Keepingitreal

Today's papers: The Last Days

The Los Angeles Times fills its lead slot with a look at the presidential candidates' strategies for the last nine days on the campaign trail. McCain plans to spend most of his time attacking Obama's economic plan and warning of a Democratic supermajority, while the Obama campaign is concerned primarily with staving off overconfidence. The Washington Post leads with increased scrutiny of credit card donations given to the candidates through their websites. Barack Obama's record-shattering $150 million campaign haul has raised questions in both parties about the laxly overseen, anonymous world of internet campaign donations. The New York Times leads with the slowing demand for American products, which means thousands of Americans are losing their jobs. Many of the United States' highest-profile corporations have announced layoffs, and economists expect unemployment numbers to exceed 200,000 when they are announced Nov. 7. Barack Obama's "message of hope" will remain the same through Nov. 4, the LAT reports, while John McCain is sharpening the points of a "three-pronged" final attack that will focus on Obama's tax plan, his limited experience, and the excessive power the Democratic Party could wield if he is elected. Both sides admit the outlook is bleak for McCain, and the LAT reports that McCain's aides privately discuss his return to the senate. Even though Obama leads comfortably in several states that McCain cannot afford to lose, his campaign is concerned about "overconfidence." Obama campaign officials cite the razor-thin margins by which many battleground states were won in recent elections as caution that the race is still anyone's game. A framed front-pager in the WP focuses on the Republican Party's well-oiled get-out-the-vote machine in Colorado (a must-win for McCain), which may be threatened for the first time by Obama's impressively organized volunteers. Colorado Republicans say their grassroots experience in the state should give them an edge. To continue reading, click here.

USHER TRADING PLACES

Live: The Jonas Brothers at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine

On Saturday night, a target audience gathered at Irvine's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater that would set aflutter the heart of any marketer worth his metrics. The joyful tribe of 15,000 tweens was bound by the bright garb of Hot Topic, Abercrombie & Fitch and other mall stores, and sparkly cellphones, the palm-sweaty medium for cryptic-cute messages.Like avid ornithologists, these Hayleys and Ashleys had journeyed from all over the Southland and beyond to catch the songs from their favorite birds of a Disney-colored paradise, the Jonas Brothers, three siblings from New Jersey whose trills enthrall young feminine hearts more effectively than anything advertisers could dream.No matter what tough cultural equations may be at work, it was an easy night for the amphitheater's security. When three girls galloped by, excited by the first chords of opener Demi Lovato, a guard outfitted in various gadgets said, "Ladies, no running please." They immediately slowed down. Jonas pal Lovato wasn't the heartthrob of the hour, but she was greeted with obedient enthusiasm. Her winsome smile broadcasted hard-won confidence during the summer's smash, "Who Will I Be," and her brown eyes communicated pain when she sang about heartbreak. Her spiky bangs were wet with sweat, her cheeks flush, but she never took off her little red jacket.The brothers took the stage after a 20-minute period in which the screens that flanked the stage were filled with text messages sent from the crowd ("I luv u Nick!") and ads including one for the band's charity foundation, ChangeForTheChildren.org. The pre-show entertainment was a good primer for the Jonas Brothers experience -- part wholesome lust, part charitable awareness, all commercially genuine.On a stage with two ramps that flickered with bursts of fire -- this is the Burnin' Up Tour, after all -- Nick, Kevin and Joe Jonas pumped out sculpted rock 'n' roll. At its best, the Jonas Brothers' music has the tangy bite of the Cars, but without an obvious eccentric like Ric Ocasek, the band loses any real chance for edge or humor. SOURCE:LAT.COM

Raheem DeVaughn:"Try Again"

End of Week: Maxwell “Fortunate”

