Weekend Wrap Up #4

Did you hear…?

By: Crystal L. Huggins

R. Kelly owes the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) early $5 million in unpaid taxes dating as far back as 2005.

According to TMZ Kelly, here is what Kelly neglected to pay;

2005 – $1,472,366.77

2006 – $710,520.51

2007 – $376,180.11

2008 – $1,122,694.90

2009 – $173,815.18

2010 – $992,495.24

A total of $4,848,072.71.

A rep for Kelly tells TMZ, “R. Kelly is in the process of working everything out with the government and is confident that all his obligations will be satisfied.”

Kelly’s rep didn’t offer an explanation for why the singer stopped paying his taxes. I understand the life of a celebrity can be busy and hectic but how in the world can someone just forget to pay their taxes for seven years. Considering the large amount of money Kelly has made over the years, it makes you wonder why he didn’t pay his taxes. What would the reason for him to not pay? You think Kelly just blew threw all the money he’s made from 2005-2010?

H/T  http://www.theurbandaily.com

 

Actress and comedian Yvette Wilson has lost her fight with cervical cancer and kidney disease on June 14, 2012. She passed at the age of 48. A friend of Wilson, Jeffrey Pittle, told CNN that she passed away on Thursday around 7 p.m.

After a start in stand-up comedy where she appeared on HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam”Wilsonlanded her first acting roles in the 1993 ABC sitcom “Thea” and in the films “House Party 3,” “Friday” and “Poetic Justice.”Wilsonwas best known for her character Andell Wilkerson on the sitcom “Moesha” in 1996. She also played Andell on the “Moesha” spin-off “The Parkers”.

I hope this story would be a warning to young women. According to WebMD

Most cervical cancer is caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV). You can get HPV by having sexual contact with someone who has it. You can have HPV for years and not know it. It stays in your body and can lead to cervical cancer years after you were infected. A Pap test can find changes in cervical cells before they turn into cancer. If you treat these cell changes, you may prevent cervical cancer.

It is very important for young women to make sure you visit your primary care physician and get tested. If there are any abnormalities in a Pap smear, there is a greater chance to prevent any cervical cells developing into cervical cancer if found early. The HPV vaccine will help protect against two types of HPV for those ages 9-26 years old. Coming from someone who has had abnormalities show on a pap smear and recently received the HPV vaccine, I urge everyone to make sure you get tested and be attentive to your health.

H/T  http://www.people.com

 

It’s been five years since ABC Anchor Robin Roberts announced to the world that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then she battled and beat the disease.

On June 11, 2012 Roberts announced that she was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). MDS is a disease of the blood and bone marrow and was once known as preleukemia. It is said that it can be brought on by chemotherapy and radiation, treatments that Roberts underwent during her fight with breast cancer. “Sometimes the treatment for cancer can cause other serious medical problems,” Roberts said in her message on the ABC News website.

Robin Roberts said marrow donors “are scarce and particularly for African-American women,” she said. “I am very fortunate to have a sister who is an excellent match, and this greatly improves my chances for a cure.”

Unfortunately, the treatment that goes along with fighting cancer can have effects on the body to where a second cancer can occur at some point in time. I personally seen this with close family members affected by cancer. Once the cancer was in remission, it returned years later in another form. Even thought I haven’t physically been in the same situation as Roberts, I can sympathize with her and hope that with her strong will and fight, she will beat this round just like the last one.

Let this be an opportunity to bring awareness to cancer screening and bone marrow donation and how it can help save the lives of many, especially among African American women.

H/T http://www.usmagazine.com

Manny Pacquiao Suing his Accountants Giving Bad Tax Advice

While the rumors of Manny Pacquiao having financial troubles has been floating around, there are now reports that Pacquiao is suing his former accountants VisionQwest Group according to TMZ.

Pacquiao was originially sued for not paying for services rendered. In his countersuit Pacquiao alleges VisionQwest Group gave him “substandard accounting and tax service” Pacquiao hired lawyer Dan Petrocelli who reigned victorious over OJ Simpson in his civil trial.

More and more lately we’ve been hearing of athletes having financial troubles, Terrell Owens and now Pacquiao, sooner or later athletes are going to have to be more hands on when it comes to their finances. Considering Pacquiao is also a congressman in the Philippines you would think he would’ve found somebody to keep his finances in order. Hopefully he doesn’t end up like other boxers fighting well past their prime just to get a check.

Weekend Entertainment Wrap # 2

Did You Hear…?

