The Caribbean islands of Turks and Caicos are being hammered by Hurricane Ike, the fourth major storm to sweep the region in the past three weeks.

AP quotes the islands' prime minister as saying that 80% of homes on the main Grand Turk island have been damaged.

 

Ike, measuring a ferocious Category Four, barrelled over the archipelago with winds of up to 135mph (215km/h). Forecasters say it could dump up to 12 inches (30cm) of rain as it powers towards Cuba and the Bahamas. Ike will pass just north of Haiti, which is still reeling from earlier storms, which left at least 600 dead.

While it will escape Ike's monstrous winds, Haiti's north-west coast is bracing for a fresh deluge, threatening the already battered country with worse devastation.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of "life-threatening flash floods and mudslides over mountainous terrain".

The UN children's charity Unicef says some 650,000 Haitians have been affected by flooding caused by Tropical Storm Hanna last week, while more bad weather will further hamper the aid effort there.

At 0900 GMT, the centre of Hurricane Ike was about 65 miles east of Great Inagua Island in the south-eastern Bahamas, according to the NHC.

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By Ashwon Martin

Well, Gustav came through and went; he made landfall on Monday, Labor Day in Mobile, AL. which is where I live. Next he was headed off to New Orleans. Mobile received some flooding in our downtown area and along the coast. So to say the least,  Labor Day in Mobile was drenched and quiet. We Mobilians tend to be resilient, when it comes to hurricanes.

 

In Mobile, we headed the warning and therefore causalities were minimal at best. So, I spent my Labor Day sleeping and watching tv. Usually on Labor Day our stores are closed and people spend it with their perspective families. But all in all we made it through. There's still another one out there, Hanna which is hitting the coastal Atlantic seaboard and IKE which is somewhere in the Atlantic, not sure where he will hit just yet, but of course the Caribbean should be watchful.

Well until next time!

A gay schoolteacher is falsely accused of child molestation by his best friend's 14-year-old son and ends up spending a year in prison before the truth is revealed. Ten years later, the now-grown accuser seeks out the accused to ask for forgiveness.

 

Portrait By: Matt Shallenberger

"Armstrong's Kid," the explosive new stage play written by and starring three-time NAACP Theatre Award-winning playwright, novelist, filmmaker, and actor Stanley Bennett Clay, and produced by Tory Scroggins, opens Friday, October 3, 2008, at Theatre Unlimited, 10943 Camarillo St., off Lankershim and Vineland, in North Hollywood, California. Clay, best known for his controversial stage play "Ritual" ( he also wrote and directed the film adaptation), is the author of three novels, "Diva," "In Search of Pretty Young Black Men," and "Looker." He will soon be represented on the Broadway stage with his book and lyrics for "Invisible Life," based on the best-selling novel by E. Lynn Harris. Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote the musical score and additional lyrics.

As the falsely accused in "Armstrong's Kid," Stanley Bennett Clay is making his first official dramatic stage appearance since winning the NAACP Best Actor Image Award 22 years ago. During the late 1960's through the late 1990's Clay starred and guest-starred in over 200 films, television shows, commercials, and stage plays including "Room 222," "Good Times," "The Blue Knight," "The Bill Cosby Show," "Cheers," "Cannonball," the critically-acclaimed CBS dramatic special "Minstrel Man" and gave award-winning stage performances in "Zooman and the Sign," "A Hat Full of Rain," and "Anna Lucasta." Producer Tory Scroggins, who has had leading roles in such Los Angeles stage productions as "Blues For Mister Charlie," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," "Before It Hits Home," and "One Flew West," will play the title role in "Armstrong's Kid." "Armstrong's Kid" will perform Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 7 pm thru November 9. All shows are $25. Tickets are available online at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone call 213.480.3232. The first two shows, Friday October 3 and Saturday October 4, are sold out. For further information call 323.737.2612 or go online at armstrongskid@gmail.com.

Equality Forum, a national and international gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) civil rights organization, reported that 471 (94.2%) of the 2008 FORTUNE 500 companies voluntarily include sexual orientation in their employment nondiscrimination policies. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Equality Forum's FORTUNE 500 project, which is a collaboration with Professor Louis Thomas, Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Ian Ayres, William K. Townsend Professor, Yale Law School.

 

"The FORTUNE 500 have overwhelmingly decided that including sexual orientation is in the best corporate interest and helps communicate corporate values to the estimated $660 billion annual domestic GLBT consumer market," stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum.

