Finally!  Antoine Fuqua, the director of Training Day, has confirmed that he will do a Tupac biopic.   After a two-year legal battle between Tupac’s mother and a production company, Fuqua has been given the right to work his magic.

Last year many of you ran to the theaters to see Biggie Smalls biopic, Notorious.  I was running with you.  I LOVE Biggie much more than I enjoyed that film but it served its purpose.   It was entertaining.  Although I love Biggie to death and think his Ready to Die album is one of the greatest albums in hip hop, did he need a biopic?  No.  *ducks*  His body of work nor his life was biopic certified.  I’m sorry.  What should have been a movie is his death, the cover ups and the mishandling and corruption from the police. 

I feel a little differently about Tupac.  We have a son of former Black Panthers, his godfather is Geronimo Pratt, he spent most of his time in his mother’s womb behind bars, he studied jazz, ballet and poetry at a Baltimore school for arts, he’s in the  Guinness Book of World Records for the highest selling rap artist in history,  he was probably the most misunderstood rapper of our time, and his untimely unsolved murder.  People have testified that his I.Q. level was much higher than the average person.  Pac was brilliant.  Lets not forget his performance in “Juice”.  I remember getting chills watching specific scenes of that movie.  His double cd, “All Eyez On Me” was phenomenal.  That’s biopic worthy.

Fuqua begins this long overdue journey in September.  But do not expect an all-star cast.  He’s looking for fresh new talent to play Pac and the rest of the cast.  I CAN NOT WAIT!

Huffingtonpost.com

Gary Coleman is dead. He was taken off life support on Friday morning and passed away, both TMZ and Radaronline.com first reported. His wife Shannon Price and her father were at the hospital.

Coleman died Friday at 12:05 PM MDT.

Coleman, 42, was best known for his role as Arnold Jackson on “Diff’rent Strokes.” Word got out that he was hospitalized Thursday and in critical condition.

Below is the AP article and obituary:
PROVO, Utah — Gary Coleman, the child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom “Diff’rent Strokes” whose later career was marred by medical and legal problems, has died after suffering an intercranial hemorrhage. He was 42.

Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said life support was terminated and Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. MDT.

Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, became a star after “Diff’rent Strokes” debuted in 1978. He played the younger brother in a pair of African-American siblings adopted by a wealthy white man.

His popularity faded when the show ended after six seasons on NBC and two on ABC.

Coleman suffered continuing ill health from the kidney disease that stunted his growth and had a host of legal problems in recent years.

Coleman suffered the hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City.

A statement from the family said he was conscious and lucid until midday Thursday, when his condition worsened and he slipped into unconsciousness. Coleman was then placed on life support.

Diff’rent Strokes” debuted on NBC in 1978 drew most of its laughs from the tiny, 10-year-old Coleman.

Race and class relations became topics on the show as much as the typical trials of growing up.

Coleman was an immediate star, and his skeptical “Whatchu talkin’ ’bout?” – usually aimed at his brother, Willis – became a catchphrase.

In a 1979 Los Angeles Times profile, his mother, Edmonia Sue Coleman, said her son had always been a ham as a small child. He acted in some commercials before he was signed by T.A.T., the production company that created “Diff’rent Strokes.”

“Gary remembers everything. EVERYTHING,” co-producer and director Herb Kenwith told the newspaper. “His power of concentration is unlike any adult’s I know.”

Asked by Ebony magazine in 1979 how he learned his lines so easily, young Gary replied, “It’s easy!”

But the attention his starring role brought him could be a burden as well as a pleasure. Coleman told The Associated Press in 2001 that he would do a TV series again, but “only under the absolute condition that it be an ensemble cast and that everybody gets a chance to shine.”

“I certainly am not going to be the only person on the show working,” he said. “I’ve done that. I didn’t like it.”

The series lasted six seasons on NBC and two on ABC and lives on thanks to DVDs and YouTube. But its equally enduring legacy became the former child stars’ troubles in adulthood, including the 1999 suicide of Dana Plato, who played the boys’ white, teenage sister.

Todd Bridges, who played Coleman’s brother, was tried and acquitted of attempted murder.

Coleman had financial and legal problems in addition to continuing ill health from the kidney disease that required dialysis and at least two transplants. As an adult, his height reached only 4 feet 8 inches.

