The Daily Roundup for May 18

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Serena Williams Rocks The June 2012 Cover of VOGUE

Now THIS is an accomplishment to boast about. Serena Williams landed the June 2012 cover of American VOGUE as the iconic magazine focuses on TEAM USA & top American Olympic hopefuls.

With the Summer Olympics going down in London this July, the magazine world is taking notice of the fittest bodies around. Namely, for their cover, Serena Williams, soccer star Hope Solo & swimmer Ryan Lochte.

In the Annie Leibovitz-shot feature, the Olympic hopefuls pose in their swimsuits and fashionable sports gear while showing off their toned and rock hard bods. It's a good look for the fashion designer/nail tech/top tennis player in the world.
Dwyane Wade is also featured in the issue alongside model and ballet dancer Karlie Kloss for a spread where some of the top 2012 Olympians are featured. Dwyane spoke to VOGUE about his upcoming 3rd Olympics:

The first time Dwyane Wade went to the Olympics, in 2004, he was really still in awe of his heroes. Having grown up on the South Side of Chicago (where he is at work building a community center), he idolized guys like Michael Jordan, whom Wade, 30, patterned himself after in a lot of ways. “We grew up watching the Dream Team, and we thought it was an honor to be on the team,” he says of his fellow rookie Olympians, players like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. He was shocked when, in Athens, the all-stars lost to Puerto Rico, Lithuania, and then to Argentina in the semi-finals—a golden flop, 89–81. “We had to wait four years to get back and hush everybody up and redeem ourselves.”

He flew past injuries—you don’t make mind-blowing layups without risking at least your hamstring—to lead the so-called Redeem Team in 2008. He scored big when it mattered, especially in the difficult final game against Spain. When Kobe Bryant and Le­Bron ran into foul trouble early and were benched four minutes into the game, Wade surged ahead, coming up with three three-pointers and reigniting the team’s fight for the gold. Is he surprised to be up for 2012 in London? “I thought Beijing would be my last one, but here I am!”
Karlie's wearing an Oscar de la Renta sequined guipure lace dress & Manolo Blahnik pumps in the above pic

Rohan Marley Is Marrying Brazilian Model ‘Isabeli Fontana’

Rohan Marley is engaged to be married to Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana. Marley, 39, is the son of reggae legend Bob Marley; he and Fontana, 28, have been dating since October 2011. The couple will tie the knot in Ethiopia. This will be the third marriage for Fontana, who was previously wed to models Álvaro Jacomossi and Henri Castelli, and had one son with each. It will be Marley’s second marriage; he was previously wed to his college girlfriend.

Marley and Lauryn Hill were a couple from 1996-2011 and have five children together, I wonder what Lauryn has to say about this?

Jennifer Hudson Releases Statement, Says She & Sister Praying for William Balfour

A Chicago jury found Jennifer Hudson’s ex-brother-in-law, William Balfour, guilty for the October 24, 2008 killings of her mother, Darnell Donerson, brother,Jason Hudson, and 7-year old nephew, Julian King. Balfour, the ex-husband of her sister Julia Hudson, faces a mandatory life sentence in jail. 

After sentencing, Jennifer and her sister, Julia, released a statement:

We have many people to thank but our first thank you is to God, always. We are so grateful to prosecutors James McKay, Jennifer Bagby and Veryl Gambino and State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and her team for their dedication and tireless work from the beginning. We have the best police department and they have been with us every step of the way. We thank all of the State’s witnesses who came forward on our behalf. We have felt the love and support from people all over the world and we’re very grateful. We want to extend a prayer from the Hudson family to the Balfour family. We have all suffered terrible loss in this tragedy. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them (2 Corinthian 4:3-4). It is our prayer that the Lord will forgive Mr. Balfour of these heinous acts and bring his heart into repentance someday.

Monica’s Miami Single Party Where nly ELITE B*TCHES were allowed!

Monday night some of the industry’s top movers and shakers were in the building at Monica’s concert, and Album party including her cousin Ludacris, his mother and his play cousin Keisha Knight Pullium. Luda was out celebrating the love of his life, Eudoxie, who was celebrating her birthday. Also in the building was Trina, Fat Joe and Floyd Mayweather, a few other celebrities and thousands of groupies. Diddy and Producer Rico Wade were also in the building.

On the main stage was the one and only Weezy F. Baby (please say the baby) who performed 3 songs and a freestyle. While on the mic, Wayne let everyone know how the “Baddest Bitch” needed to come back.

The comedian of the night was Kevin Hart. He took the stage and clowned on everyone. He showed everyone why he was number one. Kevin and Lil Wayne shot off confetti guns throughout the nights.

The club was 100% selected! Only the top elite bitches were admitted….. low budget bitches were not let in….Really? Well Big Ups to Monica.

Usher Accuses Tameka of Abandoning the Kids

Though the media has been banned from hearing certain portions of the testimony, dirty little details are still leaking out regarding Usher and Tameka Raymond's bitter custody battle...

