Keepingitreal

For Airlines, Runways Are the Danger Zone

WASHINGTON — The recent groundings of thousands of flights have raised flags about skipped airplane inspections and botched repairs to wiring. But what really worries aviation specialists? Runway collisions.“Where we are most vulnerable at this moment is on the ground,” the chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Mark V. Rosenker, said. “To me, this is the most dangerous aspect of flying.”For the six-month period that ended March 30, there were 15 serious “runway incursions,” compared with 8 in the period a year earlier. Another occurred at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on April 6 when a tug operator pulling a Boeing 777 along a taxiway failed to stop at a runway as another plane was landing, missing the tug by about 25 feet.The last airliner crash in the United States, a regional jet in Lexington, Ky., in August 2006, was a runway incursion because the crew tried to take off on the wrong runway.The problem — defined broadly as the unauthorized presence of a plane, vehicle or pedestrian on a runway — continues despite efforts by the Federal Aviation Administration and airports to improve lighting and signs on the ground, to train pilots and to identify intersections that are particularly problematic.Everyone agrees the number of incursions is too large.Runway collisions are caused almost entirely by human error. But they are still mostly preventable, because the risk could be substantially reduced with existing technology, ranging from paint on the pavement to electronic warning systems.Some of the more sophisticated electronic systems are commercially available, but are not required by the F.A.A. And the most recent decision by the agency about a new generation of equipment for navigation and surveillance appears to delay the widespread adoption of in-cockpit warning technology by at least more than a decade.Solving the runway incursion problem has been on the National Transportation Safety Board’s “most wanted list” of safety improvements since the list was created in 1990, and the board rates the F.A.A.’s response as “unacceptable.” SOURCE: NYTIMES

Bush says tax rebates should help economy

WASHINGTON — President Bush acknowledged that the economy is weakening, but expressed hope that tax rebates that start going out on Monday should help shore things up. "This money is going to help Americans offset the high prices we're seeing at the gas pump, at the grocery store, and will also give our economy a boost to help us pull out of this economic slowdown," he said Friday in brief remarks at the White House.The rebates range from $300 to $1,200 and are the centerpiece of the government's $168 billion stimulus package, enacted in February, to brace the teetering economy. Roughly 130 million households are expected to get them. The Bush administration is hoping that people will spend the money, helping to bolster the economy. The IRS says the first direct deposits of rebates will begin Monday, with paper checks to follow starting next month. "Obviously our economy is in a slowdown," Bush said. Earlier this week, the president denied the nation was in a recession, instead saying, "We are in a slowdown." But many economists believe the economy may already be in a recession. A trio of crises housing, credit and financial — has threatened to plunge the economy deep into recession. The economy grew at an anemic 0.6 percent in the final three months of last year and is believed to have gotten even weaker in the first three months of this year. The government will report on the first quarter's performance next week. A growing number of analysts believe the economy is shrinking now. With the economy faltering, the nation's unemployment rate has climbed to 5.1 percent, the highest since September 2005, when it suffered from the devastating blows of the Gulf Coast hurricanes. Job losses in the first three months of this year neared the quarter-million mark. The collapse of the once high-flying housing market has been the biggest weight on the economy. With many people watching their single-biggest asset — their home ” falling in value, they have been less inclined to spend, weakening the economy. Foreclosures have surged to record highs and financial companies have taken multibillion losses on mortgage investments that soured. The situation has sent a tremor through Wall Street and has sent the administration, Congress and presidential contenders looking for ways to provide relief. Vote for this story! SOURCE: ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION

3 NYPD detectives acquitted in 50-shot killing

Three detectives were acquitted of all charges Friday in the 50-shot killing of an unarmed groom-to-be on his wedding day, a case that put the NYPD at the center of another dispute involving allegations of excessive firepower. Justice Arthur Cooperman delivered the verdict in a Queens courtroom packed with spectators, including victim Sean Bell's fiancee and parents, and at least 200 people gathered outside the building.The verdict provoked an outpouring of emotions: Bell's fiancee immediately walked out of the room. His mother cried.Outside the courthouse, which was surrounded by scores of police officers, many in the crowd began weeping as news of the verdict said. Others were enraged, swearing and screaming "Murderers! Murderers!" or "KKK!"Bell, a 23-year-old black man, was killed in a hail of gunfire outside a seedy strip club in Queens on Nov. 25, 2006 — his wedding day — as he was leaving his bachelor party with two friends.Officers Michael Oliver, 36, and Gescard Isnora, 29, stood trial for manslaughter while Officer Marc Cooper, 40, was charged only with reckless endangerment. Two other shooters weren't charged. Oliver squeezed off 31 shots; Isnora fired 11 rounds; and Cooper shot four times.The officers, complaining that pretrial publicity had unfairly painted them as cold-blooded killers, opted to have the judge decide the case rather than a jury.The judge indicated that the police officers' version of events was more credible than the victims' version. "The people have not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that each defendant was not justified" in firing, he said.

