Keepingitreal

'Real Housewife' Loses House, Still a Wife

Lisa Wu-Hartwell needs a "Big Poppa" of her own ... the real housewife of Atlanta just lost her real big house in Atlanta. Lisa Wu-Hartwell Atlanta just lost her real big house in Atlanta.TMZ has learned Hartwell and her husband, former Oakland Raiders linebacker Edgerton Hartwell, were booted from their multi-million dollar Georgia mansion last week -- after the bank foreclosed on the place and sold it shortly after. Hartwell's rep tells us the couple was in talks with the lender to restructure the loan because the home had lost value -- but that failed. They originally bought the place for $2.9 mil back in 2007 -- but the bank only got $1.9 mil when they resold it this month. The rep says "Ed and Lisa are fine. They have settled in their [new] home, that sits on 10 acres and they OWN it!"

BET BANNED CHRIS BROWN FROM PERFORMING?: Singer's camp denies producers pulled him after Sharpton and Jay-Z complained.

Producers of the BET Awards have been roundly criticized on blogs, Twitter, and even Facebook for the show it put on Sunday, but network execs apparently believed that booking Chris Brown would have been disastrous.The New York Daily News cites insiders who said producers pulled his performance at the 11th hour because his felony assault wrap for beating Rihanna made him too risky for a night revamped to honor the passing of Michael Jackson. One source says Brown’s absence came at the insistence of the Rev. Al Sharpton. “Al made such a fuss to the BET executives that they pulled Chris,” says the insider, who adds that Jay-Z also had a hand in the decision. “Jay is a big name in the BET community, and he was very vocal about his displeasure with Chris attending the ceremony. He didn’t want Chris anywhere near the awards so close to the court’s ruling.” As for Brown's reaction, “He’s furious,” a friend of the singer told the newspaper. “BET asked him to perform and waited until the last minute to tell him it was off. He’s pretty shocked and outraged right now.” SOURCE:EURWEB.COM

Farrah Fawcett Dies of Cancer at 62

Farrah Fawcett, an actress and television star whose good looks and signature flowing hairstyle influenced a generation of women and, beginning with a celebrated pinup poster, bewitched a generation of men, died Thursday morning in Santa Monica, Calif. She was 62. Her death, at a Santa Monica hospital, was announced by her spokesman, Paul Bloch, The Associated Press reported.Ms. Fawcett had been battling anal cancer since late 2006, and to an extraordinary degree the fight was played out in public, generating enormous interest worldwide. Her face, often showing the ravages of cancer, became a tabloid fixture, and updates on her health became staples of television entertainment news.  In May, her cancer battle was chronicled in an NBC prime-time documentary, “Farrah’s Story,” some of it shot on home video. An estimated 9 million people viewed it. Ms. Fawcett had initiated the project with a friend and producer, Alana Stewart, after she first learned of her cancer.  Ms. Fawcett’s doctors declared her cancer-free after they removed a tumor in 2007, but her cancer returned later that year. She had been receiving alternative treatment in Germany and was hospitalized in early April for a blood clot resulting from that treatment, according to her doctor, Lawrence Piro. Her cancer had also spread to her liver, Dr. Piro told The A.P. Ms. Fawcett’s career was a patchwork of positives and negatives, fine dramatic performances on television and on stage as well as missed opportunities. She first became famous when a poster of her in a red bathing suit, leonine mane flying, sold more than twice as many copies as posters of Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable combined. SOURCE:NYTIMES.COM

USHER DIVORCE UPDATE: Now it's officially on; Papers filed Friday.

