Keep Your Eye on the Ref... And He Tackles!

I'm not a big sports fan so I'm certainly not that knowledgeable about football plays. But I don't think that the referee should be tackling the players. The South Carolina Gamecock's Stephen Garcia was probably just as surprised.



Click to read full article by Matt Hinton.

Related articles:

The Wiz of Odds

The Times and Democrat on Garcia

Team Rankings

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama

Colin Powell Endorses Barack Obama



Colin Powell Discusses His Endorsement of Barack Obama

He's Back... Elmo Live!

Kids love Elmo. He's back and better in time for Christmas.




The interactive life-like toy goes on sale nationwide on October 14, 2008 with a suggested retail price of $59.99. Elmo Live can speak, sit and stand, wave his arms, display mannerisms and cross his legs as he sings songs, plays games, and tells jokes and stories. Recommended for children ages 18 and up.


Price: $60.00 and up, depending on where you make your purchase.

Fisher-Price - $60.00

Amazon - $84.99

Videogames4u - $89.99

Fun with Elmo

Art DuFour

On colorful backgrounds stand whimsical trees
Most standing tall, some happy, some serene
And others with branches to the side, obviously blown by a strong breeze


A thin figure sprawled across a bed
Is she tired? Perhaps she’s a bit sad
Whatever the case, she sparks thoughts within your head






A bunch of flowers picked and offered by only a hand,
The intriguing and enticing work of a virtual novice
Like the single flower on a purple wall, it makes a bold stand
This may be your first encounter with such curly branches on a tree
Different, fun, lacking pretense… art by Chris DuFour
Out of the ordinary and worth a look. Come see

Sunida E. York © 2008 All Rights Reserved



Use of artwork courtesy of Chris DuFour.
Copyright 2005-2008 by Chris DuFour All Rights Reserved.

Celebrity News: Madonna, Janet Jackson

According to the ladies of The View, singer Madonna's publicist has confirmed that she and husband, Guy Ritchie are divorcing. Did sexy slugger A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) have a hand in the break up? Stay tuned.



What's been the cause of singer Janet Jackson's concert cancellations? A rare form of migraine headaches known as vestibular migraines. The headaches cause vertigo and have kept Jackson from continuing her Rock Witchu Tour, People magazine reported.



Ms. Jackson is getting treatment and will resume the tour in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night. Appearances that were previously postponed are set to be rescheduled. Undoubtedly, her fans are thrilled that she's feeling better and is ready to give them the type of performance they have come to expect.

Vibe announce Best Rapper Alive: Eminem

In it's Best Rapper Alive contest, Vibe Magazine tallied up an unbelievable 920,000 final votes of which Eminem garnered 69 percent to Jay-Z's 31 percent. The outcome of the contest has caused a lot of controvery amongst rap fans, many of whom are crying foul. A quick glance at the photos of the contestants might offer an obvious clue... Slim Shady, aka Eminem, is the only white rapper. Something equally blatant is that the fans who voted clearly preferred his flow to any of his black counterparts. The fans seem to also enjoy his storytelling ability and his honesty.

The fans have spoken. Let the rapper savor his victory without turning it into a race issue. Great skills and inherent talent are just that, no matter who embodies them.

Click here for the full version of the contest: Best Rapper

Steve Harvey Still Trippin' Trailer

McCain: Clearly Not Presidential Material

Between John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, spouting asinine falsehoods about Senator Barack Obama (terrorist, Muslim, untrustworthy, etc.), the racists are coming out in record numbers to McCain/Palin rallies. It will not be in the best interest of this country to go back down that road. John McCain is not ready to lead this country but he's doing a great job of dividing it even further. McCain's half-hearted efforts to put the genie back in the bottle do not fool those of us who have a brain and use it. Barack Obama is the only sane choice.


Palin Supporter Brings Racist Monkey "Obama" Doll to Rally


Week of Hate: Rachel Maddow interviews presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin


Hate Week: Rachel Maddow recaps Mccain/Palin nasty attacks


Thanks for the link, Jackie!

Wake Up Everybody 2008

Thanks for the link, Flora!

Plaxico Burress - "Unapologetic"

I'm not much of a sports fan, but I decided to read the article behind the headline to find out why this young football player was being called "unapologetic" about a recent suspension from his team, the New York Giants. As you football fans must already know, Plaxico Burress is the wide reciever who caught the touchdown that won the Giants the Super Bowl.