According to The Hip Hop Enquirer Usher testified that Tameka had gone through 11 nannies and that he had been told by all of them that Tameka rarely leaves her bedroom because she is depressed.
One nanny testified that on her first day of work Tameka told her simply, 'they're upstairs' and went right back to bed and that she had to be told by one of the children that he had a peanut allergy.
Another nanny testified that on a trip to Miami she was forced to stay in the car with one of the boys for over an hour while Tameka went to a basketball game because there weren't enough tickets to go around.

While still another recalled an incident where Tameka said she was going to the movies but didn't come back for three days.

Tameka isn't the only one being battered in court, however. Usher is said to have sent the boys home having learned new cuss words and he's being accused of sleeping with two of the bridesmaids from his wedding.

Azealia Banks Honors Grace Jones On ’1991′ Cover

At 20 years old, Azealia Banks wasn’t even born during Grace Jones‘ heyday. Yet the young talent tributes the fashion icon accordingly on the striking cover for her debut EP ’1991′.
Due for digital release on May 29th (and June 12th physically), the 4-track collection features viral smash ‘212′, as well as four other tracks.

It serves as a prelude of sorts to meatier releases from Banks later this year; mixtape ‘Fantastic’ is due in the Summer (with its lead single ‘Jumanji’ having already premiered, while her hotly anticipated album ‘Broke With Expensive Taste’ is being readied for a Fall release.

Peep the ’1991′ tracklist after the jump…
’1991′ Tracklist:

1. ’1991′
2. ‘Van Vogue’
3. ’212′
4. ‘Liquorice’

Your thoughts?

FAMU President Suspends Marching Band Until 2013

Florida A&M University's band will not be allowed to march until sometime next year. The school's president, James Ammons, announced Monday (May 14) that the marching band will be suspended until 2013. The announcement comes in lieu of news that 13 FAMU band members will face third-degree felony charges, for their participation in the hazing death of Robert Champion, last year. “I think there is a period we should take that these measures are in place and we have addressed all the institutional issues,” Ammons told school board trustees. While it was revealed that those accused in Champion's death did not belong to the school's Marching 100 at the time of his passing, the revelation did not stop Ammons from trying to fire band director, Julian White. 

Not surprisingly, White ended up retiring, last week, but the band will not be allowed to return until a replacement director has been agreed upon.

Champion's death came after he was tortured during a band trip. He sustained injuries to his chest, shoulders, arms and back. His death, blew the lid off dangerous hazing rituals, and has shone a negative light on the school's otherwise positive reputation. Since his death, his family has started a non-profit organization, the Robert D. Champion Drum Major for Change Foundation, and plans to sue the school.

Rihanna Struts to NYC Rehearsals

Spotted leaving her NYC hotel, Rihanna was seen heading off to rehearsals at the Javits Center
The “Birthday Cake” songstress looked chic in a denim on denim ensemble of cropped jeans paired with a v-neck white tee while walking the sidewalks of the Big Apple.

Looking all comfy…Rih Rih!

Martin Lawrence’s Sit-Com Pilot Was Dropped By CBS

Sources are saying that CBS didn’t pick up Martin Lawrence’s return to sit-com TV planned for next season.
The unitiled pilot, which was to co-star Regina Hall, was centered around the premise of Lawernce playing a widowed father of two teenage boys who pursues a career as a cop, after losing his construction job.

I’m not sure why the network refused to pursue the pilot as a regular series.

Jada Pinkett Smith COVERS "IO DONNA" May 2012 ISSUE

In the latest issue of IO DONNA Magazine, Jada Pinkett Smith comments on her unconventional way of parenting star kids Willow and Jaden. And she reaffirms that she and Will are very happy and will always be together. Here are the highlights:

On what Willow and Jaden are busy with right now:
"Jaden is going to Philadelphia with his father for 'After Earth', directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Willow continues to sing. After 'Whip My Hair' and 'Fireball' she has two new albums out and a movie we're producing ourselves. We are actually preparing for her remake of the musical 'Annie'."

On what she's got going in the near future:
"I can not wait to go to Cannes! I've always had great fun at the festival. For the rest I do not know what I will do in the coming months, my schedule does not go further than two weeks ... In this period it was hard to split my time between the project of 'Annie', the work of Will, to my brother Caleb and James Lassiter - our production team - and the family routine. It is a continuous race ... he who hesitates is lost."

On if her kids decide to take a path away from the public eye:
"Sure, they are very young. Willow could one day decide not to have anything to do with the entertainment world. And the same thing could happen to Jaden. At that point, however, both will be able to get what they want."

On rumors that she and Will are having marital issues:
"For us nothing has changed: it is the same life as before. When Will is working on a project, I usually have to take care of the boys, but now he is with Jaden because they star in the same movie, and Willow is with me because I'm the producer of her albums and I follow her into the recording studio. Tonight I leave for Philadelphia, going to see Will and Jaden, kiss them, hug them and then return to Los Angeles."

Jada's heading to Cannes soon for the Film Festival and is promoting her upcoming movie Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (June 8th).

Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon Celebrates ‘Dem Babies’ 1st Birthday

Mariah Carey had better watch out, for there’s new diva on the block. She needn’t fret too much, though, as it’s her own daughter Monroe Cannon.

The youngster and her twin brother Moroccan are shown posing it up with their parents in these freshly released portraits from their 1st Birthday party…in Paris.