According to Gallup's May 2008 Values and Beliefs Poll, 89% of U.S. citizens believe gays and lesbians should have equal rights in job opportunities. There is currently no federal workplace protection based on sexual orientation. Twenty states include sexual orientation nondiscrimination in their workplace statutes.

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Feature story from Pan-African Visions

Presidential elections in the United States of America have always generated global excitement for obvious reasons. The USA is the lone super power in the world and wields tremendous influence on the orientation and pace of global policies. The excitement this year is like nothing ever witnessed before in history. The world seems to have fallen under the spell of one man: Senator Barack Obama who is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party ahead of the November 2008 presidential elections.

 

Born of a Kenyan father and an American mother, Senator Obama has worked his way up to the summit of American politics. His dashing good looks, solid academic credentials, courage, vision, sense of humour, outstanding oratory skills in transmitting his message of change and hope earned him a place in history as the first black to win the presidential nomination ticket of a major political party in the USA .He is firmly on course to further create history by emerging as the first black President of the United States of America.

His rallies have attracted record crowds in the USA. There could be no better to show what a global phenomenon he has become than his recent two week trip to the Middle East in Europe. King Abdullah of Jordan personally drove him to the airport, in Kuwait he aimed and scored a perfect three pointer in a basketball court before addressing American troops stationed there. In Iraq he met with Prime Minister Maliki, in Israel he met with Prime Minister Ehud Omert and other top political leaders, he met with Palistinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Afghanistan. In Germany he met with Prime Minister Mikael and addressed a record crowd.

Senator Obama has not hidden the fact that his father grew up tethering goats in Kenya to borrow the words he used in Germany. As aforementioned, Presidential elections in the USA are always of great interest to the rest of the world. Without thinking much about the eventual out come, there is definitely a whole lot that Africa can learn from the political exploits and message of Senator Obama.

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San Francisco, CA –  The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society announced today that author Armistead Maupin and two groups of activists who coordinated the fight against the 1978 Briggs Initiative will receive the 2008 Walker Award at its annual Gala event on October 9.

 

Maupin and representatives from the Bay Area Coalition Against the Briggs Initiative (BACABI) and The No on 6 Committee will be presented the Walker Award on October 9 at the GLBT Historical Society’s annual Gala event. This year’s event theme is “Modern History: From Milk to Marriage" and the event program will celebrate 30 Years of GLBT History from 1978-2008.

Named after Willie Walker, a co-founder of the GLBT Historical Society who passed away in 2004, the Walker Award honors individuals who have made a significant contribution to the civic, cultural and political life of the GLBT community. Past awardees have included Billie Jean King, the first woman named Sports Illustrated “Sportsperson of the Year”; Esera Tuaolo, the NFL all-star who played in the Super Bowl; and Phyllis Lyon and the late Del Martin, founders of the Daughter of Bilitis. In 2007, the organization presented the award to Dr. Margarethe (Grethe) Cammermeyer, PdD, RN, Colonel, USA. for her leadership in the fight against the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

In 1976, Maupin’s “Tales of the City” serial in the San Francisco Chronicle was the first gay-themed fiction to ever appear in an American daily newspaper. The publication of "Tales of the City" in book form in 1978 marked a cultural turning point that many believe helped to launch the past 30 years of political and social progress for the GLBT community.

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The days of organizations viewing gay workplace discrimination ratings as an invasion of privacy are over. Companies these days are more likely to think of a high mark as an honor and make some noise. Proof of that fact can be found in their press releases.

This week the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay rights organization, published its 2009 corporate gay discrimination report, titled Corporate Equality Index. The scorecard of sorts rates companies on several gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender workplace policies and assigns each a rating from 0- to100- percent. This year, corporations achieving a perfect score soared by 30%. A record 259 (44%) of companies received a score of 100%.

“The 2009 Corporate Equality Index shows that corporate America understands that a diverse workforce is critical to remaining successful and competitive,” said HRC Foundation President Joe Solmonese in a statement. “In the absence of a federal law that prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, it is up to employers to take the lead and implement policies that ensure all their employees are protected.”

Companies are achieving higher scores because the index is clearly no longer dismissed as just gay activism. In fact, most now view the index as an achievement. Those with perfect scores, crow a bit in a press release.

