Thursday Nite Fever

Who's Got They Balls Out?

2008-03-27T13:28:00.001-04:00

Making Me Moist

2008-03-24T14:30:00.000-04:00

The Twenty-Second Second Mark

2008-03-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

Back to the Players' Club!

2008-03-12T14:27:00.001-04:00

For Colored Girls and Whatnot

2008-03-10T15:58:00.002-04:00

For Colored Girls Revival, Starring Grammy Winner India.Arie, to Arrive on Broadway in Summer 2008

By Andrew Gans & Kenneth Jones

A revival of Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf � a 1977 Tony Award nominee for Best Play � will arrive at a Broadway theatre to be announced this summer.

According to a casting notice, previews of the Obie-winning drama will begin on or about July 15 with an opening on or about Aug. 2. Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter India.Arie will head the company; no other roles have been cast.

Shirley Jo Finney will direct the production, which will feature choreography by Tony winner Hinton Battle. Whoopi Goldberg and DreamTeam Entertainment Group (Victor Walker, Harold Wheeler and Ned Goldstein) are the executive producers of the upcoming Broadway run.

The 1974 Obie-winning and Tony Award-nommed for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf played The Public Theater and jumped to Broadway 1976-78, with playwright Shange playing one of seven women who "reveal themselves, their lives, loves, hardships, and ultimately their discovery of strength and love."

The production was nominated for a 1977 Best Play Tony Award, and actress Trazana Beverley won a Tony in the category of Best Actress in a Featured Role (Play). The original Broadway company also featured Laurie Carlos, Rise Collins, Aku Kadogo, Janet League, Paula Moss and Ntozake Shange.

India.Arie has won two Grammys: for "Best Urban/Alternative Performance" for "Little Things" and "Best R&B Album" for "Voyage to India." She has been nominated for 14 other Grammys.

She's a Vegetable

2008-03-10T12:08:00.000-04:00

New Hot Shit from Reh Dogg

2008-03-07T11:09:00.000-05:00

Simply smashing!

I Am Woman Enough

2008-03-06T12:42:00.000-05:00

And This Is Why We Will NEVER EVER NEVER Get Anywhere as a People

2008-03-05T14:52:00.000-05:00

I'm in Love with a Skrippa

2008-03-05T13:45:00.002-05:00

'American Idol' Doesn't Mention David Hernandez's Stripper Past, but Simon Mutters Off-Camera

David Hernandez's stripper past didn't come back to haunt him on Tuesday night's "American Idol."

Hernandez's three-year stint as a male stripper wasn't even mentioned during the live telecast, which featured the 24-year-old from Glendale, Ariz., performing a rendition of Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." However, acerbic judge Simon Cowell did mutter something about stripping, off camera, immediately after the song ended.

Randy Jackson called Hernandez's singing "pitchy" but said he had a "big ol' voice." Paula Abdul raved that Hernandez had some of the "best vocals." And Simon Cowell said it wasn't as good as last week, but Hernandez had secured himself a place in the finals.

On Thursday, 16 semifinalists will be narrowed down to the final 12 contestants.

Other than Cowell, no one alluded to Monday's news that Hernandez worked for three years in Phoenix at Dick's Cabaret. There, he would appear fully nude and perform lap dances for the club's "mostly male" clientele, club manager Gordy Bryan told The Associated Press on Monday.

It apparently wasn't Hernandez's "most embarrassing moment" either. (Contestants had to 'fess up about theirs during the show.) In a taped segment before his performance, Hernandez said his red-faced moment happened when he discovered he had "a pea-sized booger" in his nose following a photo shoot.

Fox and the producers have declined to comment about Hernandez.

In 2003, semifinalist Frenchie Davis was dismissed from "Idol" because of her appearance on an adult Web site, but Antonella Barba remained in the competition last year after racy photos of her surfaced on the Internet.

Third-place finisher Nikki McKibbin from the first "Idol" season briefly worked as stripper before the show, according to Joe Cannizzaro, president of McKibbin's record label, Chenoa Music. Like Hernandez, McKibbin wasn't dismissed from the show when her history as a stripper was publicly revealed -- nor was it disclosed on the show.

Dick's Cabaret manager Bryan told the AP he was aware that Hernandez was a vocalist, but that Hernandez never sang at the club. Bryan said he now believes Hernandez stopped working at the strip club on Sept. 30, 2007, because of his participation in "Idol."