A conviction on manslaughter could have brought up to 25 years in prison; the penalty for reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, is a year behind bars. The case brought back painful memories of other NYPD shootings, such as the 1999 shooting of Amadou Diallo — an African immigrant who was gunned down in a hail of 41 bullets by police officers who mistook his wallet for a gun. The acquittal of the officers in that case created a storm of protest, with hundreds arrested after taking to the streets in demonstration. The mood surrounding this case has been muted by comparison, although Bell's fiancee, parents and their supporters, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, have held rallies demanding that the officers — two of whom are black — be held accountable. SOURCE: SFGATE SEE THE VIDEO OF THE VERDICT

R.KELLY HAIRBRAIDER

Blacks Have Much Lower Incidence of Alcohol Abuse than Whites

BETHESDA, Md., April 22 -- Blacks are 40% less likely than whites to develop alcohol abuse and Hispanics are half as likely as whites to develop generalized anxiety disorder. These are among the few surprises in a major study of the incidence of such disorders, reported Bridget Grant, Ph.D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and colleagues online today in Molecular Psychiatry. The study showed that compared with whites, the odds ratio for blacks developing new cases of alcohol abuse in a year was 0.60 with a 95% confidence interval from 0.34 to 0.95. or Hispanics, the odds ratio for generalized anxiety disorder was 0.5 with a 95% confidence interval from 0.27 to 0.91.ut in general, the risk of developing substance use, mood, and anxiety disorders doesn't vary much along racial or ethnic lines, the researchers said.Dr. Grant said the analysis of data from the second wave of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions attempted to tease out not only incidence, but also risk factors for a host of DSM-IV conditions. These included such challenging problems as major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse and dependence, and generalized anxiety disorder.Knowing the risk factors, she said, will mean that physicians can begin to develop interventions that will prevent disease.One promising finding is that many disorders are linked temporally -- a patient who develops one has an increased risk of developing the second. SOURCE: MEDPAGE TODAY

Apple posts over $1 billion profit in quarter

Apple Inc. is singing a happy tune. The Cupertino technology company said Wednesday it made more than $1 billion in profit in the most recent quarter, selling 2.3 million Macintosh computers, 10.6 million iPods and 1.7 million iPhones.It also continued to draw new Apple converts: Company executives said 50 percent of its Macintosh computer sales at its retail stores came from first-time users, a trend that has repeated itself quarter after quarter.The latest financial results come as Apple looks ahead to a critical year. A new entrant to the highly competitive mobile market, it plans to sell 10 million iPhones by the end of the 2008, a target its executives expect to reach.To that end, by late June, the company plans to release software that will make the iPhone more appealing to business customers, as well as introduce programs designed by outside developers that could give customers even more to do with their iPhone, such as new mobile games. It also expects to roll out the iPhone this year in more countries outside the United States, including in Asia."It's a tremendously strong story," said Andy Hargreaves, a senior research analyst at Pacific Crest Securities. "You have continued momentum in the Mac business - they're defying gravity, so to speak. And you are in the very beginning of the iPhone product cycle." Apple reported Wednesday that its profits leapt 36 percent, with net income of $1.05 billion ($1.16 per share) for the quarter ended March 31, compared with net income of $770 million (87 cents per share) for the same period a year ago. SOURCE: SFGATE