A quick scan of the article reveals that Burress missed a team meeting and failed to call to say that he would not be attending. He had to take his son to school and feels that he made the right decision.

My first thought is that since being a football player is his job, his livelihood, how he pays the bills, etc., he should have put in a courtesy phone call. That's what any employee would have to do. However, I do agree that putting his son first (assuming that he had no other means of getting the child to school) was indeed the right thing to do. It did cost him a one game suspension and week's pay, said to be about $117,500. Burress is quoted as saying that his family will continue to come first, but he would at least make a phone call to the team if there is another situation with his family. Sounds good to me.

Tyler Perry opens new studio with party

Tyler Perry opened his new studio in Atlanta on Saturday night with a star-studded party. Guests included Cicely Tyson, Oprah Winfrey, Ruby Dee, Will Smith, Sidney Poitier and numerous actors who have appeared in his movies.

Lamman Rucker - Why Did I Get Married? Additional Photos

Perry has secured his place in entertainment history by becoming the first African-American to own a full-service movie and television studio. His movies, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Daddy's Little Girls, Madea's Family Reunion, Why Did I Get Married?, and The Family That Preys have cemented his success. House of Pain is Perry's first television sitcom. The spin-off, Meet The Browns is due to air soon.


To read the entire Essence magazine article and view more pictures of Perry's party guests, click here: Party pics




The festivities surrounding the opening of Tyler Perry's new studio did not seem to be impacted by a planned picket and allegations of illegal firings by former writers for his sitcom, House of Pain. The writers claim to have been paid wages well below scale, denied health care benefits and residuals for writing what has become the highest rated basic cable television show in cable's history. The show has already gone into syndication. The writers had asked party guests not to cross their picket lines, apparently to no avail.

Read the writers' appeal letter here: Letter requesting support



WGA Creators, Showrunners, and Executive Producers Submit an Open Letter to the Producers of Tyler Perry's House of Payne



Statement of Support from SAG National Board member Anne-Marie Johnson



Of those Perry fans who have heard of the plight of the writers, some are voicing their support but many remain loyal to the highly admired screenwriter, producer, director and actor. Hopefully, the controversy can be worked out in a manner that benefits all who worked hard for the success of House of Payne.

Tina Fey does it again! SNL Spoof

Richard Gere & Diane Lane - Nights in Rodanthe

If you're a sucker for romance or just a Richard Gere fan, you'll be enthralled by the love that he and Diane Lane discover in this bitter-sweet drama.

October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Actress,Christina Applegate , star of Smantha Who?, recently appeared on Oprah to talk about her double mastectomy. Although it was clearly still a very emotional issue for her, she bravely and openly spoke about her ordeal. She wanted to others about the journey that led to her decision to have both of her breasts removed as she felt it was imperative that other women be given the opportunity to obtain the information necessary to possibly save their lives. Christina's oncologist, Dr. Philomena McAndrew, was also on the show sharing vital information and answering questions. If you missed the show, please visit Oprah's website to view the video footage and read the information packed articles.

Other cancer survivors were on hand to tell their stories. One of those is the sister of Susan G. Komen, Nancy Brinker who started the foundation after her sister lost her battle with breast cancer.

People previously diagnosed with breast cancer are at greatest risk of having breast cancer. If a first-degree relative (mother,sister, daughter) has had breast cancer, you also have a higher risk. Being overweight or drinking alcohol also puts you at risk for developing breast cancer. Tripple negative breast cancer is of great concern to African-American women as it strikes twice as many black women and is resistant to certain treatments. Males can also have breast cancer. Please visit the Spotlight on Health section of Oprah.com for more detailed information provided by the experts at WebMD

Self-breast exams are still an important tool in the early detection of breast cancer. Women should begin having mammograms at age 40, unless they are identified as being at-risk because of family history. In addition, women who have dense breast tissue should ask to have an ultra sound and/or MRI to make certain no abnormalities are missed.

There is hope on the horizon thanks to the efforts of doctors like Susan Love who founded the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and teamed up with the Avon Foundation to start the Army of Women who are healthy volunteers involved in the research process. A vaccine, NeuVax, is also being tested for the prevention of of the recurrence of the disease.