After a flood of false online reports on Thursday that had Usher had filing for divorce against Tameka Foster, the AP is now saying that he has officially filed. Court records show singer the entertainer has filed for divorce from Tameka Foster Raymond after less than two years of marriage. The 30-year-old Grammy-winning artist, whose real name is Usher Raymond IV, filed the petition Friday in Superior Court in Atlanta. The court record did not give any details about the split between the R&B star and his wife, who were married in August 2007. Here's what EUR reported earlier: Forget what you've probably heard about the word divorce and Usher and Tameka in the same sentence. Here's the bottom line as we know it. The superstar performer and his wife have not filed for divorced. At least not yet. The hub bub started yesterday when celebrity magazine In Touch, quoting anonymous sources, reported that the couple, after two years of marriage, had filed divorce papers in Fulton County Superior Court Thursday morning. However, after a check of court records, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says no such filing was found.The magazine claims the couple has been living apart for the past year, but finally decided to file papers Thursday morning in Atlanta. Usher and Tameka have two kids together: Usher Raymond V, 18 months, and Naviyd, six months. Four months ago, Usher was flying to Brazil to be by Tameka's side after she suffered cardiac arrest during cosmetic surgery. At the time, there were reports that he had no idea his wife had flown there for the procedure.“The Grammy winner has been living apart from his wife for nearly a year after almost two years of marriage" a source TOLD Us Magazine. "Usher’s primary concern is for his children. He is a great father and just wants to do what is right for them.” Despite the reported filing, sources close to Tameka say that she has yet to receive any papers. The source also adds that Tameka hasn’t spoken to Usher “in a few days.”

Rihanna's camp fighting nude pictures leaked to Internet

Rihanna's camp is reportedly ready to do legal battle over nude photos believed to be of the singer that were posted on the Internet Friday. TMZ reports that lawyers at Island Def Jam Music Group have sent a letter to at least one web site that posted the photos. The letter references "unauthorized photos purported to be… Rihanna" and demands the pictures be removed from the web site, claiming they violate "the Artist’s rights."The letter does not deny or confirm that the photos are of Rihanna. But it's sure sounding like it.On Friday, seven photos appeared on ImageHaven.net. Two apparently are of Rihanna’s face, while four of the pictures featured various body shots of a semi-nude woman suspected to be her. The woman’s face is not visible in the nude photos.The final photo features what appears to be a semi-clothed Rihanna in black underwear or bathing suit bottoms and a white robe. She's taking a photo of herself in the mirror with a Blackberry.The mirror has the words “I love you” and “I miss you,” written on it in white lettering and is signed, “Robyn,” Rihanna’s real name.The same seven photos and an eighth, with a shirtless man who looks like Chris Brown wearing pink undies on his head, was also posted on iHipHop.com.

O'Day Accuses Diddy Of Portraying Her As A 'Slut'

Former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O'Day has accused former boss Sean 'Diddy' Combs of portraying her as a "slut" on his reality TV show "Making The Band." O'Day landed a role in the band after triumphing in a previous season of Diddy's talent show, but was booted out last year, with the rap mogul blaming her poor attitude for her departure. But the star -- who recently stripped naked for Playboy magazine -- accuses the rap mogul of giving her a slutty reputation. She tells Hip Hop Weekly, "Puff (Diddy) isn't helping out (her reputation) on the new season of 'Making the Band' either. "I've heard little comments here and there about the reasons why I've become a streetwalker and why I ruined Danity Kane."

Forget Britney; Media Outrage Hits Big Spenders

The celebrity Web site TMZ and TV shows like “Extra” and “Inside Edition” are expanding their coverage of starlets and Hollywood break-ups to include billion-dollar business scandals and the economic collapse.A camera crew for “Extra,” the syndicated entertainment show, huddled alongside the BBC and The Associated Press outside the courtroom as Bernard L. Madoff pleaded guilty on Thursday. That night, the show started by calling him “the most hated man in America.” The previous evening, “Inside Edition” profiled one of Mr. Madoff’s victims who testified in court, a 60-year-old woman who lost millions and had to go to work as a maid.The tabloid media, of course, have always peered into the excesses of the rich and famous with a mix of puritan disapproval and voyeurism. But these outlets and other news organizations are now recording troubling uses of taxpayer money at country clubs, private airports and glamorous retreats and, in so doing, explicitly tapping into a fierce populist anger at corporate America, and even pressuring Congress to hold companies accountable.TMZ, a Web site better known for unflattering paparazzi shots of Britney Spears and Rihanna, drove mainstream coverage and Congressional outrage with a blog post late last month that exclaimed, “Bailout Bank Blows Millions Partying in L.A.” The site reported that Northern Trust, a bank that received $1.6 billion in taxpayer money, had hosted hundreds of clients and employees at a golf tournament and a series of parties in Southern California. “Your tax dollars, hard at work,” the site wrote. Northern Trust never sought the bailout funds, but agreed to take them last fall at the behest of the government. Regardless, the photos of Tiffany gift bags and the grainy video clips of Chicago and Sheryl Crow performing for the group angered readers —as well as Congressional Democrats, who demanded in a letter that Northern Trust repay what the company “frittered away on these lavish events.” The bank said it would do so “as quickly as prudently possible,” news that earned four exclamation points from TMZ. SOURCE:NYT.COM

