Erykah Badu’s Window Seat Video Uncut

Posted by Angela Wu

San Diego Entertainer Magazine

If you think Lady Gaga’s and Madonna’s music videos are controversial and shocking, then Erykah Badu’s newly released Window Seat video uncut will blow your mind. Badu’s most recent music video came out on March 28,2010, and already, it’s stirred up chatter and questions of all different kinds.

In her music video, Badu walks down a bustling street as she strips down to nothing; and the street she’s walking along also happens to be the very street in Dallas where JFK was shot. As if walking naked in public isn’t controversial and outrageous enough, doing so at such a monumental place is making people go crazy, and she might even be faced with criminal charges.

Erykah Badu has been an icon for many music lovers since early 1997. She exudes a style of hip-hop, R&B, and jazz that coalesces in a way that touches and moves people, not only through melodic rhythms, but also through her powerful lyricism. Her debut album Baduizm reached #2 on the Billboard Charts in ‘97, with her lead single On & On holding the 12th spot on the singles chart in both the US and the UK. Some of her other acclaimed singles include You Got Me co-written with Jill Scott, Bag Lady which was nominated for a Grammy, and Love Of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop) with past-lover Common, which won Badu her fourth Grammy in 2003.

Badu’s Window Seat lyrics are just as powerful as the impromptu music video is itself. At the end of the video, when she’s already naked and exhibiting her numerous tattoos, there is the sound of a gun shot as she falls to the ground, and the narration reads–

They feel most comfortable in groups, less guilt to swallow. They are us, this is what we have become, afraid to respect the individual. A single person within our circumstance can move one to change, to love ourself, to evolve. - We are QUICK to assassinate, what they don't understand.

Take a look at this revolutionary video and tell us how you feel.

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "Brazil - Boa Morte"

Cornelius goes Brazil:

Afro-Brazilian Culture - Boa Morte Style

Her name...(unknown to me) but she is

a dignified member, Sister, of the Festa da Boa Morte in Brazil.

In Bahia, Africa abounds! Salvador is the "most" African of all of the Brazilian cities. 90% of the population of over two million people has African ancestry. The local cuisine, musical traditions, dance forms and Bahia's vibrant visual arts are all testaments to this permeating African influence.
Cachoeira Bahia Festivals
Festa de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte Festival falls on the Friday closest to 15 August and lasts three days. This is one of the most fascinating Candomblé festivals and it's worth a special trip to see it. Organized by the Irmandade da Boa Morte (Sisterhood of the Good Death)—a secret, black, religious society—the festival is celebrated by the descendants of slaves, who praise their liberation with dance and prayer and a mix of themes from Candomblé and Catholicism

Sisterhood of the Boa Morte Festival (Good Death) is the oldest organization for women of African descent in the New World. The Boa Morte Sisterhood is a secret society of African-Brazilian women, all descendants of African slaves, who sponsor a procession each August that parades through the streets of the historical city of Cachoeira on the banks of the Paraguacu River. It is perhaps the most important festival in the African Heritage calendar in Bahia and is a living tribute of African culture and Diaspora to the New World.


Join me as I travel and YouTube through a day at the Boa Morte Festival, concluding in a night out in the city of Salvador:

Tune in next Wednesday for more

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness with Cornelius Jones Jr.

Stay connected with me:

www.corneliusjonesjr.com

FaceBook: Cornelius Jones Jr.

Twitter: CorneliusJonesJ

FaceBook Fan Page: FlagBoy Official Fan Page of the Actor

www.theblacktraveler.com

ROCK the BOWL benefiting Ubuntu Education Fund

The New York office is working feverishly to produce a unforgettable event and it will be just that! You are all members of the Ubuntu community and I would love to see you there. Click the image below to purchase your tickets today! Expect much more about Rock the Bowl in the coming weeks.

 

www.rockthebowl/eventbrite.com

FOXY: My Life in Three Acts by Pam Grier

By Angelia Vernon Menchan

APOOO BookClub

I became a fan of Pam Grier’s movies as a teenager in the 1970s. I was old enough to see R-rated movies and I was fascinated by a female, militant-type actress. My friends and I spent many Saturdays watching her movies, then coming home and talking about how ‘bad’ she was. My friends even called me ‘Coffy’ due to our shared height, slight tooth gap, brown skin and yards of curly hair. So, of course, I was delighted to be asked to review her memoir. FOXY: My Life in Three Acts.

