out town

BLOG POST UPDATE

2007-05-31T09:27:00.000-07:00

IF YOU ARE HERE, YOU ARE READY TO LOOK AT THE OUTTOWN VIDS BUT BE SURE TO GO TO http://www.maatspear.blogspot.com for updates on OUTTOWN!

BLOG NOTICE (PT. 3)

2007-05-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

IF YOU GOT A FLIER FROM US AND YOU WANT TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT TESTOSCOUTURE: MAN FASHION SHOW GO TO www.maatspear.blogspot.com for details.

Sorry for the inconvenience. Maatology Productions

BLOG UPDATE (PT 2)

2007-04-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

NOTE: TO THOSE WHO ATTENDED SOLE AT TOWER GROVE PARK ON FRIDAY NIGHT, APRIL 27

IF YOU WANT TO GET MORE INFO ABOUT TESTOSCOUTURE: MAN FASHION SHOW

GO TO www.maatspear.blogspot.com for details. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Maatology Productions

BLOG NOTICE

2007-04-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

DUE TO TECH DIFFICULTIES ON THIS SITE, I AM POSTING MY BLOG POSTS ON http://www.maatspear.blogspot.com until further notice.

Thanks

Ma'at Atkins

OUT 169

2007-03-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

HELLO ALL!

THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE E-BLOGGER, MA'ATOLOGY GIVIN IT TO YA ONE MOR ETIME FOR TEH OUITTOWN PEEPS IN THE HOUSE. ALL RIGHT, LETS GET TO IT:

ON A NATIONAL TIP:
Senate Democrats ignored a veto threat and pushed through a bill Thursday requiring President Bush to start withdrawing troops from "the civil war in Iraq," dealing a rare, sharp rebuke to a wartime commander in chief. Senate Democrats ignored a veto threat and pushed through a bill Thursday requiring President Bush to start withdrawing troops from "the civil war in Iraq," dealing a rare, sharp rebuke to a wartime commander in chief.

DUBYA CLAIMS TO VETO THE BILL, BUT HE HAS TO GO BEFORE CONGRESS FOR MORE MONEY. CAN SOMEONE SAY CIVIL WAR IN THE (WHITE) HOUSE?

Folks are still buzzing about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and President Bush's former counsel approving the firings of eight federal prosecutors.
I WONDER IF THE ATTORNEYS HAD SOMETHING ON THE DUBYA CREW WHICH CAUSED THEIR FIRINGS? HMMM.

Veterinary group says more than 100 pet deaths blamed on recalled dog and cat food At least 471 cases of pet kidney failure have been reported in the 10 days since a nationwide recall of dog and cat food and about a fifth of those pets have died, a veterinarians' information service said Tuesday. The maker of the recalled pet food has confirmed the deaths of only 16 pets. Digs are dying left and right from the rat poison that was grinded into many brands of dog food.
MY QUESTION IS WHo PUT THE POISON IN THE FOOD? I HEAR THEY PUT SOME OF EVERTHING IN DOG FOOD ANYWAY, SO I GUESS WHOEVER GROUNDED UP THE STUFF PUT THE WRONG STUFF IN THE CANS.

James brown is finally buried and Anna Nicole died of a drug overdose. Uh….okay.

LOCAL/NATIOINAL
Former Rams player Marshall faulk (PICTURED ABOVE) retired his #28 jersey this week. After sitting out last season because of a knee injury, Faulk officially announced his retirement Monday. Faulk is ninth on the NFL's career rushing list, 33 yards behind Jim Brown, who at one time was the standard for the position. Faulk is fourth in combined yards from scrimmage with 19,154 yards and his 6,875 yards receiving are the most ever among running backs.

Faulk starred at San Diego State, where he rushed for 386 yards and seven touchdowns in his first game, and led the nation in rushing as a freshman.He was the second pick overall in the 1994 draft by Indianapolis and was offensive rookie of the year that season.He was traded by the Colts to St. Louis in 1999, where he became part of "The Greatest Show on Turf" with quarterback Kurt Warner and receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. The team won the Super Bowl after the 1999 season and was upset two years later by New England in a Super Bowl that many critics thought the Rams would have won had Faulk carried the ball more often.

He was voted the league's Most Valuable Player and offensive player of the year that season and won the offensive honors the next two years also. In that 1999 season, he ran for 1,381 yards and a 5.5 average and caught 87 passes for 1,048 yards.Faulk spent last season as studio host for the NFL Network and will continue doing this.

LOCALLY

The trial of Kevin Johnson (not the Pop Critic of the St. Louis Post!) is getting heated. He (PICTURED ABOVE) is who's accused in St. Louis County Circuit Court of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Sgt. William McEntee on July 5, 2005, in the Meacham Park neighborhood. To backtrack, Johnson blamed Kirkwood police for doing too little to help his dying brother and went gunning for the first officer he saw, the prosecution said Wednesday in opening Johnson's capital murder trial. Witnesses identified Johnson, 21, as the killer of Sgt. William McEntee or put him at the scene with a gun. If Johnson is convicted, McCulloch, the Prosecuting Atty, will ask in a separate hearing for a death sentence. Johnson has pleaded not guilty of the murder and of five other charges: robbery, assault and three counts of armed criminal action.

THIS IS A STICKY CASE. My QUESTION IS WILL THERE BE ANY EVIDENCE OF WHAT SGT MCENTEE DID WHILE JOHNSON"S BROTHER WAS DYING? THERE HAVE BEEN SPCLATIONS THAT THE OFFICER DIDNT DO ANYTHING. THIS WOULD AME ANYONE RAGEFUL. COULD IT HAVE BEEN TEMPORARY INSANITY? MAYBE. WILL JOHNSON HAVE ACHANCE OF GETTING AT LEAST LIFE IN PRISON. IT LOOKS DOUBTFUL. THIS CASE IS JUST GOING TO GET HOTTER AND IF HE GETS DEATH, IM SURRE THERE WILL BE A STRONG REACTION FROM THE STL!

Highway 64 is slowly becoming a relay track with hurdles? Oh what wa sup with the alleged cussin out St. Louis Public School prez Veronica Obrien did to Super Diana Bourisaw last week in the latter’s office after the State took over the Board last week? They say they got a tape of that. I m surprised no one aint tried to to get a copy of that and leak it on YOUTUBE!

Students from the Riverview Gardens district walked out of Riverview Gardens High School to march on the Riverview Gardens School District headquarters. The students are upset over the removal of Marshall Peeples as principal of the school, in north St. Louis County. Peeples has been shifted to a desk job at the district's headquarters, at 1370 North Umberland Drive, about two miles away.In a cell-phone interview this morning, high school senior Brian Turner said that 200 to 300 students were taking part in the two-mile hike to district headquarters from the school, at 1218 Shepley Drive. They plan to demand the restoration of Peeples as principal through the current school year. They are also being threatened with suspension if they dont return back to class.

I'M GLAD THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE. IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE SUSPENDED, GET SUSPENDED DOING SOMETHING TO MAKE A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER OF SOCIETY RATHER THAN BEING MENACES TO SOCIETY. YA FEEL ME?

AND NOW ONTO MY TRAVELS FROM LAST WEEK

On Saturday nite, I checked out the great crooner Johnny Mathis (PICTURED ABOVE) at the Fox. I know what y’all are sayin but like I tried tellin yall I’m all about the experience. And let me tell ya, it was definitely that. First, I knew I was going to be around a crowd of people over 35 (lets say more like 55). The crowd was mostly of elderly white poeple who look like they waited by the calendar just to see Mathis. I was the only youngster in the building—and I really dug that for real!

But before I get to the show, as I was walking toward the Fox as I passed the Grandel Theatre where the Black Rep is housed and I saw a man walking toward me. Come to find out, it was Ron Himes, The Black Rep founder looking kind of desheveled. I didn’t hardly recognize him until I walked right up to him. Then he said, “How are you doin Marcus?” Then I said "Okay" and shook his hand. He probably thought I was thinking, “Who the hell are you?” But I was good after that.

Anyway, I got to the Fox around 7:45 and got to my seat at 8 . meanwhile, the old folk were slowly creeping to their seats (many had walkers, too!). The stage comprised of a 30 piece orchestra , mainly of local musicians, so I knew that the concert was goin to be a lesson in watching a concert where you use your imagination rather than your eyes. Around *;10, the man of the hour, in a dapper black suit walked across the stage as the crowd grew wild and gave him a standing ovation. He has always been a very handsome man (He has to be about 70 these days) and it appears that he has taken care of himself.

Mathis told the audience that he was going to give them a melody of some songs that we may know and some that are (he starts to snooze). He did not disappoint as Mathis wowed the crowd with his very impressionable vibrato tenor voice on many fo his famous hits including “Chances Are,”, “Its Not for Me To say” and the crowd fave, “Misty.”

He also sang some showtunes and movie songs (including The Theme from the Godfather) and even sneaked in an R&B classic, the Stylistics’ You Make Me Feel Brand New.”

After his first set, comedian Dick Hardwick entertained the crowd for about 20 minutes or so (which I though t and intermission should have been). He was Henny Youngman kind of funny, not side bursting, but he was what you call a "nursing home comedian."

On Mathis second set, he changed into a Hawaiian shirt and continued singing some of his greatest hits(He surprisingly didn’t do a few bars of his #1 hit, “Too Much, too little , Too LAte”, much to my disappointment). After his set, the crowd leaped to their feet finishing up the soundtrack to many of the audience’s sweetheart years. I can see why he has been dubbed, ‘the Voice of Romance.”

After the show, as I walked through the lobby,. people were eating up Mathis memorabilia like it was a flea market Blue Light Special. I guess they say they wanted to get as much as they can cause I'm sure this may be the last time Mathis will perform in the Lou, I mean, he is in hsi 70s.

Then, I drove over to SYGU Group’s very popular Fashionably Late event held again at Copia. I got there around 11or so and I go in without too much problem (I was 5 minutes off from the ViP deadline!. LOL). This had to have been their biggest populated event yet. I heard that over 500 people tried packing up in Copia’s which I'm sure made the owner of the restaurant a little nervous having all of US up in therre having a good time and no one try in to TEAR DA FUCCIN CLUB UP.

The event was also precedented in that the event had 5 DJs playing on the 1s and 2s either separately or together. They were DJ Will, Nappy Needles, Dj Anisto, Di Cinnimon, and DJ Reminisce (Man SYGU.yall rolling like that??) Fashion designers Yani were in the house with models in their tees.

In the house were Treanna, Jamie Spencer (what’s up with you dropping that cookie?LOL), Crystal Allen, Kevin and Danielle, Brandon Demps, Miss Gina, Miss Millicent, and Dana Christian.

On Sunday, I checked out Last Sunday at IAM Boutique. It was IAM’s monthly networking event and Last Sunday tie din with it. I got there about 9ish. It was a cool little hang as people socialized as we waited fo r the fashion show to get started. Meanwhile, I did my schmoozing with eth regular local socialites while getting my three FREE drinks from the makeshift bar at the counter (one was a fruit drink which didn’t count) until it was time for the fashion show that represented by the Amore Models. It was hosted by local singer Deandre Perryman(man, you needed a mike!). the show only lasted fro about 10 minutes, but it was what it was. Afterward, we continued drinking until the liquor was gone (They had nuthin but the fruit drinks left!)

In the house were local rappers Rucka Puff and City Ant, Eugene Tsimmerman, Joel King, Nick Loftis of VOKAL , SYGU Group, Kiki the First Lady (thanks for the scoop), STL Top Model winner Miss Countess, Brian Stemmons (NO FRONTLNE that night?), Rennigade, Hit Shots' Jafus Johnson, Kamren Holbert (Sorry about your loss), Dj SMitty, Kevin McCoy (what wa sup with you drinking a whole bottle of Petron and lived to tell!)I AM manager Walt Johnson and model Jamell (who hooked up the gin and vodka drinks big style). DJ Reminisce was on the 1s and 2s.

On Wednesday I checked out Mocha Latte's Lyrics On the Lou at their new home of the Jazz Loft's VIP Room. It was very intimate and I think it works in a smaller setting. Mocha was being her usual Oprah on speed self and the regulars were therre to perform poetry and derivitaves thereof including Robert Dillard and 16 bars. There were a few newbies on the mike, but one in particular that was off the chain was this sista named Renee who kept saying that the wine she drank gave her gas and she was having a hard time getting her poem out. I don’t know if she was acting or not, but it was mos def memorable. DJ Reminisce was on the 1s and 2s. Oh and what wassup with the lackluster applause when Mocha introduced the Posts' Kevin Johnson when he came up in therre (and late might I add. LOL)? And what was up with Mocha's assistant Mr. Calvin sleeping in the VIP area? LOL

FOR PICS OF THESE EVENTZ GO TO OUT 168

STL-TIDBITZ. They have a big spread on STL based cage fighter Jermaine Bam Andre (PICTURED ABOVE)in this week's Riverfront Times ("Bow to Your Sensei"), He's on the front cover . Is local rapper City Ant the next big thing? I will spotlight his demo CD next week.....the Kevin Kline Awards were earlier this week celebrating St. Louis acting talent. Although Black Rep vet Linda Kennedy (PICTURED ABOVE) didnt win in her category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play for Marija’s Pictures, Upstream Theater (she lost out to DONNA WEINSTING (From Door to Door, New Jewish Theatre)it was still a great feat in that she was one of the few African American actors to be nominated for the Awards. St. Louis actor and Tony Award winner Ken Page was the host. Happy B-Day to KMOX personality Carol Daniel.... What’s this I'm hearing that Bally Total Fitness is on the verge of bankruptcy? A personal trainer that I know gave me the skinny on that? Opening day of the Cards first home game in the STL is this Sunday, April 1. I wonder how fans will react when Tony LaRussa drives around in the parade? Missouri-based singer Sheryl Crow joined breast cancer survivors and prevention advocates — including three St. Louis County women — at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. East St. Louis native singer and 2004 American Idol contestant DeAndre' Perryman is now available for booking. For more booking information, contact Martin Barnes at 314-495-4555. or go to http://www.deandreperryman.com/ or www.myspace.com/deandreperryman. You can also check out his single, I Love You on his website as well....Wherr is former model Alvin Jackson? Style queen Kimora Lee Simmons is to be turned into a doll by toymakers Mattel. The “Baby Phat,” designer and estranged wife of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons will create a clothing line for her mini-me, which is expected to hit toy stores later this year. She can also be seen on TV One this month being interviewed with Kathy Hughes on Hughes' show TVONE on One.

CHART-TIDBITZ. St. Louis based rapper Baby Huey continues is slow but steady rise on the Billboard R&B charts as his first single, Pop Lock and Drop it moves up four spaces up that chart to #24 in its 14th week (and is bubbling in the Top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart ) . Although its creeping slowly, I think this song (which was used in the flick, "Stomp the Yard") will catch fire as the Spring Summer season approaches. How far it will go on the charts? Who knows. But I know his record company has a lot of backing with him, so you know.....

MA'AT-TIDBITZ. Well I'm still working out the kinks of my fashion show TEST-OS-COUTURE. I had to audition more models (Most of them dropped out for some reason), change the venue (Its now going to be at St. Louis City Hall) and I had to move it to May 13 on Mother's Day to tie in with Women's Health Week (The show is geared toward women with it being an all-male fashion show). I am also trying my best to get signer Tank to co-host this. I can see him doing this show and from the last time I talked with him about four years ago when he was a part of Joe Torry's B-Ball Challenge , he seems to be very hospitable and cool. (And he is on a verge of a comeback with his Jamie Foxx produced single, "Please Don't Go.") . It's rough trying to get this show together, but with my sturdy assistants Mocha Latte and Marquita Buchanan (AND OF COURSE MY MUSE ARTEGO), I know I can pull this off and as Soul II Soul sang, "Keep on Movin." I will have a haiku that will be featured in a tribute Kwansaba anthology edited by Sisters Nineties in tribute to attorney, poet and art gallery curator Sheryl Y. Johnson. Go to their blogsite http://www.sistersnineties.blogspot.,com/ for more info.

EVENTZ-BITZ-

SPOTLIGHT
Stress Free Fridays, Friday, March 30, 2007, 5pm Bar Napoli (http://www.theloftstl.com/) 3112 Olive--Olive and Compton St. Louis, Missouri 63103 Mid-Town 314-225-2505. Join them this Friday (March 30, 2007) as we visit the most popular venue in St. Louis, The Loft Jazz Club. This Stress Free Fridays event will also be the Preview for the Ray Hill's American Pilsner...Network with the best of the best at Stress Free Fridays: enjoy live music and dance to the beats of one of the best DJ's in the STL. Sip on great drink specials, featuring Ray Hill's American Pilsner-this brew is the King of the Hill.

Find out what all the buzz is about! Meet Ray Hill and his business partners MarioWayne and Stephen Bruce....come out and meet someone new and get away from the stressors in your life! Massage Therapist, Kamren, will be on hand with his famous "Massage Chair" to massage your "stress" away! Bring plenty of business cards and be prepared to network as you never know who you might meet. **SPECIAL NOTE: Please visit http://www.rayhills.com/ for more information about Ray Hill's American Pilsner! .............................................

Hipster Magazine is doing it once again TWICE at POSH (408 N. Euclid in the Central West End) from 9:30 pm to 1:30 am!DJ Kue will be spinning hip-hop, soul and r&b all night...FREE ADMISSION + DOPE MUSIC + A HOT VIBE = A PARTY YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!!!Please note: This event is for the fly people so please dress accordingly Enjoy JACK DANIEL'S drink specials and giveaways all night! Please remember to drink responsibly

AND

Where are you watching the Final Four games on Saturday? Well come to North County's newest sports bar/billiards hall, CUETOPIA (11824 W. Florissant near New Halls Ferry), for a special evening of hoops, food and drinks.The Jack Daniel's Viewing Party will tip-off when the games begin at 5 pm with free food and $3.50 Jack drink specials! Also, meet the Jack Girls, enjoy giveaways all night and enter the Pop-A-Shot tournament for your chance to WIN!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From Sharee Galvin’s CORNER:
Blackmon;s Plaza Presents Male Explosion, Sunday , May 6 , 7 p.m. at 127 Collinsville Ave. Hosted By Mocha Latte, ADV tickets $20, $25 At DOOR, VIp tickets $40 (includes Champagne Tickets available at Blackmons Plaza, Club Illusion, Metrotix, Top Styles, Personal Touch Boutique, Foster’s Elegant Salon, and satisfied Inc (25th Satet0. For more info call 618,. 531. 8522 or 618. 567. 8912.

WEDNESDAYS: "HUMP DAY-GOT LYRICS?" LYRICS ON THE LOU WILL NOW BE AT THE LOFT

Sharee is also promoting STL based author Cheriyln Michael’s second book “First Fridays”. For book or book tour info, send Miss Galvin an e-out?

For any info on these events email Sharee at sgalvin26@yahoo.com

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St., Louis Fashion Week will be April 5to 8. It includes

Thurs., Apr. 5, Who’s Who Party, Macks. Call (314) 306-7999. Fri., Apr. 6, Fresh Faces N Fashion Show, 7700 Delmar. Call (314) 306-7999. and Sun., Apr. 8, 7 p.m., Glamour Ball & Haute Hair Show, Adam’s Mark Grand Room. Call (314) 306-7999. call the number for ticket info.

New Images presents UNMASKED, GARDEN OF EDEN FASHION SHOW, Sat. April 7, 2007 @ Tower Grove Park Piper Palm House, 2pm-4:30pm. For more info. 314.560.0915

Attend the 2nd Annual PRONTO Fashion Show on Friday, May 11, 2007, 6:30 PM. Hosted at the historical site of 555 Washington Avenue. Don’t miss St. Louis’ only international runway fashion show where the Best Voted Designer and Best Voted Model will be selected! Proceeds will also benefit a children’s fund as part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Campaign! For ticket information, please call 314/534-9251 or go to

http://www.prontofashion.com/ for more information.

ONGOING BITZ The Lindbergh Bistro Located inside the Airport Plaza Inn @ 70 & Lindbergh presents Show Me Entertainment Industry Nite every Wednesday nite , 6 p.m. Singers, producers, songwriters, dancers/choreographers, radio personalities, designers, models, actors, labels, promoters, djs, make up artists, stylists, web/graphic artists, barbers, beauticians, entertainment lawyers, image consultants, modeling agencies, models and entrepreneurs catering to the entertainment industry... Fro more info contact Terrence at 314.731.9808

Mingle and Mix Mondays , Mingle 4p.m. (Bring Ya Laptods and Biz Cards) Drink Specials, $1 off Appetizers and Mix with DJ Sir Thurl (8p.m. -1 a.m.) FREE before 9 p.m. $3-$5 Cover after 9 p.m. at the ST. Louis Happy Hour Bar and Grill inside PArkler Plaza, 12948 Halls Ferry at Parker Rd.

Check out local comedian Brie Johnson's website podcast. Make sure to logon to http://www.riverfrontradio.com/ and listen to my new morning radio talk show called "The Grey Area"!!! Every Monday morning from 10am to 12noon CST. Chat online with us, or call in to talk live on the air. It's one hell of a way to start the week!

For all of your fashion and fashion show needs, go to PRONTO at http://www.prontofashion.com/

Gravity presents Natty Lounge for Reggae Wednesdays, 9 p.m.-2.a.m, located at 1620 delmar. $5 door, ladies free til 11p.m., for more info, call 314-479-3376

Check out blog http://www.sistersnineties.blogspot.com/for local literary group Sister’s Nineties Afrocentricliterary activities for the family and youngsters

Check out Lachrisa Crenshaw’s spa products at http://www.warmspirit.org/esuite/home/chriscspirit,or call her at (314)401-0710

For body painting, makeup, face painting wigs and other special effects, contact Jessica Dana at http://www.jessicadana.com/ or go to www.myspace.com/jessicadada13

For all of your STL club event plans, AD SPACE and pics,go to http://www.stlouis-online.com/.

For your catering needs, check out Collective Cateringcollectivecatering@yahoo.com located at4958 Cote Brilliante, their digits are 314-575-3333)

KDHX Radio’s Chuck Lavazzi has a hot new podcast calledSTAGE LEFT which he talks about CD reviews, news and the world of stage, screen, cabaret and related places.Go to it directly at http://tinyurl.com/zrqd7

Check out STLdee-jay Enoch online with his own radio playlist.The Flow: Music Lounge. Peep it out at http://www.flowink.com/player-popup.htm or go to his myspace page www.myspace/enochisreal.

For all your STL hip-hop info needs, go to http://www.stlhiphop.com/!

STL videographer Dana Christian has a hot website where people can send their professional music videos films to get exposed. Itis http://www.spitflix.com/.

Popular DJ Enoch has just posted a new episode on his podcast. the title is Knocturnal Sunshine Episode: Knocturnal Sunshine #214. You can hear it at http://knocradio.podOmatic.com/

Peep out veteran radio personlality Edie Bee with her weekly jazz series Jazz on the Bee Side"Sundays from 1-3pmOn Soul Classics 1490 WESL AM

If you want to get on Vanita Applebum's hot new entertainment newsletter, email her at vanitaapplebum@yahoo.com

WELL THATS IT! IF YA GOT ANYTHING FOR ME TO SCOOP OR PUB, hit me up email style at maatspear@yahoo.com

OUT 168 PARTYPICZ

2007-03-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

WASSUP PEEPS! THE FOLLOWING ARE PICS FROM EVENTZ I ATTENDED LAST WEEK. (PHOTOS BY MA'ATOLOGY)

FROM LYRICS ON THE LOU/GOT LYRICS AT JAZZ LOFT VIP ROOM: FROM LEFT : ABOVE LEFT Poet Renee who who was reciting her poem with "gas" from the wine she drank. I guess... ABOVE RIGHT: Poet/socialte Mocha Latte reading a poem, "anyway" from an Anonymous poet.. NEXT PIC BELOW: .Mocha going through the audnece giving people their 5 Minutes of Fame...

FROM THE IAM /LAST SUNDAYS PARTY: LEFT: Rappers Rucka Puff with up and coming rapper City Ant RIGHT: SYGU's, Rahsad City Ant and SYGU's Eddie Hollman....Last Sundays creators Jamie Spencer and Treanna..

LEFT: Model Miss Millicent (Congrats on your upcoming nuptials ) with message therapist/model Kamren Holbert chillin at the IAM party (No Kam is not marrying Millicent. LOL)...RIGHT: 100.3TheBeat personality KiKi the First Lady at the IAM Party.

LEFT: An autographed picture of local singer and 2004 American Idol contestant Deandre Perryman sigend by him at the I Am PArty (its gonna be worth millions one day Im sure) ....RIGHT: Model/socialite Jamelle taking a break from servin those crunk drinks at the IAm Party.

BELOW LEFT AND RIGHT: Amore Models clownin around before the fashion show

The Crowd at the IAm Party (the sexy sista in the black mini dress is STL Top Model Miss Countess)

FROM THE SYGU PARTY AT COPIA. LEFT: DJ Will and Dj Nappy Needles (doing a crazy imitation of Dj Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince--He's theDJ...)

DJ Anisto (on the 1s and 2s) and Dj Reminisce looks on waiting his turn. LOL

STL DIVAS: Miss Millicent, Miss Treanna and Miss Gina taking a sexy pose at Copia

One of the young power couples in the STL Danielle Fields and Kevin (Patron) McCoy

Some ambience at Copia.

DA CROWD

MORE OF DA CROWD

EVEN MORE OF DA CROWD!

OUT 167(FLICK BITZ)

2007-03-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

ICE CUBE AND NIA LONG BACK TOGETHER
IN THE HILARIOUS FAMILY COMEDY ARE WE DONE YET?

Are We Done Yet? is the follow-up to the 2005 family comedy Are We There Yet?, which picks up where the last story left off. Nick Persons (Ice Cube), now married to Suzanne (Nia Long), has bought a quiet suburban house to escape the rat race of the big city and to provide more space for his new wife and kids Lindsey and Kevin, (Aleisha Allen and Philip Daniel Bolden). But when his new home quickly becomes a costly “fixer upper” and he finds himself at the mercy of an eccentric contractor, Nick’s suburban dream soon becomes a riotous nightmare. Are We Done Yet? is scheduled for release from Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures on Wednesday, April 4th.

