Friday, March 27, 2015

OUT 189--SPOT BITZ (MARCH 27-APRIL 3)

HEY OUTSTAGRS!

ITS THAT TIME AGAIN!!

TIME TO GET ON STAGE!!!




This year this blog  will be celebrating a milestone this year as this blogspot will turn 10 years old!  Its hard to believe but it has come a long way from small paragraphs journal entries, to a mini news letter to  entertainment highlighter to what it is today. The commemorative date is July 5.  To reminisce we will do  weekly RETRO BITZ of some of the highlights from this blogspot (SEE BELOW)






                          
HEY COUTURIANS  the 12 semi-finalists have been chosen. To vote your choice go to 
http://outstagin.blogspot.com/2015/03/2016-mista-couture-charity-style.html


IF YOU WANT TO DONATE TO THE MISTA COUTURE FUND  go to 




THE VENUE HAS BEEN SET FOR THE SEVENTH ANNUAL MISTA COUTURE CONTEST. IT WILL BE HELD AT BLUE MARK STUDIOS IN ATLANTA, GA. ON AUGUST 23. IF YOU WANT 
TICKETS, THEY WILL BE $10 GEN and $20 VIP (INCLUDES ONE FREE DRINK, AN EXTRA FOOD PLATE ,AND A FREE RAFFLE TICKET).  EMAIL TO SNAPHONEY2011@GMAIL.COM AND WE WILL SEND A PAYPAL INVOICE TO YOU!


Maatology is also looking for gents of color for its 2016 OBSDN Men of Color 
Calendar. Must be comfortable in front of the camera and doing artistic nude poses.
If  interested in shooting, the shoots are ONE DAY shoots THRU  June 2015 . The shoots will be in St Louis, Mo.   All models will receive a share of the sales and an opp to sale it as well. A small stipend will be given for travel. If interested email snaphoney2011@gmail.com with a selfie pic showing your chest and abs. To see video of 2015 calendar go to  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXOCifGU-lY

UPDATE: The deadline has now been extended to July 31.

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Georgia model/actor and "militarian" Jay Redd is coming out with his own calendar. It will consist of style pics, undergear, and tasteful artistic body pics. He will shoot it in St Louis in June and will be out in July. For pre-order discounts  info email snaphoney2011@gmail.com

THE TOP ILLI/MO STORY THIS WEEK IS:


Journalist and The Wire creator David Simon sat with President Obama this week to discuss the show’s very real portrayal of the effects of flooding our prisons with non-violent drug offenders both on the state and their immediate communities. While most of the interview finds the POTUS proclaiming his adoration for the show and allegiance to Omar Little there is some genuine back-and-forth on the ills of a failed system and how to move forward through education and awareness, which do seem to be on the rise in most cases. 

To see interview go to

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWY79JCfhjw




People are talking about First Lady Michelle Obama's new hair do during Tuesday's Jeopardy  making an appearance via simulcast from a kitchen in promotion of her "Let's Move!" anti-childhood obesity campaign. 

Neither FLOTUS nor Jeopardy made mention of the First Lady's possible new 'do, but a lot of commenters, mostly 

non-Blacks, thought Michelle Obama shaved her head – 

yes, as in bald – just because she had her hair pulled back 

tightly into a bun. The 51-year-old First Lady appeared under 

harsh lights in a taped spot for the popular game show to 

ask contestants about healthy cooking.

Wow, first comments about her looking like a simian

now this. We all know good and well Mrs. Obama 


wouldnt cut her hair off. But leave it to social media to


 take this out of proportion going head over heels about


 this...pun unintended.



The Chicago filmed ratings phenom "Empire" is still on the minds and mouths of fans a week after its two hour season finale which pulled in 17 million viewers and finished first place in the ratings. Filming for season two will start in July and the question now is will the upcoming season be longer than 12 episodes? FOX execs reportedly wants a longer season to cash in on Empire’s runaway hit status. Meanwhile, the Empire Soundtrack was the number 1 album in the country week according to Billboard Magazine  selling over 150,000 copies and besting Madonna's "Rebel Heart" that charted at No. 2  l.Meanwhile, the FOX network is headed to court to keep the name Empire as the title of the show. They are currently doing legal battle with Empire Distribution Inc., a California corporation, to keep the name.

