JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (Reuters) -- Former South African President P.W. Botha, the defiant face of white rule at the height of the anti-apartheid struggle, died at his home on Tuesday aged 90, the South African Press Association reported."Botha died at home, peacefully," SAPA quoted a member of his security staff, Frikkie Lucas, as saying. Botha, known widely as "The Great Crocodile" for his adamant stance against black rule in South Africa, died at his home in Wilderness, about 350 km (220 miles) east of Cape Town, SAPA said. Botha, who presided over some of the worst excesses of the apartheid era during the 1970s and 1980s, had been in hospital in October for what were described as routine tests. He was toppled in a cabinet rebellion in 1989 and replaced by F.W. de Klerk, who repudiated almost everything the finger-wagging hardliner had stood for, including the laws that were the foundation of apartheid. De Klerk later guided South Africa's white rulers through the delicate negotiations that ultimately brought the African National Congress (ANC), led by Nelson Mandela, to power in multi-racial elections in 1994. MORE INFO
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October 2006
October 31, 2006
Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival December 1-3, 2006.
Outfest is a leading showcase for diverse, international lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) film and video. Outfest produces the oldest and largest continuous film festival in Los Angeles, the only LGBT weekly screening series in the country as well as the only LGBT people of color film festival. Since 1982, Outfest has presented more than 4,000 film and video titles for audiences of well over half a million people. Fusion - is a multicultural film festival with great movies, parties, music, workshops, and a spoken word event. Ricc Rollins
Recently picked up a copy of Phyne Art a pictorial essay showcasing the artistry of photographer and author Ricc Rollins. Once you open the book it will attract and hold you attentively by a unique power, personal charm, unusual nature, or some other special quality; it has a vivacity that will fascinate you with the beautiful images of some of the most beautiful individuals you have ever seen. The lighting of the subjects is impeccable. Order your copy today.
October 30, 2006
Ebonics
African American Vernacular English (AAVE), also called African American English, Black English, Black Vernacular, Black English Vernacular (BEV), or Black Vernacular English (BVE), is a type variety (dialect, ethnolect and sociolect) of the American English language. It is known colloquially as Ebonics (a portmanteau of "ebony" and "phonics"). With pronunciation that in some respects is common to Southern American English, the variety is spoken by many African Americans in the United States and even by some non-African Americans who have grown up in predominantly black communities. AAVE shares many characteristics with various Creole English dialects spoken by black people in much of the world. AAVE also has pronunciation, grammatical structures, and vocabulary in common with various West African languages. Speakers are often bidialectal and, like any form of language, age status, topic, and setting influence the use of AAVE. For example, research has found that AAVE is used more often when discussing abstract concepts, such as feelings, and when speaking to members of one's own peer group.
Day in Review: TMZ Reports
Reliable sources tell TMZ that actress Sharon Stone and former NBA star Rick Fox were making out at Hollywood hotspot Hyde on Saturday night, and that the relationship is developing into something more than just a one-night canoodling session. The pair arrived at the club separately, but spent a couple hours inside "with their hands all over each other," according to witnesses, and then were snapped by photogs leaving Hyde together. Stone has had three previous marriages end in divorce, and Fox was previously married to singer-actress Vanessa Williams. Stone's rep had no information on the encounter, and Fox's rep could not be reached for comment. MORE ON THIS STORY
Dec
oz says Flav's real name William Jonathan Drayton is "dominated by the number 8, a number which reflects money and power." Something the Flavorettes are well aware of. The general rhythms and tones of his name resonate with the number 1, "representing a true original." Do you know anyone else who wears a giant clock around his neck? As far as Deelishis is concerned, Decoz says her real name, Chandra Davis, is "dominated by the number 5, a number associated with risks and rewards." Anyone willing to compete for Flav's affection against New York is definitely a risk-taker. Based on his research, Hans says Flav and Deelishis "have qualities that would make them compatible, or at the very least help us understand what attracted them to one another. "That may be true, but considering the fact that the "Flavor of Love" finale was one of the highest rated shows in VH1's history Deelishis' days may be numbered, no matter what Flav says.
The duo showed up to Frankie J's album release party in Hollywood on Tuesday and professed their admiration for each other by engaging in some ordinary, run of the mill, John Travolta-style man-on-man open-mouth kissing. Not that there's anything wrong with that! Rossi even got a little touchy-feely as his hand can be seen riding up Tommy's stomach and exposing Lee's beautifully manscaped and tattooed lower abdomen. This isn't the first time Tommy has been caught making out with a fellow rocker. In July, Lee and Dave Navarro swapped spit while at a party for their CBS reality show "Rockstar: Supernova. "While we support Tommy's desire to express his manlove, both Rossi and Navarro wear enough makeup to rival the Pussycat Dolls -- and we wouldn't be surprised if Tommy was unaware he was kissing a man.