Are We There Yet? earned nearly $100 million worldwide. Ice Cube shares his thoughts about its success: “My fans have grown up with me and I figured they are where I am in life. They have families, kids and relationship issues going on, too. I thought it was a good fit; I gave it a different flavor that clicked with audiences across the board. I’m happy about the film’s success and the fact that we can come back together, again, to continue the story.”

Are We Done Yet? marks Cube and Long’s fourth collaboration. Long says, “It’s great, because Cube is like family to me. It makes it easy, because we’re already familiar with one another, so all we have to do is catch up on one another’s lives since we last saw each other. I’ve worked with Ice Cube so many times that he jokingly tells me, ‘I’m not gonna work with you no more, girl!’ Our first film was Boys N the Hood, then Friday and Are We There Yet?, and now Are We Done Yet? I sure hope we’re not done, yet. It’s been great.”

In the new film, Are We Done Yet?, Nick finds that the family’s situation goes from cramped to critical when Suzanne announces she’s pregnant with twins! There’s no option left but to move. As Nick quickly falls in love with a magnificent home in need of some TLC, the charismatic local realtor, Chuck Mitchell, Jr. (John C. McGinley), sells them on the house’s finer attributes… and before she knows it, Suzanne is giving in to Nick’s ridiculous vision of fixing up the house himself and creating the perfect environment for their expanding family.

But then, Nick nearly electrocutes himself on his first do-it-yourself project after a chandelier falls from the ceiling. Nick gives in, calls the contractor, and Chuck shows up. It appears that, in addition to being the local realtor, Chuck is also the neighbor, inspector, contractor, and “baby whisperer,” who seems to have all the answers to the family problems Nick faces – the man who succeeds wherever Nick fails. Nick is furious. When the babies start kicking and only Chuck can calm them down, it’s more than Nick can bear.

Cube feels certain that audiences will easily relate to the crisis Nick and Suzanne face. “All of us know the frustration of dealing with home projects. Everyone has had them, whether they are big or small. So, it’s a universal problem,” he says.
But he laughs about the thought of a ‘Chuck’ in his real life, “If I was faced with a realtor/contractor like Chuck, he and I would have come to blows. But in this movie, John (McGinley), who plays Chuck, is the unexpected ‘plus factor’ in the story. He brings a lot of laughter to the film. So, he is cool for that reason to me.”

In the end, Cube says he hopes in addition to laughing, audiences also take the important message that Nick learns with them, “You can’t quit when things get tough. You have to stick it out and things will eventually work out. That’s what happens for Nick and his family in this film.”

As head of the production company Cube Vision, Ice Cube has written, produced, and starred in the cult hit Friday and its successful sequels, Next Friday, and Friday After Next. Cube Vision was also responsible for The Players Club, in which Cube made his directorial debut. He also starred in and executive produced the back-to-back box office hits Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business. In Are We Done Yet?, Cube again stars as Nick Persons, a role he created in Revolution Studios' sleeper-hit family comedy Are We There Yet?, which he also produced through Cube Vision.

Other film credits include the critically acclaimed Three Kings opposite George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg; Trespass; and Higher Learning. Cube made his feature film debut in John Singleton’s classic Boyz N the Hood.

Cube continues to be one of the most recognized hip-hop artists in the recording industry. His thriving music career includes the double-platinum success of Volumes 1 and 2 of his double album, “War and Peace.” As a solo artist, Cube has recorded such hit albums as “Lethal Injection,” “Bootlegs & B-Sides,” “The Predator,” and “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted.” His collaborative effort with Mack-10 and WC formed the group Westside Connection whose second album, “Terrorist Threats,” was released in December 2003 and marks the follow-up effort to their 1996 double-platinum seller, “Bow Down.” A collection of his greatest hits, featuring two new songs, was released by Priority Records in December 2001.

Cube’s career started in music in the 1980s. He reflects, “It all began with Dr. Dre. He gave me my break in music. He let me hang out with him, taught me about making beats and everything about the rap game. That’s how my career started.”

Nia Long has built a reputation as an actress of exceptional range, delivering

outstanding work in box office hits, independent features, and television. Long recently starred in Big Momma’s House 2 with Martin Lawrence, Charles Shyer’s remake of Alfie opposite Jude Law, and in Mario Van Peebles’ critically acclaimed documentary Baadasssss!

Long also starred in 20th Century Fox’s box office hit Big Momma’s House. Her role in this film garnered her a 2001 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and a 2001 Blockbuster Award nomination for Favorite Actress. Long’s other film credits include Boiler Room, Best Man, The Broken Hearts Club, In Too Deep, Held Up, Stigmata, Soul Food, Made in America, Friday, Boyz N the Hood, and Love Jones, which won the prestigious Audience Award at Sundance.
On television, Long starred on NBC’s critically acclaimed drama “Third Watch” as Sasha Monroe, a tough cop dedicated to improving her community. For her work, Long received a 2004 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series. She recently completed a dramatic arc on the highly rated television series “Boston Legal.”

Revolution Studios presents an RKO Pictures/Cube Vision production, Are We Done Yet? The film stars Ice Cube, Nia Long, John C. McGinley, Aleisha Allen, and Philip Daniel Bolden. The director is Steve Carr. The producers are Ted Hartley, Ice Cube, Matt Alvarez, and Todd Garner. Screen Story and Screenplay by Hank Nelken, based on characters created by Steven Gary Banks & Claudia Grazioso, based upon the Motion Picture “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House,” screenplay by Norman Panama & Melvin Frank, from the RKO Pictures Library. Executive producers are Heidi Santelli, Aaron Ray, Steve Carr, Derek Dauchy, and Neil Machlis. Director of Photography is Jack Green, ASC. Production Designer is Nina Ruscio. The editor is Craig P. Herring. Music is by Teddy Castellucci. The music supervisor is Spring Aspers.

These credits are not final and subject to change.

INFO PROVIDED BY WWW.ROZSTEVENSONPR.COM

OUT 166

2007-03-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hola all. Ma’atology is back and in full mode!

I am going to skip all the newz stuff y’all pretty much know what’s happening cause I need to play catch up of my travels from two weeks ago and this week.

2 weeks ago, I was in the deep trenches of rehearsal and promotion for my first play MONOLOGUES AND PENISLLIN in five years that was goin to be staged at the SWB Room at the Missouri History Museum March 16-18.

My actors (PICTURED ABOVE) included Darrell Moore (who played street thug Killa MC), L.A. Williams (who played the pompous professor Dr. Jones), Jaron Hicks (who played the aging female impersonator, Miss Vageena Honey), Carlos McClaurin (who played the cool street pimp Goldy Bear) and Archie Coleman ((who played the senile WW II vet, Mista) The background actress that was added was Tamitra Willford.

It was mos def a labor of love in that the play was a revised version of a play I produced and write in 200 under the title, MANALOGUE. And was staged at the now defunct Hatshepsut Studio Gallery that used to be house don the corner of Tucker and Washington and curated by the late Sheryl Johnson.

I had three weeks of rehearsals (2 days a week with the cast at the Emerson Library at Webster University as well as my own gig at the Water Geyser. I also did my share of pubbin it by going on the The Best of the STL on City 10 and being a guest on the very popular Freeman Bosley Junior radio Show with Freeman and Nicci Roach (PICTURED ABOVE)on 100.3The Beat.

Speaking of the Freeman show, Two S a t u r d ays ago I g o t a t e x t from F r e e-m a n B o s l e y J r . Show c o - h o s t N i c c i R o a c h (SEEN ABOVE WITH MUSHROOM HAIRDO) who said if I wanted to be

o n t h e s h o w o n S u n d a y . I t e x t h e r b a c k a n d t o l d h e r I w o u l d d o i t . I w a i t e d near- ly t w o y e a r s to be on the show and was f i n a l l y g o i n g t o b e o n t h e s h o w - - t h en it dawned

on me th a t EYE had to S P R I N G F O R W A RD o n S u n d a y and I k n e w I was going to be

d r a g g i n the c a r p e t . B u t I w a s g o i n g t o m a k e i t h a p p e n--- r e g a r d l e s s .

S o , I g o t t o C l e a r C h a n n e l s t a t i o n on Oakland AVE round 8:3 0 S u n d a y m o r n i n a n d text N i c c i t o t e l l h e r I w a s i n t h e p a r k i n g l o t w a i t i n g for her to c o m e g e t m e to c o m e i n s i d e the s t u d i o . A f e w m i n u t e s later , I saw N i c c i f r o m the g l a s s d o o r s and when she o p e n 'd the d o o r I s a i d . " I S P R UNG F O R W A R D ! " t h e n I w a l k e d u p to her and gave her a f r i e n d h u g . She l e d me up to the s h o w a t t h e 100 . 3 B e a t s t a t i o n . A s I was walkin t h r o u g h t h e h a l l w a y , I saw t h e s i g n s t o t h e o t h e r C l e a r C h a n n e l

S t a t i o ns( M a j i c , 1 0 7 . 7 H a l l e l u j a h 1 6 0 0 ) a n d r e a l i z e d h o w c o n s o l i d a t e d

t h i n g s a re.

But b e f o r e I h a d a c h a n c e t o s o a k u p t h e a t m o s p h e r e , N icci led me to a room a c r o s s from where F r e e m a n (SEEN ABOVE IN GLASSES) a n d t h e c r e w (Pat and darrion were MIA). It w a s interesting t o s e e t h e s h o w b e h i n d t h e s c e n e s . It was also f u n n y t o s e e Freeman one minute ta l k i n g t o a c a l l e r o n t h e a i r , t h e n m o v e t o a c o r n e r i n the s t a t i o n t o c a l l a n d s e e i f a g u e s t w a s s t i l l c o m i n g to the show ( That guest w a s n e w l y- e l e c t e d A l d e r m a n i c P r e z L e w i s R e e d ) .

A r o u n d 9 , N i c ci had me to c o m e i n t o t h e m a i n s t u d i o i n o r der to do h e r N i c AT Ni ne e segm e n t . A l s o in t h e s t u d i o w a s C l e t u s , t h e b o a r d o p e r a t o r w h o w a s at the center of Freeman and Nic and I was across from Cletus . I h a d o n m y s h a d e s c a u se I w a s B O N E TIRED f r o m S p r i n g Fo r w a r d a n d w o r k i n g t h e l a t e n i g h t s h i f t. Right b e f o r e w e were going ON AIR , N i c c i a s k e d i f I w a s n e r v o u s . I t o l d h e r N O. I was more s l e e p y t h a n n e r v o u s b u t I w a s n e r v o u s h o w I w a s g o i n g t o s o u n d c a u s e I was d e f i n i t e l y i n s l e e p m o d e .

B u t t h e i n t e r v i e w w a s o f f t h e c h a i n . T h e y g a v e me about 5 m i n u t e s . They axed m e q u e s t i o n s o n m y w e b s i te, h o w I p r e p a r e m y s i t e , t h e s t a g e p l a y , a n d my up-coming fashion s h o w . I t w a s a l s o i n t e r e s t i n g t o g e t i n t o their r h y t h m cause its RAPID PACE. A f t e r w a r d , I h a d a chance to c u t a n I . D . t o c h e c k o u t t h e s h o w (THE QUIT PLAYIN PART). I had gone into a n o t h e r r o o m w h e r e C l e t u s r e c o r d e d m y I-D . and I d i d i t IN ONE TAKE ( M y mass c o m m u n i c a t i o n s s k i l l s w e n t i n t o o v e r d r i v e on that one ) . They used the ID seconds after I recorded it.

La t e r o n t h a t n i g h t , I c h e c k'd out M o c h a L a t t e 's new performing arts Showcase J A M B O R EE a t t h e J a z z L o f t . I g o t t h e r r e a b o u t 8 p m a n d g o t t h e r e i n t i m e. I t was pack'd The event was g o o d . I l i k e d t h e w h o l e i d e a o f havin a s h o w c a s e f o r l o c a l p e r f o r m e r s d o their thing . T h e o n l y p r o b- lem i s , i t w a s t o o m a n y p e r f o r m e r s . D o n t g e t m e w r o n g , i t was def p r o f e s s i o n a l l y d o n e , b u t therr were 2 0 a c ts. S o m e w e r e o f f t h e c h a i n (l i k e s i n g- er J R ( w ho was on Making the Band 4 who w a s p e r formin SPIT R & B - - you had to be there to see it ) , P o e t R o b e r t D i l l i a r d , a L y r i c s o n t h e L o u a l u m , w h o s h o c k'd the c r o w d w i t his frantic back and forth f r e n z y s t y l e , comedian D e A n d r e ( w h o 's r e a d y f o r t h e n a t i o nal spotlight) a n d and d a n c e g r o u p 3 S h a d e s (p i c t u r e a h i p - h o p v e r s i o n o f t h e P u s s ycat D o l l s ) a n d s o m e w e r e-- w e l l , h a d t h e i r m o m e n t o n s t a g e (I AINT SAYING NO NAMES BUT ONE COMEDIAN WASNT AS HOT AS HIS NAME CLAIM TO BE. OOPS)

The time of the last a c t , c o v e r b a n d M a r v i n a n d The Ba n d , i t w a s g o i n g o n a f t er 11p . While t h e y w e r e p e r f o r m i n g I h a d g o t m e a chicken d i n n e r t o g o f o r m y l u n c h f o r w o r k and d i d m y g o o d b y es to t h o s e w h o I k n e w u p i n t h e r e . O n the 1 s and 2 s was DJ Reminisce .

In an odd moment, after the concert and I drove to work, I drove onto Collinsville Ave toward the clubs, there were two sets of thug boyz on opposite sides of the streets positioned in a diagonal form throwing a football bakc and forth close to midnite! What wa sup with that? I guess they couldnt throw bullets with guns, so I gues stehy did the next best thing and toss bullets with a ball. CLASSIC!

THEN Last weekend, was my show MONOLOGUES AND PENISLLIN. I missed out a few events that was going on at the time ( Aaron Foster’s ’s B-Day Party at Mandarin, St. Patties celebrations, Katt Williams at the Fox) Overall, the turnout was so-so, but I made a profit so I wasn’t complaining. The crowd seemed to like the characters Miss Vageena Honey and Mista the best. It was definitely an experience to say the least to get back into the trenches of theatre. I also managed to drink a few beers with some of the cast at the Halo Bar as we got more up and personal with each other as far as our backgrounds and being boyz. It was cool but I had to play alcohol cop cause I didn’t want to be seen buzzed and being the director/father to the other actors, but it was all good.

The best nite was Sunday where the production was tight timewise and capacity (about 30). The reactions from the diverse crowd afterwards was a standing ovation. I was very pleased of the feedback and it cause d a lot of dialogue with the issues that black men deal with in America. I think I got something going with this one and because of that, I think I will restage the show in May with a bigger budget and hopefully with the same cast. I will keep you posted on it.

On Wednesday, I did triple duty of going to three different events in four hours. First I attended my girl Shawn Guy-Pitts’ (PICTURED ABOVE) one woman show “Ending Silence” at UMSL. It got started at 7. It was in behalf of women’s Violence week. It was definitely interesting. It reminded me of Whoopi Goldberg;s one-woman show back in 84 when she portrayed different characters and talked about their life (and a female version of my play MONOLOGUES ) . With Pitts’ she played a Latina, a studious woman, a dumb blonde and a gangsta girl. And all were victims of violence.

It lasted about an hour or so and I must say, it has the potential of really being a classic production with a message., You go, girl. I couldn’t stay for the second half to see poet IMPAKT cause it was time to check out the next event CAFÉ SOUL at Lucas House in Soulard. I haven’t been a while to Coco Soul’s event (manly cause it was held at a certain club where the owner I don’t too much get along with), but I liked that it was at Lucas House, a real nice mood setting without the club feel. I got there about 8:30 cause I had to drive from the County near the Airport to Soulard (and get some gas in between).

I get therre and the first person I see is Coco who was greeting her clientele, then I was asked by this white woman my ID. Then I paid my seven bones for the show. (I also saw one of my “dwarf nemesis” with the initials HC that made my skin crawl). I also saw Raquel who does handbags and told her that I would get in touch with her about my upcoming fashion show and using her bags in the show. I then ordered some wine and proceeded upstairs where the showcase was and saw some usual faces and two faces that were together that had me wondering if they were TWOgether.

Before the show started. Coco had to set straight about someone who was putting shows called Coco Soul Sundays and using her name without permission and how people should respect people’s identity. WHOA!

Some of the singers and poets performing included Alicia Renee (who toe up If I Aint Got you), Maryln (who did up ReRE’s Baby I Love you), Jamie SPencer (who did Musiq), and Lagina (the Lumidee/Oooooooh Noooooooooo part of the nite. I text Mocha to tell her Got Lyrics vet was butcherin up the mike. LOL) )I stayed for about 90 minutes socializing and all. And speaking of socializing, I saw a particular popular StL photographer from a popular newspaper sitting with a local female fashion designer as though they were an item. It looked for sure they were on a date. I may be wrong, but if this is true, this particular photographer was recently seen with his colleague as an item. What is really going on cassanova?

I also saw Darrell Moore who acted in my production MONOLOGUES and PENISILLIN. I teased him about getting buzzed at the beerfest we had at Halo and said to him, “You are the only one I know who gets drunk off of water.” I also ran into Vanita Applebum who was dying to know how my play ended. She said that it was too long and she and Nicci Roach were in the car after the show to guess how it ended (Man, I am creating a tsunami with this play!) Also In the house were St. Louis Posts’ Kevin Johnson, Debra Bass, Wynette Jones and actor Randall Beans.

I left at 10 so I can catch the tail end of Mocha Latte’s revamped Got Lyrics event which is now being held at the Loft (it was at Filter for the past two months, but that’s a loooooooooooooooooong story). The usual suspects were there to perform including Robert Dillard and 16 Bars, and it was one sista who said she did poetry at her church who ended the show with a sex romp with her, her wifey and her man that would have made Jesus blush. After about an hour , I began to yawn and stepped out of the spot to hit the graveyard shift at the Water Geyser.

FOR PARTY PICS OF SOME OF THE EVENTS MENTIONED ABOVE, GO TO OUT 165!

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MS. TAKEOFFURCOOL PAGE

This post is introducing an assistant who will err now and then be my eyes and ears when I cant attend a particular event. Her name is Ms. TakeOFfUrCool (I'll call her Ms. T) Here is what she gave me last week. Ms. T. had the opportunity to cover the Juelz Santana/Yung Joc (PICTURED ABOVE) concert that was held at Club Society last Saturday. Before she got there, she got the scoop from one of the promoters of the show who told her that Juelz wouldn’t be performing, but it was their little secret and would have the crowd think that he was coming.

I hipped her on concerts that is staged at Society/Toxic in that they may say doors open at 8 but those hip-hop concerts start after 11 p.m. This go round, the concert started at 11:45. When she got there she said that err body who wanted to park in the back of the club had to pay 5 bones to get their cars parked (she even said that after the show, some of the valet peeps were not asking for valet tickets and just gave keys to people when they asked for their cars!). she and her assistant was able to get in but of course with some drama. The co-owner, John, wasn’t for sure of they were on the list until Ms. T’s assistant went off. John got the promoter of the show to verify their access to the show and gave them press credentials.

While in there, Ms. T said folks were packed like sardines and tickets are 20 bones if you didn’t have a secret flier that got you in FREE (whoa from free to 20 is a big leap, ya think?). Anyway, while in, Ms. T said she was mistaken as one of the Eye Candy Models (Maybe it was were stilettos. LOL) She said even one guy held her hand and said, Mmmm, eye candy. Well, the imposterin must have worked cause she was able to go to three sets of VIP. Yes, Three. The lower level was VIP, then upstairs was V-VIP, then another section of upstairs was V-V-VIP where Yung Joc was suppose to meet and greet.
(whats up with all the sectioning off of VIP. So St. Louis!)

When the concert was over, Joc had over 20 or so bodyguards surrounding him when he was traveling to get to the V-V-VIP area. Ms. T said he had so much ice on, you would have thought the temperature had dropped to igloo status! When he finally broke through the crowd to get to the area, Ms, T said she was able to ask him a couple of questions, but he didn’t stay long which made a lot of the hoochies up in there pissed as Hell.

Ms. T also said that there was a coughing attack that went down up in there too come to find out the police sprayed some mace in the building and the particles from it started to make people cough. Now you know that is just TOO MUCH PLAYIN IN THE CITY.

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CHART-TIDBITZ SPOTLIGHT

Looks like we got yet another ST. Louis artist doin its thing on the Billboard charts—Baby Huey (PICTURED ABOVE) is making a splash on the Billboard R&B charts with his dance jam, “Pop Lock and Drop It,” which move sup 5 spaces up that chart to #28 in its 13th week.

There was an interesting article on the 17 year old Kinloch native (bvorn Lawrence Franks Jr) in St. Louis Business on how he got his record deal.

He was signed to Jive Records and his debut single is off his upcoming album “Notebook Paper” coming in June. He landed a $2.5 million record deal with Sony BMG Music Entertainment's Zomba Label Group. The 17-year-old from Kinloch is the first rapper signed to Zomba's new Jive Records/Hitz Committee imprint.

Huey finalized the deal last July with the help of Emmett McAuliffe, an entertainment lawyer with the Spencer, Fane, Britt & Browne firm in Clayton. McAuliffe just put the final touches on Huey's management arrangement with Michael "Blue" Williams, longtime manager of hip-hop group OutKast.

The $2.5 million was used to produce the record. Huey got to keep any unspent money, but will not receive any profits from record sales until the production costs are recouped by Jive Records/Hitz Committee. His music also will be licensed for TV and film projects and a publishing deal.

And According to Pr NEwswire, HUEY Tops the Music Choice Video on Demand Chart With His Hit 'Pop, Lock & Drop It' Claiming the #1 Spot Three Weeks In a Row.

MA’AT-IDBITZ. I personally want to thank the following for helping make this play THE NEXT: Laura Hennon of the Missouri History Museum, STL411.net, RAC.org, The ESL Monitor, West End Word, Vital Voice, Calvin Wilson of Get Out, Jessica Dana (makeup) Mr. Kyle (lights and videotaping by default), Travis Crosby (for the flier illustration), Peter Foggy (for the tunes), Shawn Guy-Pitts, Senora Robinson and Marquita Buchanan (for “womanning” the ticket table), Navish (for the dress) and definitely my cast—the best cast I have ever worked with.

STLTID-BITZ—What was up with Cards manager Tony Larussa getting arrested late Wednesday for drunk driving in Jupiter, FLA while the Cards are training? He was seen in his car stopped at the intersection without driving when the light turned green-two times in a row! What’s up with that? My question is, will Larussa be here in the STl; for opening day at the Busch stadium on April 1?....Looks liek teh St. Lousi Public Schools will be state controlled. Word broke out Thursday on teh takeover that have been in dire straits ever since former super Creg Williams and vashon caoch Floyd irons were ousted from tehri repsecitive positions last summer.....St. Louis rapper Big Will, who last year was a big champion on BET's "106th & Park" Freestyle Friday competition, recently returned to New York to appear on the cable channel's "Clash of the Champions" reunion. Four champs were brought back in honor of the release of Notorious B.I.G.'s "Greatest Hits." The champions rapped over classic B.I.G. beats, where Big Will reigned again....Kudos to St. Louis jazz singer/actress Denise Thimes who is set for NYC for a weeklong stint hrough April 1 at the Blue Note, a top jazz club, on a bill with trumpeter St. Louis native trumpeter Clark Terry ans saxophonist James Moody....Thanks to Jeron Hicks, kevin bryant, Archie Coleman, Darrell Moore and Carlos McCalurin for goin the extra mile in pubbin up the play....Former St. Lousian Cedric Mixon put up some info about me on his my space account. Just go to myspcae and type in his name and check out what he had to say about Ma'at....On a sad note, R&B singer Luther Ingram died atteh age of 69 this week.Luther Ingram, the R&B soul singer and songwriter, is dead at age 69. He was best known for his 1972 hit, "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)." Ingram died Monday at a Belleville, Ill., hospital after suffering for years from diabetes, kidney disease and partial blindness 9 I hear he didnt want peopel to know he was in teh condition he was in). . He and his wife, Jacqui Ingram, had lived in nearby O'Fallon, Ill., for ten years. Born in Jackson, Tenn., Ingram and his family moved to Alton, Ill in teh mid 40s. In 1971, he cowrote "Respect Yourself" for the Staple Singers, the biggest hit Memphis-based Stax Records ever had.

EVENTZ-TIDBITZ Stress Free Fridays. Friday, March 23, 5pm, Bar Napoli (www.cafenapoli.com), 7750 Forsyth Blvd--Forsyth and Bemiston in Clayton...Join them this Friday and enjoy authentic Italian cuisine, great drinks and fun people all in a hip, yet relaxing atmosphere. You will also be able to enjoy> continuing coverage of the NCAA Tournament on one of> the many flat screen televisions...come out and meet> someone new and get away from the stressors in your> life!.............

SYGU GROUP presents Fashionably Late ....Again, Saturday, March 25 at Copia, 1122 Washington, 9 p.m. until 1:30 am Ladies free until 11p.m. Fellaz $5 before 11 p.m. For more info go to http://www.sygugroup.com/mainmenu.html

Second Slavery: The Art of Keith Westbrook, thru March 24 at Left Bank Books, 399 Euclid, St. Louis, MO. For info. 314.367.6731....................

KETC/CHANNEL 9 presents JOHNNY MATHIS SUNDAY, MARCH 25 • 7:00p.m. Saturday, March 24 • 8:00p.m. - On sale now! Previously announced LIVE at the Fox Theatre! $65, $60, $55 & $45 Purchase tickets at the Fox Box Office, MetroTix outlets or by calling 314/534-1111. Order tickets online at http://www.metrotix.com/ ............................

The Black Rep’s Popular “I Stand Alone” Solo Performance Series Returns. The Black Rep’s new, I STAND ALONE solo theatre series returns on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m., thru March 26 at The Black Rep Monsanto Center for Performing Arts Education, 1717 Olive Street, 4th Floor. The series will feature solo performances of original work with a 15 minute intermission. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Admission is $10 or $5 for Black Rep subscribers.WHERE: The Black Rep Monsanto Center for Performing Arts Education, 1717 Olive Street, 4th FloorTICKETS: $10 and $5 for Black Rep Subscribers, for info please call (314) 534-3810

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From Sharee Galvin’s CORNER:

WEDNESDAYS: "HUMP DAY-GOT LYRICS?" LYRICS ON THE LOU WILL NOW BE AT THE LOFT

Sharee is also promoting STl based author Cheriyln Michael’s second book “First Fridays”. For book or book tour info, send Miss Galvin an e-out?