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An exciting new comedy has opened produced by our intrepid brotherin Nathan 7 Scott and Dwight Allen O'Neal. It is their first entre into the theatre world. If you are looking for a great comedy that really makes you die laughing, then you have found the right play.

The show runs Sept 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, and 14...

SYNOPSIS
Set in Radio's Golden Age of the 40's, the cast of ABN's nighttime broadcast seems to have its own problems: when a death occurs in the station, it's all they can do to finish the evening's program. It's only sheer coincidence tonight's broadcast is a mystery thriller....or is it?

The play was written by Evan Storey and Laura Dickinson (additional material written by: Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, Bob Carroll Jr, and Charlotte M. Russell)

It is directed by Evan Storey and Laura Dickinson

To Buy Tickets in Person
Theatre Row
410 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
Open Daily 12-8pm

Directions to the Show by Subway/Bus
Take the A/C/E to 42nd Street or the N/Q/R or 1/9 to Times Square.

Washington has been chosen as the host city for the 2009 Gay Soccer World Championship, local media said on Friday.

"On behalf of the residents of the District of Columbia, we look forward to hosting this prestigious event," said Washington D.C. mayor, Adrian Fenty.

The International Gay Lesbian Football Association tournament is scheduled to take place June 14-21 next year. The city held the first ever Gay Soccer tournament in 1997.

"In addition to promoting good sportsmanship, it affirms our city's reputation as being inclusive and tolerant. We look forward to welcoming the world to our nation's capital," Fenty said.

This year, the Gay Soccer World Championship was hosted in London, with 40 teams representing 13 countries. The English side Stonewall Lions beat Argentinean side SAF Gay 5-0 in the men's final.

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The Spike Lee film revolves around four African American Buffalo Soldiers trapped behind enemy lines.

By Susan King

ACTOR Derek Luke complains with ultra-mock seriousness that making Spike Lee's World War II drama, "Miracle at St. Anna," set for release Sept. 26, was like being in the real military.

"You never get a chance to go back to your trailer," says Luke, who knows he'll come up dry in this fishing trip for sympathy. Luke, who plays the key role of 2nd Staff Sgt. Aubrey Stamps in the movie, has nothing but admiration when he talks about Lee. "He shoots three or four or five cameras at the same time. He makes sure he gets every actor's reaction."

Luke says of director Spike Lee, "He allows you to improv if, in fact, it fits. If it doesn't fit, you'll hear it quickly." Photo: Ken Hively

"Miracle at St. Anna," adapted by James McBride from his novel, revolves around four African American Buffalo Soldiers of the all-black 92nd Infantry Division who find themselves trapped behind enemy lines in a small Tuscan village after one of the men risks his life to save a young Italian boy.

Though he worked long days and weeks in Italy on the film, Luke ("Antwone Fisher") says it was a huge honor to be directed by Lee, especially since he got his big break as an actor in "Fisher," which was directed by Denzel Washington, thereby linking him to Lee in a six-degrees-of-separation sort of way. "Denzel has made more movies with Spike than anybody he's worked with. Denzel and Spike are like Bonnie and Clyde."

Lee, he says, "seems like a guy who likes rehearsal. But once you get the rhythm for the rehearsal and a rhythm for the word, then he allows you to improv if, in fact, it fits. If it doesn't fit, you'll hear it quickly."

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Feature story from MOC Magazine

New York and Jamaican raised  action writer and essayist THOMAS GLAVE has earned the reputation as one of the most innovative, gifted and important writers to emerge on the literary scene today. Winner of several awards, Glave is the author of the acclaimed books Whose Song? and Other Stories, Words To Our Now: Imagination and Dissent, and editor of the forthcoming anthology Our Caribbean: A Gathering of Lesbian and Gay Writing from the Antilles. Glave is a founding member of the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals, and Gays (JFLAG). He teaches at the State University of New York, Binghamton.

 

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By Rudy Reed

The rehashing of friendships.

