Jack & Jill Politics

rikyrah: CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. WILL SMITH!

Will Smith: 2008's #1 Money Maker

NEW YORK — No name on the marquee was more pleasing to theater owners in 2008 than Will Smith, according to a survey of movie exhibitors. Smith, star of "Hancock" and "Seven Pounds," was voted the star who generated the most box office revenue for theaters in an annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co.

Smith is only the second black actor to be chosen in the Quigley poll, which since 1932 has asked movie exhibitors to vote on the 10 stars who brought in the most business. Sidney Poitier topped the poll in 1968.

Smith's superhero summer blockbuster, "Hancock," grossed $228 million. "Seven Pounds," currently in theaters, has pulled in a somewhat lackluster $39 million in two weeks.

Following Smith, in order, were Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man," "Tropic Thunder"), Christian Bale ("The Dark Knight"), Shia LaBeouf ("Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull") and LaBeouf's "Indiana Jones" co-star Harrison Ford.

The top 10 were rounded out by Adam Sandler, Reese Witherspoon, George Clooney, Angelina Jolie and Daniel Craig.

Last year's winner, Johnny Depp, who didn't have a film released this year, didn't make this year's poll, nor did seven-time winner Tom Cruise.

Anne Hathaway ("Rachel Getting Married") was voted the top "star of tomorrow" along with Chris Pine of "Bottle Shock."

God Bless. :>)

rikyrah: Wellll! I was close. ***shrug***

SENATE SOAP OPERAS

Dems To Freeze Burris... GOP To Filibuster Franken... Coleman Could Lose Office... Caroline Rumors Continue To Swirl

***shrug***

rikyrah; STR8 GOSSIP!:

Sarah And Bristol Palin Release Statement: "Obviously Discourage" Teen Pregnancy, Situation "Isn't Ideal"

NOTE: "The Gov." said that she HAD ta say something! Pressure - she said!! :>)

n a statement released Friday, Gov. Sarah Palin called the birth of her first grandchild an "amazing, joyful blessing," but noted that, "When Bristol and Levi first told us the shocking news that she was pregnant, to be honest, we all at first looked at the situation with some fear and a bit of despair."

The statement from the Alaska governor's office came almost a week after the birth of Tripp Johnston on December 27, and was prompted by "the high volume of press inquiries, along with some erroneous information that was published," according to Gov. Palin's communications director.

Also in the release, the governor's daughter, Bristol Palin, is quoted saying she "obviously discourages" teen pregnancy and that "Teenagers need to prevent pregnancy to begin with - this isn't ideal. But I'm fortunate to have a supportive family which is dealing with this together."

Read the full statement below:
* * * * *

Governor Sarah Palin Welcomes Her First Grandchild

Governor Sarah Palin has welcomed her first grandchild, Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, born to Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston on December 27.

"We are over the moon with the arrival of this healthy, beautiful baby," Governor Palin said. "The road ahead for this young couple will not be easy, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Bristol and Levi are committed to accomplish what millions of other young parents have accomplished, to provide a loving and secure environment for their child. They are both hard workers, they're very strong, and have faith they've made the right decision in setting aside their own interests to make this child their highest priority."

Palin added, "When Bristol and Levi first told us the shocking news that she was pregnant, to be honest, we all at first looked at the situation with some fear and a bit of despair. Isn't it just like God to turn those circumstances into such an amazing, joyful blessing when you ask Him to help you through?"

Bristol Palin said she "obviously discourages" teen pregnancy and knows that plans she previously made for herself will now forever be changed. "Teenagers need to prevent pregnancy to begin with - this isn't ideal. But I'm fortunate to have a supportive family which is dealing with this together. Tripp is so perfectly precious; we love him with all our hearts. I can't imagine life without him now."

Bristol begins her final semester of high school next week where she'll get her last credit needed to graduate. She looks forward to continuing her record of good grades and high achievement. Levi is continuing his online high school work in addition to working as an electrical apprentice on the North Slope.

Bill McAllister, the governor's office communications director, adds: "The governor's office previously declined to comment to honor the family's wishes that the event remain as private as possible. However, the high volume of press inquiries, along with some erroneous information that was published, prompted the governor to make a statement."

Of course, one would have EXPECTED IT to be MORE Profound!

