Floyd Mayweather Jr. celebrates his majority decision victory against Canelo Alvarez in their WBC/WBA 154-pound title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 14, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Canelo Alvarez proved nothing more than easy money for Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. Mayweather turned one of the richest fights ever into just another $41.5 million payday Saturday night, dominating Alvarez from the opening bell and winning a majority decision in a masterful performance that left no doubt who the best fighter of his era is.
Fighting off his shortest layoff in years, Mayweather was sharp, efficient and sometimes brutal in dismantling an unbeaten fighter who was bigger and was supposed to punch harder. He frustrated Alvarez early, pounded him with big right hands in the middle rounds, and made him look just like he said he would — like any other opponent. Mayweather was favored 117-111 and 116-112 on two ringside scorecards while a third inexplicably had the fight 114-114. The Associated Press scored it 119-109 for Mayweather. “I just listened to my corner, listened to my dad,” Mayweather said. “My dad had a brilliant game plan, and I went out there and got the job done.”
THINGS NEVER SAID Cast: Shanola Hampton (Kalindra Stephney), Omari Hardwick (Curtis Jackson), Elimu Nelson (Ronnie), Tamala Jones (Daphne), Michael Beach (Will Jackson), Dorian Missick (Steve),Charlayne Woodard (Charlotte), Tom Wright (Daniel) Written & Directed by: Charles Murray Rated: R Ohio Street Pictures Review by Lori Lakin Hutcherson I might as well get out the disclosure right up front: I have known Things Never Saidwriter/director Charles Murray for well over fifteen years, and at every turn of his career (executive at Magic Johnson’s production company, television writer on Third Watch and Criminal Minds, independent filmmaker) I have rooted for him. Charles is smart, funny and more than a bit of an unapologetic iconoclast, which could only mean two things for him – career suicide or artistic success. After seeing Things Never Said, I am thrilled to report he is a creative force only beginning to mine the gifts he has to share with this world. The story of Things Never Said is deceptively simple: Kalindra (Shanola Hampton), a young woman haunted by a miscarriage and stuck in a bad marriage to former basketball star Ronnie (Elimu Nelson), seeks an outlet through spoken-word poetry. Kal succumbs to an affair with Curtis (Omari Hardwick), a fellow poet who seems to see into her soul, but has his own heavy baggage Kal may not want to take on. While that might sound prosaic and maybe even a little pretentious (note: the poetry is extremely well-performed and relatable, so if you weren’t a poetry fan before, you will be after this), what’s special about this movie is the nuanced, complex and unpredictable ways Murray has his characters grapple with their conflicts. At first, you don’t want Kal to cheat on her husband – she is too intelligent and creative a woman to fall for the game the sexy-but-mysterious Curtis spits at her. But then again, you also wonder why Kal is staying with the sullen, unsupportive Ronnie, who seems to be going nowhere in his life and holding her back from hers. As the layers start to unfold, you learn not only has Ronnie gone through the hardship of losing his future, but also that Kal was brought up by her mother Charlotte (Charlayne Woodard) to believe that sticking with one’s husband no matter what is what defines a woman as a good person and wife. So when Kal finally does give in to her attraction to Curtis, they have so much chemistry and tenderness and understanding between them you want her to get away with the affair… until you realize Curtis may have even less to offer Kal than Ronnie when it’s revealed he’s an ex-con and why he landed in jail in the first place. Actress Shanola Hampton carries the organic twists and turns of this movie so beautifully it’s surprising she’s never had a major role in a film before. She has an equally able partner in Omari Hardwick, who makes you root for Curtis despite the palpable possibility he may be more trouble than he’s worth. Which, I think, is Murray’s point – no matter how much you connect to another person and no matter how they make you feel about yourself or even challenge you to become your better self – the real romance and discovery lies within knowing and healing oneself. This is the thing not said about love – it alone does not conquer all. This is the thing not said about art or creative outlets – they alone do not solve deep issues. Kalindra is not “saved” by Curtis or her poetry, but rather, they both shed light on her path to saving and healing herself from all of the preconceived notions she’s grown up on, from all the ways she’s limited herself, and from all of the abuse she’s accepted – external and internal. Things Never Said is an important addition to African-American independent cinema and humanistic storytelling that should not be missed. Its Los Angeles run has been extended through September 19 and the film opens in Atlanta, Boston, Washington DC, and Gary, Indiana on September 13 – TODAY! Please get out and support the movie — you can get updates on other showings around the country from thingsneversaid.com or on the Things Never Said Facebook Page. Also, check out the trailer below: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1BFiyFqXfQ&w=560&h=315]