On a video posted on AmericanIdol.com, Hernandez said he broke the lease on his apartment and lived out of his car before auditioning for "Idol." And, when asked in a Q&A posted on the site which talent would he would most like to have if he couldn't sing, Hernandez responded: "Dancing! I'm horrible at that."

The BEST News Ever!

2008-03-05T10:35:00.001-05:00

Mario Lopez Joins 'A Chorus Line' on April 15

John Breglio for Vienna Waits Productions announced today that "Extra TV' host and "Dancing with the Stars" finalist Mario Lopez will make his Broadway debut joining the cast of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical A Chorus Line beginning Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 W 45th St). Mr. Lopez will play Zach, the demanding director who is casting the chorus roles for a new Broadway musical, through Sunday, September 7, 2008.

"Mario is an enormously talented actor and dancer and we are thrilled to have him make his Broadway debut in A Chorus Line," said producer John Breglio. "His talents and charm will transfer beautifully to the Broadway stage."

""Every actor dreams about appearing on a Broadway stage. I have as well, and have been searching for the right time and opportunity," said Mario Lopez. "A Chorus Line is a legendary musical and I am so honored to have been chosen to join the amazing cast and be a part of the Broadway family."

Actor, producer and host, Mario Lopez, at the age of 16, became internationally known as high school jock A. C. Slater on the hit NBC comedy series "Saved by the Bell." He currently can be seen as the host of "Extra TV" and MTV's "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew," and recently starred in the highest rated program ABC Family history "Holiday in Handcuffs." He also starred in the made for TV movie "Husband for Hire," which was the most watched program ever on the Oxygen Network. Mario appeared on ABC's hit reality series "Dancing with the Stars." He produced and starred in the feature film Outta Time. Other film credits include King Rikki, Colors, Depraved, and Eastside. Mr. Lopez's other television work includes roles on "Pacific Blue," "Nip/Tuck," "The Bold and the Beautiful," "George Lopez," "Mind of Mencia," "Name Your Adventure," "Popular," "The Golden Girls," "Kids Incorporated," and the TV Film "Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story."

For Tickets for A Chorus Line visit Telecharge.com (212-239-6200) or the Schoenfeld Theatre box office. Performances are Tuesday at 7:00pm, Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00pm, with matinee performances on Wednesday and Saturday at 2:00pm and Sunday at 3:00pm. Tickets range from $66.50 to $111.50. Premium seating is available. Please note: Mario Lopez will be on hiatus from A Chorus Line from Sunday, May 11, 2008 through Tuesday, June 3, 2008.

"American Idol" Is the Devil

2008-02-29T14:35:00.001-05:00

Senator McCain's Freudian Slip Is Showing!

2008-02-28T19:34:00.000-05:00

I'd still smash, though.

Would You Smash?

2008-02-28T12:18:00.001-05:00

I Don't Have the Strength to Deal with the Phillippines Today

2008-02-27T15:01:00.001-05:00

She's Fantastic!

2008-02-21T14:07:00.002-05:00

But she's Black and talented Black singers don't stand a chance on American Idol.

Pure, Unadulterated Fuckery

2008-02-21T14:07:00.001-05:00

Jason Castro > Fidel Castro

2008-02-20T11:27:00.000-05:00

Tay Zonday Is at It Again!

2008-02-18T11:40:00.001-05:00

Courage and FUPA

2008-02-18T10:14:00.002-05:00

Dave's Place with Dave Attell [Courage]

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Phone Sex, Anyone?

2008-02-15T16:14:00.001-05:00

Village People Sex over the phone
Uploaded by scorpiomusic

Go Pick a Switch!

2008-02-15T10:42:00.001-05:00

Josiah Was Robbed

2008-02-14T13:56:00.000-05:00

Ashanti's Latest Video

2008-02-14T11:02:00.001-05:00

Ain't No Half-Steppin'/Fuck da Police

2008-02-13T09:23:00.001-05:00

John McCain Wants to Send You to Fight in Some Random Foreign Country!

2008-02-11T19:02:00.000-05:00

Mýa Plans to Ruin a Broadway Show

2008-02-11T18:39:00.000-05:00

Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist Mýa will make her Broadway debut as Velma Kelly in Chicago for a nine-week limited engagement at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.) beginning Monday, May 12, 2008.