Dev Anand looks for Bollywood talent in Inverness

One of Bollywood's living legends, a veteran heartthrob who has cast his cinematic spell over generations of Indian women, is about to embark on a scouting mission for a new leading lady — in Inverness.Dev Anand, an award-winning director and one of the world's most celebrated actors, will stop off in Scotland on his way to the Cannes Film Festival this week to search for locations and a female lead for a new “international romance” tentatively titled When Heartbeats are the Same.Life, it would seem, is imitating art: the man known as “India's Gregory Peck” says his love affair with the Highlands began ten years ago when he travelled to Pitlochcry to direct and star in Main Solah Baras Ki — the story of an Indian filmaker's hunt for the perfect leading woman.“There was magic in the scenery everywhere, in Scotland's countryside, its towns, its lakes, its valleys and dales,” Mr Anand, 84, told The Times. “My whole being is excited at the prospect of my return. One movie in Scotland is not enough,” he added. “My script will demand local actors.” Mr Anand has been invited by the Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission, a body whose past achievements include luring Mel Gibson to film Brave Heart in the story's homeland. Funding permitting, Mr Anand says he will search for Scottish musicians to compose a score for the new project, in which he plans to take the role of the father of an Indian hero who will be played by a yet-to-be-discovered “hot young star”. SOURCE: THE TIMES

Amy Winehouse makes it on to the Rich List

Despite a year of personal turmoil and a barrage of bad press, soul singer Amy Winehouse’s finances are in such good order that she has made it onto The Sunday Times Rich List. According to the 2008 list, to be published this weekend, the 24-year-old Londoner is worth an estimated £10 million.The bee-hived singer, who has battled drug problems and seen her husband incarcerated during the past year, is one of a number of singers making their debut in the annual list’s Young Music Millionaire’s category.The X Factor winner turned global star Leona Lewis is also on the list. Having secured both a No. 1 single and album in the US, and after dominating the charts from Austria to Australia, the 23-year-old from North London is thought to be worth £6 million .Grammy-winner Corrine Bailey Rae has made it onto the list for the first time. The 29-year-old singer-songwriter, who lost her musician husband to a suspected drug overdose last month, has amassed a fortune of £6 million.Sussex-born Natasha Bedingfield, 26, who swapped Christian music for pop and was rewarded with a Grammy, also has an estimated worth of £6 million.But the newcomers have a way to go before they match the wealth of established music millionaires. Dhani Harrison, 29, the son of the late Beatle George Harrison tops the Young Music Millionaire’s list, that rates those under 30 years old, with a fortune of £160 million. The celebrated violinist Vanessa-Mae comes a distant second with £32 million.But their fortunes are dwarfed in the overall category of Britain’s Top 50 Music Millionaires. Clive Calder, the founder of Zomba Records, remains at the top of the list for another year with a wealth of £1,300 million. The prolific composer Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber occupies second place, with £750 million.After a costly divorce from second wife Heather Mills, Sir Paul McCartney’s worth fell from £725 million last year to £500 million, but the former Beatle remains in third spot.Pop Idol creator and Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller has a fortune of £450 million, putting him fourth equal with musical producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh. SOURCE:THE TIMES

Wesley Snipes given three years for tax evasion

Wesley Snipes was sentenced to three years imprisonment last night for his “brazen defiance” of the US taxman. The 45-year-old Hollywood actor, who has starred in films including Blade, White Men Can’t Jump and Demolition Man, was given the maximum sentence possible after prosecutors described him to a court in Ocala, Florida, as a “truly notorious offender.” He did not have to go to prison immediately but must surrender to custody at a later date.Snipes sat expressionless as the sentence was handed down. Asked if he had any reaction, he spread his arms and shrugged. One of his lawyers, Carmen Hernandez, complained: “Mr Snipes was sentenced because he’s Mr Snipes.”The decision by US District Court judge William Terrell Hodges came two months after a jury convicted Snipes on three counts of willfully failing to file federal tax returns from 1999 to 2001.The court heard yesterday that Snipes dodged $15 million (£7.5 million) in tax through a campaign in which he concealed millions offshore, falsely applied for tax refunds and bombarded the Internal Revenue Service with frivolous correspondence that threatened government employees, railed about extortion and used twisted legal interpretations to back his claim that taxation was unlawful.“For nearly a decade, Snipes has engaged in a campaign of criminal tax conduct combining brazen defiance with insidious concealment,” the prosecuting attorney, Robert O’Neill, told the court in a sentencing memorandum. “In the defendant Wesley Snipes, the court is presented with a wealthy, famous and inveterate tax scofflaw. If ever a tax offender was deserving of being held accountable to the maximum extent for his criminal wrongdoing, Snipes is that defendant.”Wearing a black suit and black tie, Snipes — a twice divorced father of five aged from 1 to 19 — clasped his hands together in a gesture of prayer as he arrived at the courthouse.“He is contrite, promises that he will never again break the law, and respectfully asks the court to consider not just the jury verdict but also all the good that he has done in his life,” his attorneys told the judge in a written document.At the hearing Snipes’s lawyers tried to give the court three envelopes with cheques amounting to $5 million, but the judge and prosecutor said that they could not accept them. An official of the Internal Revenue Service collected the money during a recess. Snipes’s big-screen career took off in 1987 after he caught the eye of the film director Spike Lee for his role as a gang leader in the Michael Jackson music video Bad. He went on to star in more than 40 films, taking roles that range from a crusading vampire to a jazz saxophonist.But his belated contrition and celebrity failed to impress Judge Hodges, despite written pleas for leniency from 31 character witnesses including fellow acting stars Woody Harrelson and the Academy Award-winning Denzel Washington. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

