Keepingitreal

TYRA TO OPEN NEW SEASON WITHOUT WEAVE: Talk show host will return Sept. 8 with 'no fake hair at all!!'

Stop the presses. The season premiere of "The Tyra Banks Show" will feature its host without her trusty weave. “Guess What! I’m rockin’ my REAL hair on my talk show September 8th,” the former supermodel posted on her Twitter feed. “No fake hair at all! Will be the hair coming out of my scalp! 4 all 2 C!” She continued, “no ponytails, no ballet bun head. hair will be out and free!”       sp; The day after Tyra's weave free talk show episode airs, her prime time gig, "America's Next Top Model," begins its 13th cycle on the CW with 14 new hopefuls – each standing 5'7" or shorter.

Questlove on the Art of Blending New Music

Daughtry Announces Headline Arena Tour

Opening Acts Include Main Support Theory Of A DeadMan

and Opener Cavo

 

Band Earns Fourth No. 1 Single with “No Surprise”; No. 1 Album

Leave This Town has sold over half million copies in five weeks

 

 

Los Angeles, CA - August 18, 2009- Daughtry announces it will launch a 36-date U.S. arena tour this fall to support the group’s new studio album, LEAVE THIS TOWN. The opening acts will be main support Theory Of A DeadMan <http://www.theoryofadeadman.com> and opener Cavo <http://www.cavomusic.com>. The upcoming tour will launch October 19 in Topeka, KS before ending the first leg of the tour December 20 in Evansville, IN.

 

The tour announcement happens while LEAVE THIS TOWN continues its impressive streak of success. The album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, has sold more than a half million copies in five weeks.. The album’s first single, “No Surprise,” tops No.1 on the Hot A/C chart this week. It is the band’s fourth #1 hit, a rare feat for any recording artist.  

 

After finishing a sold out club tour this month, Chris Daughtry says the band is busy preparing for its upcoming arena tour. “We dreamed about how it would feel playing these songs to packed arenas, and we’re excited to get our chance,” Chris says. “We have a great show planned and can’t wait to hit the road to share it with our fans.”

 

LEAVE THIS TOWN is Daughtry’s first album to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 and its second consecutive No. 1 album, selling 269,299 copies sold in its first week of release.

 

Daughtry fans can locate tour and ticket information online at http://www.daughtryofficial.com>. 

# # #

 

Sprite Step Off Intro Video!

New Universal Republic Hitmaker K'Jon 'Gets Around' Up And Over With Top 15 Album Debut