Now celebrating a decade in the entertainment industry as an internationally acclaimed performer, Mýa is best known for her iconic hits "Case of the Ex," "Ghetto Superstar," "My Love Is Like...Wo" and the Grammy Award winning "Lady Marmalade."

Mýa is also featured in the new (RED) campaign with Dell & Microsoft. This year, she will act as an advocate for animal welfare as spokesperson for the North Shore Animal League's 2008 Tour For Life. Mýa is also a National Co-Chair for HillBlazers, Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign youth outreach program.

In 2003, she appeared as cell-block vixen Mona in the film version of Chicago, starring Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Mýa is scheduled to appear as Velma Kelly through Sunday, July 13, 2008. (See below for complete performance schedule and ticketing information.)

Now celebrating eleven glorious years of girls, guns, glitz and glamour on the Great White Way, the record-breaking smash hit musical Chicago is currently the eighth longest-running production in Broadway history, as well as Broadway's longest-running musical revival…and it still shows no sign of ever slowing down!

"Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids," describe press notes.

I'd Smash, Would You?

2008-02-07T18:08:00.001-05:00

The Devil Chews Orbitz

2008-02-07T10:15:00.000-05:00

Tay Zonday vs. Reh Dogg

2008-02-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

WHY?!

2008-02-01T13:05:00.001-05:00

Ghouliani's Swan Song

2008-01-30T08:36:00.000-05:00

Is this ho sittin' down yet?

Self-Love Is the Best Love

2008-01-28T16:07:00.001-05:00

Roid Head Loves Himself - Watch more free videos

What I Wouldn't Give to Be That Floor

2008-01-28T10:20:00.001-05:00

Jack. E. Brown.

2008-01-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

No, Ma'am!

2008-01-23T14:43:00.001-05:00

Scratch Another One off of My To-Do List

2008-01-22T17:10:00.000-05:00

Coco: Did you hear about Heath Ledger! That's so sad. (A brief pause) I heard that dead men have erections.
Secretary: When you're dead, your body is an erection.

Me to the gusta to the mucho!

The Devil Eats Skittles

2008-01-21T14:12:00.000-05:00

Kermit and Elmo's Sex Tape

2008-01-18T09:20:00.001-05:00

Schadenfreude or Me Next... You Decide!

2008-01-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

Marcus Bellamy: A Must Have

2008-01-15T12:52:00.001-05:00

The Tiddy Bear!

2008-01-15T09:37:00.001-05:00

How to Know If Your Barber Fucking Hates You

2008-01-14T10:49:00.001-05:00

This Man Must Be Stopped!

2008-01-13T17:06:00.001-05:00

Twincest

2008-01-11T12:35:00.000-05:00

A set of British twins who were separated at birth went on to marry each other without realizing they were related, the UK Press Association reported Friday.

Former British MP David Alton highlighted the case of the twins who unwittingly married each other.

The brother and sister, who were adopted by separate parents, were given an annulment after a High Court judge ruled that the marriage had never been valid.

Their identities and details of their relationship have been kept secret, but the Press Association reported that the duo did not find out that they were blood relatives until after they were married.

David Alton, a member of the House of Lords, revealed their situation as a way of highlighting perceived shortcomings in the Human Embryology and Tissues Bill which is now going through Britain's Parliament.

He first heard of the twins' marriage in a conversation with a High Court judge, and initially raised the case in a House of Lords debate on December 10.

Alton said: "(The brother and sister) met later in life and felt an inevitable attraction, and the judge had to deal with the consequences of the marriage that they entered into and all the issues of their separation.

"I suspect that it will be a matter of litigation in the future if we do not make information of this kind available to children who have been donor-conceived."

Alton is concerned that the new bill would allow the biological identity of one parent to be removed from the birth certificate, PA reported, and that there would be no way for the child to know if they had been donor-conceived.

He told PA on Friday: "The state is colluding in a deception. We are opening the door to more cases like this one. One of the most fundamental things of all is to know who you are. The issue here is about human rights.

"A birth certificate that omits any mention of your true origin falsifies your history in a very significant way."

The Sexy Sanjaya Show

2008-01-11T11:04:00.002-05:00

Somewhere in my wicked childhood, I must've done something good! How fortuitous is this?

Ron Paul Does Not Care about Black People

2008-01-11T11:04:00.001-05:00

Would You Smash: The Oakridge Boys Edition

2008-01-08T13:34:00.001-05:00

Is that Teddy Pendergrass in the audience?

My Name Is Tay Zonday and I Am Here for Your Soul!

