Larry King Announces His Retirement

By Anton Jackson

"Larry King Live," the longest running talking head on the same cable network, is over. Larry King announced his retirement today. This comes amid published reports about his plummeting ratings. Bill Maher was his special 'requested' guest for this show and Maher was not gentle right from the start.

Maher questioned Larry repeatedly about whether he was being pushed. Although Larry put up a good front, it was obvious that he was mortally wounded. His entire demeanor screamed that he was pushed. I think his feelings were hurt because he probably felt that even though his ratings were slipping, he was an institution worth preserving. I would have to agree with this assessment. Plus, Larry used that Washington politician line and that was a clear giveaway: "Im leaving to spend more time with my family."

I guess there is nothing wrong with not wanting to admit that you were fired. General McChrystal 'turned in his resignation.' Larry was an institution. One of the greats. He has nothing to be ashamed of. There comes a time and place for all of us to step off the stage. There will come a time for Bill 'I worship myself' Maher to step down. So hold your head high Larry. You had one hell of a run.

Sly Stone Died Today

By Susie Centsativ

March 15, 1944 to [insert date here]

No he did not. And I apologize to Sylvester Stewart, his relatives, friends, colleagues and fans for the title. But this is an attempt to get props for Sly BEFORE he dies. For on the day of his death, the media will celebrate him with clips of his greatest hits and moments instead of celebrating the man while he is alive. Why not do the tributes now? His accomplishments are as great now as on the day of his death. Why not share this with the man while he is alive so that he can soak up some cheer for the cheer he gave us?

Actually, a Sly Stone documentary will be coming out soon that should provide some of that much needed cheer. See below

Sly & The Family Stone, at their height, were as big as any band could get. As big as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Bigger than the Jackson 5 and the Beach Boys. Sly was as big as Elvis and The King eventually copied Sly's sideburns, jumpsuit outfits and buckles. Sly spawned a plethora of similar sounding bands, with variations on the theme of course: Funkadelic, Earth, Wind and Fire, Con Funk Shun, The Bar-Kays, Kool and the Gang, Mandrill, and many many more. By the time Sly & The Family Stone had burned out, the land was covered with bands that had adopted the best of their sound.

Place Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Prince's "Purple Rain" and the Beatles "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" next to Sly and The Family Stone's "Stand" (plus "Thank You") and there is no contest. S&TFS win hands down. MJ's moonwalk on "Motown 25" was supercool, but was not the cultural event that the Sly & The Family Stone set represented at "Woodstock." S&TFS dominated the movie, album and live performances.

Now the tributes will include the missed concerts and the drug abuse subtext to the Sly story, but none of that can take away from their rise to fame and their legacy. That legacy is still in the grooves, er, digits. Sly would have been nothing without the Family Stone and the Family Stone would have been nothing without Sly. There never would have been a Graham Central Station without Sly & The Family Stone. So give Sly & The Family Stone their props now. All of the band members are still alive. And although too much muddy water has run under the bridge for them to reunite and attempt to reprise the past glory, nobody can take away what they did in their prime.

Maria Shriver (now Maria Shriver Schwarzenegger) interviews Sly in this early documentary.

"Sly: The Lives of Sylvester Stewart and Sly Stone," by Eddie Santiago

Announcing the Winner of Oprah's "Your Own Show"

By Holly Wood

Oprah's search for the next big TV star on her "Your Own Show" promotion is over. And the winner is.................. (click on the photo below for more information)

‘Daily Show’ on Obama’s ‘Angry Black Man’ Dilemma

If President Obama wants to be a successful president, he needs to calibrate his feelings to a level acceptable to white people, according to “The Daily Show’s” Senior Black Correspondent Larry Wilmore, who appeared on the Comedy Central program Wednesday night to discuss the issue with Jon Stewart.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Samuel L. Jackson Scale of Black Emotion
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Google's YouTube Subsidiary Beats Viacom in Court

Google won a three-year legal battle with Viacom on Wednesday when a federal court ruled that Google's YouTube subsidiary is not liable for its users' copyright infringements. A U.S. district court in New York ruled YouTube is covered by a "safe harbor" clause in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that protects service providers from penalties for their users' copyright violations, as long as they address those violations once they're made aware of them.

Judge Louis Stanton:

"The provider must know of the particular case before he can control it. The provider need not monitor or seek out facts indicating such activity."

Viacom, the owner of MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures, maintained that Google bought YouTube knowing full well that the site was guilty of copyright infringement but turned a blind eye to users' violations. It asked for damages of $1 billion in its lawsuit. (CNNMoney, 6/23/2010)

"The Daily Show" Hosts Josh Fox and "Gasland"

The Daily Show hosts Josh Fox in the video below. Fox is the producer of the Gasland documentary, which is being broadcast on HBO and criticizes hydraulic fracturing --a process for cracking deep geological formations to tap more natural gas.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Josh Fox
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

"VANITY FAIR" article: "A Colossal Fracking Mess," 6/21/2010

CNN Larry King Live "Disaster In The Gulf" Telethon

The Center welcomes donations so that we can provide mitigation services in the Gulf.