I absolutely enjoyed the honest, talkative way in which Ms. Grier wrote her memoirs. The first act focused on her childhood and the relationships she had with the people in her life. Particularly influential was the work ethic and strength of her mother, and the fiery, fighting spirit of her aunt, Mennon. I could literally visualize Pam’s mother working on a degree in nursing and purchasing a home while her father was away in the Air Force. This act also covered the molestation Pam suffered at age six by her cousins. I could feel her pain emanating from the pages but also she made it clear why she never told anyone. It really brought out how the act of molestation is not ‘new’ and that children should be able to tell someone.

Act Two discussed her life as young adult and her work ethic and how she became an actress. Also discussed was her relationship with Kareem Abdul Jabar and how his becoming a member of the Nation of Islam came between them. She also had relationships with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Richard Pryor that ended due to their drug usage. Grier was very honest about her relationships without being salacious or telling every dirty detail. I really admired that component of the book. It proved it is not necessary to drag anyone through the mud to tell your story.

The Final Act discussed the actress’ battle with cancer and how she continued to take her life into her own hands and never allowed anyone to tell her how to live. She wrote with honesty, expressing little regret for the life she lived. More importantly, she painted herself as more than an actress, but as a well-rounded woman. I recommend this memoir to all who love memoirs and biographies that allow them to see inside famous people they thought they knew.

Zoraesque: A Celebration of the Life and Work of Zora Neale Hurston

On Saturday, March 20, 2010, George Faison, Founder and Artistic Director of Harlem’s new Faison Firehouse Theater created and hosted the Special Event celebrating the life and work of author Zora Neale Hurston. The ONE NIGHT ONLY performance was standing room only. The diverse audience included guest from as far away as Boston, MA, Washington, DC and Maryland.

"Those who say 'It can't be done' are usually interrupted by those who are doing IT!” say, Faison, “… we are preparing the next generations of leaders here in Harlem.”

This script allows a revue of the dynamic and controversial life and work of one of the great figures in twentieth-century American literature and Afro-American culture. With the aid of musical variety, choreography, oratorical skill, spoken word performance, and photographic images, the scenes unfold as a ceremony of remembrance, emphasizing Zora Neale Hurston’s genius as novelist, folklorist, anthropologist, cultural interpreter and relevant analyst of contemporary public discourse. .

The script approximates a New Orleans funeral (a celebratory event). The Opening Scene (Scene I) “The Church and the Porch,” presents the earliest sounds and language that the young Zora heard; they would build her famous style and vernacular sound as a foremost literary artist. Scene II “Isie at the Gatepost,” presents the joyful, inventive, “smart-kid” that Zora Neale Hurston was and remained in her grown-up, womanly spirit. Scene III “Harlem,” presents important aspects of her life and work. Scene IV “Talkin’ bout Zora,” is a eulogy; it segues to Scene V “When the Saints Go Marchin In.”



The show headlined by Award Winning Actress Lynn Whitfield played Zora. Honored guest who shared the evening at the Firehouse were: Playwright/Poet, Dr. Maya Angelou; Award Winning Actress, Ruby Dee; and the writer of this powerful stage production Chair, English Department Howard University, Dr. Eleanor Traylor along with the wonderful cast.




Bottom L-R: Dr. Eleanor Traylor, George Faison, Ruby Dee, Ebony Jo-Ann, Lynn Whitfield, Brain Whitted, Thyais Walsh, Gabrielle Lee, Wambui Bahari, Dolly Henry, Sinclair Mitchell, Charles E. Wallace, Jerome Preston Bates

About the Faison Firehouse
The Faison Firehouse Theater is home to the American Performing Arts Collaborative (APAC), a not-for-profit (501c3) organization co-founded by Tony Award Winner, George Faison in 1997. For more than thirty five years, George Faison has been a driving force in the theater as well as film, video, television, concert dance, concert staging, television commercials and trade shows. George is internationally recognized as having achieved a preeminent place among the world's most important directors, choreographers and writers is known for his uncompromising pursuit of artistic excellence and the production and nourishment of socially relevant art and artist. He has a keen eye for recognizing emerging talent such as S. Epatha Merkerson, Debbie Allen, Stephanie Mills, Phylicia Rashad, Eartha Robinson, Gary DeLoatch, Shedrack Anderson, Jackee and Hinton Battle among others. www.faisonfirehouse.org

Photographed for SIZZLE

Miami is a coastal city in southeastern Florida and is the seventh-largest metro area in the United States with over 5.4 million residents. In 2008, Miami was ranked as "America's Cleanest City" according to Forbes Magazine for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets and city-wide recycling programs. In 2008, Miami was also ranked the 3rd-richest city in the United States and the world's 22nd-richest city in a UBS study.