President and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Lawrence Pijeaux, front, lays on a table the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously awarded in honor of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley, the four young black girls who lost their lives in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15, 1963, presented by Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, back center, during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013. Others are, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., from back left, Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., obscured, unidentified, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate leaders on Tuesday awarded Congress’ highest civilian honor to four girls killed in the Alabama church bombing nearly 50 years ago that became a watershed moment in the civil rights movement. The Congressional Gold Medal went to Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley, who were all 14, and Denise McNair, who was 11. The ceremony came five days before the 50th anniversary of their deaths inside the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. “Their names remain seared in our hearts,” said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. She was joined at the commemoration by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Republican House Speaker John Boehner and cmembers of Alabama’s congressional delegation. Along with the many lawmakers in the crowd paying tribute were director Spike Lee, and several relatives of the girls.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has marked the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with a moment of silence with First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and his wife Jill Biden today. Obama, along with Mrs. Obama, walked out of the White House at 1246 GMT, the moment the first hijacked plane hit the World Trade Center tower in New York City. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks that led to a long war in Afghanistan. The President went on to speak at a Sept. 11 ceremony at the Pentagon today (see video below).
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLjrMCSHzpo&w=420&h=315] article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
First lady Michelle Obama visits with children at the USO Warrior and Family Center in Fort Belvoir, Va., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2013, during a service project to commemorate the Sept. 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance at Food and Friends. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama drew a pair of construction paper hands for a project with military children during a 9/11 visit to a USO center at the Army’s Fort Belvoir. The first lady said she wanted to highlight the organization’s work on behalf of wounded service members and their families.
The USO Warrior and Family Center opened in February at the Army installation in Virginia, just south of Washington. The USO says it’s the largest ever to support wounded troops, their families and others by providing relaxation, home-cooked meals, kids’ playrooms and other support. Mrs. Obama helped children complete banners decorated with cutouts of handprints for a rock concert Wednesday night. She was joined by actor Gary Sinise, a USO supporter whose “Lt. Dan Band” was performing at the event. Sinise played the character “Lt. Dan” in the movie Forrest Gump. Mrs. Obama also brought along cookies shaped like the family’s new Portuguese water dog, Sunny. Afterward, she toured the Intrepid Spirit center, also at Fort Belvoir. The facility was dedicated Wednesday and provides outpatient care to service members and veterans with traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder and related conditions. She met privately with wounded service members and their families and participated in a round-table discussion with caregivers. Mrs. Obama traveled to Fort Belvoir after observing a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, his wife, Jill, and White House staff members. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com
Eighteen year-old hip-hop dancer and Las Vegas street performer Du-Shant Stegall, better known as Fik-Shun, took the top male spot in last night’s So You Think You Can Dance finale on FOX. Fik-Shun beat out tapper Aaron Turner, and shares the Favorite Dancer title with jazz dancer Amy Yakima (pictured above with Fik-Shun), who beat out contemporary dancer Jasmine Harper for the top female spot. Fik-Shun and Amy each won $100,000 and will be featured on the cover of an upcoming issue of Dance Spirit Magazine. This was the 10th season of So You Think You Can Dance, which was renewed for an 11th season according to producer and head judge Nigel Lythgoe. Check out one of Fik-Shun’s mind-blowing hip-hop solos that helped earn him his Favorite Dancer crown below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMY8YTVip1E&w=420&h=315] article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson
NoViolet Bulawayo is a Zimbabwean author. She is currently a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. (Smeeta Mahanti/Courtesy Reagan Arthur Books)
According to npr.com, the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize, Britain’s most prestigious literary award, was announced today. Among the short listers was We Need New Names author and Stanford University fellow NoViolet Bulawayo. Although the Booker Prize is limited to writers from the British Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland, the list skews international, and includes novelists from Zimbabwe, New Zealand and Canada. The complete shortlist is:
Arsenio Hall’s return to the late night circuit after nearly 20 years produced some promising ratings results on Monday night. “The Arsenio Hall Show” averaged a 1.9 rating/4 share in Nielsen’s 53 metered markets, building from its lead-in on the stations that carried it by 27% (1.5/3). It’s nearly double the 1.0/2 that these stations averaged in the time slot in September of last year. The show is anchored by the 17 stations in the Tribune Broadcasting station group, which is also a partner in the show. In key demographics, “Arsenio” scored a 1.0 rating/4 share in adults 18-49 and 1.2/5 in adults 25-54 in Nielsen’s markets with Local People Meters, beating every latenight program on the broadcast networks. “Arsenio” fared especially well in some of the largest markets, including Los Angeles, where it was the No. 1 show in its 11 p.m. time slot on KTLA with a 3.2 household rating/9 share — up about 90% from its local news lead-in (1.7/4). Among the top 20 markets, the only ones to fare better were Cleveland (4.6/10) and Chicago (3.3/6). The premiere of “Arsenio” did a relatively modest 1.6/4 in New York on WPIZ, but that was a nice surge over its lead-in (1.0/2). It was also the No. 1 latenight talk show in the market in both adults 18-49 (1.2 rating) and adults 25-54 (1.5). In the first episode, Hall welcomed comedian and actor Chris Tucker as his first guest, as well as surprise guests Snoop Dogg and Paula Abdul and a tape appearance by Jay Leno. article by Rick Kissell via variety.com
Robin Quivers in New York City (Gary Gershoff/WireImage) Longtime Howard Stern show co-host Robin Quivers revealed this morning that she’s been declared cancer-free after a long battle with the disease. She’s been broadcasting from her home by an ISDN line since she had a grapefruit-sized tumor removed from her bladder in May of 2012, missing only two episodes despite undergoing extensive radiation therapy, chemotherapy and highly invasive operations. “Howard was wrecked when this first came out,” said Stern producer Jon Hein on the air. “He didn’t feel comfortable doing the show without her. It looks like she’s cancer-free and will hopefully be back here sometime soon.” Quivers has been an essential part of the Howard Stern show since she was first paired up with the shock jock in March of 1981 at a Washington, D.C. radio station. With the exception of a very brief time period when Stern moved over to WNBC in New York in 1982, they have been together ever since.
Actor Michael Fassbender, left, and director Steve McQueen on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival. (Nathan Denette / Associated Press / September 6, 2013) Brad Pitt didn’t say much during the question-and-answer session that followed the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of “12 Years a Slave” on Friday night, just a short comment on why he produced and co-starred in the Steve McQueen period drama.
But, like his turn as an abolitionist-minded maverick amid a group of brutal slaveowners, Pitt spoke volumes as he stood on the stage with cast and filmmakers. “If I never get to participate in a film again,” he said, his voice trailing off as if to imply this would be enough, “this is it for me,” he finally finished. It’s a sentiment you could imagine the lead cast members — Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o and of course Chiwetel Eijiofor, standing out amid the standouts — sharing with Pitt. And it’s a sentiment you could imagine the audience feeling. Festivals come and go; movies rise and fade. But once in a great while there’s a film that feels almost instantly, in the room, like it’s going to endure, and change plenty of things along the way. And “12 Years” offers that feeling. Most narrowly, that’s true on Oscar level. By 9 p.m. Friday night, just six days into September, the film had already become a top contender for various acting, writing and directing prizes, as well as the big prize. You could say that’s premature. But you probably wouldn’t if you sat in the room. (Vulture’s Kyle Buchanan certainly didn’t hold back.) It’s equally true on a social level. “12 Years” tells the fact-based story of Solomon Northup (Eijiofor), a free man who in 1841 was kidnapped and sold into slavery, and his travails — at once horrifying and surprising, no matter how much you think you’re ready for them — when he is trafficked to a series of Southern plantations for more than a decade.