Ahh, success' double edge sword has come out for blood. This show is the "Thriller" of television with its ratings and now that the tidal wave has settled its all about next season which we are sure will be scrutinized on how well it does each week. But until next January (which we hear is when the next season will air) what will Empire fans do as they wait??? 






In unrelated Empire news, its star Chicago native Terrence Howard is going to be starring in a FOX miniseries Wayward Pines (that  Howard filmed before "Empire" and was seen in a commercial preview during Empire's season finale), where he plays a sheriff. It’s a mystery series that also stars Matt Dillon and premieres May 14th on FOX. Howard is also appearing in the Ken Burns documentary about cancer called Cancer: The Emperor Of All Maladies. The documentary will air on PBS.

We predict Empire fans will watch this Pines show in

 droves just to see Luscious in a another role. LOL 




St Louis native actor Jon Hamm will be saying goodbye to his Mad Men character Don Draper as AMC will air the last seven episodes of the series beginning April 5.  This week there was a red carpet screening of the first episode of the final season that was held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Will the TV Academy finally give Hamm an Emmy after

 being nominated since the show debuted in 2007? We 

will see when the nominations will be announced in July. 



On Sunday, Mizzou alum Michael Sam, was at the NFL's 

first  veterans combine in Arizona. Sam broke the 5-second 

mark in the 40-yard dash at the NFL veterans combine held 

at the Arizona Cardinals practice facility. Sam's official 40 

time was 4.99  seconds, ran on his second attempt. His first 

try was clocked  at 5 seconds flat
.
His fastest unofficial time  was 5.07 seconds. At the NFL

 scouting combine in 2014, he ran the 40 in 4.91 seconds.

 Sam has been a free agent since theDallas 

Cowboys released him from their practice squad Oct. 21. He

 was one of 105 participants in the league's first veterans

 combine, which has seen three players signed since

 Monday.

According to nj.com, After going through drills observed by

 scouts, Sam essentially guaranteed that he will soon return to the football field.
"I am very confident that I will be playing football this year somewhere,". "So I'll leave that at that."
He did not rule out the Canadian Football League.
"If that's an opportunity, then I will take it," he said.
Sam, 25, liked how he performed Sunday.
"I did the best I can," he said. "I did just as good, if not better than the other guys here. So I'm pretty confident about that. As long as I stay healthy and I still train, I think my chances of being on a team are quite high, in my own view."
Sam said he is "absolutely not" thinking about moving on from football right now, despite opportunities available to him outside the sport.
"I'm young and I'm still good," he said. "I don't have any injuries. I'm going to play. ... As long as I still have that will, as long as I'm still healthy and can play this game, you will continue on to see me fighting to get into this league."

According to ESPN, Sam was also asked at the combine
 about whether his participation on Dancing With the Stars
 will impact his chances of getting signed by a team.
Sam was not interested in replying.
'Next question,' he said.

Sam is under a spotlight because of his being openly 
gay playing in a "straight male" sport.  He is definitely breaking the rules of masculinity with being openly gay.and pursuing a career in football (as opposed to having the career then coming out as gay)  But will the NFL or any other league take him seriously as a possible candidate? And now with him being on Dancing With the Stars and getting "J-Lo'd" for shaking his buttocks in tight pants we think his chances have become even more slim.




The Oprah Winfrey Network has a new theme called "You Will. "Chicagoan Jennifer Hudson and country singer Jennifer Nettles are singing the song, a booming diva ballad their first duet written by longtime Winfrey friend Diane Warren.

"You Will," produced by Grammy-winning team the Underdogs, is available now for download on iTunes and streaming on Oprah.com, and it premiered during the season finale of Tyler Perry's The Have and the Have Nots via a behind-the-scenes video showing the recording of the song. 

Tavis Smiley is back with a new book about his friendship with noted Author and Poet and St Louis native  the late Dr. Maya Angelou. The book, My Journey with Maya, is written with David Ritz.