Beyonce Expected to Take the Stand

Last year video game company Gate Five filed a breach of contract suit against Beyonce for backing out of their game venture right before Christmas [click here if you missed that].

Welp, the lawsuit has gotten the go ahead and Beyonce will have to testify in court...

From The NY Post
The superstar is expected to be grilled by lawyers for a video-game developer by late summer because a Manhattan judge has given the company’s $100 million lawsuit against her the green light, The Post has learned.
Justice Charles Ramos’ ruling came after he learned lawyers for the “Single Ladies” singer were actively working on a $20 million deal with the company, Gate Five, before abruptly backing out.
“You continue to negotiate right up until the time you pull the plug. That is not going to work with me,” Ramos told Beyoncé’s lawyers.

LL Cool J’s Wife ‘Simone Smith’ Trunk Show at Neiman Marcus In Atlanta

LL Cool J’s wife Simone Smith held a trunk show for her ‘SIS’ jewelry line at Neiman Marcus in Atlanta a few days ago. Its a fun filled jewelry collection of goodies that range from $45-$8,000! Atlanta notables attending the trunk show included (pictured above from L-R) Sean Combs’s baby mamas Sarah Chapman and Misa Hylton-Brim; owner Simone Smith, and guest. Also spotted VH1 producer Mona Scott (‘Love & Hip Hop’); WSB news anchor Jovita Moore, CNN’s Audrey Irvine, Bow Wow’s mom Theresa Caldwell, and more.

Owner Simone Smith, 2nd from left, Mona Scott, 2nd from right, and Jovita Moore, far right

Simone Smith, right, and Misa Hylton-Brim

Bow Wow’s mother, Theresa Caldwell

I see the Ladies had FUN!

CHRONICLE PHOTO FABU: Basketball Wives Reunion Taped

Suzie Ketchum, Shaunie O’Neal and Evelyn Lozada pose for the camera, during the reunion taping for VH1′s ‘Basketball Wives.

Evelyn Lozada backstage and on set.

I just see this is going to be a HOT MESS!

Tyrese Forming an R&B Super Group

Tyrese just announced that he's forming an R&B super group with Ginuwine and Tank...

According to Ty the group is called TgT and they plan to pick up where Jodeci left off

Russell Simmons Defends Rihanna Over Chris Brown "Theraflu" Diss

The saga continues in the fallout between Chris Brown and Rihanna. The terrible twosome appeared to be in the throes of reconciliation until a pesky little “Theraflu” freestyle hit the ‘Net last week. For what it's worth, Brown comes pretty hard (for an R&B dude) but caught our attention after throwing shots at an unidentified ex. When the Twitterverse concluded that he was putting Rihanna's promiscuity on blast, she abruptly unfollowed him on Twitter.

Although Brown denied taking aim at the bajan beauty, Russell Simmons has decided to insert himself in the controversy by writing a blog post —titled Get Off Rihanna's D-ck— defending Rihanna's decision to sleep around.“There have been a lot of artists recently talking about ‘good girl gone band' Rihanna. As far as I'm concerned, I don't see why everyone has their panties up in a bunch, he wrote, via Global Grind.” It's just that she is out there allegedly Fawkin' the rockstars of her dreams and you out there fuckin' groupies. You can't be mad that she was seen walking out of Ashton Kutcher's house late one night, cause you know if you were seen walking out of Adriana Lima's house late one night, you would be in the studio the next day rapping about it.”

To further make his point, Simmons also mentioned the double-standard between men and women when it comes to having multiple sex partners. He also says that most males in the industry have “10 times as many girls as Rihanna has men.” While the aforementioned statement can't be scientifically proven, the only good to come out of this situation is that Rihanna has finally realized that being friends with her abusive ex-boyfriend may not be the best life choice.

AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
"The Chain Gang"

We haven’t seen a child leash on here in quite some time so you can understand my disappointment when I saw this mega-leash. I really thought we made a difference, apparently I was wrong….and apparently you can now hire kid walkers. Pretty much the same as professional dog walkers but they won’t pick up poop.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!!
EFREM

The Daily Roundup for May 7

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!

Avengers' Smashes Records!!!

It's been clear for a while that The Avengers would be a box office success, though few people could have foreseen this opening. The superhero team-up got off to an unprecedented $200.3 million start this weekend, which obliterates the previous all-time weekend record set by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 last Summer ($169.2 million). 

While it fell short of setting a new opening day record (that still belongs to Potter), The Avengers was responsible for new high marks in most other major categories. It was the fastest movie ever to reach $100 million, $150 million, and $200 million, and it set new records for Saturday ($69.7 million) and Sunday ($50.1 million) grosses. It also had the highest per-theater average ever for a nationwide release with $46,057. 
Through its first three days, The Avengers has already grossed more than Thor ($181 million), Captain America: The First Avenger ($176.6 million) and The Incredible Hulk ($134.8 million). It's still behind Iron Man and Iron Man 2 ($318.4 million and $312.4 million, respectively), though it should pass those movies next weekend.