BOW WOW, NE-YO DISCUSS 'CHRIHANNA' ORDEAL: Rapper 'praying for them both'; singer says leaked photo 'hurt me to my heart.'

Bow Wow and Ne-Yo are the latest artists to speak publically about Chris Brown's alleged abuse of Rihanna. The pair spoke separately about the incident, and stressed the importance of hearing from both sides before making any judgment. "I mean, being in the business, the first thing is 'Ah, it's false, another rumor, bloggers just wanting to have traffic to their site,'" Bow Wow told OK! magazine, "but when the story was unfolding, it was kind of shocking to all. Chris is a good friend of mine. We've had the opportunity to tour together. And then Rihanna, she's just a beautiful person. Period. Never done no wrong to nobody." The rapper continued, "At the end of the day I've always believed in whatever happens with people's business... my mom always told me don't get into. And the situation is so major, I think they just need their space and I think they need to deal with it... I'm praying for them both." 

As for the photo leaked by TMZ.com on Thursday showing Rihanna's bruises, Bow Wow said it was "just shocking. I mean, we heard what happened, but we really didn't get a visual for it. But I mean hey, man. The picture speaks for itself." Ne-Yo, who said he has spoken to Rihanna since the incident, told MTV that the photo "hurt me to my heart, man. Again, I still don't know what happened, 'cause I haven't had the opportunity to talk to Chris yet. But to take it to that level really hurt my heart. All I can say is, I'm praying for both of them. They're both in my prayers. I haven't had a chance to talk to Chris yet. I just wanna sit down and talk to that dude and just explain if he doesn't understand: 'That's not something that's excusable, bruh. You have to get a little smarter about whatever it is going on in your relationship. You have to get a little smarter about how you handle certain situations.'"  Still, Ne-Yo refused to be Brown's judge and jury. "I'm not going to crucify him," Ne-Yo said. "I'm not going to do that. That's still my homeboy at the end of the day. For it to go to that level was wrong. I won't say who was responsible. I won't pick no sides. I'm just saying it was wrong [that] it had to happen like that, and I'm praying for the both of them." SOURCE:EURWEB.COM

People: Singer Rihanna suffered 'horrific' injuries in Brown assault, reports say

The investigation into singer Chris Brown's alleged assault of girlfriend Rihanna was continuing Tuesday, as shocking details about the case started emerging. Los Angeles police detectives turned over their findings Tuesday afternoon to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office, but E! Online reported that the D.A. kicked the case back to police, seeking more evidence and information before pursuing formal charges. Brown, 19, considered until now one of the brightest young stars in R&B, was booked Sunday on suspicion of making criminal threats and released on $50,000 bail. TMZ and other celebrity news organizations reported Tuesday that Rihanna, the 20-year-old Barbados-born pop star, suffered "horrific" injuries and required hospital care from the alleged assault. Reports said Brown is accused of striking Rihanna's face repeatedly with his fists, leaving her with bruises on both sides of her face and welts atop of her head, as well as a bloody nose and cut lip. There are also reports that she had bite marks on her arms or legs. TMZ quoted sources as saying police had photos of Rihanna's injuries. Brown's and Rihanna's whereabouts weren't known Tuesday, although it was reported that both had left Los Angeles. Although Brown has not been formally charged with a crime, the fallout has already begun for the singer. Wrigley has suspended its Doublemint Gum ads featuring the singer, and the group behind the "Got Rihanna has postponed her concert in Malaysia scheduled for Friday; no new date was given.Hip-hop star Kanye West, one of Rihanna's early mentors, said he was deeply saddened by reports of the incident. West told Ryan Seacrest on his morning radio show Tuesday that he learned of the incident just before he performed "American Boy" with Estelle on Sunday's Grammys."I was completely devastated during the performance," West said. "I feel like that's my baby sis. I would do any and everything to help her in any situation. "... I don't care how famous she is or even if she just worked at McDonald's. "... (Abuse) should never happen."  Milk" campaign have zapped out Brown's milk mustache ad, although the ad was due to expire soon, anyway. Brown also has dropped out of a celebrity National Basketball Association game slated for this weekend, as part of the All-Star Game events. -SOURCE:CCTIMES.COM