Chicago native Craig Robinson will be seen on the small screen again in a new sitcome called Mr. Robinson. Inspired by the musical teaching career of The Office’s Craig Robinson, Mr. Robinson centers on Craig, the lead singer and keyboardist for the funk band Nasty Delicious, who takes a job as a substitute music teacher at a local high school, where he’s at odds with the strict principal (Peri Gilpin) and at evens with the good-looking English teacher (Meagan Good). Written by Mark and Robb Cullen, Mr. Robinson will teach Craig how to straddle the line between his own success and those of his students. It will air starting Aug 5  on NBC

Robbins, Ill native KeKe Palmer returns to the big screen in the movie Brotherly Love, which opens in theatres April 24th. It also stars Romeo, Corey Hardrict (American Sniper) and Quincy Brown,  son of Al B. Sure. The flick is set in Philadelphia’s famed Overbrook High School, and deals with the life of a famous high school b-ball player , his b-ball star 
turned  criminal older brother and  their sister (played by Palmer) who wants to be a singer but falls in love. Palmer is also returning to TV in the horror-comedy anthology Scream Queens, with St Louis bred Niecy Nash, which debuts this fall on FOX.



American Idol alum and Blue Springs, Mo native  David Cook has found a new home for his songs. The season-seven winner has inked a deal with Warner/Chappell, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group. The co-publishing agreement, executed via the company's Nashville office, was announced on March 24 and extends worldwide.
“I'm excited to get involved with Warner/Chappell and work with some of the best songwriters in the industry,” said Cook in a statement.  “It's an honor to be a part of the roster and I'm looking forward to furthering my songwriting career with them.”
Cook, who moved to Nashville in 2012, has already had chart success co-writing the song, “Kiss You Tonight,” for singer David Nail. The song peaked at No. 18 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

“It’s awesome to be on a different side of this,” Cook told The Hollywood Reporterin November.
Cook’s previous 2011 release, This Loud Morning, debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200. He released the single, “Wait for Me,” independently last November. Cook's self-titled debut reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart with two hit singles, "Come Back to Me" and "Light On."


Last Saturday on  the  OWN St Louis filmed  docuseries Welcome To Sweetie  Pies, its star Robbie Montgomery received an honorary degree from St Louis bred rap mogul Nelly from his school Vatterott College ex’treme Institute, based in St. Louis. On the episode he and Miss Robbie give an inspirational speech to the graduating class about their time in the entertainment business and encourage the students to never give up when it comes to following your dreams.



PHOENIX, AZ. (KTVI) -On March 22, St. Louis Rams Owner Stan Kroeneke released the renderings of the NFL stadium he plans to build in Inglewood, California. Now, the topic of discussion is whether or not the NFL will see one or more teams in the Los Angeles market.  NFL Commissioner fielded questions about the possibility of St. Louis possibly relocating west.
When asked about the St. Louis riverfront stadium plans, which were released in early January, Goodell said the plans were a positive.
“They’ve done a really good job of formulating a plan,” Goodell during the March 25 press conference. “They have a great site. They have a site that I think is important for St. Louis to redevelop.”
The St. Louis stadium plan calls for a redevelopment of the surrounding area of the proposed stadium as well.

Goodell said the momentum of making the riverfront stadium a reality needs to continue. So far, Governor Jay Nixon and labor unions have agreed to a deal to work around-the-clock five days a week, without overtime, should the stadium get the go-ahead to build. Deals with railroad and utility companies have also been reached to clear out the area surrounding the proposed stadium site, according to ESPN.

While Kroenke has never been on record saying he will move the Rams to Los Angeles, there is speculation that he will do so with or without league approval. Under the NFL owner’s guidelines for relocation, an owner seeking relocation must get approval from at least 24 other owners. Another step in relocation is exhausting all options in their current market.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the NFL also had discussions about changing the time window in which NFL teams can apply for relocation. Currently, NFL organizations can apply for relocation inside the time period between Jan. 1 – Feb. 15, 2015. The idea behind the proposal would be to make it easier on the organizations in their preparations to move their team.
But when it comes to having an NFL team in LA, Goodell insisted the league is not in a hurry to move anyone there. He said the league is “not focused on 2016″ and is focused on “getting it right” if a team does file for relocation.
Guess we will see what happens at the end of the 2015 football season. 