The incredible opening weekend gross for The Avengers is mostly the result of a lengthy, extremely effective marketing effort which began all the way back in 2008 when Nick Fury made his first appearance after the credits in the original Iron Man. By the time Thor and Captain America opened last year, it became clear that these movies existed in equal parts to make money and to serve as advertisements for The Avengers. 
Still, there was the problem of reaching people who hadn't turned out for Thor, Captain America and The Incredible Hulk. That was solved by Disney's massive campaign that made the movie seem accessible even for people who have never picked up a comic book in their life. The marketing conveyed that there was a major threat, and the only way to combat it was by bringing together the world's greatest superheroes. The "head count" ad was a centerpiece of this campaign: it introduced each of the Avengers with a quip from the most-popular Avenger, Tony Stark/Iron Man, and provided a few brief glimpses of the character in action. By the end of that commercial, even the most oblivious viewers probably had a good sense for who everyone was. 
The movie went on to receive strong reviews (94 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), which made anticipation reach even higher levels. It also helped that April's releases were anemic, so The Avengers was able to play on more screens than it would have if another major movie was in the market (like when Thor had to face Fast Five last year). 

The big question now is how high The Avengers can go—it will obviously hit $400 million, and with exceptional word-of-mouth (rare "A+" CinemaScore) the movie could even be in line for a $500 million total.

Usher Releases “Looking 4 Myself” Cover Art & Tracklisting

R&B singer Usher reveals the track list and artwork for his new album ‘Looking 4 Myself’ which drops June 12th.
Looking 4 Myself Tracklisting
1. “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop”
2. “Scream”
3. “Climax”
4. “I Care for U”
5. “Show Me”
6. “Lemme See” feat. Rick Ross
7. “Twisted” feat. Pharrell
8. “Dive”
9. “What Happened to U”
10. “Looking 4 Myself” feat. Luke Steele
11. “Numb”
12. “Lessons for the Lover”
13. “Sins of My Father”
14. “Euphoria”
Deluxe Edition
15. “I.F.U.”
16. “Say the Words”
17. “2nd Round”
18. “Hot Thing”
Are you excited???

HEATHER HEADLEY PROMOTES ‘THE BODYGUARD’ MUSICAL

Tony and Grammy-award winning singer/actress Heather Headley and British actor Lloyd Owen attend a photocall to promote the new musical The Bodyguard at The Savoy Hotel in London, England.

Opening in London’s West End in November and based on the 1992 film of the same name starring the late Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard features a host of Whitney Houston’s greatest hits, including “How Will I Know”, “Saving All My Love for You” and more. Check out video footage from rehearsals below.

WOW….Good for you Heather!

As if this GOOD NEWS?; BASKETBALL WIVES MOVIE GETS A GREEN LIGHT

Shaunie O’Neal, ever the business woman, is looking to further expand the Basketball Wives brand with a movie about the life of an NBA wife. Fox Searchlight has acquired an “untitled pitch” from Shaunie and producer Tracey Edmonds. Elizabeth Hunter (Jumping The Broom) will pen the script, with Shaunie and Tracey Edmonds producing the film. Drawing loosely from the lives of Shaunie and some of her friends, the Searchlight project centers around a young woman who follows her boyfriend to Miami after he gets drafted into the NBA. Thrust into the world of professional sports, she meets the other players’ wives and learns from their trials and tribulations.

“The beauty of a feature film is that we’ll have the ability to dig much deeper into the stories and characters that come from this very colorful world and create a very juicy, action-packed narrative,” Tracey Edmonds said.

Glendon Palmer and Phil Robinson will exec produce the film.

First Look: Nicki Minaj Lives in the ‘Moment’ in Pepsi Commercial

Nicki Minaj gets it poppin’ for Pepsi in her brand new commercial for the soft drink maker. In the first official image from the campaign, the platinum Barbie holds a can of Pepsi while posing as a space cadet.

The commercial entitled “Now in the Moment” features a newly remixed version of Minaj’s hit single “Moment 4 Life” and will debut Monday, May 7 as part of Pepsi’s “Live for Now” global campaign. She filmed the spot in Argentina earlier this year.

From the Foolywang Files: Liberace's Former Lover Claims Relationship with Michael Jackson

Liberace's former live in lover Scott Thorson claims he had a passionate affair with Michael Jackson.
Scott Thorson, Liberace's former live-in boyfriend, shared private details of his five-year romance with the flamboyant entertainer.
Today, Thorson drops a bombshell regarding Michael Jackson, claiming he and the King of Pop shared an intimate, sexual relationship in the eighties.

"Michael and I had a relationship that... would cross the boundaries," Thorson reveals in an exclusive sit down with ET's Christina McLarty. 

"That's about all I'm comfortable saying… We were both young."
While he concedes that not many will believe that he and Michael were lovers, he says that the two became unlikely friends while he was dating Liberace. After a period of friendship, their relationship blossomed into more.
Thorson details his tumultuous relationship with the King of Pop and more in Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace, a book he wrote in 1998 which is currently being adapted for the big screen featuring Matt Damon and Michael Douglas. He is presently penning a follow-up.

From a DUMB BROAD Just for you: President Barack Obama's EX-Girlfriends DISH On Loving A Young Obama

In the latest issue of VANITY FAIR, the magazine runs an excerpt from the book Barack Obama: The Story, by David Maraniss, to be published this month by Simon & Schuster.

