culture
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Help Wanted. Call 1-800-TAXPAYER.
The unemployment jumped to 6.7 percent in November, shedding 533,000 jobs. It’s the largest loss in one month since December 1974. And since January, nearly 2 million jobs have been cut. More than 10.3 million people are unemployed, according to the Labor Department. Companies are issuing pink slips, left and right. AT&T cut 12,000 jobs,…
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Keith Sweat's New Love
So The Buzz knows that times are hard. Everybody’s strugglin’. November’s unemployment rate is the highest in 34 years. Even celebrities are feeling the drought. Scrapin’ to make a dollar. But. come on, an ode to McDonalds’ chicken nuggets? For real? Yep. Keith Sweat is helping Mickey D’s celebrate the 25th anniversary of the McNugget. Dreamin’…
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'Cadillac' on Cruise Control
There’s a distinctly authentic feel to Cadillac Records, from the fried catfish to the fried hair—gotta love the sight of Jeffrey Wright in that ‘do rag—and most of the time, from the grind of the guitars to the wail of the harmonicas, it makes for compelling entertainment. Beyoncé’s not bad, either. Still, there’s a certain…
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Bulletproof
I can’t pretend to understand why New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress would carry an illegal firearm or why he would go to a club where he felt a need to have a weapon. Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg last Friday at the New York nightclub Latin Quarter, and he has been…
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Kwame Kilpatrick's Mistress Sentenced
“Under the general heading of, ‘the light skin and the long hair will get you in trouble every single time’, former Chief of Staff to former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced this week to five years probation with the first 120 days served in jail for her role in the scandal that brought down Kilpatrick’s administration. Christine…
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In The Fitness Spirit
We all know about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but what about Fat Tuesday? Nope, not the one heralding Mardi Gras. No, no. This is the Fat Tuesday that follows your holiday meal binge—you know, the one after all the turkey and pie and festive drinks, when you realize your pants are tight, the scale is…
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King James in The Garden?
Plaxico Burress won the Super Bowl, shot himself in the thigh and now may be looking at an abrupt loss of freedom if convicted of felony weapons charges. Stephon Marbury was living the dream; he was playing in the NBA for his hometown team, one of the storied franchises in the history of sports. He was…
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Farewell, Odetta
During my “real education” years, you know, post-undergrad and confused, there were five major players in the shaping of my consciousness: Malcolm X, James Baldwin, Henry Dumas, Toni Morrison and Odetta. I would sit in my living room in San Francisco, uncombed, Thrift Store gear and read excerpts of Angela Davis, Etheridge Knight with Odetta evoking…
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NBC Dances with David Gregory
Politico and Huffington Post are reporting that Gregory, NBC News’ chief White House correspondent, will replace Tim Russert on Meet The Press in February 2009. However, NBC has said they will not and have not made an official announcement today. So maybe it’s true, maybe it’s not. Regardless, it’s buzzin’. And what’s a little buzz without…
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Is Shooting Yourself Punishment Enough?
Poor hand-eye coordination could land Plaxico Burress in prison for at least seven years. He was arraigned Monday on weapons charges stemming from a nightclub shooting early Saturday morning…in which he shot himself. A witness saw the New York Giants wide receiver toying with his waistline just before his .40-caliber Glock pistol discharged, sending a…