Sources: Brown's alleged victim was girlfriend Rihanna

Russell Brand and the Jonas Brothers

In an apparent effort to prove that despite losing his controversial BBC Radio 2 show in October, he’s still one wild and irreverent guy, Russell Brand is once again picking on the Jonas Brothers. When UsMagazine.com asked him whom he’d like to kiss at midnight on New Years Eve, the British comedian and former VMA host quipped: “I think all of the Jonas Brothers.”“But very gently and consensually,” he added at the Los Angeles premiere of “Bedtime Stories” on Thursday. (Please keep in mind that Nick Jonas is only 16 and Brand is 33, so it’s really sort of a creepy statement to make.)OK, yeah, we get it, the Jonas Brothers, who will spend New Years Eve in New York City along with Taylor Swift, are supposedly virgins. Are we still going to make a big deal about it? For those of you not keeping score, Brand took a few jabs at the Jonas Brothers during the September VMA broadcast, which he was hosting, for wearing “purity” rings pledging their abstinence. Then, during the show, Jordin Sparks spoke out against the comedian’s remarks. Even Paris Hilton stepped in and defended the boys. Brand later apologized to the boys, and the Jonas Brothers later accepted. Interestingly, this whole abstinence thing doesn’t mean they haven’t had their fair share of ladies. So, Russell, you might have to wait in line for that New Years kiss. SOURCE:MTV NEWS.COM

Why Aubrey O'Day Was Kicked Out of Danity Kane

Danity Kane members Aubrey O'Day and D. Woods got the boot on Tuesday night's live season three finale of Making the Band. "Puff did not like [O'Day's] image...where her image was going for the group," Dawn Richard - one of the three remaining bandmates - tells Usmagazine.com exclusively. "It wasn't a personal thing," Richard continues, saying her sexy look (the singer posed topless in Complex last month) was alienating young fans.Remember when these celebs posed topless? "We had just did a signing with Dollhouse Teen, which is for 13, 14-year-old young girls," Richard says. "So we can't do that one day and then the next day do an obnoxious cover.... [Diddy] wants the fans, and he says he can't do that if we can continue to go in the direction that we were going." Diddy pointed to O'Day's attitude as a reason for getting fired. "I just want to work with the young lady that I signed, not the person that fame has made her," he said via satellite on Tuesday's show: Richard says she's "still kind of shocked still...you never know with Puff." As for D. Woods getting tossed? Diddy said she got "caught up in the wrath" of O'Day. But not to worry, Danity Kane fans: the group will go on. "Well Puff told me specifically that Aubrey is no longer in Danity Kane and Danity Kane will move forward without her," Richard says.And to find the girls' replacements? "He has not said anything per that," Richard says. "But I think in my heart that he is gonna do another show." SOURCE:USMAGAZINE.COM

'TOP MODEL'S' 'MR. JAY' SETTLES LAWSUIT: Jay Manuel was sued by management firm for unpaid commissions.

Fashionista Jay Manuel of "America's Next Top Model" has settled a lawsuit with a management firm over unpaid commissions for his work on the Tyra Banks-hosted reality show.According to E! Online, Thruline Entertainment Inc. says they're owed a percentage of the more than $405,000 that Manuel reportedly earned for his work as a creative consultant and photo shoot producer on "ANTN."Terms of the settlement are still being worked out, according to a document filed Sept. 29 by Thruline attorneys, and there was no immediate comment from either side. SOURCE:EURWEB.COM

