon.(the passenger Lohan ran over )

"This is a double standard of justice. One standard for rich white celebrity's and a different standard for everyone else.We want the District Attorney's office to increase and upgrade the charges " Stated Ali.

But we digress.

"Guns don't kill people. People who put ammunition in guns kill people. My daughter Cheryl was murdered by a handgun. The sale of live ammunition by Big 5 sporting goods and other stores in our community should no longer be tolerated". Stated Charlene Lovett, Founder of the Cheryl Green Foundation.

"We are calling upon state and city elected officials to implement increased measures making it more difficult to purchase live ammunition. We need to seriously regulate handgun ammunition. Any one with an I.D.can go into Big 5 and purchase ammunition, that includes gang members and ex-felons."

"Going to jail today to protest the continued slaughter of innocent children and victims of gun violence is a small price to pay. We will continue to protest Big 5 sporting goods and all stores that sale live ammunition in our community.We will not rest or give up until they remove the ammunition from the community." stated Ali, director of LA based Project Islamic H.O.P.E.

HAROLD PERRINEAU: LONE BLACK MAN ON 'LOST' HAS FOUND HIS WAY BACK TO THE ABC SERIES

Harold Perrineau, the actor in ABC's mega hit show, "Lost" sailed away to (supposedly) freedom and off the show early in season two. NO CREAM NO SUGAR has details about his return.

MICHAEL VICK'S CO DEFENDANT PLEADS GUILTY TO DOGFIGHTING: WILL TONY TAYLOR TURN ON THE BLACK BALLER?

Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Va., entered his plea in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities, and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.

One of Atlanta Falcon's Quarterback's Michael Vick's co-defendants, Taylor also agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. Taylor said he was not promised any specific sentence in return for his cooperation with the government.

Codefendant Says Michael Vick Funded Ring

U.S District Judge Henry Hudson asked Taylor, "You're pleading guilty and taking your chances, right?"

Taylor responded, "Yes." He faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Taylor and his attorney, Stephen Hudgins of Newport News, refused to answer reporters' questions as they left the federal courthouse after the 15-minute hearing.

Vick, the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, and two other co-defendants pleaded not guilty last week to similar charges.

Michael Vick Pleads Not Guilty to Dogfighting Charges Falcon's Owner: Vick Indictment Will Not Compromise Team NFL Quarterback Michael Vick Due in Court July 26 on Dogfighting Charges Gruesome Details in Indictment Naming NFL Quarterback Michael Vick in Dogfighting Case NFL Quarterback Michael Vick Indicted in Dog Fighting Case A federal indictment claims that Taylor found the Surry County property that Vick purchased and used as the site of "Bad Newz Kennels," a dogfighting enterprise. Federal prosecutors also allege that Taylor helped buy pit bulls and killed at least two dogs that performed poorly in test fights.

Vick, along with 35-year-old Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach and 28-year-old Quanis Phillips of Atlanta, are scheduled for trial Nov. 26. They remain free without bond.

OUR SISTAH ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING TO SAY: THIS TIME IT'S ABOUT THE 2007 BLOGHER CONFERENCE LAST WEEKEND

BlogHer '07 In Chicago Was Incredible!

There is so much follow-up, so much to share, so many new awesome woman bloggers I want to highlight.

Before I do that, however, check out the video I was able to make of my experience at the conference courtesy of AOL Body.

To say I had a good time at the 2007 BlogHer Conference would be an understatement. What made the experience especially nice was the spirit of the attendees and quality of the leadership. I will admit, I did have a little hesitation. In the past, I have been associated with groups run predominantly run by White women and unfortunately, it was not always the most pleasant of experiences.

That has not been the case with BlogHer. Take for instance our speakers training session. From the moment I walked in, founders, Elisa Camahort, Lisa Stone and Jory Des Jardins all welcomed me and other speakers with open arms. Their level of inclusiveness was indeed genuine.

The amount of diversity was also much higher than I expected. The number of sharp minds and sharp women with the small, common objective to change the world for good has made the mood nothing less than electrifying.