On May 27 – June 1, 2010, Memorial Day Weekend, join me as I produce Dating Dwight from Miami for the 2010 Sizzle Miami Party. Miami is one of great world capitals for gay circuit parties, with a steady roster of parties held throughout the year. One event that's been gaining rapidly in popularity each year is Sizzle Miami, a five-day event held over Memorial Day Weekend and catering to gay men of color. Since 2002, Sizzle Miami includes dozens of wild parties - its success has led promoters to bill it "America's most celebrated and anticipated black gay event." I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Jerry Boles and chat with one of the power houses who assists in presenting this event and who is the infamous photographer known for capturing the faces of the beautiful Sizzle Models and many other works of art that you have probably seen far and wide. We begin discussing his own photography business and finished off with the latest Sizzle Miami dish.

1. What made you decide to explore photography? Photography manifests from my former days in the modeling, beauty and fashion industry. After serving my time on the stage and in several movies, and even running my own Modeling Production House back in Chicago, I needed something that was more challenging. I have always enjoyed photography, especially high fashion photography. Some years ago I met a photographer by name of Antonella Pizzoli who was from Rome, Italy. She allowed me to sit in on photo sessions and ask questions while also learning how to work the camera. Although, she gave me the initial start, there are so many other photographers that have offered me advice, techniques and some times trade secrets.

2. What direction is photography going in the future? Is it influencing your work? I don’t think you can put a trend on photography. There are many trends in “post production” as it relates to Photo-Shop and creating what we call digital formatting in post production from a graphic artist point view. Photography is like DNA. You find some variance in each photograph from each photographer photographing the same subject.

3. What has been one of your most memorable photography experiences? That is a hard question because every photo-session is unique at that moment. Memorable to me is the stories behind the photo sessions. Some of the people I have photographed are not models but may have been through something in their lives. Being able to photograph those individuals and capture the beauty of their souls is very powerful

4. What publications have you shot for? My work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, billboards around the World. I couldn’t begin to name the numerous of publications where Jerry Boles Photography was featured in. I do owe a lot of gratitude to Dwight Powell former CEO of CLIK Magazine as it is one of the many magazines where you would see Jerry Boles Photography almost in every issue.

5. What photographer’s work do you get inspiration from? Wow…I look at many photographers work almost every day and all of them inspire me some sort of crazy way. However, there are people in my early days that “WOW” me with their work, Victor Skrebneski Photography (Lord & Taylor) Bob Frame (Marshall Fields Department Stores Chicago) Francesso Scavullo (For Cosmopolitan Magazine and who have also shot Elizabeth Taylor, and Grace Kelly), Antonella Pizolli (the lady that inspired me to take on this photography). To me these photographers were my first inspiration into the industry and I would gaze at their work for hours at time.

6. Do you do all the photography for Sizzle Miami? 99% of all the photographs for Sizzle Miami since 2005 were from my camera lenses and that includes the Sizzle Models.

7. How do you select the face of the Sizzle Miami campaigns? Selecting the faces to represent Sizzle Miami is a challenging process, especially with the Male aspect. We try to find someone during the Sizzle Miami Week, which would best represent Sizzle for the following year. Representing Sizzle Miami is position we feel, requires Professionalism, Great Attitude, Mannerism and the look of a Professional Model.

8. What other role(s) do you play with Sizzle Miami? I have had the opportunity to incorporate some of my other skills within the Sizzle Miami Family. I bring 15 years in Catering, Event Planning and Productions with 5 years in Special Security Details and Body Guard Services. Those combined experiences allow me to serve in many capacities before, during and after Sizzle.

9. What is one of the largest challenges you face in preparing for Sizzle Miami? The challenge we face every year for Sizzle is making sure our guests have a great experience. That is our number one concern.

10. What are some exciting things that you are working on for Sizzle Miami in 2010? This year we added the Bloggers Café and I think this is so unique because it resembled the Oscars or an event where you have the news reporters interviewing the guests as they arrive and during a big event. It is going be interesting to see and hear what our Guest’s expectations, and their experiences about Sizzle Miami. It is also going to be interesting to hear the Blogger’s perspectives in their experiences as well. The White Party has grown over the year and it is certainly an event that our guests are excited to attend. We meet with the hotel to select a great menu, and exciting entertainment. The Booze Cruise is another event that we started small in the beginning but have grown to a bigger and memorable event during the Sizzle Miami Week. I must stress to our new guests and even many regulars who have not participated, in getting their tickets for the Booze Cruise. Last year we secured two large boats that had three levels and it explored the waters off the coast of Miami. The Sizzle Her for the Ladies and the Sizzle Him for the Men and I tell you the kids got their life. All I can tell you is that you had to be there to experience it.