What's interesting about this book is that it tracks down ex-girlfriends of the president and has them speak openly about their relationship. REALLY? 

I’m sure Michelle Obama won’t be too pleased to hear that her husband’s former girlfriend has just popped on the radar. Do we really need to have this “extra stuff” befuddle the issues?

Two such ladies were Alex McNear and Genevieve Cook who dated President Obama in the early 80s while he was still a student at Columbia. In their pieces, they reveal him to be smart and WISE beyond his years, but also a workaholic with possible emotional issues. If anything, these recounts make the President appear even more personable and relatable.

Though President Obama has spoken in the past about his own emotional issues and often working too hard and not spending enough time with First Lady Michelle or the kids, through Alex and Genevieve's stories you get a glimpse at where some of these issue began. First Lady Michelle has spoken about this too as something they went through several years ago and have worked through. 

Read the excepts here:

Girlfriend #1 - Alex McNear
....The loneliness of Obama’s New York existence emerged in his letters to Alex McNear, a young woman from Occidental who had enchanted Obama when she was co-editing the literary magazine Feast, and with whom he reconnected when she spent the summer of 1982 in New York. Alex had always been fond of Barry, as she called him, and “thought he was interesting in a very particular way. He really worked his way through an idea or question, turned it over, looked at it from all sides, and then he came to a precise and elegant conclusion.” When Alex came to New York, she gave Obama a  call. They met at an Italian restaurant on Lexington Avenue, and, as she remembered the night, “we sat and talked and ate and drank wine. Or at least I drank wine. I think he drank something stronger. It was one of those dark, old Italian restaurants that don’t exist in New York anymore. It was the kind of place where they leave you alone. I remember thinking how happy I felt just talking to him, that I could talk to him for hours. We walked slowly back to my apartment, on 90th, and said good-bye. After that we started spending much more time together.”

....The long-distance relationship with Alex McNear after that summer—they would drift apart as time wore on—was conducted mostly through a series of passionate letters sent between his apartment (he was then living at 339 East 94th, in Manhattan) and hers, at 2210 Ridgeview Avenue, in Eagle Rock, California. By her account, the passion was as much about ideas and words as about their romance—what she later called “that dance of closeness through language.” Alex was interested in postmodern literary criticism, and her arguments brimmed with the deconstructionist ideas of Jacques Derrida, the French philosopher. In one letter she told Obama that she was writing a paper in her modern-poetry class at Occidental about T. S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land.” His reply wove its way through literature, politics, and personal philosophy..

Girlfriend #2 - Genevieve Cook
The party in the sixth-floor apartment was well under way when Genevieve arrived: lights dim, Ella Fitzgerald playing on the stereo, chattering people, arty types, recent college grads, some in the publishing world, none of whom she knew except the host. She went into the kitchen, to the right of the front entrance corridor, looking for a glass,  then decided it would be less fussy to drink straight from the bottle. That was her style. She fancied smoking non-filter Camels and Lucky Strikes. She liked drinking Baileys and Punt e Mes, an Italian vermouth. Standing in the kitchen was a guy named Barack, wearing blue jeans, T-shirt, dark leather jacket. They spoke briefly, then moved on. Hours later, after midnight, she was about to leave when Barack Obama approached and asked her to wait. They plopped down on an orange beanbag chair at the end of the hall, and this time the conversation clicked.

He noticed her accent. Australian, she said. He knew many Aussies, friends of his mother’s, because he had lived in Indonesia when he was a boy. So had she, before her parents divorced, and again briefly in high school. As it turned out, their stays in Jakarta had overlapped for a few years, starting in 1967. They talked nonstop, moving from one subject to another, sharing an intense and immediate affinity, enthralled by the randomness of their meeting and how much they had in common. They had lived many places but never felt at home.

At night’s end, as Genevieve recalled that first encounter when I spoke with her decades later, they exchanged phone numbers on scraps of paper. “I’m pretty sure we had dinner maybe the Wednesday after. I think maybe he cooked me dinner. Then we went and talked in his bedroom. And then I spent the night. It all felt very inevitable.”

Her diary entries about him:

Sunday, January 22, 1984
What a startling person Barack is—so strange to voice intimations of my own perceptions—have them heard, responded to so on the sleeve. A sadness, in a way, that we are both so questioning that original bliss is dissipated—but feels really good not to be faltering behind some façade—to not feel that doubt must be silenced and transmuted into distance.

Thursday, January 26
How is he so old already, at the age of 22? I have to recognize (despite play of wry and mocking smile on lips) that I find his thereness very threatening…. Distance, distance, distance, and wariness.

Sunday, February 19
Despite Barack’s having talked of drawing a circle around the tender in him—protecting the ability to feel innocence and springborn—I think he also fights against showing it to others, to me. I really like him more and more—he may worry about posturing and void inside but he is a brimming and integrated character.

Today, for the first time, Barack sat on the edge of the bed—dressed—blue jeans and luscious ladies on his chest [a comfy T-shirt depicting buxom women], the end of the front section of the Sunday Times in his hand, looking out the window, and the quality of light reflected from his eyes, windows of the soul, heart, and mind, was so clear, so unmasked, his eyes narrower than he usually holds them looking out the window, usually too aware of me.