In terms of what I have learned -- it was a lot!

I also almost forgot what a happening place Chicago is - so full of life and happy hour starts at 5:00 p.m. like clock work. Good times!

Well, on to the incredible women I was able to hook up with:

MORE>>

THE USHER CHRONICLE'S: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS TAMEKA FOSTER?

Damage Control Kicks In Overdrive As Folks Speculate Whether The Stylist's Ex-Con Status Sealed The Couple's Fate

A close friend of R&B star Usher's former bride-to-be Tameka Foster said the pregnant stylist is "absolutely fine" since the wedding was abruptly called off on Saturday, hours before it was to begin.

YEAH RIGHT!

"She's doing well. She's absolutely fine," the friend, who answered Foster's cell phone on Sunday, told the New York Post. She said Foster, a 36-year-old divorced mother of three, has been communicating with Usher, 28, since Saturday. They are expecting a child together in the fall.

C'mon family, wouldn't it be better to admit that this is a challenging period and maybe ask that supporters keep them in prayer, or that fans allow them to work through some issues.

Instead we get, "They are still best friends. Why would anyone assume otherwise? People have assumed so much that was wrong about the relationship."

Nobody's disclosing where she is or whether the 18 month courtship is officially kaput!

On Sunday, crews drove up the winding driveway of music mogul L.A. Reid's 10,000-square-foot mansion in New York's Sagaponack, Long Island, ready to break down preparations for the lavish wedding, the Post reported.

It is believed the 70 to 100 guests, including Janet Jackson, Jermaine Dupri, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, were told just hours before the big event not to bother showing up, the Post said.

Although no official explanation was given, it is believed Usher's mother and former manager, Jonnetta Patton, did not approve of Foster (his former stylist who was a divorced mother of three), and had not been invited to the wedding.

A National Enquirer story, leaked just days before the planned nuptials and on newstands now, quoted Foster's half-sister saying the bride-to-be was an ex-con who had done time for petty theft.

Usher is soon expected to release the follow-up to his eight-million selling, Grammy-winning album "Confessions," released in 2005. He also has a fragrance due out in September.

INGMAR BERGMAN DIES

Swedish film director INGMAR BERGMAN has died, the Associated Press is reporting, citing local media. He was 89.

Starting his career in the early 1940s, he has been called the most prolific filmmaker of all time. He received nine Oscar nominations over the span of his career, including a Best Director nom for his last film, 'Fanny and Alexander,' in 1982.
He continued to write scripts for film and TV, and direct plays until his mid-80's.

The mutual torments of couples, the silence of God, the clash of theater and life, the festivity of life and the agony of death, idyllic dreams and terrifying nightmares, childhood innocence and adult violence: Ingmar Bergman captured all of these in films of astonishing beauty and power.

("Persona", 1965: Bibi Andersson and Liv Ulmann)

His film work was definitely a well traveled journey, starting with early works like; Summer Interlude, Summer with Monica, Sawdust and Tinsel, and Smiles of a Summer Night, to middle works like The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries, to the ferocious experiments of the 60s, Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light, Persona, and The Silence, to his great dramas of the 70s and 80s like Cries and Whispers, Scenes from a Marriage, The Magic Flute, and Fanny and Alexander, to three films he wrote in the 90s but did not direct, about his parents: Sunday's Children, Best Intentions, and Private Confessions.

Black films?? No, but I don't know of a Black filmmaker who was not been influenced.

SOME FOLKS AREN'T READY TO KICK EMBATTLED ATLANTA FALCON'S BLACK QUARTERBACK MICHAEL VICK TO THE CURB

200 Rally in Georgia to Show Support for Vick
Energy Shortage Hampers Development in Africa
South African Publishers Cancel 'Racist' Comic Book
Democratic Candidates Address Neglected Urban America
Historic Harlem Restaurant Serves Its Last Brunch
Jim Brown Kicks Off a $1.3M Program to Prevent Gang Violence
Sharpton: Slavery Fight Was for Freedom, Not Violence
Fighting Diamond Smuggling in Africa
McDonalds Sacks Twista Over Explicit Lyrics

IS 'HAIRSPRAY'S ELIJAH KELLEY GEARING UP TO PLAY LEGENDARY RAT PACKER SAMMY DAVIS JR?