A special LARRY KING LIVE telethon focusing on "Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help," which will be featuring three charities, so you will be able to choose which one you want to help out. The money raised will go to aid in rebuilding the Gulf Coast.

Celebrity participants include Chelsea Handler, Sting, Tim McGraw, Kathy Griffin, Alyssa Milano, Deepak Chopra, Pete Wentz, Ted Danson, Robert Redford, Harry Connick Jr., Jenny McCarthy, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Aaron Neville, Kerry Kennedy, James Carville and Mary Matalin, Anderson Cooper, Tyson Ritter, Lenny Kravitz, Ian Somerhalder, Edward James Olmos, Philippe Cousteau and more!

All donations for the Gulf Coast Relief Telethon will go to the following three charity organizations:

HELPING COMMUNITIES with UNITED WAY

United Way is offering help to the families along the Gulf that are facing financial, educational and health-related challenges as a result from the economic disruption from this Oil Spill. The United Way Gulf Recovery fund will provide emergency assistance, such as help with food, rent and utilities, and support long-term recovery efforts to rebuild these lives and these communities.

SAVING WILDLIFE with THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION

The National Wildlife Federation Gulf Oil Spill Restoration Fund supports efforts to find and save oiled wildlife, and help recover their delicate ecosystems that make up their nesting and breeding grounds.

RESTORING THE GULF with THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

In response to the Gulf Coast oil spill, The Nature Conservancy has launched their Fund for Gulf Coast Restoration, expanding their efforts for long term recovery for the Gulf of Mexico and habitats along the coast, including salt marshes, oyster reefs, marshlands, beaches and estuaries.
(CNN)

Tony Hayward Goes Yachting After Congressional Testimony

By Korben Dallas

BP CEO Tony Hayward attended the 'Round the Island Yacht Race' this weekend, just a day after his stonewalling testimony on Capitol Hill. The annual race is sponsored by the Island Sailing Club and pits competitors sailing around the Isle of Wight. It is one of the world's largest such races and attracts more than 1,700 boats and 16,000 sailors as yachtsmen compete with wealthy amateurs in the 50-nautical mile course around the island.

Hayward, pictured below, watched his 52-foot $700,000 yacht "Bob," made by the Annapolis, Maryland-based boatbuilder Farr Yacht Design.

Give this guy points for balls. What will BP Chairman Carl-Henric "We Care About The Small People" Svanberg have to say about this?(MSNBC)

Manute Bol Dies

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

Manute Bol died today. He was 47 years old. He spent 10 seasons in the NBA with Washington, Golden State, Philadelphia and Miami. He was dedicated to humanitarian work in Africa and was in the process of trying to build schools throughout Sudan. Bol died at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, where he was being treated for severe kidney trouble and a painful skin condition.

He is pictured at right with Washington Bullets teammate Mugsy Bogues. Bogues is a Wake Forest alum (my alma mater) and he would get us passes to basketball games on occassion. Frank Johnson played with the Bullets then too (another Wake alum - we lived in the same apartment complex near the Capital Centre).

I met Manute Bol in 1987 when he played with the then Washington Bullets (now Wizards). He played pool at a little strip mall near the Captal Centre (now demolished). I lived nearby and would stop by to play pool on occassion. One day as I was leaving, Manute was standing outside looking anxious. I asked him if there was a problem and he said his ride had not arrived and he needed to get home. I offered him a ride and he stretched all the way across the back seat (He was 7 feet 7 inches) of my Chevy. When we got to his townhouse he invited me in to drink beer. He said the team had him drinking lots of beer to help gain weight. I was a huge beer drinker back in those days so we chugged beers and listened to music. Bol was cool. (AP)

Gary Shider Dies

Gary Shider was the guy in Funkadelic wearing the diaper. We all saw him at one time or another and that was his official uniform on stage. I was a very unique signature for a dynamic musician and singer.

He died on June 16th at 56. He left quite a legacy of music as the musical director for Parliament Funkadelic.

He also was among 16 members of Parliament Funkadelic, including George Clinton, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Linda.

The Gary Shider Medical Fund

First BP told me it was 1,000 barrels per day.

Then they said 5,000 barrels per day.

Then they said 20,000 barrels per day.

It is being estimated that now it could be 60,000 barrels per day or more.

Then there was top kill.

Junk shot.

Top hat.

And BP just told me they put a $20 billion check in the mail.

I'm kind of thinking maybe I should not trust BP

6/16/10: After meeting with President Obama, BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg tells the world that BP cares about the "small people,"

Alvin "Forrest Gump" Greene Will Win SC Senate Race

By Korben Dallas

U.S. Senate Candidate is Bubba and Forrest rolled into one.

He Cannot Lose.

I Support Alvin "Bubba Gump" Greene

South Carolina Congressman and House Majority Whip James Clyburn might be livid at the prospect of Alvin M. Greene, right, being the state Democratic Party nominee for the Senate, but I think Mr. Greene will capture the imagination of South Carolinians and the nation. Talk about outsider. He makes Tea Party candidates look like big-spending Congressional insiders. Green will not only ride the anti-incumbent, anti-big government wave into Congress, he will also become a superstar and might even challenge Barack Obama for the Democratic Party nomination for the presidency in 2012. And if anybody can beat President Obama, it would be BubbaGump Green.

