NEW PICS: BARACK OBAMA & FAMILY PHOTOSPREAD IN SEPTEMBER 2008 ISSUE OF ESSENCE MAGAZINE.

The Obamas are featured in the September 2008 issue of ESSENCE magazine. According to Essence.com, ESSENCE magazine became the only Black publications who was given a glimpse into the Obamas $1.65 million dollar spacious Hyde Park home on Chicago's Black Southside. In this collector's edition ESSENCE captures Michelle, Barack and their two adorable and darling daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha at home.

Below are a couple of excerpts from their in-depth article. I thoroughly enjoyed it. To read the entire article, where the Obamas discussed their life on the road, criticism of Michelle, and reaction to Barack's controversial comments about Black men, make a stop at your local newsstand to pick up this issue or subscribe to ESSENCE magazine today by clicking on the ESSENCE banner at the top of this page.

MICHELLE OBAMA ON BARACK AS A FATHER: "The thing that Barack does is that when he is there, he is a parent. He's not like a play dad. He's the guy who has read through all of the Harry Potter books with Malia. Barack is very good about understanding that the kids and their structure and stability are important. And he's somebody who, if there's discipline that needs to be handed down, he doesn't hesitate just because he hasn't seen them in a week."

BARACK OBAMA ON MICHELLE'S 'I'M EVERY WOMAN' STANCE: "Michelle has done a heroic job at managing the house, the family and still finding time to campaign and be out on the road. I'm always marveling at everything that she can do. 'I'm every woman,' he croons. "That's Michelle. It's like, Chaka Khan! Chaka Khan!"

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NEW PICS: KIM KARDASHIAN PEFORMS 'KEEP UP WITH THE KITTENS' WITH THE LAS VEGAS PUSSYCAT DOLLS IN VEGAS.

Kim Kardashian put her assets on display once again when she performed with the Las Vegas Pussycat Dolls at PURE Nightclub on Friday night. Her show, which was titled 'Keeping Up with the Kittens' featured the soft-core porn star sashaying onstage--and even inside a bathtub--wearing a bedazzled/sequined sailor's outfit with fishnet stockings and black leather thigh-high, high-heeled boots. And although Kim's boy toy a.k.a. New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush was tucked away in Louisiana preparing for the upcoming NFL football season, Kim took it upon herself to make sure her man didn't miss out on her performance. "I did iChat him and I had my costume on for his approval. I did my whole dance for him when I was practicing last night. He thought it was so cute. He said, 'Please videotape it so you can send it to me right after.'"

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PICS: BERNIE MAC'S FINAL FAREWELL DRAWS OUT THOUSANDS TO STAR-STUDDED PUBLIC MEMORIAL IN CHICAGO.

Bernie Mac's wife, Rhonda, is comforted in front of a large poster of Mac, which she embraced before the start of a memorial service for the comedian.

Thousands of fans of late comedian Bernie Mac streamed into a South Side memorial service Saturday to hear Hollywood and political celebrities remember a Chicagoan who made people laugh on both TV and the big screen. Mac's fellow Original Kings of Comedy brought the house down as they broke down in tears, unable to contain their grief. In the same sentence, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey and D.L. Hughley would flip a joke, causing the crowd to scream in laughter. "This dude is a very popular guy," Cedric said of Mac. "You know y'all were like `let me get four tickets to the funeral!' He's still the hottest ticket in town." Hughley recalled Mac's well-known taste in clothes. "Bernie would wear colors that crayon hadn't even invented," he said. Rev. Jesse Jackson told the audience "Bernie Mac is a serious funnyman" who loved his family and cared about the tomorrow's youth. Jackson recalled that Mac recently told students at Crane High School that they should "live above their circumstances" and not "self-destruct." "Between birth and death is a dash," Jackson said. "But between that dash between birth and death, he made a statement."

Oprah Winfrey, Sen. Barack Obama. Rep. Maxine Waters and the O'Jays sent their condolences. "Michelle and I were so deeply sad to hear about your loss. ... He ... (made) us laugh and laugh hard," read Obama's statement. Obama went on to write that Mac could say things others couldn't. "Bernie Mac will be sorely missed," he wrote. Actor Andy Garcia, who starred with Mac in "Ocean's 11," sent along remarks, saying "I'll see you upstairs." Don Cheadle, another actor from that film, was in attendance. The White Sox organization delivered a #1 jersey with Mac's name on it to his widow, Rhonda. Comic and actor Chris Rock also took the stage.