Oh! Wait!. . . . . NOT from "Ms. 6 colleges in 5 years!!" My bad!! :>) :>)

THIS is "as good as IT can get!" :>) :>)

[Smarmy/snarky/sarcasm - - - - INTENTIONAL!] :>)

rikyrah: The continuing "SAGA" - - "AS THE 'SENATE' TURNS:

Democrats plan cool reception for Senate appointee

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senate Democratic leaders plan to grant few if any privileges next week to Roland Burris, the man picked by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to represent the state in the Senate, even if Burris arrives on Capitol Hill with the proper credentials.

Senate officials involved in the tangle of legal and logistical planning said Friday that a Democrat will object to Burris being duly sworn with the rest of his class and will propose that his credentials be reviewed for a period of time by the Rules Committee.

That would give Burris the status of a senator-elect to the seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama in the juiciest of several dramas swirling around open Senate seats days before the 111th Congress convenes.

Senate Democrats are slow-walking Burris' appointment because they hope Blagojevich will be removed from office before the Rules Committee completes its investigation.

As early as next week Blagojevich - federal authorities accuse him of offering to sell the appointment to the highest bidder - could become the state's first chief executive to be impeached. A state Senate trial would follow and if he were convicted, Blagojevich would be removed from office.

For his part, Burris planned to argue his case in the news media and threatened to sue Senate Democrats if they refuse to swear him in as the chamber's only black member.

Race is a prominent force in the dispute. Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., said he called Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and "made it abundantly clear that we felt that they should reconsider."

No luck, Payne reported on Friday.

"I have heard no one say that they felt that he is not qualified," Payne said. Race would not be a factor, he added, were there black members of the Senate. "There is a legitimate opportunity to have the Senate at least start to look a teeny bit like America."

Democrats have said that their opposition to Burris is not about Burris but the fact that anyone appointed by Blagojevich would be tainted by the corruption charges against the governor.

And they're not budging, despite significant questions about whether they have the legal standing to block an appointee of a sitting governor.

The only way Burris will be allowed on the floor, according to Democratic officials who asked not to be identified, is if he possesses a certification of appointment signed by Blagojevich and Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.

Burris would then be treated as a senator-elect, which by tradition means he'll be allowed on the Senate floor without voting or speaking privileges - and he wouldn't be granted a desk, according to the officials. They requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The man charged with letting people through the door of the chamber, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer, said he expects the two sides to work out a deal before Tuesday.

Gainer has known Burris since their days in Illinois law enforcement, when Burris was attorney general and Gainer was the director of the state police.

"He is a good man," Gainer said in a telephone interview. "He plays by the rules. I don't think there's going to be a confrontation."

Republicans have been wary about commenting, pleased to see Democrats mucking through a political mess of their own party's making.

THERE IS MORE. READ ON! :>)

***shakin' my head*** Whew!! Grown folks!! :>)

This will truly be a TEST of the EXECUTION of LAW! Hmmmmm.

Holy cow!

http://news.aol.com/article/michigan-twins-born...
Here's a set of twins born 26 minutes apart, and born in different months, days, and years!

I was just watching the most disturbing thing on 20/20.........these women are breast feeding big azz kids....the segments tonight are 1)serial surrogacy - women repeatedly bearing other people's kids...2)extended breast-feeding....and 3)making childbirth pleasurable (sorry but didn't Eve kinda put the kibash on that way back when?)......what a wierd and freaky group of women....and Deobrah Roberts has the same look on her face as I do - WTF?!?!?!?

LOL!

Sista Deborah: "AL and I don't roll like that, honey child." >>>eye roll<<<<

No offense to the white women, but I know it was them. We traditionally don't roll like that. We may have had to wet nurse massah's children, but I be damned if I nurse anyone's but my own, and by the time they can ask for the boob it is past time to cut them off.

Hell yeah, Rory!

God bless women that do breast feed......but not me. I had the Doc to dry it up! And I'm not going to breast feed anyone else's child. These women are plain ass freaky!

Al Giordano with another good column on Gov. Paterson and the Senate Seat:

Paterson and the Struggle Over Caroline Kennedy
Posted by Al Giordano - January 2, 2009 at 2:44 pm

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/pater...

I love Al's eloquence. He's writing is smooth and balanced like a fine cognac.