(August 17, 2009 - Brooklyn, NY) Accomplished newcomer K'Jon scored one of the most impressive R&B crossover debuts of the year, with his new Universal Republic album I Get Around landing in the Top 15 of the Billboard Top Albums chart this week. The eye-opening debut, logging in at # 12 and # 5 on the R&B chart, is due in large part to the Detroit native's epic first single, "On The Ocean," which already reigns as one of 2009's smash hit dual-qualifiers - a certified radio and club smash. The classic single owned the nightlife grid for months as a popular 'stepping' song before becoming one of the most requested urban radio hits of the year. "On The Ocean" locked the #1 spot at the Urban AC format for more than a month, with radio listeners and online music followers extending the grassroots wave stirred by the song's soulful message of perseverance. "On The Ocean" was also a multiple format radio-record breaker, making the biggest vault to #1 in BDS-based chart history, overtaking the previous high-water mark set by superstar Alicia Keys with her 2001 classic "Fallen." K' Jon's new single, the breakup-to-makeup ballad "This Time," is proving a worthy follow-up, already soaring at urban-adult formats, entering the radio fray as one of the most added/played songs of late summer. Critics have been favorably weighing in on the new album, with the singer/songwriter's hometown Detroit Free Press calling the fifteen-track effort a , "boldly autobiographical work... K'Jon is poised to be Detroit's next big breakout act." USA Today also hailed the major label debut, touting I Get Around's "distinctive phrasing and thoughtful songwriting which sets K'Jon apart... his ship has finally come in." Avery Lipman, Co-President & Chief Operating Officer of Universal Republic Records, echoed the words of praise for the multi-talented vocalist: "K'Jon is one of those rare artists who packs a message of hope with an undeniable staying power, earning the respect of his audience by inhabiting the same tenacious qualities he magically conveys in his music. We're thrilled to see mainstream music fans embrace and reward his talent with this awesome debut. The entire company joins me in congratulating K'Jon on his much deserved success." Frequently mentioned alongside contemporary hit makers such as Ne-Yo and Robin Thicke, the talented K'Jon has also drawn comparisons to legendary Detroit music icon Marvin Gaye. The irrepressible K'Jon was groomed on Detroit's East side, toughing it out in the motor city's competitive underground urban music scene under a couple indie guises until his breakout 2004 cameo on the electric 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack with the hit "Miami." The determined hit-maker schooled himself in streetwise production techniques, working the edges of the hip-hop world before developing an indelible tenor and knack for finding the open lane with music fans receptive to his intimate, straight-up style; What one critic has called, "a hip-hop first-person voice in an R&B template." He's collaborated with established stars such as Ludacris and other sought-after industry song-makers like Cool & Dre, Ginuwine, Ne-Yo, and T-Pain. Still, it's K'Jon's own instinctual production/songwriting chops - what the artist calls his "insistence on writing from experience" - that makes his major label debut album I Get Around such a strong departure from other sound-alike urban music debuts. Whether it's the engaging title track, the alluring "On The Ocean," or the cool flow of "After The Club" and the second-chance anthem "This Time," K'Jon stays true to a personal creed that saw him build a steady, slow-burning momentum with two independently released offerings before bringing his dice to the big table and partnering with Universal Republic. Just as his first hit single would come to separate him from the rest of the pack at one of the most crucial cross-roads of his career, the thoughtful star is mindful of even wider avenues forming on the horizon now. "I'm a big believer in establishing your identity, but first and foremost knowing who you are before you try and win over others," he says, "I thank everyone on the Universal Republic team for letting this album be that introduction. I also thank all my fans. A lot of my songs speak to the notion about working your dream from the ground up, and they have been a big inspiration to me. I'm grateful for the opportunity, and excited about where the journey is headed next."

To purchase: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=325287659&s=143441
http://www.amazon.com/I-Get-Around-KJon/dp/B002CAOE0I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1250519304&sr=8-1

Tom DeLay, Macy Gray, Aaron Carter, Donny Osmond, Michael Irvin, Kathy Ireland on DWTS

Dancing with the Stars 9’s cast of 16 quasi-stars was announced this morning, and the largest cast ever includes singer Macy Gray, indicted former Republican majority leader Tom DeLay, actor Donny Osmond, former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin, model Kathy Ireland, and The Osbournes star Kelly Osbourne. Paula Abdul, however, is not part of the cast, nor is LaToya Jackson, who said last week she was offered a spot but turned it down.

The other participants include actor, singer, and dancer Mya; Entourage’s Debi Mazar; Sabrina the Teenage Witch Melissa Joan Hart; and train wreck Aaron Carter.

There’s also comedian George Hamilton’s offspring and one-time Shannen Doherty husband Ashley Hamilton; model and ABC’s Superstars cast member Joanna Krupa; Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin; mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; snowboarder Louie Vito. And perhaps the least-known name belongs to someone you probably know: Mark Dacascos, the actor who plays Iron Chef America’s chairman.

DeLay, who’s under indictment for money laundering and campaigned to support Sara Evans during season three because she “represents good American values,” told USA TODAY, “I really am a big fan of the show. I couldn’t believe they asked me to do this. It didn’t take me five minutes to agree. I’ve been working out like crazy.” Executive producer Conrad Green told the paper, “I was astonished when he said yes. There no agents or lawyers. He’s in it to have some fun.” SOURCE:REALITY BLURRED

Emergence Music Series SF -- Featuring Kev Choice Ensemble and J Myers

VIBE Magazine to Return

Late in June, VIBE magazine shut down great loss to lovers of quality music magazines. But today, The Wall Street Journal reports that the magazine will soon return, albeit in a slightly different form.  According to the WSJ, the private-equity firm InterMedia Partners has acquired the magazine and its website. Uptown Media,InterMedia's magazine publishing arm, will take control of it. The magazine itself will be published quarterly, with a reduced circulation, though the publishers may increase the frequency after next year. The company will focus more on VIBE's website, which Uptown Media plans to relaunch in the next few weeks.