Danity Kane's Aubrey O'Day Discusses Gossip & Rumors With Complex

It's no secret that Aubrey O'Day is the standout member of Bad Boy Records' all-girl group Danity Kane, from an exposure point of view. She's the most talked about among blogs and gossip outlets, but it comes at a cost because the chatter about her is usually not always positive. From accusations of being promiscuous to her fashion sense being bash, Aubrey isn't the most loved pop star. With two platinum albums under her belt, though, Aubrey holds her head high. The singer says she knows the type of person she is, and doesn't let the tabloids get to her. In a recent interview for Complex magazine's cover story, the "Making The Band" contestant turned pop star explained how she deals with the negative comments."You don't build your persona on reality TV. They build your persona on reality TV," Aubrey explained to the magazine. "I just learned to stop wanting to control it. Hey, they need the bad girl of the group, and no one else is going to take that role. "Out of this group of women, I am definitely the most daring. I would be the natural pick for the badass. This is the truth about me -- I'm just really real," she added. She later admits that the image she's portrayed as is so bad sometimes that even other celebs believe it, specifically the men. "I think urban guys look at me and are like, 'Here's the white girl I’m gonna f***.' Like, I met a famous basketball player the other night. ... this nasty guy came up to me and says, 'Come here. I'm the man, haven't you heard?' And I said, 'Well, I'm the woman, haven't you heard?' And he was like -- this is the third thing out of his mouth -- 'Well, I have a hotel here, so when are you going to come by to my room?'" SOURCE:BALLERSTATUS.COM

The Hot Seat

Before she embodied Ugly Betty’s evil magazine editrix Wilhelmina Slater (think Anna Wintour meets Alexis Carrington), Vanessa Williams was the ultimate good girl: Miss America 1984. But Williams didn’t let the wholesome title, or a cringeworthy nude-photo scandal, stop her from eventually tackling the entertainment industry on every front, racking up handfuls of Tony, Emmy and Grammy nominations as a pageant-queen-turned-singer-turned-consummate-actor. Now, with the transition of Betty’s production from Los Angeles to Queens’ Silvercup Studios for the show’s third season, the Westchester-born Williams is having a homecoming of sorts. She talked to us about shoulder pads, Hannah Montana and, of course, “Save the Best for Last.”Playing such an evil character on TV, can you be a bitch to everyone and just claim it’s “research”?[Laughs] That’s a good angle. Haven’t done that yet. It’s actually freeing. You feel like you’re a naughty kid in school—you get to behave badly and get away with it.Any villains you’ve based your portrayal on?A lot of it is on the page. I’ve been lucky to have a career for a while, and worked in almost every aspect of the business. I’ve done photo shoots, made videos, done television and film… There are definitely a lot of situations you can draw upon.The Los Angeles Times called your portrayal “deliciously evil”—are you tasty?Hmm. Deliciously evil? I think [Wilhelmina] is subtle and her presence is pretty formidable. I wanted to make sure that when she came on screen, just her carriage itself would show that this woman is not joking. I say a lot with my eyes, my looks, my sneer.So, deliciously subtle, then. Wilhelmina actually has more editorial expertise than any of the other characters on Ugly Betty. We could use you at TONY.[Laughs] Heads would roll, and you might have a lot of positions that…might not last.We’d end up dressing a lot better.Oh, absolutely.Are you a clotheshorse? Wilhelmina wears somefantastic stuff.In real life? No, actually I’m one of those people with things that I’ve had for 20 years in my closet. Uh-oh, like shoulder pads?
Hmm, do I have any? I think I may have gotten rid of those, but it’s not too far off. This season [on the show] I’m wearing a lot of vintage stuff from the late ’80s and ’90s, like Thierry Mugler fashion, that do have original shoulder pads. So it is coming back full circle. What’s the most embarrassing thing in your home closet?I dunno… I do have a harlequin catsuit from the “Comfort Zone” video.I’d love to be one of your kids around Halloween time.We have plenty of looks to pull from.You must be popular with your eight-year-old, being in the Hannah Montana movie.Ooh, yeah. Not only did [Sasha] go on set, but she also got the chance to go to Miley’s house in Tennessee to swim in her pool. She borrowed a bathing suit and got changed in her room. Doesn’t get better than that.Now your kid can’t ever pull that “Mom, you never let me do anything!” line.Oh, yeah. Coolest mom on the block.So there’s another actress named Vanessa Williams out there. You ever worry about a Single White Female thing—you could disappear and she’d take your place? Oh, no. And well, she’s not white. But actually, I’ve never met her. I hear she’s lovely.Do you get each other’s mail? When I did the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, they sent her my check, and she sent it to me. It was nice of her to not cash it.One last question: Are you saving the best for last? I’m not saving anything right now, but if it comes—I hope the end is a long time away. TIMEOUTNYC.COM