As the hit show Empire is on season hiatus, two of its stars , Bryshere Gray aka Jazz and Jussie Smollett have been touring the country signing copies of the hit soundtrack (Their appearance at Lennox Mall in the ATL last wekened  reportedly over 10,000 fans showed up) . This weekend they will be in St Louis. Jussie aussie Smollett and Yazz, who portray brothers Jamal and Hakeem on the hit TV show, "Empire," are coming to St. Louis.
The two will be at the F.Y.E. store on Hampton Ave. on March 28  which is set for 4 p.m. Later that  stars will be at a celebration party at The Complex (formerly The Colliseum) on Washington Ave. promoted by Rockhouse Entertainment. 


St.Louis based rap group JGE Retro, who starred on BET's "Nellyville",  co-hosted with April Simpson  this week on Fox 2 in the Morning at 9. Here they are pictured with celeb trainer Donta Wade (in Cards hat) who was on the same show  giving tips on how  to improve your workout by using resistance bands if you aren’t able to make it to the gym. Last week the group had a free concert and CD release for its mixtape  Transition Day at The Pageant in The U City Loop. BET was also there to film segments for the second season of the reality TV show, "Nellyville." 






As we celebrate 10 years of blogging on July 5 we will highlight some of the stories reported and covered over the years each week.

THIS WEEK MARCH 2006
Hello cyberfans! This is Ma'at here tryin to maintain the blog while out of town in Hollywood. Yes, the Land of Lala. I arrived in Los Angeles this past Monday on an American Airline plane, with a lil turbulance, and I am staying with a buddy in the Crenshaw District aka The Jungle. I hear that my hometown oo the STL had about 3 inches of snow and I left right on time for the sunny side of life.

http://maatspear.blogspot.com/2006/03/out-39.html



THIS WEEK MARCH 2007
Former Rams player Marshall faulk (PICTURED ABOVE) retired his #28 jersey this week. After sitting out last season because of a knee injury, Faulk officially announced his retirement Monday. Faulk is ninth on the NFL's career rushing list, 33 yards behind Jim Brown, who at one time was the standard for the position. Faulk is fourth in combined yards from scrimmage with 19,154 yards and his 6,875 yards receiving are the most ever among running backs.

http://outtown.blogspot.com/2007/03/out-169.html

THIS WEEK MARCH 2008
Cory Spinks and his longtime trainer, Kevin Cunningham(SEEN ON THE RIGHT OF PIC NEXT TO SPINKS) , have split. Cunningham won't be working Spinks' corner at Scottrade Center for Thursday night's IBF junior middleweight title defense against Verno Phillips. Cunningham has turned his full attention to the promising Devon "The Great" Alexander (14-0), who will be on Thursday's card, defending his WBC Continental America's super lightweight championship against Miguel Callist. In the past, Spinks and Cunningham have quarreled over Spinks' training habits. OUTTOWN finds it interesting that all this went down after Don King’s promoting the fight a couple of weeks ago in the STL. One wonders of King jabbed more money into Spinks’ ear in regards to managing him. Hmmm. Seems odd all of a sudden.

http://maatspear.blogspot.com/2008/03/out-360-stl-tidbitz-and-more.html

THIS WEEK MARCH 2009

Last week, the PR team for St. Louis Cardinals ownership has released their "temporary" plans for the site of the Ballpark Village with a parking lot and a softball field on the site of their old Busch Stadium. The plan is described as "fan-friendly enhancements" that will occupy the property as the team continues its long push to finance Ballpark Village. In regards to the much delayed plan of a $365 million entertainment district, the release stated “ once the bonds for the larger Ballpark Village project are sold, the softball field and parking lot will be taken over by the construction of the larger project." Well, as long as there wont be a gaping hole for fans of the Boys of Summer when fans arrive for the All star game in July.

http://maatspear.blogspot.com/2009/03/out-578-stl-tidbitz-and-more.html

THIS WEEK MARCH 2010


The NFL Draft is set for April 22-24 and the St. Louis Rams got first dibbs (the losingest team picks first) of who they want on the tea. Sports experts are saying that the organization may select star Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford. The Heisman Trophy winner worked out for NFL teams this week and reportedly did so well that one observer called his display the best he'd seen since Troy Aikman worked out for the Cowboys.
http://maatology.blogspot.com/2010/03/illimo-bitz.html