Loved how Patterson conveys his vision for the person who will step into the Senate seat. "CARETAKERS" NEED NOT APPLY!

http://thisweekwithbarackobama.blogspot.com/200...


Count me as one of those people who is not really a fan of Beyonce's singing. I mean I like her, and baby girl is doing her thing, but I think of her as a latter day Whitney Houston, ya know before Whitney went back to her "hood roots". Now we all know Whitney can blow, but when she first started out, it was watered down pop music at it's finest. You know Whitney could blow, but she obviously had not embraced here hoodness yet. I find later day Whitney the best (yes I mean heroin addicted, tripped out, I love me some Bobby, Whitney). Beyonce is more of a hip hop pop princess.

I find that I like singer with more feeling to there voice, even if they do not have the greatest range. What makes Mary J Blige a great singer is that you could feel her when she sung. The same way Aretha Franklin could sing "Ain't No Way..." and "Mr Feelgood" with passion, that's what Mary J does. Beyonce just seems to sing with no real passion. I think that is one of the reasons why her "Deanna" in "Dreamsgirls" didn't blow anyone away. It was fluff. It was basically, Beyonce, playing Diana Ross, playing Beyonce, playing Deanna.

Anyway, Beyonce needs to find that passion, and I'm sorry, but her marriage to Jay-Z ain't doing it either.

Seriously, can anyone name a song by Beyonce or Destiny's Child that will stand the test of time like Aretha's "Do Right Man". I can't think of any. Can ya'll?

lanmh31: HEEEEEEEEY! :>) Please S-L-O-W your roll on naming the SONGS!!

I cain't post 'em that FAST!!! :>) :>) :>)

BUT, ta-rue to form - - - Ima POST ALL O' 'EM!! :>) :>) TRUST!!! :>) :>)

Annnnnnnd, errybody betta - - - - -

Listen (BEYONCE) :>) :>) :>)

First I have to write a report. But, Ima B A "POSTIN' FOOL!" :>) :>)

Not sure if I agree because its a case of apples and oranges. AND the market wasn't as saturated so Aretha was able to stand out.

That said: don't like her singing but Crazy in Love gets me going EVERY TIME! (Watch me throw my hair and shake my bootie now: uh oh, uh oh, oh oh)

evita: GET UP ON THE FLOOR!! :>) :>)

Beyonce - Crazy In Love

****dancin'**** Oh! Wait. . . . . . I cain't do that!! ***old school**** :>) :>)

Totally agree - except one lil thing (lol)

Yes Whitney began as a pop princess....but You Give Good Love stops everybody dead in their tracks everytime it comes on...that is the JAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL - now that is a song that will NEVER EVER GET OLD.

Miranda: U 2! GET UP ON THE FLOOR!! :>) :>)

You give good love, Whitney Houston. Live, 1985.

ENJOY! :>) :>)

You're right, between You Give Good Love and Saving All My Love For You, Whitney was hitting the soul tip, but then came "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "How Will I Know..." and yes "Greatest Love Of All" which while they all still make me sing, the are definitely water-downed pop hits, not truly R&B hits. As someone said, yes there is Rhythm, but where is the Blues in those songs and many of Beyonce's song.

I mean she tried with "Listen" which don't get me wrong, was a nice song, and she sung it very well, but when she really sung the song did you really believe that she had to make anyoner really listen to her. Did she sing it like she really knew what it was like to not have your voice heard...not really.

When Mary J sang "I'm Going Down", which wasn't even an original song, you felt like Mary was singing from experience, from the heart. Has Beyonce ever sang a song like that? Heck, she claims to write all her songs, has she ever really written a song that truly "exposed her soul". Beyonce just seems to guarded of her image to really get down and deep.

lamh31: KEEP DANCIN'! :>) :>) :>)

1.
Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You (1985)

2.
Whitney Houston - "I Wanna Dance with Somebody"

3. Whitney Houston - How Will I Know

4. Whitney Houston - Arista Special - Greatest Love Of All

5. Mary J. Blige - I'm Goin' Down

W-H-E-W!!! puh-leeeze ENJOY!!! :>) :>)

uses ghost writers. That's why her azz can't when an Oscar. She claimed to have co-wrote a song in Dreamgirls. Everyone was nominated for that song but her. She claimed to have co-wrote a song for Cadallic Records. It isrumored that she will be overlooked again. The Academy Awards don't play that shit and there isn't a damn thing Matthew can do about it.