For any info on these events email Sharee at sgalvin26@yahoo.com

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Christian Concepts in association with J & A Productions presents The Virtue Lounge. Friday, March 30,9pm to until at The Thaxton, formerly known as the Eastman Kodak Building 1009 Olive, St. Louis, For more information contact Demetrius Turner at 314.452.4922, or James J. McKay at 314.420.9150.........................

New Images presents UNMASKED, GARDEN OF EDEN FASHION SHOW, Sat. April 7, 2007 @ Tower Grove Park Piper Palm House, 2pm-4:30pm. For more info. 314.560.0915

EVENTZ SPOTIGHTZ

Warm Spirit has done it again... Our company will be recognized in the May issue of Empowering Woman Magazine. I would like to invite you out to hear about how our company is starting to recieve Nation wide exposure. The stories in this magazine represent the dreams of everyday people like you and me and shows how lives are being changed daily through this awesome opportunity. Join me as my guest at Divoll Branch Library 4234 N. Grand @ 10am March 24, 2007. Hope to see you there and continue to be blessed...always, Lachrisa Crenshaw(314)401-0710.

AND

Attend the 2nd Annual PRONTO Fashion Show on Friday, May 11, 2007, 6:30 PMHosted at the historical site of 555 Washington Avenue. Don’t miss St. Louis’ only international runway fashion show where the Best Voted Designer and Best Voted Model will be selected! Proceeds will also benefit a children’s fund as part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Campaign!

Pronto is brought to you by HT Communications Group and the following Co-Sponsors: Bar Italia Ristorante & Cafe, Coffee Cartel, Coles Lamar Design and Gallery, Creatives on Call, Diva Event Planning, Dominic Michael Salon, Dr. Francis Dysarz, Erato Wine Bar, Foxy 95.5, J.J. Gazzoli Imports, The Granat Law Office, Greater Missouri Builders, Momos, Mosaic Modern Fusion, Pack Design, Parktown Imports, Pick Flower Gallery, Productions Solutions, Sisley Cosmetics, Warehouse of Fixtures, and the World Trade Center

For ticket information, please call 314/534-9251 or go to http://www.prontofashion.com/ for more information.

ONGOING BITZ Mingle and Mix Mondays , Mingle 4p.m. (Bring Ya Laptods and Biz Cards) Drink Specials, $1 off Appetizers and Mix with DJ Sir Thurl (8p.m. -1 a.m.) FREE before 9 p.m. $3-$5 Cover after 9 p.m. at the ST. Louis Happy Hour Bar and Grill inside PArkler Plaza, 12948 Halls Ferry at Parker Rd.

Check out local comedian Brie Johnson's website podcast. Make sure to logon to http://www.riverfrontradio.com/ and listen to my new morning radio talk show called "The Grey Area"!!! Every Monday morning from 10am to 12noon CST. Chat online with us, or call in to talk live on the air. It's one hell of a way to start the week!

For all of your fashion and fashion show needs, go to PRONTO at http://www.prontofashion.com/

Gravity presents Natty Lounge for Reggae Wednesdays, 9 p.m.-2.a.m, located at 1620 delmar. $5 door, ladies free til 11p.m., for more info, call 314-479-3376

Check out blog http://www.sistersnineties.blogspot.com/for local literary group Sister’s Nineties Afrocentricliterary activities for the family and youngsters

Check out Lachrisa Crenshaw’s spa products at http://www.warmspirit.org/esuite/home/chriscspirit,or call her at (314)401-0710

For body painting, makeup, face painting wigs and other special effects, contact Jessica Dana at http://www.jessicadana.com/ or go to www.myspace.com/jessicadada13

For all of your STL club event plans, AD SPACE and pics,go to http://www.stlouis-online.com/.

For your catering needs, check out Collective Cateringcollectivecatering@yahoo.com located at4958 Cote Brilliante, their digits are 314-575-3333)

KDHX Radio’s Chuck Lavazzi has a hot new podcast calledSTAGE LEFT which he talks about CD reviews, news and the world of stage, screen, cabaret and related places.Go to it directly at http://tinyurl.com/zrqd7

Check out STLdee-jay Enoch online with his own radio playlist.The Flow: Music Lounge. Peep it out at http://www.flowink.com/player-popup.htm or go to his myspace page www.myspace/enochisreal.

For all your STL hip-hop info needs, go to http://www.stlhiphop.com/!

STL videographer Dana Christian has a hot website where people can send their professional music videos films to get exposed. Itis http://www.spitflix.com/.

Popular DJ Enoch has just posted a new episode on his podcast. the title is Knocturnal Sunshine Episode: Knocturnal Sunshine #214. You can hear it at http://knocradio.podOmatic.com/

Peep out veteran radio personlality Edie Bee with her weekly jazz series Jazz on the Bee Side"Sundays from 1-3pmOn Soul Classics 1490 WESL AM

If you want to get on Vanita Applebum's hot new entertainment newsletter, email her at vanitaapplebum@yahoo.com

WELL THATS IT! IF YA GOT ANYTHING FOR ME TO SCOOP OR PUB, hit me up email style at maatspear@yahoo.com!

OUT 165--PARTYPICZ

2007-03-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

PICTURED ARE PICS FROM THE PAST TWO WEEKS OF EVENTS THAT WENT DOWN (PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAATOLOGY AND MS. TAKEOFFUR COOL)

ABOVE LEFT : Rapper Yung Joc with a fan at his concert at Society...FROM JAMBOREE: ABOVE RIGHT Local singer Jst Bryn serenading local poet Lightning ....NEXT ROW LEFT: Spit Singer JR ....Jamboree creators Big Tah and host Mocha Latte...Mo Tre slowin it down....LEFT: Dance singing group Three Shades....

RIGHT: Poet Ribert Dilliard...BELOW: Comedian Hot Sauce (I'll be nice. LOL)

RIGHT: Poet group Thunder and Lightning

LEFT: Event coordinator Vanita Applebum and poet/entreprenuer Floyd IMPAKT Boykin

RIGHt: DJ Reminisce on the 1s and 2s

Sexy bartendars at the Loft

RIGHT: Yung Joc on the mic at the packed concert at Society from a birds eye view.

The Jamboree crowd at the Loft

OUT 164

2007-03-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hello efans. Sorry for not gettin with you in time but I just had to at least give yall my post for this week.

My computer is on the blink abnd I had to rush to a library to get at least this down.

I will be back on my feet next week to talk about my travels to Mocha Lattes Jamboree and my guest appearnce on the Freeman Bosley Junior SHow!

In the meantime, I have spent all my week trying to get my stageplay, MONOLOGUES AND PENISILLIN together. It will take place March 16-18 (Fri, at 8 p.m.--Sat at 6 p.m. at Sunday at 3 p.m.) It will take place at the Missouri History Museum in the SWB Room. Tickets are $12 (one hour of the show you choose) If you print this post and bring it to a show you will get $2 off your ticket,. See you there!

If ya got anything for me to post, email me at maatspear@yahoo.com!

OUT 163(FLICK BITZ)

2007-03-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE CHRIS ROCK STARS AS A HUSBAND WITH A

WANDERING EYE

As the writer, director and star of I Think I Love My Wife, Chris Rock brings us a comical but straightforward story about a man with the perfect marriage, beautiful wife and fantastic children, who has one little problem: he can’t help but fantasize about having nearly ever woman he sees. Still, it’s only a fantasy. Just how much is Richard Cooper willing to risk when temptation comes after him? After all, he really does love his wife; at least he thinks he does.

This is story about the hot-button topics of marriage, fidelity and the battle of the sexes. Rock’s love triangle co-stars are Kerry Washington (Ray, The Last King of Scotland ) as the tempting seductress and Gina Torres (Alias, The Shield) as his wonderful wife. I Think I Love My Wife is scheduled for release from Fox Searchlight on March 16th.

Regardless of being bored out of his suburban businessman’s mind, Richard (Rock) is a well-heeled investment banker as the sole black executive at the prestigious investment firm of Pupkin & Langford, who appears to have absolutely everything a man could dream of. He lives with his lovely schoolteacher wife, Brenda (Torres), of seven years who’s not about to let go of the man she loves and their two young children in the suburbs of New York City . But Richard has one hazardous disadvantage, a wandering eye.

No matter how much he loves his wife, he can’t help but see ridiculously gorgeous women everywhere he goes--on the train commuting to work, on the streets walking to work, at work, on his way home from work, everywhere. He just can’t seem to escape them, or the reminder they carry that a certain part of his life is over for good.
Despite his mischievous imagination, Richard never even considers cheating on his wife until one particular damsel provides a terribly tempting opportunity. This is the alluring, free-spirited, not to mention stunning Nikki Tru (Washington), the girlfriend of a friend of Richard’s from his long-past clubbing days, who appears at Richard’s office door one day looking for help finding a job, and looking very fine indeed. As Nikki and Richard start spending innocent afternoons together during Richard’s late lunches, their relationship gets more and more complicated by mutual attraction.

When Rock encountered Eric Rohmer’s internationally acclaimed original 1972 French cinema classic Chloe in the Afternoon, he knew that this film had captured a true classic on the subject of married life’s frustrations and temptations. It is the story of a happily married Parisian man who loved to daydream about other women but never even entertained the idea of actually being unfaithful, until his old acquaintance Chloe dropped by his office and began to seduce him. Rock thought it would be interesting to do the same and was struck with a typically irreverent thought: why not transform this serious French story of human foibles and moral dilemmas into an edgier American comedy?

“I like to find things that aren’t that funny and then make them funny,” comments Rock. Therefore, this film was a chance not only to tell the humor-filled truth about the pitfalls and pratfalls of married life, but also an opportunity to shine a little ray of hope on the state of modern matrimony. “Marriage can be a beautiful, beautiful thing,” Rock muses. “Let’s root for love.”

While trying to bring a fresh comedic perspective to Rohmer’s tale, Rock turned to his frequent collaborator and fellow comedian Louis C.K., who, like Rock, is married with children and has a lot to say about the potential disasters that can come with that status.

“I sent Louis the Erich Rohmer movie, and he loved it,” remembers Rock. In fact, C.K. not only loved the movie but saw in it the potential for him and Rock to really go to town with a subject close to both their savagely funny minds. “This was a great story for us because I think Chris and I both share certain realism about marriage. We know that it’s a mixture of hope and despair, a constant fluctuation between the two,” C.K. observes.

“It’s a subject that’s very universal and timeless. To me, I Think I love my Wife isn’t really about infidelity, it’s about testing one’s ability to stay with one of the toughest things in the world, which is marriage with kids. I think married people can look at this material and find a safe place to acknowledge the miseries of marriage and parenthood but laugh at it at the same time.”

In fact, both Rock and C.K. note that there haven’t been very many comedies geared to the current generation that tackle the touchier, more trouble-prone side of marriage. And yet, it is very much on people’s minds, especially as more and more young people become parents. “I think guys are starting to take a really long look at who they are as married men and as fathers,” says C.K.

“The idea of Chris being in a movie like this was really compelling. The character of Richard thinks he’s kind of got life figured out, but then this woman shows up and says ‘maybe you’re sort of dying early without realizing it. Maybe you’re not really living your life.’ It’s every married man’s biggest nightmare.

“People will always wonder not only whether the grass might be greener on the other side, but also, if maybe there’s some candy there, too! It’s human nature to be fascinated with whatever you don’t have. But I also think in any long-term relationship between husband and wife, people fall in and out of love several times and that’s what Richard and Brenda are going through in the film,” C.K. concludes.

Rock explains, “I always say that there are two types of guys who think about cheating. There are those who just hate the opposite sex, and it’s just a way of letting out their frustration. But then you’ve got guys who simply love women. They’re just always a sucker for a damsel in distress. And to me, that’s Richard Cooper.”

Yet even as Richard begins to falter at keeping Nikki at bay, he becomes more and more keenly aware of what’s at stake-the entire life he has created. “Richard definitely goes from being very selfish to figuring out what he wants in life and also seeing how his actions affect a lot of people,” Rock says.

Richard’s ultimate need to make a choice is what makes his predicament not only filled with hilarious circumstances but very real. “There’s no black or white in this situation,” he comments. “Hopefully when people walk out of the theater, there’s a debate that will continue over who he should be with.”

Rock is one of our generation’s strongest comedic voices. The Brooklyn-raised comedian has garnered three Emmy Awards, three Grammy® Awards, including a win this past year, has seen his former eponymous talk show become one of HBO’s highest-rated and most talked-about programs, and is co-creator and narrator of the acclaimed hit television series “Everybody Hates Chris,” now on the newly-formed CW network.

Rock made his directorial debut with Head of State, which opened number one at the box office. Rock starred as an unlikely Washington , D.C. alderman chosen to be a presidential nominee, while Bernie Mac portrayed Rock’s older brother who becomes his running mate. Rock also recently starred in both The Longest Yard with Adam Sandler, a remake of the 1974 classic, as well as in the box office hit Madagascar, featuring the voices of Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Stiller, Andy Richter, Jada Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer.

Rock’s feature film debut was in Beverly Hills Cop II with Eddie Murphy. He went on to write, create, star and produce the rap comedy CB4 in 1993, a satire of the world of hardcore rap, which opened #1 at the box office. Other film credits include Boomerang, with Eddie Murphy; Panther, a drama spotlighting the lives of the 60’s activist group The Black Panthers, directed by Mario Van Peebles; New Jack City with Wesley Snipes (a film marking Rock’s dramatic debut as a desperate crack addict); and I’m Gonna Get You Sucka! with Keenen Ivory Wayans. The summer of 1998 saw Chris Rock co-star in two $100-million-plus grossing films: Lethal Weapon 4 and Dr. Dolittle. Rock starred in Kevin Smith’s Dogma, which also featured Ben Affleck, Salma Hayek and Matt Damon.

Rock went on to host the acclaimed “Chris Rock Show,” which began airing

on HBO in 1997. Rock and his popular talk show were honored with several Emmy nominations for writing and host and received an Emmy Award for Best Writing in 1999.

His next HBO stand-up special, “Bigger & Blacker,” taped on the stage of Harlem ’s fabled Apollo Theatre, earned three Emmy nominations for Rock, while the CD went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Spoken or Comedy Album. Rock’s most recent HBO special, Never Scared, aired in April 2004 and was nominated for two Emmys. The CD also earned the Grammy for Best Comedy Album.

In 2003, Rock embarked on his North American stand-up tour, entitled the “Black Ambition Tour” that ran in 64 cities with over 80 shows through March of 2004. Rock hosted the MTV Video Music Awards in 2003, as well as the 77th Annual Academy Awards in 2005.

I Think I Love my Wife is written by Chris Rock and Louis C.K. (HBO’s “Lucky Louie”), based on Eric Rohmer’s French cinema classic about the temptations of married life, Chloe in the Afternoon. Directed by and starring Chris Rock, the film also stars Kerry Washington and Gina Torres. The producers are Chris Rock and Lisa Stewart (Almost Famous, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood) and the executive producers are Adam Brightman (Fur, Two Family House) and Ronnie Screwvala (The Namesake).

OUT 162

2007-03-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hello! Or as singer Neil Diamond sang 27 years ago, “Hellooooooooooo, my friend, hello.” This is Ma’atology, the blogger with the No. 1 blog in the STL, well, at least according to The Freeman Bosley Junior Show who say my blog is more of a newsletter. LOL

Well, lets me get into the dirt and scoop:

INTERNATIONALLY,

Ghana is celebrating 50 years of liberation this week. President John Kufuor led Ghana's people on in the celebration. The nation’s capitol, Accra at Accra's Independence Square was turned into a fluttering sea of color as thousands of Ghanaians waving the red, yellow and green national flag commemorated March 6, 1957, when the West African country became free from British colonial rule.

SIDEBAR. When I was listening to News and Notes on NPR with Farai Chideya, some Ghanaians are not celebrating such that when the blacks took over from whites, blacks in power exhibited some of the same slave traits as the white rule. But others are saying, its the principal of being freed to be a sovereign country is what matters……..

President Dubya is traveling to Brazil and other Latin “color” countries to help foreign policy relations with US and them.

Can we say TOO LATE.

ON A NATIONAL LEVEL:

National NAACP president Bruce S. Gordon quit the civil rights organization after just 19 months and soonafter teh NAACP Imgae awards were televised last weekend! Gordon said that while the NAACP was an advocacy organization, it needed to be more focused on service and finding solutions.

ISNT IT INTERESTING THAT HE QUITS AFTER IRISH ROCKER BONO GOT A HUMANITARIAIM AWARD FROM THE IMAGE AWARDS CREW ON HELPING ECONOMICALLY AND HEALTH STRAPPED AREAS IN AFRICA? HMMM, I WONDER.

At least two people can claim a share of a record $370 million lottery jackpot, and there could be more winners — California was still checking its Mega Millions results Wednesday morning, officials said. One winning ticket was traced to a Campark Liquors in Woodbine, N.J., and another to a market in Dalton, Ga., lottery representatives in the two states said Wednesday.

OH WELL, I GUESS I CAN TEAR THE TICKET I DIDNT BUY UP.

The documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" rose to the hype, well sorta. “Tomb” drew a very solid 4.19 million total viewers Sunday at 9 p.m., making it Discovery’s most-watched program of the year. It ranked No. 48 in 2007 thus far among total viewers, outdrawing programs including FX’s “Dirt,” USA Network’s “Psych” and E!’s Academy Awards red carpet show.

Many Christians were outraged over the special, directed my King of the World director James "Titanic" Cameron, that claimed that it had found Jesus’ tomb, contradicting the Bible’s version in which Jesus was resurrected, and had a baby with Mary Magdeline.

AND SPEAKING OF JESUS, DON’T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD ONE HOUR THIS WEEKEND. YOU DON’T WANNA LOOK CRAZY GOING TO CHURCH LATE THINKING YOU ON TIME!

ON A LOCAL TIP:

The STL primaries had a shocker as St. Louis Alderman Lewis Reed defeated incumbent Aldermanic President Jim Shrewsbury (BOTH PICTURED ABOVE) Tuesday in the Democratic primary by a little more than 2,000 votes. Reed will be sworn in as aldermanic president April 3, as he is unopposed in the general election.

Reed won the primary with 53.62 percent of the vote. Shrewsbury received 46.18 percent, while the remaining 0.2 percent were write-in votes, according to the St. Louis Board of Election. Reed, 44, a native of Joliet, Ill., has served almost eight years as alderman. He was elected 6th Ward alderman in 1999.

In April 2001, Shrewsbury succeeded Francis Slay as president when Slay left his unexpired term to become St. Louis' mayor. Shrewsbury, 51, was elected to the position in November 2002.

In other results, the only incumbent to be unseated was O.L. Shelton, the former state representative, who lost by a landslide to Sam Moore in the 4th Ward.

Elsewhere, Terry Kennedy easily fended off a challenge from former School Board member Bill Haas. Former 24th Ward Alderman Tom Bauer fell short of his quest to get back to the board, losing to incumbent Bill Waterhouse.

Two rematches saw 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd rebuff rival Jay Ozier and Frank Williamson, alderman in the 26th Ward, once again defeat H. Lee Willis.

On the Illinois side in East St. Louis, Councilmen Karen A. Cason and Eddie Russell were joined by Robert Eastern III and Roy Mosley in racking up the most votes among nine candidates to move on to the next round on the April 17 ballot.

Eastern, a student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, led the pack with 2,155 votes followed by Russell, who was elected to the council in 1999. The retired structural engineer for the federal government received 1,803 votes.

Mosley, a former St. Clair County board member, ran third with 1,264 votes. Cason was close behind with 1,261. Those who did not make it to the general election are: Real estate agent Eddie Joshway, 698; retired chief of detectives Lester "Boom" Anderson, 592; former community development department executive director Richard Frye, 442; longtime city employee Hermon Betts, 305 (; and Alvin E. Bolden, executive director of the East St. Louis Neighborhood Development Corp., 124.

SIDENOTE: When I was at the gym at Ballys this week in Clayton getting dressed to workout, I overheard two white guys talking. One of the guys ran for Alderman in St. Louis (all I can say he was white, tall, with dark hair, mid 50s) and the other guy was asking him about his campaign and the guy who ran for alderman was talking about how his campaign people who I guess some were black who were being taunted by other blacks saying how they can help a white man win. The alderman hopeful was saying that they were playing the race card and the other guy was saying that he could sue. Man, I needed a tape recorder cause they were dishing out some serious ammunition for real!

Highway 64 is getting’ ready to get shut down in a matter of lanes starting this weekend, for three whole years. Are we ready to stay on idle?.

The small town of Edwardsville, ill,. Is getting big news goin this past week. One with a deadly plane crash in a field killing a St. Louis pilot and later in the week a small outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to a popular downtown bar and restaurant Vanzo’s (I wonder iof any peanut butter was served?) .

First, the STL was gettin caught up in the violence with its clubs, now the East Side seems like they are trying to play catch up=--in one night. Two East St. Louis nightclubs, Onyx and Rio, were ordered closed in the wake of shootings there over last weekend.

Police Chief James Mister and City Manager Robert Betts met yesterday with the owners of Club Rio and Club Onyx to discuss security issues and whether the clubs' business licenses would be returned. Corey Starks of Cahokia was fatally shot early Saturday after he and two friends left Club Onyx and confronted two men they found in Starks' friend's S-U-V outside. Less than an hour later, 29-year-old Kendrick Barnes of St. Louis was shot to death after he and three friends were ordered to leave Club Rio.

BEFORE YOU KNOW, THE SAFEST PLACE TO PARTY WILL BE AT THE CRIB.
WHERE THE SWINGERS AT? LOL

On a serious note: the STL has been hit hard with several notable passings in just over a week: First, Riverview Gardens/East St. Louis Senior High alum and Denver Broncos' Damian Nash passed on Sat, Feb. 24 at the age of 24, Veteran politician and teh first African American STL city Comptroller John Bass, died Sunday Feb 25. He was 80. and former Sen. Tom Eagleton, who also ran for Vice President in 1972 and was instrumental in getting the L.A. Rams to move to the STL, died last Sunday, March 4 at the age of 77. All three men definitely made an impact on society in teh STL and the world. May all three rest in peace.

AND NOW ONTO MY TRAVELS.............

I didn’t do much over the weekend cause I was so busy preparing for my upcoming stageplay “Monologues and Penisillin” (THE FLIER PICTURED ABOVE ) but on Friday I did make it out to Stress Free Fridays at Posh for a minute. The crowd was kind of sparse but it was so much other events going on at the time (March Madness, First Fridays at Drunken Fish, etc) that it was a lot for the socialites to choose from. I stayed for a couple of hours, hung with my boy Kamren, ate the chicken (and gettin' plenty of muscle exercise from it. LOL) talked with Mark Jones the co-founder of Stress Free and then bounced. Oh, DJ Nappy Needle was on the 1s and 2s spinnin' the alternative hip-hop jams. In the house were Derek Leopold (nice suit) and rapper Black Spade.

On Saturday, I had callbacks for my fashion show TESTOSCOUTURE and my rehearsals for my stageplay Monologues and Penisllin at the Emerson Library at Webster University with my cast which includes Darrell Moore (Killa MC), L.A. Williams (Dr. Jones), jaron Hicks (Ms, Vageena Honey), Carlos McClaurin 9Goldy Bear0 and Archie Coleman (Mista) and Tamitra Williford (background female).

The Callbacks were interesting. Two of the guys that I saw in November had to return to a second audition to show me that they did what they were supposed to do with their working out regimen.They both improved especially in the abs area (One guy even wanted to go down to his b-day suit to prove that he worked out, but I told him that wouldn’t be necessary. LOL) .

The rehearsals went fine. I mostly helped them get their voices for their characters. After rehearsal I got a call from local actor/director Joel King about a program at COCA with African dancers Afriky Lolo and Diade, but when I got to my car, my back right tire was on a flat for the SECOND TIME, so I had to go and pump air in it. The first time occurred after I hit a bump on Highway 64 after leaving the Water Geyser on late Friday/early Saturday.

I heard the tire go POP and didnt realize until Saturday morning that it was on a flat. Come to find out, a nail was in my tire and I had to get it fixed at the tire store M&M in Cahokia. I went on and got two more used tires cause my tires were showing silver stands wherr the grooves used to be. LOL

On Sunday. I chill'd out and listened to the Freeman Bosley Jr. Show on 100.3 The Beat and while I was listening to co-host Nicci Roach's (or should I say Infamous Nicci RO!) Nic and Nine, I heard her give me a shout out on my play and my blog! They gave me about 2 minutes, especially on my blog and how popular its becoming. I didnt really realize how popular it has become until FBJS personality Darrion Phelps said when he sees me comin he tries to go the other way. CLASSIC. But thanks FBJS for the shout out and I hope I can be on the show this coming up Sunday to be the "fifth wheel" for a few minutes.