 

During one of my last getaways to New York, I visited a close friend at her place of business. She was my dawg, my ace, my right hand... We began doing the usual ritual- complimenting each other on the way we look, asking how long has it been, hows so- and-so doing, laughing at what devious things we had done in the past, and whats going on with us now?       My dear friend Cori then asked me a question that was pretty straight and to the point, but it left me feeling a bit peculiar... "Rudy how is it that you keep in touch with the most random people?"  These were supposed to be people that you sat next to at a bar or party only because your feet were hurting, or you were a little tipsy and needed to take a break from standing, and probably because it was the only spot available.      Just recently I have yet again reconnected with someone from my past. A person that may have my closest friends shocked to know I had any ties with him what-so-ever.  I haven't seen my BFTP (Blast from The Past) in ten years.  I was overcome with fond memories like they had happened just yesterday.  I had the most amazing times with my dear friend and then in a puff, he was gone, and soon so was I.  We had both moved onto different ventures crossing each others path and not even knowing it. Naturally I don't think I am the only one who has experienced this, but still the entire situation baffles me.  I find it quite comical all at the same time. "Do friends always have a tendency of bouncing in and out of our lives?"  After years apart and different variations of growth, can we still call these"reconnections" our friends?"

Race, passion, and civil rights are at the heart of this acclaimed, deeply personal story by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Tony Kushner who was partially raised by a black housekeeper around the busy schedule of his parents, both professional musicians. The play is inspired by a childhood incident, and is set in Mr. Kushner’s hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

 

Caroline, or Change begins in the final months of 1963, a painful turbulent year as witnessed by the assassination of President Kennedy, the Birmingham church bombing, Martin Luther King’s March on Washington, and the Viet Nam War.

Dobama & Karamu Performing Arts Center, Karamu House Present The Ohio Premiere of Caroline, or Change Book & Lyrics by Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright Tony Kushner Music by Jeanine Tesori September 17- October 12, 2008 Jelliffe Theatre at Karamu House Performing Arts Theatre 2355 E. 89th Street Cleveland, OH Directed by Sarah May, Musical Director Ed Ridley

Caroline Thibodeaux, a 39-year-old African American divorcee with four children barely survives as a $30 a week domestic for the Gellman family. Their 8-year-old son, Noah Gelman, who has recently suffered the loss of his mother and the arrival of a stepmother, idolizes her. Noah spends considerable time in Caroline’s basement domain equating Caroline’s importance and strength with that of the president of the United States. Although this tentative and touching relationship is shattered over loose change, Caroline, or Change is imbued with the confidence that change is possible; people are capable of working toward reconciliation and mutual respect.

Caroline, or Change is a remarkable piece of theatre in its coalescence of human struggle, passionate exploration of today’s critical issues and an exhilarating mixture of classical, R & B, Motown, Klezmer, and Negro spiritual music.

Producing a landmark Kushner play with our friends at Karamu Theatre brings together two of my fondest memories during my years at Dobama Theatre. During the 1990’s Karamu and Dobama shared a rich collaborative history bringing Cleveland audiences blazing productions of The Grapes of Wrath; My Children, My Africa; Distant Fires; Playland; and Fires in the Mirror. We staged the first “forced theatrical busing” when, during the intermission of 4 performances of My Children, My Africa, we bused audience members, via double decker buses, to the other theatre for Act II. (Joyce Casey, Artistic Director, Dobama Theatre)

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Columnist from MOC

According to Keith Boykin, for many black gay men, discovering their sexuality is like “finding one more river to cross in the journey toward freedom.” We know that river well. Battling an era fear and silence and shame, who hasn’t felt bombarded with the doom and gloom articles of the 90’s? H.I.V and homophobia, sexual stereotyping and misrepresentation. In times when you can be killed for holding your partners hand, it’s hard not to question what’s good about being black and gay?

 

 

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By Entertainment Correspondent, John Frazier

The Lifetime Achievement BMI award was given to the Jackson Family on Thursday, September 4th at the Wilshire Theatre. Sister, Janet presented her musical brothers the award after a musical tribute. Yet there were two Jackson's missing at the ceremony. Yes, Jermaine and Michael.

 

There's no doubt that the Jackson Five and Family well deserved this high honor.

When Marlon was asked, "Where's Michael?" He answered, "I don't know, I think he's in Egypt riding a camel or something." Ouch!

The truth is said that Gladys Knight discovered the brothers but it was Motown who rewrote the history by having Diana Ross introduce them to the world. It was thought that Diana was a much bigger star than Gladys. Once Motown released, I Want You Back", it was hit after hit to a multi-platinum career, where the family is now legend. Michael moved on to become the biggest star of the family, followed by little sister Janet, who has said that if he decides to headline Vegas, she would happily open for him.

The other Jackson's have not had the kind of success as the Jackson Five, Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. When the Jackson Five left Motown, Jermaine, who at this time had married Berry Gordy's daughter, Hazel, decided to stay with Motown, Randy was his replaced. In leaving Motown, the brothers could not take the name, so it become the Jackson's instead of the Jackson Five.