He continued to get credits for TV guest shots and other small roles over the years. But he told the AP in 2001 that he preferred earning money from celebrity endorsements. “Now that I’m 33, I can call the shots. … And if anybody has a problem with that, I guess they don’t have to work with me.”

Coleman was among 135 candidates who ran in California’s bizarre 2003 recall election to replace then-Gov. Gray Davis, whom voters ousted in favor of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Coleman, who advocated drastic steps for California’s faltering economy such as lowering income taxes and raising sales tax, came in eighth place with 12,488 votes, or 0.2 percent, just behind Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt.

Running for office gave him a chance to show another side of himself, he told The Associated Press at the time.

“This is really interesting and cool and I’ve been enjoying the heck out of it because I get to be intelligent, which is something I don’t get to do very often,” he said.

Coleman told The New York Times at the time that “I want to escape that legacy of Arnold Jackson. I’m someone more. It would be nice if the world thought of me as something more.”

But legal disputes dogged him repeatedly. In 1989, when Coleman was 21, his mother filed a court request trying to gain control of her son’s $6 million fortune, saying he was incapable of handling his affairs. He said the move “obviously stems from her frustration at not being able to control my life.”

In a 1993 television interview, he said he had twice tried to kill himself by overdosing on pills.

He moved to Utah in fall 2005, and according to a tally in early 2010, officers were called to assist or intervene with Coleman more than 20 times in the following years. They included a call where Coleman said he had taken dozens of Oxycontin pills and “wanted to die.” Some of the disputes involved his wife, Shannon Price, whom he met on the set of the 2006 comedy “Church Ball” and married in 2007.

In September 2008, a dustup with a fan at a Utah bowling alley led Coleman to plead no contest to disorderly conduct. The fan also sued him, claiming the actor punched him and ran into him with his truck.

Coleman was born Feb. 8, 1968, in Zion, Ill., near Chicago. His mother told Ebony his kidney disease was diagnosed when he was 2. He underwent his first transplant at age 5.

He attracted attention when he took part in some local fashion shows and people suggested he should get work performing in commercials, which he then did, she said.

Alicia’s camp has confirmed her pregnancy by mega producer and boyfriend, Swizz Beats.  Oh it gets better.  AND they’re engaged.  HOORAY! *sarcasm*

Many you are aware that this relationship was in a little bit of controversy.  I tried not to believe everything I was hearing but I think Alicia WAS dating this man when he was still married.  Which doesn’t sit to well with me since her entire body of music has been about being a positive role model to young girls.  Her whole image has been this image of grace, positivity and characteristics worthy of being looked up to and emulated.  Not if you’re dating a married man.  That’s not to be emulated.

Her and Swizz Beats plan to wed later this year.  Congrats? *shrugs*

I guess you guys did do the UNTHINKABLE…and YES you look crazy.

Far Right Christian Group Warns That “Gay Blood” Will Destroy Our Military If DADT Is Repealed

By Alex Seitz-Wald on May 26th, 2010 at 7:00 pm

The right has been girding for a fight to defend the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy after the White House and some members of Congress reached an agreement this week that will likely repeal it. House Republicans are “preparing to mount a vigorous defense” of the policy, Sen. John McCain is threatening a filibuster, and right-wing Christian groups are pressuring conservative lawmakers to toe the party line.

Today, right-wing hate-monger Cliff Kincaid’s group America’s Survival launched a repulsive fear campaign against repeal, warning that “disease-tainted gay blood threatens our troops.”  The group’s abhorrent video — and the 60 page report that accompanies it — present ludicrous stereotypes of gay men and women, going so far as to claim that “open and active homosexuals into the U.S. military could very well result in the spreading of deadly HIV-tainted blood throughout the ranks”

Of course, all would-be soldiers undergo mandatory HIV screening and are not allowed to serve if they are found to be positive. Kincaid mentions this, but as Joe.My.God noted, the press release “cites the singular example of an HIV-positive soldier infecting a 17 year-old male he met in a chat room. Because if it happened ONCE out of all those millions of soldiers…”

Kincaid goes on to warn that repealing DADT will lead to “transgendered individuals who want to dress up as members of the opposite sex and would cry ‘discrimination’ if they are not allowed to do so.” Ignoring the fact that service members of both genders often wear identical uniforms, Kincaid’s only example of this allegedly real threat is a fictional character from the TV show MASH.