11. What would be the wisest investment for a sizzler to purchase for Memorial Day weekend? The wise investment is to secure your room and airline ticket if you flying or reserve your car if you are driving and not wait on your “FRIENDS” who promised they are going to Sizzle, but for some unfortunate reason(s) your ‘friend(s) had to change his plans. I hear this very often from people who were set to come but “something came up” with another one of their friends that ruined their chances to be in Miami.

12.Is Sizzle Miami all work for the crew? Or do you all get the chance to play too? Dwight Powell, the CEO of Sizzle Miami, is the first to tell you that we are not there to enjoy Sizzle as if it was vacation time, we are there to make sure our GUESTS have a SAFE, Exciting and wonderful experience. We put in lots of hours during that week and our staff works tirelessly to make sure every event is 110% to our expectations. So, there is no room for play, we are serious about fun and we serious about are guests enjoying just that “FUN.”

Zolra's Corner: I'mma Be The Multitaxing Guy For My LGBT Family

Recently, I began to rethink my life so far now that I am making huge decisions in my life. Saturday night, I'm performing stand up comedy for the first time ever. I began to reflect on my past life. Even though it's hard thinking about some parts of my life, my life was never 100% depression. The one thing I remember doing years ago that really made me happy was when I created Zolra's Corner, my talk show on Youtube.

Around that time, I reached a point in my life where I started taking care of myself. I started making my own money by writing articles for different websites. I was also trying to be a Youtube partner, even though I knew it wasn't going to happen due to the fact that my show had low ratings. The minute I started that talk show, everything changed.

I wanted to write more than books. I said I want to do late night television one day. My favorite late night show is Chelsea Lately. The moment I began watching it, I began to say "I want to do that type of talk show."

Due to my scheduling and financial situations, I'm unable to make videos. But when I get everything together, I promise I'll bring Zolra's Corner back to the media. But it'll be called Zolra Nightly instead. Consider it an adaptation of my blog of the same name. I'm doing to my best to maintain my blog, but my mind goes in so many directions, the blog suffers from confusion.

Then I started thinking about what type of person I should be. Not just for me, but for my entire LGBT family. I don't want to be a person that falls in a category of other LGBT figures. I want to be in a position that has never been filled. That's when I chose. I want to be the LGBT multitaxing man. I love to laugh. I love romantic comedies, thrillers, mystery, and drama films. I can come up with my own positive jokes in a quick second. Then the next day will be a serious topic to write about. No matter what situation I'm in, I do my best not to let it get to me. I just laugh it out days later, depending on the situation. But then again, if you really push a button, I will beat your brains to a pulp.

Don't get me wrong! My favorite show of all time is Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. I watch it more than Cougar Town and Modern Family, but venturing out in different fields is an everyday thing in my life.

I look at the people who has inspired me like B.Scott, Xem Van Adams, Darryl Stephens, Bry'Nt, Nathan "Seven" Scott, and Dwight Allen O'Neal. They all branching out in different fields. But I haven't seen someone do all of it at once. So I thought it was best to fill that void.

Once I said I wanted to be that person, my life began to clear up. I have a focus and everything about me is comfortable doing it.

AIDS Taskforce T-shirt aims to spread stigma of HIV too thin to hurt

Photo: Allison Carey, The Plain Dealer HIV Positive T-shirt handed out Thursday by the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland to be worn Friday for AIDS awareness.

By Tony Brown,

The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- People are looking at me funny. Funnier than usual. Some sneer or laugh derisively. Some have a kind smile. Most just stare.

Maybe it's because a red T-shirt makes me look pallid. More pallid than usual.

Or maybe it's the bold, black-and-white lettering on the shirt:

HIV POSITIVE

My shirt identifies me as having the human immunodeficiency virus, the sneaky bug that can reverse-transcribe itself into my DNA and cause AIDS, which has infected 65 million worldwide and killed at least 25 million since the late 1970s.

On Friday, several hundred other people in Greater Cleveland -- where 4,000 people live with AIDS -- will do the same thing, coming out of the closet about HIV.