Highlights The ART of BEAUTY 09 Fashion Hair Show 08.09.09

Huge Santa Barbara County wildfire caused by marijuana farm; suspects at large in forest

A fire that has burned more than 75,000 acres in Santa Barbara County over the last week was started in an illegal marijuana growing area operated by a Mexican drug organization, authorities said.

Authorities said they confirmed that the blaze, which is burning out of control, started in a cooking area of the pot farm. They believe those responsible are still in the forest area trying leave the forest by foot. 

"The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit has confirmed that the camp at the origin of the fire was an illegal marijuana operation believed to be run by a Mexican national drug organization," according to a statement from the Los Padres National Forest. "The Narcotics Unit has been working in the area within the last month eradicating other nearby marijuana cultivation sites." 

The location of those who ran the pot farm isn't known, but forest officials warn "not to approach anyone who looks suspicious but to instead contact the nearest law enforcement agency."

The fire, known as the La Brea fire, is now 25% contained. Vicki Collins, a fire information spokeswoman at Los Padres, said that although the La Brea fire was only 10% contained by Friday night, firefighters successfully charred some lines in front of the fire in the Tepusquet Canyon area, depriving the blaze of new fuel. 

Since the fire started Aug. 8, about 234 residences have been evacuated. Collins said if firefighting efforts continue to be successful, residents might be able to get back into their homes within a couple of days. Progress has been slow on this fire because of the low humidity, 90-degree temperatures and remote terrain. 

She said they still have no crews on the ground in some wilderness areas, such as the Sisquoc River area.

 “We have a lot of work ahead of us yet, though things are looking fairly good on a couple flanks of this fire,” Collins said. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger met with firefighters in the Santa Cruz Mountains who have been battling the Lockheed fire. 

That blaze, which started Wednesday, has burned nearly 7,000 acres. By this morning, the fire was 30% contained, officials said. About 2,400 people have been evacuated in areas including Swanton and Bonny Doon. SOURCE: LATIMES.COM

A fire that has burned more than 75,000 acres in Santa Barbara County over the last week was started in an illegal marijuana growing area operated by a Mexican drug organization, authorities said.

Authorities said they confirmed that the blaze, which is burning out of control, started in a cooking area of the pot farm. They believe those responsible are still in the forest area trying leave the forest by foot. 

"The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Narcotics Unit has confirmed that the camp at the origin of the fire was an illegal marijuana operation believed to be run by a Mexican national drug organization," according to a statement from the Los Padres National Forest. "The Narcotics Unit has been working in the area within the last month eradicating other nearby marijuana cultivation sites." 

The location of those who ran the pot farm isn't known, but forest officials warn "not to approach anyone who looks suspicious but to instead contact the nearest law enforcement agency."

The fire, known as the La Brea fire, is now 25% contained. Vicki Collins, a fire information spokeswoman at Los Padres, said that although the La Brea fire was only 10% contained by Friday night, firefighters successfully charred some lines in front of the fire in the Tepusquet Canyon area, depriving the blaze of new fuel. 

Y. E. Yang Shocks Woods to Win at P.G.A.

CHASKA, Minn. — Y. E. Yang, ranked No. 110 in the world, took on No. 1 Tiger Woods and never blinked.

Yang, of South Korea, stunned Woods and electrified the golf world on Sunday at Hazeltine National by shooting a two-under-par 70 in the final round to win the P.G.A. Championship with a score of eight-under 280.

Woods finished three strokes back after a final-round 75, and Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy tied for third at 285.

In one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history, Yang, 37, became the first Korean man to win one of golf’s four major championships. He was also the first golfer to overtake Woods in a major championship in which Woods had the lead going into the final round.

In a tense, head-to-head duel in the gusting winds, Yang took the lead at the 14th hole with a 75-foot pitch for eagle. On the final hole, he hit a towering shot from 197 yards with a hybrid club to set up his closing birdie.

When Yang holed the birdie putt, he broke into a brief victory dance, punching the air and with both fists, raising his arms over his head and high-fiving his caddie.

