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September 14, 2006
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| the late Peter Jennings and later taken over by Moran following the death of Jennings . The story covered a number of controversial aspects relating to the crisis--from race and sex to politics and religion--in an attempt to carve through the apathy that engulfs this issue. Studies from the Universities of Chicago and North Carolina were cited by " Primetime " to explain why heterosexual transmission among African Americans is so common: Black men, according to the research are more than twice as likely as white men to have multiple female partners at the same time, the study revealed. Rates of all sexually transmitted diseases are higher among African Americans than other groups, and those rates are consistently rising according to Dr. Jim Thomas of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill discussed, "It starts a cycle. Because now when a person has sex with someone, the chances that the new partner is already infected are relatively high." | |||||
 The
guy on the "Down Low," or the stigma against homosexuality and bisexuality
in the black community and the men who are not honest with their
sexual partners about their orientation while carrying on a sexual
relationship with a woman. The topic was well discussed in
the " Primetime " special with round table
discussions led by Jennings and Moran. In
addition, the black church was said to contribute to AIDS running
ramped in the community due to the traditional ideals that are held
in the sanctuaries throughout the country, but the lives outside
of service are totally different for the parishioners and ministers.
The Black Church on a whole has remained silent while they have
and continue to bury members due to AIDS. Rev. Calvin
Butts III , Senior Pastor of Abyssinia Baptist Church
in Harlem said, "When you see the numbers going up, you know you
have not done enough." These are the numbers:
African Americans make up 13% of the U.S. population, but account
for over 50% of all new cases of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Now if you do not get it, that infection rate is eight times the
rate of whites. Among the women, the numbers are even
more shocking--almost 70% of all newly diagnosed HIV positive women
in the U.S. are black women. Black women are 23 times more
likely to be diagnosed with AIDS than white women, with heterosexual
contact being the overwhelming method of infection in the African
American community. "In America today, AIDS is virtually a
black disease, by any measure," said Phil Wilson, Executive Director
of The Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles. Wilson also pointed
out that many black leaders and celebrities have embraced the cause
of the epidemic's toll in Africa, few have devoted similar energy
to the crisis here in America. The bottom line is African
Americans are a very sexual people and continue to have unprotected
sex. Keep "Peter" in the gate or use protection. |
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 It
remains to be seen if Snoop's new album will contribute
to gang violence or eradicate it. Snoop Dogg
is reminding the world of his gang roots with the title of his new
album, " Tha Blue Carpet Treatment ,"
the color of the infamous gang the Crips. Amazingly enough
Stevie Wonder , Ice Cube , The
Game , Brandy , R. Kelly ,
and MC Eight are among the guest appearances.
Dr. Dre is producing " Blue Carpet
," which might recreate the magic from their historic
1992 collaboration on Dre's album, " The
Chronic ." Other hit making producers on Snoop's
project include Timbaland , Rick
Rock , and the Neptunes . All were
asked to craft beat creations that take it back to the hood, no
more crossover for Snoop on his album representing
the color worn by the Crips. Obnoxious has
learned the first single, " Vato ," was
produced by Pharrell of the Neptunes
and follows a narrative told by Snoop
and highlighted by guess rapper, B Real of Cypress
Hill . The track was created to express the need
for black and brown unity, especially on the heels of recent violence
in Los Angeles. The " Vato "
video was directed by Phillip Atwell and features
guest appearances by Kid Frost and Oscar nominated
actor Edward James Olmos to bring attention to
the issue of race relations. "It's about time we start to
fight for each other rather than fighting against each other," Snoop
said when asked about his new CD. "I have homies
from all cultural backgrounds and love all of my brothers, black
and brown. There is nothing that can stop us from creating
a better future for ourselves, for our families and generations
to come if we all come together. Hopefully this effort will
be equally realized rappers to further dismantle gangs. |
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 Labron
James is going to try to
prove that he is no dumb jock. Recently the NBA superstar
was quoted of his bold plans to become the first athlete to reach
the billion dollar mark in earnings. LRMR Marketing, are looking
to China and Japan as the place for lucrative endeavors.
"I say all the time, and I tell my friends and teammates, that you
have to go global. In basketball and business," James
said, adding that he wants to increase his exposure in Asia by August
8, 2008, the opening of the Beijing Olympics. Nike, the company
that features James as one of their major endorser
is behind Labron's ambitious goal 100 percent.