Carnival Party Guide To Rio

Valentino, Quincy Jones, and models Natalia Vodianova and Daria Werbowy have all confirmed that they will be in Rio for Carnival. If you are heading to Rio later this week as well, here is a list of parties and events you will not want to miss. Friday, February 1st: R:evolution Open Air with DJ Tony Moran at Clube de Remo do Flamengo. Babylon International Connection with DJ Stephan Grondin at The Week Rio. Saturday, February 2nd: Cosmopolitan with DJ Peter Rauhofer at The Week Rio. Verão TIM with David Guetta at Jockey Club (not a gay event). Sunday, February 3rd: The Original Brazilian Pool Party with DJ Roland Belmares at Clube Internacional de Regatas. Day Party with Matinee Group at The Week Rio, starting at 4pm. B.I.T.C.H. with DJ Offer Nissim at Fundição Progresso. Monday, February 4th: Cosmopolitan with DJ Isaac Escalante at The Week Rio. Tuesday, February 5th: The Original Brazilian Pool Party with DJ Bill Halquist at Clube Internacional de Regatas. Day Party with DJ Brett Henrichsen at The Week Rio, starting at 4pm. X-Demente at Marina da Glória (the line up has not yet been confirmed). SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Are Men Too Femme?

WENDY WILLIAMS RADIO SHOW

Ricky Romance on the Wendy Williams Radio Show
Uploaded by claycane

Words: Oveous Maximus

"EduCancion" by Elizabeth Acevedo

Just because I smile at you, don't mean I'm trying to get in bed with you

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Common and the Drunk Fan

Can We Be Frank?

Randomness...Can we be Frank? Did any of us really think that 50 Cents actually stood a chance against Miss Kanye? I'm mean, c'mon on now, we should have known better. I will say though, ego and all,absolutely fascinated with the ways in which Kanye has been able to unapologetically flaunt his nerdish, queerish/punkish ways. The constant diva tantrums [exhibit A] the extravagant, feminizing frames and tailored suits; the fashion editor position at Complex Magazine, the strange relationship John Legend...I love every dam bit of it. What’s also interesting about Kanye is the way in which he embodies what one of my old mentors, Manthia Diawara, used to call "homeboy cosmopolitanism": a sort of hybrid amalgamation of black “high” and "popular" (low) culture. By situating himself within the Hip Hop genre, Kanye earns "street" credibility, even while subscribing to the logic of black middle class respectability ("the college graduate," etc). His performance persona can be situated within a long genealogy of "elegant" black male stars like Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, though he's not quite as polished. But again, thats the goal--I think. Go on Kanye, I aint mad at ya! Check out Miles Marshal Lewis’ take on Kanye over at the BronxBiannual blog. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

London unveils Mandela statue

A statue of Nelson Mandela is being unveiled in London's Parliament Square today. Mr Mandela, who is 89, and his wife Graca Machel are joined by the Mayor of London and anti-apartheid campaigners, as well as gospel singers and dancers. This report from Emily Buchanan: Listen to the story The nine foot bronze shows Nelson Mandela standing and gesturing, as if making a speech. The idea for the monument was initiated by the anti-apartheid activist, Donald Woods. He chose the sculptor Ian Walters who began the work six years ago. Sadly, neither man lived to see today's ceremony. The statue's fate has been dogged by arguments over where it should go, as well as its artistic merit. The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, had wanted it to stand on the north side of Trafalgar Square. But in 2005 Westminster Council refused permission, saying it would clutter the space needed for large events. It was finally agreed it should face the Houses of Parliament and stand alongside other great leaders, such as Winston Churchill, Benjamin Disraeli and Abraham Lincoln. Gordon Brown will attend the unveiling. Yesterday he described Mr Mandela as 'the most inspiring, the greatest and the most courageous leader of our generation'. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Emily Buchanan, BBC