Whitney Houston is ready for a new edition.
In her first major public appearance since her breakup with Bobby Brown, the reclusive singer escorted Clive Davis to the 17th Carousel of Hope Ball on Saturday. Dressed in black Armani and sparkling with diamonds, Houston told reporters, "I feel great." Davis, one of the night's two honorees along with Quincy Jones, expressed his support for the star, with whom he is working on a new album. "She's been through emotional trauma, and everybody's rooting for her," he told USA Today. "We're going to make a killer album." American Idol alum Katharine McPhee acknowledged Houston's presence at the event by performing the singer's hit "I Have Nothing." "It's her first big appearance since the breakup," McPhee told reporters as she arrived. "I would love to sing with her, but unfortunately all eyes are on me."
Krave Magazine
Krave Magazine, a new player on the magazine circuit, that is gaining a market share amongst the SGL community. The magazine features some of the hottest indiviuals on the planet. The magazine seems to have the same concept as Clik Magazine. A Fashion, Lifestyle, & Entertainment Magazine for Men of Color. KRAVE speaks to the needs of today's Men of Color. While embracing all aspects of his life, KRAVE delivers relevant stories, award-winning photography, and cutting-edge design that is focused on fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment. Since it's launch in 2005, KRAVE has attracted an immense and diverse readership - all seeking attainable style: trendsetters, modish, and sensible. KRAVE continues to target an audience that has the means, flavor, and desire to live the very best. MORE INFO
October 29, 2006
Raiders Win Number 2
Big Ben's miscues ground Steelers
JOSH DUBOW
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. - As putrid as the Oakland Raiders were to start the season, they're now at least as good - or is it bad? - as the Super Bowl champs. Chris Carr returned an interception by Ben Roethlisberger 100 yards for a touchdown, Nnamdi Asomugha also took back an interception for a score and the Raiders mounted a late goal-line stand to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-13 Sunday. After losing five straight games to open the season and spark talk of possibly going winless, the Raiders have put together consecutive wins for the first time since October 2005. "We're not going to go around and stroke our egos or anything like that," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "We're still 2-5. We have a long way to go to get ourselves to .500. "But to find an equal, they need only go as far as the Steelers, who lost for the fifth time in six games and are in danger of missing the playoffs after falling three games behind Baltimore in the AFC North. Pittsburgh (2-5) did their best impression of the Raiders by committing four turnovers, four personal fouls and allowing five sacks. "Two wins for the year - that's not the way you imagined the Super Bowl champs would start the year off," Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward said. "When you turn the ball over as much as we did, it's hard to beat anybody."
Killed Over a Falafel in NYC
KILLED OVER A FALAFEL
MIDTOWN KNIFING
October 29, 2006 -- An early-morning argument over cutting into line at a popular Midtown falafel cart turned deadly yesterday when a man stabbed a teenager in the chest, cops said. Tyrone Gibbons, 19, of Short Hills, N.J., was standing in line at a falafel cart at 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue at around 4 a.m., when he and his friends got into an argument with Ziad Tayeh, 23 about cutting the line, police said. After a heated exchange, Gibbons and his pals hopped in their car, and Tayeh got in his. But when they stopped at a light on 53rd Street and Seventh Avenue, they started arguing again. "They were not happy with each other," a police official said. When the light changed, they turned south onto Seventh Avenue, but again stopped at a light at 52nd Street, and the fight erupted all over again. Then Tayeh jumped out of his white Lexus and allegedly plunged a blade into Gibbons' chest, cops said.Tayeh hopped back into his car and sped off, and Gibbons was rushed to St. Vincent's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:40 a.m., police said. Police later picked up Tayeh on East 26th Street between First and Second avenues. He was charged with murder in the second degree. Tayeh's father said his son was just defending himself. "He's an angel; he's lovable. He wouldn't hurt a fly," his father told The Post at their home in Park Slope, Brooklyn. "He was attacked by three kids in the middle of Manhattan - he's a beautiful kid." A man who answered the phone at the address listed for Gibbons said the teenager was a friend and had just lived there a short while.The late night Halal falafel and gyro cart at 53rd Street and Sixth Avenue is well known among Midtown habitués for its Pakistani and Middle Eastern food.