Later on that day I had my meeting with my fashion show team Mocha Latte and Marquita Buchanan at the Westin Hotel Restaurant in downtown St. Louis. We were getting our designers and sponsor hopeful lists together (and well as our one-drink on. LOL) I am really getting excited about TESTOSCOUTURE. The imagination of an all-male fashion show competition is slowly becoming a reality . Its an adventure, but somebody’s gotta do it (Oh and thanks Mo for the Corona and hope the Body Blast at Blackmon’s Plaza didn’t tear you up even more seeing all those floppy

di(s)ks!LOL)

STL-TID-BITZ. I was perusing the morning radio on Thursday and didnt hear Craig Blac or Wendy Brown on 104.1. I heard C-Note on therre along with Tony J doing traffic. Well, when I was talking to a buddy of mine at a another radio station, he was tellin' me that they got the boot yesterday right after their shift. I also heard PD, Garth Adams also got the boot, too. WHOA! Who saw that comin? Rumor has it it might have been becasue of the conversation on how to find weed on one of their shows a few days back. I also heard that the Morning show's ratings wasnt up to par neither especailly after Dee Lee's Morning Show on the Beat left the air a few months back in place for Steve Harveys Show. The radio biz aint no joke.....................Whats this I hear about former Vashon Coach Floyd Irons gettin back in the couching game. Well, from reports, they are saying that Irons wants his old job back coachin at Vashon where he led the school with several state titel sin its 30 year career there Only problem is former NBA star and Vashon alumni Anthony Bonner was hired to be the coach after Irons' ousting last summer. Hmmm, this is about to get interesting!........................................I hear local comedian Jessie Taylor is tearin it up at The Plaza every Sunday at The Plaza (formerly the Spotlight) in Baden. I gotta come out and see whats the hoopla. I know whenever Brother Taylor (when is the wedding?) is hosting a comedy night, its worth the travel. I also hear STL American entertainment editor will be having a roast of his decade anniversary at the paper. hey, whurr's my invite? LOL................................Kudos to local signer Landon King who will be recording a song with Grammy Award winning St. Louis producers Track Starz. King won Fox 2's Mike Contest...........................Watch out St Louis Galleria, Fairview Heights, Ill. has just built their swanky shop center. It had its grand opening of Shoppes at St. Clair Square, wherr more than 10 upscale shops are located in front of the old St. Clair Square....Whats this I hear about a pajama party that is exclusive at someone's crib on McPherson next Friday?............................It was good seeing my gym buddy S Ramey back in the gym at Bally in Clayton. I havent heard or seen him since July. He told me he was in a a bad car accident in Denver and had to get therapy. Glad to see you back, man......................... My baddd, to Jakada Fashions' Demond Tucker who had a private b-day party he had at Posh last Saturday. I was supposed to have been there but I was tired from rehearsal and the flat tire incident. But I did hear that 104.1's comedian Arvin Mitchell became the drive-by host and started a Chicken Noodle Soup contest all up in that small venue. Whats really goin on in the city? For real. LOL............................Kudos to my girl local actress Shawn Guy-Pitts who will be performing a one-woman show at UMSL's Stop the Violence week on March 21. I'll keep you posted on the times oh and she said that it will be FREE....Popular DJ Enoch has just posted a new episode on his podcast. the title is Knocturnal Sunshine Episode: Knocturnal Sunshine #214. You can hear it at http://knocradio.podOmatic.com/....Peep out veteran radio personlality Edie Bee with her weekly jazz series Jazz on the Bee Side"Sundays from 1-3pm
On Soul Classics 1490 WESL AM and if you want to get on vanuta Applebum's hot new entertainment newslatter, email her at vanitaapplebum@yahoo.com and tell her Ma'at sent you to her!.......And condolences to the family of STL-based comedian and Last Comic Standing finalist Brett Clawson who passed a couple of months ago from a car accident. He was 32.

STL-TIDBITZ SPOTLIGHT

The STL area is currently celebrating the 160th anniversary of the famous Dred Scott(PICTURED ABOVE) trial in June of 1847 for his freedom and the courts denial of it. The following year, the Missouri Supreme Court decided that the case should be retried. In an 1850 retrial, a St. Louis circuit court ruled that Scott and his family were free.

Two years later, the Missouri Supreme Court stepped in again, reversing the decision of the lower court. Scott and his lawyers then brought his case to a federal court: the United States Circuit Court for the District of Missouri.

In 1854, the Circuit Court upheld the decision of the Missouri Supreme Court. Scott appealed his case to the United States Supreme Court, but lost because the Court did not see him as a legal citizen of the United States..

With the aid of new lawyers, the Scotts (he and his wife Harriet) sued again in federal court. They lost and appealed to the United States Supreme Court.

Dred Scott is interred in Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri. Harriet was thought to be buried near her husband, but it was later learned that she was buried somewhere in Greenwood Cemetery in Hillsdale, Missouri.

In 1997, Dred and Harriet Scott were inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. (

THIS COMES IN PERFECT TIMING WITH ESPECIALLY WITH Rep. Talibdin El-Amin who introduced legislation for Missouri to apologize about slavery.

MAAT-IDBITZ--As I said last week, I did a guest spot on the ST. Louis access channel show last Wednesday, The Best of the STL (PICTURED ABOVE IS YOURS TRULY WITH BEST OF THE STL CO-HOST GILBERTO PINELLA--ACTOR DARRELL MOORE IS SEEN BEHIND PINELLA'S HEAD) to talk about my stageplay and fashion show....The play ad can also be seen on Regional Arts Commission, STL411 and NPR's local websites. I also got word that the play will be in the calendar for Vital Voice Magazine March 9....This is the second week of my having script readings at my job at the Water Geyser. It defnitely has worked out instead of renting a space somehwere casue I am the only one in the office during my shift....I got a call from a famous model named Levy Christian Pambia, a brother from Paris (as in France) who called me from Paree about being in my fashion show. I will keep you posted on that one!

EVENTZ

Unity Theater presnts Having Our Say, March 8-11 at the Regional AARts Commission Studio, 6128 Delmar (across from the Pageant). Tickets $15 ADV; Seniors./Students $12; For more info, call 314-534-1111., 314-389-5194

Bishop V Luv presents his CD Release Party. Friday, MArch 9 at 10 p.m. at Gravity, 1620 Delmar. $10 GEN ADM; $20 VIP (with Food).

Stray Dog Theatre presents The Baltimore Waltz, Dates: March 8-25, 2007 - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00pm; Sunday at 2:00pm Tickets: Adults $18.00, Seniors & Students $15.00(Cash or Check only) For Mature Audiences Location: The Little Theatre at Clayton High School, #1 Mark Twain Circle, Clayton MO 63105 Contact: Call 314-865-1995 or visit http://www.straydogtheatre.org/ for information/reservations........................

Stress Free Fridays will take place Friday, March 9 at R Bar (www.rbarstl.com), 4054 Choteau--west of Vandeventer, The Grove Neighborhood. Enjoy gourmet pizzas and flatbreads (2 for 1 on food), Martini's named after St. Louis neighborhoods (other drink specials will be available) and the heated outdoor patio and message therapy session with Kamren….

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From Sharee Galvin’s CORNER:

MONDAYS: LOOKING OF THE AFTERWORK EARLY RUSH- MARTINI MONDAY'S @ THE LOFT FREE HAPPY HOUR 5-7PM 3$ MARTINI SPECIALSHOSTED BY GARTH ADAMS & CRAIG BLAC W/ DJ CHARLIE CHAN FREE BEFORE 7PM, 5$ BEFORE 8PM

TUESDAYS: The ULTIMATE 2$ TUESDAY AT DREAMS-HOSTED BY STACISTATIC FREE TIL MIDNIGHT ANDTWITZID TUESDAY'S AT THE SOFT TOUCH HOSTED BY BIG JAY

WEDNESDAYS: "HUMP DAY-GOT LYRICS?" LYRICS ON THE LOU WILL NOW BE AT THE LOFT.

FRIDAYS— CHECK OUT 5$ FRIDAYS HOSTED BY POTZEE AND THE UC MEFAMILY@ DREAMS...WHERE THE STARS PLAY DRINK SPECIALS ALLNIGHT LONG...SPONSORED BY 'JC' COGNAC…

Three way Promotions presents Jamboree, Wed. March 11 at the Loft. The purpose of the Jamboree is to showcase the talents of St. Louis’s own comics, poets, and singers all in one night. Providing a mixture of talents will lead to one big celebration of live entertainment. The comics will be mixing it up keeping things live as the lyricists prepare to entice you with their wonderful voices. The poets will give you a therapeutic session as they let their words flow with no regression. The R&B artist will hit the stage and perform their original pieces or pieces from their favorite artist. Hosted by Wendi Brown, this event will give St. Louis’s local artist a chance to gain exposure from the different communities that will be present. Doors at 6p.m., show at 7 p.m., $7 in ADV, 10 at door. For more info go to 646-9917..................

Sharee is also promoting STl based author Cheriyln Michael’s second book “First Fridays”. For book or book tour info, send Miss Galvin an e-out?

For any info on these events email Sharee at sgalvin26@yahoo.com

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FoFeet, Raw Secrets, March 11, Legacy Books and Cafe, 5249 Delmar (www.fofeet.com, foofeet@hotmail.com Doors at 5 show at 8 , Fun food and grown folks Poetry by Soul Vibe and singers Gypsy Brown Basmin Red Deer. Admission $7........................

YOURS TRULY presents the stageplay, Monologues and Penisillin (FLIER PICTURED ABOVE) , March 16-18 at the Missouri History Museum. Performance times are Fri 8 p.m.; Sat. 6p.m. and Sunday 3 p.m. Tickets $12 (AT THE DOOR) You get $2 off if you print out the first page of this blog and bring it to the show!

THE BLACK REP presents CROSSIN' OVER thru March 18 Performance Schedule:Thursdays, 7:00pmFridays, 8:00pmSaturdays, 3:00pm and 8:00pmSundays, 3:00pm*All performances at The Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Square, 63103)Click here for ticket information

Metro Theater Company will continue its 2007 Family Performance Series with Kerfafels thru March 18, at the Theatre at the West County Family YMCA in Chesterfield, and the Theater at Concordia in St. Louis. Public Performances:Sat/Sun, March 3 & 4, 2007 at the Theatre at the West County Family YMCASaturday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.Sunday at 3:30 p.m.Sat/Sun, March 10 & 11, 17 & 18, 2007 at the Theater at Concordia SeminarySaturdays at 11:00 a.m.Sundays at 1:30 and 3:30 pm. Student Matinees: Wed, Thurs, Fri, March 7-9, 2007 at the Theater at Concordia Seminary. All at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are $14 for adults; $12 for students/seniors; $7 for groups of 10 or more and are available by calling 314-997-6777, or visit www.metrotheatercompany.org

Second Slavery: The Art of Keith Westbrook, thru March 24 at Left Bank Books, 399 Euclid, St. Louis, MO. For info. 314.367.6731....................

KETC/CHANNEL 9 presents JOHNNY MATHIS SUNDAY, MARCH 25 • 7:00p.m. Saturday, March 24 • 8:00p.m. - On sale now! Previously announced LIVE at the Fox Theatre! $65, $60, $55 & $45 Purchase tickets at the Fox Box Office, MetroTix outlets or by calling 314/534-1111. Order tickets online at www.metrotix.com ............................

EVENTZ SPOTLIGHT
Christian Concepts in association with J & A Productions presents The Virtue Lounge. The Virtue Lounge provides an alternative entertainment, inspirational event at various upscale venues throughout the St. Louis area. The scheduled feature artist is singer/songwriter Darnell Levine. Levine has a strong blend of melody-driven jazz, lyrics of experience, a vocal ac cappella combined with dynamic presence during his performances.

His music has been defined by NASHVILLE SCENE as “Stevie Wonder meets Al Jarreau.” Levine has shared stages with artists such as: multiple Grammy award-winner John Legend, Eric Roberson, and Bobby Blue Bland. Kevin Whalum,
renowned jazz vocalist, distinguishes Levine as "...a gifted, young songwriter.”

It's The Virtue Lounge at the Thaxton! Experience not 1, 2, but 3 LEVELS of rare beauty, performances, and décor. Performances will also include: live strings, jazz, and poetry performances, and a mini fashion show. Friday, March 30,9pm to until at The Thaxton, formerly known as the Eastman Kodak Building 1009 Olive, St. Louis, For more information contact Demetrius Turner at 314.452.4922, or James J. McKay at 314.420.9150.

The Black Rep’s Popular “I Stand Alone” Solo Performance Series Returns. The Black Rep’s new, I STAND ALONE solo theatre series returns on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m., thru March 26 at The Black Rep Monsanto Center for Performing Arts Education, 1717 Olive Street, 4th Floor. The series will feature solo performances of original work with a 15 minute intermission. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Admission is $10 or $5 for Black Rep subscribers.WHERE: The Black Rep Monsanto Center for Performing Arts Education, 1717 Olive Street, 4th FloorTICKETS: $10 and $5 for Black Rep Subscribers, for info please call (314) 534-3810....................

ONGOING BITZ WILL RETURN NEXT WEEK

Well that be it for this week. If ya got anything for me to pub or shout outs, hit me up at maatspear@yahoo.com!

OUT 161(TESTOSCOUTURE DETAILZ)

2007-02-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

If you are going to this site for the first time, that means either I got your biz card and put you on my list serve or you were at SYGU Group's monthly networking event Fashionably Late at Copia in downstown St. Louis.

OK, if you were at Copia, you know that the two guys above Osita O (left) and Seasmir Yearby (right) were at the event passing out fliers to the ladies atteh party in reagrds to more detailz about their particpaition in the upcoming fashion show, "Testoscouture." (or so I hope).

The show will take place Sunday. April 29 at the 555 Building on Washington (across from the St. Louis Centre) as of this wriitng. It will take place at 6 p.m.

The show will be a "mangeant" (male pageant) where guys from St. Louis and out of town will compete for the title of Mr. Couture. It will be a first for St. Louis with all guys competing and hope to make this a biannual event.

We are in the planning stages of making this happen, but trust me, it will definitely be happening.

If you plan on going to "Testosocuture" and you would like a discounted ticket, just make a copy of this post, hold on to it, and email me at manfashionshow@yahoo.com by April 27 with your name and a guest and both of you will get $5 off the ticket price (TBD). Stay tuned to this site and ads in the local papers and websites, for more information as the weeks progress.

If you were at the party, send me your comments at manfashionshow@yahoo.com!

FYI--Model Osita O. is no longer in the competition.

OUT 160 (REGULAR POST)

2007-02-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

Whats up my peeps. This is ya Boy Ma'atology here.

LETS GET RIGHT TO IT before the threat of tornadic weather happens again! (LOL)

On a national tip: It was bittersweet at this year's Oscars as both Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson won Oscars (PICTURED ABOVE) in the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress Categories making more history for African American actors . But the trip was reports that Eddie Murphy stormed off the show after he lost to Alan Arkin for Best Supporting Actor. (If he woulda won, it would have been historic in that three black actors winning in three categories). But his PR folks are trying to say that he was goign to leave regardless if he was winning or losing cause he did the same thing after he won a Golden Globe earlier thie year. Uh-huh. Well, I predicted that Eddie wouldnt win, but I said that Mark Wahlberg would win. I was half way right...........................

Michael Jackson is "reviewing and evaluating" proposals for his future including several offers to perform in Las Vegas, his spokeswoman said Tuesday, but he doesn't feel any pressure to make a quick decision. Raymone K. Bain confirmed that, after a period of globe-trotting, Jackson is currently living in Las Vegas. It wa salso reported that Michael awould not tour with sister Janet (who is gettin ready to star in Tyler Perry's next flick, a film version of his stageplay, "Why Did I Get Married) or be a guest judge on Americean Idol. I must say, MJ is still bad to still have people still talk about him and not have an album out since 2001's Invincible..............................

A still skittish Wall Street tried to stage a comeback today, Thursday, with the Dow Jones industrials erasing most of a 209-point drop after an upbeat assessment of manufacturing activity eased some fears of the economy grinding to a halt. I guess things all right cause I havent heard any business men doing splats on the concrete...................

On a Local/National tip:

The STL area is mourning the loss of Denver Broncos running back and East St. Louis native Damien Nash (PICTURED ABOVE) , 24, who collapsed and died after a charity basketball game last Saturday. Visitation for Nash will be this Sunday from 2 to 8 p.m. Central Time, at the Ronald L. Jones Funeral Home in St. Louis. His funeral is set for 10 a.m. Central Time next Monday at the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church.

The cause of Nash's death remained unclear Tuesday. An autopsy was performed Sunday, but test results are pending, the St. Louis County Medical Examiner's office said. A pathologist who is a heart expert has been called in to look at Nash's heart.

Nash collapsed in his suburban St. Louis home after returning by limousine with his wife, Judy Nash, and their daughter from a game at his high school, Riverview Gardens, to benefit The Darris Nash Find a Heart Foundation. Nash's older brother, 25-year-old Darris Nash, suffered from a weakened heart muscle condition known as dilated cardiomyopathy, and underwent a heart transplant in January 2006.

The death of Nash was the second on the Broncos in recent weeks. Cornerback Darrent Williams, 24, was shot and killed Jan. 1 while riding in a limousine after leaving a nightclub in Denver, just hours after the Broncos' season ended.

Nash also helped to finance the local modeling agency X-Cel Models.

REST IN PEACE.

Locally, a graduate student whose bomb and anthrax threats shutdown the University of Missouri-Rolla was charged Wednesday with making terrorist threats and assaulting a law enforcement officer, the county prosecutor said.

The student, 22-year-old Sujithkumar Venkatramolla, was arrested on campus early Tuesday after walking into a civil engineering building armed with a knife, holding paper bag and saying he had a bomb and anthrax, according to authorities.

Police eventually subdued him with a stun gun after he refused to drop the knife, interim Police Chief Mark Kearse said.Kearse said the student was depressed and apparently distraught over grades. The bomb and anthrax threats were determined to be phony.

I WOULD HATE TO HAVE SEEN IF HE WOULD HAD CHEATED ON HIS EXAMS!

Are you ready for the I-64 shutdowns?

The STL is having serious debate on the events that ocurred with Alma King and her son grabbing guns when a crowd of teens gathered outside their home to call him out for a fight.

After the mob began pelting their house, the two opened fire in what prosecutors say was murder but what King's husband insists was self-defense.

The shots killed Jocquees Billups, 15, and injured a 16-year-old, officials said.
A friend of Billups' said the fight was rooted in a dispute over a girl. St. Louis County prosecutors charged Alma King, 51, on Tuesday with second-degree murder, first-degree assault and armed criminal action. She was held with bail set at $1 million.

Her son faces equivalent charges in St. Louis County Family Court, which held him pending a detention hearing Thursday.

IS THIS SELF DEFENSE OR MURDER? THAT IS THE QUESTION AT HAND. I SAY THE MOTHER WAS JUST TIRED AND TOOK MATTERS IN HER OWN HANDS.

AND NOW ONTO MY TRAVELS............

Last Friday I checked out poet/actor Saul Williams (PICTURED ABOVE) who was spittin his famous poetry at Missouri History Museum. He did his usual stuff (eg. "Ohm"), but he seemd to have gotten extremeley philospoihcal about the meaning of life espcailly when he said things like , "You have to unlearn in order to learn." and "The only reason why we are called black is cause someone called us that." Deep.

There were also a lot of white folks in the crowd (and a lot of young studnets which I come to find out were from Webster U who sponsored the event) and he made references about how he used to hate white people. Well, there were some chuckles from the crowd, but it was definitely a very tense moment. I liked it when he went out into the crowd and did his firey spitting and when he broke out of the character and actually read a poem about his late father and you could actually hear what he was saying as opposed to focusing on all of the dramatics of a spoken word artist. (To be quite honest, I was waiting for him to break out with "those keys" he had in the HBO flick, "Lackawanna Blues" and say "I want my goddamn keys!." LOL)

Afterward, I checked out Hipster Mag's networking party at Posh in the Central West End. I stayed for about forty minutes. I was pretty tired in the first place and I was pissed anyway that my sister didnt do my cornolls like she promised and I had to break out with the Jackson Five Afro.

In the house were Freeman Bosley Jr, Maurice Meredith SYGU Group, Coco Soul, Kevin Johnson, the Jack Daniel models and a ton of hard legs..................................................

On Saturday, I and my entourage go to SYGU's Fahsionable Late networking event at Copia. I was the featured organzation that was going to be featured to promote my fashion show TESTOSCOUTURE. Before hand, I was trying to get three of my models, who were going to promote the show with fliers. One had to drop out cause of work, one had another event to work, and I wasnt for sure my out of town model from Chi-town was going to make it cause the Chi had an ice storm brewing. I only had one model, Osita, who was goign to be there for sure, Osita, who was a replacement model (but he had problems getting black pants for the event--DOH) .

During the drama, I was at work at the Water Geyser when things started to look'dim. I got the call from Sesamir that he was going to drive to the STL and call if he sees that the drive will be too treacherous to continue. Then my assistant, Marquita, left me a voice message saying that she found out that her power went out from the high winds.

All I did was let go and let the Creator take care of this cause I was slowly becoming a puddle of nerves. Just when I did that, Seasmir called and said he was going to make it through. Well at least I was going to have two models who would network the party. Marquita said she was coming through (She even beat me to the place). I also called Hot 104.1's Wendi Brown who was going to host the event and give us a shout out during the party and said to meet her at Copia about 9:30 p.m. to go over the itinerary.

Then, I got a call from Osita's manager and said that he and Osita were on their way, Sesamir at 9 pm saying that he was in the STL and he was waiting on me to come through. Marquita said that she was talking with Wendi. Well all that needed to be done was for me to show up. I got to Copia about 9:30, called Sesamir to tell him I was at the venue. Osita and his manager got there a few minutes after me and so did Sesamir. I gave them their fliers, pens, index cards (to write names for sponsors) and their name tags. I had them to dress in all black in order to distinguish them from the crowd. I brought an extra pair of black jeans for Osita in case he could wear them, but it wanst his size, but he had on dark jeans which was OK.

By the time, we were about to get our shout out, one of the guys from SYGU said that one of my models came through but he left. What? I said to myself. I was going through my mind who he was talkin about. So, I call'd a couple of the guys that I contacted to see if they were there and left, but no answer (To this day I still dont really have a strong clue, but I got an idea who might have shown up) . I couldnt dwell to much on that cause it was time for the guys to network. We got our shout outs and the guys worked the ladies in the crowd to tell them who they were and their role in the show was. The rest of the info, they had to check out my website.

Around 11ish, it had to have been around 300 or so people packed in the back of Copia gettin their network and party on. I was following around Marquita(who was quite lit from her drink) who was taking pics for me as I assisted the guys. Sesamir was a big hit with the ladies, got a few sponsors, and had all of the females salivating. Osita did Ok too. They passed out all the fliers (which read"WANNA SEE CLOTHES ON ME(N)? VISIT (THIS WEBSITE) STARTING MARCH 1 FOR DETAILS.) and passed out about 100 or so each (I only saw one of the floor which was a good thing. LOL)

Overall, I was pleased and hope to do more networking events up until the day of the show on April 29. In the house were Brian Swift, Mocha Latte (Happy B-Day!), Kevin Johnson, Coco Soul, Treanna, Jamie Spencer, and Christian Coffield........................................................

Last Sunday, I was beat to the world from going and going, but I made a promsie to Mis Treanna (PICTURED ABOVE ON RIGHTWITH HER SISTER) that I would check out her new networking even Last Sundays at Dante's to get the cullud folk back up in therre (LOL)> Anyway, I got there about 11ish cause I was glued to the set to see the Osacrs. I went on and paid cause I wasnt for sure if I was going or not(I had to put on my insect fly shades to cover my tiredness) , but I went on and chucked out 10 bones and got in. I texted Kamren earlier to see how the crowd was and he said that it small. Not a good sign but then again, it was Sunday and the Lodt was PAAAAAAAAACKED. So I wasnt surprised.

The crowd was about 100 or so up in therre and teh organizers had sections for groups and individuals who had VIP sections including SYGU and STL rapper Tiffany Foxx. I chill'd up in Foxx's VIP area in the adjacent room with the sofas and veggie trays were. Up in therre were Kamren, Kevin Johnson, Carlos MAclaurin, Angie Brown and Jeff Small. Tiffany Foxx was hammin it up with a video camera guy who was gettin people to state their names to the crowd. She did it hip-hop vixen style when she pretended to be on a cell phone and said her name on it.

I walked around a bit, took a few snaps and jetted around a little after midnite cause I had to go to work........................................

STL-TIDBITZ...Funeral services for Spc. Ryan C. Garbs, 20, are going to be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Morris University Center's Meridian Ballroom at SIU-Edwradsville. Garbs was a member of Company B, 3rd Battalion in the 75th Ranger Regiment stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. Garbs was serving in Afghanistan when he was killed in a helicopter crash in Feb................. Theres rumors that STL -bred mdoel mogul Kimora Lee Simmons is dating Oscar nominated actor/model DJIMON Hounsou. Accrdoing to PAge Six of the New York Post, is Last week, the "Blood Diamond" star was all over Cameron Diaz. This week, he turned his attention on Kimora Lee Simmons. Hounsou and Simmons made out all night at Boulevard 3 in L.A. Tuesday during a Dom Perignon dinner for Forest Whitaker. The two, there to help celebrate Whitaker's Oscar win, ignored Oprah Winfrey, Mary J. Blige, Chris Tucker and Quincy Jones to grope each other, and left together.................Whats this I hear that Kevin Johnson and Jeff Small are going to become Zoolanbder models on MArch 16?...............The MaTiff Dancers are going to New York's Legendary Apollo Theater!!!!!!MaTiff Dancers were chosen out of 180 acts that auditioned for the show. The taping of Showtime at the Apollo will take place March 2-5, 2007.All donations made payable to the West End Community Conference c/o MaTiff Dance Program. Feel free to contact them directly regarding additional information at (314) 249 1194 or email at matiffdance@gmail.com.....Happy B-Day Mocha!......If you wanna hear a radio interveiw of the book Hoodlum Preacher, go tohttp://www.kobaltbooks.com/BurtonInterview1_102FM.mp3....On a regional level, Chicago native Jennifer Hudson has another accolade to add to her Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Governor Rod Blagojevich proclaimed today "Jennifer Hudson Day" in Illinois. Blagojevich says Hudson's win is a testament to her "amazing talent and determination." He says all of Illinois is proud to honor the 25-year-old's achievements.....

MA'AT-IDBITZ--Well I had my script reveiw meeting swith my cast of Monologues and Penisiilin at my offic eat the Water Geyser. Cast mebers are Darrell Moore (Killa MC), L.A. Williams (Dr. Welfarus Jones), Jaron Hicks (Ms. Vageena Honey), Carlos McCalurin (Goldy Bear) and Archie Colamn (Mista). See EVENTZ FOR DETAILS....I made a drive by appearnce on the , The Best of The STL Wednesday to chat about my stageplay, MONOLOGUES AND PENISILLIN AND fashion show TESTOSOCUTURE. I called them Monday, they ha dan opening Tuesday and got on there Wednesday. It went well from what people say. "Best of the STL" will rebroadcast in St. Peters on government channel 10 on Saturday March 3 at 8 pm.
To find out more about CITY TV 10 and additional air times for "Best of the STL", go to http://www.citytv10.com/.

