Samuel L. Jackson Enters Guinness Book of Records

The Guinness Book of World Records named Samuel L. Jackson the highest-grossing actor of all time   according to the New York Daily News. Jackson, 62, has made over $7.42 billion over the span of his entire career.

Never the leading man, Jackson starred in a variety of supporting roles, some memorable, some not. His performance in Pulp Fiction  ($212 million) gave him an Oscar nomination for his character Jules Winnfield.The public will remember his performances in The Incredibles, A Time To Kill, as well as the Star Wars prequels ($2.4 billion)  and Jurassic Park ($914 million).  He’s been in all four Marvel-verse blockbusters –Captain America, Thor, and Iron Men I and II.

Jackson has averaged four films a year over the last 20 years, making six in 2010, four in 2011 and signing up for three next year (2012).

 Good job Sam. BTW-The L is for Leroy. My favorite SLJ movie is The Long Kiss Goodnight. What's your favorite?

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• Samuel L. Jackson highest grossing actor of all time. (ctv.ca)
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New York Mom Killed Protecting School Kids

Photo-New York Post

You may not have known Zurana Horton before last Friday, the day she died protecting New York school children under attack by an unknown shooter. Hudson was shot in the face and chest and was pronounced dead at the scene. Cops said a man firing from a nearby rooftop at a second gunman fatally hit Horton as she threw her body in front of a group of kids. An 11-year-old girl and a 31-year-old Brooklyn mother were wounded.

 Horton’s death leaves her children -- who range in age from 1 1/2 to 18 -- without a mother.  She had 14 kids, but lost one to pneumonia three years ago.

Zurana Horton has an ill-fated family history that goes back 20 years. Her death caps an unthinkable triple tragedy for Horton’s mom, Denise Peace, one of whose sons was shot dead in a 1991 robbery and another slain last year.

Meanwhile, Rev. Al Sharpton and other community leaders said it was time for people to rise up against gun violence after the deadly shooting. Sharpton met with Horton’s family on Monday, echoing calls for police and residents to stem the tide of violence.

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• $15,000 reward for rooftop gunman (nydailynews.com)
• Zurana Horton, New York Mom, Shot Dead While Shielding Kids At School (huffingtonpost.com)
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Andrea Mitchell’s Breast Cancer

NBC's Andrea Mitchell announced on air Wednesday that she has breast cancer.
Mitchell, who has been with NBC for decades and serves as its chief foreign affairs correspondent and host of "Andrea Mitchell Reports" on MSNBC, made the announcement at the end of her show. She is 64 years old.
"I had planned to be hiking in Wyoming last week but instead discovered that I am now among the one in eight women — incredibly, one in eight — who’ve had breast cancer," she said. "Mine was discovered during my annual screening just a short time ago. Lucky for me, I’m one of the fortunate ones. We discovered it in the earliest stage, it has not spread, and I’m already back at work with a terrific prognosis."
Mitchell said that breast cancer awareness and prevention has always been important to her.
"I’m looking at this as another of life’s lessons," she said. "For you women out there and for the men who love you, screening matters. Do it."

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Bad Mother Feeds Kids Beer and Cocaine

BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut (AP) -- A Connecticut mother has pleaded guilty to charges that she forced her 4-year-old son to drink beer and gave her 10-month-old daughter beer and cocaine.

The Connecticut Post reports Juliette Dunn, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty Wednesday to risk of injury to a child under the Alford Doctrine, where the defendant doesn't agree to the facts but agrees the state has enough evidence to win a conviction.

A companion, 33-year-old Lisa Jefferson, pleaded guilty to the same charges.

Police say officers were waved down in June by a neighbor who complained that a woman was feeding children beer at a playground.

The children were turned over to the Department of Children and Families after 29-year-old Dunn's arrest. Custody hasn't been decided.

Source: The Associated Press.

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Toddler Hit and Run Tragedy in China

A man on a scooter notices the badly injured toddler before riding around her body and continuing on without stopping.

BEIJING (AP) — A toddler who was twice run over by vans and then ignored by passers-by on a busy market street died Friday a week after the accident and after days of bitter soul-searching over declining morality in China.

The District Guangzhou Military General Hospital said that the 2-year-old girl, Wang Yue, died shortly after midnight of brain and organ failure. "Her injuries were too severe and the treatment had no effect," intensive care unit director Su Lei told reporters.

The New Face of the Unemployed

Every day you hear politicians talking about the unemployment rate. They aren't doing anything about creating jobs, but they constantly talk about the high unemployment rate.

Many people think of the unemployed in terms of stereotypes-lazy, not motivated, irresponsible, unskilled, indifferent...you get the idea. Some think that if someone really wants a job, they could get one. Folks that are working hold their head up and feel just a little bit taller than those without a job. They spend their time shaking their heads about the jobless and remarking about people soaking up unemployment compensation in lieu of getting a job. They wonder why there are large numbers of African Americans without employment. 

The Return of Soul Food Series???

Word on the street is Fox is looking to revive the popular Showtime series Soul Food, based on the hit 1997 film.

The original Soul Food series ran on Showtime from 2000 to 2004 and was a hit with viewers. It followed the lives of a black family in Chicago, struggling with life's ups and down (marriage, divorce, owning a business, etc.). According to the industry blog Fishbowl LA, Twentieth Century Fox is looking to capitalize on the African-American demographic who is hungry for shows.

Fishbowl LA reports:

Now, Fox is looking to revamp the series for a new generation. The project is still in the very early stages of development, but executives at the company are said to be keen on it. It isn't yet clear whether the new Soul Food would be for the Fox broadcast network, or whether the company would try and sell it to other channels.