"Hairspray" star Elijah Kelley is in talks to play performer in new Hollywood bio-pic.

"A Sammy Davis Jr. life story is in the works and they've been publicizing it and I would be selected to play him between 15 and 24," the 21-year-old Georgia borned actor, singer and dancer told reporters in New York.

"(It's) the story that really made him what he is ... sort of like in the line of 'Ray.' You know all about all his latter life, but here are the things that made him."

Elijah Kelley said he planned to meet with Davis Jr.'s widow as soon as he was done promoting the film musical, "Hairspray."

"(Davis Jr.) is the greatest entertainer that ever lived, in my opinion. I've seen clips. I've seen pictures. I've heard stories and just to be associated with somebody of his caliber is like bar none to me," he said. "I would really go in solitude for a long time to just get his mannerisms and everything down and, I swear to you, I'm going to do it justice."

DO WE NEED WHITE MEN TO TELL BLACK STORIES?

From Joseph Conrad through “The Last King of Scotland", and now the documentary, "The Devil Came On Horseback," popular stories about Africa have often had white men at their center. The rationale? Many filmmakers believe it is the most expedient way to reach a mainstream and therefore influential audience. Read John Anderson's story.

THE WAR AND OUR FALLEN HEROES 7-30-2007

Starting our week in perspective

IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, THE PENTAGON HAS RELEASED THE NAMES OF 36 SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.

Army SGT Allen A Greka, 29, of Alpena, MI
Army PFC Christopher D Kube, 18, of Sterling Heights, MI
Army SPC Robert D Varga, 24, of Monroe City, MO
Army PFC Benjamin B Bartlett Jr, 25, of Manchester, GA
Army SGT John R Massey, 29, of Judsonia, AR
Marine LCpl Shawn V Starkovich, 20, of Arlington, WA
Army SPC Eric M Holke, 31, of Crestline, CA
Navy CPO Patrick L Wade, 38, of Key West, FL
Navy P01 Jeffrey L. Chaney, 35, of Omaha, NE
Army SGT Nathan S Barnes, 23, of American Fork, UT
Army PFC Ron J Joshua Jr, 19, of Austin, TX
Army PFC Brandon K Bobb, 20, of Orlando, FL
Army PFC James J Harrelson, 19, of Dadeville, AL
Army SGT Ronald L Coffelt, 36, of Fair Oaks, CA
Army PFC Brandon M Craig, 25, of Earleville, MD
Army SFC Luis E Gutierrez-Rosales, 38, of Bakersfield, CA
Army SPC Zachary R Clouser, 19, of Dover, PA
Army SPC Richard Gilmore III, 22, of Jasper, AL
Army SPC Daniel E Gomez, 21, of Warner Robbins, GA
Army CPL Rhett A Butler, 22, of Fort Worth, TX
Army SGT Jacob S Schmuecker, 27, of Atkinson, NE
Marine Cpl Christopher G Scherer, 21, of East Northport, NY
Army SGT Shawn G Adams, 21, of Dixon, CA
Marine LCpl Bobby L Twitty, 20, of Bedias, TX
Army PFC Zachary R Endsley, 21, of Spring, TX
Navy HN Daniel S Noble, 21, of Whittier, CA
Army 1SG Michael S Curry Jr, 37, of Dania Beach, FL
Army SGT Travon T Johnson, 29, of Palmdale, CA
Army PFC Adam J Davis, 19, of Twin Falls, ID
Army PFC Jessy S Rogers, 20, of Copper Center, AK
Marine LCpl Robert A Lynch, 20, of Louisville, KY
Marine Cpl James H McRae, 22, of Springtown, TX
Marine Cpl Matthew R Zindars, 21, of Watertown, WI
Army SSG Joshua P Mattero, 29, of San Diego
Army SGT Courtney D Finch, 27, of Leavenworth, KS

WE THANK YOU AND PRAY FOR YOUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS

"FRIDAYS" THE ANIMATED MTV SERIES: MANDATORY VIEWING FOR AFROCENTRIC PEOPLE WITH SOME SENSE!