2008-01-08T09:14:00.001-05:00

Leroy Menswear

2008-01-08T09:09:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Bex-n-Effect

2008-01-03T13:45:00.000-05:00

Baby Got Front

2007-12-27T16:17:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from Coco and Boy Shakira!!

2007-12-25T17:00:00.001-05:00

Did This Chick Just Fart?!

2007-12-21T14:43:00.001-05:00

The Secret Lives of Mammies

2007-12-20T16:27:00.000-05:00

Movie Musical Divas Latifah and Hudson Will Star in "Secret Life of Bees" Film

By Ernio Hernandez

Movie musical stars Queen Latifah

and Jennifer Hudson

have been cast in the forthcoming film adaptation of "The Secret Life of Bees," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Hudson, Latifah and Sophie Okonedo ("Tsunami, The Aftermath," "Hotel Rwanda")

have been announced to co-star in the new feature written and directed by Gina Prince Bythewood ("Love & Basketball").

Filming will begin in January in North Carolina for a release, by Fox Searchlight, later in 2008. The trade publication also notes Dakota Fanning ("War of the Worlds")

and Alicia Keys ("Smokin' Aces") are in negotiations to appear.

Based on the Sue Monk Kidd 2002 novel of the same title, "Bees" follows the tale of a young girl (Fanning) who runs away with her friend/caregiver (Hudson) and comes upon a trio of sisters (Latifah, Okonedo, Keys), who take them in. The 1964-set coming-of-age drama will also feature Tristan Wilds ("The Wire").

Latifah followed up her Academy Award-nominated turn in "Chicago" (as Mama Morton) with another movie musical role this summer in "Hairspray" (as Motormouth Maybelle). The singer-actress has also appeared in "Stranger Than Fiction," "Beauty Shop," "Set It Off," "Scary Movie 3" and in voice on "Ice Age: The Meltdown."

Hudson earned an Oscar for her acclaimed film debut in "Dreamgirls" as Effie White. The one-time "American Idol" contestant will next appear in "Sex and the City: The Movie."

Would You Smash?

2007-12-20T11:31:00.000-05:00

For some reason, this really turns me on.

They Could Teach a Course on the Symbolism Alone!

2007-12-20T09:16:00.001-05:00

Vote Republican!

2007-12-19T12:37:00.000-05:00

Would You Smash: Jon Lajoie

2007-12-18T12:32:00.001-05:00

Your Daily Nigger Mortis: Abe Lincoln vs. Uhura

2007-12-18T11:36:00.000-05:00

YouTube still be the devil.

How Will Patti's Choir CRUSH the Competition? Let Me Count the Ways!

2007-12-17T11:44:00.001-05:00

Tonight at 08:00 pm NBC

Debut: Michael Bolton,

Patti LaBelle,

Nick Lachey,

Kelly Rowland,

and Blake Shelton

assemble hometown choirs to compete against each other in a series of performances over four nights.

SHOW DESCRIPTION

Cameras follow 5 celebrity singers who go back to their hometown and assemble an amateur choir, made up of everyday people. After live performances, viewers will choose the winning group through a voting process. That choir will then pick a prize which will benefit their hometown in a positive way.

Dirrtay!

2007-12-17T11:19:00.000-05:00

Your Daily Nigger Mortis

2007-12-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

Don't Hurt 'Em, Miss Patti

2007-12-14T14:58:00.001-05:00

The. Best. Scene. Ever.

2007-12-14T11:50:00.000-05:00

I'd Smash!

2007-12-14T09:13:00.001-05:00

Hanes Fatty commercial of my highschool friend

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Whatever Happened to... Miss Taral Hicks?

2007-12-14T08:29:00.000-05:00

Miss Jackson (If You're Nasty)

2007-12-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

Straightjacket Watch: Alan Keyes

2007-12-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

I Like Ike

2007-12-12T16:50:00.000-05:00

Rest in peace, Mister Man.

"Eat the damn cake, Anna Mae!"

Ho-Ho-Hotel!

2007-12-11T18:33:00.001-05:00

A hotel chain Tuesday said it was offering couples called Joseph and Mary in Britain, Ireland and Spain free accommodation this Christmas on proof of marriage and name.

Hotel chain Travelodge said husbands and wives matching their criteria would get a night's stay on the house, but with more home comforts than the humble stable of the Christian Nativity story.

