THIS IS THE CHRONICLES OF EFREM: The Daily Roundup for April 16

4/16/12

The Daily Roundup for April 16

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"The Avengers" World Premiere: A Complete Look!

Making for quite the star-studded spectacle, the world premiere of "The Avengers" was held in Hollywood, CA
Taking over the red carpet at El Capitan Theatre for the Marvel Studios production were castmates Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner and Robert Downey Jr.

Also on hand for the Tinseltown festivities were Stellan and Alexander Skarsgard, Mark Ruffalo, Cobie Smulders, Samuel L Jackson, Audrina Patridge, Aisha Tyler, Tom Hiddleston, Hal Sparks and the motion picture's director, Joss Whedon.

Set to hit theaters on May 4th, "The Avengers" finds Nick Fury and the international agency S.H.I.E.L.D. bring together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki & his various membered army.

Meanwhile, a featurette and a just released clip debuted- with the teaser showing Downey Jr (Iron Man) having a conversation with Tom Hiddleston (Loki) about how he’ll be trounced by The Avengers if he keeps his antics up –

Mary Mary Speaks Out On Chris Brown & Rihanna (And Their Response May Surprise You)

Mary Mary, the gospel singing sister duo are weighing in on the Chris Brown and Rihanna fiasco. Never to be under spoken Tina Campbell, who comprises half of the gospel duo with her sister Erica Campbell, thinks people need to stay out of Chris and Rihanna relationship. “If people have gone that route and have learned from that mistake and have repented to each other and have repented to the world, I think that people deserve to have another chance,” Tina said in an interview with Sister 2 Sister magazine. While Tina seems to support the two moving on and becoming friends, she isn’t condoning abuse.

Video:

“I think both parties should respect each other. I don’t think hands should go on nobody. It’s not okay if it’s a man. It’s not okay if it’s a woman,” she said.

Mag Covers: Tyrese Poses For ‘Defy’ / Tiny & Zonnique Smile For ‘Hype Hair’

Tyrese is on the cover of ‘Defy’ magazine, a success and lifestyle quarterly men’s publication. In the newest Spring issue, the singer/actor talks about his latest album, Open Invitation, the sixth installment of the ‘Fast & Furious’ and he also reminisces on his childhood:

“I was one of them kids … I was the brokest—the brokest there is. The hungriest. Never had new clothes, ever. Every day I went to school just so I could eat, and I was hoping that I didn’t lose my lunch ticket. [Here, the crowd of underprivileged youth laughs knowingly, and Tyrese smiles back at them before continuing.] Hungry, that was me. The difference in me, and a lot of people around me—I actually had a problem with that. I had a problem with being hungry.”

You can read the full interview and more @ Defy Mag.com

Tiny & Zonnique Cover ‘Hype Hair’ Magazine

Tameka “Tiny” Harris and her 16-year old daughter Zonnique cover the current issue of Hype Hair Magazine.
The mother/daughter duo are both known for their “Hype Hair” styles but each has their own signature style.

Tiny changes her hair colors as easily as most women switch lipsticks while Zonnique aka “Star,” sticks with her blue doo as part of the hot teen girl group, The OMG Girlz.
This year has already jumped off for the superstar teen.

Cute!

Montell Jordan says: I’ve Paid My Taxes

Montell Jordan says he’s up to date on his taxes. The former R&B star tells TMZ that he’s paid the more than 600-thousand dollars he owes from 1999 to 2001. Last month, the IRS filed a Federal Tax Lien against the “This Is How We Do It” singer claiming they had yet to receive their money.

Montell, however, says he paid the debt years ago by selling his music catalog. He explains that the money is currently frozen in an account administered by the U.S. Trustee Program. Jordan filed for bankruptcy in 2004, and is currently fighting some of the IRS penalties that he’s incurred. Montell says he expects his money to be released to the IRS in the next few weeks when he’s done negotiating over the penalties.