TPM notes that, in a separate bit of right-wing hate mongering, the Family Research Council is warning that repealing DADT “will turn the U.S. military into a terrifying free-rape zone” where straight service members “will be fellated in their sleep against their will” and commanders are powerless to resist.

SMGDH!

People can’t be that stupid and ignorant at the same time, can they?  Most importantly, why is this still a topic?  We’re still on the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” in 2010?!?  No other President before Obama had thoughts of putting this on the chopping block before today?!

DADT at its best, is some ignorant bullshit.  Someone is willing to risk their life to protect this country from harm that WE probably started in the first place, someone is willing to DIE for the freedom of his or her fellow citizens and all that’s out the window because the person is gay?  Somehow the possibility of death for protecting the country is insignificant because of the hate one breeds towards gays.  First you didn’t want blacks in the military, you didn’t want women, now gays.  What’s next?  If your 2nd toe is longer than your big toe, DADT.

And you religious, bible toting, zealots.  Straight service members will be sexed while they’re sleep against their will?!?!  Are you kidding me?!!  This sounds like this CHRISTIAN’S group unilateral wet dream.  Out of respect of readers choice to practice whatever religion they want, I’m going to keep my thoughts to myself because some of yall KILL me.  Plus I don’t JUDGE.  Don’t you remember that verse in the good book?

Where do I even begin?  We’ve all heard by now the rumors of Lebron James mother, Gloria James, having sex with Lebron’s teammate, Delonte West.  Just typing that foolishness makes me break into laughter.  I initially just blew it off but to many “official” people are confirming the story.  Not to talk about this man’s mother, but I can’t wrap my mind around why this young man would want her *ouch*.  Yeah, that was foul but I said it.   He has the baddest groupies in the world clinging to his sac and one night he says to himself “forget that bad ass 21 year-old who scaled the wall of my hotel and snuck into my room.  I’m gonna f*ck Lebron’s mom!”  It doesn’t make any sense.  Then I thought of the Destiny’s Child Syndrome, DCS.  Yes, I gave it an acronym.    Kelly and Michelle practically were seen as backup singers.  I remember watching them on the red carpet and a camera man called Kelly by the name of one of the former members!  He didn’t even know Kelly’s name.  I don’t care what anyone says, Kelly and Michelle spent nights in envious fury trying to find a way to take B out.  But you see where I’m going with this?

You have a team of players that are non-existent to the world.  They are the Kelly’s and Michelle’s of Beyonce’s Child I mean Destiny’s Child.  How much more can a rich, young, immature man take playing second fiddle?  King James this. King James that.  Antawn who? Lebron AND the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Lebron is the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Delonte who? The only man on the team that counts is Lebron James. MARSHA! MARSHA! MARSHA!  I can SO see Delonte sleeping with this man’s mother out of spite, envy and jealousy.

“Yeah, you’re the King but I f*cked your moms.”  There’s nothing that tops that.  She has completely emasculated Lebron.  But if this is true, I’m almost not as mad at Delonte as I am with Gloria.  Come one Mama James?  Delonte West?  Really?!?  You couldn’t have picked maybe one of the cute ones?  Just kidding.  This whole things stinks to high hell.  She has to be the most evil or the most stupid  bish in the North Central region of the United States.  Just like I can’t wrap my mind around him wanting to sex her up, I can’t wrap my mind why she would do it.

I can see it now.  Lebron is on the court playing and fouls someone.  Words are exchanged and then all we hear is “that’s why Delonte effed your mother!”

Lebron is caught by the paparazzi and gives them a hard time about taking pictures…”that’s why Delonte effed your mother!”

Lebron is at Wal-Mart and tries to make his entrance and exit as discreet as possible.  He’s almost clear until 10 year-old Billy Bob catches him at the exit.  “Hey Lebron! Can I get your autograph?”  Lebron apologetically declines because he doesn’t want to cause a scene.  “That’s why I effed your mother!” Billy says.

Do you see how ugly this can get?  Lebron will be 73 years-old and that will still be the running joke.  Lets hope this is truly just a rumor.  What a #epicfail if it’s not.  SMGDH!

Dating.  Who made it so difficult?  Men are from Mars, women are from Venus, women are in a rush to get married, men don’t want to be rushed into marriage.  Women have time frames for certain actions with men.  Men act all cool and nonchalant when they meet a girl.  We’ve heard it all.   But who made up all these rules?  Unwritten rules, that is.