EVENT-TIDBITZ

Stress Free Fridays will take place Friday, March2 at 5pm at Posh, 408 N. Euclid--Central West End> St. Louis, Missouri 63108> 314-361POSH. Free appetaizers and Message thearpy session with Kamren.

Re-energize your Mind, Body & Soul with Redina Medley, Sat. March 3, 2007, 3-5pm @ Afro World 7276 Natural Bridge, St. Louis, MO. More info @ 314.389.5194/ http://www.afroworld.com/

Writing the Music, featuring Karla Frye, Ph.D. and jazz diva Denise Thimes, Sun. March 4, 2007 @ 2pm @ the Scott Joplin Historic Site 2658 Delmar. St. Louis. 314.340.5790

EVENTZ SPOTLIGHT(Z)

Three way Promotions presnts Jamboree, Wed. March 11 at the Loft. The purpose of the Jamboree is to showcase the talents of St. Louis’s own comics, poets, and singers all in one night. Providing a mixture of talents will lead to one big celebration of live entertainment. The comics will be mixing it up keeping things live as the lyricists prepare to entice you with their wonderful voices. The poets will give you a therapeutic session as they let their words flow with no regression. The R&B artist will hit the stage and perform their original pieces or pieces from their favorite artist. Hopsted by Hot 104.1.'s Wendi Brown, this event will give St. Louis’s local artist a chance to gain exposure from the different communities that will be present. Doors at 6p.m., show at 7 p.m., $7 in ADV, 10 at door. For more info go to 646-9917..................

AND

Stray Dog Theatre will produce The Baltimore Waltz, by Pulitzer Prize and Obie Award winning playwright Paula Vogel. Written as a tribute for her brother Carl who died of AIDS in 1988, The Baltimore Waltz explores the hysteria, prejudice and political climate equivocating the early AIDS epidemic of the 1980’s. In pure Vogel fashion, the play dares to honor life and chooses to chronicle death in a more farcical often uplifting manner.

The story: Anna is an unmarried schoolteacher who is diagnosed with a rare and fatal disease. Determined to live her life to the fullest, Anna and her beloved brother Carl embark on a trip to Europe, where Anna proceeds to drown herself in the sensualities of food and sex while Carl embarks on a wild Third Mannish espionage scheme in search of a cure. As Anna and Carl race towards the climax of their European adventure, the stunning truth of their journey is revealed.

Vogel often explores controversial subjects in her works through her mastery of language, tongue-in-cheek humor, and innovative settings. Other Vogel works include How I Learned to Drive (Pulitzer Prize Winner 1998), The Long Christmas Ride Home, The Mineola Twins, The Oldest Profession.

Appearing in The Baltimore Waltz: Michelle Hand (2006 Kevin Kline Award Winner – Outstanding Lead Actress in a play) as Anna, and Saint Louis theatre veterans B. Weller as Carl, & Will Ledbetter as The Third Man.
Dates: March 8-25, 2007 - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8:00pm; Sunday at 2:00pm Tickets: Adults $18.00, Seniors & Students $15.00(Cash or Check only) For Mature Audiences Location: The Little Theatre at Clayton High School, #1 Mark Twain Circle, Clayton MO 63105 Contact: Call 314-865-1995 or visit http://www.straydogtheatre.org/ for information/reservations........................

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From Sharee Galvin’s CORNER:

MONDAYS: LOOKING OF THE AFTERWORK EARLY RUSH- MARTINI MONDAY'S @ THE LOFT FREE HAPPY HOUR 5-7PM 3$ MARTINI SPECIALSHOSTED BY GARTH ADAMS & CRAIG BLAC W/ DJ CHARLIE CHAN FREE BEFORE 7PM, 5$ BEFORE 8PM

TUESDAYS: The ULTIMATE 2$ TUESDAY AT DREAMS-HOSTED BY STACISTATIC FREE TIL MIDNIGHT ANDTWITZID TUESDAY'S AT THE SOFT TOUCH HOSTED BY BIG JAY

WEDNESDAYS: "HUMP DAY-GOT LYRICS?" LYRICS ON THE LOU WILL NOW BE AT THE LOFT.

FRIDAYS— CHECK OUT 5$ FRIDAYS HOSTED BY POTZEE AND THE UC MEFAMILY@ DREAMS...WHERE THE STARS PLAY DRINK SPECIALS ALLNIGHT LONG...SPONSORED BY 'JC' COGNAC…

For any info on these events email Sharee at sgalvin26@yahoo.com
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THE BLACK REP presents CROSSIN' OVER thru March 11 Performance Schedule:Thursdays, 7:00pmFridays, 8:00pmSaturdays, 3:00pm and 8:00pmSundays, 3:00pm*All performances at The Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Square, 63103)Click here for ticket informationSecond Slavery: The Art of Keith Westbrook, February 23-March 24 opening reception Fri. Feb. 23, 6-8pm at Left Bank Books, 399 Euclid, St. Louis, MO. For info. 314.367.6731....................

YOURS TRULY presents the stageplay, Monologues and Penisillin, March 16-18 at the Missuori History Museum. Performance times are Fri 8 p.m.; Sat. 6p.m. and Sunday 3 p.m. Tickets $12 (AT THE DOOR) You get $2 off if you print out the first page of this blog and brint it to the show!

Metro Theater Company will continue its 2007 Family Performance Series with Kerfafels, adapted by Colleen Neuman, March 3 – 18, at the Theatre at the West County Family YMCA in Chesterfield, and the Theater at Concordia in St. Louis. Public Performances:Sat/Sun, March 3 & 4, 2007 at the Theatre at the West County Family YMCASaturday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.Sunday at 3:30 p.m.Sat/Sun, March 10 & 11, 17 & 18, 2007 at the Theater at Concordia SeminarySaturdays at 11:00 a.m.Sundays at 1:30 and 3:30 pm.Student Matinees: Thurs & Fri, March 1 & 2, 2007 at the Theatre at the West County Family YMCA. Wed, Thurs, Fri, March 7-9, 2007 at the Theater at Concordia Seminary. All at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are $14 for adults; $12 for students/seniors; $7 for groups of 10 or more and are available by calling 314-997-6777, or visit www.metrotheatercompany.org..........................

ONGOING BITZ

Mingle and Mix Mondays , Mingle 4p.m. (Bring Ya Laptods and Biz Cards) Drink Specials, $1 off Appetizers and Mix with DJ Sir Thurl (8p.m. -1 a.m.) FREE before 9 p.m. $3-$5 Coiver after 9 p.m. at teh ST. Louis Happy Hour Bar and Grill inside PArkler Plaza, 12948 Halls Ferry at Parker Rd.

For all of your fashion and fashion show needs, go to PRONTO at http://www.prontofashion.com/

Gravity presents Natty Lounge for Reggae Wednesdays, 9 p.m.-2.a.m, located at 1620 delmar. $5 door, ladies free til 11p.m., for more info, call 314-479-3376

Check out blog http://www.sistersnineties.blogspot.com/for local literary group Sister’s Nineties Afrocentricliterary activities for the family and youngsters

Check out Lachrisa Crenshaw’s spa products at

http://www.warmspirit.org/esuite/home/chriscspirit,or call her at (314)401-0710 or go tohttp://us.f589.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=tolachrisa_crenshaw@sbcglobal.net.

Check out Kameren Holbert who gives free profressional messages atStress Free Fridays at various venues in the ST. Louis area. For an appt. or when he is scheduled to do messages at the next Stress Free Fridays, call 314/477-3427 or email him atmailto:atmrholbert@yahoo.com

For body painting, makeup, face painting wigs and other special effects, contact Jessica Dana at http://www.jessicadana.com/ or go towww.myspace.com/jessicadada13

For all of your STL club event plans, AD SPACE and pics,go to http://www.stlouis-online.com/.

For your catering needs, check out Collective Cateringcollectivecatering@yahoo.com located at4958 Cote Brilliante, their digits are 314-575-3333)

Check out STLdee-jay Enoch online with his own radio playlist.The Flow: Music Lounge. Peep it out at http://www.flowink.com/player-popup.htm or go to his myspace page www.myspace/enochisreal.

For all your STL hip-hop info needs, go to http://www.stlhiphop.com/!

STL videographer Dana Christian has a hot website where people can send their professional music videos films to get exposed. Itis http://www.spitflix.com/.

Well, that be it, folks. If ya got anything for me to pub, hit me up e-mail style at maatspear@yahoo.com. Until the next time, see ya outside!

OUT 159 (PARTY PICZ)

2007-02-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

HERRE ARE SOME PICS FROM TEH VARIOUS EVENTS I ATTENDED OVER LAST WEEKEND. (PHOTOS BY MA'ATOLOGY PRODUCTIONS AND MARQUITA BUCHANAN)

UPPER LEFT: FROM LAST SUNDAYS AT DANTE'S: Clubbers gettin their groove on....UPPER RIGHT: Four of the STL's movers and shakers: model/actor Carlos McCalurin, St. Louis Post Dispatch Pop Critic Kevin Johnson, Message thearpist/model Kamren Holbert and KSDK-TV's Jeff Small: BELOW FOUR GUYS: More partiers gettin their party on.

FOURTH ROW UPPER LEFT: FROM SYGU's FAHSIONABLY LATE AT COPIA. Ma'atolgy model Sesamir from Chitown, Hot 104.1's Wendi Brown, St. Louis Model Osita and YOURS TRULY at the party before we networked my fashion show TESTOSCOUTURE

FIFTH ROW FROM LEFT: Kevin Johnson, signer/actress Coco Soula and YOURS TRULY at Copia. RIGHT: YOURS TRULY with former Ebony Fashion Fair model Carmen Currie (You shoulda won Eye Candy '06 in my opinion.)....BELOW CURRIE PIC: YOURS TRULY and socialite Mocha Latte (Its Long Beach not Long Island! LOL)

LEFT: SYGU's Rashad and socialite Senora Robinson. BELOW: The crowd at Copia

LEFT: Swift Printing's Brian Swift in the crowd (Hmmm, I wonder what he's smiling about?)

RIGHT: Socialite Jamie Spencer (right ) and freinds.

LEFT: Who made it Rain up in the club????

RIGHT: Clubbers gettin their Da Butt on.
BELOW: YOURS TRULY's hand grabbin something from the dessert tray.

PICS FROM THE SAUL WILLIAMS EVENt AT MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM

LEFT: Poet/actor Saul Williams signing in hancock to a fan after his performance.

Saul in poetry mode!

Saul with Mocha Latte.

OUT 158(BLACK HISTORY MONTH BITZ)

2007-02-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

As of this publishing, it will be March 1--the End of Black History Month. As a hidden treat, I was perusing my source sites, and ran up into something while on Myra Panache's website and thought this would be an intersteing tidbit for Black Hisoroity Month:

Black History Tidbit…The First Black Ice Hockey Players -1820 to 1870.

Comprised of the sons and grandsons of runaway American slaves, the league helped pioneer the sport of ice hockey changing this winter game from the primitive "gentleman's past-time" of the nineteenth century to the modern fast moving game of today. In an era when many believed blacks could not endure cold, possessed ankles too weak to effectively skate, and lacked the intelligence for organized sport, these men defied the defined myths

The first recorded mention of all-Black hockey teams appears in 1895. Games between Black club teams were arranged by formal invitation. By 1900, The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes had been created, headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Despite hardships and prejudice, the league would exist until the mid-1920s.

Historically speaking, The Colored Hockey League was like no other hockey or sports league before or since. Primarily located in a province, reputed to be the birthplace of Canadian hockey, the league would in time produce a quality of player and athlete that would rival the best of White Canada. Such was the skill of the teams that they would be seen by as worthy candidates for local representation in the annual national quest for Canadian hockey's ultimate prize - the Stanley Cup.

Now how's that for black on ice?

OUT 157

2007-02-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

Hello err body. This is your favorite blogger in the STL, Ma'atology herr one more week givin it to ya. Well, lets get right to it....

Internationally, Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, is getting his wish to serve in Iraq. The Ministry of Defense ended speculation that had been swirling for about a week by announcing the 22-year-old prince will be sent to Iraq with his Blues and Royals regiment in May or June. Harry, a second lieutenant, will assume a troop commander's role. And teh brits are going to pull out 1600 troops in the coming months. So I guess Harry is gettin in before the Brits' end is near.

In national newz, we are gearing up for the Oscars. It should be intereseting who will win what. I predict that Best Pircture will go to Babel; Best Actress--Helen Mirren--Queen; Best Supporting Actress-Jennifer Hudson "Dreamgirls"; Best Actor--Forrest Whitaker- "Last King of Scotland"- Best Supporting Actor (Wow this a tuffy). I think it might be an upset. Eddie Murphy may not win. They may give it to Mark Wahlberg for the Departed. Dreamgirls will win Best Song I'm sutre (Three songs are in this category). It should be an intersted night fo sho'

The Anna Nicole Smith trial on where to bury the late bombshell is turning OJ-like--morbidness meets reality I say.

Britney Spears is now looking like Sinead OConnor.

In Regional newz:

The University of Illinois' controversial American Indian mascot (PICTURED ABOVE) was set to perform his last dance this week and men who have previously portrayed Chief Illiniwek said they want the tradition to live on in some form.The mascot, whose fate was decided by school officials last week, took center stage at Assembly Hall for one last performance during the men's basketball game between Illinois and Michigan last night.

Removing the chief frees the university of NCAA sanctions after the organization deemed Illiniwek -- portrayed by buckskin-clad students who dance at home football and basketball games and other athletic events -- an offensive use of American Indian imagery and barred the school from hosting postseason athletic events. I say bravo on this. Its like when black people were portrayed on products with Sambo and Pickaninny images. Its time for America to rid themselves of all ethnic images that degrade.

On a local tip, its like East Caost-West Coast all up in teh STL this week as the East-West Gateway's board of directors voted 12-10 in favor of the Martin Luther King Bridge coupler plan during a meeting Wednesday. In early June 2006, Illinois officials and lawmakers released an alternative plan to Missouri's proposed $910 million new tollway bridge across the Mississippi River. Illinois does not support the tollway idea and proposed a $450 million coupler bridge to be constructed parallel to the four-lane Martin Luther King Bridge. The proposed parallel bridge would carry four lanes of traffic only westbound, while road crews renovated the MLK Bridge to carry all eastbound traffic.Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich had markedly different reactions to the council's vote. While Blunt called the vote "disappointing," Blagojevich said he "applauded" it.

Belleville sworn in its first African American police chief. This week Bill Clay (PICTURED ABOVE) was sworn in. His appointment as the police chief comes 12 years after the federal government ordered the city to hire African-Americans as part of the settlement of a hiring discrimination lawsuit. Clay was the first black officer hired by the department. He then became the first Afri can-American to reach the rank of sergeant, lieutenant and captain before Mayor Mark Eckert tapped him in 2005 to become assistant chief.

"I'm not appointing Bill Clay to create history," he said. "In my eyes, Bill Clay is a professional. And I would have to agree if the city of Belleville, 10 or 12 years ago, if we weren't looking at people based on ability, then we were wrong." CAN YOU SAY SPIN CONTROL?

And now on to my travels....

Last Friday, I checked out Stress Free Fridays' weekly Happy Hour get togteher at the Jazz Loft. The weather cleared up a bit from the snow and cold and I decided to check it out this week. They had a nice crowd even with half of the clubbers up in Las Vages for the All Star Bullet (I mean) basketball Weekend festivities (Stress Free co-creator Mario Wayne wa sone of them). On the 1s and 2s was Eric Michael Robeson (boy he has big hands!) playin the latest R&B tunes. In the house was Freeman Bosley Jr (who shook my hand like a preacher LOL) and Better Family Life's James Clark hobnobbing with the happy hour people.I also saw Rose Man up in therre sellin his flowers and candies and such , so I know I was in the palce to be .

But the highlights were STL cover band Honey Vox (PICTURED ABOVE) who turned it out. They remind me of a modern day Rose Royce. A female singer backed by ith a tight band. They had the crowd dancin all night on the dance floor . They sang covers of songs like Family Affair by Mary J, Chrsitian Aguilera's Aint No Other Man and even a funked up version of Tainted Love's 80s gem, "Tainted Love" (the crowd was not really feelin that tune though). After their set, house dj DJ Soundz took over on the 1s and 2s. Message thearpist Kamren was doin the messages for the ladies (and onlookers who just looked on)

As the night progressed, the crowd was comin through as the snow started to come down and Stress Free co-creator Mark Anthony Jones(THE OTHER HIGHLIGHT) was gettin liberal with the devil's juice(HE'S PICTURED ABOVE TO THE RIGHT WITH A GOOD FRIEND BEFORE THE JUICE. LOL) . He was havin his own party near the bar with three of his former students he taught . It was definitely a sight to see (I didnt know you could Walk it Out like that. LOL. Thanks for the beer BTW).

Around 1ish, the snow started to REALLY come down hard which was my cue for my exit cause the condituons were already cautious, so I said my nicities to all I knew up in therre and I bounced. Oh it was cool reuniting back with you Marvin Glenn, we'll talk. Oh I promised upcoming socialite Senora Robinson (PICTURED ABOVE TO THE LEFT, TO THE LEFT IS MS. SENORA WITH FRIEND DANIELLE TAYLOR AT STRESS FREE) , that I would put her pic on my site.

On Sunday, I checked out local director's production "Stormy Monday" (CAST SHOT PICTURED ABOVE) at the Lee Auditiorium at the Missouri History Museum. The play told the story of two African American men who migrate from the South to St. Louis in hopes of obtaining employment with the newly opened Chrysler Plant in Fenton, Missouri. Their arrival in St. Louis interacts with two separate but related forces: the tumultuous Goodman household in which they take residence and the tornado of 1959.

The play had its moments. I really liked the dynamics of the characters. It reminded me of Raisin in the Sun meets Jitney. I coudl tell that this was a work in progress (and quite timely these days with the Fenton plant now in crisis today!) and the writing could be a little tighter, but Carr definitely has something going with this masterpiece in the making..........................

On Wednesday, I had my meeting with SYGU at Copia about my particpation in the guest promotion part of their network event, Fashionably Late this Saturday at Copia (located at 1122 Washington in downtiwn STL) I got therre a little fashionably late, but when I got therre they were mostly talking the security aspect of the event with Frontline services security guy Brian Stemmons (what was up with that leaf comment? LOL) .SYGU went over what my group will be doing. Pretty much, I will have three male models from my upcoming fashion show, Maatology Models, who will pass out fliers to the aldies (and any admirers thereof) about the fashion show.

Also joining the meeting was Hot 104.1 Morning Show personality Wendi Brown (who was looking like a "Betty beatnik" from the 60s for real, totally the antithesis of her STLwood image LOL). She is going to do the shot outs of my group to the crowd. SYGU hope to pull in 400 people so that is definitely good pub for my show. As I was leaving, I ran into STL business couple, Jacque and Leata Land of the Platinum Group having drinks with a friend of theirs. I talked to them briefly about my reason of being therre and vamped out cause it was time for me to get to the Water Geyser to start my new hours, 1900-0100 hours.

STL-TIDBITZ. According to panachereprt.com, in Las Vegas on All-Star Sunday, rap star Nelly was in attendance at Club Mynxx (a strip club) and he threw $1000 into the air (when the song “Make It Rain” came on) and the women started fighting trying to get at the money, the club was immediately evacuated and a guy shot three men outside in the parking lot. Killing one of them. Uh, can someone say 2Pac circa 1997? ....former NFLer and business owner Demetrius Johnson has a new talk show on Sundays on WHHL-FM (104. 1 FM). I think it comes on around 10a.am to noon cause I was just turning the dial after the Freeman Bosley Junior show, which leaves the air at 10 in the morn on 100.3. The Beat and heard Johnson and crew going off about the ST. Louis School board fiasco and naming names of the enemies. A pissed off "soccer" mother even called in about a particular b-ball coach cussin out his players and buying devils' juice during travel out of town games. Now that is just too much playin. This show is mos def OFF THE CHARTS. Check it out when you get a chance................................. Former KSDK anchor Karen Foss was named to new Ameren position, veep for public relations at AmerenUE, its Missouri-based utility company. When she was asked why she took the job she bascially was saying that she was helping them on how to disseminate their press releases. Well, in my opinion, its seems as though Ameren hired her to get her expertise on how to "spin" tre truth. They have went through the wire, like Kanye over the past year with all the storms knocking out people's power and then raising the electric bills. So, its pretty evident whats going on herre................................I heard on Kmox-AM this week NYC journalist Jake Halpern talking about his new book "Famous Junkies" about the circus around instant fame. Whats interesting was he said that he became a groupie of sorts to various rap circles to get an idea of the frenzy evolving around isntant fame. And one of them was StL rapper j-Kwon.

He writes: Several months before he became famous, seventeen-year-old Jerrell Jones visited the Black Pearl tattoo parlor in downtown St. Louis and made an unusual request. He asked to have a six-inch-long barcode, complete with a minute serial number, etched onto his forearm in dark green ink.

As far as Jones was concerned, his decision to get the tattoo was just one more step on the path to fame. Prior to this, he had run away from his home in the suburbs and spent several months living the life of a vagabond on the streets of St. Louis, sleeping in abandoned cars and writing his rap lyrics by the flame of a cigarette lighter.

During this time, he renamed himself “J-Kwon,” and began to brace himself for the fame that he felt was imminent. “I got the bar code because I knew that someday I’d be a product,” he told me. “I knew they were going to sell me.” He was right.

For more go to http://jakehalpern.com/books/FameJunkies/story.html

MA'AT-IDBITZ. I had my rounds of script reveiw meetings with the actors for my stageplay, Monologues and Penisillin coming up in MArch (SEE EVENTZ BELOW) at my J.O.B. at the Water Geyser. I worked with my cast which currently includes Carlos McCalurin, Archie Coleman, Mister Daryl, Osita O. and Tamita Williford ( I have also brought on board L.A. Williams who is fresh off his role as Don in Me Don and the Psychiatrist at JPEK's Launch Party atteh 555 Building). Local actor/model Jaron Hicks is also on board. I will keep you posted on the progress..................................I had to fire a couple of out of town models who got amnesia all of a sudden when it came to our agreement of travel/lodging arrangements. Now all of a sudden it was"talk to my agent" and before, they contacted me themselves without indictaion of an agent. . And they say they are professional? Hello. Last I checked, you supposed to let your agent contact the client, not the talent itslef. But I digress................................ ,I also beagn my media blitz for my stageplay sending it out to various mediums (YOU CAN SEE THE ARTWORK AT OUT 156 ) and evites.

I will debut some of my models in "Testoscouture" at SYGU's event Fashionable Late this Saturday. I just hope thr weather holds up. I heard its supposed to rain--hard!.

I got an email from the owners of Drunken Fish this week. They wrote:

To all of our guests that patronage the drunken fish and Xes:
The Riverfront Times 2007 restaurant poll is out...
Please take the time and vote for us in:
Best Sushi (Drunken Fish)
Best Martini (Drunken Fish)
Best Happy Hour (Drunken Fish)
Best Lounge/Club (Xes)
It has been an amazing year for the drunken fish in 2006 and we thank you for your support...
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/poll/restpoll07

SO VOTE OR DIE. LOL

EVENT-iDBITZ

Stress Free Fridays will take place Friday, February 16 at 5pm The Loft Jazz Club (www.theloftstl.com)> 3112 Olive--just east of Compton, Mid-Town St. Louis> St. Louis, Missouri 63103> 314-225-2505

Eye Candy, Miss Feb. contest , Sat. feb. 4 at The Loft doors at 8 p.m. registration 11 p.m. For more info, call 314/226-5777

SYGU Group presents Fashionably Late, Saturday Feb 24 at Copia, 1122 washnbgton Ave from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.Ladies free before 11 p.m., Cover charge $5. For more info go to
http://www.sygugroup.com/mainmenu.html

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From Sharee Galvin’s CORNER:

TUESDAYS: The ULTIMATE 2$ TUESDAY AT DREAMS-HOSTED BY STACISTATIC FREE TIL MIDNIGHT ANDTWITZID TUESDAY'S AT THE SOFT TOUCH HOSTED BY BIG JAY

WEDNESDAYS: "HUMP DAY-GOT LYRICS?" LYRICS ON THE LOU WILL NOW BE AT THE LOFT.

FRIDAYS— CHECK OUT 5$ FRIDAYS HOSTED BY POTZEE AND THE UC MEFAMILY@ DREAMS...WHERE THE STARS PLAY DRINK SPECIALS ALLNIGHT LONG...SPONSORED BY 'JC' COGNAC…

SATURDAYS- .Big Jay Presents Dreams Do Come True by teresa, 2007 V-Day Extravaganza, networking/social party, hosted by BET comeidian Lil Rock, Sat. Feb. 10 at Ceadrs, 939 Lebanon, 7 p.m., $50, $100 VIP, $150 Couples.

For any info on these events email Sharee at sgalvin26@yahoo.com

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The Black Rep’s Popular “I Stand Alone” Solo Performance Series Returns. The Black Rep’s new, I STAND ALONE solo theatre series returns on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m., February 12 – March 26, 2007at The Black Rep Monsanto Center for Performing Arts Education, 1717 Olive Street, 4th Floor. The series will feature solo performances of original work with a 15 minute intermission. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Admission is $10 or $5 for Black Rep subscribers.February 12 and 19IF AN ORCHID SIZZLE featuring Linda Kennedy. Based on the life and times of Josephine Baker and her more than 50 years as witness to triumphs and turmoil. WHERE: The Black Rep Monsanto Center for Performing Arts Education, 1717 Olive Street, 4th FloorTICKETS: $10 and $5 for Black Rep Subscribers, for info please call (314) 534-3810....................