IYAGO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP PRESENTS:“WHAT BLACK MEN THINK”

AN IN DEPTH VIEW OF HOW MYTHS, STEREOTYPES AND MISREPRESENTATIONS RENDER BLACK MEN NON-NECESSITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES…In the most provocative Black Film since “ROOTS”, Janks Morton presents a searing examination of the role that myths, stereotypes and misperceptions have played in the decimation of modern era Black relationships, and how the symbiotic relationship between Government, the Media and Special Interests perpetuates misinformation to further marginalize the role of Black Men in society. Since the triumphs of the Civil Rights Legislations of the early 1960’s, havoc and disarray has been wreaked on the Black Family with a specific devastation on the Black Man. With the negative imagery of the Media, the failed policy of the Great Society, and modern era Black Leadership abandoning tenets that historically held the community together, a new form of mental slavery has perpetuated an “UNDECLARED CIVIL WAR” in the Black Community…SOURCE OF THIS STORY

For Democrats, Questions Over Race and Electability

It is the question that has hung over Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, and it loomed large on Tuesday night after his loss to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in Pennsylvania: Why has he been unable to win over enough working-class and white voters to wrap up the Democratic nomination? Lurking behind that question is another: Is the Democratic Party hesitating about race as it moves to the brink of nominating an African-American to be president? Mr. Obama remains ahead of Mrs. Clinton in delegates, in the popular vote and in national polls, and Mrs. Clinton certainly has her own problems trying to herd Democrats into her corner. But just when it seemed that the Democratic Party was close to anointing Mr. Obama as its nominee, he lost yet again in a big general election state, dragged down by his weakness among blue-collar voters, older voters and white voters. The composition of Mrs. Clinton’s support — or, looked at another way, the makeup of voters who have proved reluctant to embrace Mr. Obama — has Democrats wondering, if not worrying, about what role race may be playing.“I’m sure there is some of that,” said David Axelrod, Mr. Obama’s senior political adviser, as he considered how race was playing among voters in late primary states. Mr. Axelrod said Mrs. Clinton’s biggest advantage had been among older voters, “and I think there is a general inclination on the part of the older voters to vote for what is more familiar.” He added: “Here’s a guy named Barack Obama, an African-American guy, relatively new. That’s a lot of change.” SOURCE: NYTIMES

TERRENCE HOWARD INTRODUCES NEW ALBUM: Actor holds listening session in NY for 11-song disc

Terrence Howard held a lunchtime listening party for his debut album, "Terrence Howard – Me and the Band of Kings" at the Sony Club in New York. According to People, the Oscar-nominated actor was dressed in a gray three-piece suit and drummed his chopsticks along to the 11-song disc as it played for a room full of journalists. Due in September, the album is highly reminiscent of a live, big band, jazz feel and features songs with subjects ranging from broken relationships ("It's All Game") to self-reflection ("Plenty") to the celebration of love on his single, "Love Makes You Beautiful." Howard, who plays the guitar on the album, said he began writing songs at age 16 in his "rainbow colored notebook," and told reporters about recording an "emotionally sobering" song that began as a letter to his ex-wife. SOURCE: EURWEB.COM

So You Think You Can Dance: The dance-off trip giveaway!

