Entertainment Archive (198)
Fed up with dismal ratings for her new Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), the former daytime talk-show queen has decided to bring things into perspective by naming herself its chief executive officer.
Discovery Communications partnered with Winfrey to launch the cable network earlier this year.
"I am ready to dedicate my full creative energy and focus as the full-time CEO of OWN," Winfrey said in a statement.
Reports state that the decision for Winfrey's takeover was made just two months after CEO Christina Norman was forced out of the position in a management shakeup. Norman had been the network's third leader since the formation of OWN was announced three years ago.
Reports also state that the network has struggled to build ratings despite hundreds of millions spent on programming and promotion.
Winfrey has admitted that because she had been wrapped up in preparing the final broadcasts of her popular talk show, that she was not as focused on OWN as she should have been.
Paul Wharton recently debuted his single, "Hide Your Crazy." (Courtesy Photo)
District hairstylist Paul Wharton, who starred on Bravo TV's "The Real Housewives of D.C.," has stepped out into the recording world.
The de facto sixth housewife, who contributed some interesting moments on the show, hit the recording booth in May to record the single, "Hide Your Crazy." The song debuted locally, with reports stating that Wharton has been working in Ginuwine and Sole's D.C.-area- based studio. In addition to "Hide Your Crazy," another Wharton single, "I'm a Model," is reportedly in the works.
In an April 2010 interview Wharton, 33, opened up about another reality show he's landed. It's called "Model Intervention," and is reportedly set to air in the fall.
"D.C. Housewives" aired for just one season last year, and while the show's been cancelled, Wharton -- who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but raised in the D.C. suburbs -- has said he had no qualms being part of the franchise.
"I had heard around town that they were going to do "Housewives," and so I sent [the producers] my media kit," Wharton was quoted as telling Metro Weekly. "I was like, 'Look. I am the [stuff] in this town. If you want the right [personalities] on your show, you need to get me. I know all the fun socialites. They're my friends. And I think that we need to have it be my friends - and you can have me on the show."
Gospel singing sensation Tre Thomas performed recently in D.C. at Blues Alley. /Courtesy photoAfter witnessing one of his awe-inspiring performances, it could be safe to conclude that gospel music hasn't been rocked quite as hard by an individual as singing sensation Tre' Thomas.
While the New Orleans-born but Washington, D.C. -bred Thomas has busy these days spreading the word of God through his music, it's been a clear and direct spiritual message that resonates with polish and professionalism.
"They like the context of my music," Thomas said. "Because of my approach, people have been receptive."
He added however, that in taking the Christian approach to his craft, "it can be a little hard because it's a different sound. More importanlty, "it hasn't been a challenge at all for people to relate to me," said Thomas.
The Howard University graduate, who majored in TV and Video Production, said that because the music industry can sometimes be fickle, he always had a back-up plan in mind. So following graduation, he immediately went to work for notable TV stations such as TBS and BET. But Thomas didn't just stick behind the scenes, having recently appeared as a new artist on the 30th season of BET's "Bobby Jones Gospel."
Thomas has also been reflective of a July 6 performance at Blues Alley in D.C's Georgetown, which he said was a major success.
"The crowd was very different," he said. "I wanted to expose myself to different crowds and I hope to take part in more venues that impact the city."
Meanwhile, Thomas pours his soul into every track he creates. He said one song in particular stands out from his freshman album, "A Natural Contrast." According to Thomas the song, "My First Love," which he wrote from the heart, "is very personal to me."
Another song from the album is, "Temptation," and Thomas said the interesting thing about it is that a lot of people aspire to do big things, but have too many distractions around them. His advice: "Just stay focused and don't let things sidetrack you."
Thomas said however, that music isn't the only thing on his mind.
He explained that he's been working tirelessly to give back to his community, and that the best way he knows to do that is through the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NBLCA).
The organization's mission is to educate, organize and empower African-American leaders -- including clergy, elected officials and medical practitioners -- to meet the challenge of fighting HIV/AIDS and other health disparities in their respective communities.
"My goal is to reach the 13-25-year-olds," Thomas said. "There is a lack of education in that age range -- a catalyst for conversation."
Thomas said he also wants to present a summit some time this fall where a variety of issues th timpact the community can be brought to the table.
As for the future of his music?
"It has really become my heart's desire to bring people back to loving each other ... We have lost that component," Thomas said, explaining that he wants to continue using his music as a format for attaining that goal.
Thomas, who is focusing some of his energy on his sophomore album which he expects drop later this year, will also concentrate on hosting his radio show, "Love Ludes."
In conclusion, he said there's one something he wants all his fans to consider: "No matter what your dreams are, go after them. Don't second guess yourself," he said. "And, remember, God loves you."
Aretha Franklin. /Courtesy photoDETROIT (AP) — A longtime songwriting partner of Aretha Franklin has sued her publishing company, claiming it did not sign a royalty agreement for a song on her recently released album.
The suit filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit by Norman D. West also accuses Springtime Publishing Inc., of copyright infringement over an earlier song and seeks unspecified damages to ensure future royalties.
West said no royalty agreement was signed for "Put It Back Together Again." That song and "New Day," which West said he co-wrote, appear on "Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love." The CD was released this spring — her first studio album in about eight years.
West, 45, and Franklin have worked together on songs for more than 20 years. His lawsuit asks a judge to order Springtime Publishing to sign the royalty agreement.
Can being in prison add years to a Black man's life? Yes and no, says a study.
Public health researchers from Vanderbilt University studied death patterns among prisoners and found that Black men in prison die at much lower rates than Black men who are not in prison.