At the ceremony, Janet said that she is extremely proud of her brothers and felt honored to be the one to give them this huge award.

For those of you who don't know, BMI means, Broadcast Music Inc. - it's a organization that collects license fees on behalf of its songwriters, composers and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed.

You read it at GBMNews.com

By Entertainment Correspondent, John Frazier

When I received this e-mail, I couldn't wait to see whatever there was to see. Up to this point the only thing that I knew about Soulja Boy was the unique dance movements that he and his gang did on one of the award shows on BET. I didn't have an opinion and had not heard any negative comments in regard to homosexuality, to be said by him. To tell you the truth, some of this dancers could be gay, but it wasn't anything that I thought about, mainly because I found the "Soulja Boy" product quite entertaining no matter the lifestyle.

 

DeAndre Cortez Way, now the Grammy-nominated, Soulja Boy, age 18, who's known for his smash "Crank That", it appears may have been "cranking this and that". Maybe living the best of both worlds. It's believed that he has a girlfriend. But what does that mean in a world that's full of secrets and lies. The sex photos look like him and it looks like he posed for the X Rated photos. Will this destroy his budding career? If he is gay, is it fair for the young rapper to be made to come out of the closet due to the released of some porn homosexual sex photos? Did he bring this on himself by allowing such a film to be made?

There's a photo of Soulja Boy wrapped in a white towel around his waist, which doesn't confirm a sexuality. However, the other photo shows (which appears to be) Soulja leaning back on a flat surface, looking into the camera with a smile on his face as he's being serviced orally by another male. Again, I ask, will this destroy his budding career? Will he just take the money and run? Will he become our first Grammy nominated gay rapper? It's said that the tattoos on Soulja's body confirm that he is, indeed, the person on this sex video and photos. It's said that there's a complete video tape. The world of Hip Hop and Rap have not greeted the gay lifestyle and its gay fans warmly, so it will be interesting to watch the outcome of the Soulja Boy story. You read it here at GBMNews.com

By Entertainment Correspondent, John Frazier

My heart aches for Donnie C., as his mother, Denise Powell Passes, passed away from cancer at the age of 45. I totally understand because my mother was called home to live with God at the age of 35. Ms. Passes battled cancer and finally God said, "My child its time to come home." When death calls, no age is welcomed or perfect, as your parents, you want your mother, your father, in your lifetime to live forever, here on earth, for as long as you are here on this earth.

 

The service for his mother is next Thursday at the Church of God and Christ. The address is: 545 Chapel Hill Road in Spring Lake, NC. As we have heard said, no one knows the day or the hour when death comes. Please keep Donnie and his family in your prayers.

Donnie, your mother will forever be with you. She will be another angel looking out for you, there to protect you. She's living in glory. She's living with God. Amen.

We at GBMNews.com will continue to keep you in our prayers as you go through a difficult and painful time. Continue to pray, God will send you comfort and strength.

You read it here at GBMNews.com

You may contact Donnie C. at
http://www.donniecsoul.com
http://www.myspace.com/donniecsoul

By Entertainment Correspondent, John Frazier

I am, we are, at an exciting time in political history. We may have our first black, American President in the White house. As a credit to all people of color, we may have our first person of color in the White House who's Commander in Chief. I feel that during this time, a lot of us are researching our family history, our roots, and discovering that we are or are not as Afro American, or Latin or whatever as we were led to believe, however, according to White America a person of color is still Black. 

Hopefully we will finally realize that there's power in numbers, there's strength in numbers and hopefully we will finally learn to love and embrace all of who we are. Someone said to me that Senator Obama is more African American than a lot of us, his father is from African and his mother is American White. You know there's some truth to that.

African American director and actor, Spike Lee, has always been true to himself, like him, love him or hate him, he's still Spike all of the time. I read an article where Mr. Lee believes that because of this moment in time, in history, our presidential hopefully Mr. Barack Obama will change the black, African American, sound of music.

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By Entertainment Correspondent, John Frazier

Again we have another entertainer being pushed out of the closet only after death. The beautiful Ms. Dusty Springfield, who's hit recordings: "The Look of Love", I Only Want To Be With You" ,"You Don't Have To Say You Love Me", Dionne Warwick's, "Wishin' and Hopin", and "The Son of a Preacher Man (later covered by Aretha Franklin), brought the blue-eyed soul singer to world fame.