THIS WEEK MARCH 2011

The final original episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will air May 25. Winfrey's Chicago-based Harpo Productions has confirmed the date. Winfrey announced live on the show in November 2009 that she would end its run after 25 years. She since has launched cable's Oprah Winfrey Network. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" has been in reruns for the last few weeks. But Winfrey tweeted that she was "hard at work planning the final shows" and new episodes would begin April 7. The final episode brings an end to what has been television's top-rated talk show for more than two decades. It airs in 145 countries worldwide.
http://maatology.blogspot.com/2011/03/out-981-illi-mo-arts-and-ent-bitz-mar.html


THIS WEEK MARCH 2012
Former Illinois governor and reality show star Rod Blagojevich settled into prison last Thursday. Now, he is Inmate No. 40892-424. With helicopters and TV news crews broadcasting his every move, Blago stepped out of a black SUV, to the Collagado mountains on the horizon, and just before
 noonwalked into the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in suburbanDenver.

http://maatology.blogspot.com/2012/03/out-1112-illi-mo-bitz-mar-22-28.html


THIS WEEK MARCH 2013

Cape Gireaurdo, Mo native and talk 

show host Rush Limbaugh made 


headlines this week hen he called out


 Grammy Award winning singer Beyonce on his talk show for supposedly abandoning the feminist image and for now telling women to "bow down" to their husbands in her newly leaked single, "Bow Down Bitches."
"[Destiny's Child] songs were attempts to 

inspire young women not to take any grief 


from men. She's done a 180," said 


Limbaugh. "Beyoncé, now having been 


married, having been impregnated and 

giving birth toBlue Ivy…she's got a new 


song, 'Bow, Down Bitches'… 



Beyoncé is now saying, 'Go ahead and put



 up with it!'"
http://outstagin.blogspot.com/2013/03/os-sixty-seven-mar-28-apr-3.html

THIS WEEK MARCH 2014

This week VOGUE released its April 2014 issue with couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Since then the cover has caused controversy mainly on how the couple got on the cover.


West had "begged" publisher/editor Anna Wintour t to give the cover spot to his fiancee. The rapper even publicly railed against the publication for not tapping Kardashian sooner.
"There's no way Kim Kardashian shouldn't be on the cover of Vogue right now," West told Ryan Seacrest in October 2013. "She's like the most intriguing woman right now. She's got Barbara Walters calling her like every day. And collectively, we're the most influential with clothing."

Radar Online reported that Wintour "loathed" Kardashian and her notorious reality TV clan, but happened to love the Grammy-winning rapper and fashion designer.


http://outstagin.blogspot.com/2014/03/out-132-outstagin-bitz-march-28-april-3.html




FIT BITZ
We are now debuting a segment called FIT BITZ where women and men (mainly in the ILLI MO area) who are extremely fit, have fitness model quality and have post their fitness pics  on social media.



This week we feature beach pics from fitness champion Sharmane Williams and  actor/director Joel P.E. King .



This week we feature STL socialite  and  business owner Jarrece Patrick  looking fashion 
forward while out on the town from head to toe. Here she is rocking the gray bob, a leopard print cleavage cut leotard top, kneeless jeans and red  multi strpped/gold beaded heels and check out her daughter rocking the black tu-tu and gold boots. Too cute!
aad

Why did that pilot use a plane to commit suicide in theFrench Alps? Why did that guy call Mone Davis a ho? Why is there so much focus on Michel Sam's azz on Dancing with the Stars?Why does the Robert Durst off camera comment about murdering on the documentary Jinx seemed like a set up? Why is Raven Symone calling FLOTUS an animal? Why did some people think the Empire Finale was an hour instead of two? And why did Shad Ross aka Bow Wow call out Empire for being streotypical? Why did Starbucks try to have race relations chat with customers? Why was Karruche Tran given a Fix My Life with Iyanla episode?




If you have any feedback, scoop, or fashion/fitness pics to be featured  email to snaphoney2011@gmail.com or comment below!