Woods, his face impassive, watched the celebration, then missed his final par putt — one of eight putts from inside 10 feet he missed on Sunday. He putted out for the 75, which tied his highest closing round as a professional in a major championship. The losing margin was a five-shot swing from the start of the day, which Woods entered leading by two.SOURCE: NYTIMES.COM

“You never know in life, this might be my last win as a golfer,” Yang, smiling, said through an interpreter. “But this is a great day. It’s going to be a great foundation for me to continue playing on the PGA Tour. It means the world right now. It hasn’t sunken in, but I do know the significance of it.”

White appears ready to drop pubic option

Bowing to Republican pressure and an uneasy public, President Barack Obama's administration signaled Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run insurance as part of a new health care system.

Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run plan. Such a concession probably would enrage Obama's liberal supporters but could deliver a much-needed victory on a top domestic priority opposed by GOP lawmakers.

Officials from both political parties reached across the aisle in an effort to find compromises on proposals they left behind when they returned to their districts for an August recess. Obama had wanted the government to run a health insurance organization to help cover the nation's almost 50 million uninsured, but didn't include it as one of his core principles of reform.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that government alternative to private health insurance is "not the essential element" of the administration's health care overhaul. The White House would be open to co-ops, she said, a sign that Democrats want a compromise so they can declare a victory.

Under a proposal by Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., consumer-owned nonprofit cooperatives would sell insurance in competition with private industry, not unlike the way electric and agriculture co-ops operate, especially in rural states such as his own.

With $3 billion to $4 billion in initial support from the government, the co-ops would operate under a national structure with state affiliates, but independent of the government. They would be required to maintain the type of financial reserves that private companies are required to keep in case of unexpectedly high claims.

"I think there will be a competitor to private insurers," Sebelius said. "That's really the essential part, is you don't turn over the whole new marketplace to private insurance companies and trust them to do the right thing."

Obama's spokesman refused to say a public option was a make-or-break choice.

"What I am saying is the bottom line for this for the president is, what we have to have is choice and competition in the insurance market," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Sunday.

A day before, Obama appeared to hedge his bets.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/08/16/national/w075037D49.DTL#ixzz0OOuBLAVK