The offer, appropriately, runs between Christmas Eve (December 24) to Twelfth Night (January 5, 2008).

"The phrase 'no room at the inn' is something that resonates with us in the hotel business," said Travelodge operations director Jason Cotta.

"Therefore this year we have decided to evoke the true spirit of Christmas and invite Mary and Joseph couples as our guests."

A Travelodge spokeswoman told AFP couples will have to be married and provide proof of identity and register their names at a special e-mail address.

Slickback on Broadway

2007-12-11T16:47:00.001-05:00

Howard, Rashad, Rose & Jones to Star in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'

The all African-American production of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize winning play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof directed by multiple Emmy winner and two-time Tony nominee Debbie Allen (TV's "Fame," Broadway's Sweet Charity, and West Side Story) will begin performances on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 and will open on March 6, 2008. Tickets are on sale through April 13, 2008 at Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre. This production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is being presented by Front Row Productions and produced by Stephen C. Byrd.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof has been revived on Broadway four times before, this production marks the first African – American production approved by Williams' estate for the Broadway stage. This revival of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is not only making Broadway history, it is making American theater and black theater history too!

It will star an award-winning cast including the Broadway debut of Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow, Crash), Tony and Drama Desk Award winner Phylicia Rashad (Gem of the Ocean, Raisin in the Sun, TV's "Cosby Show"), Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose (Film: Dreamgirls, Broadway's Caroline or Change), and winner of two Tony Awards, four Emmys, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award and the National Medal of Arts, James Earl Jones (Fences, The Great White Hope).

Designer team includes: Ray Klausen (sets), Willian Grant (lighting) and Jane Greenwood (costumes).

"Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart a wealthy but dysfunctional Mississippi family in Tennessee Williams' stunning American masterpiece. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof searingly portrays the larger-than-life characters of Maggie "the Cat," her alcoholic husband, Brick, and the dominating family patriarch, Big Daddy," explain press notes.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, directed by Debbie Allen begins previews Tuesday, February 12; Opening night is Thursday, March 6, 2008.

Tickets go on sale on December 29, 2007. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is on sale through April 13, 2008. Tickets can be purchased at www.telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239- 6200. Group Sales: broadwayinbound.com For more information visit www.Cat2008onBroadway.com

This Was Me Nineteen Years Ago

2007-12-10T15:52:00.000-05:00

Stop It, Kitty!

2007-12-08T19:06:00.003-05:00

Stop It, Katie!

2007-12-08T19:06:00.001-05:00

1,801 Posts and Still Going Strongish!

2007-12-05T12:44:00.000-05:00

No me gusta. But be honest, though, would you smash?

1,800 Posts and Still Going Strongish!

2007-12-05T12:43:00.000-05:00

Now, backup off my man, twatmonger!

The Train Wreck: Make It Stop!

2007-12-04T13:43:00.000-05:00

Shocked and Awed by the Devilosity of YouTube

2007-12-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

Monday Morning Tayng

2007-12-03T11:31:00.001-05:00

Me. I'm a Boomerang

2007-11-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

The Snging Senators: Where Are They Now?

2007-11-27T13:56:00.001-05:00

The Best FedEx Commercial EVER!

2007-11-22T23:35:00.001-05:00

Crank dat Travis Barker!

2007-11-22T18:54:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

White Boy du Jour: James Franco

2007-11-18T15:32:00.000-05:00

James Franco is bringing sexy Jewish boys back.

I'd like some of that with a side of stuffing this Thanksgiving.

And some cakes for dessert!

They should have killed Tobey Maguire's monkey ass instead of his in Spider-Man 3.

If he were running on the GOP ticket, I'd be voting Republican on the next election.

He's even sexy on the toilet stool.

He's almost as pretty as me.

Okay, not really.

He is pretty, though.

Even his spooj is pretty.

If his acting were as strong as his looks, he'd have a house full of Oscars by now.

However, he's actually one of those "be seen and not heard" type of actors.

I would bet he sounds nice in bed, though.

If he were a woman, I'd turn into a lesbian.

Were he a dog, I'd try some bestiality.

If he were me, I'd masturbate in front of the mirror all day.

Even at work.

And on the subway.

I want to bring him home, feed him, fatten him up, and make him supersessay!

Fifteen-Year-Old Sensation!

2007-11-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

Check her at the 1:55 minute mark!

Celebrity Fake-Out

2007-11-16T12:36:00.000-05:00

They even have a fake-ass Paul Wall!