MORE INFO
'On Beauty' and Difference
Sam Fine, among the world's leading makeup artist, is noted especially for beautifying African-American women. He has been called upon to work his magic on supermodels Iman, Naomi Campbell, Veronica Webb, and Tyra Banks, and superstars Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Williams, Brandy, and Mary J. Blige. Sam's work appears on covers and fashion pages of Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Essence, Vibe, Marie Claire, and other magazines. He will launch Fine Beauty Cosmetics, specifically developed for African- American women, in 2001. Fine has also created a cosmetics line exclusively for African-American women. Haute-Zine recently met with Sam while he was in town teaching the first of many MAC master classes on Beauty Basics and Beyond for African American women which is also the sub title of his book: Fine Beauty. Sam and MAC cosmetics graciously agreed to allow Haute-Zine to shoot this event as the first in a series for our new Internet based TV show, Hautezine TV. Sam got his start as an illustrator in New York. He began by studying art and working in the cosmetic department of a large specialty store. His background in art is evident in the flawlessly designed faces he creates. After learning make up application from his best friend, Sam began working his style behind the counter and developed a loyal following of models and celebrities. When word of his talent got around he was asked to work on the runway shows. The transition from department store to freelance artist happened when Naomi Campbell's makeup artist was unavailable for a show and she called Sam and requested he work with her. "That's when I knew it was time to start freelancing" said Sam. "You never know who's watching". Well, we watched him create 2 very different looks on model/actress Rosey Tennison (of the Playmate Tennison twins). For a look at Sam in action check out Haute-Looks. For Sam's Makeup recommendations and the products he used on Rosie, CHECK OUT SAM and Artist Tips. SOURCE OF THIS POST
Addicted To Sex
On the second Wednesday in September, Nicole, a Brentwood resident in her mid-thirties, received a call from a single female friend in Southern California. They hadn't spoken in a while, but the friend cut right to the chase: "What the hell is your fiancé doing on Match.com?" she asked. Nicole told the truth: Trevor was a sex addict. She'd known that much two weeks earlier when he'd left for a business trip in Los Angeles. Now, much to her surprise, it seemed he wasn't coming back. And judging from the things she'd discovered in his absence, Nicole was pretty sure she didn't want him to. Her friend e-mailed over Trevor's Match profile, and Nicole sat in front of her laptop staring at the broad-cheeked face she'd found so appealing in the past. She could tell he'd snapped the shirtless self-portraits in a guest bedroom of his parents' Danville home. His manic grin cut through the numbness that had taken over more and more of her mind lately. She felt disgusted. But it was his description of what he wanted in a partner that shook her to the core: "I want to have fun. After being in a relationship with someone who controlled me for the last 4.5 years, I need to find myself." MORE INFO
Tongues Untied Creator To Be Inducted into Hall of Fame
The National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association has just announced that they will be inducting late filmaker Marlon Riggs into the organization's hall of fame. Riggs first gained notoriety with his controversial 1991 film "Tongues Untied", where he explored the lives of black gay men in a way that had never been captured before on screen. An uproar from social conservatives erupted when the film received funding from The National Endowment for the Arts and was shown on PBS. He responded to the controversy in 1992 when he released this statement to the Washington Post, "People are far more sophisticated in their homophobia and racism now...they say 'We object to the language, we have to protect the community'...those statements are a ruse." Marlon won countless awards from film festivals all over the world including an Emmy award here at home. MORE INFO
DL Chronicles Left Out
From Deondray Gossett
Sorry my Atlanta Brothers and Sisters,
We were just informed today that The DL Chronicles, Episode: Robert didn't make it into Atlanta's Out On Film film festival! As some of you may recall, Episode: Wes premiered at this same festival last year to an overwhelming reception and dozens of accolades. Going to the site imagefv.org and looking at this year's lineup, it looks as if short films that star people of color have been omitted from their programming. I am asking that the fans of The DL Chronicles band together and flood their office with emails inquiring about The DL Chronicles. Episode: Robert has been accepted into EVERY festival it has been submitted to, but the reason why we're fighting over this one in particular is because it is one of the only festivals of this caliber that gives us access to our biggest demographic in Atlanta: Gay/Bi Black Men and Women. It seems as if this year's festival has suffered a "Black Out." Please challenge this festival's programming by requesting that The DL Chronicles be shown and any other short gay/lesbian film that stars people of color that you would like to be shown.