 

The tell all book states that the music diva, kept her being a lesbian out of the public eye by claiming that men were too "daunted" by her success to wed. The book titled, "Dusty! Queen of the Postmarks", is said to be released in November 2008.
The book further quotes Dusty as saying, "You have to concentrate on marriage and I'm a Catholic and can't get divorced. I'm self-centered." Later in life, before her passing in 1999, people who knew her claim that she loosened up by saying, "Am I gay?", "If you want to know the truth, ask the people that I've gone to bed with." I can recall that she and Vicki Wickham (I believe the last name is), who was the manager for the group, LaBelle, were said to have been lovers. Now is this true, I don't know but I'm sure it will be discussed in the book.
For today's youth who may not know the sound of Ms. Springfield should purchase her greatest hits. Her vocals on classics, "The Look of Love", "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and other ballads were breathy, sexual and smoky.

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By Entertainment Correspondent, John Frazier

Some of you may recall that a few weeks ago I wrote an article on how this beautiful, gifted brother views himself as "Narcissist."

Due to his career many things have come his way, and of the many he has been offered and has signed a two record deal with Columbia Records. The first project titled, "Shine Through It" was released on September 2nd.

 

Well Mr. Terrence Howard, the singer, sang his first release called, "Love Makes You Beautiful" on the David Letterman show. Mr. Howard played the guitar, the musicians were great, the girl background singer looks and sounds pretty in a strange haunting way. The lyrics are satisfactory in a 1960's kind of way. However, vocals on the Oscar nominated, "without me there's no world, there's no universe" are poor. He's not a singers singer, not even in a folk kind of way. Perhaps having starred in the "Hustle and Flow", movie as a rapper made Terrence think that he could finally become a singer in real life. Yes, the "Pimp" song won an Oscar, which I'm still shaking my head in disbelief. Also on the "Letterman" show he and his band were dressed to impress in designer elegant after seven outfits which was so opposite of the song performed. When I think of folk music, dyed hippie T-shirts and wore torn dirty jeans come to mind. Many people don't realize what it takes in marketing an artist, starting from vocals, the look of the artist, to hair styles, background vocals, singers, the band and the music selection, as the singer becomes a product.

This isn't the first time that an actor has been led to believe that he or she could sing and become a recording star. Other actors who have tried to also have a music career are actors:, Robert Downey Jr., Leon, Jasmine Guy, Eddie Murphy, Tatyana Ali, Katey Sagal, Cree Summer and Queen Latifah, to name a few.

Perhaps for brother Howard, this was his first time singing in front of a television audience. Maybe when he appears on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show", he will select a different song or dress differently, or maybe go back into the studio and remix it to some house beats. Otherwise this CD will find its way to the $4.99 bin and the second CD contract will be cancelled. Oh and by the way, Terrance stalked his ex-wife and is said to have written about this experience on his CD. Now that's something to think about. I would hate to think that there's a little Ike Turner in him.

Go to YouTube and check out his performance at J&R Music in NYC. Perhaps the message and the music are heavenly but not the vocals. You will hear the ladies screaming (and some of the men). Perhaps to stop singing?

For all of Terrence Howard fans out there, I'm not hating on the brother, I'm just keeping it, as the kids say, real.

You read it here at GBMNews.com

Eight people have died after Hurricane Gustav arrived in the US, but New Orleans has escaped a repeat of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina three years ago.

By Tom Leonard

The hurricane was downgraded to a Category 1 storm and passed west of the city as high winds and heavy rain hit the coast of Louisiana.

Three people were killed by falling trees in the state and four more died in Georgia when their car struck a tree as they attempted to flee the storm.

However New Orleans itself only received minor damage and the storm failed to live up to initial fears that Gustav had found the same weaknesses in the city's defences as Katrina.

Ray Nagin, mayor of New Orleans, said it was too early for residents to return to the city, which remains largely without power, but said their homecoming was "only days away, not weeks".

Mr Nagin, who had previously warned Gustav was the "mother of all storms" praised the city's defences.

"I was hoping that this would happen, that we would be able to stand before America, before everyone, and say that we had some success with the levee system," he said.

"I would not do a thing differently. I'd probably call Gustav, instead of the mother of all storms, maybe the mother-in-law or the ugly sister of all storms."

As the storm passed, New Orleans was left battered, but intact.