Apology for slavery would be nice, but not enough

BY DEWAYNE WICKHAM  --- At long last, this nation is on the verge of apologizing for its greatest sin. During separate meetings in Las Vegas with members of the Trotter Group, an organization of black columnists, Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama embraced the idea of a national expression of regret for slavery. That's a good thing. But where does it leave us? For 246 years, slavery was a widely accepted part of the fabric of American life. The enslavement of millions of blacks - and the neo-slavery that emerged during the Jim Crow era after slavery was abolished in 1865 - fueled this nation's economy for nearly three and a half centuries. "I think an apology for slavery is a good idea to consider," Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination said. "A number of states are now doing it ... like Virginia, the capital of the old Confederacy. So, there is an evolution that is taking place here." In fact, four states - Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia - have formally apologized for their role in this nation's slave trade. But so far, neither Congress nor a sitting president has mustered the courage to do so. CLINTON CAME CLOSEThen-President Bill Clinton came close during a trip to Africa in 1998. During a stop in Uganda he said, "Going back to the time before we were even a nation, European-Americans received the fruits of the slave trade and we were wrong in that." Hillary Clinton, the former president's wife, made it clear she's willing to go further, if she makes it into the White House. "What the states are doing could be given more prominence if the federal government were to say ... we need to do this as well," she told the black columnists. When we met with Obama a day later, he told us, "I could see the need for an expanded conversation about slavery because I don't think that we've ever fully acknowledged the cost of slavery. If I'm president, certainly I could issue an apology. But I'm not sure ... that's what would transform the country." NO RIGHTING THESE WRONGS A national apology for slavery from the president and Congress could have a cathartic effect for many black people, but it wouldn't be enough to right the wrongs that racial inequities - the awful byproduct of slavery - have produced. What am I talking about? For about as long as anyone can remember, the black unemployment rate has been double the rate for whites. Some will argue that black joblessness is driven by a lack of education. But that doesn't explain how in July, the unemployment rate for blacks with a high school degree (7.3 percent) was higher than the rate for white high school dropouts (5.9 percent). And black people whose education extends beyond a bachelor's degree were no more successful finding work than white job seekers who had attended college but didn't receive a degree. Both groups had a 3.8 percent unemployment rate last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. NUMBERS DON'T LIEAs bad as this is, there's more that an apology for slavery wouldn't correct. In 2005, the most recent year for which data is available, black people with a bachelor's degree earned $1,500 less, on average, than white high school graduates. Black people with a master's degree earned an average $56,477 while whites with a master's degree earned an average $69,535. And blacks with doctoral degrees were paid nearly $12,000 a year less than whites with the same education, according to census figures. It's good that several states have apologized for participating in slavery. And a formal expression of regret from Congress and the president could help heal some of the wounds that slavery opened - wounds that still fester. But words alone won't be enough to undo this nation's most troubling racial inequities. Source: The Cincinnati Enquirer

Daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. Dies

ATLANTA - Yolanda King, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s eldest child who pursued her father's dream of racial harmony through drama and motivational speaking, has died. She was 51.King died late Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif., said Steve Klein, a spokesman for the King Center. The family did not know the cause of death, but relatives think it might have been a heart problem, he said."She was an actress, author, producer, advocate for peace and nonviolence, who was known and loved for her motivational and inspirational contributions to society," the King family said in a statement.Born on Nov. 17, 1955, in Montgomery, Ala., Yolanda Denise King was just an infant when her home was bombed amid the turbulent civil rights era.She became an actress, ran a production company and appeared in numerous films, including "Ghosts of Mississippi," and as Rosa Parks in the 1978 miniseries "King." "Yolanda was lovely. She wore the mantle of princess, and she wore it with dignity and charm," said the Rev. Joseph Lowery, One of her father's close aides in the civil rights movement. "She was a warm and gentle person and was thoroughly committed to the movement and found her own means of expressing that commitment through drama." The Rev. Al Sharpton said he expressed his condolences to her brother Martin Luther King III on Wednesday. Sharpton said Yolanda King was a "torch bearer for her parents and a committed activist in her own right." MORE ON THIS STORY