As part of the acknowledgments, they aired a tribute to both Mac and Hayes, playing snippets of some of Mac's famous comedy routines -- the profanity was bleeped out -- over some of Hayes' more famous compositions. Inside the church, rows of burgundy-colored soft cushion chairs were set up in front of the stage. On either side of the stage, two large projector screens flashed photos of Bernie Mac's life. The photos showed film stills from Mac's career, red carpet photos from events like the Golden Globes and private moments with friends and family members. The crowd inside cheered and clapped when new celebrities arrived. People took photos and hugged celebrities that they were able to call over.

Some people slept outside overnight to guarantee a place inside the 10,000-seat House of Hope at 752 E. 114th St. Doors opened at 10:30 a.m. for a memorial that began about a half-hour after its scheduled noon start.

CONTINUE READING ARTICLE BY CLICKING 'READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP!' AND VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM BERNIE'S MEMORIAL SERVICE.

CONTINUE READING ARTICLE BY CLICKING HERE.
SOURCE: CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

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MASTER P. TO LAUNCH HIS OWN NETWORK STATION, BETTER BLACK TV IN AN EFFORT TO BUMP B.E.T. OUT THE BOX.

Have you all given up on BET (I know I have...B.E.T. should stand for B.arely E.ntertaining T.elevision instead of B.lack E.ntertainment T.elevision) and its inability to provide us with up to par urban entertainment news and programming? If so, then there's both good news and bad news for all of us thanks to multi-media mogul P. Miller (formerly known as Master P.). The good news is P. Miller will give B.E.T. a run for their money when he launches his own network television station aptly titled Better Black Television (BBTV) next year. The name says it all because B.E.T.'s wackness has hit an all-time low lately. The last time I was able to actually sit down and pay attention to anything on B.E.T. was during their annual awards show back in June. So to say I'm beyond excited and proud of P. Miller for bringing something better (no pun intended) to the table is an understatement. But I digress....But let me find out this dude is 'bout it, 'bout it with his business!

According to Billboard, the rapper known for his 90s anthem Make Em Say Uhh will use the African American-targeted channel to provide a wide range of programming including headline news, sitcoms, cartoons, reality-based shows, plus many more with an additional aim at displaying “responsible hip-hop music and videos.” The bad news is there's a strong possibility that we may be burdened with having to watch a slew of No Limit straight-to-dvd movies as well. LOL! I'm just playing. Well, no, not really. Okay, maybe just a little bit...but not a whole lot...just a little, bitty, tiny bit. Anyhoo, the self-appointed BBTV chairman and CEO, P. Miller confidently feels that now is the best time to offer new programming and stiffer competition for what’s available on television. “I believe that there is a market in our community for a new diverse network that provides a new brand of superior programming that caters to all aspects of television,” he told Billboard. “From reality to original programming.”

Word to life, P. Miller gets my support 100%. How about yall?
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Despite becoming a significant competitor against popular networks like BET and MTV, P also mentioned he and his son, Lil’ Romeo, “will continue to do work with them and support their networks.” Production has already kicked in to full gear across the nation in California, New York, Louisiana and Florida. P is currently in the pursuit of buying local channel associates across the country.

Wasting no time, P (born Percy Miller) has already scouted and positioned a strong line-up of celebrities and political figures for the network’s advisory board like Oscar winner Denzel Washington, NAACP executive director Vicangelo Bullock, NBA player Derek Anderson, hip-hop originator DJ Kool Herc and many more.

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SHAQUILLE O'NEAL & WIFE SHAUNIE KISS AND MAKE UP; COUPLE TO NIX DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS.

It's good to know that there are still some couples who still believe in the institution of marriage. In an interview with the Associated Press, Shaquille O'Neal's wife, Shaunie revealed that her marriage to the NBA star in back on track and that the the couple plans to stop divorce proceedings soon. "Neither one of us could probably answer why we were getting one in the first place," Shaunie O'Neal said. "Things have been going so great, that someone actually had to remind us that 'Hey, you do remember those papers are still there.' Literally, it was days ago," Shaunie O'Neal said. "So, we've agreed that before we leave Florida in a few days we'll make sure that that's gone away."