THE BLACK REP presents CROSSIN' OVER February 14 - March 11Conceived and Directed by Ron Himes Without darkness, there can be no light. The burdens of struggle lead to the expression of faith. And the evolution of gospel music runs in lockstep with difficult times. Witness a spiritual journey that chronicles the history of Africans in America through song, and traces the connection between your contemporary house of worship back to the times of capture. Performance Schedule:Thursdays, 7:00pmFridays, 8:00pmSaturdays, 3:00pm and 8:00pmSundays, 3:00pm*All performances at The Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Square, 63103)Click here for ticket information

Second Slavery: The Art of Keith Westbrook, February 23-March 24 opening reception Fri. Feb. 23, 6-8pm at Left Bank Books, 399 Euclid, St. Louis, MO. For info. 314.367.6731

Vanita Appleum entertainment presents award winning poet/actor Saul Willimas Friday, February 23, 2007. at the Missouri History Musuem, Admission $10.Tickets on sale right now at the History Museum.Tickets on sale now at the Missouri History Museum, or by calling (314) 361-9017, 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. MacDermott Grand Hall $10 per person; $7 for MHS members

If you're in Los Angeles, DON'T MISS THE PREMIERE OF "SWEET EVALINA" >> written & produced by: Kyona Levine. Directed by: Apaulo Malloy, February 2nd, 2007 – February 25th, 2007, at the Inglewood Playhouse, 714 Warren Lane, Inglewood CA . EVERY WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY 2007. Fridays 8:00 p.m. Saturdays 8:00 p.m. Sundays 3:00> > p.m.TICKETS ARE $15.00. RESERVE ONLINE: www.plays411.com/evalina For more information about the show and cast visit online: www.myspace.com/sweetevalina...................

YOURS TRULY presents the stageplay, Monologues and Penisillin, March 16-18 at the Missuori History Museum. Email me at maatspear@yahoo.com for more info.

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND 2ND SHOW ADDED!! KETC/CHANNEL 9 presents JOHNNY MATHIS SUNDAY, MARCH 25 • 7:00p.m. Saturday, March 24 • 8:00p.m. - On sale now! Previously announced LIVE at the Fox Theatre! $65, $60, $55 & $45 Purchase tickets at the Fox Box Office, MetroTix outlets or by calling 314/534-1111. Order tickets online at www.metrotix.com Johnny Mathis celebrates over 50 years as a recording artist and performer in a concert that will take your breath away. Join us for a spectacular evening with this living legend as he brings back golden memories with "Misty,” “Chances Are," and other greatest hits.

AUDITION-BITZ. YOURS TRULY will have my last audition call for male models for Testoscouture, Sat. March 3 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Emrson Library at Webster University. Email me at maatspear@yahoo.com for details.

J.O.B.-ITZ. Loan Officers Needed No Experience Necessary! Will Train! Nations Funding Source, STL Recruitment and Business opportunity Where: Kingsbury Real Estate, 415 Debaliviere @ Waterman Suite 271 (Inside Pulaski Bank 2nd floor Time: 7:00pm every Tuesday Come fill out application ask for Kellie NFS agent or Juan Lewis, Broker/ Agent

SUBMISSION-BITZ. YOURS TRULY is seeking potentail advertisers for my stageplay Monologues and my fashion show. Email me at maatspear@yahoo.com for more info....................

The MaTiff Dancers are going to New York's Legendary Apollo Theater!!!!!!This is a wonderful opportunity that has been offered to the MaTiff Dancers. Many of who have never traveled, performed on a national stage, or even been on airplane!!! MaTiff Dancers were chosen out of 180 acts that auditioned for the show. The taping of Showtime at the Apollo will take place March 2-5, 2007.All donations made payable to the West End Community Conference c/o MaTiff Dance Program. Feel free to contact them directly regarding additional information at (314) 249 1194 or email at matiffdance@gmail.com

ONGOING-BITZ.

For all of your fashion and fashion show needs, go to PRONTO at www.prontofashion.com

Gravity presents Natty Lounge for Ragga Wednesdays, 9 p.m.-2.a.m, located at 1620 delmar. $5 door, ladies free til 11p.m., for more info, call 314-479-3376

Check out blog http://www.sistersnineties.blogspot.com/for local literary group Sister’s Nineties Afrocentricliterary activities for the family and youngsters

Check out Lachrisa Crenshaw’s spa products at http://www.warmspirit.org/esuite/home/chriscspirit,or call her at (314)401-0710 or go tomailto:tolachrisa_crenshaw@sbcglobal.net.

For body painting, makeup, face painting wigs and other special effects, contact Jessica Dana at http://www.jessicadana.com/ or go towww.myspace.com/jessicadada13

For all of your STL club event plans, AD SPACE and pics,go to http://www.stlouis-online.com/.

For your catering needs, check out Collective Cateringcollectivecatering@yahoo.com located at4958 Cote Brilliante, their digits are 314-575-3333)

KDHX Radio’s Chuck Lavazzi has a hot new podcast calledSTAGE LEFT which he talks about CD reviews, news and interviewsfrom the world of stage, screen, cabaret and related places.Go to it directly at http://tinyurl.com/zrqd7

Check out STLdee-jay Enoch online with his own radio playlist.The Flow: Music Lounge. Peep it out at http://www.flowink.com/player-popup.htm or go to his myspace page www.myspace/enochisreal.

Show Me Entertainment presents Industry Nights, a networking partyfor artists, entertainers, models, actors,painters, dancers, entertainment lawyers, managers, etc. everyWednesday night at the Lindbergh Bistro located inside the AirportPlaza inn at I-70 and Lindbergh. 18 Y.O. to enter. 21 Y.O. and upto Drink. Admission FREE. For more info, contact Terrence Smith at314/713-3793, or tsmith@showme1.com or http://www.showme1.com/

For all your STL hip-hop info needs, go to http://www.stlhiphop.com/!

STL videographer Dana Christian has a hot website where people can send their professional music videos films to get exposed. Itis http://www.spitflix.com/.

Well, that be it, folks. If ya got anything for me to pub, hit me up e-mail style at maatspear@yahoo.com. Until the next time, see ya outside!

OUT 156

2007-02-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hello my people! Ma'atology is back, phyiscally that is. I batteled the flu for the past 2 weeks and let me tell ya, if you ever got the taste of hunger after gettin over an illness, that's how serious it was. But I'm good1 So lets get to it.

In national newz:

Barak Obama officially put his hat in the ring of running for Prez in 2008. He had his homecoming in his adopted city of Chicago at U of I at the Chicago Pavillion last Sunday to announce it while protestors of the war in Iraq was there to demonstrate. "I'm glad they were there," Obama said later. "They feel a sense of urgency about a war that should have never been authorized and a war that should have never been fought." This is just the beghinning brotha Obama....................

Is it me, or is the media trying to make Anna Nicole Smith's death a mystery like Martiyn Monroe's?...............

Has NBA player Tim Hardaway lose his mind? The Retired Miami Heat guard said Wednesday on a particular talk show that he hates gay people, but later said he regretted the remarks He said, "You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people," he said while a guest on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket. "I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." The discussion was sparked by last week's announcement that retired NBA center John Amaechi is gay.

It seems as though Hardaway is very uncomfortable with his sexually . If he was a real man, he would care less about who's gay or not. Besides, he doesnt know who has peeped at him in the NBA lockerrooms while he was changing clothes to take a shower, ya feel me?......................

Got your flu nasal spray yet?

The 18-year-old gunman who shot five people to death in a Salt Lake City, Utah, last Monday at a shopping mall was a survivor of the siege that ended in the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Bosnia's 1992-95 war, a cousin said on Wednesday. Sulejman Talovic, who was killed by police after Monday's shooting spree in which he also wounded four people, fled his village with his family during the Bosnia war to Srebrenica, a U.N.-protected enclave, Redzo Talovic said. Wow this is defintely another movie of the week here. Too bizarre for Hollywood writers to even come up with something like this!.............

On a Local tip,

The St. Louis area got 6 inches of snow earlier in the week along with teen cold temps and is projected mor eis to come this weekend.

But things are about to heat up cause..................

The State Board of Education voted Thursday morning to take the first step to intervene in the St. Louis Public Schools, despite parents and teachers who disrupted their meeting.The final step hinges now on whether the district is awarded provisional accreditation. That decision is expected as early as Feb. 28.At that time, the board is expected to vote to intervene in the St. Louis Public Schools, a move that will alter the oversight and operation of Missouri's largest school system for up to the next six years -- and also trigger legal challenges..................

A salmonella outbreak that has slowly grown to nearly 300 cases in 39 states since August has been linked to tainted peanut butter, federal health officials said Wednesday. It is believed to be the first salmonella outbreak associated with peanut butter in U.S. history, said officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.ConAgra said it is recalling all Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111. It was reported that the STL groceries may have some ties to the tainted peanuts...................

Analysts say 10,000 hourly workers probably will lose their jobs as part of DaimlerChrysler's effort to cut costs at its Chrysler Group by more than $2 billion, or $1,000 for every car sold in the United States. Meanwhile, DaimlerChrysler AG said Wednesday its fourth-quarter earnings plunged 40 percent on weaker demand from Chrysler. Workers After DaimlerChrysler announced plans Wednesday to cut jobs at the suburban St. Louis plant where it makes Dodge and Chrysler minivans, Missouri officials said they may revoke tax cuts granted to the company About 1,300 workers will lose their jobs in Fenton, government leaders said. Chrysler said it will eliminate a shift at the South assembly plant in 2008................

Lawyers for kidnapping suspect Michael J. Devlin failed today in their bid to have him moved to the St. Louis County Jail and are awaiting a judge’s word on their bid to have any grand jury proceeding transcribed...................

Now onto my travels:

On Friday, I met with my tax guy Joshua Beeks and went over my refund possibilites at the Casino Queen snack bar aera. As we were talking, the Queen had a booth of Beatles memorabilia on sale in commemoration of the Beatles show they were having at Club Sveen (One guy wa ssitting near us who was in the show dressed like a Beatle when Joshua said, "They are having a Beales concert here . I wouldnt go to something like that." CLASSIC)

Later on, I braved the hawk and my hacking cough to check out Stress Free fridays' weekly event that was going to held at the Mandarin in the Central West End. I got a call on my cell from my buddy Kamren about coming through (He is the events' house message therapist). I gottheer about a quarter to 10. Well I walked up to the spot and ran into some valet guys and asked how much they charge for their service cause I may use them for my -male fashion show project. So, as I walked down teh corridor to go inside the spot, I saw that there was a small line of people tryin to get in and all were non-white. At foirst, I thought I had the wrong venue cause most of Stress Free Fridays evente are of the chocolate persuasion.

So, I asked one of the bouncers if this is wherr Stress Free Fridays was held and they said yes. So I got out of line to walk tothe elevator. then another bouncer stopped the elevator and said,."It will be 5 dollars." Then I remarked, "When did STress Free friday start charging?" Then the guy said that Stress Free was over with (I was about 40 minutes late). So I went on and paid the 5 bones and went up the elevator with three giggly white girls who were talkin about their boyfriends. I was a bit uncomfortable at their conversation cause it was sooooooooooooo Hillary Duff you know, I mean, golly gee!. I could not relate.

When the elevator opened, I saw Kam in the lobby sitting on a lower ledge across from with his message therapy chair. He wasnt gettin much business but I decided to stay and chat with him cause I saw that the Mandarin crowd were the only patrons in there and all of the Stress Free crowd had left. While I was talkin to Kam, one of the bouncer guys said that I had to take off my hat and check it in. I was like, "huh?" Then he was like, "Well, you have to check it in cause if we let one person wear a hat, then every one will wear one (I gotta case of Club Seven deja Vu for a moment therr. LOL)

Therr was no way I paying more money, so I told the bouncer, "I'm not stayin long and I'm not goin in." So I started talkin to kam some more, then another bouncer came up to me about my hat again. I told him I knew about it and I wa sabout to leave. Then I told Kam, "Let me leave before they call the cops or something."

So I gave Kam some dap and I stepped. When I got back to the ground floor one of the guys that asked for 5 bones told me to have a good night. I looked at him and kept walking back to my car. I didnt need this especailly after tryin to get over the flu........................

On Saturday, I checked out the Meet and Greet for acoustic soul singer Anthony David that was held at the Roberst Brothers' Mayfair Hotel downtown. I deicded to check this out to interview David for Vanita Applebum (Enterprises) who was putting this event on. I was doing some serious circling around downtown liek a vulture to try and find the hotel. I've never been to their hotel but (I know) I 've passed it on ocassion. I called VAE assistant (the infamous) Nikki Roach to ask wherr the hotel was and she said that it was betwen 8th and 9th . Well that helped a bit.

I parked in my usual spot oin 11th and Cole next to the Holiday Inn Select on the curb wherr the free parking meters were (No way I was paying 10 bones to park) and

walked to the area wherr the hotel may have been, I first I thought it wa son Washingtoin but actually is next to the Renaissance Grand on 9th street going South. When I got to the Renaissance Grand I walked up to the parking valet and asked where the Mayfair was and he and two other guys pointed one building over and therr it was.

I got therre about 9 or so and asked the front desk assistant where the Meet and Greet was and he told me it was in the dining area. So, I walk in and there's no one in there. So, I walked out to make sure I was going the right direction. Then, I walked back in and asked the matre dei if this was where the Meet and Greet was and he said that it was. I walk in and saw one sista at one of the tabels . Come to find out it was Majic 104.9 personality Isis Jones. We shared some love and we partook in the light appetizers and complimentary wine. We got into some deep conversation escpecially on the apssing of socialite/club promoter Big Steph who was tragically killed in a drive by shooting in North St. Louis. We talked about how preciosu life is and the importance of family and friends.

As we were talking, I was wondering wherr the VAE crew was with Anthony David. Well they arrived about 9:15 or so with the man of the hour and his assistant. David (who looks like a skinnier version of Morris Chestnut) sat with us as we did an informal interview with him (The transcript of that interveiw will be posted in a future blog). He seem to be a pretty cool and laid back brother. As me and Isis talked with him, he had playin some songs from UK artist named Amy Winehouse playing on his Blackberry. She is like a mixture of Anastacia and Lisa Stansfield. She is the next for sure.

So me, Isis and David talked about music, his CD, his freindship with India. Arie (And Thats all I remeber cause the wine was startn to kick me in the head). Later on, Mocha Latte came through and joined us as she talked with David as well. They also had a cake to celebrate David arriving to perform here in the STL (He was suppose to be here in late January but we that had bad snowstorm that cancelled his flight here).

The Meet and Greet lasted for about an hour when the matre dei's kicked us out of therre, but some left, and some went up the elevator to a room to have more conversation. (And thats all I am saying on that. LOL) I will say that Anthony David likes watching "Saturday Night Live" with "a lot of smoke." LOL

Afterward, VAE took me to my car and I drove back to the East Side to start the Graveyard Shift at the Water Geyser.

FOR PICS OF THE MEET AND GREET, GO TO OUT 154

On Sunday, I was deep in the Grammy Awards for about an hour until I realized I had to go check out Anthony David (PICTURED ABOVE) in concert. So, I got ready and decided to get therr about an hour late cause they had a couple of opening acts and I wanted to check out some of the Grammies before I TiVOd (nothing against the opening acts of course) . When I TRIED to get to Gravity on Delmar, it was yet another go around in circles game. I was in the area, but for some reason, I couldnt find it. Therr was no sign sayin Gravity.

So to save gas and time, I parked on the side of 16th Street and followed the crowd. The spot was in the back of what used to be Club 747 (and it's not really on Delmar, but behind Delmar) surrounded by this black iron wrought gate that it looked like I was going to a prisonyard. I ran into St. Louis American Calendar editor Kenya Vaughn who wa scrcking me up talkin about how she was missing the Grammies to come to the show and how she couldnt work her VCR to pre-record it so she just hit the record button and vamped out. (She needs to be on someone's sitcom for real.)

The following is my music reveiw of David;s concert:

Acoustic soul artist David brings some ‘Red Clay’ to the STL
By Ma’at Atkins

About 200 neo-soul music lovers came out to hear the acoustic soul sounds of Atlanta based singer/songwriter Anthony David last Sunday at the new establishment, Gravity located at 1620 Delmar.

And he did not disappoint. During his 90 minute set, David came across as a male version of India.Arie (who he’s best friends with, did background vocals for and co-wrote her latest hit, “There’s Hope”) and a raspy liquid-voiced Bill Withers and you have the makings Anthony David. Manning just a guitar and his DJ (DJ Woodchuck), David sang most of the songs from his two CD’s “Three Chords and the Truth” and his latest, “Red Clay chronicles”

Although David’s more of a laid-back, introspective singer than an a live performer, one of the highlights included his exposing his “hip-hop headness” when he mashing his songs with retro-hip-hop tunes (eg. “spittin game” with Tribe called Quest’s classic, “electric Relaxation”) He also asked the crowd (that he, on a couple of occasions, interacted with stepping down from the stage and walking through the crowd )to move their seats up close to the stage so he could feel them (the action has unfortunately has become a neo-soul artist cliche).

He also did a few surprise cover tunes including Withers’ “Lovely Day” and Guy’s “I Like.”

He also gave a quick shout out to his pal, Arie saying, “A shout out to India Arie who’s nominated for Grammies tonight.”

As he was performing he became shocked and a bit surprised when he asked the crowd if they had both of his CD’s, many cheered in exultation (One fan even asked if he was going to perform “Crooked Cops”) He also got a chance to plug his wares as he was singing, “Smoke One” saying that his Cd was at Vintage Vinyl and to learn more about his music by going on his website.

David definitely did not disappoint with his raw yet refined talent. And if the crowd was an indication of his future, he will quickly become a household name. Local artists One Sound and Teresa Jenee and . Local DJ, DJ Will were the opening acts and house dee-jay respectively.

For more on this artist, go to Anthonydavidmusic.com

Afterward, David signed autographs, and sold his CDs and t-shirts to the crowd.

In the house was Big Joe, Roger Macon, Reno, Monica Tyson (Slimmin down I see), Fo Feet (or shall I say Fo Legs.LOL), Miss Erika (the hair stylist), SYGU Group, Sandra Roberts, Mocha Latte, Big Tah, Marla Galloway, jazz artist Erika Johnson (who was a little sauced), SPITFLIX's Dana Christian, Mo Tre, and DJ Enoch. Oh and can someone tell me who was the dark skinend brotha who was there dressed like a YMCA policeman with jeans and boots and hair styled Kelis in the video Bossy? LOL.

FOR MORE PICS FROM THE CONCERT, GO TO OUT 154

STL-TIDBITZ. Looks like we got someone from the St. Louis area who made the Top 24 in the Americna Idol finals...well sorta. It has been disocvered that fianlist Melinda Doolittle (PICTURED ABOVE) spent her formative years in St. Louis (until the age of 12) and lived in St. Jospeh, Mo. She is a background singer for some of the top artists and she looks like she may hav ea chance of at least being in the Top 5. Idol hopeful and St. Louis natiev Sineta Roker, unfortunately she didnt even make the Top 44. January 29, 2007..... Well according to Nelly's Myspace (and posted by Afrikan Butterfly) Mya the singer must be a very close friend of his because on his top 8 friends Mya was #1 AND NOT ASHANTI AS A MATTER OF FACT SHE WAS NOT ON HIS TOP 8, (whatever that means).... Mr. Biggs beats the rap! According to wdasfm.com, Singer Ron Isley (who used to have a crib in the STL) has dodged a bullet. Isley was facing a three year prison sentence following his guilty verdict in his tax evasion trial. Isley, who had been sick during the trial, was supposed to be housed at a prison medical facility. The verdict is currently in appeals, and Isley is doing no jail time. Isley is currently planning a 29-city tour that will wrap up in Philadelphia. On the home front, all is going well as his family expands. Isley and his wife Kandy recently welcomed their second child. Isley’s first son, Ron O’Kelly Isley, Jr., is two-months old. Isley says his family will be joining him on the road.....Singer Luther Ingram is not doing well. According to wdasfm.com, Ingram, 62, who is best known for the 1972 classic If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right). is on dialysis, and is currently depending on a respirator to breathe.Ingram used to also live in East St. Louis for a spell....Local comedian Brie Johnson wants yawl to logon to www.riverfrontradio.com and listen to her new morning radio talk show called "The Grey Area"!!! Every Monday morning from 10am to 12noon CST....Oh and for yawl Mochaheads, Mocha Latte's popular "Lyrics On the Lou" poetry/song series at the FilterBar has been moved. It will now take place at the Loft starting next Wednesday(Take some goodpics and get some good scoop on the All Star weekend, okay? ) ....and belated kudos to socialite Monica Tyson for her weight loss program. It was featured on Fox 2 news earlier this week.

CHART-IDBITZ. Well, looks like STL rapper Jibbs' song, "King Kong" (feat. Chamillionaire) is about to run out of steam. This week, on Billboard Hip-Hop/R&B charts, the song falls two spaces from 35 to 37 in its 10th week on the chart.

MA'AT-IDBITZ. Well I had another audition for my play, Monologues and Penisillin (ART WORK FOR THE PLAY IS PICTURED ABOVE) and my masculine fashion show project atteh Emerson Library. I had several to audition for both. This was the last audition to get my models/actors. (FOR PICS OF THE FINAL CUT OF MODELS ADN THE ACTUAL NAME OF MY SHOW GO TO OUT 155)...

I will debut some of my models in "the masculine fashion show" at SYGU's event Fashionable LAte...Again event that will be held at Copia, 1122, Washington Ave., in downtown St. Louis. Saturday, Feb. 24 from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.........

Well, I was about 50 percent correct on my predictions at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Who would have thoght hat country suoerstars teh Dixie Chicks (PICTURED ABOVE) would be the big winner? But then again, it is the Grammies. They racked up in the major categories like Reocrd, Song, Album and two country awards for their song, "Not Ready to Make Nice' and album ."Taking the Long Way:) The following is what I said about the potential winners last week and what actually happened.

Anyway, this year seems that there will be multiple winners. Mary J. Blige led the pack with eight nods, but if conventional wisdom is any indication, she will not win all these awards.

I WAS RIGHT ON THAT POINT

She will be, however the biggest winner (She will cop five).

WRONG. She won THREE and DIXIE CHICKS WERE THE BIG WINNER WITH FIVE AWARDS

She will win Best R&B Song ("Be Without you")

CORRECT

Best R&B Female Vocal ("Be Without You")

CORRECT

R&B Traditional Performance ("I Found my Everything" with Raphael Saadiq)

WRONG

R&B Album ("THe Breakthrough")

CORRECT

and Best Pop Collaboration ("One" with U2)

WRONG--Tony Bennet and Stevie won this award (I should have saw that one comin!)

WELL I WAS HALF WAY RIGHT. THEY DIDNt WIN RECORD, BUT THEY WON THE OTHER TWO AWARDS

Pop/folk artist John Mayer will win three. he will win Album of the Year ("Continnuum"), Best Pop Male Vocal ("Waiting for the World to Change") and Rock Instrumental ("Route 66"),

ACTUALLY HE WON TWO , BUTTHE CATEGORY THAT I PREDICTED HE WILL WIN AND HE DID WIN WAS POP MALE VOCAL. THE OTHER WAS POP ALBUM.

Red hot chilli Peppers will win three (Rock Album for Stadium Arcadium", Rock Group Vocal and Short Form Video for "Dani California")

ACTUALLY THEY WON FOUR, THE SECOND BIG WINNER, BUT THE CATEGORIES I PREDICTED THAT THEY WOULD WIN AND DID WIN WAS ROCK ALBUM AND ROCK GROUP VOCAL.

Two time winners will be newcomer James Blunt (Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "You're Beautiful")

WRONG. HE WON NOTTA.

Justin Timberlake (Best Pop Album for "Future Sex/Love sounds" and Dance recording, "Sexy Back"),

YES HE WON TWO, BUT ONE WASNT POP ALBUM BUT FOR RAP SUNG COLLOBORATION

Madonna for Dance Album ("Confessions on a dance Floor") and Long Video "I Want to tell you a Secret')

YES TO DANCE ALBUM, BUT THATS ALL SHE WON

Beyonce ( Contemporary R&B Album for "B-Day" and Rap/Sung Colloboration for "Deja Vu" with Jay Z)

CORRECT ON R&B ALBUM, BUT THAT WAS IT

Rappers TI (Best Album for "King" and Rap Solo for "What you Know") and Chamillionaire (Best Rap Song for "Ridin" and Rap Duo Vocal for Ridin with Krayzie Bone)

TI WON TWO BUT ONE WASNT FOR ALBUM AND CHAMILLIONAIRE ONLY WON ONE FOR RAOP DUO/GROUP

Solo winners will be Lionel Richie (R&B Male Vocal for "I Call it love")

WRONG, JOHN LEGEND TOOK THIS AWARD

Christina Aguilera (Pop Female Vocal for "Ain't No Other Man")

CORRECT

The Fray (Pop Vocal Group, "Over My Head"), Snow Patrol (Rock Song, "Chasing Cars")

WRONG, BLACK EYE PEAS AND CHILLI PEPPERS WON THESE AWARDS RESPECTIVELY

and Rick Rubin for Producer of the Year.

CORRECT

Oh I think Prince will win one for something. Dont know for what, but he will win something.

WRONG (SHOCKINGLY) .

Oh well, better luck next year trying to bat 100 percent. LOL

EVENT-IDBITZ

Stormy Monday: A Play by Gregory S. Carr at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun. FEBRUARY 15, 16, 17, 18 Adult/student matinees: 10 a.m. (Thurs. & Fri.) Afternoon performances: 2 p.m. (Sat. & Sun.) Evening performances: 7 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.) Lee Auditorium $7.50 per person; $6 for MHS members. Tickets on sale now at the Missouri History Museum, or by calling (314) 361-9017.........................

If youre still going to Las Vegas, LOOSE CANNON ENT PRESENTS THE SOSODERRTY EXPERIENCE IN LAS VEGAS FOR ALL STAR WEEKEND..THEY AINT JUST TAKING OVA THE CLUB... THEY TAKING OVA THE HOTEL AND THE WHOLE CASINO. Hosted by Jermaine Dupri and Nelly, Feb. 15-18 atthe Aladdin resort and casino during the 2007 All Star NBA weekend in Las Vegas. For more info go to www.sosoderrty.com

Yari Yari will be part of the Sisters~Nineties Literary Group annual Black History Month program/poetry reading on Saturday, February 17th, at 1 p.m. in the Prince Hall community room. Telephone 367-4223 for more information or visit www.sistersnineties.blogspot.com.

Stress Free Fridays will take place Friday, February 16 at 5pm The Loft Jazz Club (www.theloftstl.com)> 3112 Olive--just east of Compton, Mid-Town St. Louis> St. Louis, Missouri 63103> 314-225-2505

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

From Sharee Galvin’s CORNER:

TUESDAYS: The ULTIMATE 2$ TUESDAY AT DREAMS-HOSTED BY STACISTATIC FREE TIL MIDNIGHT ANDTWITZID TUESDAY'S AT THE SOFT TOUCH HOSTED BY BIG JAY

WEDNESDAYS: "HUMP DAY-GOT LYRICS?" LYRICS ON THE LOU WILL NOW BE AT THE LOCFT STARTING NEXT WEDNESDAY.