SIZZLE MIAMI 2009 RECAP #1

911 Call: The Real Housewifes' Brawl

Maxwell on GIANT Magazine

iphone Blog Buzz Mid-Week 08.11.09

There are reports that Michael Jackson was laid to rest last Thursday in a low-key, private ceremony at Hollywood's Forest Lawn Cemetery and attended by a dozen people.People.com is quoting "sources" who deny a tabloid report that claims Michael Jackson's daughter Paris was fathered by former child actor and longtime MJ friend Mark Lester. Nor is he claiming paternity, the sources add.The New York Post is reporting that Mariah Carey "is said to be scrambling to complete her new album, 'Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel,'" which is scheduled for release on Sept. 15.LL Cool J has recorded a rhyme to Michael Jackson's classic "Billie Jean," titled "Billie Jean Dream."What I found was that even though [our book, 'Down Home with the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook,'] was a cookbook, it was almost like a relationship book," Gina said. "It surprised me that it would be perceived as such. I didn't expect that. I thought people would talk most about the dishes, but most of our questions were about us and how we make marriage work and how we keep it alive and what we do to change it up. It was really kind of funny. I was like, 'Okay, so that's a little different.'"Jada Pinkett Smith, who stars in the TV drama “Hawthorne,” recently shared how she and hubby Will Smith get it in, in of all places. Michael Vick spoke with CBS’ James Brown today in an interview that will air on 60 Minutes this Sunday. Vick has been largely silent since leaving federal custody last month after completing his sentence for a federal dogfighting conviction.More than 75,000 members of the Internet-based advocacy group Color of Change have signed a petition calling for advertisers to pull their support from “The Glenn Beck Show” after the Fox News Channel personality made comments about President Barack Obama considered to be racially divisive.There's a powerful movement taking place across the world, and the battle that is ensuing involves everyone. It is a fight against illiteracy. One of the Generals in the war is Mississippi native 34 year-old multi-media personality Cyrus A. Webb (seen below with bestselling author Darden North at a book discussion in Waldenbooks).Jennifer Hudson is now officially a mom. The 27-year-old Oscar winner gave birth to her first child, David Daniel Otunga Jr., on Monday, according to her publicist, Lisa Kasteler of WKT Public Relations. He is named after her fiance, David Otunga. The baby weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces.  “The baby is beautiful and perfect,” says [...]Lil Wayne appeared in a New York courtroom Tuesday on his 2007 gun-possession arrest. His lawyer continued to fight DNA evidence introduced by the prosecution.Actor and gay activist Doug Spearman, the handsome openly gay co-star of Noah's Arc and the newish film Noah's Arc Jumping the Broom, writes an excellent essay for the Human Rights Campaign's HRC Backstory blog. READ MORE... Be Kind Rewind star Mos Def announces a tour in support of his new album The Ecstatic, the Mars Volta make sure you get a healthy dose of prog this September and the lo-fi punk warrior known as Wavves impresses audiences with his ability to play guitar while wearing a cast with additional U.S. shows. [...]Incarcerated rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller has reportedly been found guilty of second-degree murder after a judge forced the deciding jury to re-do the verdict.National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master and 10X Grammy-winning, legendary musician George Benson will release his new lbum on August 25th entitled Songs and Stories, his second for Concord Records / Monster Music. Trey Songz shares some intimate and personal sexual stories in a recent interview: Interesting sexual encounter: Favorite thing to do during sex: On STD’s: You ever got anything before? When I was like 16 or 17, this girl gave me crabs. It was the most uncomfortable shit in the world. I was confused because ain’t nobody know I was having [...]Last week, Whitney Houston’s first single, “Million Dollar Bill”, from her sixth studio album, I Look to You hit the ‘Net and radio. The Swizz Beatz produced and Alicia Keys penned track, dare we say, actually sounds like a banger. Which, if you think about it, isn’t that surprising. Despite all the turmoil she’s experienced throughout her career—drugs, more drugs and Bobby Brown—Whitney has remained one of the most popular and prolific musical icons of our era.Even though he's been around awhile, K'Jon isn't exactly a household name yet. The main reason is that until now, all of his music had been independently released. But now, more people are starting to get hip to him thanks to his major label debut, I Get Around, which dropped Aug. 4, 2009. He's already released one single from it called "On the Ocean," and now his label, Universal Records, is releasing another of his songs, "This Time," as a free digital download on amazon.com. If you have an Amazon account, you can grab the mellow, relaxing six-minute track for free by clicking the link below. Enjoy."This Time" free download (via amazon.com)If not more talented, the NBA’s 2010 free agent class is at least deeper and could change the direction of the League more than any class since 2000, a group led by Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Reggie Miller and Tracy McGrady. With so much attention being paid to LeBron (the best player and biggest [...] Former singer of Diddy's MTV reality show, "Making the Band 2," was involved in a domestic spat last Sunday (August 2), resulting in her spouse being stabbed. ... it was Sara Stokes, formerly of Da Band.President Barack Obama responded to critics who accuse him of pushing a "death panel" to decide when senior citizens should die. Speaking at a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, the president said the death panel rumor was false and based on a distortion of a policy to provide options to senior citizens.You just gotta love the Latinas. Example: Brenda Lynn (Full name Brenda Lynn Acevedo). She’s been in music videos such as Keri Hilson’s “Turnin’ Me On”, Soulja Boy’s “Bird Walk” to even Jay-Z’s “Blue Magic”. Brenda does her thing here and even though we don’t know if her eyes are that stunning in person, we love them anyway. Certified.  THAT'S A WRAP XOXO

'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!"

Prisons: The New Asylum for Youth

A New York Times article reports that more and more courts are ordering mentally ill youth to jail as community mental health programs are facing bigger cuts and thinning resources.

“We’re seeing more and more mentally ill kids who couldn’t find community programs that were intensive enough to treat them,” said Joseph Penn, a child psychiatrist at the Texas Youth Commission. “Jails and juvenile justice facilities are the new asylums.”

Some judges say they’ll get the help they need in prison. However several lawsuits and federal civil rights investigations in Indiana, Maryland, Ohio and Texas say these prisons neglect and abuse incarcerated youth, a majority of which are youth of color, with mental illnesses, sometimes body slamming them and breaking their bones. While across the country, many of them are over prescribed with drugs sometimes just to help them sleep. But there seems to be little other recourse for some families.

From the article:

According to a Government Accountability Office report, in 2001, families relinquished custody of 9,000 children to juvenile justice systems so they could receive mental health services.