Saturday, February 25
The sexual warmth is definitely there—but the rest of it has sharp edges and I’m finding it all unsettling and finding myself wanting to withdraw from it all. I have to admit that I am feeling anger at him for some reason, multi-stranded reasons. His warmth can be deceptive. Tho he speaks sweet words and can be open and trusting, there is also that coolness—and I begin to have an inkling of some things about him that could get to me.

Genevieve was out of her mother’s Upper East Side apartment by then. Earlier that spring she had moved and was sharing the top floor of a brownstone at 640 Second Street in Park Slope. The routine with Barack was now back and forth, mostly his place, sometimes hers. When she told him that she loved him, his response was not “I love you, too” but “thank you”—as though he appreciated that someone loved him. The relationship still existed in its own little private world. They spent time cooking. Barack loved to make a ginger beef dish that he had picked up from his friend Sohale Siddiqi. He was also big on tuna-fish sandwiches made the way his grandfather had taught him, with finely chopped dill pickles. For a present, Genevieve bought him an early edition of The Joy of Cooking. They read books together and talked about what they had read. For a time they concentrated on black literature, the writers Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Toni Cade Bambara, and Ntozake Shange.

Early in Barack’s relationship with Genevieve, he had told her about “his adolescent image of the perfect ideal woman” and how he had searched for her “at the expense of hooking up with available girls.” Who was this ideal woman? Genevieve conjured her in her mind, and it was someone other than herself. She wrote, “I can’t help thinking that what he would really want, be powerfully drawn to, was a woman, very strong, very upright, a fighter, a laugher, well-*experienced—a black woman I keep seeing her as.”

Thursday, May 23, 1985
Barack leaving my life—at least as far as being lovers goes. In the same way that the relationship was founded on calculated boundaries and carefully, rationally considered developments, it seems to be ending along coolly considered lines. I read back over the past year in my journals, and see and feel several themes in it all … how from the beginning what I have been most concerned with has been my sense of Barack’s withholding the kind of emotional involvement I was seeking. I guess I hoped time would change things and he’d let go and “fall in love” with me. Now, at this point, I’m left wondering if Barack’s reserve, etc. is not just the time in his life, but, after all, emotional scarring that will make it difficult for him to get involved even after he’s sorted his life through with age and experience.
Hard to say, as obviously I was not the person that brought infatuation. (That lithe, bubbly, strong black lady is waiting somewhere!)

Partying with the president in the 80s? Who gives a DAMN!!!!! As for me TEAM OBAMA 2012!

Whitney’s Body Covered In Concrete To Stop Grave-robbers From Taking $750,000 Diamonds

Whitney Houston’s family plans to encase her body in concrete to stop people stealing the 750,000 worth of jewelry she is buried with. At the moment the legendary singer’s grave is under 24-hour guard at Fairview Cemetery in New Jersey but it is thought her mother Cissy can’t afford to keep up the security. Sources reports Whitney was buried with a diamond brooch and earrings next to the body of her father John Russell Houston Jr. – who died in 2003 – in February.
A close family source is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper as saying: ‘Cissy can’t afford to keep paying guards forever. A concrete encasement is the only answer.’

A burial expert at Hollywood Forever, which houses the remains of a number of celebrities, believes encasing Whitney in concrete is a ‘sensible move’.

They said: ‘It makes robbery virtually impossible. It would take a long time to get through, even with a pneumatic drill.’ Cissy Houston, 78, has also announced she wants to set the record straight about her daughter – who was found dead in a bath tub at the Beverly Hilton hotel in February aged 48 – and she has vowed to write a book publishing both the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ times in the ‘I Will Always Love You’ hitmaker’s life.

She is quoted by the New York Times as saying: ‘I want to stop the lies, It’s going to be the bad. It’s going to be the good.’
Cissy has met a number of New York publishers about the tome, and she could reach a seven-figure deal depending on what she reveals about Whitney’s drug issues and previous marriage to Bobby Brown.

It’s Splitsville For Lady Gaga & Her Boyfriend Taylor Kinney

It looks like Lady Gaga has had another “bad romance.”
According to US Magazine, the 26-year-old pop star, who recently kicked off a 110-city world tour, has broken up with her boyfriend, actor Taylor Kinney of The Vampire Diaries.

The tabloid cites Lady Gaga’s crazy busy schedule as the reason behind the breakup: “She will be touring nonstop until next year and has found she can’t have relationship at the same time,” said a source to the mag. ”There’s just no room for anything else. Her work is all-consuming.”

However, the “insider,” who sounds like he/she works for Team Gaga, managed to get a few jabs in about Taylor, which makes us think that the couple, who only dated for 10 months, won’t be reuniting anytime soon:
“Taylor was all about himself, a typical actor, and didn’t completely get Gaga,” said a “pal” of the singer’s. “She loved that she got this guy who everyone thought was hot! But it was never going to last.”
Poor Gaga. It seems she won’t be having those beautiful babies after all. Related: Lady Gaga Wants To Have “Beautiful Babes” With Taylor Kinney By Next Year

McDonald’s To Open Its Largest Restaurant For The 2012 Summer Olympic Games In London

McDonald’s will soon be open its largest franchise in the world, a two-story cathedral-like restaurant that seats 1,500 customers, for the 2012 Olympic Summer games at London’s Olympic Park. McDonald’s, a top-level sponsor of the Summer Olympics, will be the only restaurateur allowed to sell brand-name food at the games. It will also operate a separate McDonald’s within the athletes’ village and three others at the Olympic Park. Alongside McDonald’s, Coca-Cola has the exclusive right to sell non-alcoholic drinks at Olympic venues. Heineken has been named the games’ official beer.