This Is Why People Shake These Thangs

2007-11-16T11:33:00.001-05:00

O RLY, Ms. Winehouse?

2007-11-16T09:13:00.000-05:00

Winehouse in the doghouse after 'atrocious' tour debut

Troubled soul singer Amy Winehouse kicked off her 17-date tour with a shambolic performance that saw fuming fans booing and marching out, reports said Thursday.

The concert at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, was a chance for the 24-year-old to get back to singing and put her woes behind her.

Winehouse has had "health issues" -- widely reported to be drug and alcohol abuse -- and her party-loving husband Blake Fielder-Civil is being held on grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice charges.

But Wednesday's gig at the NIA, which can hold up to 13,000 people, was slammed by angry fans as a "disgrace" after she turned up late and stumbled about the stage.

When punters started jeering, Winehouse snapped: "Let me tell you something. First of all, if you're booing, you're a mug for buying a ticket.

"Second, to all those booing, just wait till my husband gets out of incarceration -- and I mean that."

O RLY, MS. WINEHOUSE?

The Birmingham Mail newspaper's music critic Andy Coleman said it was "one of the saddest nights of my life".

"I saw a supremely talented artist reduced to tears, stumbling around the stage and, unforgivably, swearing at the audience," he wrote.

James Dyas demanded his money back, according to London's Evening Standard newspaper.

"She came on stage half an hour late. She managed four songs but was slurring her words and swaying all over the place," he said.

"She fell into the guitar stand and dropped the microphone -- it was atrocious. The song dedicated to her husband was so bad it was like swinging a cat round your head."

An, from Birmingham, commented on The Times newspaper's website: "Her singing was awful, out of tune and slurred. She sang for around 50 minutes -- drinking throughout.

"I have never seen so many people leave a show. 'Valerie' was my favourite song -- she massacred it!"

Pete Massera, from north-west England, added: "It was an absolutely atrocious gig. I, like many others in the audience, got our coats and left before she even finished the set."

Gary Atwell, from nearby Rugby, said "streams" of fans walked out, according to the BBC website.

"I went out for a sneaky cigarette half way through and at least 40 people left, just in that five minutes," he said.

"Valerie", the closing number, descended into chaos when Winehouse stopped singing, dropped the microphone and walked off stage.

Winehouse, named best British female solo artist at the Brit Awards in February, has rarely been out of the newspapers in recent months due to her lifestyle issues.

Smell Yo Dick

2007-11-15T14:54:00.000-05:00

Thanks, Fresh?

It's Nice to Know that Someone Agrees with Me on Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson

2007-11-15T13:25:00.001-05:00

Shambolic!

2007-11-15T12:32:00.000-05:00

Winehouse in the doghouse after 'atrocious' tour debut

Troubled soul singer Amy Winehouse kicked off her 17-date tour with a shambolic performance that saw fuming fans booing and marching out, reports said Thursday.

The concert at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, was a chance for the 24-year-old to get back to singing and put her woes behind her.

Winehouse has had "health issues" -- widely reported to be drug and alcohol abuse -- and her party-loving husband Blake Fielder-Civil is being held on grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice charges.

But Wednesday's gig at the NIA, which can hold up to 13,000 people, was slammed by angry fans as a "disgrace" after she turned up late and stumbled about the stage.

When punters started jeering, Winehouse snapped: "Let me tell you something. First of all, if you're booing, you're a mug for buying a ticket.

"Second, to all those booing, just wait till my husband gets out of incarceration -- and I mean that."

The Birmingham Mail newspaper's music critic Andy Coleman said it was "one of the saddest nights of my life".

"I saw a supremely talented artist reduced to tears, stumbling around the stage and, unforgivably, swearing at the audience," he wrote.

James Dyas demanded his money back, according to London's Evening Standard newspaper.

"She came on stage half an hour late. She managed four songs but was slurring her words and swaying all over the place," he said.

"She fell into the guitar stand and dropped the microphone -- it was atrocious. The song dedicated to her husband was so bad it was like swinging a cat round your head."

An, from Birmingham, commented on The Times newspaper's website: "Her singing was awful, out of tune and slurred. She sang for around 50 minutes -- drinking throughout.

"I have never seen so many people leave a show. 'Valerie' was my favourite song -- she massacred it!"

Pete Massera, from north-west England, added: "It was an absolutely atrocious gig. I, like many others in the audience, got our coats and left before she even finished the set."

