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Josh Groban's 'Noel' Stands To Mary J. Blige's Bow
Now married and drug-free, hers is a rags-to-riches story, and as a song on the album expresses, she's still a "Work in Progress." Blige has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and was recently featured on CNN's Heroes Awards. There's not much more for the Queen to conquer, but the star is still moving up, having invested in a beauty products company, Carol's Daughter, and owning her own label, Matriarch Records, distributed by Geffen Records. .
After the borders came down
A tiny boy in a green shirt whirls around, his hand above his head before we are shown a shot of a tank blowing up, the soldiers' bodies thrown in the air. Chuckles of approval. As a helicopter gunship is bathed in fire, he says: "They landed in a minefield. Their people could not save them." His wife Kameta adds something to the effect that Chechnya will not be beaten. As he turns to talk to me his son takes over the computer and puts on a game that involves firing big weapons at vehicles. Not usually one to be bothered by such games, it's a bit more disturbing in view of the real life carnage that preceded it. We are on the outskirts of a rather delightful Polish city, Lubin. The couple and their six children, aged between six and 19, have applied for asylum in Poland and now live in a state-run centre for people waiting for their cases to be heard.
Karibu book chain is closing
Karibu Books started off as a kiosk specializing in books for African-Americans, but over the years transformed into something more.
It became a place where African-American authors could promote their books when mainstream stores turned them away. Some went on to become best-selling authors.
Now, after 15 years, Karibu (ka-REE-boo) is going out of business, leaving behind what some say will be a cultural void.
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Britney Spears Granted Access To Children
Kevin Federline has allowed Britney Spears to visit their two sons pending the approval of her mother Lynne, claim reports. A U.S. website claims that the troubled singer – who was recently released from a Los Angeles hospital, where she was treated for severe bipolar disorder – is allowed to visit Sean Preston, two, and one-year-old Jayden James, while Federline attends New York Fashion Week. "K-Fed and Lynne get on really well," claims a source. "He hopes Lynne can bring Britney round to see sense so that she can have some face time with her kids. "He knows however dazed and confused Brit gets, she’ll always love those two kids with all her heart." Meanwhile the Gimme More singer’s father, Jamie, has made more moves in court to control the singer’s affairs.
Satirical Newscast, Kosher Style
Over footage of burning buildings, Israel Defense Forces troops and the Israeli prime minister, the straight-faced anchorman intones: “Great news out of Israel: Ehud Olmert has announced that the second Lebanon war was a success…. Another of Olmert's notable successes is his attempt to comb over his bald spot." Yes, it's a satirical newscast, but not “The Daily Show"; nor is it “Weekend Update" from “Saturday Night Live." On “The Mendy Report," news is delivered by a long-bearded Hasid wearing a velvet yarmulke at a rakish tilt. Mendy Pellin, a 25-year-old Lubavitch comedian and ordained rabbi, launched his online newscast and Web channel, ChabadTube.com, in November 2006. Since then, he's built an international audience. Segments posted by fans on blogs and on video sites like YouTube and Google have drawn more than 500,000 views.
Explosion of Indie Games Kills 'Best of' Column
This is getting ridiculous. Two years ago, I wrote my first column celebrating the best indie games: small, offbeat titles, programmed usually by a single auteur and given away for free. I figured I'd make it an annual affair. For 12 months, I'd scour the net for independent games that had a spark -- some innovative bit of design or gameplay -- and gather a list of the top 10. But I've decided it's impossible. This is not because I can't find any games to praise. It's because I can find too many. Two years ago, the number of people making genuinely polished indie games was pretty small, numbering in the dozens or scores. A single columnist could reasonably hope to sample the year's offerings and make some picks. But in the last two years, things have blown up spectacularly.
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