Waves from the hurricane pushed large amounts of water over the steel floodwall of the city's industrial canal to the east of the city, causing knee-deep flooding in streets of warehouses in the adjoining Upper 9th Ward.

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By Adam Nossiter and Shaila Dewan

NEW ORLEANS — City officials ordered everyone to leave New Orleans beginning Sunday morning — the first mandatory evacuation since Hurricane Katrina flooded the city three years ago — as Hurricane Gustav grew into what the city’s mayor on Saturday called “the storm of the century” and moved toward the Louisiana coast.

 

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, center, and other city officials hold a news conference at City Hall in New Orleans, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2008. Nagin briefed media on preparations for the possible arrival of Hurricane Gustav, which became a Category 4 storm as it crossed over Cuba. Photo Bill Haber

 

Bus driver Barbara Word helped residents evacuate the Ninth Ward in New Orleans on Saturday. Photo: Michael Ainsworth

The mayor, C. Ray Nagin, said Hurricane Gustav was larger and more dangerous than Hurricane Katrina, and he pleaded with residents to get out or face flooding and life-threatening winds.

“This is the mother of all storms, and I’m not sure we’ve seen anything like it,” Mr. Nagin said at an evening news briefing. “This is the real deal. This is not a test. For everyone thinking they can ride this storm out, I have news for you: that will be one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your life.”

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Recently, MSNBC caught up with the lives of two young people made famous in the Hurricane Katrina tradgedy. Nine year old Charles Evans, seen below and wise beyond his years, became the spokesperson for the suffering prople of New Orleans when he pleaded for help for his people on national televison.

 

Katrina victim Charles Evans shares the stage at the 2005 Emmy Awards with "Everybody Hates Chris" star Tyler James Williams.

Only 36 Of This Year's 2,380 Delegates Are Black, Down From 167 Four Years Ago

by Marilyn Werber Serafini

As Republicans fret about how their response to Hurricane Gustav will be judged, nightmares of Hurricane Katrina come rushing back. And memories of how Katrina spotlighted black poverty could draw attention to the fact that the 2008 GOP National Convention is overwhelmingly white.

 

Convention organizers say they do not track the number of black delegates. Only 36 are black, according to David Bositis, a senior political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. That's a mere 1.5 percent of the 2,380 total delegates, and a sharp drop from 2004, when there were 167 black delegates, 6.7 percent of that year's total.

By contrast, 24.5 percent of the delegates at last week's Democratic convention were African-American, according to the Democratic National Committee. That translated to 1,087 black delegates. Four years ago, some 20 percent of Democratic delegates were black.

The percentage of African-American delegates at Republican conventions had been on the upswing -- growing from 2.6 percent in 1996, to 4.1 percent in 2000, to 6.7 percent in 2004.

At this year's GOP convention, 33 states plus the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands have fewer black delegates than four years ago. Just three states have more. Mississippi and Michigan have the highest proportion of black delegates -- about 10 percent each. They are followed by South Carolina.

Twenty-four states have no black delegates or alternates -- up from seven in 2004. Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele was the only African-American among the prominent speakers on the convention's pre-Gustav schedule.

A small number of African-American voters consider themselves Republican. "This low level of black attachment to the Republican Party is now almost five decades old," Bositis says.

From 1984 to 2004, young black voters were more likely to identify as Republican than their elders. That's no longer true.

"This represents a potentially troubling [fact] for the GOP because for the last 20 years the Republican Party's best prospect for improving their African-American support was through the younger cohort," Bositis notes. "Further, the 2008 presidential campaign is unlikely to improve Republican prospects since the contest is between a young, charismatic black Democratic nominee and a 72-year-old white Republican nominee."

According to the Republican convention's press office, 13 percent of this year's delegates identify themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority group. The office points out that that is more than double the 6.3 percent at the 1996 convention.

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By Edward Harris

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — The performers pounded on animal-skin drums, the singer howled praise for Barack Obama, and the audience of fist-bumping supporters of the U.S. presidential candidate joined in the chorus: "We can do it! Yes we can!"

The shindig, held by a group calling itself "Africans for Obama 08," drew hundreds of people from the Nigerian business elite. Each paid more than $2,000 to munch on grilled snails, sip from flutes of Veuve Cliquot and Moet & Chandon and join in a lively, if poorly executed, series of the "fist bumps" popularized by Obama and his wife, Michelle.