In the American Journal of Epidemiology, the authors wrote:
"Based on the relatively poor health of incarcerated populations and the high mortality rates seen after release, one might predict that inmates would also suffer from high mortality while incarcerated. A recent Bureau of Justice Statistics report, however, showed that while incarcerated, inmates aged 15–64 years experience 19 percent lower mortality than comparably aged controls in the general population; among Blacks, mortality for prisoners is 43 percent lower than age-adjusted mortality for the general Black population."
Adams Morgan held it's annual Festival Day in Northwest Washington DC, Sunday, September, 11, 2011.Contemporary African Artist Hussein Saidi shares information with customer Revalyn Gold about his paintings. Images from the festival below.
Dr. Karen Davis-Foulks (Dr. Karen), PMD, DL, NES Health Practitioner, non-secular science of medicine uses Energy and Information Health Protocols to assist clients with their health conditions. Dr. Karen uses the "Self-Care/Self Responsibility" model for educating clients on how to use the power of consciousness, informational medicine, complementary and alternative holistic health tools and modilities.
Dr. Karen is not a conventional "medical doctor." She is not concerned about your medical doctor's named diagnosis. It takes Life Force Energy to run and maintain the body's (Physical body, Energy Body and Spiritual Body) homeostasis. Every healthcare system has a theory of promotion.
Dr. Karen derives her theory from Chinese Medicine, Quantum Biology, Physics, Spiritual Health, Western, Science of Lymphology and Cellular Ecology. She teaches that you are an energetic light being, your body is glowing, and light controls your cell functions. She asks the question: "do you know where your body's light comes from." She further teaches that when you are told that you have a disease, you do not have a disease and that you could not have a disease because most all illness occurs when biophoton emissions are out of sync?
Biophotons are the smallest physical units of light stored in, and used by, all biological organisms – including your body. The purpose of these biophotons is much more important than many realize. As it turns out, they may very well be in control of virtually every biochemical reaction that occurs in your body – including supporting your body's ability to heal.
Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp, who proved the existence of the biophoton field in 1974, believes that these types of "biophoton emissions" are responsible for transferring information throughout your entire body. Dr. Popp was the first to suggest that this light must come, at least in part, from the foods we eat. When we eat plant foods, the light waves, or photons, in the plants are taken in and stored by your body.
Dr. Popp also proved that light in your body is stored by, and emitted from, your DNA. The DNA inside each cell vibrates at a frequency of several billion hertz (which unfortunately is the same range for modern cell phone communication systems).
The molecules send out specific frequencies of electromagnetic waves which, not only enable them to 'see' and 'hear' each other, as both photon and phonon modes exist for electromagnetic waves, but also influence each other at a distance and become ineluctably drawn to each other if vibrating out of phase (in a complementary way).
Written by By Dr. Khadija AbdulMalik, CL,PMD,Special to The Informer
Mother Ebonne Davis has her face painted at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art’s Annual Community Day, Sat., Sept. 10 in Northwest. Her twins Elijah and Isaiah, 6, show the results of their paint jobs. / Photo by Victor HoltOn Saturday morning, people were greeted by an unfamiliar sight on high. It was a brilliant and warming bright golden orb that ascended that morning—better known as the sun. After three straight weekends of soggy, house-binding weather, families and individuals were finally able to get out and get active, and the National Museum of African Art's annual Community Day gave visitors plenty to get involved in.
This year's community day was titled "The Power of the Word," and featured Diallo Bumbry of Adinkra Arts and poet/singer Dehejia Maat as emcees, as they introduced West African traditional dance by Baltimore-based troupe Nazu, spoken word and acoustic guitar works by Queen Earth and Omekongo, an internationally renowned spoken word artist whose works address events and issues in Africa, especially in his native Congo. But those artists were just the openers for a day of fun, education and art that filled all the floors of the museum.
The Hubbards represented one of the most resilient images of Black family in media. Model Yaya DaCosta (left) and Cornelius Smith Jr. (right) round out the family as the Hubbard children, Cassandra and Franklin. / Courtesy photoThe wildly popular television soap opera "All My Children," is set to air its series finale on American Broadcasting Company (ABC) on Sept. 23. And while many fans of the long-running drama may not take too evenly to its replacement – the "food-oriented" talk show, "The Chew", they may not have to abandon the show altogether.
In one of the industry's most innovative moves, the Los Angeles-based production company Prospect Park has agreed to take the show virtual. Prospect Park, led by Royal Pains executive producers Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinetz, licensed the soaps from ABC and plans to re-launch them online in the first quarter of 2012, has also reportedly shopped both "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" (also cancelled and expected to run its final episode in January 2012) to several major cable networks.
Some actors on "Children" have been offered contracts which mimic their ABC ones, including Walt Willey, who portrays the character Jackson Montgomery.
"I'm very excited about it though. These folks [at Prospect Park] are innovators and I think they are very smart. I think that getting this up and running by fall was a little on the undoable side, but now it seems that both AMC and One Life will be starting up on the Internet at the same time in January 2012," said Willey.
On Saturday morning, people were greeted by an unfamiliar sight on high. It was a brilliant and warming bright golden orb that ascended that morning—better known as the sun. After three straight weekends of soggy, house-binding weather, families and individuals were finally able to get out and get active, and the National Museum of African Art's annual Community Day gave visitors plenty to get involved in.
This year's community day was titled "The Power of the Word," and featured Diallo Bumbry of Adinkra Arts and poet/singer Dehejia Maat as emcees, as they introduced West African traditional dance by Baltimore-based troupe Nazu, spoken word and acoustic guitar works by Queen Earth and Omekongo, an internationally renowned spoken word artist whose works address events and issues in Africa, especially in his native Congo. But those artists were just the openers for a day of fun, education and art that filled all the floors of the museum.
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