By Crystal L. Huggins

 

People grieve in their own way. No one deals with pain in the same manner. That is what makes people different. Jennifer Hudson finally received justice and can have peace of mind. Her ex brother -in-law William Balfour was convicted of murder on May 11, 2012 for killing Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donnerson 57; brother, Jason Hudson 29; and nephew, Julian King 7; on October 24, 2008. After the two week long trial and having to re live one of the worst days of her life, she decides to go to Six Flags the day after the trial ended. While listening to the TJMS (Tom Joyner Morning Show) the hosts felt like that was not a good move for Hudson. They didn’t see fit for her to go to an amusement park after the trial ended. I don’t see what the issue is. I see that as she is trying to put the past behind her and move on with her life. She just needed to have a carefree day from dealing with the two week trial and that is what she chose to do. It’s her life and her decisions.

Reported by the New York Daily News

 

Related: Weekend Entertainment Wrap up #1

It’s Official! Sheree is out and Kenya is in. Sheree Whitfield is leaving the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta and is being replaced by Former Miss USA 1993, Kenya Moore. Moore recently did an interview with Sister 2 Sister Magazine saying:

 

“I’ve had an opportunity recently to be on a reality show. I feel like it’s almost like my duty to take the job because it’s the converse of what we’re seeing now.”

 

“I can say that it’s an already established franchise. I’m back and forth between Atlanta and L.A….primarily Atlanta. Wink, wink!”

 

I am still trying to wrap my head around how cast members are selected for such shows. Come on now! The newest cast member is a model/actress. The show is called Real Housewives. Wouldn’t you think that picking a cast member that is actually a housewife be more fitting to the show?  I know the show turned in many directions since is first aired in 2008 but it seems like with every season there are more cast members that aren’t wives. Looking at the past season of the show, only 2 of the 6 cast members were married. I know life happens and relationships change end however, if you are going to keep the show and its current title, why not bring in new people that fit the show and its title.

Information obtained from Wikipedia and other sources

NCAA Comes Up With the “Cecil Newton” Rule, Prohibits Parents From Auctioning Kids to Highest Bidder

The NCAA has rules for just about everything under the sun and are now reaching for the moon. On Wednesday the NCAA Legislative Council implemented legislation that classifies any parent that tries to sell the services of their child to a school as an ‘agent’.

As reported by CBSSports.com, Bylaw 12 in the NCAA rule book dealing with amateur athletics has been updated to read as such:

“An agent is any individual who, directly or indirectly, represents or attempts to represent an individual for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation for financial gain …”

Carolyn Campbell-McGovern who sits on the legislative council spoke on the importance to close the loophole that allowed Cecil and Cam Newton off the hook.

“It essentially closes the loophole. It was important for us to shore that up and make sure we were encompassing all individuals. It addresses not only who is covered but also the scope. Trying to do it is a crime. Not a crime, but a violation.”

While we all might’ve thought the witch hunt was over, this rule will forever cast a cloud of doubt over Cam Newton and what he went on to accomplish at Auburn. In passing this new rule, the NCAA are saying, Cecil and Cam got away with something but we didn’t have a rule in place to punish them. I understand the need for the law, but it just seems the NCAA is more interested in developing rules to limit the compensation players can receive rather than cleaning up the corrupt nature of college football that allows coaches to break rules and still get paid while student athletes are punished for selling their own property for profit.

Hillis Turns Down $16 Mil?

It was reported by Action 19 news that the Browns offered running back Peyton Hillis a 3 year contract worth $16 million total with $3 million guaranteed. If this is true then I’m not mad that Hillis turned it down. That kind of offer doesn’t give him much security and considering how it may be structured, there’s the chance he would never see all $16 million. Now what makes this situation difficult is Hillis has been unable to perform to show that he deserves more than that, however taking into account his play last season I think $3 million guaranteed is a little on the cheap side. The difficult thing about professional sports is, you can’t see into the future and predict future production. So to a degree you’re paying on past production and hoping that they continue to play at that same level. Looking at the situation with Hillis objectively and looking at all that has gone on, I think somewhere between $5-$8 million guaranteed is fair. He’s a bruising back that has some speed, can catch the ball out the back field and is good in pass protection. And for all the holes on this team, you don’t want to make running back another. Now you may say that you can find running backs a dime a dozen, well why haven’t we found a consistent one and teams are paying $30 million to keep the ones they have? At this point I’m not sure if the team wants to keep Hillis from all that’s gone on from a business stand point and the public relations drama he’s been wrapped in this season, but it may be best that both parties find a way to kiss and make up.