Although many networks have been slow to create shows that target African-Americans, the audience is out there. Cable networks such as TBS, VH1, and BET have scored hits with original programming targeting African-Americans, and the web is exploding with quality shows each day. So it would be wise for Fox, or any other network, to create well-written and well-acted shows that target black viewers.
Source: Clutch Magazine; The Grio

What's "black enough " for you?

Britni Danielle, Clutch Magazine wrote the following:

In a recent (and oh so untimely) review of the film Jumping the Broom, Selam Aster of Madame Noire had a few words for actress Paula Patton: Girl, you're just not black enough.

In the article, "It's Nothing Personal Paula, But I Don't Want You Playing Black," Aster argues that Patton, who is biracial, isn't "Black enough" to portray black women on film.

Let's set aside Paula's skin color for a minute, because that doesn't seem to be Aster's issue with her (she later shouts out Tia Mowry and Jurnee Smollett, both light skin sisters). So, what's her beef? Paula, apparently, "acts like a white girl."

Anita Hill-Twenty Years Later

It has been two decades since Anita Hill testified at Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' Senate confirmation hearing. The 20th anniversary of the Hill/Thomas hearing served as a catalyst for a celebration of feminism and a discussion of the continuing impact of power and gender in the workplace that was attended by 2,000 people.

At 'Sex, Power and Speaking Truth: Anita Hill 20 Years Later'; a forum hosted by Hunter College in New York City, Hill reaffirmed her pride in her contribution to the hearings. Hill told Saturday's audience that she realized soon after, that she would have to compartmentalize the event in order to move forward with her life. "It was an important event. It has helped to shape my life. But it is just an event...it's not who I am."

Hill's name is still politically charged. Her story continues to be synonymous with sexual harassment in the work place. Sex, Power and Speaking Truth, was actually a follow up to a 1992 symposium, which took place in the wake of Anita Hill's testimony.

Larry Hagman Fighting Cancer

Actor Larry Hagman, who played oil baron J.R. Ewing on the 1980s series "Dallas", will appear in TNT's update of the iconic television drama. Hagman said in a statement Friday that he has been diagnosed with cancer.
According to a USA Today report, Hagman, 80, said he has been diagnosed with "a very common and treatable form of cancer" and will get treatment while working on the series.

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Chris Tucker to Lose His $6 M Home

Chris Tucker is no stranger to tax problems. People.com reports that the funny man's $6M home in Orlando, Florida has fallen into foreclosure.

Tucker apparently owes more than $4.4M on the home and the government has taken out an $11.5M lien against it for his back taxes. The monthly mortgage payment was $25,812.50.

Tucker stands to lose the 10,000 sq-ft home that boasts five bedrooms, three fireplaces and a spa. The mega pad also contains a refinished basement made up to mimic a pirate ship... complete with a sail.

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Most Lavish White House State Dinners

A White House state dinner isn’t like a traditional dinner party. They're "bigger than the biggest weddings," says former White House chef Walter Scheib, and invitations are considered to be the “hottest tickets in town.” These lavish celebrations honoring a visiting head of government are some of the most glamorous affairs hosted by the White House, and have been a tradition since the early 19^th century, when President Grant hosted the first-ever state dinner, complete with a 29-course meal. Receiving an invitation to dine at the White House is reason alone to celebrate, as each guest is hand-picked. And when your hosts are the first lady and president of the United States, you can’t cancel — especially if you will be dining next to celebrities like Peyton Manning, Beyoncé and Whitney Houston.

First Lady Stuns At State Dinner

At a state dinner for South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and his wife Kim Yoon-ok at the North Portico of the White House on October 13th, first lady Michelle Obama showed off one of her signature looks: wearing an asymmetrical gown by Korean-American designer Doo-Ri Chung.

Though the White House state dinner honoring President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak had a lack of Hollywood power, there were a few fashionistas in the mix. Here is a look at some of the most memorable ensembles, via the White House pool report.

Denzel Washington Dontes $2.25 Million to Alma Mater

Denzel Washington has donated $2.25 million to Fordham University, his alma mater.
The university said Monday that Washington has given $2 million to endow the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre, and another $250,000 to establish a scholarship for a minority undergraduate student studying theater at Fordham.

The university said Monday that Washington has given $2 million to endow the Denzel Washington Chair in Theatre, and another $250,000 to establish a scholarship for a minority undergraduate student studying theater at Fordham.

Apple's Steve Jobs Rest in Peace

CNN reports  Steve Jobs, the visionary in the black turtleneck who co-founded Apple in a Silicon Valley garage, built it into the world's leading tech company and led a mobile-computing revolution with wildly popular devices such as the iPhone, died Wednesday. He was 56.

The hard-driving executive pioneered the concept of the personal computer and of navigating them by clicking onscreen images with a mouse. In more recent years, he introduced the iPod portable music player, the iPhone and the iPad tablet -- all of which changed how we consume content in the digital age.

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Bono Leads Stars in Fight Against Famine

Bono, U 2 lead singer and co-founder of One, posted the following article for Huffington Post Impact:

I've been known to drop the occasional expletive, but the most offensive F word to me is not the one that goes f***. It's F***** -- the famine happening in Somalia.

Drought, violence and political instability have invited in the grim reaper on a scale we have not seen in 20 years... more than 30,000 children have died in just three months. The pictures from Dadaab look like a nightmare from centuries past. Yet, this is the 21st century and these pictures are real and, on the whole, unseen. The food crisis in the Horn of Africa is nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe, but it is getting less attention than the latest Hollywood break-ups and make-ups.