It's a "stunt" by the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland, a bit of street-theater activism aimed at defusing HIV stigmas.

On Friday, we won't block intersections or yell. We'll just wear the shirt as we go about our routines -- doing our jobs, grocery shopping, hitting a sports bar for March Madness.

And we'll document it all in real time with words, photos and videos on Facebook and Twitter.

The plan is to get everybody -- ourselves included -- thinking about all the things we think of when we think about HIV/AIDS.

"We're out to challenge the silence, the mantle of shame that descends, the stigmas associated with HIV," AIDS Taskforce executive director Earl Pike said. "We don't stigmatize people who have prostate cancer. Why HIV?"

Pike is the guy who came up with the idea for Friday's guerilla action after British singer Annie Lennox caused a fan panic by wearing an "HIV Positive" T-shirt on national TV.

"It's about secrets -- sexual histories, who uses drugs," Pike said. "When you ask those questions, you find it's not just people in the inner cities. It's also people in Solon and Orange and Medina. How awesome it would be if everybody told everybody the truth about who we are and what we do."

Read the Entire Article: AIDS Taskforce T-shirt

AIDS Task Force launches "HIV Positive" tees

Fashion Fridays

Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That, Are you Ready to Spring back into the Act?!!

by Deshawn Moody

As the temperature begins to rise and the showers of April start a little early, what other way to stay focused but to get your closet ready for the occasion.

Now don’t go thinking that you are going to go for broke as we apply this task to our routine. Believe it or not there are a few stores out there that not only caters to our style but our pockets as well. One of my favorites that never seems to disappointment is H&M. This collection made it feel good to think outside the box. Let’s take a closer look at a few looks from their Men’s Spring 2010 LookBook. These items are highly recommended for this season’s upcoming socials and mixers. With these chic, sophisticated pieces you are sure to be the picture perfect gentlemen.

Boy, it feels to good to be a male again.

Here’s to Spring 2010!!!!

Detroit's Unveil 2-seater Car of the FUTURE

GM, partner to unveil 2-seaters
ADDRESSING URBAN CONGESTION

BY TIM HIGGINS
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

To Americans, the two-person vehicle -- dubbed EN-V -- might look like a giant helmet on two wheels but General Motors sees the concept as a potential answer for overly congested cities where the idea of an easy-to-park, zero-emissions vehicle could be appealing.

GM was set to unveil today its latest vision of future personal transportation for large and densely populated cities, such as those exploding in Asia.

"EN-V reinvents the automobile by creating a new vehicle DNA through the convergence of electrification and connectivity. It provides an ideal solution for urban mobility that enables future driving to be free from petroleum and emissions, free from congestion and accidents, and more fun and fashionable than ever before," Kevin Wale, GM China president, said in a statement.


GM, which has been working with Segway on the concept, said that the EN-V could be one-sixth the size of a regular passenger car and sell for substantially less. GM and its Chinese partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), are to show off the three working versions of the vehicle -- the Pride, Magic and Laugh -- at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, which runs May through October.

By 2030, GM noted, more than 60% of the world's 8 billion people are expected to live in urban areas, putting even greater pressure on already struggling public infrastructures, such as roads. To read the entire article click here: Free Press Business

THE BEST OF LESLIE UGGAMS

TUESDAY, MARCH 30th

LESLIE UGGAMS AT CAFÉ CARLYLE

Hallelujah, baby -- Leslie Uggams is performing at the Carlyle. The Tony-award winning songstress and alleged mother of Tracy Morgan (his extremely untrue allegation -- not anyone else's), begins a three-week residency at the hotel's legendary cafe tonight. She'll perform some of her hits and delve into the Great American Songbook including renditions of "Summertime" and "Stormy Weather." Dress snazzy, enjoy a cocktail, and hope Morgan doesn't bust in to the room mid-set looking for his "mom."

Cafe Carlyle, 35 E. 76th St.,(212) 744-1600, 8:45 p.m. $45-$125.

Notes from Nathan: Unstable

had an epiphany this week that a great many of us sex craving, entrepreneur driven, socially handicapped, attention seekers are unstable.  Well, in some way at least.  Some control theirs better than others but we've all been a little off at some point in our lives.  Have you ever been walking down the street and just wanted to chop off someone's head or trip up an old lady because she was walking too slow?  Don't deny it.  Have you ever wanted to disappear?  When asked which superpower they would want to possess, most people reply with... INVISIBILITY.  Secretly, people wish they were someplace else or not here at all.  I've felt that way numerous times in my life and I consider it to be some form of depression.