FRIDAYS— CHECK OUT 5$ FRIDAYS HOSTED BY POTZEE AND THE UC MEFAMILY@ DREAMS...WHERE THE STARS PLAY DRINK SPECIALS ALLNIGHT LONG...SPONSORED BY 'JC' COGNAC…

SATURDAYS- .Big Jay Presents Dreams Do Come True by teresa, 2007 V-Day Extravaganza, networking/social party, hosted by BET comeidian Lil Rock, Sat. Feb. 10 at Ceadrs, 939 Lebanon, 7 p.m., $50, $100 VIP, $150 Couples.

For any info on these events email Sharee at sgalvin26@yahoo.com

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THE BLACK REP presents CROSSIN' OVER February 14 - March 11
Conceived and Directed by Ron Himes Without darkness, there can be no light.
The burdens of struggle lead to the expression of faith. And the evolution of gospel music runs in lockstep with difficult times. Witness a spiritual journey that chronicles the history of Africans in America through song, and traces the connection between your contemporary house of worship back to the times of capture. Performance Schedule:Thursdays, 7:00pmFridays, 8:00pmSaturdays, 3:00pm and 8:00pmSundays, 3:00pm*All performances at The Grandel Theatre (3610 Grandel Square, 63103)Click here for ticket information.

Stray Dog Theatre and the Clayton Symphony Orchestra (http://www.claytonsymphony.org/) team-up for an artistic adventure - MY FAIR LADY: IN CONCERT. Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the legendary Lerner & Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY!Dates: February 16 -18, 2007Friday & Saturday at 8-pm, Sunday at 2-pmTickets: Adults $20.00, Seniors & Students $18.00 Reservations Highly Recommended!Location: Clayton High School MainStage Auditorium#1 Mark Twain Circle, Clayton MO 63105Contact: Call 314-865-1995 or visit www.StrayDogTheatre.org for information/reservations

Check the Rhyme: Female Poets & Emcees at the Vaughn Cultural Center, Sat., Feb. 17, 2007, 6p-8p

MIDWEST BLACK BRIDAL SHOW coming this Sunday, February 18, 2007, noon to 4pm at the Renaissance Hotel (at the airport). For more info. 314.497.2832 or www.stlblackbride.com

FROM JUSTMEAPRIL:ALTON based film Pieces Of A Dream, wil lbe shown Feb. 21 11:00 a.m. at Trimpe Bldg on the campus of Lewis and Clark. The Community will be invited to meet cast of current film, view trailers of previous films and discuss Skinner’s development as filmmaker. Free admission.This event will take place Wednesday, Feb.21 at 7:00 pm in the Trimpe Building on the campus of Lewis and Clark Community College. Address: 5800 Godfrey Road, Godfrey, IL.62035.

Second Slavery: The Art of Keith Westbrook, February 23-March 24 opening reception Fri. Feb. 23, 6-8pm at Left Bank Books, 399 Euclid, St. Louis, MO. For info. 314.367.6731

Vanita Appleum entertainment presnets award winning poet/actor Soul Willimas February 23, 2007. at teh Missouri History Musuem, Admission $10.Tickets on sale right now at the History Museum.Tickets on sale now at the Missouri History Museum, or by calling (314) 361-9017, 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. MacDermott Grand Hall $10 per person; $7 for MHS members

On the heels of their hugely successful U.S. premiere of HANA’S SUTICASE, Metro Theater Company will continue its 2007 Family Performance Series with Kerfafels, adapted by Colleen Neuman, March 3 – 18, at the Theatre at the West County Family YMCA in Chesterfield, Missouri and the Theater at Concordia in St. Louis. Major support for the production was provided by Emerson.

Public Performances:
Sat/Sun, March 3 & 4, 2007 at the Theatre at the West County Family YMCA
Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

Sat/Sun, March 10 & 11, 17 & 18, 2007 at the Theater at Concordia Seminary
Saturdays at 11:00 a.m.
Sundays at 1:30 and 3:30 pm.

Student Matinees: Thurs & Fri, March 1 & 2, 2007 at the Theatre at the West County Family YMCA. Wed, Thurs, Fri, March 7-9, 2007 at the Theater at Concordia Seminary. All at 10:00 a.m. Tickets are $14 for adults; $12 for students/seniors; $7 for groups of 10 or more and are available by calling 314-997-6777, or visit www.metrotheatercompany.org.

SUBMISSION-BITZ The MaTiff Dancers are going to New York's Legendary Apollo Theater!!!!!!This is a wonderful opportunity that has been offered to the MaTiff Dancers. Many of who have never traveled, performed on a national stage, or even been on airplane!!! MaTiff Dancers were chosen out of 180 acts that auditioned for the show. The taping of Showtime at the Apollo will take place March 2-5, 2007.All donations made payable to the West End Community Conference c/o MaTiff Dance Program. Feel free to contact them directly regarding additional information at (314) 249 1194 or email at matiffdance@gmail.com

ONGOING BITZ WILL RETUIRN NEXT WEEK

Well that be it (and it shooooooooooooo was alot .LOL) If ya got anything for me to pub or attend to, hit me up on my email at maatspear@yahoo.com!

OUT 155 (MODELS FOR FASHION SHOW)

2007-02-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

Well, it is Feburary and I am at the half way mark with my all-male fashion show competition. It will be called "Testoscouture" ("MAN CLOTHES") and it will be held at the 555 Building on Washington on Sunday, April 29. If you want more info about this hot show, check my website out weekly or hit me up at maatspear@yahoo.com! Here are the models that are either in the final cut or still tentative to attend. ABOVE: NBA star/Vashon coach Anthony Bonner

Left: Travis, from Edwardsville, Ill

Right: Carlos from St. Louis

Below: Alan from Herrin, Ill.

Right: Kevin Bass from St. Louis and
Below: Jaron Hicks from Belleville, Ill.

Left: Andrew from Rolling Meadows, Ill.

Left: Joel from Puerto Rico

Below: Calvin from St. Louis

Right: Maurice from St. Louis

Ivano from Chi-Town

Sasko from L.A.

Sesamir from Bloomington, Ill.

RIGHT: Actor ("Stomp the Yard") and choreographer Nate Adams

LEFT: Joshua, NYC

OUT 154--Anthony David Meet/Greet (Mayfair Hotel-Fri) and Concert at Gravity (sun)

2007-02-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

Herre are some pics from acoustic soul singer Anthony David's Meet and Greet

held at the Robert's Mayfair and his concert at Gravity.

(PHOTOS BY MAATOLOGY)

ABOVE LEFT: Vanita Applebum Enterprises assistant/Freeman Bosley Ji Show personality Nikki Roach, David, Vanita Applebum and David's business assistant at Mayfair (I love this pic. Its so Mamas and Papas album cover--black style.LOL).... FROM ABOVE RIGHT: A cake in celebration of David's arrival in STL....David with socilaite/event planner Mocha Latte(Don't start nothin. .LOL)

LEFT: Majic 104.9 personality Isis Jones hosting the David concert. BELOW RIGHT: Dj Will on the 1s and 2s

LEFT: David signing his CD, "Red Clay Chronicles" for a fan after his concert. David's friend event planner Marla Galloway and David after his show.

BELOW: Anthony David on stage.

LEFT: Local singer Teresa Jenee, one of the opening acts
BELOW: Jenee with her kinfolk, Edward Jones broker Roger Macon.

LEFT: look like local singer/actess Basmin Red Deer is lettin a brotha have it during intermission!

Socialite Monica Tyson (right) talking to a friend (I saw you on Fox 2 gettin your work out on. Keep up the good work!)

A Crowd shot during the concert (I see you Fo Legs, I mean Fo Feet. LOL)

MORE CROWD SHOTS

OUT 153

2007-02-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Hey yawl!!!

This is Ma'atology recovering slowly on the flu. But I am a soldier and decided to carry on with this blog for my fans.

In national news,

Kudos to the Naptown Colts for winnign Super Bowl 41 and Tony Dungey (PICTURED ABOVE) for being the 1st African American caock to win the trophy. I wonder whurr Dungy is going after the Superbowl? It would be cool if he was going to chill in the hood somehwurr instead of the typicla Disneyworld rhetoric. And according to the USA Ad meter, the Top Commerical was Bud Light's crab worhsip spot (PICTURED ABOVE) (I thought this was pretty cool too). And kudos to Prince (PICTURED ABOVE) for a fantastic Half Time SuperBowl show. It was classic Prince. He performed err thing from Lets Go Crazy, Bob Dylan's All Along the Watchtower" and the closer, the apropo, "Purple Rain"( I was glad he took that kerchief off his doo. The rain was killing it). And speaking of the rain, what wa sup with the cameras used at the game? One camera was filled with dew drops. You wold think they would have an intern with a hanky to get that taken care of. Overall, it was a very historic Bowl.

THE perfect song for Barak Obama's presdiency run would now have be Outkast,s' So Fresh, So Clean."(He currently doesnt have one) I mean, that would be too cool. LOL

And what is up with that astronaut chic who drove from Texas to Florida to get even with the woman who was knokcin boots with her lover? Latest reports are that her boss, NASA will review the way it screens astronauts for mental or medical problems after the arrest of astronaut Lisa Nowak on charges she tried to kill a romantic rival, the U.S. space agency said. She may get life up to prison.

Will President Dubya's resolution to re-send 21K troops back to Iraq pass? Way thinsg are looking it may well will. Monday's Senate vote that blocked debate on Bush's policy likely was more a reprieve than a victory. A spokeswoman for the Bush administration conceded Tuesday that it had actively helped to block, at least for now, vote on a resolution which would express Senate opposition to Bush's decision to send 21,500 additional US troops to Iraq.

On a local tip, the Mercury has been dippin lower than Christina Millian in the St. Louis area. For the past week, the temperature was fallen to the teens and no end in sight....

The answer is No, well, for right now, for Barnes Jewish Hopsital's plan to expand its wing. STL Comptroller Darlene Green's opposition against BJC HealthCare's plan to extend its lease for a portion of Forest Park land for future expansion ends the hospital's pursuit. Green, one of three members of the city's board of estimate and apportionment, had not previously voiced her stance on the issue. The board did not pass the measure at a meeting Wednesday. The other two members of the board of E&A are St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, who supported the measure, and Board of Aldermen President Jim Shrewsbury who did not. BJC currently leases 9.4 acres of Forest Park land from the city for $150,000 annually for use as an underground parking facility. Word is they wer going back to the drawing board with BJC for a compromise.

On other local projects, St. Louis city officials have called a series of special meetings for this week that would allow rapid approval of financing Ballpark Village. The cluster of last-minute sessions is a push to have a final vote on both topics before the Board of Aldermen leaves Friday for a nine-week spring recess. On Ballpark Village, the Cardinals and their development partner, Baltimore-based Cordish Co., are seeking more than $115 million in tax subsidies for the first phase of the six-block entertainment district being planned for the land next to the new stadium.................

The saga continues on the Devlin-Hornbeck kidnapping issue. Mike Devlin, 41, faces charges alleging he abducted and sexually abused the two boys (69 counts--how hilarious is that?). Shawn Hornbeck was 11 when he was abducted in October 2002 from near his home in the Washington County town of Richwoods. Ben Ownby, 13, was taken Jan. 8 after getting off a school bus near his home in the Franklin County town of Beaufort. Also, A judge on Tuesday refused to block the publication of news reports based on interviews a woman working for the New York Post got with Michael Devlin, the man accused of abducting two boys and holding one of them for four years. people are also trippin on the pictures of Hornbeck in gang colors and a gun pointing to the camera. I'm sure we are going to find much mure evidence of what really happenned during his four year kidnapping in months to come............

On the East Side, looks like Carl Officer and Alvin Parks are goign to be the top frontrunners in the April primaries for mayor.

THE FOLOWING IS A RETRO-BITZ OF WHAT I DID THIS TIME LAST YEAR. BECAUSE OF THE BONE COLD TEMPS AND MY RECOVERING FROM THE FLU, I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A BETTER ROUTE TO GO:

Last Friday, I checked out the much hyped, sold-out Melba Moore (PICTURED ABOVE) one woman play, "Sweet Songs of the Soul." A gospel influenced stageplay that she has been producing herself since the mid 1990s.It was taged at the Terry M. Fischer Theatre at St. Louis Community College at Flo Valley. The event was free and I pestered Professor Laurencin Dunbar (who is an associate professor of Physics and Honors Program coordinator at Flo Valley) via telephone, who hosted and took care of the grunt work to get her to the STL (that is a pic of her on my blog on stage) .

I really enjoyed this two-hour production. I knew that Ms. Moore was a dynamic talent (she sings, acts and is a business woman), but I didnt relaize how much of a supertalent she really is. Told through storytelling and song, Moore took her audience on a journey of her life first as a product of illegitimacy, living with her grandmother, and her dreams of singing just like her mother who was a famous jazz singer (Bonnie Davis). She also talked about hoew neighbors used to take care of her and her grandmother when her grandmother had a stroke and couldnt talk (her stories about the big and bossy Mamma Lu, were hillarious!)

Then, she told the story of how she got to New York and got a degree in music and on Broadway in such musicals as "Hair" (she was the first African American sista to replace a white actress--then unknown Diane Keaton-- in the 1969 production ) and her breakthrough role as Luttibelle in the 1970 hit, "Purlie" , which garnered her many theatre awards including the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. Then, she talke dabout her tumultouous relationship with handsome actor, Clifton Davis. They were live-in-lovers making it on Broadway (he was in the Tony nominated" Verona") and had a short-lived variety show on CBS called, "The Melba Moore-Clifton Davis Show."(1972) . She quipped on their relationship," It was a lot of sex, a lot of drugs and a lot of parties." It got to the point where she had an abortion of their unborn child becasue of Davis' plea for her to continue her career.

She then talked about her health scare when she was diagnosed with appendicitis caused by an infected IUD she had fitted as a form of birth control. It took her nearly a year after her diagnosis to recover, but to much to her loss, Davis had moved out and she was nearly forgotten in the entertainment industry. But the play took on another light in the second act when she talked about how she met her husband Charles Higgins and how they developed one of the most successful African American music production companies, Hush Productions. Sitting mostly on a stool and talking to the audience, Moore spoke candidly of how after 15 years of marriage how Higgins forged a divorce without her knowing it, causing a legal battle which caused her to lose her credibility (he spreaded viscous rumors to her friends that she was a lesbian and a crack addict) her luxurious home in NYC, her production comapny rights, their daughter resuting in her having to go on welfare and her now infamous media blitz to the entertainment talk shows in 1992 to tell about her misery.

Well, with most womanesque stories such as this, it comes with a I-can-do-without-a-man-ending. Yes, she maintained and got back on her feet (most recently she was in the film, "Fighting Temptaions") and she ha sa story to tell and she survived. It was definitely a testimony that everyone, regradless of race or gender, can get a little morsel of what life can do to you and what you can do to pull through. On a sidenote, many of the songs taht were featured in her play were also worth mentioning.

She chronicled her career through her early beginning thinking what her mother may have sounded like or places she may have sang singing such sings as Duke Ellington's "It Dont Mean a Thing," and Ella Fitzgerald's scatting jam, "Airmail Special." The highlights were when she sang songs from "Hair" ("Easy to be Hard") with high afro and all, and the song., "I Got Love" that was specially written for her in the play, "Purlie," wearing a black Pippi Longstocking braids wig, and when she asked the audience to sing the chorus to her sole No. 1 R&B hit, "Falling," whre she held the last note to that song till eternity. The opening act was the Flo Valley Gospel Chrous under the direction of Al Anderson (who used to teach gospel choir at SIU-Edwardsville when I was a student there).

Afterward, Moore, signed autographs to her fans. One of which was Terry Freeman, who is a professor up at Flo Valley. He had an album jacket of Melba Moore's 1982 album, "The other Side of the Rainbow" (which was her lead off sing in her play BTW) and said earlier that back in his day, "he only would buy album if it had at least four cuts on it.' I heard that. Well, I didnt get a chance to speak to the music diva because I was ready to get my party on at teh Jazz Loft and 1st Friday at Club Seven. Oh, before I go any further, I must say that I had to take out my cornrows for this nite cause my sister was supposed to hook me up with my rows, but she couldnt do it cause she had "man problems", so I had to take them down and sport a Jimi- Hendryx style retro Afro. Well, you know me, I have to do what I have to (I got many compliments on it, so I wasnt complaning). I also had on some blue jeans that had paintings of clouds on them (You had to see them), with a long-sleeve white long john short , with a brown, bluish vest. I was retro all the way.

Okay, so I checked out the Jazz Loft and Club Seven that was putting on 1st Fridays this month. Both clubs are on Olive in Midtown St. Louis and are in cohoots regarding getting the clientele theses days. Seven has been the pioneer of sorts for upscale party events. Now with the Jazz Loft popping up, a few months in the game and they are giving Club Seven some serious comp. I think everybody had the same plan to go to Jazz Loft first, then Club Seven. I got to the Jazz Loft about 10:30 in the P.M and it was a nice and modest crowd. It wasnt as packed as the last few Fridays have been (people probably was preparing to go to 1st Friday ), but all, in all , it was a nice teaser for the clubgoers.

Up in there were local singer Tina Pate (hint-hint. LOL), former Flipside Newzine editor Carlos Turner, St. Louis American's Bill Beene (Nice comeback from your combing my hair comment, huh. LOL) and Inkosi's Kevin Bryant (Yes, I know I was sharp. LOL). Around 12 ish, I got a call from my boy Kameron who was up in Seven asking where I was. I told him I was still at the Loft and that I was coming through probably in an hour so I could get in free. NOT (I'll explain in a few). Also in the Loft was Fox 2 sports' Rob Desir, who said that he checks out my blog and told me to keep it up and that he was going to post. Much love, man (Still waiting on your post. LOL).

The music up in there was your typical crunk music (from D4L to the Franchise Boyz), then DJ Soundz got into some hip-hop house when he started playing the Fantasy Slide. You should have seen the scene when the brothers who were getting their dance on with the sistas flew to get off the dance floor. Suddenly, nothin but sistas ran to the dancefloor to do the accompanying slide with the song. It was a sight to see. Big ups to Soundz for trying to change it up. After that it was about 1:15 and I walked to Seven. I sa wthat it wanst a line and I figured that errbody who was going up in Seven were already up in there and that it was free to get in.

Well, when I opened the door, one of the security guys said for me to come on in. I thought it was home after that. No. He then said, "step up to the window." Shyt, I said to myself. So, I said to the light skinned sista who was at the register and asked, "How much?" She said, "20." "20!" I exclaimed. There wa sno way I was paying that much just to party for about an hour. I then aksed if Harry (Michel) there. And she said that he was around somewhere. So, I walked back outside and called Kam and put on his voice mail,"There ain't no way I'm going to pay 20 dollars to get in and it's just an hour or so left to get in." Well, in my line of biz, there's always a way out of noway. Let me out it this way, if I told you how I got in free, I would have to kill you. LOL. (Let just say that it is good to know where to go to get some progress without trying.)

So, I got up in there and it was PACKED like Amistad packed up in there. It made no sense how many people were packed on both the Art Bar and Club Seven side. I was able to walk from the Art bar to Seven, to the VIP area and saw Kameron walking down the steps of VIP. I was motioning for him to go back up in there cause I was going up in there. And there I stayed for about a half-an-hour. I saw a few people I knew up in there including local actor Paris Crayton (I saw you at the Mr. and Mrs. Contest. LOL).

Afterward, we walked to the Art Bar saide and stayed near the DJ-booth area and just looked at the people. Nothing else, but look at them. Then, it dawned on me that everytiem I go to 1st Friday, thats all I do, look at people, talk, maybe dance and drink. Nothing else. I remember when FF used to drop a lil comedy every now and then for the patrons (last time I remember STL's Lavelle Crawford performed last year). But I guess Seven club owners Harry and Fred Finley think that as long as people willing to pay 20 dollars to get in a club, then pay for drinks, there's no need to give the clientele anything else. I'm not mad at them for it at all. It;s just interesting to me how STL partiers will do just to say they were there.

On Saturday, I got my hair braided!!! and I checked out Hipster Magazine's , Feb. issue Release party at 609. This was the first time I would go to 609 on Saturday. the other time swere on Thursdays with DJ Nappy Needles spinning (this 'Black night" at 609 LOL). Anyway, I got the email from Keenan Harris, who is the EIC at Hipster, a week back so I knew this had to be the place to be. And it was. I got there about 11 ish and it was a whole different vibe when I got up in there First off, it was free to get in (a plus),they had free Pearl Vodka samples (another plus), they had copies of their latest issue of Hipster(another plus--go to http://www.hipstermag.com/ to get more info about this tight mag ) and to top it off, the music was eccletic hip-hop at its best.

Every Saturday, I hear my boy DJ Enoch spins the urban grooves on the 1s and 2s while poet David A.N. Jackson hits the congas, African style. Well, they definitely didnt disappoint. In the house were NBA's Jahadi White, Carlos Turner, Kameron Hopson, Rachel, Brandon, Robert Kirk, STL model Jamelle, Stlouis online.com's Jacob (let's hook up with the blogs, man), Brian Swift, Keith Harris, Christiaan Coffield (I saw you all hugged up on that sista while I was leaving out. LOL), the Post's Kevin Johnson (Told ya R. Kellys concert was going to sell out in days. LOL)

On Sunday, there were many plaes around town to watch Superbowl 40(Some folks I knew were in Detroit for the Superbowl and I hate you. LOL) . I decided to check out Hipster Magazine's and Club Dreams' parties at Pepper Lounge and the other club;s namesake respectively. I got there about 5 p.m., so I can get a seat and watch some of the Pre-Game show with Stevie Wonder, Joss Stone, John Legend and India.Arie--and that's all I did was watch cause it was hard to hear Stone, Legend and Arie. Wonder was sounding good, though (The Aretha Franklin and Aaron Neville duet of "The National Anthem" was Ok. You could barely hear Neville and the Rolling Stones during Half Time show, well I think Delores Shante in PArtyline pretty much took care of that beef for all of us. LOL).

It wasnt hardly anyone up in theer when I got there, but I just thought that I was just too early. I gave dap to Kennan and Keith Harris who put on this watch party and got a table in the corner to wait on Kam. In this case, Kam, and unexpected guests Jamie Spencer and his cousin Treanna(I didn't hardly recognize you with the Erykah Badu-1999-gelee on). Both of them had me in stitches clowining and talking about people (Jamie you should be co-hosting a gossip show with Wendy Williams for real).

Before they came, I chatted with model Jamelle who was on her cell phone calling around Club PLush and Club Dreams to find out where the food was happening (Chips were all was was going on at the time at Pepper Lounge). She was ready to call up Imo's to order some wings at Imo's around the cause she was hungry. So when Kameron came through as well as the unexpected guests (Jamie called me via celly to ask if Pepper and Dreams were free to get in), she asked if anyone wanted to order something from Imo's. Kam ordered some wings as well and jamie and Treanna ordered a pizza. I was chill cause I ate a lil bit of mamma's cooking before I jetted and I was sipping on a Corona at the time as well.

Meanwhile, we were checking out the game and the commericals (My fave was the prehistoric Fed Ex commerical) and the folks who came up in there (I sa wyou Brian Swift up in theer for a minute). It wasnt a huge crowd, but it was about 20 or so who chilled out. Spencer bought us drinks (be careful with that eye, dude) and Jamelle told us that we were going to be treated with free Big MAcs and Apple Pies from Mcdonald's who help to sponsor the free event. My only thing was , "WHERE WAS THE FRIES!!!" You cant have Macs without fries. That's like Peanut butter without Jelly, or Ashford without Simpson! But it was all good though. I called comedian Maurice G who co-owns Club Dreams to tell him I wa son my way down therr in a few, but a few turned into the fourth quarter of the Seattle-Pittsburgh game. I was too busy jaw-jabbing with Spencer and Treanna that they were heading to comedian Darrius Bradford's comedy jam at the Improv.

While I got my burger (I mean cheese burger) and apple pie, said my goodbyes to Keenan and Keith that was my cue to jet as well. So, I met Kameron up at Dreams and when I saw Maurice, I asked him, where there anymore food left and he was like, ah naw, dude, it;s all gone. I missed a sumptuous catered and FREE BBQ dinner with side orders spaghetti, potato salad and people were getting seconds becasue it was so damn good. My jaw could have dropped to the floor when I heard that. But, I didnt trip. I was a trooper and enjoyed the end of the game. In teh house were Mo Witherspoon (thanks for the info on the Eye Candy of the Month event you have at Formula), Chocolate Tai, Staci Static (who was emceeing at the DJ booth), and Bill Beene (who was having an interesting and sobering conversation with a sista up in therr about men cheating on women when I got therr). After the game, 100.3theBeat's DJ Cuddy set up and people were getting their After-party on.

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STL-TIDBITZ. Kudos to Majic 104.9 personality Tammi Holland (PICTURED ABOVE) for braving the cold and skating in her skivvies. She did it to repay a bet on the Super Bowl.She thought DA BEARS were winning and her dare was if the Bears lost, she had to skate in her bahing suit (No not nekkid. LOL) and if the colts lost, her colleague TonY Scott had to cut his hair off and beard. Holland had an audience when she skated ouytside in the shivering cold. They had Clear Channel stations t broadcasting it and Fox 2's Tim Ezell had it televised. This was defintely an ordeal. I'm glad Tammi went through with it. The sista got ballz.....In other radio news, I hear that former Majic perosonality Denine Busby is now doing radio news spots during the Tom Joyner Morning Show on Foxy 95....Veteran jounrnalist Onion Horton is blowin it up on the AM side as he is back on the airwaves with his own mroning talk show on WESL from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m...Did anyone see Fox 2 news guy John Pertzborn stuck in traffic last week on 64? I hear he was stuck therre casue of a bad accident that occurred on the highway.......From one of my blog sources, I hear that Eye Candy Pageant winner Miss March, Sheena J is go going to be eating for two! I hear that the stork will be coming later this year. This is going to be interesting especially having to go around and rep Eye Candy at different events. We'll see what happens here as she starts to grow..... They may have to get Sympathies go out to the family of local club socialite/event promoter Steph Boogie (Big Steph) who died this week in a random violence shooting in North St. Louis.

