Thursday, February 25, 2010

Bomb found at Harlem's Metro North 125th Station

Word on the street is that someone planted an explosive device at the Harlem-125th Street stop on the Metro North Line.

CLICK HERE to get the full story.....

So THAT'S why the bus I was on that was crossing 125th street had been rerouted....and while I was walking back up 125th street I noticed that the ENTIRE station had been evacuated and roped off.

Interesting.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Riverton Houses to be sold in Foreclosure.....

I talked about the rumors flying around about this a couple of summers ago and I recently read in the AM NY paper that it's definitely happening now......

Riverton Houses in Harlem are definitely in foreclosure and will be auctioned off.


The NY Times reports:

A state judge on Tuesday ordered the foreclosure sale of the storied Riverton Houses, a middle-class Harlem enclave that ran into trouble a year ago when its new owner failed to make good on optimistic revenue projections and defaulted on his mortgage.

Justice Richard F. Braun of State Supreme Court in Manhattan ordered the sale of the complex at public auction to satisfy the owner’s $240.6 million debt. The complex sits between 135th and 138th Streets, from Fifth Avenue to the Harlem River.

Riverton, like a number of complexes during the real estate boom, was bought for top dollar in 2005 by a company led by the developer Laurence Gluck, who had a plan to increase profits by replacing tenants in rent-stabilized apartments with market-rate tenants.

“We’re about to see a wave of foreclosure sales throughout New York City,” said Harold Shultz, senior fellow at the Citizens Housing and Planning Council. “This is the first. For tenants, there’s good news and bad news. Excessive debt will be eliminated, but they will be at the mercy of the auction process as to who the new owner will be.”

In January, the owners of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, two middle-class housing complexes overlooking the East River, announced that they would give the keys back to the lender after they defaulted on $4.4 billion in loans.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of the story......

This sucks and it has GOT to be scary for the current residents.

Damn.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

UK Designer Alexander McQueen Dead at 40


The Guardian UK reported this morning that Designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his home in London. Here's what they're reporting:

The British fashion designer Alexander McQueen has been found dead at his London home at the age of 40.

His body was discovered at his property in Green Street, in London's West End, shortly after 10am today. Paramedics were called but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A postmortem has been scheduled but police said his death was not being treated as suspicious. They would not comment on reports he had killed himself.

A spokeswoman for McQueen said: "Mr McQueen was found dead this morning at his home. We're devastated and I hope you understand that out of respect to his family and his colleagues we're not going to be making any further statement."

His death comes just days before the start of London fashion week and a month before he was to unveil his new collection at Paris fashion week.


To read the full story CLICK HERE:

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Casting Notice: Rip The Runway 2010

You all have been driving me absolutely nuts about WHEN the casting call for BET's Rip The Runway was going to be held....and now I FINALLY have an answer:

But you gotta CLICK HERE to get the info!

Submissions deadline is February 16, 2010 at 6:00pm (EST)

They are also holding an Amateur Model Contest this year as well!

CLICK HERE to go directly to the application...

The deadline for the model contest is February 16, 2010.

Please remember to READ EVERYTHING and SUBMIT what you are asked to SUBMIT.

Good luck y'all!!

JET Magazine Gets A New Look!

Looks like JET Magazine has gotten a makeover. Whaddya think fam?

Hidden Beach Records Suing Jill Scott?

The Hollywood Reporter blog reports that Jill Scott's record label Hidden Beach Records is suing her for breach of contract. According to the site:

"R&B superstar Jill Scott was sued this morning by her longtime record label, which is accusing the multi-platinum songstress of skipping out halfway through a six-album contract and potentially owing millions of dollars in damages.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by L.A.-based Hidden Beach Records, claims that the label and its founder, Steve McKeever, helped launch Scott's career and nurtured her into a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter but was unceremoniously dumped in October after a 10-plus year relationship.

"Hidden Beach is shocked by her decision not only because Scott has apparently chosen to leave the Hidden Beach family," the complaint reads, "but also because Scott is contractually required to deliver three more albums to Hidden Beach."

The complaint alleges causes of action for breach of contract and damages owed under California's Labor Code Sec. 2855. That statute, sometimes known as the "De Havilland Law" because it stems from actress Oliva De Havilland's successful fight in the '40s against long-term studio deals, provides that talent cannot be bound by personal services contracts for longer than seven years. Hidden Beach isn't disputing that Scott's deal violated the seven-year rule but the law carves out a requirement that certain recording artists who wish to terminate their lengthy deals must reimburse their labels in the amount the labels would have received under the terms of the contracts. Since breaking onto the scene with the double-platinum selling "Who Is Jill Scott?" album in 2000, Scott's studio albums (and live albums) have generated millions in revenue. So while Hidden Beach's alleged damages are unspecified in the complaint, under California law they could total several million dollars. "


Wow.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Black History Month Moment #3: Dr. Ben Carson

Today's Black History Month Moment is brought to you by the letter C:

C is for

Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. Benjamin Carson has written over ninety neurosurgical publications. He has been awarded 24 honorary degrees and numerous national citations of merit. Carson has written three best selling books, Gifted Hands, Think Big. and The Big Picture. Currently, Benjamin Carson serves as the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. In 1987, he gained world-wide recognition as the principal surgeon in the twenty-two hour separation of the Binder Siamese twins from Germany.