Gary Atwell, from nearby Rugby, said "streams" of fans walked out, according to the BBC website.

"I went out for a sneaky cigarette half way through and at least 40 people left, just in that five minutes," he said.

"Valerie", the closing number, descended into chaos when Winehouse stopped singing, dropped the microphone and walked off stage.

Winehouse, named best British female solo artist at the Brit Awards in February, has rarely been out of the newspapers in recent months due to her lifestyle issues.

Just Because

2007-11-15T11:17:00.000-05:00

Sang, bitch, sang!

The Columbia Strike Continues

2007-11-15T09:32:00.000-05:00

Words from the Negotiation Team: 11/15/07

We are pleased to announce that after a day of great adversity, we have emerged with significant victories on many of our demands and a clear vision of what student power can accomplish. What began with administration threats to cut off all further negotiations and an ultimatum to end the strike by midnight ended with explicit concessions on the Core Curriculum, administrative reform, and support for ethnic studies. The struggle continues unabated around issues surrounding the university's expansion into West Harlem, which has as of yet not been addressed in a substantive fashion.

Hundreds of students packed the campus in a peaceful but boisterous demonstration that decried the university's decision to cut off civil negotiations and resort to threats of force, rallying around Hamilton Hall where administrative deliberations were taking place. As public safety guarded the doors to the building, students and community leaders demanded that the administration continue the negotiation until all issues were satisfactorily addressed. The crowd swelled in size and a continuing lack of communication with administration sources threatened to escalate the situation. Finally, we received communication from the administration that the hunger strike would continue undisturbed, that specific commitments on funding for the transition of Major Cultures to a seminar format and the expansion of the Office of Multicultural Affairs were made, that disciplinary penalties on hunger strikers would not be levied, and that negotiations for the expansion would continue.

As these victories were announced to the assembled crowd, sentiment changed from anger to elation. Scores of people remained at the Sundial discussing the advances of the evening and the necessary steps to follow. While students rejoiced in their triumph, they remained fully aware that much work is left to be done in negotiations on the expansion plan.

As the hunger strike enters its ninth day, students' resolve remains firm on the expansion demands. While the fundamental demand remains that Columbia respect the democratic voice of Community Board 9 and withdraw its 197-c plan to rezone Manhattanville, we have presented six points to Executive Vice President Maxine Griffith which represent a reasonable progression to the negotiation process. To date, we have received no response and no commitment from the administration.

Significant advances have been made, but much remains to be resolved until students return to their daily lives. The victories of the day show what power students organizing for justice can have. Today more than ever, the struggle continues.

- The Strike Committee

Would You Let Him Hit It?

2007-11-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

by Anna Salleh

North American scientists have discovered the longest bird penis ever - a 42.5cm organ belonging to a duck.

Dr. Kevin McCracken of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and colleagues, report in this week's Nature that they have found a specimen of the Argentine lake duck (Oxyura vittata) that has a penis as long as its body - nearly half a metre long.

This has extended an earlier estimate of the length of the duck's corkscrew-shaped penis, which was 20cm.

"It's a fascinating bit of anatomy they've discovered here. It really is unusual," commented bird mating expert Dr. Raoul Mulder from the University of Melbourne.

Most male birds don't have penises - they copulate by briefly touching genital openings, called a 'cloacal kiss'," he explained.

Dr Mulder said a number of duck species and ostriches have penises, but this was definitely the longest ever encountered.

Dr McCracken and colleagues speculate that the giant penis may be an example of 'runaway' sexual selection, where female preference drives male anatomy to ever-greater extremes, as in the peacock's tail.

Dr Mulder believes this may be a bit of anthropomorphising, however.

"I'm not fond of the 'nudge nudge, wink wink' comments by the authors," he said.

The authors write that this species is "promiscuous and boisterous in their sexual activity", which means that there is likely to be stiff competition by drakes to be the father of ducklings.

One finding in support of this idea, they suggest, is that the drake's penis has a brush-like tip, which they say the males probably use to scrub the sperm of previous mates from the female's oviduct.

Mulder agreed this was likely, but felt another suggestion by the authors - that males might use an everted penis as a "display" to attract females - was not.

"They are being rather speculative, and it seems not much is known about this bird and we need to observe its behaviour in the wild before we can understand what function this penis might have," he said.