I go in an out from day to day wondering why on earth I am having to work so hard to get to that next level, wherever that is.  Many of us say that we want it, but aren't aligned with getting it.  I know that depression isn't the best topic in the world, but I feel that when we ignore it, it festers.

There are days when I just stare off into the sky wondering what life is like up there.  People talk about heaven and what we hope it will be like.  What if there is no heaven?  Will that make us all unstable then for believing in something that never existed?  Sorry for the sidebar.  My attention span sucks sometimes.  Attention deficit disorder (ADD) plagues a good portion of the population, especially with so many things craving our attention or us theirs.  Between Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, sex sites, fan pages and a host of other social networks, how can we not be unstable?  What would our lives be like if we were all just handcuffed away from our gadgets?  How long could you survive in a straight jacket?

One great way for me to get over my depressed state of mind is to regain my focus on what's important to me and the people who love me.  Things are heating up with my broadcast endeavors.  My producers and I have a major announcement coming this summer.  We are in talks with a company that wants to put us on national television.  Details will come to you as they come to us.  We are sooo excited!

I lightly touched on depression and being unstable.  My mission was to spark a dialogue.  Bring it up the next time you are with a group of people, you just might help someone get it out in the open.  See, I feel better already, just writing this post.

Happy Thursday!

Filmmaker Maurice Jamal Announces Launch New TV Network

Maurice Jamal, Award Winning Filmmaker, announced yesterday at the Flipping The Script: Beyond Homophobia in Black Hollywood panel the launch of GLO Television Network coming Fall 2010. The event moderated by actress Sheryl Lee Ralph at the Writers Guild of America, examined the issues regarding the African-American gay and lesbian community in film and television and how to make a positive change within black entertainment and the community at large.

“This is a new day. We need to take the lead in creating opportunities and making the quality entertainment we deserve. GLO TV is innovative and forward thinking. This network is our network: with quality programming geared towards the urban LGBT audience, family, friends and allies. Our community is more than just one ethnicity, one race, one body type, one region or creed. GLO TV is about showing us in all our vibrant colors,” Jamal states. The urban LGBT community, our family, friends and allies are diverse, valuable, powerful and important: The time has come for us to stand up and be counted. The time has come for our stories to be told. The time has come for us to show just how amazing we can be. The time has come for GLO.

“This is a major shift in my career and I did some soul-searching, but it was so clear that this was right.” says Jamal. “My partners and I understood the risks with this new and exciting venture; we have faith that it’s the right decision for gay and lesbian community, it’s something we deserve, something that’s overdue. There were no national platforms for the urban LGBT community to share our stories, but now we have GLO TV.”


About The GLO Television Network:
The GLO TV Network is the first network dedicated to the Urban LGBT audience, families and allies. GLO TV will feature a full slate of programming: From original series and feature films, to classics we've grown to love; with cutting edge news programs, documentaries and music that breaks boundaries; presenting artists you can't see anywhere else to our favorite celebrities.

The mission of GLO TV is to present you with what you want, how you want it, when you want it. You'll be able to find GLO TV across the country, in every market. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week.

Each of us laughs cries, sometimes we jump for joy, sometimes we struggle in life, and we hope for love. We each do our best, day by day. GLO is about showing all of who we are with programs that are entertaining, informative, affirming and sometimes provocative. GLO understands that within each of us is a unique story to be told. We have a range of perspectives, ideals and beliefs as varied as we are. We will present these stories with creativity, quality and integrity.It's time for us to get our "shine" on. That's you. That's us. That's GLO.

For additional information, events and release dates go to:
www.gloTVnetwork.com.

Bee About the Business this Spring

We have gone to the moon. We have cured some of the deadliest diseases that have afflicted humankind through the centuries. We have even decoded the human genome. And with all these technological advancements, it's amazing how little we know about that most everyday of creatures -- the humble bee.

We are only now beginning to understand the workings of the hive mind. Tens of thousands of bees function as unique individual agents and yet manage to work in perfect harmony to build a vibrant community. As new findings emerge about the workings of bees, ants and other social super organisms, they will no doubt provide insights into how we (among the most social of species) can build communities both in the real and online worlds.

But here's what we already know. An important factor driving the success of the hive community is the clear division of labor. Each female worker bee takes on a different role depending on the phase of her life. During the first third of her life, she nurses the queen and the brood. She then moves on to processing food. Finally, she functions as a scout bee, where she leaves the hive to search for food and also find potential venues for new hives during the swarming process.