Interest in the U.S. presidential race is blooming around the world's poorest continent as Obama emerges as the Democratic candidate, stunning many here who never believed that a son of Africa had a real shot at leading the United States. Now, with roasted snails and Champagne, text messages and T-shirts, both political organizers and entrepreneurs are seeking to harness the growing enthusiasm for Obama's message of youthful change, which resonates on a continent where leaders often hang on as long as possible.

"In Africa, we just keep recycling the same old people, so change isn't welcome. Let people who are unique, who are young, who have ideas — let them come up," said Robinson Allen, a 40-year old banker at a recent gala in support of Obama. He said Obama's achievements show a triumph over discrimination. "It's an event that's enabling for all people."

The group says it plans to use the proceeds for advertisements in African media urging people to pray for Obama. The message, according to one organizer: "We can't vote for you, but we can pray for you." Similar efforts are under way in Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya, organizers said.

Another Nigerian group, "Blacks Unite for Obama 08," is running full-page ads in the country's mass dailies asking customers to send text messages costing about 75 cents in support of Obama, while registering to win a trip to the United States.

In Ghana, songs boosting Obama run on the radio. An artist called Blakk Rasta sings in pidgin English of his pride at Obama's quest: "Originally stepping out of Kenya, Africa/Adopted into the cold woodlands of America/Dem youthboy defied every order and turned a Senator."

And in Uganda, about 5,000 students at Makarere University have joined the Obama Solidarity Group, essentially a fan club for the candidate. Its leader, Patrick Rutalo, cited Obama's example in his own successful drive for student body president. "He inspires young leaders to go for highest offices," said Rutalo.

In fact, the Obama infatuation seems to have somewhat annoyed Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who told Ugandans to turn their attention in more self-fulfilling directions. "Obama, Obama, Obama. He is an American. Why are you looking at him and not yourself? Why don't you build your strength here?" Museveni said at a news conference.

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Editing by Nick Tattersall and Mary Gabriel

LAGOS, Aug 31  - Nigerian anti-graft police have seized some $630,000 raised at a gala dinner in support of Barack Obama's U.S. presidential campaign, authorities said on Sunday.

While the fund-raising was not illegal in Nigeria, it is illegal under U.S. law for foreign campaign groups to donate funds to political parties. Obama's campaign said it was in no way affiliated with "Africans for Obama" and would not accept funds from the group.

Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, chairwoman of the "Africans for Obama" campaign group and head of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, organised the fundraiser in Lagos on Aug. 11. A "platinum" ticket for a table of eight cost 2.5 million naira ($21,226).

The huge amount raised from the dinner sparked widespread public outrage in Africa's top oil producer, where the majority live on less than $2 a day, prompting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to launch an investigation.

"(The EFCC) has taken custody of the funds realised from the controversial Africa for Obama dinner/concert and will soon work out modalities on how to share the money among those who paid to participate in the event," the agency said in a statement.

It said it had seized 74 million naira ($629,834) raised at the dinner and cautioned Okereke-Onyiuke to "steer clear" of such activities in the future.

"The outcome of investigations however, revealed that the sale of tickets at the event does not constitute any known offence for her prosecution under the Nigerian law," it said.

Okereke-Onyiuke said in a full-page statement in Nigeria's The Guardian newspaper on Aug. 21 that the dinner had never been intended to raise funds or solicit donations for Obama, but to sensitise and mobilise Africans worldwide.

The idea of a man with an African father attaining the world's most powerful political office has fuelled "Obama-mania" across Africa over the past year and Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation, is no exception.

Buses and cars in the crowded streets of Lagos carry "Obama '08" bumper stickers, while militants in the oil-producing Niger Delta have even called on the U.S. Democratic presidential candidate to mediate in their conflict.

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Pat Buchanan: "It was a genuinely outstanding speech. It was magnificent. It is the finest — and I saw Cuomo's speech, I saw Kennedy in '80, I even saw Douglas MacArthur, I saw Martin Luther King — this is the greatest convention speech. … This came out of the heart of America and he went right at the heart of America."

 

Oprah Winfrey: "I cried my eyelashes off. I think it's the most powerful thing I have ever experienced. He's not an African-American candidate. He's a candidate for Americans."

Hillary Clinton: "His speech crystallized the clear choice between he and Sen. McCain."

David Gergen: "In many ways it was less a speech than a symphony. … It was a masterpiece."

House Majority Whip J