However, some are not thrilled — a British doctors’ group says its sending the wrong  message in a country with ballooning obesity. “It’s very sad that an event that celebrates the very best of athletic achievements should be sponsored by companies contributing to the obesity problem and unhealthy habits,” said Terence Stephenson, a spokesman for the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges.

The group is calling upon the British government to restrict advertising by McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Heineken during the Olympic Games.
The Olympic Games will be held in London from July 27th to August 12th.

Melanie Fiona Sheds Light On Exploitation In The Music  Industry

During a recent interview with ‘RagoLdn‘, Grammy winning songstress Melanie Fiona opened up like never before- speaking candidly on some of the industry’s ‘rug swept’ issues.
Check out her interesting take on sexuality and exploitation below…

Video: 

When quizzed on the pressures of being sexy, she confessed:

All the time. There’s pressure all the time. Every female artist has that pressure. It’s if you allow yourself to succumb that pressure, so I see it as a challenge not to succumb to that pressure. So it’s more of a challenge to base my success on the quality of music and not the quality of my…assets.

Then, on the exploitation of artists by the industry:
If you work with people that treat you like a product, you will be exploited like a product.

If you work with people who treat you like a person, as someone who has a living heart, with emotions and family and requires the natural things everybody needs in life- then you have people working in your best interests, and I’m fortunate enough to have that.

What are your thoughts on exploitation in the industry?

Christina Milian Covers DENIM Magazine

Check out singer/actress Christina Milian who’s the Denim Magazine’s new cover girl. Look for the new issue which will be out next week in which she opens up about juggling her career & motherhood, he relationship now with The Dream, Dating & more.

Here’s highlights from her cover interview:

DENIM: How are you balancing the many faucets of your career and being a mommy?
CM: #TeamNoSleep – that’s what I live by! I have a nanny and family to help and I try to bring Violet everywhere I can.

DENIM: What’s a day in the life of Christina Milian?
CM: Wake up, bathe and feed Violet, answer emails and business questions with my Mother. Then I work out, head to meetings, and later have a glass of wine with my girlfriends. After that, I head home and continue business and mommy-hood until the day ends. Maybe even go to the studio- late.

DENIM: Post divorce, how is your relationship with The Dream?
CM: He and I are cool now. We have a good rapport with each other and are focused on Violet living a happy life.

DENIM: Spin the threads. Are you currently dating? Are you looking to re-marry someday?
CM: Not into dating. I don’t want to waste time on someone else to break my heart, take up my time or even deal with another character. I’m happy being a mom and staying focused. NO DRAMA!

DENIM: If you decided to start dating, what characteristics in a man do you find attractive?
CM: Humble, funny, focused and can communicate well. He’s got to be interesting!

DENIM: Congratulations on your new role for the 2nd season of The Voice! What exactly is that role and do you have any expectations? What can we [viewers] expect?
CM: I’m the host of all their web connects- from Facebook to Twitter to my own personal “Voice” blog.

Rosario Dawson Buys a New Pair of Boobs

Looks like Rosario Dawson upgraded her rack.
There was something different about 32-year-old Rosario Dawson at the 98th Annual White House Correspondents Association dinner this weekend, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Mostly because putting a finger on it would have violated the restraining order and ergo the terms of my probation, and God knows I can’t afford another strike. It’s not like I live in Los Angeles or have the last name “Lohan.”
Radar Online’s plastic surgeon-on-tap Dr. Anthony Youn says: “Comicon hottie Rosario Dawson appears to have grown super heroine-sized breasts. Her chest size looks like it’s gone from a B to a D, likely from a set of large breast implants…. if her surgery was recent, it’s possible her breasts will settle down a bit.” 

Any doctor who prefaces his professional medical opinion with the words “Comicon hottie” deserves to be taken out back and flogged with his own medical degree.
I just assume it’s printed on bamboo and held together with clay and twine and other equally valuable third-world-island commodities gathered near his alma mater.

Details About Keyshia Cole's "Family First" BET Series

R&B singer Keyshia Cole and her family are headed back to BET this fall for a six part series called "Family First."
We've seen cameras following Keyshia around for a long time this go around, and unlike the first series, we will get to see a new side of Keyshia.

Now, she's a wife to NBA baller Daniel Gibson, and a mother to their son DJ. And while she's still working on getting out her music, we should get appearances from other family members, like momma Frankie! Don't we all need a little Frankie in our lives?
We also will finally see footage from that dream Hawaiian wedding. of Keyshia & Boobie's.
"Family First" is executive produced by James DuBose of DuBose Entertainment, Michele Barnwell, Keyshia Cole and Daniel Gibson.