Love & Hip Hop" Star Yandy Smith Finally showing her Baby Bump

The worst kept secret of VH1's "Love & Hip Hop" series is now out. Season 2 newcomer and Jim Jones' now ex manager, Yandy Smith, just showed the world her baby bump and confirmed she is indeed with child.
Yandy was put on baby bump watch over a month ago. And despite her sub-tweet denials, she's revealing it all now....

When Yandy started to show a more rounded belly over a month ago, it sent folks into overdrive saying she was pregnant. And the rumors are indeed true.

The feisty "I'm about my checks" reality star & manager posted the above cute pic on Instagram (in the same Givenchy dress LaLa & Fergie rocked recently) saying,

“You wanted to know now you know!!!! #POW”
She didn't confirm who the father is, but we do know she has a long time boyfriend who she has lived with for years. *We know our readers soooo well--now stop those whispers that we already know you're saying about her and Jimmy needing a paternity test*

Yandy's bestie, co-star & client, Kimbella Vanderhee, is also expecting. And the two have been hosting club parties for months..and likely will be doing so until they go into labor. Well isn't that cute. Two best friends pregnant at the same time. Good luck and congrats.

White Professor Addresses His ‘Brethren’ on White Privilege in Ebony Magazine

David J. Leonard is Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Culture, Gender and Race Studies at Washington State University, Pullman, composed an essay published in Ebony magazine to his own people to take an audit of themselves and their behavior.

Three years ago, we reported on an essay written by a righteous white brother by the name of Andrew M. Manis. At the time, he was a professor of history at Macon State College in Georgia, and his essay was addressing his very own community of the “disunited colonies” telling them that it was time that they “get over it.” And the “it” was race and the denial of its place in the political and “injustice” system of this country. He made his plea right after the election of President Obama and reminded his community that race was not a new issue.

Well, on the eve of the president’s possible re-election, race issues are surfacing again and even more representative of the period that Manis discussed coming up in “Bombingham” Alabama. But now a new message is being delivered in Ebony magazine by another white brother, David Leonard, a professor in the department of critical culture at Washington State University.

Leonard wants to remind his people that they cannot ever truly connect with the tragedy of Trayvon Martin because the loss of black children and black women go silently into the night as a societal norm. But, he points out the call of urgency in America when the tables are turned. The white family is always priority #1 and the privilege that comes along with their status should be used for good.

Dear White folks:

Between the racist comments, the constant use of the race denial card (this country's most frequently used "race card") and the absurd claims of White victimhood, you have really grated my last nerve.

Sure, we got teary during The Blind Side and Antoine Fisher; we maybe even gave money to KONY2012 and after Hurricane Katrina; we maybe even donned a hoodie to protest the murder of Trayvon Martin. I don’t even doubt there are individuals out there who are genuinely concerned about racism and injustice; I don’t doubt that there are many Whites that marched with Dr. King and whose “best friends” might be Black. None of this matters if African Americans continue to die at the hands of guns held by security guards and police officers all without justice

I have heard that “we are all Trayvon Martin” over the last few weeks, yet we are not Trayvon Martin – and we never could be. White America is never suspicious. White America can walk to the store without fear of being hunted down. White America can count on justice and a nation grieving at the loss of White life. We aren't Trayvon Martin, we are George Zimmerman: presumed innocent until proven innocent.

I want you to close your eyes for a second, and imagine that your son or daughter, sister or brother, granddaughter or grandson, ventured to the corner store for some Skittles and tea but never returned? Can you imagine if Peter or Jan were gunned down right around the corner from your house and the police didn’t notify you right away? Can you imagine if little Sydney or Bobby sat in the morgue for days as you searched to find out what happened them? Can you even imagine the police letting the perpetrator go or the news media remaining silent? Can you even fathom learning about background and drug tests on your child? Can you imagine the news media demonizing your child, blaming your child for his own death?