This clip with Secretary of State Condi Rice is da bomb!

WHY BLACK FOLKS ARE ANGRY: THE "BLACK KID DID IT" DEFENSE IS GETTING OLD, REAL OLD!

Great Moments In "Black Kid Did It!" History

By Karen Russell, Huffington Post

Every couple of years, the "Black kid" gets blamed for some random crime by some random White person.

Now Lindsay Lohan is that random White person. Lindsay has played the race card. She claimed that the "Black kid" was driving after she got pinched for a DUI. I wonder how long before she claims it was the "Black kid's" coke in the "Black kid's" pants?

I'm actually surprised the Bush administration hasn't tried the "Black kid did it" defense to explain that it was the "Black kid" who hid the missing WMDs; that is was the "Black kid" who outed Valerie Plame; and it was the "Black kid" who fired those pesky US attorneys. Although, truth be told, the White House really did have some "Black kid" do it.

Remember the President Bush's chief domestic policy advisor and GOP homophobe Claude Allen? First, Allen "resigned to spend time with his family?" Later, Jesse Helm's former spokesman, pled guilty to scamming Target out of $5000 worth of stuff over twenty-five visits to the store. Allen ultimately blamed Hurricane Katrina for his sticky fingers. Heck of a job, Claudie!

Twenty-five visits to Tarjay to scam $5000? Refund theft seems like a lot of work for a little return. Allen really could have used some coaching from the likes of fellow GOP homophobe Duke Cunningham. Duke got $2.4 M. At least Duke got hookers, his yacht the "Duke Stir" and a "1850 Louis Phillipe" commode.

There are other infamous moments in the "Black Kid did it" history. Who can forget Susan Smith? With her, "the Black kid carjacked me and took my kids!" defense. Smith repented by getting busy behind bars. Or Charles Stuart, with his "the Black kid shot and killed my pregnant wife! Luckily, he just grazed me!"The "Black kid did it" defense even inspired a South Park episode, where Butter's mom blamed the "Puerto Rican" guy.

In the movie, Freedomland starring Samuel L. Jackson and Julianne Moore, Moore used the "Black Neighborhood did it" defense when her kid went missing.

Unfortunately sometimes Black people also use this tired, old ploy. They call it "looking for the real killer".

FOLKS WHO GET IT: IS CHRISETTE MICHELE JUST A CUTER VERSION OF JENNIFER HUDSON?

Chrisette Michele - If I Have My Way

We think we've found our next American Idol dreamgirl!

2008 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES GIVE BLACK VOTERS THE FINGER

Beleaguered Party's Damage-Control Strategy Doesn't Appear To Include Us

By George Alexander, Black Enterprise

White Republican presidential candidates, led by Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and John McCain, are bearing the brunt of the mistakes of the current administration.

With President George W. Bush's approval rating reaching an all-time low of 28%, will Republicans come up with a formula to increase their voter base by wooing more Black votes?

Thus far, the answer seems to be no.

A recent study by AARP and The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies polled 700 likely African American voters in South Carolina and found that nearly all think presidential candidates should commit to action on affordable healthcare (97%) and retirement security (96%), while many felt that the three most important issues facing the country were the war in Iraq (56%), economy/jobs (40%) and healthcare (28%).

"To date, the Republicans have done nothing to address the issues important to the African American community, such as Katrina, urban policy, healthcare, and employment," charges Ronald Wakers, a University of Maryland political scientist and the author of Black Presidential Politics in America.

Other experts concur: "There's been no discussion of any of the issues that are acutely affecting African Americans," suggests Michael Fauntroy, assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University and author of Republicans and the Black Vote. Both Giuliani and Romney declined invitations to address the nonpartisan National Urban League convention in St. Louis this month.