Shaquille O'Neal filed for divorce in Miami-Dade Circuit Court in September 2007, after nearly five years of marriage. The couple has six children: four together, and each had one of their own before the Dec. 26, 2002, wedding. "The kids and I kind of learned about the divorce at the same time," Shaunie O'Neal said. "So that was hard. That was probably the worst part of the whole thing, was being able to deal with how hurt the whole kids were."

Shaquille O'Neal's divorce attorney, Ira Elegant, wasn't available to make a comment on this story.
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DMX 'S NEW GIG? GETTING ARRESTED EVERY WEEK.

Looks like DMX has made getting arrested a weekly routine. When my sister brought this story to my attention I honestly could not believe it. What's even worst is the fact that he was busted in front of a crowd of people outside a Wal-Mart SuperCenter in Miami, Florida on Thursday afternoon....which was all caught on tape. Miami-Dade PD arrested the rapper, real name Earl Simmons, on an outstanding warrant for skipping another court date in Arizona related to his pending animal-cruelty and drug-possession case. Although DMX's attorney public defender did appear on his client's behalf Tuesday afternoon to provide documentation that his client couldn't make it because he was hospitalized in Miami (he wouldn't say why, though), the judge opted to issue a bench warrant anyway and raised his bond to $25,000. The lawyer wouldn't comment on reports that DMX is in rehab, although he did say that the Cradle 2 the Grave star's camp is "working towards getting him some help, and we hope that will be taken seriously by all parties in this case."

Also asked why a man of DMX's presumed financial stature needs a public defender (the whole "if you can't afford a lawyer, one will be appointed for you" part of the Miranda Rights), Kozelka would only say: "He qualified for us, and he feels comfortable with me." At the time, Kozelka was still hoping that his client could avoid yet another smear on his rap sheet. Good luck with that.

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"We are in court again next week on other matters, and my hope is we can get the warrant resolved by then and get back on track," he said. "We have some things in the works to get the warrant taken care of. My hope is that we can resolve it without an arrest, but he's been arrested at the airport before, so they obviously have an eye out for him, so I'm not sure."

In addition to an Aug. 19 court date related to his aforementioned pit bulls and pot case, DMX is due in court Aug. 26 to answer to identify-theft charges for allegedly trying to get out of paying a Scottsdale, Ariz., hospital bill by posing as someone else.

He was also arrested twice in one week during a June trip to Miami, once for driving with an invalid license and a few days later for allegedly trying to buy a small amount of marijuana and cocaine from an undercover cop.

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HATEMONGER FRED PHELPS & HIS 'YES-SIR' GOONIES TO PUT THEIR LIFE AT RISK WHILE BOYCOTTING BERNIE MAC'S FUNERAL.

If the title of this blog post looks a little confusing, let me assure you that it's not. It was the only thing I could come up with to describe just what would happen if and/or when hate-monger Fred Phelps and his funky followers garnered up enough courage to do what they've set out to do; and what they intend on doing is boycotting, disrespecting and marring the memorial service of our beloved Bernie Mac. Apparently Phelps and his crew (a crew that consists of several Phelps family members) has a severe problem with folks in the entertainment industry who are 'enablers' of homosexuality. Where Bernie fits into the equation is beyond me; especially when you consider the fact that during his Original Kings of Comedy stand-up routine, Bernie blasted his 'milk & cookies' nephew for his sugary ways. Phelps flock first gain national media attention when they boycotted the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a gay white dude who was killed because he was a homosexual. After failing to receive enough media attention for that stunt, they began picketing funerals of US soldiers who died in Iraq....as well as any funeral of a celebrity who they believe are 'fag-enablers'. Only now, they opt to release press announcements in an effort to make the public aware of which celebrity's funeral they plan to picket. A few months ago, they arrived at a memorial service for actor Heath Ledger who portrayed the role of a gay man in the film Brokeback Mountain.

But rest assure in knowing that if any kind of unnecessary madness erupts at Bernie's memorial, what will happen next will mostly likely be--in the words of the Mac Man--a 'misunderstanding.' For the life of me I can not understand what would make anyone so freaking hateful that they'd go to the extreme of picketing a deceased person's funeral. Well, I hope Phelps' (with his creepy-looking self) health insurance is paid up. Now, I'm tired and frustrated at the thought of giving his piece so much or my posting time. Read his press release statement below.

Gotta thank the ladies over at LSA for pointing this out to me. I saw it there first.
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