Online advertisers can learn from the hive mind as they look to build thriving brand communities online.

Before anything, they must attract the right kind of high-intent, engaged user to the community; i.e., connect with the worker bees while steering clear of the drones.

Second, they must engage the consumer in a number of relevant touch points. Just as the worker bee spends time processing food, people need time to process information. This helps them learn and process information about the brand in a way that is meaningful to them -- be it articles from the press, informational brochures, coupons or comparisons with the competition.

Eventually, like the scouts, consumers will go out into the world and evangelize your brand to new audiences, thereby expanding your social hive.

In short, a successful social marketing strategy will deploy a multi-pronged approach: run the right kind of acquisition campaign, follow it with a sophisticated email/CRM engagement strategy, and watch it grow.

Of all the different kinds of online advertising, performance advertising is uniquely suited to finding the user with high intent. Think of the person who is searching for your product category, or signing up for your ad. That's the person you want in your brand social community. Once you have this user, you can send her or him the resources he or she might need to learn about your brand and spread the word.

There are already a growing number of marketers who are using different elements of this common sense approach to social marketing.

JC Penney is using a combination of email, direct mail and social to promote its jewelry line.

To the surprise of many, Pepsi decided not to advertise during the Super Bowl. Instead, it began engaging consumers in a two-way dialogue through social networks to spark what Lauren Hobart, CMO of Pepsi called, "a full-year movement from the ground up."I LOVE THIS cuz they are studying their market base..." RP2

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is using a combination of performance marketing, email and search to increase its Facebook and Twitter membership. First, it ran cost-per-lead ads that invited pet owners and animal-rights advocates to sign up for ASPCA's email. The email drove the people who had signed up to ASPCA pages on Facebook and Twitter. On the social networks, the ASPCA provided information about pet adoption clinics and made available the Orange for ASPCA app, which allows pet owners to tell stories about their pets.

Before starting a social marketing effort, marketers would do well to ask a) Do I have the right people? and b) Do these people have what they need to learn about the brand and spread the word? HELLO

By following the tried-and-tested hive approach to community building, they might just be able to unlock the social marketing puzzle.

Makossa with Manu

Manu Dibango, born Emmanuel Dibango N'Djoké on December 12, 1933 in Douala, Cameroon is a Cameroonian saxophonist and vibraphone player. He developed a musical style fusing jazz, funk and traditional Cameroonian music. He is a member of the Yabassi ethnic group, though his mother was a Duala. He is best remembered for his afrobeat single "Soul Makossa", often considered the first disco record.

He was a member of the seminal Congolese rumba group

African Jazz, and has collaborated with many other musicians, including Fania All Stars, Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Bernie Worrell, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Don Cherry, and Sly and Robbie. In 1998 he recorded the album CubAfrica with Cuban artist Eliades Ochoa.

The song of the same name on that record contains the lyrics "makossa", which means "(I) dance" in his native tongue, the

Cameroonian language, Duala). It has influenced several popular music hits, including; Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'", as well as his re-recording of that song with Akon, The Fugees' "Cowboys", and Rihanna’s "Don't Stop the Music". The 1982 parody song "Boogie In Your Butt" by comedian Eddie Murphy interpolates Soul Makossa's bassline and horn charts while "Butt Naked Booty Bless" by 1990s hip hop group Poor Righteous Teachers heavily samples its musical bridge and drum patterns.

He served as the first chairman of the Cameroon Music Corporation, with a high profile in disputes about artists' royalties. Dibango was appointed a

UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2004.

His song "Reggae Makossa" is featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 video game Scarface: The World Is Yours.

Behind the Beauty w/ Merrell Hollis

Have you ever just looked at the celebrity and often wondered who and the heck beat her face? Who designed or picked out that outfit for him? Or who did her weave? Well congratulations, because today is your lucky day, The FUTURE is taking you Behind the Beauty in our new segment on We ARE the MEDIA. Our first guest is the dynamic duo amazing makeup artist Merrell Hollis and the former Queen of Radio and now the amazing talk show host Wendy Williams. In this segment of Behind the Beauty Merrell tells us all about his career, opinions on other celebrities’ makeup, and then Wendy Williams joins in with a first hand testimonial experience. Let’s take a look…

Merrell Hollis was a Stylist for TV shows such as Making the Band IV, P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy, America’s Next Top Model, MTV’s TRL, Making the Band III, and of course The Wendy Williams Show.