Also Ne-yo made Jigga Man mad when he confess to being the sole writer for Irreplacable. The only thing Sasha did was to come up with the harmony.

Ashanti may not have Beyonce's voice, but at least she REALLY writes her songs as well as JLo's.

girl, I almost forgot about the Dreamgils and Irreplacable drama. ha ha

Unfortunately for Beyonce, there really isn't that much depth there.... When she realizes what she has truly given up to be an entertainer, she will be like duck from the five heartbeats. Her music will truly have soul.

rorysmomma: Did you "axe" for this?

#
Five Heartbeats - Can't Compete Duck & JT

Annnnnnd, Heart Is A House Of Love

ENJOY!!! :>) :>)

I can't wait. I think that is why she can bug me from time to time. She is lovely empty barbie doll. Or, at least that can be the image she presents.

I think of Beyonce as an "entertainer"....I expect a big show if I go to see her...full of dancers and acrobatics and lights and all that....

I could go listen to Mary J. Blige or Fantasia in a dank, smoky basement club and let them move me to tears before I even kick back my first gulp of Jack Daniels.

Miranda: I think that Beyonce is talented. Annnnnnd, I like her shows!! :>) :>)

Oh! wait! . . . . .Somebody DID "axe" me? right!??? :>) :>)

good point.

OMG.......I gotta give Karl Lagerfeld credit...he managed to insult hunters and animal rights activists all in the same breath...and that takes real skill...LOL...he is so crass its absolutely hilarious:

Karl Lagerfeld Defends Fur, Skinny People
Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld dismissed "childish" criticism of the fur industry, calling animals "beasts" he has trouble eating meat.
From The Telegraph:
Hunters in the north "make a living having learnt nothing else than hunting", he said, "killing those beasts who would kill us if they could."
Animals should be killed "nicely" if at all possible, said Lagerfeld, who admitted to being queasy about eating meat.
"I can hardly eat meat because it has to look like something what it was not when it was alive," he said.
Lagerfeld went on to roll his eyes at concerns over eating disorders in the fashion industry.
"In France there are, I think, less than one per cent of people who are too skinny.
"There are nearly 30 per cent of young people who are too fat. So let's take care of the zillions of the too fat before we talk about the percentage that's left."

rikyrah: SHRUB's "LIPS ARE SEALED!":

Is Gaza Bombing Too Much? Bush Won't Say

From Day One of the Israeli air strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza, the Bush administration has asserted Israel’s right to defend itself.

But asked today if the Israeli response was proportionate to the provocation of the Hamas rocket and mortar attacks, the White House declined to offer a view.

“I'm not going to take a position on proportionality, because I'm not even sure if I could define what that is,” said Gordon Johndroe, the lead White House spokesman on this issue.

Yet four months ago, President Bush had no doubts about proportionality. He was certain that Russia was waging a disproportionate military response in neighboring Georgia.

“Russian forces invaded the country in a disproportionate response to a long-simmering conflict in Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia,” he said in a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars on August 20.

So why can the U.S. make an assessment on Russia’s response, but not Israel’s?

“There is not a one-size-fits-all definition of disproportionate,” said Johndroe in an e-mail response to CBS News.

The issue didn’t come up when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice emerged from a discussion of Gaza with President Bush.

“Obviously, the United States is very concerned about the situation there and is working very hard with our partners around the world to address it,” she told reporters.

But she has no plans to launch a diplomatic mission to the Middle East, and the White House agrees..

Click here to President Bush's weekly radio address, in which he discusses the Gaza conflict.

Spokesman Johndroe says Rice has been on the phones constantly with key Mideast leaders, and so “we don't see a particular need for her to travel to the region to deal with this one.” He says “she can do this work from here.”

[NOTE: Uh HUH! I hope that they are keeping Mr. P-E O INFORMED!]

Furthermore, the Bush administration is not taking a public position on the possibility that Israel may launch a ground invasion into Gaza.

“I don't want to speak to an operation that has not taken place, that may or may not take place,” said Johndroe this morning.

But he repeated the White House admonition that Israel “avoid civilian casualties” and “continue the flow of humanitarian goods into Gaza.”