The email address is:
[email protected]
The phone number is:
404-352-4225
The festival director's name is Dan Krovich
Black Theater Takes on Homophobia
A dark stage in a small theater on New York City’s Lower East Side brightens slightly to reveal the altar of a deserted church. A young black man staggers from the shadows. Clutching a bottle, he rails drunkenly at the church for excluding him and his lover from a special mass for couples. Enter God—a.k.a. “Miss Sophie”—who reminds him of his cowardice in the face of this homophobia, for which his lover has now left him. “You’re cultivating the seeds of self-destruction your church planted in you,” she intones. “You need to declare your love to the heavens.”Even God can seem powerless against the mounting toll of HIV in black communities. But Miss Sophie is not alone. A Love Like Damien’s is part of a new theater movement confronting the epidemic, not just in entertainment-overloaded New York but in Washington, DC; Cleveland; Cincinnati; and Seattle. Artists are training their creative powers on homophobia as one particularly stubborn obstacle keeping black people from getting tested for HIV or getting treated once they’re diagnosed. http://justbthat.squarespace.com/journal/2006/10/5/no-more-drama-black-theater-takes-on-homophobia.html
Jetliner With 104 on Board Crashes in Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria (CNN) -- A Nigerian airliner carrying 104 people crashed Sunday near the Abuja airport shortly after takeoff and burst into flames, airport and government officials told CNN. A hospital official told Nigerian television channel NTA that his facility is treating seven survivors. The Boeing 737, operated by Nigerian airline ADC, was still on fire at the edge of the runway hours after it crashed around noon (6 a.m. ET). Debris from the shattered plane, body parts and personal belongings of passengers were strewn over an area the size of a soccer field where the plane went down in a wooded area, according to The Associated Press. Rescue workers pulled burned corpses from the smoldering fuselage, and about 50 bodies were gathered in a corner of the site, while the tail of the plane hung from a tree, The AP reported. (Watch the scene at hospital near crash site -- 55) The aircraft was heading to the northern Nigerian state of Sokoto and may have been carrying the Muslim state's highest ranking official, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammadu Maccido, according to a senior source with Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo's office.
Catch a Fire
"Catch a Fire" tells a true story, and that might be its downfall. Not all true stories are created equal, after all. Some are more dazzling, more interesting or simply more cinematic than others. "Catch a Fire" deals with a theme ripe for filmic representation -- South Africa's system of apartheid -- but the specific story it chooses is weak. The year is 1980, and South Africa is a land divided. Blacks comprise a majority of the population yet have no political power and are relegated to a grossly inhumane level of second-class citizenry. Patrick Chamusso (Derek Luke) has managed to rise above his circumstances, somewhat, and is a foreman at an oil refinery, one of the few blacks to achieve such a position. In his spare time he coaches a youth soccer team. He has a wife, Precious (Bonnie Henna), and two beautiful young daughters. No life is perfect in such an oppressive society, but Patrick's is better than many. Yet he has a secret: In another town, he has a lover by whom he also has a son. He is with them on the night that his oil refinery is attacked, apparently by the freedom-fighting militant wing of the African Nation Congress. A government detective named Nic Vos (Tim Robbins) fingers Patrick as a suspect, as he had access to the plant after hours and, as a black man, had a motive to lash out against the white-run government. Of course, when your society is intent on subjugating an entire race, you're sort of GIVING them motive to fight back, aren't you?
Bosko Kante
Los Angeles, CA -- Platinum producer Bosko Kante adds Hip-Hop industry newcomer Kevin Federline to his list of all-star clients. The multi-talented maestro produced and performed the vocals on "K. Fed's" first single, "Privilege." The two recently performed the escalating hit on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and received rave reviews. Federline's debut album, Playing With Fire, is scheduled to drop Tuesday, October 31st.According to Bosko working with Federline was a good experience. "I didn't know what to expect when I met Kevin because of all the negative reports in the tabloids. He turned out to be a really cool guy. He is serious about his music and also has lots of talent. We got to work and produced a couple of hits," says Bosko. MORE INFO
Actor Jesse Martin Is Robbed In Hometown
Actor Jesse Martin
Is Robbed In Hometown
Clarence Nero
Three sides to every story : A Novel Nero, Clarence, 1970
A love triangle unfolds in the voices of Johnny, Tonya, and James. Nero creates an utterly compelling narrative while illuminating the social and sexual challenges young urban black people face today.
Review - Nero's second outing (after Cheekie), set against the backdrop of New Orleans's pre-Katrina Ninth Ward, deploys three deftly drawn narrators to tell a wrenching story of desire and survival. Tonya, a stripper at Club Circus in the French Quarter, dates a shifty, up-and-coming rapper while her true love, Johnny, a former football star and preacher's son, serves time in an upstate prison for roughing up Tonya's ex. In prison, Johnny meets James, a sassy, educated drag queen from the same side of the tracks, doing time for petty theft. Worlds collide when Johnny admits to his feelings for James and becomes torn between his long-repressed homosexuality and the woman and life he had before. Once on the outside, James and Johnny become tangled in intrigue involving former and potential lovers, parents, friends and the ever-present specters of jealousy, homophobia, spite and simple misunderstanding. Nero has an excellent sense of pacing and nails each character's voice with a distinctiveness that's both illuminating and, by turns, hilarious. He moves easily from drag queen balls to church pews, and though the plot strands are tied up too neatly at the end, the book's mold-breaking characters and myriad subplots will hook readers. MORE INFO
Heroes In The Struggle
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