Fans of So You Think You Can Dance are going to really love this one. In celebration of the new season of the show, which premieres on FOX on May 22nd, we're working with promoters to offer our readers a round-trip to Los Angeles, California to attend the So You Think You Can Dance dance-off. The trip includes airfare for two, hotel, ground transportation to/from the airport and spending money. To enter, leave a comment below before 11:59PM Eastern, Wednesday, May 7 simply telling us why you'd like to take a trip out to see the dance-off. As always, we'll randomly choose one winner amongst the eligible entries. Some other details after the jump. The winner (and guest) will be flown to Los Angeles to attend a promotional event on Monday, May 19 to participate in a Guinness World Record Breaking Event (the most people playing a dancing game simultaneously) at the Nokia Center. The itinerary is as follows:
Sunday, May 18 – Arrive in LA
Monday, May 19 – Event at Nokia Center
Tuesday, May 20 – Return home

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below stating why you'd like to attend the So You Think You Can Dance dance-off in Los Angeles.
• The comment must be left before May 7, 2008 at 11:59PM Eastern Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• One winner will receive airfare for two, hotel accommodations (2 nights, 1 double-occupancy room), ground transportation to/from the airports and Nokia Center and $200 AmEx gift card (valued at approximately $3000)
  
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States who are 21 and older.
• CONTEST RULES CONTINUE READING HERE

Kanye West:SHOW REVIEW

Hip-hop shows have never been known for their production values, and Kanye West has decided to do something about it. His Glow in the Dark Tour is an arena extravaganza, filled with smoke, fire, giant HD screens and hydraulic stages. But they're all dwarfed by West's massive ego. In essence, he's cast himself as the only character in a space opera, sent to the ends of universe because he's only man who can save the world from its lack of creativity. After sitting through his muddled 80-minute show, audiences might beg to differ.Of course, any performer who looks to outer space is going to come in contact with George Clinton and P-Funk's late-'70s extravaganzas. Those legendary shows embraced a sense of community and stoned humor -- Dr. Funkenstein and his troupe have something the Earth could use on their mothership: diapered guitarists, slinky women and expansive jams; West's one-man turn (his eight-piece band is hidden behind the main screen) is a chilly production that doesn't allow the star any contact with his aud; stranded on a far-off planet without even a Friday or Wilson to play off (the only other voice heard is Jane, his spaceship, who sounds disconcertingly like the recordings warning you to "watch the doors" on airport trams), he can only run from one side of the expansive stage to the other.There's a lot of energy expended, but to little effect; the only time he breaks character (so to speak) is to admonish L.A. Reid for leaving early (not a bad idea as the production repeats itself, having run out of ideas about halfway). West means for this to be taken seriously, but the effect is closer to something Tracy Jordan would attempt on "30 Rock." This is especially true when he tries a move toward the dramatic, and the staging actually makes him appear smaller than life.There's no story in the program: Once the concept is established, it is jettisoned for long stretches. When West starts "Can't Tell Me Nothing" you want to remind him that such arrogance is unbecoming, especially after he has just crashed a spaceship, leaving him with no way home. Bragging how he has the best skills on the planet is a rather hollow honor when he is the only sentient being in the vicinity. He's so insanely self-involved, he barely seems to notice the geysers of steam and plumes of flame erupting on all sides of him. He does notice an alien blow-up doll who -- in one of the evening's technical glitches -- hung limply on a wire.SOURCE: VARIETY.COM

UN warns Darfur war worsening, with perhaps 300,000 dead

UNITED NATIONS - The conflict in Darfur is deteriorating, with full deployment of a new peacekeeping force delayed until 2009 and no prospect of a political settlement for a war that has killed perhaps 300,000 people in five years, U.N. officials said Tuesday. In grim reports to the Security Council, the United Nations aid chief and the representative of the peacekeeping mission said suffering in the Sudanese region is worsening. Tens of thousands more have been uprooted from their homes and food rations to the needy are about to be cut in half, they said."We continue to see the goal posts receding, to the point where peace in Darfur seems further away today than ever," said John Holmes, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs.The conflict began in early 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against Sudan's Arab-dominated central government, accusing it of discrimination. Many of the worst atrocities in the war have been blamed on the janjaweed militia of Arab nomads allied with the government.A joint U.N.-African Union peacekeeping force took over duties in Darfur in January from a beleaguered 7,000-man AU mission. But only about 9,000 soldiers and police officers of the authorized 26,000 have deployed."We are late and we are trying to speed up the deployment of this mission, and we facing many obstacles," said the U.N.-AU force's envoy, Rodolphe Adada. "But eventually, with the help of some donors, we could be in a position to achieve maybe 80 percent of the force by the end of this year."The mission faces major problems in putting troops into a very hostile environment, Adada said. It still lacks five critical capabilities to become operational — attack helicopters, surveillance aircraft, transport helicopters, military engineers and logistical support.Holmes said further progress in deploying the joint peacekeeping force, known as UNAMID, would help protect civilians and possibly humanitarian convoys."But only an end to all violence and concrete steps towards a political settlement will make the fundamental difference needed, as the rebel movements themselves above all need to recognize," Holmes said. "Otherwise the reality is that the people of Darfur face a continued steady deterioration of their conditions of life and their chances of lasting recovery."The U.N. and AU have tried for months to open new peace talks between Sudan and rebel groups following the failure of a 2005 agreement to stem violence. But most rebel chiefs are boycotting the negotiations, and security in Darfur has further deteriorated in recent months.Adada told the council that "unfortunately, it is commonly understood today in Darfur that peace is not at all attractive — neither economically nor politically."Darfur's main rebel chief said Tuesday he told Security Council representatives last month that no peace talks can be held until security is restored. SOURCE: YAHOO NEWS

