NeNe has a book!

NeNe Leakes and her husband Gregg were on Wednesday's Wendy Williams show. NeNe has a new book, Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way. The second season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta begins July 30th on Bravo.


Kandi Burruss, former member of R&B group, Xscape, joins NeNe, Lisa Wu Hartwell and the rest of the cast for more drama.

Music News: Whitney's return, Mariah, Michael Jackson

Whitney fans rejoice! The diva's long absence from the music scene has finally ended with the completion of her latest CD, I Look to You. The new CD is will be available on September 1 and the cover features a stunning photo of the former model. The iconic singer, who is the only artist to have seven consecutive multiplatinum albums catapulting her past the Beatles, will kick off the Fall Concert Series for GMA. Welcome back, Whitney!!!





Mariah Carey has listeners wondering if her latest release is about rapper Eminem. The director of the Obsessed video asserts that it is not. The song is from her new CD, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, available August 25.

MTV Shows

Finally, in music news, a short portion of an unreleased song, A Place with No Name, by the world's most dominating musical force ever, the late Michael Jackson, has been obtained by TMZ.com. Here's a youtube video by user Smoothiesforseals .

L.A.W.K.: Ladies Armed With Knowledge

If anyone knows the importance of intervening in the life of a young woman, turning a difficult circumstance around, and guiding her along the right path, it is Chandra Cleveland, founder of Ladies Armed With Knowledge (L.A.W.K.). The Columbia, South Carolina organization serves ladies as young 12 years of age and as mature as 50 years of age. The primary goal of L.A.W.K. is to prevent detrimental behaviors while increasing the focus on positive endeavors.

Young women involved in the program offered by Ms. Cleveland are taught to avoid destructive activities such as becoming a gang member, engaging in behavior that results in teen pregnancy and welfare dependence, use of drugs, becoming a school drop-out and other delinquent behavior. L.A.W.K. currently serves the city of Columbia, Richland County, and surrounding areas but will soon be serving the entire state. Ms. Cleveland is proud to be instrumental in improving the lives of young women who reside in the most economically down-trodden areas of Columbia and Richland County. Uplifting and empowering these women are key to bettering the communities in which they reside.

In a recent telephone interview, Cleveland stated that her organization's symbol, the diamond, reflects the fact that L.A.W.K. is present to help young women reclaim the clarity they have lost, regardless of the causation, allowing them to overcome their current situation and achieve a prosperous future. The example of a loss of clarity she used was a common one... a young lady has a child and drops out of school. Through Ladies Armed With Knowledge, she can obtain a GED, attend college or learn a trade.

If you know of a diamond in the rough whose potential needs a bit of polishing to coax to the surface her inherent ability to sparkle, Chandra Cleveland's contact information is listed below. L.A.W.K. accepts referrals from the Department of Social Services, the juvenile justice system, school personnel, community service agencies, family, friends and self-referrals.

L.A.W.K.
2601 Read St., Suite I-8
Columbia, SC 29204
Phone: (803) 223-9314
Fax: (803) 233-2654
E-mail: ccleveland@lawk.org

Research reveals carcinogen in KFC grilled chicken

KFC is already being asked to discontinue the sale of it's popular grilled chicken product by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) after testing found that the food product contains a carcinogen known to cause breast, colon, prostate and several other cancers in humans.

Six samples containing two pieces each of KFC grilled chicken obtained by a PCRM scientist from six different KFC restaurants were tested at Columbia
Analytical Services (CAS). The Kelso, Washington environmental testing laboratory is certified and independent. Laboratory personnel were not aware of the samples being the product of KFC. Tests utilizing proven detection methods found that all twelve pieces were positive for the following HCAs: PhIP, IQ, MeIQ, and MeIQx. HCAs or heterocyclic amines, is a chemical family of cancer causing agents discovered in multiple scientific studies. PhIP was found in the most significant amount with the others being present in smaller concentrations. PhIP is a chemical that is not found naturally in chicken or other meats but rather forms when the meat is heated to a satisfatory degree during cooking, including grilling, pan-frying, or barbecuing.

This issue certainly bears further scrutiny and, at the least, cautiousness on the part of the consumer. Click here for more details, including a link to the actual report.

Special thanks to C. Lewis for the email alert!

Wendy Williams: Hail to the Queen of All Media

Wendy Williams, well-known radio host of the celebrity gossip show, The Wendy Williams Experience and the woman dubbed "Queen of All Media" (though I have no idea by whom), has a new gig on BET. The show is simply titled Wendy Williams.

As a fan of Queen Wendy, I was anxious to watch the show, on which she featured a very classy lady as her first guest... Ms.
Vanessa Williams. Vanessa let everyone know that although Wendy kept mum about it, it had been proclaimed "Wendy Williams Day" in Manhattan. Knowing that she had long been "a friend in my head" --- Wendy's term for someone she admires and would genuinely like to be friends with in real life --- Vanessa declared that they are now friends who can hang out. Men, you'll be happy to know that Vanessa claims to without a love life. She sang the title song from her new CD, The Real Thing.

Wendy interacts with her audience with an unaffected ease. Well, she is doing what she does best after all, talking and it's not her first TV talk show. The audience seemed enthusiastic and excited to be a part of the show. I was glad to see it in the lineup,tuned in immediately and phoned a few friends to make certain they knew it was on. A few years back, her radio show was moved from an afternoon slot to a fairly late night slot 10:00 pm), so I haven't been amused by her antics in a long time. Of course, the Queen of All Media has expanded her empire to allow her loyal subjects to follow her on Facebook and Twitter.


I have only one question. BET, what took you so long to bring Wendy to my house? Congratulations, Wendy!!!

Here's Breathless from Vanessa's The Real Thing CD

ABC to air exclusive Jackson Family footage tonight

If, like every other Michael Jackson fan on the planet, you are interested in all things Michael, then you'll want to tune in to ABC Primetime Family Secrets: Inside the Jackson Compound. On Today's episode of The View, Barbara Walters revealed that ABC had paid the Jackson family $200,000 for the footage airing tonight at 10:00 p.m. (est). The never before seen video was filmed in support of Joe Jackson's desire for a reality show about the Jacksons that he had hoped would be instrumental in reestablishing the Jackson 5. Katherine is also in the film speaking about Joe and Michael and playing a game with some of the grandchildren.

Someone left a comment after the ABC article about tonight's program that included a link to an article by Linda Grasse which thoroughly explores Michael's charitable interests. It's definitely worth the read. You may also be interested in The Humanitarian Activist. The writers of these articles are clearly Michael Jackson fans who seek to strengthen his image rather than vilify him with negative portrayals. Bravo!