The athletic company is a global giant and would only benefit for
the increased exposure of one of their star athletes. Seems
that this goal may be a little difficult to realize without the
assistance of his former agent, Aaron Goodwin ,
it was about a year ago that Labron dropped the
major deal maker to give one of his friends the job. It is
no doubt that he has the ability to become a billionaire with the
proper investments based upon what he brings in from the NBA and
endorsement deals. Aaron actually
closed the deal with Nike for Labron , it still
remains to be seen what his buddies can make happen. |
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 Speaking
of endorsement deals, Foxy Brown , DJ Clue
, and Ja Rule are among the talent sought
out to team up with the company Straight Up Brands to produce their
own brand of alcoholic beverages. According to reports the
three-year-old company will produce five branded products that are
developed by various celebrities along with leading vineyards, master
blenders and world-class distillers. The new brands include a sparkling
wine (Black Rose) produced with Foxy Brown and
Jay-Z ; a vodka (Storm) produced with DJ
Clue ; a Long Island iced tea (Gravity Blue) produced with
Don "Magic" Juan and a Mohito (MoMo) produced
with Ja Rule . The celebs were reportedly
involved in every aspect of their product, including the selection
of ingredients, valor, name, and glass packing. Most likely
they were more involved in the sampling than anything else.
The spirits will be available in 17 different states via 10 distributors,
including Southern Wine and Spirits, Pcici and Stoller. The
three-year old company is headed by David McCallen and President
Vincent Viola, will begin producing the new brands with additional
celebrity endorsements prior to the end of the year and throughout
the following year. All this talk of spirits brings back the
memories of a Christmas Party my family had about three years ago.
My lovely mother and I purchased some rich, thick, and creamy egg
nog that came in a beautiful glass decanter. It was only until
half way through our party that we realized half of the family and
guest were drunk do to the egg nog being fifty percent mixed with
rum. |
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 The
teen magazine created by Angela Simmons , the 18-year-old
daughter of Run DMC vet Joseph "Rev. Run"
Simmons , will arrive on newsstands as a package deal with
Word UP! Magazine . The seeds of
the venture were chronicled on a recent episode of " Run's
House ," the MTV reality show centered on the everyday
doings of her parents and four siblings. Entitled Angela's
Rundown , the monthly publication will target youths
age 14-18 and cover music, fashion, celebrity interviews, and teen
issues. Her auntie, Kimora Lee Simmons will
be featured in the first issue, alongside Chris Brown ,
Ne-Yo , and Bow Wow . Also
included in Angela's Rundown will be
a column from her brother Daniel "Diggy" Simmons
called " Diggy's Doin' It ," The first
seven issues of the publication will be included with Word
UP! As part of an agreement between Angel
, Rev. Run , and Word UP!
Founder Scott Figman. Once the magazine
gets its own following, it will spin off as a publication independent
of Word UP!, Figman says, according to
reports. Meanwhile the new season of " Run's House
" will began this fall. |
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 It
was hot as hell on the red carpet and I was sweating like a pig
trying to cover the red carpet at the Emmy's, but some how I managed
to get some interviews in between wiping my face with a hotel towel
and sipping on water to stay alive. The Shrine Auditorium
was the place to be and the evening truly got better after I was
inside and cooled down. It was great to witness Andre
Braugher win. The Chicago-born thespian beat such
major competition as Ben Kingsley , Jon
Voight , and Donald Sutherland to win
the Emmy for Lead Actor in a Mini Series or Movie for his role in
the FX program " Thief ." In a traditional
tux, the bespectacled star made a point to first thank " Thief
" screenwriter Norman Morrill for
penning, "A beautiful script that allowed me to reach this level
and I appreciate it." Braugher went on to
thank his wife for pushing him in the right direction to be a better
man and he acknowledged his fellow cast members. " Thief
" was a good show, but did not hook enough viewers
to make it past one season--which ended the shows chances of becoming
a regular series. Braugher had to be one
of the most delightful actors I have ever met and he remained uniquely
humble after receiving such a huge honor. "I'm up in the air
as to exactly why we're not on the air. We created something
beautiful. But at a certain point, when the audience doesn't
show up, we have to make a business decision and the show was canceled."
Obviously it was a bitter sweet win, but Andre
handled it with outer grace. The other major winner of the
night was another favorite of mine, " Grey's Anatomy
." The Shonda Rhimes created
drama series received the second highest number of nominations,
totaling 11, including Supporting Actress for Chandra Wilson
, and Sandra Oh , but they both went home
empty handed. Fox's " 24 ," which led
with 12 nominations, ended the night with two big victories:
Best Drama and Best Actor for Keifer Sutherland .
A show that I had never watched, NBC's " The Office
," won for Best Comedy. " Sleeper
Cell ," starring Michael Ealy , for
Showtime lost and poor Alfre Woodard --seems to
never get recognized for her great talent lost for Supporting Actress
in " Desperate Housewives ." |
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 Drug
Dealers and Killers Strike Again ... C-Murder
could only last for about a month for freedom in Jefferson and Orleans
parishes before he had to go back on house arrest. State District
judge Martha Sassone issued the order two days after a state appeals
court ruled that her decision to remove him from the home incarceration
program was improper. Born Corey Miller ,
is no longer allowed to leave his home at any time, except for a
court hearing related to his retrial of second degree murder charges.