Can you imagine the outcry if seven White youths had been gunned down by police and security guards in a matter of months? Can you imagine the extensive political interest, the media stories that would saturate the airwaves? Can you imagine Fox News or any number of newspapers reporting about a school suspension for one of the victims or doctoring pictures in an attempt to make these victims less sympathetic? Can you imagine a person holding up a sign calling these victims “thugs” and “hoodlums.”Just think about the media frenzy, the concern from politicians, and the national horror every time a school shooting happens in Suburbia or every time a White woman goes missing...can you imagine if women routinely went missing from your community and the news and police department simply couldn't be bothered?

No, you can't. And you don't have to.
Yet, from Florida to Los Angeles, from Atlanta to Wisconsin, from Chicago to Ohio, Black families are burying the innocent and the future. Doesn’t that make you sad; doesn’t that make your angry? Our silence is telling. We can barely say their names much less acknowledge the epidemic in our midst: Stephon Watts. Trayvon Martin. Ramarley Graham. Wendell Allen. Dante Price. Bo Morrison. Rekia Boyd. Kendrec McDade.

All have lost their lives; and we don’t even say their names. All have died under similarly disturbing circumstances. All should have prompted national outrage and action; or at the least for us to say their names.

I don’t care if you cried during The Help and if the 'feel good' movie of the year featuring chicken-frying maids and affluent White women made you feel all post-racial tingly on the inside. Did you cry at the report of yet another lost Black life? If so, what have those tears done – have they led you to join a rally, to demand justice? I don’t care if you voted for President Obama; have you demanded dramatic changes to our criminal (in)justice system? It is time for us to check ourselves, to listen and demand a better America starting with ourselves. It is time to stop denying racism and defending White privilege, distracting and deflecting with “what ifs” and excuses. It is time to demand justice for the Trayvons and the Rekias, not because it could have been one of our sons and daughters--it couldn't--but because it is simply the right thing to do.

David J. Leonard is Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Culture, Gender and Race Studies at Washington State University, Pullman. He is author of After Artest: Race and the War on Hoop (SUNY Press, spring 2012).

Sincerely
A member of White America

WOW….Simply POWERFUL!!!!

G. Dep Says Prosecutors Have The Wrong Shooter

Former Bad Boy Records rapper G. Dep says the man he’s accused of killing isn’t the man he shot nearly two decades ago. Opening statements in the emcee’s case got under way on Tuesday, with G. Dep’s defense team arguing that their client didn’t kill John Henkel in October of 1993. G. Dep, whose real name is Trevell Coleman, made headlines in 2009 when he walked into a Harlem precinct and admitted to shooting a man nearly 20 years ago. Authorities eventually tied him to Henkel’s murder. According to the “New York Post,” G. Dep’s lawyers argued on Tuesday that Henkel wasn’t the man that G. Dep had shot.

During his confession, the rapper admitted to shooting a man who was blonde, clean-shaven, and wearing a green plaid jacket. G. Dep’s lawyers note that Henkel had brown hair and a beard, and was wearing a tan leather jacket when he was killed. Prosecutors insist, however, that Henkel is the only person who matches G. Dep’s confession. Testimony is scheduled to last just a few days, with G. Dep’s confession going into evidence on Wednesday. He’s facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.

Lady Gaga Covers ELLE Indonesia

The first of Lady Gaga Indonesian ELLE magazine covers.

Remember Lady Gaga’s ‘Alejandro’ video? Well, the Pop superstar revived the short hairstyle that she sported in the visual as she graced the double covers for ELLE magazine Indonesia’s April anniversary issue.

See Gaga’s second ELLE cover below:

Cute

Christian Louboutin Python Boots

Christian Louboutin unveiled a new capsule collection last month, to celebrate his 20th anniversary in fashion. The range, inspired by his most famous and best-loved styles, features a mixture of flats (including mannish brogues and summer sandals), and his signature towering heels, from thigh-high boots and studded platforms to dainty stilettos adorned with pretty bows.

The ones that caught my eye are these fierce painted python boots are guaranteed to cause a stir. The Python Boots retail for $2,695, its Christian Louboutin, what can I say?