During a usual incessant visit on Twitter a tweet from a young lady stated she met someone but she wasn’t going to call first because she didn’t want to look thirsty.  To my non “urban” followers, lol, thirsty is slang for desperate or pressed.  So if you ever hear someone use “thirsty” in reference to you, that’s not a good look.  Anywho.  I responded to the tweet and said that I thought she should call him.  After she promptly shot my idea down, it made me ask myself why we make some of the decisions we make when it comes to the opposite sex.  This lady’s reservation about calling first is an age old topic.  I know a lot of women who think the same way.  I’ve hesitated a time or two in calling a guy that I’ve met.  But why?   Where did we get this idea that we shouldn’t call first?  Who wrote this “rule”?  I can’t reference where I saw this information and no one has a passed down story indicating where they first heard that a woman should not call a man first that she just met.

Many of us are guilty for following these unwritten rules.  There must be a bible of dating out there that we’ve never seen but practice faithfully.  There’s the rule of no kissing on the first date.  You have women with a 3 month time frame before sex.  Women are judged if they have sex to soon with a man.  Women shouldn’t pay for dates.  Men don’t want to look like a punk for liking a woman to soon.  Women shouldn’t call first or it looks desperate.  Who made all this crap up?  We left the Stone Age a million years ago.  Some of these rules are silly as hell.  So you meet a guy and the connection was really positive.  Say the paper he wrote your number on fell out his pocket when he pulled out his wallet or money?  Or he threw his jeans in the washer when he got home and forgot to empty the pockets?  Or he thought he pressed “save” after entering your number in his phone?  You’re sitting around really feeling this dude, your interest is peeked and you’re not going to call because he hasn’t called you.  This man can possibly be  the King you’re waiting for and because of some unofficial rule on not calling, you let him slip through your fingers.  The same goes for you men as well.  You don’t want to look “soft” for calling a chick to soon… but yet you haven’t stopped thinking about her since you met. Smh.  Who made this crap up?

The conversation on twitter continued for a few more tweets and she was adamant that it was a sign of dehydration if she called this man first.  I suggested that it wasn’t actually dehydration but just going after what you want.  She damn near broke her finger typing ‘LOL’. Then I pulled out my smoking gun and asked:  “Is the man thirsty if he calls you first?”  *BOOM*

So do these rules still really exist?  How many of you believe women still shouldn’t pay for dates?  Or that we shouldn’t make the first phone call?  Or better yet, make the first move….sexually?  I know women who believe that they should not initiate sex with the men in their lives.  WHAT?!   I think a woman should absolutely make the first call if she wants to.  I’m not talking about he gives you his number and you call before you leave the store  and then 15 times before you get to the car.  A man is not a punk or soft for wanting to call the lady that’s been on his mind since she captured his attention with her conversation.  There’s a difference between desperation and a confident women seeing a man on the street that has caught her attention and introducing herself.  I say write your own rules.  A closed mouth never gets fed!

No, Pacman Jones isn’t in the news again.  This time the real Pac-Man has made the headlines.

This brings back so many childhood memories!  Was anyone else addicted to Pac-Man like me?  I remember feeling like I had an early case of Carpels Tunnel Syndrome at 10 years old.  Even today, when I go to an arcade I look for that yellow machine first.  As I give the list of “top scorers” the evil eye and the mad scientist laugh, I pull out my $20 roll of quarters and begin to take out each and everyone on that list as if my life depends on it.  Well, at least I try to.

Released 30 years ago in Japan by NAMCO developer Toru Iwatani, Pac-Man came to the U.S. in the fall of 1980 and instantly became a pop-culture sensation.  Then his homegirl, Ms. Pac-(wo)Man arrived in 1981.  Navigating the little yellow “thing” around the screen as it took in all the dots, fought off 4 of his or her ghostlike arch nemesis and gobbled up cherries, strawberries and bananas, you could easily spend hours upon hours on this thing.  It was never-ending.  Then in 1999 a Florida man became the first to ever “beat” the game.  He achieved the perfect score of 3, 333, 360.  And I thought I was addicted.  Geesh.

Happy 30th birthday Pac-Man.  Wow.  I’m truly showing my age.