To read more about Dr. Benjamin Carson CLICK HERE.


Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Legendary Etta James has Alzheimer's Disease


Damn. If you know me personally, you know that I have learned quite a bit about Alzheimer's disease over the last 10 years and I am SO very sorry to hear this news...

According to Rhymes With Snitch:
"Singing legend Etta James has been secretly battling Alzheimer's Disease for more than a year. Ms. James had been admitted to Community Hospital in southern California a week ago to treat an infection, but her son has revealed that his mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's over a year ago and has battled it in secret ever since. Donto James, who plays in his mother's band, says his mother is suffering from speech difficulties and has contracted the potentially-deadly MRSA virus."

**TIVO Alert** Gabby Sidibe will be on The View tomorrow!


Academy Award Nominee (I LOVE being able to preface her name with this title now!) Gabourey Sidibe will be hanging out with the ladies of The View tomorrow morning (Feb 3) at 11:00am (Eastern time).

PRECIOUS Gets SIX Academy Award Nominations!!!

Congrats are in order for Precious stars, Gabourey Sidibe & Mo'Nique for their Academy Awards nominations for Best Actress & Best Supporting Actress and to Lee Daniels for his nomination for Best Director for Precious.
In addition to the above nomination the film also received nominations for:

Best Picture
Best Adapted Screenplay
Film Editing

The film scored a total of 6 Academy Award Nominations.
Can't wait to watch the broadcast next month on March 7th!

Congrats to everybody!

Black History Month Moment #2: Marie Brown


Today's Black History Moment is brought to you by the letter B.
B is for:

Marie Brown

On December 2, 1969, the first video home security system was patented (patent # 3,482,037) to Marie Brown. The system used television surveillance.

To see a blueprint of the actual design CLICK HERE.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Red Carpet Arrivals: More of the 2010 Grammy Awards Weekend!

Jennifer Hudson performs at Clive Davis' Pre Grammy Gala
Gayle King at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy gala
Mya....simply because I am digging the dress....
Lalah Hathaway sparkles in pewter
Beyonce....The big winner of the night with 6 Grammys....GO GIRL!!!
David Otunga & J. Hud....lol...just because.
I'mma give a shout out to Jamie Foxx for ALWAYS showing his baby sis (on the left) love....
Ciara & Rhianna...
I know...not curvy at ALL...but why do these outfits make me wanna clean my house?..lol
Jennifer Hudson & Clive Davis
(The purple leather dress is TO DIE FOR!!!)
On the real...this chick's career is headed for the STRATOSPHERE!!! She's about to fill Whitney's shoes BIG TIME!!

February is Black History Month!!


February is Black History Month.....28 Days to celebrate our history in all it's Glory!
I say we should celebrate OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS each and EVERY DAY....
Whaddya think fam?

Today's Black History Moment is brought to you by the letter A:

A is for

Nathaniel Alexander,

Inventor of the Folding Chair...

On July 7, 1911 Nathaniel Alexander of Lynchburg, Virginia patented a folding chair. According to his patent, Nathaniel Alexander designed his chair to be used in schools, churches, and other auditoriums. His design included a book rest that was usable for the person sitting in the seat behind was ideal for church or choir use.

To see a blueprint of the original design CLICK HERE.

New Reality Show for Toni Braxton & Co?

Word on the street is that Toni Braxton and family have a new reality show in the works called "Braxton Family Values"....Hmmmm...this sounds familiar....didn't The Jacksons have a show with a similiar title (Jackson Family Values)....or is it just me? No word on who's producing....

Caressa Cameron is the new Miss America 2010

Congrats to Caressa Cameron from Virginia...Last night she became the 89th woman and the 8th BLACK woman (if you count Suzette Charles stepping in to fill Vanessa Williams shoes) to be crowned Miss America. The 22 year old broadcast journalism student TOTALLY blew away 53 hopefuls by belting out Beyonce's "Listen" from Dreamgirls and by telling parents that the way to combat childhood obesity was to turn off the TV & Video games and GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY! (TOTALLY agree with that advice....remember when kids did that EVERY day?). She also won a $50,000 (US) scholarship.

Btw....LOVED her from the minute she put on that YELLOW evening gown...Awesome!

Continued success to you sister!

Red Carpet Arrivals: The 2010 Grammy Awards Curvy Chick Edition!!

The curvy sisterhood SHOWED OUT on the red carpet during this weekend's Grammy festivities......Don'tcha think? Feel free to comment....but be nice...please?

Jennifer Hudson is absolutely stunning ...looks like she's lost all of that baby weight!
Sigh...just cuz she's a lil chunky monkey too...lol...Snooki from The Jersey Shore
Niecy Nash KILLS it in a champagne colored gown!
Vocalist SUPREME.....Ledisi!
Not an "Official" Curvy chick...but I love this sista and her music! Kudos!
Gabourey Sidibe at Ne-Yo's Pre-Grammy Brunch
Ya gotta give props when and where props are due....Rhianna is STUNNING in this Elie Saab Gown!
American Idol's Mandisa Hundley flaunts her newly slimmed body in pink.
Gospel Duo Mary, Mary
Mary J. Blige....Just Because.....
Oprah's BFF Gayle King
Rapper Twista...wonder where he's been...
Natalie Cole and Ashanti (only here because I LIVE for the color of Natalie's dress!)
Busta Rhymes