We would like to thank our wonderful sponsors for making this amazing interview possible. Special thanks to OJON hair products, Christopher Street TV, and Omega LIFE Empire.

An additional thank you with the following individuals that assisted in creating Behind the Beauty: Kevin Hunter, Anthony Harper,the entire Stage Crew of the Wendy Williams Show and Melissa, Karen & Christine of FerenComm. Finally,Yetunde Oke of Ojon.

Bruised But Not Broken: A Fundraiser For Haiti

On January 1, 1804, the people of Haiti made a declaration of Independence that was triumphantly heard around the globe. Upon establishing the first independent nation by and for blacks, the people of Haiti developed a sense of pride that affected not only the inhabitants of the country, but also people of color worldwide.

January 12, 2010 was the fateful date in which the people of Haiti would have to use the same courage and drive once again, to liberate the nation as a result of a catastrophic natural disaster. Though the time has passed since that devastating earthquake that shook the world, the wounds have yet to heal.

Royalty Media Groups proudly presents A Declaration of Independence: a Fundraiser for Haiti. It will blend the creative talents of musicians, designers, models, and activists to make sure that 3 months later the spirit of Haiti will be restored and celebrated. Even though 200 years have lapsed since the declaration in Saint-Domingue, the pride of the people is still inspiring and impassioned today. We will raise enough funds to say that although Haiti is bruised, her spirit is not broken.

Please join Royalty Media Group, the Columbia University Caribbean Student Alliance, DeFranchis Materials, Frankie, Jules Eyes, YellownBlu, Olin Edzione, BVintage, Ma’at, DJ TastyKeish, Likwuid and the Santos Party House for A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE: A FUNDRAISER FOR HAITI on March 30, 2010 at 7pm. Tickets will be available online at www.ticketweb.com and at the Santos Party House box office.

For media inquiries, please contact pr@royaltymedia.net.

London Comes to New York

Ego London is a social club night for people of Afro American, Afro Caribbean, Caucasian, Latino, Asian men of alternative lifestyles. Ego London understands the nature of young gay, bisexual and bi-curious men and women. With their passion for fun and a natural curiosity to meet new people, and understanding that for too long, the options for most of us have been limited to within. At Ego London events, they seek to change that.

They are currently organizing a series of fabulous nights around the globe, international trips to the most exciting and exotic places on earth. A week in Paris, New York, Atl, Miami or London could be won, the possibilities are simply endless. Imagine a sexy night out with friends to party the night or time spent at work away, and having the added chance to meet hot sexy people. Whatever your style, trend your all welcome.

Think of it as a continuing education program if you will and you'll be having a blast dancing the night away. So forget about what you see on your TV. There is a whole world of hot sexy people out there to meet have a drink with, get to know.

Ego London is committed to bringing it all to you one country and one city at a time and their next stop is NEW YORK CITY on March 30, 2010, right after A Declaration of Independence. You must come out and get your party on with them as they help Christopher Street TV celebrate the launch of their new DVD series and celebrate with The FUTURE as we close INTERNATIONAL MONTH.

This is one event you do not want to MISS!!!!

Kandi and YoBoiNewNU: Real Houswives of ATL

Check out YoBoiNewNu as he sits down with Kandi from The Real Housewives of Atlanta... Support and RATE it ALL 5s it was is a GREAT interview!

What's your favorite B-line?

Alright you die hard Beyonce fans. What is your favorite line from a Beyonce song?

Leave a Comment!

Zolra's Corner: A Gay Reality Series and Documentary

This is something I talked about on my blog. But I felt like I should bring it here for my LGBT family.

I had this weird idea while I was at work. Everyone knows I'm a fan of reality tv. I love Keeping Up With The Kardashions, The Real Housewives, Jersey Shore, and the list continues on. But I am also a fan of scripted shows too like 30 Rock, Sex and the City, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and Melrose Place.

The only thing that I wish can happen is something that Noah's Arc inspired me to think of. Not only that show, but also something that Sex and the City and Jackass did with their tv series and movie sequels.

What would happen if there was a gay reality series surrounding the lives of four best friends. The show becomes a success and then it's canceled. Years later, the idea to bring the four of them back has been brought up. So they decided to make a documentary, which picks up the friends where they left off. You see where I'm going here?

I would love to see that happen one day. A reality show that spawned documentary sequels. I have had this in my head for a long time. I guess all we have to do is look for those four gay friends and someone might pick up this idea and history will be made.