Rapper Twista Sued Over 2004 Death of a Bodyguard

*Twista has been hit with a lawsuit relating to his alleged involvement in the death of a bodyguard in 2004.
Arthur “Butch” Dixon, 45, died of multiple injuries after Twista’s cousin, Otis Bankhead, fell asleep at the wheel of a tour bus and crashed in Pennsylvania.

Now, Dixon’s family members have launched a legal battle against Twista, his record labels and promotional team for failing to stop Bankhead, who had a suspended license at the time of the accident, from driving.

Dixon’s widow and three children filed a similar suit against Twista in 2006 but the case was dropped by lawyers last year, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The bodyguard and accomplished jazz pianist was the son of legendary blues singer Willie Dixon

Lil Kim Appears On Bet’s ‘Lift Every Voice’ – Speaks Of Her Connection To God

Lil’ Kim appeared on BET’s Gospel Show ‘LIFT EVERY VOICE’ where she talks about her faith in God and more. Check out a video snippet below..

Snippet:

LIL KIM ON HER FAITH:

Always keep God for no matter what. I think in this industry people lose it. That’s because they probably never had a connection with God. And if they do have a connection with God, they forget to put him first.

Did you put him first when you went under the knife Kimmy Boo?

Gwyneth Paltrow Covers Harper’s Bazaar Australia May 2012 Issue

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow covers the May 2012 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Australia.
In the issue:

At 39, she looks stronger than she did in her twenties, lean and toned, with the streamlined contours of an athlete. She is lightly tanned and smooth-skinned while avoiding the telltale waxy complexion of overdone Botox. “I’ll take my wrinkles,” she says. “I don’t like the Botox thing.” But she does enjoy sunshine for the vitamin D, despite “my dermatologist yelling at me”

Right now, the dedicated eater is also on a 12-week detox program. “I have a lot of inflammation in my system, so I’m not having anything I’m allergic to — no gluten, no dairy, no sugar.” The trigger for these seasonal detox sessions, she says, is recognizing her physical symptoms: “I’ll wake up exhausted; I can feel my adrenal cortex being really high. When I get into bed, my heart will pound, my skin won’t be good, I’ll feel cranky, and then I will just know it’s time.”

During the day, Paltrow’s attention turns to her rapidly expanding and soon-to-be-redesigned web site, Goop (which now has more than a million viewers a week and is relaunching this month). At the heart of all these projects is the woman herself — her recommendations on diet, exercise, skincare, where to eat, and what to consume. She is her own best advertisement for the brand that is Gwyneth Paltrow. “Everything I’ve done has been completely organic, and that’s why the brand is a strong brand, because there is no ulterior motive behind it,” she says.

PARTY GIRLS: Christina Milian, Naturi Naughton, Cynthia Bailey, Selita Ebanks & More Hit The Party Scene

Christina Milian, popped up at the Nylon Magazine 13th Anniversary party at Smashbox in West Hollywood. she rocked her strapless dress and Mark Lash earrings from the studio to the party.

Cute. She was also spotted at an afterparty at Sur Lounge in this Naven Cut Out Print Dress and pink YSL Tributes:

I want her friend to lay off those surgeries though.

Also at the Nylon party:

Actress Naturi Naughton, in a Bebe V-neck Pleat Detail Jumpsuit, now stars on Lifetime's new series "The Client List" alongside Jennifer Love Hewitt (and it's GOOD too), hit up the party in an aqua blue jumper.

And youngin' Camille Winbush was there as well in an interesting look.

"Bones" actress Tiffany Hines hit the carpet in a nude & white look.

And over in NYC, the models made their way to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for the 9th Annual Spring Dinner Dance New Year's In April fete:

"ATL Housewife" Cynthia Bailey was spotted arriving...barefoot. Even her male escorts were barefoot. WTF is going on here?

And unfortunately didn't realize pasties would have done a body good in this very sheer dress. Guess she wanted everyone to see her chi chi's.

Maybelline model Jessica White made her way into the event in this Diane von Furstenberg sequin wrap gown with a Diane von Furstenberg ‘Tonda’ crystal clutch and cream peep-toes.