Donald has been in and out of mental health programs since he attacked a schoolteacher at age 5. As he grew older, he became more violent until he was eventually committed to the Department of Youth Services.

“I’ve begged D.Y.S. to get him into a mental facility where they’re trained to deal with people like him,” said his grandmother, who asked not to be identified because of the stigma of having a grandson who is mentally ill. “I don’t think a lockup situation is where he should be, although I don’t think he should be on the street either.”

I’m not an expert on prisons or a psychiatrist, but a prison system that thinks about mental illness as a crime is most definitely not any path towards mental health and personal healing.

Leticia Miranda

Portraits of Black Trans Men

By Jorge Antonio Vallejos ~ Exclusion is something Kortney Ryan Ziegler does not tolerate. An accomplished blogger and filmmaker, Ziegler (pictured here) noticed that movies about transgender people ignored the stories of Black people. “Trans films are predominantly white. They give space to trans bodies, but they exclude people of color,” says Ziegler.No more. Ziegler’s film Still Black: A Portrait of Black TransMen was released last year (clips can be seen at stillblackfilm.org). The film has been shown in several LGBT film festivals including Frameline in San Francisco and Outfest in Los Angeles. Putting out a casting call through various LGBT list serves and through word of mouth, Ziegler initially conducted phone interviews before choosing to focus on six Black trans men: Kylar Broadus, Ethan Young, Louis Mitchell, Jay Welch, Nicholas Rashad and Carl Madgett. Charismatic and honest, the men demonstrate that there are as many ways to be Black and trans as there are Black trans people.  “They may change their bodies and who they are, but they’re still Black. It’s sexy,” says Ziegler. “Whatever they do with their lives, their Blackness is still visible.”    Ziegler leaned on personal experience to make the film. The Black 28-year-old identifies as genderqueer and rejects both male and female pronouns, preferring the plural “they.” Raising $25,000 through online fundraising, Ziegler shot the film over a six-month period and edited for another six months. “If you don’t get a grant you can still make a film—you just have to be creative,” says Ziegler, who earned an undergraduate degree in film at University of California at Santa Cruz and has produced five films. Still Black is Ziegler’s first feature documentary.   Working now on a Ph.D. in African American Studies at Northwestern University, Ziegler is the writer behind the award-winning blog Bla(k)ademic (blackademic.com). “Academic writing is exclusive. The blog helped me reach a wider amount of people than my seminar papers can do,” says Ziegler, who is now achieving that goal with the new film.“We get emails from all over, from people of different colors saying the film has changed their lives,” Ziegler says.But Ziegler notes that no invites have come from film festivals, which routinely fly out white trans filmmakers for screenings and talks. “We would like to be treated the way white trans filmmakers are treated. We’re not stupid. There’s a pattern where people of color are second. Whites come first,” says Ziegler.Despite these disappointments, Ziegler is still positive and hopes viewers of the film will step outside their comfort zone. “The people in the film stepped outside of theirs. I hope people see the film and feel the same way.” For more about the film, go to stillblackfilm.org. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

In a Digital Future, Textbooks Are History

At Empire High School in Vail, Ariz., students use computers provided by the school to get their lessons, do their homework and hear podcasts of their teachers’ science lectures.

Down the road, at Cienega High School, students who own laptops can register for “digital sections” of several English, history and science classes.

And throughout the district, a Beyond Textbooks initiative encourages teachers to create — and share — lessons that incorporate their own PowerPoint presentations, along with videos and research materials they find by sifting through reliable Internet sites.

Textbooks have not gone the way of the scroll yet, but many educators say that it will not be long before they are replaced by digital versions — or supplanted altogether by lessons assembled from the wealth of free courseware, educational games, videos and projects on the Web.

“Kids are wired differently these days,” said Sheryl R. Abshire, chief technology officer for the Calcasieu Parish school system in Lake Charles, La. “They’re digitally nimble. They multitask, transpose and extrapolate. And they think of knowledge as infinite.

“They don’t engage with textbooks that are finite, linear and rote,” Dr. Abshire continued. “Teachers need digital resources to find those documents, those blogs, those wikis that get them beyond the plain vanilla curriculum in the textbooks.”

In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this summer announced an initiative that would replace some high school science and math texts with free, “open source” digital versions.

With California in dire straits, the governor hopes free textbooks could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year.