Russell Brand apologizes for poking fun at Jonas' purity rings

Host Russell Brand was forced to apologize for poking fun at the Jonas Brothers' morals during Sunday night's MTV Video Music Awards, after a public dressing down from singer Jordin Sparks. The British comedian mocked the pop sensations mercilessly for more than half the show for their no-sex-before-marriage promise and the purity rings they wear. At one point, he even pretended he'd stolen a Jonas brothers' virginity as he held a ring in his hand.Sparks, who is among the teen stars putting purity before sex, admonished Brand for his remarks, stating, "It's not bad to wear a promise ring because not everybody, guy or girl, wants to be a slut."saying, "I've gotta say sorry because I said those things about promise rings; that was bad of me. I didn't mean to take it lightly."Brand added, "I love Jonas Brothers, I think it's really good. I don't want to piss off teenage fans. ... Promise rings, I'm well up for it, well done everyone."But he couldn't resist a final jab, adding, "It's just, a bit of sex occasionally never hurt anybody."Paris Hilton also spoke out on behalf of the pop trio, insisting she totally supports the brothers' decision not to have sex before marriage.She tells Usweekly.com, "Don't pick on them. That's something cool for a kid to keep, so don't pick on them for that."I think that they're all really good kids and that they're definitely our next generation of kids and they're all really good so I think that's awesome."SOURCE:SFGATE.COM

iPHONE DAILY BLOG BUZZ 09.08.08

The longtime chief executive of Washington Mutual, the country’s biggest savings and loan, has been forced out because of the company’s mounting losses, people briefed on the matter said Sunday night. CONTINUE READING... NEXT TOP MODEL HOST TYRA BANKS IS AMERICA'S TOP EARNER --The former supermodel, who hosts two hit US shows, raked in a staggering $US23 million between June 2007 and June 2008, according to a new list by Forbes.com. Tyra was responsible for creating daytime TV programme The Tyra Banks Show and America’s Next Top Model, on which she is also a producer and judge. Last year, the 34-year-old beauty signed a lucrative deal with Warner Bros, which will involve her launching Stylista - a new reality show set around a magazine. Tyra is also developing a straight-to-DVD series based on Clique, a popular series of best-selling books for teenagers. CONTINUE READING... Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Mariah Carey pictured performing at the Conde Nast Media Group’s 5th Anniversary of Fashion Rocks!. Beyonce had a full night performing not only with Timberlake, but doing a tribute to legendary singer Etta James, and performing “Just Stand Up” with other female musicians including Fergie, Ashanti, Ciara, and Keyshia Cole.Other performances included Mary J. Blige with Kid Rock, Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna performing Madonna’s classic hit “Vogue”. Be sure to catch the show when it airs on Tuesday, September 9th at 9 p.m on CBS… Of the 50 men and women who occupy governor’s mansions in the United States, only two, David Paterson and Deval Patrick, are black. And these two black men are arguably the most gay-friendly to ever be governor—including New Jersey’s Jim McGreevey, who came around to gay rights only after coming out and leaving office. Continue Reading Barack Obama Covers French "GQ"...Continue Reading  SOHH recently chopped it up with the self-proclaimed "Grand Hustle Muscle," Alfamega, to talk about his upcoming debut, trying to be as big as his label head T.I. and his plans to record a joint album with Busta Rhymes. Continue Reading.. After a year long boycott against MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs), Kanye West has shown a change of heart and decided to close the annual event with a performance this weekend.  Continue Reading... LL Cool J performs at Intimate Soul Sessions, headlines sold out V103 Intimate Soul Sessions in Atlanta's Center Stage Theater...The SoulTracks Readers' Choice Awards, which will be held in Detroit on October 3, and an All-Star Detroit music tribute on Saturday, October 4.  It is going to be a weekend of fantastic music. Dozens of artists have confirmed that they'll be there, and we hope you will too. For more information about the shows, tickets and hotel accomodations, CLICK HERE  Music lovers in the LA/Santa Monica area have been spoiled beautifully over the past decade because they've had the wonderful Temple Bar in their back yard.  It has been a bastion of great music and a friend to rising artists. The Temple will close on September 30, and here is the farewell letter from its management.http://www.templebarlive.com/ Temple Bar, you will be missed!