Sure, Greene has some pesky little scandals circling around him, but they seem to be minor, err, she's grown. That is the 19 year old college student accusing him of showing her some porn on a library computer. There are also some questions about his discharge from the military, that is, whether it was honorable or dishonorable. Greene says it was honorable but involuntary. That will play to the antimilitary crowd and to the military crowd.

Some are embarassed by Greene. But this will help him too. For Greene is the anti-Obama at a time of weakened stature for the president because of the oil spill in the Gulf and the political maneuvering in some elections.

We cannot wait to hear his positions on energy and environmental issues. If you need help Mr. Greene, give us a call. We will be happy to help you flush out those complex green issues. (Wash Post, 6/11/2010)

Legend, Keys & Black Eyed Peas Perform at World Cup

John Legend, Alicia Keys, the Black Eyed Peas and Shakira are performing at an all-star concert that kicks off festivities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South African.

South African artists performing at the festivities include Hugh Masekela, The Parlotones, Vusi Mahlasela and Benin’s Grammy Award-winning Angelique Kidjo.

(The Root, 6/9/2010)

Rickey Minor Replaces Kevin Eubanks on "Tonight Show"

Rickey Minor, left, plays bass and Kevin Eubanks plays guitar. Rickey replaced Kevin tonight because Eubanks wanted to tour, record and explore his options. Eubanks was with "The Tonight Show" since 1995 when Branford Marsalis left. Leno took over from Johnny Carson in 1992. In addition to playing the guitar, Eubanks also served as Leno’s comic sidekick.

Rickey Minor has served as music director for American Idol, Super Bowl, Grammy Awards and NAACP Image Awards. Minor has collaborated with such performing artists as Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Ray Charles and Beyonce.

Green DMV Presents "Green Night Out"

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Kevin Costner Wants Centrifuge Machine To Clean Gulf

By Korben Dallas

Movie star Kevin Costner is promoting a water-oil separation device as part of the effort to clean up the oil spill in the Gulf. Costner claims the $24 million oil extraction device will clean oil from the water at a rate of 97 percent. BP will test the device, but the volume of oil and water to be separated from the spill is massive. Costner’s company, Ocean Therapy Solutions, provides the machine that can clean as much as 200 gallons per minute. The company reports it has 20 such machines ready to be employed.

The machines are basically sophisticated centrifuge devices that can handle a huge volume of water and separate the oil at high rates. The machines work by drawing in the infested water where it then breaks it down, allowing the oil to discharge through a separate pipe.

(The Christian Science Monitor, 5/20/2010)

Spike Lee on BP on CNN

Spike Lee discusses BP with Anderson Cooper and states that he is altering his new documentary on Hurricane Katrina, "If God Is Willing And The Creek Don't Rise," to include footage about the Gulf oil spill. The new documentary comes out on HBO on August 23 and 24.

Amazon.com

President Obama, Mr. Spock and Tuvok

By Holly Wood

New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Maureen Dowd, left, compares President Obama to Mr. Spock from "Star Trek" in a critical piece about the Commander in Chief's lack of emotion in responding to the Gulf oil spill. In her article, "Once More, With Feeling," Dowd states:

"President Spock’s behavior is illogical."

Of course, maybe Tuvok might have been a better comparison. Why you might ask? Well, because Tuvok is Vulcan too.

"The Abyss" Director Meets With Federal Officials on Spill

Film director James Cameron, right, and more than 20 scientists, engineers and technical experts met Tuesday with officials from the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies for a brainstorming session on stopping the massive oil leak. in the Gulf of Mexico. The Canadian-born "Avatar" and "Titanic" is considered an expert on underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies

Representatives from the Energy Department, Coast Guard and National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration also participated in the meeting. Other organizations represented at the gathering included the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; Oceanographic Institute at Harbor Branch, Florida Atlantic University; University of California at Santa Barbara; Nuytco Research Limited; World Wildlife Fund; and the University of California at Berkeley.

James Camerson defended his participation in the Gulf oil spill mitigation talks:

"I spent about one and a half years making “Titanic” and another four and a half years making “Avatar” but the rest of my time in recent years has been spent doing deep-ocean projects. I] first learned to operate a remotely piloted submersible in 1988 while making “The Abyss” and, through and after making “Titanic,” worked extensively in waters far deeper than the location of the destroyed gulf well, designing pressure-resistant camera housings, lighting towers that could be dropped to the seafloor two miles down and other gear requiring pushing the edges of deep-sea engineering.

I did six subsequent deep-ocean expeditions, spent nine months at sea and participated in 55 deep submarine dives. I’ve owned and operated my own submarines and pretty much know everybody in the deep-ocean world outside of the oil business. We are right at the cutting edge on this."

(NYT, 6/4/2010, Wash Post, 6/1/2010)