Some experts propose that the Republicans have historically not adequately courted the Black vote because of their discomfort with addressing race relations in this country. "On the whole, White Republican leaders have not done the work of looking racism in the face, thinking about it in their society, thinking about it in their homes, in their communities, and getting to a place of deeper empathy," points out David Campt, Ph.D., an Independent who was a senior policy adviser for President Bill Clinton's Initiative on Race.

"The Republican base is conservative and controlled largely by the religious right," says Walters, who adds that the Republicans may make more of an effort to reach black voters in the general election. The country witnessed this outreach during the 2004 presidential campaign, when Republicans wooed some Black voters through faith-based initiatives led by conservative black clergy. The use of a faith-based strategy is expected again in 2008, says Walters.

EDDY CURRY AND ANTOINE WALKER: ARE BLACK ATHLETES GETTING ROBBED BY... GASP, OTHER BLACKS?!?!

Why Are High Profile Ballers Suddenly Being Targeted?

Three masked robbers broke into the suburban Chicago home of New York Knicks center Eddy Curry on Saturday morning and held his family and an employee at gunpoint.

A police officer said the three offenders restrained Curry, 24, his family and an employee with duct tape inside the Burr Ridge home. No one was injured in the incident.

The incident comes nearly three weeks after Miami Heat star and Chicago native Antoine Walker was robbed at gunpoint at his $4.1 million home in Chicago's River North neighborhood.

Like Curry, the 6-foot-9-inch Walker, 29, was tied up with duct tape by masked intruders, and robbed of jewelry and cash. Walker's black Mercedes was also stolen, but later found.

He later moved from the neighborhood.

Police aren't confirming whether the two crimes against the pro-athletes are related, but c'mon family, we know better.

If it turns out that Black folks are being these horrible home invasion robberies - both of which occurred in the Chicago area - would it make a difference to you?

Maybe it's me, but the idea of one of your own putting you through unnecessary drama leaves a bad taste.

Is that racist, or just keepin' it real?

What say you?

MIND ON MY MONEY: ING BANK? THE ORANGE BALL? VIRTUAL BANKING?

ING Bank is a company that seems to be everywhere, but in essence is nowhere.

I see you ING Bank, advertised on television, magazines, and newspapers ... but where is the ING Bank branch to cash my pay check, get a travelers check or run to, with cash in hand to "cover a check."

I see you ING Bank, in my mailbox with that orange envelope offering me $25.00 if I open an account, I see you on billboards and yes, I see you on your now famous park bench advertising. So where is the ING Bank branch to get that certified check, put the jewels in the safe deposit box or ask the eternal question “when will this check clear?”

Finally, where is the ING Bank branch with my most important features; like that cute Filipino teller with the great smile, the free cookies and the free espresso from your “state of the art single cup variable coffeemaker." One minute I see ING Bank the next minute I don't, but it always feels like you’re following me around. So to borrow a phrase from the film “Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid” let me ask, “Who are those guys?”

ING Bank is a "virtual" bank that only exist in cyberspace. You do all your banking online. No brick, mortar or smiling teller. You give up all this for what they have reasoned, you the consumer really want; very high interest rates and not a whole lot of fluff. How high you ask? While the typical savings account gives you 0.46% interest. ING is offering a whopping 4.5% on a regular savings.

Where the heck did they get such an idea would catch on?

Well … from you. Consumers put up with ticket less flying and Southwest Airlines surged their profits with no reserved seating. You don’t mind going to Home Depot and the grocery store and doing "self check out". You are buying from IKEA, designer furniture that you don't mind assembling yourself and paying bills online has cut your late fees in half, right?

ING Bank Direct other stats:

The largest Internet bank with half of the $90 billion done in online banking.

• More than 5 million account holders (100-150 thousand new each month)
  
• No fees no minimum balances
  
• Live customer service here in the U.S., no voice prompt from Calcutta India
  
• 5 Ciber cafes in major cities if your DSL goes down.
  
• Reluctantly have started checking accounts
  
• Offers only two mortgages 5year@ 6.6% and 7year @ 6.67% (because they figure most people move or refinance in 7 years.
  