Related Links and Articles:

Right Action for Women - Christina Applegate Foundation

Christina Applegate Online (fan site)

BreastCancer.org

Click to Give @ The Breast Cancer site

National Cancer Institute

Medline Plus: Breast Cancer (U.S. Nationla Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health

Christina Applegate's Double Mastectomy: FAQ @ WebMD


Which pink products really help fight breast cancer?

Guide To Buying Pink

You’re Sick. Now What? Knowledge Is Power.

Michelle Obama Biography

Synopsis
She can be funny and sharp-tongued, warm and blunt, empathic and demanding. Who is the woman Barack Obama calls "the boss"? In Michelle, Washington Post writer Liza Mundy paints a revealing and intimate portrait, taking us inside the marriage of the most dynamic couple in politics today. She shows how well they complement each other: Michelle, the highly organized, sometimes intimidating, list-making pragmatist; Barack, the introspective political charmer who won't pick up his socks but shoots for the stars. Their relationship, like those of many couples with two careers and two children, has been so strained at times that he has had to persuade her to support his climb up the political ladder. And you can't blame her for occasionally regretting it: In this campaign, it is Michelle who has absorbed much of the skepticism from voters about Obama. One conservative magazine put her on the cover under the headline "Mrs. Grievance."
Michelle's story carries with it all the extraordinary achievements and lingering pain of America in the post-civil rights era. She grew up on the south side of Chicago, the daughter of a city worker and a stay-at-home mom in a neighborhood rocked by white flight. She was admitted to Princeton amid an angry debate about affirmative action and went on to Harvard Law School, where she was more comfortable doing pro-bono work for the poor than gunning for awards with the rest of her peers. She became a corporate lawyer, then left to train community leaders. She is modern in her tastes but likes to watch reruns of The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Brady Bunch.
In this carefully reported biography, drawing upon interviews with morethan one hundred people, including one with Michelle herself, Mundy captures the complexity of this remarkable woman and the remarkable life she has lived.

Columnist Kathleen Parker - The Palin Problem

Kathleen Parker, a self-proclaimed Sarah Palin supporter who publicly acknowledged her enthusiasm for Senator McCain's choice of running mate, is now denouncing Palin as being "out of her league"!

Read the full article: The Palin Problem



Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live: Palin Spoof

The Secret Life of Bees

Catch the cast on Oprah, Thursday, October 2, 2008.

Cancer Claims Life of Paul Newman

Paul Newman died on Friday, September 28, from cancer at the age of 83. The actor was legendary and highly regarded throughout his lengthy career. Nominated for 10 Oscar awards, he won for best actor in 1986 for his role in The Color of Money.

Newman also became a race car driver and the creator of his own popular salad dressing brand, Newman's Own. All proceeds from the sale of his dressings and other food products are donated to charity. another charitable endeavor of Newman's is the Hole in the Wall Gang camp for children with cancer. It allows children to just have fun and forget about their battle with the illness for a while. In addition to his charitable works, Newman was also known as strong political activist who championed the First Amendment.



The beloved actor, known for his piercing blue eyes, rugged good looks, effortless magnetism and non-embellished cool, retired from acting in 2006. He is best known for films such as Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Hustler and the Sting. Other movies include, Message in a Bottle, The Towering Inferno, Road to Perdition, Absence of Malice and The Long, Hot Summer.


He was married to actress Joanne Woodward. The couple raised their three daughters in Westport, Conneticut, far from the pressures of Hollywood. Newman also has two daughters with his first wife, Jackie Witte.

Paul Newman leaves 50 years of cinematic magic for his fans to remember him. However, most would agree that he will always be remembered for his big heart.

Related Articles:

Paul Newman's star quality on and off set
Paul Newman

Paul Newman Photos and Filmography

"I want to die at home," Paul Newman tells family as he's given weeks live.

Newman's Own

I Hope You Dance

Tyler Perry fans, this is the song that he talked about during some of his interviews and in his email that he had Gladys Knight record for "The Family That Preys" (it plays at the end). I couldn't find a video of Gladys singing it but I'm sure you'll love this one.

All of you who are disappointed that either Senator Clinton loss her campaign or that there are no candidates you "like"... I hope you dance all the way to the polls to make sure that Barack Obama is elected President on November 4th. You may not like him for whatever reason, but if you're honest with yourself, you know that he's our best chance for getting out of the deep hole this country is in. DANCE!!!

New Plan to Rescue Banks

The Bush administration, with the help of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, have a plan to assist banks with bad debt.

Click here to read entire article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080919/ap_on_bi_ge/financial_meltdown