The administration says it wants a ceasefire “as soon as possible,” but Rice says Hamas must disavow any more rocket or mortar attacks on Israel.

Complicating American efforts to bring about a ceasefire is that the U.S. has no direct contact with Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist organization.

Rice today accused Hamas of holding the people of Gaza hostage by staging “an illegal coup” against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whom she called “the legitimate president of the Palestinian people.”

“Hamas has used Gaza as a launching pad for rockets against Israeli cities and has contributed deeply to a very bad daily life for the Palestinian people in Gaza and to a humanitarian situation that we have all been trying to address,” said Rice.

Pres. Bush has also been working the phones - calling Israeli and friendly Arab leaders. But he has kept a decidedly low profile on the situation in Gaza. Only late this afternoon, did he break his weeklong silence on the situation by releasing his Saturday radio address.

He declares that “the recent outburst of violence was instigated by Hamas.” And he calls its rocket and mortar attacks on Israel “an act of terror.”

He says the U.S. is leading efforts to bring about an end to the violence, but that “another one-way ceasefire” that doesn’t stop the Hamas attacks on Israel won’t be acceptable.

He says there must be “monitoring mechanisms in place” to help ensure that the smuggling of weapons to terrorist groups in Gaza comes to an end.

SHRUB is truly on COUNTDOWN! ***shakin' my head***

rikyrah: While "P-E Daddy" will be checking his "brief case", the "girls" & "First Lady-Elect" will be doing the following:

Ink pens - - - -Check! Paper - - -Check! Back-pack - - - - Check!! Blackberry - - -Check! Body guards - - - - -Check! Check! Check! annnnnnnd, Check!!


Malia and Sasha's first day at Sidwell Friends

They’ll have more new friends than they can count, and not all for the right reasons.

Bodyguards will be around, for sure, but hard to spot. And their teachers will have a brand-new worry in the digital age — cell phone cameras.

That’s the life awaiting Malia and Sasha Obama when they step off the plane from Chicago on Sunday to start next week at Sidwell Friends School, which has been teaching presidents' kids dating back to Teddy Roosevelt.

Chelsea Clinton managed to have a relatively normal life at the prestigious Quaker school — a big selling point for self-described “mom-in-chief” Michelle Obama — but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a heady experience for the girls, if Chelsea’s experience is any guide.

On Chelsea Clinton’s first day, the press camped outside the school — yet missed it when the 12-year-old slipped in with her mother amid heavy security. The media focus has been even more intense for Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, who already are being called role models for a generation of young black girls.

Yet, at Sidwell, former students said, the girls won’t be treated like little princesses. The school will try, as it did with Clinton before them, to help them simply fit in, along with the children of other wealthy and well-connected Washingtonians.

But as with Clinton, some parents likely will push their kids to befriend the girls, in the way they might push their kids to excel in math class, some former Clinton classmates said.

Among the students, Clinton was instantly popular, drawing a circle of hangers-on from Day One. But with time, that faded, former classmates said.

“In the beginning, tons of people wanted to be her friend and they were in it for the wrong reasons so she had a little bit of distance in the beginning because of that,” said a former Clinton classmate who didn’t want to give her name because she remains close friends with the former first daughter. “She handled it very well, but it is hard to not come across as snobby when you are 12 and you don’t want to deal with all of these people around you who want to be your friend.”

Ellis Turner, associate head of school at Sidwell, said that “every student has an opportunity to feel comfortable” at Sidwell. An added bonus for the girls is that they already have friends there — Vice President-elect Joe Biden has grandchildren at the school.

No matter, they’ll be treated like all of the other students.

THERE IS MORE! :>)

Good luck!! Study hard! Do well!! :>) :) God Bless! :>)

I imagine Malia being shy and Sasha loving the attention.

pjamma: Good read on their personalities! :>) :>)

they have to be nervous. new school and bodyguards. may they be kept safe to be able to have their own lives.

rikyrah: Major co-sign!! :>) :>)

I pray they have a smooth transition...bless their lil hearts!!

Miranda: A-men!! :>) :>)

Me too. God bless those sweet little girls!

I'm so happy for them! Role Models for other little black girls! Woo Hoo!

Justice58: Co-sign!! :>) :>)