iPhone Daily Blog Buzz 08.29.08

FAITH EVANS & PEPA ON THE MEMOIR CIRCUIT..CONTINUE READING.. DNC '08 ERFORMANCES: J-HUD, JOHN LEGEND, STEVIE WONDER, & WILL.I.AM..CONTINUE READING SOLANGE SPEAKS ON FOX VEGAS DRAMA + BEYONCE SINGS SISTER'S PRAISE ON EARLY SHOW...CONTINUE READING NEW VIDEO: RAPHAEL SAADIQ- “LOVE THAT GIRL  Big Shake Up At Hot 107 Today… Yes We Can…Yes We Did…And We’re Going to Do It Again Come Nov. 4 Young Jeezy feat. Nas: My President Is Black From The Recession (Def Jam, 2008) As far as I know, this new track from Raphael Saadiq isn't a cover song, but it somehow manges to capture the exact tone and feel of early-60s R&B. "Ooh Girl" sounds like a perfect replica of something that The Stylistics or Smokey Robinson & The Miracles might have recorded back in the day. The song's from Saadiq's upcoming album, The Way I See It, which drops Sept. 16 via Columbia Records. On the album, Saadiq pays tribute to classic Stax and Motown-era Soul and R&B music, and the songs from it that yours truly has heard so far, like the addictive "100 Yard Dash" and the romantic "Love That Girl," sound pretty sweet. You can stream "Ooh Girl" by clicking a link below."Ooh Girl" audio (Windows Media) The California Supreme Court decides unanimously that such pregnancies amount to 'great bodily injury,' and offenders can get a more severesentence. CONTINUE READING.. DENVER, Colorado (CNN) -- Despite a stadium packed far past capacity, with nearly 90,000 supporters wildly applauding nominee Barack Obama as he spoke Thursday, Republicans responded with one hand gesture: thumbs down. CONTINUE READING... Are Africans Trumping African-Americans? Today the Wall Street Journal published Jonathan Kaufman and Gary Field's piece entitled "Black in a New Light". An interesting examination of the social and professional momentum among Africans [and yes, I mean the Continent].  The article poses the questions:  Are Africans making more headway here in the States?  And do Africans consider black Americans lazy and race-obsessed?  You don't have to guess where all of this started. Right. Obama, our half-Kenyan Democratic candidate, is America's new shinning star. CONTINUE READING... R&B singer Avant has set October 28th as the release date for his self-titled Capitol Records debut. "Need U Bad" singer Jazmine Sullivan has officially picked up a spot on Maxwell's highly anticipated fall tour according to J RecordsEven though Robin Thicke has been coined a "blue-eyed-soul artist," joining the ranks of Jon B and Justin Timberlake, his blue-eyed soulness wasn't enough to get on the cover of Vibe Magazine. According Robin Thicke, the magazine has a strict policy against having "white" artists on the cover! While promoting his forthcoming album earlier this summer, an interview with Vibe went wrong.. Continue Reading... Hollywood actress Halle Berry has just been added to the multitude of celebrities appearing on the TV charity event Stand Up For Cancer. Joining fellow celebs like Jessica Alba, Mekhi Phifer and Carrie Underwood, Berry will present news segments on cancer research during the September 5th telecast. She also joins previously confirmed singers including Mariah Carey, Beyonce’, Rihanna, Mile..CONTINUE READING