The authors acknowledge that many questions remain: How much of the penis does the drake actually insert? And does the anatomy of the female make them unusually difficult to inseminate?

They conclude, nevertheless, that their new specimen will help them better understand sexual selection and sperm competition in birds.

You May Now Kiss the Bitch

2007-11-14T11:28:00.001-05:00

Jesse Lee Peterson Is a Runaway Slave

2007-11-12T12:53:00.000-05:00

And he needs to be caught and returned to his master.

Come Get Your Momma!

2007-11-12T12:39:00.001-05:00

Columbia University Does Not Care about Black People

2007-11-12T11:44:00.000-05:00

Striker Hospitalized as Negotiations Begin
By Mary Kohlmann and Jacob Schneider with Lien Hoang, Joy Resmovits, and Laura Schreiber

With one striker down, the hunger strike on Low Plaza enters its sixth day with new support and looking forward to a fresh round of negotiations with administrators.

Since last Wednesday, five students have been subsisting on water, tea, and Gatorade to protest a perceived lack of diversity in Columbia’s Core Curriculum, a dearth of ethnic studies professors, and the University’s proposed Manhattanville expansion. The protest suffered its first loss on Saturday when Aretha Choi, CC ’10, was rushed to the emergency room at St. Luke’s Hospital. In her place, several other students plan to join their ranks this week while Barnard political science Professor Dennis Dalton announced Saturday that he, too, has begun fasting for the cause.

Administrators and students sat down on Friday for a first round of negotiations.

According to the strikers, the discussion centered on logistics rather than the strike demands. The two sides agreed to open up the meetings to a small group of students after the strikers demanded that they be public, according to Christien Tompkins, CC ’08 and one of the negotiators. The meetings will be set up to give equal time to discussions of the Manhattanville expansion and campus issues.

“The main reason was that [the administration] felt that a public meeting would constrict dialogue,” Tompkins said.

With the strikers’ health failing and temperatures dropping into the 30s during the night, the strikers have begun decamping from their makeshift tent city near the Sundial to indoor lounges after dark.

No further discussions were held over the weekend.

“We’ve had to wait a long time, a great number of years,” Tompkins said. “But with the hunger strike there’s a sense of urgency, and we hope the administration shares this sense of urgency, not just to end the strike, but to solve the issues that brought it about.”

With negotiations on hold, the big news of the weekend was Choi’s hospitalization.

Michelle Stiles, a spokeswoman for St. Luke’s, said early Sunday morning that Choi was admitted in stable condition to the pediatric emergency room. She has since been released from the hospital and returned to campus.

According to Linval Forrest, a Public Safety officer, Choi was carried out of Butler—where she and supporters of the strike had been camped out—on a stretcher at about 10:45 p.m.

“She [Choi] will not continue the strike for personal medical reasons,” a statement released by supporters of the strike read. “Organizers, other strikers, and supporters are aware that risks to the body are inherent in the action of a hunger strike, and we greatly respect her commitment to doing what she and others feel is a necessary action to demand change at the University.”

On Sunday, Choi said that while she was beginning to recover from the health effects of the strike, she felt ambivalent about leaving the hunger strike.

“I’m able to walk and stuff, but I’m dizzy and I can’t really take solid foods and stuff well,” she said. She later added that “it’s been very strange not being with my fellow strikers.”

Dalton bolstered the hunger strike over the weekend when he acknowledged that he had joined the strike on Thursday. Dalton, who also participated in the 1985 hunger strike that led to Columbia’s divestment from apartheid South Africa, said that he was most impressed by the strikers’ determination.

“They are reaching out to the administration in a Gandhian spirit of cooperation, negotiation, willing to enter into any solution that will be acceptable,” he said.

Over the weekend, the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race released a statement of support for the hunger strike. Among the signers was Claudio Lomnitz, the director of the center, and Jean Howard, former vice provost for diversity initiatives. Meanwhile, a backlash sprung up across the Internet, with Bwog commenters chastising Choi for wasting CAVA’s time and the launch of satirical Facebook groups and blogs discussing “WHY WE EAT.”

In a post stating why they felt the need to eat, the bloggers at we-eat.blogspot.com wrote: “Recent acts of starvation, in conjunction with people who don’t eat, in conjunction with people who make us nervous. Lastly we act in solidarity with Dining Services, which we consider a partner in the struggle against needless starvation and purposeful under-nutrition.”

Don't Laugh, Y'all

2007-11-09T13:03:00.001-05:00