Juvenile video makes statement
Juvenile videomakes statement
Hip-hop artist Juvenile has wrapped up work on an emotionally wrenching, politically charged video for his next single, "Get Ya Hustle On/What's Happenin'."
The first artist granted access to film in New Orleans' devastated Lower Ninth Ward, Juvenile spent four days shooting just blocks from where a levee breach had sent water pouring into the streets. Both the video and a companion documentary currently in production capture the tragedy that has been visited on the city's poorest neighborhood, and dramatically spotlight the governmental neglect that the area and its citizens have experienced since Hurricane Katrina hit more than four monthsago. The lyrics to "Get Ya Hustle On," written in the wake of Katrina, directly address the plight of the storm's most affected victims.
A New Orleans native and the foremost voice on the city's hip-hop scene, Juvenile's own home was destroyed by Katrina. His next album, "Reality Check," will be released March 7.
Quote/Unquote
"I was probably behind the learning curve. It was a real them-and-us mentality. I don't mean it in a negative way. I just mean women were this great unknown. Especially for someone like me who didn't have sisters." -- Luke Wilson, on how attending an all-boys high school affected his outlook on women, in People magazine.
"I wouldn't change any of it, because I like who I am and am continuing to become." -- Jennifer Aniston, on her turbulent year, as quoted in People magazine.
"I eat M & amp;Ms almost every morning with my coffee. When you're working 16 hours straight, three meals a day doesn't cut it." -- Denise Richards, in US Weekly.
Novel is a motivator
The coming-of-age novel "The Power of One," by Bryce Courtenay (Delacorte Press, $15.99), has been condensed for teen readers, and the timing is perfect. The powerful message can be a resolution of self-motivation for the year.
In this story, the power of one is demonstrated through the life of Peekay, an enormously sensitive and intelligent boy. Peekay grows up in South Africa when Hitler's hatred is wreaking havoc on the world and the cruelty of racism and discrimination is evident all around him.
Peekay becomes the victim of bullies who harass and taunt him for no other reason than he speaks English. And his young mind finds it impossible to comprehend why he's supposed to hate and belittle blacks, when the woman who most loved him was his black nanny.
Peekay's early years are miserable and lonely after he's sent to live in a boarding school. But Peekay soon learns the power one person has when using his brain and his heart.
A man who befriends him and fills him with the desire to become a boxer first teaches the lesson. Other men become crucial father figures, too, including a professor who teaches him to play piano and a mixed-race man who teaches him to box.
This story is so beautifully and vividly written that it can't help but have a positive impact in making readers think about the pain of prejudice as they feel the triumph of the power of one.
--Cassandra Spratling, Detroit Free Press
Find a prom dress online
Homecoming. Sweetheart. Prom. The big dances of the year always invite the question, "Who are you going with?" followed closely by "What are you wearing?"
While you might not be able to preorder the perfect date online, with www.edressme.com, a wide selection of formal dresses from different designers is available for perusal and purchase up to two months before the styles hit stores.
Edressme.com is a Web site that displays lists of formal wear from "tango dance dresses" to "little black dresses," with images, prices and order forms for each. Select designers, ranging from Nicole Miller to Anna Sui, have their dresses available for purchase online.
The Web site provides commentary on each dress, as well as a "style report," that provides a fashion forecast for the coming season. The site also has a selection of designer casual clothes. See for yourself at www.edressme.com.