ING BANK - we may not see you, but we are definitely feeling you!

QUICKIE: IS CONTROVERSIAL BLACK BASEBALL SLUGGER BARRY BONDS READY FOR HIS CLOSEUP?

*Hank Aaron 755 *Barry Bonds 754

*Babe Ruth 714 *Willie Mays 660

WHERE'S TAMEKA FOSTER?

Is This The Real Reason Usher Said No!

Legendary Blues Singer Etta James In Stable Condition
Urban League Conference: Blacks Must Have a Vision

Obama: I Haven't Traded Favors

Jay-Z on Columbia Move: 'I'm Nowhere Near That'
Former US Rep. Cynthia McKinney Sues AJC, Alleging Libel
Study: Middle-Class Blacks Fleeing Miami-Dade County
Jet's Curtis Martin Eyeing NFL Ownership

Cleveland's Predatory Lending Crisis Hits Blacks Hard

South Africa's De Klerk Denies Attempted Murder
'Who's Your Caddy?' Hits One in the Rough
NAACP Protests 'Unlawful' LEAP Tests

BUT DAMN #235: REAL ESTATE MOVING MISTAKES

One of my best friends is moving back to New York. I love her and would do anything for her.

But Damn...

She is so disorganized, it is playing havoc with my time and my patience has run out... after all, she's the one moving - not me!

How can you avoid making mistakes when you’re gearing up for a move?

Get multiple references when booking movers. Just as you’d get references with the company that moves your belongings, take similar care when choosing a new city. Read the area’s local newspapers, talk to moms outside the school where your kids would go, knock on the doors of your potential new neighbors. Ask what people like and don’t like about the city. A Chamber of Commerce is also a good place to get detailed info. Use any information you get there as a launching pad for questions of your own.

Study a moving company’s contract in detail. Is the price truly guaranteed, or is there a chance it will increase upon delivery? Exactly what insurance are they offering, and will it really cover your losses if something happens? Are they guaranteeing an arrival day, or will you possibly be sitting in your new home with no belongings for a few days?

Avoid Rushing. You’re more apt to end up with a moving company you don’t like — not to mention a house you don’t like — if you don’t give yourself time. When Darci Smith moved from Grand Rapids, Mich., to Chicago in 2004, an unexpectedly quick sale of her house meant she had just two days to find an apartment. “ I found a nice place but didn't take into account that it was a neighborhood that didn't satisfy my reasons for moving to a big city," she says. A year later, she bought a condo — making sure it was in the midst of a thriving area.

Time It Right. Summer tends to be the busiest and most expensive time to hire a moving company. (No one wants to lug sofas around or push dollies through snowy driveways.) If you have kids, though, summer is often the best way to avoid disrupting school. However, the younger your kids, the easier it is on them to move midyear; younger children aren’t quite as entrenched with cliques of friends, sports and after-school activities and they tend to make new friends easier.

Nods to Homestore, Inc.

USHER, EDDIE MURPHY AND IAN JOHNSON: BLACK MEN GETTING MARRIED (OR NOT) TOPS THE DAY'S NEWS

While we can only imagine what's really going on with Usher, his mama and his baby mama drama, Ian Johnson was in Idaho getting hitched.

But not before the Black Boise State running back and his bride in white prayed to end prejudice.

Johnson and Chrissy Popadics, the bubbly head cheerleader he proposed to after scoring the winning points in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma, were married Saturday in a traditional ceremony at Cathedral of the Rockies First United Methodist Church.

Johnson revealed that he received phone calls and about 30 letters, including personal threats from people who objected to his plans to marry a White woman.

The ceremony went on, however, ending with the couple jumping over a broom , an African tradition signifying the couple jumping into a new life together.

Speaking of jumping the broom, Bossip posted a story that Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds are reportedly engaged after only 10 months of courting. (between the two of them, they have what... 10 kids?)

According to OK! magazine, the 46-year-old ‘Dreamgirls’ and ‘Shrek the Third’ star proposed on July 25 with a “massive,” roughly 8-carat CARTIER yellow diamond engagement ring.