iPHONE Daily Blog Buzz 08.27.08

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Major U.S. airports were operating normally on Tuesday evening after a glitch in the computer system for filing flight plans delayed hundreds of flights, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Continue Reading...WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fewer  Americans went without health insurance last year for the first time since President George W. Bush took office as more people received government coverage, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. Continue Reading... DENVER (Reuters) - Three men were charged with gun and drugs offenses on Tuesday but U.S. authorities dismissed reports that they had serious plans to shoot Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and said they had posed no "true threat." Continue Reading... MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will face increased Western pressure on Wednesday when a senior British official flies to Ukraine to build a coalition to counter Russia's conflict with ex-Soviet Georgia. Continue Reading... According to the SOHH news department some chick named Alexis Miller is alleging that Shaq is stalking her, blah, blah, blah. After going down to the Fulton County Courthouse and speaking with the judge an alleged restraining order was granted. Continue Reading... Controversial rapper DMX has once again been denied bail by a judge in a Florida courtroom today (August 26).According to South Florida’s Local 10 news, the multi-platinum selling rapper was hoping to receive permission to travel to Arizona where he is facing a number of animal cruelty charges. Upon being denied bail, X did not hesitate to show his frustration by uttering “I ain’t going to no f*cking jail,” before being scolded by Judge Lawrence Schwartz. Continue Reading... Simon & Schuster has announced that Olympian superman Michael Phelps will write a book about his exploits in Beijing to be published in time for the holiday season.(Already) titled "Built to Succeed," the memoir will recount the swimmer's experiences enroute to notching a record-breaking eight gold medals at the XXIX Olympiad, which concluded Sunday night. Continue Reading... Faith Evans, Keep the Faith, A Memoir (Book Review) Depending on who's asked, Faith Evans is either a skilled, soulful songstress and lyricist with honeyed vocals and killer hooks, or a ghetto-fabulous, opportunistic gold digger who single-handedly inspired a deadly East Coast/West Coast feud that killed two of her generation's most iconic rappers. With a Grammy award, four successful CD's, over a decade in the entertainment industry and a 2009 film depicting her late husband's life and career (Notorious), Ms. Evans now possesses the strength, courage and wisdom to tell her side of the story, and no matter what camp you belong in, Keep the Faith is an eloquent, heart-rending look at her childhood, her gospel-grown aspirations and yes, those heady love and drama-filled years with Bad Boy Records and The Notorious B.I.G. Continue Reading... Noel Gourdin - the singer of one of 2008's best songs, "The River," - is back with another single off his debut album, After My Time. The new track is "One Love," a breezy, piano-laced jam about a man having an epiphany and wanting to get serious with his woman: "Ever since you’ve been gone, Got me wondering baby, Why it’s taken me so long to make you my baby, Now I know we said we weren’t gonna rush - I was the first to say it, But I’ve been thinking about your touch, My mind keeps replaying it," he sings. If when you hear the song part of the chorus sounds familiar, it's because on it Noel pays tribute to another "One Love," the song of the same name recorded by the rap trio Whodini way back in 1986. To stream Noel's version, click the link below. "One Love" audio stream (Windows Media) Buy/download the song

LISARAYE HOSPITALIZED AFTER FIGHT WITH MISICK: Both parties release statements; actress interviewed by local news.

The Turks & Caicos Island says LisaRaye McCoy Misick remained in the hospital Thursday afternoon after Wednesday night's physical altercation with her husband, Turks and Caicos president Michael Misick. The confrontation followed allegations from LisaRaye that Rocsi from BET's 106 & Park had been having an affair with Misick and was staying at the mansion last weekend while LisaRaye was in New York. As previously reported, Misick released a statement Tuesday announcing his separation from the TV star. According to Caribbean Net News, LisaRaye returned to the island earlier this week to work out a divorce settlement. But sources told the news outlet that the process had gone very badly from her standpoint. Misick ended up banning his wife from the mansion and she was reportedly forced to be stay at a local beach resort.On Wednesday night, LisaRaye ignored the alleged ban and confronted Misick at his mansion. The situation turned violent. "He beat her bad," a source told EUR Thursday afternoon. "She came in the same day Rocsi went out, and he had already issued the statement that they were separated. Apparently she went over there and got into the fight. She's now in the hospital."The sub-story is that he has been under investigation because $57 million dollars is missing from our government. They froze all of his bank accounts. He's getting a separation because he can't afford to get a divorce." SOURCE:EURWEB.COM