Will you be watching?

J.R Martinez welcomes daughter Belle after girlfriend gives birth

Former Dancing With The Stars champion J.R Martinez and his girlfriend Diana Gonzalez-Jones have welcomed a baby daughter into the world.
Diana gave birth to Lauryn Anabelle Martinez in Los Angeles.
The delighted couple have already nicknamed their bundle of joy Belle, who weighed in at 7 lbs 13 oz and is 21 inches long.
Martinez, 28, who won the last season of ABC show DWTS told People.com: 'She has a couple of cute little freckles on her cheeks, a full head of hair and the cutest little lips.
'It’s just amazing to see her, finally. She’s beautiful.'

The couple first met on the set of the hit soap All My Children in 2008, in which Martinez starred as a U.S Army soldier and Gonzalez-Jones worked as an assistant to the show's producer.

'We found out just last week it's a girl and we are over the moon,' he told the American publication at the time.
'Diana has a little baby bump now and it's the cutest thing ever. With the holidays coming up, this is the biggest and best gift we could get.'
His life changed in 2003, when as a United States Army infantryman deployed in Iraq, the truck he was driving hit a land mine and the subsequent explosion resulted in burns over 40 percent of his body.

Omarion Inks Deal With Maybach Music

Rick Ross held a press conference in New York City to announce a few new business ventures. Omarion’s first single under the MMG imprint is allegedly titled “Let Me Smell It” and will feature O’s new boss, Rick Ross. 

The “Ice Box” star is apparently prepping an EP which will be released later on this year.

Jennifer Lopez Covers Glamour UK June 2012

She's wrapping up another season of "American Idol", just announceed a tour with Enrique Iglesias and is readying for the May 18th release of her new movie, but Jennifer Lopez somehow managed to find time to partake in a cover girl gig for the June 2012 issue of Glamour UK.

Decked out in an Enza Coasta vest teamed with a Salvatore Ferragamo bandeau top and a Chris Benz skirt, the 42-year-old superstar worked it for the Matthias Vriens-McGrath shot spread while opening up about topics including cosmetic surgery, raising twins and relationships.

Highlights from Miss Lopez's interview are as follows. For more, be sure to pay a visit to Glamour UK!

On raising twins Max and Emme:
"It takes a village - you do really learn what that means when you have kids. It's a juggling act, just like any single mom. They just started sachool, three days a week. I have to travel without them here and there, so it's really important they're surrounded by family when I'm not there. They come first, though. I like to wake up with them. I like to put them to bed. That's how we do it so they feel loved, happy and what they are - the most important thing in my life."

On starting a relationship:
"You've got to be OK on your own before you can be OK with somebody else."

On the importance of keeping new relationships out of the spotlight:
It matters. Especially at the beginning of a relationship. To give something a chance, to really get to know somebody, you want to do it out of the public eye. The media, they wantto rush everything. Give their seedy opinions without knowing all the facts."

On cosmetic surgery:
I'd like to think I'll age gracefully, but then I think, 'Well, what if I do want a little bit of something?'

Tiger Woods Sparks Feeding Frenzy

A gaggle of girls tried their best to get to Tiger Woods' pool side cabana at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas.

Tiger Woods is back on the prowl in Vegas. The fallen golf great was surveying bikini-clad girls at the Liquid Pool at Aria Resort and Casino on Saturday. Woods made a low-key entrance through the back door and relaxed in a cabana with a few male friends and “good-looking girls,” said witnesses. Soon a group of women began fighting to get his attention. One source said, “There was a frenzy . . . many girls were trying to get up to his cabana, but were unsuccessful.” Woods, coming off his worst performance ever at the Masters, “seemed to be more interested in the people he was with.”

DO GOODERS: The Frank Ski Kid’s Foundation Local Legends Luncheon Honors Keri Hilson and Carolyn M. Young 

Twice a year the Frank Skis Kid’s Foundation honor outstanding female high school seniors in the Atlanta area who have made significant contributions to their community, nation and beyond. Each of the deserving recipients are awarded a $1,000 scholarship for college at an event called the Local Legends Luncheon. Not only are these young women given the funds for college but they also get the once in a lifetime opportunity to dine and talk with notable local “Legends”.

This year’s honorable Legends were Mrs. Carolyn Young; who was honored for her tireless efforts in educating the youth and her philanthropist endeavors with husband, Ambassador Andrew Young, and award winning songstress, Ms. Keri Hilson.

Hosted by Mrs. Tanya Ski, the 2012 Local Legends Luncheon was held at Frank Ski’s Restaurant and Lounge,

Lunch was prepared by Flemings of Dunwoody; supporters of the Local Legend Luncheon since it’s inception. It was an inspiring afternoon to hear testimonies & stories from Mrs. Tanya Ski, Mrs. Carolyn Young and Ms. Keri Hilson, who all believe it is their responsibility to give back to their communities & especially young women.

We commend the Frank Ski Kids Foundation for continuing to expose children to their future!

AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘What’s Under There?’

I like to call these “under undies” but what I’d really like to call these is extinct, that way I’ll never have to see them again.

ENJOY THE WEEK AHEAD ALL!

EFREM

.