A friend of the couple says, “They’re very adorable together, very happy,” adding that they plan to tie the knot before the end of the year with a private wedding: “something low-key and romantic.

The two showed up at the Hollywood premiere of Edmond's comedy "Who's Your Caddy?" with a big rock --as in diamond-- on her left ring finger. "A really sweet, wonderful, beautiful gift that this (baby faced) man gave me," the producer of the film gushed before realizing that she unknowingly compared him with her first (cash-cow) husband.

When asked about the engagement rumors, Murphy reportedly said: "If I were gonna do an engagement ring, it would be much bigger."

Tracey, better watch your back, Mel B is coming back with a vengeance as The Spice Girls plan to start touring again. Here's their latest publicity shot since announcing that they have reunited:

Not bad for having just popped out a little Murphy girl just a few months ago.

DETERMINED TO WATCH BEYONCE'S FALL? OKAY, HERE IT IS!

All Falls Down - Destiny's Child Edition
Uploaded by YouveeDOTnet

BARACK OBAMA AND THE RACE CARD: WHEN IS BEING BLACK ENOUGH?

Are You Black Enough?

By Brian Copeland, LA Times

Despite the rising American death toll in a divisive war, record gasoline prices and homes lost to foreclosure in historic numbers, this was the one question that I knew Sen. Barack Obama would be asked by Internet voters at the Democratic CNN-YouTube debate.

It is a question that dogs not only the first viable African American presidential candidate in our nation's history but all blacks.

As a middle-class black man, raised and currently residing in the suburbs, I too have been the target of this question. Not too long along ago, I received an anonymous letter at the radio station where I work. It was clear and concise: "As an African American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because YOU are not a genuine black man!"

Why do people say this to me? Is it the way I dress and speak? The music I listen to? The fact that I TiVo "Frasier"? More important, who has the right to decide what it means to be "genuinely black?"

The dilemma facing the senator and me is not new, nor is it unique. The race police exist in all hues and all cultures. The disturbing irony is that demonizing people who don't fit a preconceived notion of ethnic authenticity reinforces and perpetuates bigoted stereotypes.

Obama cited his difficulty in hailing a cab as his black "credentials." I can also virtually guarantee that there have been times when he has been followed from aisle to aisle in a store by a suspicious manager, stopped for a nonexistent reason while driving in the "wrong" neighborhood, subjected to the dreaded N-word and accused of a transgression he had nothing to do with. I don't, however, see these elements of racial discrimination as being the entirety of the black experience in America.



Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He was a university lecturer, a civil rights lawyer, a community organizer and a state senator. And now he is one of the handful of nonwhite U.S. senators in this nation's history. Despite all of these achievements, everyone from voters to Newsweek magazine wants to know if his blackness is authentic enough.

On the other hand, if you go to the street corners of Oakland, Baltimore, Detroit, Compton or any other major urban area in the country on a given night, you'll find guys selling crack, guys with five babies by five different women, guys headed to jail and guys just released from jail, gang bangers and pimps along with hustlers and dealers. Nobody is questioning their racial authenticity. Nobody is saying that they're not real black men.

When did the bottom rung of the ladder become the expected norm, and those who strive for things greater become racial anomalies?

Obama's experience, like mine, is filled with as much pain and joy, as much happiness and sorrow and as many frustrations and rewards as any American with a similar complexion. His is the true African American experience because it is his experience. He has persisted and persevered. If these qualities are not the hallmark of blackness in this country, nothing is.

AS USHER CALLS OFF WEDDING, BLACK CROONER RON "MR. BIGGS" ISLEY GETS READY FOR LOCKDOWN!