HAT IF IT FEELS GOOD?: BOOK REVIEW

Reviewed by Stanley Bennett Clay -- A novel by D. J. McLaurin [Taylor Nicole Publishing 404 pp. ISBN 9780909403804 website: www.djmclaurin.com] - D.J. McLaurin’s hard-to-put-down, exceptionally well-written and phenomenally plotted “What If It Feels Good?” is pure old-school pop fiction with an edge. Harkening back to the better days of Danielle Steele, Sidney Sheldon, and Jeffrey Archer, and a terrific homage to Charles Dickens, Ms. McLaurin restores melodrama’s good name with a story as heart-wrenching as anything concocted by the Bronte sisters, while still maintaining a unique voice of her own with a contemporary and downright controversial slant few writers have been brave enough to traverse. The story opens on the mean streets of Detroit. Michael Bagley is an almost too beautiful street urchin, a cross between the angelic Oliver Twist and the streetwise Artful Dodger, homeless, eating out of trash cans, surviving anyway he can. The novel opens with three telling sentences: “Men were attracted to him. At just fourteen, Michael could see it. Of course not every man was attracted to the youthful sweetness of the innocent, but there were enough of them to make a lucrative living.”But there’s something special about Michael’s personality, as special as his unearthly beauty. Even as he half-heartedly hustles male tricks twice his age and older with mixed results, the kid’s got chutzpa and a lot of heart, with no desire to do anyone harm. He beds an older woman out of gratitude and genuine affection, his good heart earns him shared shelter under the highway with a loving homeless couple, and even his single mother, a stripper and a loving (if irresponsible) parent beset by unfortunate circumstances, benefits from his unconditional love and devotion. Ironically it is because of his protection of her (whom, against her protest, he stays away from to give her space with an abusive pimp-type) that lands him in trouble, as a gun accidentally goes off injuring his mother’s nefarious paramour. Swirls of activities ensue at a deliciously dizzying pace; court hearings, mysterious lawyers, the sudden appearance of an unknown father, the threat of incarcerations, and custody decisions. Suddenly the court gives Michael’s biological father, Joseph Simpson, a black billionaire entertainment and media mogul from New York, an ultimatum: either assume custody of his illegitimate son, or watch the boy be remanded to Michigan state custody. Both mother and son are devastated by the results, as Michael is whisked off to a New York mansion by a father he doesn’t know, and to a step mother and half-siblings who are less than cordial. Without resorting to simple black-and-white stereotypes, the author creates circumstances for Michael in his new setting so emotional that tears of sadness and tears of joy are guaranteed to fly, and after being roller-coastered through every emotion imaginable you’ll jump with the bitter sweet joy of parents at their only daughter’s wedding when Michael’s ultimate relationship with his father works itself out. Over time a bond is created between Michael and the rest of his new family, only for the now 17-year-old to enter into a deeply moving love affair with his father’s best friend, a man twenty years his senior, creating another grand crisis in a story awash with crises. Ms. McLaurin’s handling of the delicate issue of pedophilia is nothing short of miraculous; leaving readers with conflicting views and though-provoking questions that will spark discussion long after the final page is turned. Books like these—impossibly beautiful people, rags to riches, what price celebrity, a media eating frenzy, tawdry sex, infidelity, deep family jealousy, dark family secrets, international jet-setting, deathbed confessions, and the kitchen sink—usually have very little on their minds and are so often mere titillating stories poorly articulated (How do you say Jackie Collins-Judith Krantz?), but in “What If It Feels Good?” D.J. McLaurin has cracked the secret recipe for writing an intelligent and literate potboiler. It is almost a cliché to say that I didn’t want this book to end. Well it also happens to be a fact. What a hellified book. What a hellified writer. I wait anxiously for whatever she comes up with next.