CHART-IDBITZ. Jibbs (feat Chamillionaire) is making its strides up the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop charts as his latest single, "King Kong" moves up six spaces to No. 35 in its 9th week on this chart. The song has yet to make a dent on the Hot 100 or Rap charts.

EVENT-IDBITZ
Stress Free Fridays will take place Friday, February 9, at 5pm at Mandarin(www.mandarinlounge.net)> 44 Maryland Plaza--Central West End> St. Louis, Missouri 63108> 314-367-4447. Valet Parking will be available. > **Kamren, our Massage Therapist, will be on hand> with> his famous massage chair to massage your stress> away. > Bring your business cards as you never know who you> might meet! If you have not been to Stress Free> Fridays in a long time, come back and see what you> have been missing.> > Please visit our website: www.stressfreefridays.com>

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From Sharee Galvin’s CORNER:

MONDAYS: LOOKING OF THE AFTERWORK EARLY RUSH- MARTINI MONDAY'S @ THE LOFT FREE HAPPY HOUR 5-7PM 3$ MARTINI SPECIALSHOSTED BY GARTH ADAMS & CRAIG BLAC W/ DJ CHARLIE CHAN FREE BEFORE 7PM, 5$ BEFORE 8PMBIG TAH'S

TUESDAYS: The ULTIMATE 2$ TUESDAY AT DREAMS-HOSTED BY STACISTATIC FREE TIL MIDNIGHT ANDTWITZID TUESDAY'S AT THE SOFT TOUCH HOSTED BY BIG JAY

WEDNESDAYS: "HUMP DAY-GOT LYRICS?" COME HANG OUT WITH ME@ THE FILTER BAR for LYRICS ON THE LOU; FREE B4- 8 ONLY 5$ AFTER 8- POETS 3$DRINK SPECIALS.. THERE WILL BE SOME NEW CHANGES TO THE OPEN MIC:SIGN UP 8-10PM(SIGN UP CLOSES @ 10pm) call me before 9:30pm if you can't make it. EACH POET WILL READ ONE PIECE(ROUND ROBIN STYLE)IF TIME PERMITS THE LIST WILL REPEAT... WE'LL TRY THIS STYLE TO SEE IF THIS IS A FAIR WAY TO GET EVERYONE ON BEFORE THE BREAK. Thanks!

FRIDAYS— CHECK OUT 5$ FRIDAYS HOSTED BY POTZEE AND THE UC MEFAMILY@ DREAMS...WHERE THE STARS PLAY DRINK SPECIALS ALLNIGHT LONG...SPONSORED BY 'JC' COGNAC…

SATURDAYS--Sweet Saturdays at the Filter Bar, music and complimentary sweets 8p-9p, Cover charge $5 9 p.m.-1 am.

Big Jay Presents Dreams Do Come True by teresa, 2007 V-Day Extravaganza, networking/social party, hosted by BET comeidian Lil Rock, Sat. Feb. 10 at Ceadrs, 939 Lebanon, 7 p.m., $50, $100 VIP, $150 Couples.

For any info on these events email Sharee at sgalvin26@yahoo.com
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EVENT SPOTLIGHT

Stray Dog Theatre and the Clayton Symphony Orchestra (http://www.claytonsymphony.org/) team-up for an artistic adventure - MY FAIR LADY: IN CONCERT. Thrill once again to this “loverliest” of musicals, in which Professor Henry Higgins transforms Eliza Doolittle, the little cockney gutter sparrow, into a paragon of verbal correctitude. Winner of the 1957 Tony Award for Best Musical, the musical score includes such beloved hits as “I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “With a Little Bit of Luck,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “Wouldn't It Be Loverly?”.

“Creating an artistic partnership with the Clayton Symphony Orchestra to produce this timeless classic is an opportunity we could not miss,” says Gary F. Bell, Artistic Director of Stray Dog Theatre. “The Symphony and Stray Dog have comparable missions - to provide Saint Louis audiences with artistic works of excellence and elegance. It’s a natural fit for collaboration since both organizations share residency in Clayton.”

“This unique production will place the Clayton Symphony directly center stage with the performers in a never before seen format. The entire libretto and all of the glorious Lerner and Loewe music will be performed. It will truly be a show to remember,” continues Bell.

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the legendary Lerner & Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY!
Dates: February 16 -18, 2007
Friday & Saturday at 8-pm, Sunday at 2-pm

Tickets: Adults $20.00, Seniors & Students $18.00 Reservations Highly Recommended!

Location: Clayton High School MainStage Auditorium
#1 Mark Twain Circle, Clayton MO 63105

Contact: Call 314-865-1995 or visit www.StrayDogTheatre.org for information/reservations

Our Valentine's Package consists of two tickets to MY FAIR LADY: IN CONCERT and a variety of discount certificates to several Clayton-area businesses. The certificates entitle you to more than $100 worth of savings on Valentine's-related items, including flowers, spas, wine, and restaurants. Our package is valued at more than $140, and is priced at only $60. (Seniors/Students $56)

It's a great way for you to save money, while helping to support the arts!MY FAIR LADY: IN CONCERT is produced in partnership with the School District of Clayton, and SDT is funded, in part, by the Fox Associates Foundation, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Foundation, Regional Arts Commission, and the Saint Louis Mental Health Board.

In keeping with its mission of community outreach, Stray Dog Theatre will collect non-perishable food items at each performance for distribution to Food Outreach (www.FoodOutreach.org).

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Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will speak at the University of Missouri - St. Louis inthe Millennium Student Center Century Room on Monday, February 12, 2007 at 7:00pm. Dr. Dyson will discuss the "the color of disaster" and the broadimplications of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. This event is free and open tothe public. Seating is limited, please arrive early. Dyson is a professor at theUniversity of Pennsylvania and bestselling author of "Come Hell or High Water:Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster." He will answer audience questionsas well as sign copies of his book after the lecture. This event is sponsored byUM-St. Louis student organizations, Associated Black Collegians and theUniversity Program Board. Call the Office of Student Life, 314-516-5291, for more information.

If you're in Los Angeles next month, DON'T MISS THE PREMIERE OF "SWEET EVALINA" >> written & produced by: Kyona Levine. Directed by: Apaulo Malloy, February 2nd, 2007 – February 25th, 2007, at the Inglewood Playhouse, 714 Warren Lane, Inglewood CA . EVERY WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY 2007. Fridays 8:00 p.m. Saturdays 8:00 p.m. Sundays 3:00> > p.m.TICKETS ARE $15.00. RESERVE ONLINE: www.plays411.com/evalina For more information about the show and cast visit online: www.myspace.com/sweetevalina...................

The Black Rep’s Popular “I Stand Alone” Solo Performance Series Returns. The Black Rep’s new, I STAND ALONE solo theatre series returns on Monday evenings at 7:30 p.m., February 12 – March 26, 2007at The Black Rep Monsanto Center for Performing Arts Education, 1717 Olive Street, 4th Floor. The series will feature solo performances of original work with a 15 minute intermission. Refreshments will be available for purchase. Admission is $10 or $5 for Black Rep subscribers.February 12 and 19IF AN ORCHID SIZZLE featuring Linda Kennedy. Based on the life and times of Josephine Baker and her more than 50 years as witness to triumphs and turmoil. WHERE: The Black Rep Monsanto Center for Performing Arts Education, 1717 Olive Street, 4th FloorTICKETS: $10 and $5 for Black Rep Subscribers, for info please call (314) 534-3810....................

Stormy Monday: A Play by Gregory S. Carr at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun. FEBRUARY 15, 16, 17, 18 Adult/student matinees: 10 a.m. (Thurs. & Fri.) Afternoon performances: 2 p.m. (Sat. & Sun.) Evening performances: 7 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.) Lee Auditorium $7.50 per person; $6 for MHS members. Tickets on sale now at the Missouri History Museum, or by calling (314) 361-9017.........................

Yari Yari will be part of the Sisters~Nineties Literary Group annual Black History Month program/poetry reading on Saturday, February 17th, at 1 p.m. in the Prince Hall community room. Telephone 367-4223 for more information or visit www.sistersnineties.blogspot.com.

Vanita Appebum Entertainment Services presents soul artist Anthony David. Also performingOne Sound Teresa Jenee and featuring DJ WillPower, Sunday, February 11,Gravity1620 Delmar, Admission: $10Doors open at 6:30pm Show starts at 7pm.

SPEND VALENTINE'S DAY AT CAFE SOUL Special live performances by:
Coco Soul, Lamar Harris, Charise, Twan & more!!(Open mic immediately following featured artists) Wednesday, February 14th, Club Dreams (3207 Washington at Compton) Doors at 8PM / Show at 9PM Admission: $10 or $25 for two RESERVED seats. For mor einfo contact them at cafesoulstl@yahoo.com

LOOSE CANNON ENT PRESENTS THE SOSODERRTY EXPERIENCE IN LAS VEGAS FOR ALL STAR WEEKEND..THEY AINT JUST TAKING OVA THE CLUB... THEY TAKING OVA THE HOTEL AND THE WHOLE CASINO. Hosted by Jermaine Dupri and Nelly, Feb. 15-18 atthe Aladdin resort and casino during teh 2007 All Star NBA weekend in Las Vegas. For more info go to www.sosoderrty.com

AUDITION-BITZ

OPEN AUDITIONS for THE NERD, a comedy by Larry ShueDirected by Ron Gravemann & Beth WorkmanTuesday, Feb. 20 and Thursday, Feb 22, 7pmAuditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Parts are available for 4 men, 2 women & 1 boy (8-10 years old).
Audition Dates: Feb. 20 & 22 TIME: 7pm LOCATION: St. Peters Community and Arts Center, 1035 St. Peters-Howell Road, St. Peters, Missouri Performance Dates April 27, 28, 29 & May 4, 5, 6 More Info & Directions ACT II Community Theater email: http://us.f366.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=info@act2theater.com
phone: 636-336-0006 web: http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=tjklj7bab.0.uknp6zbab.8vflgzbab.172&ts=S0223&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.act2theater.com

YOURS TRULY, am seeking male models of all ethnicities MAATPRODUCTIONS is seeking male models or wannabe models of all ethnicities who are at least 5' 10" tall, slimto athletically toned build with striking features for an upcomingout-of-the-box all male review fashion show In April 2007. Must be 18Y.O or over, comfortable with your body. Please send 2 recent pics(one headshot and one body shot that shows your toned build), modeling resume (if any) and contact info to maatspear@yahoo.com.

The next auditions will be Saturday, Feb. 10 at the Emerson Library at Webster U from noon-3p.m.I will also have auditions for my upcoming stageplay, Monologues and Penisillin at the same place, same time. I am looking for five principal AfricanAnmerican actors in the roles of a hip-hop thug, a bougie corporate type,a drag queen, a street pimp, and a senile WWII veteran. I am also lookingfor an African American actress who can play different voice oversof a nurse, a beautician, and the adult daughter of the WWII veteran. Please bring photo and resume at the audition.

J.O.B.-ITZ. Loan Officers Needed No Experience Necessary! Will Train! Nations Funding Source, STL Recruitment and Business opportunity Where: Kingsbury Real Estate, 415 Debaliviere @ Waterman Suite 271 (Inside Pulaski Bank 2nd floor Time: 7:00pm every Tuesday Come fill out application ask for Kellie NFS agent or Juan Lewis, Broker/ Agent

SUBMISSION-BITZ The MaTiff Dancers are going to New York's Legendary Apollo Theater!!!!!!This is a wonderful opportunity that has been offered to the MaTiff Dancers. Many of who have never traveled, performed on a national stage, or even been on airplane!!! MaTiff Dancers were chosen out of 180 acts that auditioned for the show. The taping of Showtime at the Apollo will take place March 2-5, 2007.

All donations made payable to the West End Community Conference c/o MaTiff Dance Program. Feel free to contact them directly regarding additional information at (314) 249 1194 or email at matiffdance@gmail.com

ONGOING-BITZ.

Check out blog http://www.sistersnineties.blogspot.com/for local literary group Sister’s Nineties Afrocentricliterary activities for the family and youngsters

Check out Lachrisa Crenshaw’s spa products at http://www.warmspirit.org/esuite/home/chriscspirit,or call her at (314)401-0710 or go tomailto:tolachrisa_crenshaw@sbcglobal.net.

Check out Kameren Holbert who gives free profressional messages atStress Free Fridays at various venues in the ST. Louis area. For an appt. or when he is scheduled to do messages at the next Stress Free Fridays, call 314/477-3427 or email him atmailto:atmrholbert@yahoo.com

For body painting, makeup, face painting wigs and other special effects, contact Jessica Dana at http://www.jessicadana.com/ or go towww.myspace.com/jessicadada13

For all of your STL club event plans, AD SPACE and pics,go to http://www.stlouis-online.com/.

For your catering needs, check out Collective Cateringcollectivecatering@yahoo.com located at4958 Cote Brilliante, their digits are 314-575-3333)

KDHX Radio’s Chuck Lavazzi has a hot new podcast calledSTAGE LEFT which he talks about CD reviews, news and interviewsfrom the world of stage, screen, cabaret and related places.Go to it directly at http://tinyurl.com/zrqd7

Check out STLdee-jay Enoch online with his own radio playlist.The Flow: Music Lounge. Peep it out at http://www.flowink.com/player-popup.htm or go to his myspace page www.myspace/enochisreal.

Show Me Entertainment presents Industry Nights, a networking partyfor artists, entertainers, models, actors,painters, dancers, entertainment lawyers, managers, etc. everyWednesday night at the Lindbergh Bistro located inside the AirportPlaza inn at I-70 and Lindbergh. 18 Y.O. to enter. 21 Y.O. and upto Drink. Admission FREE. For more info, contact Terrence Smith at314/713-3793, or tsmith@showme1.com or http://www.showme1.com/

Local movie screener and TV programmer James Thomas has two hotshows on the new CW Channel 11 with his shows “First Look” aboutupcoming movies in theaters, Thursday morning at 2:30 am and HotVideos, Friday mornings at 3 a.m. For more info, email him atmailto:attdjoo7@sbcglobal.net

Theatre advisor L.A. Barge has a new book on CD that he is sellingcalled, “Choosing the Right Mate Before the First Date.” For moreinfo call 314/5331639 or email him at dreamscope921@hotmail.com

For all your STL hip-hop info needs, go to http://www.stlhiphop.com/!

STL videographer Dana Christian has a hot website where peoplecan send their professional music videos films to get exposed. Itis http://www.spitflix.com/.

KYO (pronounced KEE-O) continues "Redefining the Art of Dining &Nightlife" with a fresh weekly lineup that promises to quench yourthirst for drink and dance. So "Be Fashionably Elite" with a smileand let KYO claim your evening from 5pm till 3am in the morning. Formore info go to http://www.kyostl.com/newsletter.htm

Well, that be it, folks. If ya got anything for me to pub, hit me up e-mail style at maatspear@yahoo.com. Until the next time, see ya outside in the 07!

OUT 152-GRAMMY-PIC-BITZ

2007-02-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

Well, next Sunday, will be the one and only (49th Annual) Grammy Awards. I have been watching the Grammies, per my rellocation, since 1978. The one memoey I remeber of that first show was when George Benson shocked everyone and won Record of The Year (he was shcoked as well) over Grammy fave Stevie Wonder for teh Steve Wonder-sounding song, "This Masquerade."

I have been tracking the Grammies since the 1982 telecast when John Lennon won Album of The Year for the great "Double Fantasy" (his widow Yoko and son Sean accepted the award in his behalf), the Best New Artist was Sheena Easton and Jennifer Holliday snapped a Grammy for Best Female Vocal for "And I Am Telling You I''m Not Going."

I always liked trying to predict the Grammies(I'm usually 50 or 51 percent correct) . And for those who know about the Grammies' M.O., sometimes its hard to predict (I am still soaring that Janet, who was snubbed, didnt win Album of the Year for Control" in 1987 and lost over Paul Simon's "Graceland.")

Anyway, this year seems that there will be multiple winners. Mary J. Blige led the pack with eight nods, but if conventional wisdom is any indication, she will not win all these awards. She will be, however the biggest winner (She will cop five). She is a shoo in to win most of the R&B categories she's nominated in and Grammy have been nominating her in this field since 1996. The Grammies love comebacks and vets they have nominated in the past (She has won three so far) She will win Best R&B Song ("Be Withoiut you") , Best R&B Female Vocal ("Be Without You") , R&B Traditional Performance ("I Found my Everything" with Raphael Saadiq) , R&B Album ("THe Breakthrough") and Best Pop Collaboration ("One" with U2)

The rest of the artists nominated, will either win two or three. I believe newcomer group Gnarls Barkley will win three for Record of the Year ("Crazy"), Alternative Album "St. Elsewhere") and Urban Alternative Performance ("Crazy"); pop/folk artist John Mayer will win three. he will win Album of the Year ("Continnuum"), Best Pop Male Vocal ("Waiting for the World to Change") and Rock Instrumental ("Route 66"), Red hot chillip Peppers will win three (Rock Album for Stadium Arcadium", Rock Group Vocal and Short Form Video for "Dani California")

Two time winners will be newcomer James Blunt (Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "You're Beautiful"), Justin Timberlake (Best Pop Album for "Future Sex/Love sounds" and Dance recording, "Sexy Back"), Madonna for Dance Album ("Confessions on a dance Floor") and Long Video "I Want to tell you a Secret') , Beyonce ( Contemporary R&B Album for "B-Day" and Rap/Sung Colloboration for "Deja Vu" with Jay Z), and rappers TI (Best Album for "King" and Rap Solo for "What you Know") and Chamillionaire (Best Rap Song for "Ridin" and Rap Duo Vocal for Ridin with Krayzie Bone)

Solo winners will be Lionel Richie (R&B Male Vocal for "I Call it love") , Christina Aguilera (Pop Female Vocal for "Ain't No Other Man"), The Fray (Pop Vocal Group, "Over My Head"), Snow Patrol (Rock Song, "Chasing Cars") and Rick Rubin for Producer of the Year.

Oh I think Prince will win one for something. Dont know for what, but he will win something. LOL.

We'll see if my predictions are correct. For all of teh monated artists, go to www.grammy.com

OUT 151-FLICK BITZ (NORBIT)

2007-02-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

EDDIE MURPHY MAKES A TRIUMPHANT
RETURN TO HIS FAT SUIT OF HILARITY IN NORBIT

Throughout his illustrious 25-year career, Eddie Murphy has distinguished himself as one of the few actors who can convincingly play multiple characters in a film. Now he has returned to the genre that has endeared him to audiences with the outrageous comedy, Norbit, scheduled for release February 9th by Paramount and from DreamWorks Pictures.

Moviegoers first witnessed the genius of Murphy to do multiple characters in1984 when he starred as the charming Prince Akeem in Coming to America. Additionally, he played three other radically different characters in the film; Clarence, the barber; Randy Watson, the R&B singer; and most undetectable, Saul, the Jewish man in the barber shop. In 1996 and 2000 he played the overweight Professor Sherman Klump, as well as four other members of the Klump clan in the Nutty Professor films.

Murphy’s sensational performance as R&B singer James “Thunder” Early in the highly acclaimed film Dreamgirls, also from Paramount and DreamWorks, is receiving rave reviews. His performance has already garnered him a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is also nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, which will be announced on February 25th at the Academy Awards show, broadcast from Los Angeles.

In the outlandish comedy Norbit, Eddie Murphy stars with an array of highly regarded stars, including Academy award-winner Cuba Gooding, Jr., SAG award-winner Thandie Newton, outrageous comedy actors Marlon Wayans, Eddie Griffin and Katt Williams, Terry Crews and Clifton Powell.

“Eddie has drawn really strong, quality performers together. All of us feel this movie is a celebration of the work of Eddie Murphy. We are taking our hats off and bowing down to a great man and his amazing work. I love being a part of this project because we get to witness the unique qualities he has that make him great,” Newton says.

Murphy hand picked Academy Award-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. to play, Kate’s fiancé Deion Hughes. Gooding talks about his attraction to working with Murphy, “I’m a huge Eddie Murphy fan. He is the draw for me. My first role in a film was playing a boy in the barber shop in Coming to America. It was a real small part and all my lines were cut out. So, now, all these many years later, I have a bigger part in an Eddie Murphy movie. It is just a thrill.

“Years ago, when I say Raw, it was the first time I realized that he was a comedian on the level of Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce. I was with my girlfriend, who's now my wife, and we couldn’t believe how he hit home on so many different levels. I thought he was brilliant. The fact that he could turn day-to-day things into humorous banter was amazing to me.”

Cuba reveals Eddie unique acting abilities, “On the first day of filming, Eddie walked on the set as an Asian guy, and nobody knew it was Eddie, until he said, ‘It’s me. It's Eddie Murphy.’ Then all of a sudden, you saw his energy illuminate on the set. It's that brilliance that makes this movie stand out, because you don't recognize him in these roles and people respond to him differently.

Eddie Griffin, who plays a street hustler named Pope Sweet Jesus, also talks about his first day on the set. “Man, I'm telling you, it is unbelievable. The special effects makeup and Eddie’s characterization are so good. I'm sitting here talking to this Chinese dude. I'm thinking this is a cool little Chinese cat and we chat for like 30-minutes. Then they said, ‘Mr. Murphy, we ready for you on set’ and the Chinese dude gets up. I'm like, ‘Damn, I don’t believe this.’”

Funnyman Katt Williams sums it up, “Eddie Murphy is a comic icon. To watch him work is like watching Michael Jordan play basketball. You try to measure up, but it’s not possible. We can’t fuss about our roles and getting hot in our suits, because Eddie’s playing all these roles, wearing all this makeup and he’s not complaining. He’s just doing his thing. He’s a real inspiration to all of us in the comedy game.”

Clifton Powell was also hand picked by Eddie Murphy to play Earl, one of the three Latimore brothers, who intimidates Norbit. “Eddie chose me and I feel a moral obligation to do my best. Because if he believes I’m the best person for the role, I have to come with my ‘A’ game. Eddie's process is fascinating to watch. He comes to the set very prepared and he knows what he's doing. It is an intrigue art form.”

Murphy talks about casting Marlon Wayans to play a hilarious aerobics instructor, “He mixes tap dancing with aerobics and calls it Power Tap. It’s a wild take off on Billy Blanks, the Tae Bo guru. Marlon is another one of the guys who adds to the comedy in the picture. Everybody is very funny.”

Norbit (Eddie Murphy) has never had it easy. As a baby, he was abandoned on the steps of a Chinese restaurant/orphanage and raised by Mr. Wong (Eddie Murphy). Things get worse when he’s forced into marriage by the mean, junk food-chugging queen, Rasputia (Eddie Murphy). Just when Norbit’s hanging by his last thread, his childhood sweetheart, Kate (Thandie Newton), moves back to town. In the comedy Norbit, he’ll show them all that nice guys sometimes finish first.

Murphy says, “I enjoy doing multiple roles because I get to go in a whole other place. It takes me away from my skin and opens me up to all these different possibilities. I love that.”

For each of his multiple character films Murphy has collaborated with Rick Baker, Academy-Award winning special effects makeup artist for over twenty years. The preparation for each film is approximately six months.

Murphy says, “I feel most comfortable with Rick. I feel like he makes a whole character come to life. It is not creating makeup; it is like he creates a real person.”

Baker explains, “This is how Eddie and I work; I create the designs, first. Then when I do the makeup test on him he starts creating the voice. The makeup determines what he’s going to do. That is when you witness the vision coming to life. He is a master at studying people’s faces, voices and mannerisms. He can impersonate anybody. When he comes up with something, sometimes it even surprises him. He laughs at it and that process is fun to watch.”

The filming of a movie with multiple characters is challenging, Baker explains, “The biggest problem is Eddie can only play one character a day. If Eddie is Norbit and Rasputia is in the same scene, that scene is twice as long, because he can only be Norbit one day and Rasputia the next.”

Baker’s goal is to make the makeup look real in person. “I think these makeups are some of the best that I have had come out of my studio, especially Mr. Wong. On the set, other actors were actually having conversations with Mr. Wong, not realizing that it was Eddie behind the makeup. When that happens, I know we’ve done our job.”

Murphy rise to fame began when he was 19 years-old on NBC's Saturday Night Live television show, not long after graduating from Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School. His characters include a parody of Buckwheat from the Little Rascals and an inner-city black version of Fred Rogers known as "Mr. Robinson". Former SNL writer Margaret Humphert has said Murphy and Bill Murray are the two most talented people in the history of the show. Murphy left the show midway through the 1983-1984 season, appearing in filmed sketches for the remainder of that season.

Murphy later starred in many comedies including the Beverly Hills Cop series. He was recognized by receiving a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a comedy or musical for his performances in Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places, The Nutty Professor, and most recently Dreamgirls. [1]

He is a well-known voice actor and voiced Thurgood Stubbs in The PJs, Donkey in the Shrek series and the dragon Mushu, in Disney's Mulan. Murphy also has the distinction of having starred in more sequels than any other actor in Hollywood. Those films include: Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Another 48 Hrs. (1990), Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000), Shrek 2 (2004), and the upcoming Shrek the Third (2007).

In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders. Eddie Murphy's older brother, Charlie Murphy, is also an actor, best known recently for his appearances on Chappelle's Show.

DreamWorks Pictures presents a John Davis Production of a Brian Robbins Film, “Norbit,” starring Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton, Eddie Griffin, Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Katt Williams, Lester “Rasta” Speight and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The executive producers are Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins and David Householter.

The film is produced by John Davis and Eddie Murphy. Story by Eddie Murphy & Charles Murphy. The screenplay is by Eddie Murphy & Charles Murphy and Jay Scherick & David Ronn. The creative team is led by director of photography Clark Mathis, A.S.C., production designer Clay A. Griffith, film editor Ned Bastille, A.C.E. and costume designer Molly Maginnis, with music by David Newman and special make-up effects by Rick Baker. Directed by Brian Robbins, the film is distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Information provided by www.rozstevensonpr.com

UPDATE: According to www.imdb.com, last weekend, "Norbit" was the No. 1 movie in the country raking in $34.2M beating out the comeptition by $20 million!