Miller is accused of shooting 16-year-old Steve
Thomas during a fight on January 12, 2002, in the now-closed Platinum
Club in Harvey. A Jefferson Parish jury said he lived
up to the name that he uses in the rap game and convicted him of
murder in September 2003, but Sassone granted him a new trial five
months later on grounds that prosecutors withheld criminal histories
of some of their witnesses. |
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 Chopper
from the MTV series " Making the Band ,"
faced armed robbery charges dating back to September 2001.
Born Kevin Lamont Barner, Jr ., was facing two
robbery with a dangerous weapon charges, two robbery in a general
sense charges, two second degree assault charges, and one theft
charge according to reports. According to Paul Gardner,
Chopper's attorney, the dangerous weapon was actually
a BB Gun and that the incident happen a long time ago. Kevin
was accused of robbing two men at gunpoint in Baltimore
on September 29, 2001. He was due in court on May 15, 2002,
to face the charges, but never showed up. " Kevin
had bought a condo in Baltimore County, after we
left New Orleans. Soon after, he went back to New Orleans
to stay with his father, which was the reason he didn't appear in
court. He never received the papers," Ms. Owens told the court.
"And since then, we've received no further notification of the case.
I even went down to the bond building to ask about the charges and
the court hearing. They couldn't tell me anything."
Prosecutors initially wanted bond set at $250,000 dollars, labeling
the rapper as a flight risk and citing his previous no-shows, but
bail was finally set at $75,000. Chopper
was in trouble while on the show " Making The Band ,"
and did not want to face the reality or error of his ways, this
might have been the same case discussed in the show. As of
my deadline I was not able to find out if he was still being held
in the Baltimore County Detention Center.
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Lionel Richie's daughter made headline again after confronting a photographer while shopping in Malibu. Allegedly while Nicole and a friend were leaving the Planet Blue boutique when a photographer yelled: " Nicole , you look disgusting, Gain some f*cking weight!" The comment left her in tears. The " Simple Life " star told Us Weekly , while she continues to prove that she is really simple minded: "You don't scream at people that are overweight, so what makes people think that they have the right to scream at me that I am underweight? It's upsetting and mean. I am not anorexic. At that moment, I was just sick of everyone constantly bothering me about how I look. I walked up to the photographer and told him, 'What if I really had anorexia? What if I had a disease? How would you feel about saying such horrible things?' He probably just wanted to get a rise out of me, but I'm a human being and he hurt my feelings." It is obvious that Lionel's adopted daughter has a plethora of issues and he needs to stop running around trying to sell his new CD and get his child some much needed help. |
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Tom Cruise took it too far and Paramount , dropped his wild, out of control ass like a bad habit. You got it the largest movie studio in Hollywood has let the " Mission Impossible ," star go. The head man in charge at Paramount said that his behavior was unacceptable, which could be any of the following: Dancing like Young Joc ; Making Jamie Foxx the Godfather of his newborn; Appearing at the BET Awards ; Jumping up and down on Oprah's couch alike a fool; or his pushing his religious beliefs off on others and in some cases attacking people that do not share his same outlook. Cruise just might have become too much of a N*gger lover for the studio.
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It
is not often that I am afraid to discuss a topic in this column
and give my opinion with supported facts. However,
Obnoxious has not until now felt the boldness
to discuss the AIDS epidemic in our world and especially in the
African American community. Coming in from a weekend of
travel and covering a number of events--an evening of rest and
relaxation was the order of the day when I caught an episode of
" Primetime ." Terry Moran
described AIDS among African Americans in his opening
line as "a crisis in America that almost nobody wants to talk
about." According to research this story was first
initiated by 
According
to my " Street Committee "...
Mos Def and Danny Glover have
joined the ensemble cast of Michel Gondry's
feature film " E Kind Rewind ." Jack
Black stars in the movie as a man whose brain becomes
magnetized while trying to sabotage a power plant. While
visiting his friend ( Mos Def ) who works in
a video store, he accidentally erases all of the tapes.
To satisfy the store's most loyal customer, an elderly
woman with signs of dementia ( Mia Farrow ),
the two men recreate the films she decides to rent, which include
" Back to the Future ," " The
Lion King ," and " Robocop ,"
Glover will play the video owner. The
New Line project will be filmed in Passaic, New Jersey.
Rumor
has it that Irv Gotti is trying to sign Vanessa
Charlton , who is said to be an extremely talented pop
singer. Some say she is like an Alicia Keys ,
but no one knows her so I am not so sure if she is that good.
However, she does have a hit record called " A
Thousand Miles ." Additionally, Gotti
is said to have secured a deal with Universal Motown
for distribution of music created on his label, The Inc
. Vanessa will take Gotti
into another genera of music if he is successful at pulling her
his way. Wait, it gets better, Gotti
is said to have been given an option to buy back Murder
Inc's master recordings from Def Jam
and might get Ja Rule and Ashanti
back on his team. 