Ashford and Simpson

Seeing the dynamic duo shake their shimmy and serenade a captive audience to a string of hit songs they wrote, produced or sang in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s was sheer joy.That was the scene at the world's famous Apollo Theater over the weekend as the Harlem landmark kicked off its eagerly anticipated Apollo Legends Series.Ashford & Simpson headlined the bill that also featured R&B diva Melba Moore as the opener. The crowd, as can be expected, was just as lively as the show -- and kept this chronicler in stitches during and in between a timeline of classic R&B songs. Moore, at 61, is looking better than ever and is a delight to watch on the stage.The Tony Award winning star of hit Broadway shows such as 'Hair,' 'Timbuktu,' and 'Purlie,' ran through a string of her most beloved tunes including 'Loves Comin' at Ya,' 'You Stepped Into My Life,' and the R&B hit 'Falling.' At one point -- in between her campy display of gut-busting octaves -- she reached down to drink an elixir (of some sort) out of a peculiarly-packaged container. One orchestra section patron yelled out, "Put the beer can down, Melba," sending that section of the audience into a frenzy. As she ran through the numbers, she offered up anecdotes of years of yore -- providing a nostalgic context to her musical legacy. She also let the audience in on a relatively unknown fact of how her and Ashford & Simpson met decades before -- all three sang jingles in New York City before making it big as music acts. Ashford & Simpson went on to write Ray Charles' chart-topping hit 'Let's Get Stoned' and Moore went on to make her theater debut. MORE ON THIS STORY

Halle Berry: "We'll Redefine What Marriage Is"

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (April 5, 2007) -- Fresh off of receiving her star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, Halle Berry sat down with Access Hollywood's Nancy O'Dell to discuss the powerful position she's at in her life, as well as her wishes for a family. In her new film "Perfect Stranger," Halle plays an embattled and "tortured" woman, who overcomes adversity by using her brains and sexuality -- which is just the kind of role she likes."I love women that are alive and real," she tells Access. "And I love characters that are you know, vulnerable and not afraid to be vulnerable and who are somewhat troubled, because I like to see characters overcome you know, an issue. I like it when--especially women characters--when they refuse to be victimized, but decide to get the power back and to win. That is something I really love to play. "When asked about her name coming before co-star Bruce Willis' name in the credits of the film (a huge rarity for females in the business), Halle is modest, yet thankful for the opportunity to be considered "equal" to a big male movie star. She says, "I like to say we're side by side. That feels more like the right thing...I feel very much like his equal and his peer and that feels good, to be equal with a man like Bruce Willis, equality feels really good."But perhaps "equality" is an understatement, as Halle was recently named "The Most Powerful African-American Woman in Hollywood" by Ebony magazine. Yet even with that title bestowed upon her, she's characteristically modest. "That's a nice feeling," she says. "Just to feel like within the black community I've been able to make a contribution on any level feels pretty important."Halle's power stems not only from her talent, but also from her passion, drive, and focus on what matters in her personal life. After making it through two very public divorces, she's found a new partner in Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, and while she has no intention of getting married again, she says "I have a wonderful guy in my life, and we'll redefine what marriage is." MORE ON THIS STORY

Eddie Robinson Remembered As Legend

Eddie Robinson inspired young men to do great things, to make the most of their lives. And many of those he touched never played a down for him during a 57-year coaching career at Grambling State. "There is no question that Eddie Robinson was a figure that was larger than life for most African-American young men of that era," Washington coach Tyrone Willingham said Tuesday. Robinson died Tuesday at the age of 88, 10 years after he retired. He built Grambling State, a small historically black school in northern Louisiana into a football powerhouse, sending more than 200 players into the NFL and winning 408 games in a tenure that began in 1941. "At that time, Grambling was The Program and Eddie Robinson was The Man. One of the first football camps I ever attended was in Shenandoah, Va. The reason I attended was because Eddie Robinson was going to be there. ... He stood for all the right things," said Willingham, one of six black head coaches at 119 major college football schools. MORE ON THIS STORY