Isley Prepares for Jail, Def Jam Seeks Pardon
Africa Needs to 'Control Its Own Destiny'
Obama: My Presidency Would Unleash a 'Transformation'
New Program Organizes African Americans in Iowa

Hudson's Debut in Ads for 'Seduction'

Jill Scott Lands First-Ever Starring Role
UN Concerned at Haiti Lynchings
UK: Racism 'May Harm Black Pupils' Education'
Climate Change Escalates Darfur Crisis
Civil Rights Group Suing KKK in Kentucky

BEFORE THE USHER-TAMEKA WEDDING WAS CALLED OFF,
BOSSIP REPORTED THIS:

According to In Touch Weekly, Tameka Foster let Chilli have it when they saw each other over Ms. Patton’s crib. Chilli still talks to Usher’s mother and was visiting when crazy Tameka walked in:

Tameka walked in and hit the roof. She screamed at Chilli, “Doesn’t your boyfriend have a mom you can visit?” Chilli just told her to grow up and walked out laughing.

GET THE DETAILS OF HOW EVERYTHING WENT DOWNHILL FROM THERE, HERE.

USHER AND TAMEKA CALL OFF WEDDING?!?! DID THE BLACK R&B SUPERSTAR GET COLD FEET? WAS CHILLI BEHIND IT?

BOMBSHELL: USHER MARRIES AFTER ALL!!

Is it this another rumor? Was his mama there?

Does he still love Chilli?

Usher, 28, and Tameka "How The Stylist Got Her Groove Back" Foster were supposed to tie the knot today at record executive LA Reid’s Hamptons estate. All guests who were expected to attend the event have been told that the event will not take place as originally planned.

In a statement to the Associated Press, publicist Patti Webster said, "It was announced today that the wedding ceremony for Usher Raymond IV and Tameka Foster was canceled.

What "Confessions" will Usher make this time???



No additional information will be given regarding the circumstances of the cancellation, but we hope the privacy of this matter will be respected." Usher and Tameka are expecting a child together in January, but no word if they still remain engaged. Foster has three children with her first husband.

There is no confirmation if its a case of cold feet or perhaps Tameka decided to be a “runaway bride”, but there have been rumors that Usher’s mother wasn’t happy about the union. Usher even went to the extent to fire his mother as his manager. Then there was the rumor of a prenuptial agreement not being requested by Usher, making for even more drama.

You know Black blogs like Young, Black and Fabulous, Bossip, Concrete Loop, and Dirty Whore will be taking about this for weeks!

While no official reason was given for the sudden cancellation, E! News is reporting that Usher's mother, Jonnetta Patton, was less than keen on the match and was not invited. There were reports that Usher's godfather, actor Ben Vereen, was also taken off the guest list because of his protestation to the marriage.

In May, Usher cut professional ties with Patton, who had served as his manager for the length of the 28-year-old's mega-successful career. He denied whispers that the termination was prompted by 36-year-old Foster after she expressed interest in becoming his manager. The same month he also amicably split with his publicist of nine years, Simon Smalls.

Earlier this week, blogs sites and the National Enquirer reported that Tameka Foster has a history of arrests:

"Tameka is an ex-con whose first lover was gunned down in a drug-related execution-style shooting." Poor Usher has no idea who he's marrying," Tameka's half sister Valencia Foster told The Enquirer. " Tameka, fleeing from a troubled home life, moved in with Valencia when she was 11. "She arrived with $14 in food stamps in her purse," recalled Valencia. "She turned out to be a nightmare. "By 14, she had become involved with a married drug dealer five years older than her, Valencia says. "I banned him from the house – but four years later she was pregnant with his baby when his car was ambushed and he was riddled with bullets. Tameka missed being with him in the car by minutes." -- The National Enquirer

Two weeks ago, the mutliplatinum entertainer addressed the speculation swirling around his relationship with Foster. In an open letter to People, he denied that the older woman was controlling his life.

"I am happy, excited, completely clear and independent on my direction, feelings, decisions and I am NOT BEING LED," he wrote. "Some media and bloggers have been totally intrusive, they have misconstrued aspects of my personal life and, because of this, my 'true' fans are not sure about what is fact and what is fiction.

Now Mama Usher loved her some Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas. Check out the sexy singer's video response here.

THE WEDDING WAS CALLED OFF BECAUSE _____________ (Fill in the Blank)