Have You Been Waiting For An Ethnic Search Engine?

Barry Diller, the chairman and CEO of IAC, which owns Ask.com, Match.com, Evite, and College Humor, among many others, has just launched Rushmore Drive, a new online community geared toward blacks and centered around an “ethnic,” Ask.com-powered search engine that delivers both mainstream results and results targeted toward African Americans. “Every person is looking for a more relevant search result,” Johnny Taylor, head of IAC’s Black Web Enterprises Inc. unit and chief executive of RushmoreDrive.com, told the Charlotte Observer. “It recognizes who you are, so you can find what you’re looking for every time.”Is that true? Just to test out that theory, and being of the core demographic, I searched some general terms on both Rushmore Drive and Ask.com to see how the first-page results differed. The first result on Rushmore Drive was usually something mainstream like Travelocity or Monster.com, but the subsequent results were very clearly pointed in the “African American” direction, but not always helpfully so. Ex: My search for “food” yielded “Chitterlings.com.” So not interested. You sort of get the idea that the Rushmore Drive engine just adds “black and African American” to your search terms. I’m not planning on switching from Google anytime soon, but it should be interesting to see how it evolves with more use. Plus, when I searched “blog,” Stereohyped wasn’t on the first page. Boo. SOURCE: STEREOHYPED

Mos Def's Ex Wife Pens Tell-All

It can suck to be a celebrity. Especially when folks decide to write a tell-all about your life and put your business on the streets. MC and actor, Mos Def, could attest to this. His ex-wife, Alana Wyatt, 29, self-published a tell-all called Breaking the Code of Silence, which is supposed to describe her whirlwind marriage to the artist, who she married last year.Here's a description of the book posted on Xlibris.com:Breaking the Code of Silence chronicles the intense relationship and whirlwind marriage between a young woman and one of Hip-Hop's most beloved artists. An honest and open memoir, Wyatt tells her story of how her turbulent childhood, difficult teenage years and sometimes not-so-wise decisions aided in her development to become a devoted mother and a strong, independent woman. Controversial and straightforward Breaking the Code of Silence holds no punches as Wyatt reveals how her glamorous lifestyle -envied by many wasn't always so fabulous. Part biography, part cautionary tale, Wyatt tells her story to educate and inspire others to be independent and remain true to themselves. Interested? Click here to read an excerpt. I'm all for cautionary tales that may help others avoid mistakes, but what's up with all the tell-alls? First Karrine Steffans' Confessions of a Video Vixen then Carmen Bryant's It's No Secret. Who's next? SOURCE: BLACK VOICES

Will Demps on Cover of Krave Magazine

Debt Collection Done From India Appeals to U.S. Agencies

GURGAON, India — In a glass tower on the outskirts of New Delhi, dozens of young Indians are on the telephone, calling America’s out of work, forgetful and debt-stricken and asking for cash.“Are you sure that’s all you can afford?” one operator in a row of cubicles asks politely. “Well, how do you take care of your everyday expenses?” presses another. Americans are used to receiving calls from India for insurance claims and credit card sales. But debt collection represents a growing business for outsourcing companies, especially as the American economy slows and its consumers struggle to pay for their purchases.Armed with a sophisticated automated system that dials tens of thousands of Americans every hour, and puts confidential information like Social Security numbers, addresses and credit history at operators’ fingertips, this new breed of collectors is chasing down late car payments, overdue credit card debt and lapsed installment loans. Debt collectors in India often cost about one-quarter the price of their American counterparts, and are often better at the job, debt collection company executives say.“India will be the only place we grow this year,” said J. Brandon Black, the chief executive of the Encore Capital Group, a debt collection company based in San Diego. India is the company’s largest operating area, with about half the company’s collection force of more than 300.Although the stereotype of a collector may be “some guy with chains and a cut-off shirt,” Mr. Black said, collectors in India are “very polite, very respectful, and they don’t raise their voice.” He added, “People respond to that.”Companies like Encore buy bad loans from banks and credit card issuers for pennies on the dollar and pocket the cash they collect. The delinquent borrowers often owe at least a thousand dollars. SOURCE: NYTIMES