Can’t a Man Be Sick In Peace

Maybe it’s because of the bye week; possibly it’s because they got trounced by the Titans 31-13 that all of this is falling on Peyton Hillis. But one thing for sure is it shouldn’t. Something that took place almost 2 weeks ago is still story. What reason do we have to believe that Hillis would sit out if he was able to play? There’s nothing to suggest that he’s ever given less than 100% effort for the Browns since he’s been in Cleveland. And for fans and media to question how sick a person is feeling is not right on so many levels. First, how can we accurately assume how much pain another man is in especially when it comes to being sick? Everybody responds to being sick differently so why hammer him if you can’t be sure of how he’s really feeling. Second, how many of us wake up not sick and would love to just call off of work and still get paid? I do believe that Hillis was sick and wanted to play but just couldn’t, but I’m not mad that he got the most out of the situation. He was sick, got a chance to stay home and still get paid, no crime in that at all. Contract or no contract issue, I don’t think that factored into his decision not play, I think it was based clearly on his health first everything else second. How’s this comparison for you, what would’ve been the difference if he had a concussion and decided that he couldn’t go, would it had been ok for him to sit out then? And the way the fans are harping on it, you would’ve thought he was the reason they lost to the Dolphins, let’s not forget they did win the game. In close, let’s not make this bigger than it needs to be, the guy was sick and couldn’t run through linebackers and blow his nose at the same time, no need to make it seem like he quit on the team after a 3 and 1.

Teams Get Paid to Get Beatdown

To spin off an old Brand Nubian songs, in the first week of the NCAA football season most powerhouse schools don’t play the crème de la crème. Instead they choose to play mid major schools they can pummel. The crazy thing is these schools get paid crazy amount of money to get demolished and some national exposure. For example, Alabama hosted Kent State University and was favored by 39 points and they beat the Golden Flashes by 41. However, sometimes money is the muscle relaxer to a bad beat down. Kent State received $1.2 million to play that game. Nevertheless that wasn’t the only team that raked in big money to get molly whopped. Akron University pulled in a cool $850 thousand from The Ohio State University. Middle Tennessee State who was actually competitive in their game against Purdue only losing by three and got paid a solid $850 thousand to take their talents to Boilermaker country. Montana received $500 thousand, Indiana State $475 thousand, and Chattanooga 450 thousand and were all beat by an average of 31 points. But the biggest money maker was Louisiana Monroe who played Florida State and was paid $1.3 million to get trounced 34-0. So while players aren’t allowed to get, its more than ok for them to get beat down by teams far superior to them. Yup, sounds just like the kind of logic the NCAA would operate by. For your viewing pleasure check out the video from Brand Nubian, Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down.

 

Should the Browns Pay Peyton Hillis Big Money?

Peyton Hillis will make around $550,000 this season and there is talk that since the Brown are under the salary cap if they should compensate Hillis for his talents. In two words: ABSOLUTELY NOT! He’s not Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson and any other elite back in the league, at this moment he’s very good. Nonetheless, before we start polliticking for him to get a lifetime contract can we see him do this for more than one year. Let’s see how he fits into this new offense, just because you have money doesn’t mean you have to spend it. Now if you’re talkng giving him a raise for a couple of years, great, but no 5 year deals with $20 million gauranteed. Running back are like used cars, just go to the lot and find you a good one, remeber how we found Hillis in the first place? I just don’t think right now, it would be a good idea to pay him top 5 running back money before seeing him doing for a second year in a row.

50 Million Reasons to Smile

Larry Fitzgerald has plenty of reasons to smile, he plays in beautiful sunny Arizona, just got a new quarterback in Kevin Kolb, and now he has a new a new 8 year contract worth $120 million with almost 50 million of it guaranteed. Congrats to one of the elite receivers getting paid, he definitely deserves it. And while I understand wanting to get paid now, it gives you security just in case you get injured, but if you stay healthy and the team doesn’t get better you’re stuck in a complete bad situation. Furthermore what if Kevin Kolb doesn’t produce and plays like a bum the Cardinals will suffer dearly and Fitzgerald will be stuck in a place that will go from beautiful and sunny to miserable and dry. There’s a lot that will be learned about Kolb this season, his production will directly reflect if the Cardinals will get their money’s worth out of Fitzgerald’s contract. Because if Kolb fails, you’re going to have an All-Pro wide out with no one to throw him the ball. But at least he’ll have his money

Is Time Running Out on the Tribe?

The lockout has ended and players are now able to report to their respective facilities and workout until training camp officially opens up on Friday July 29^th. So the Indians have until today to generate some kind of buzz before Browns fever fully kicks in. The Indians have had the luxury of the Cavs being terrible this past season so the entire spring was theirs and with the NFL lockout taking place there were no Browns activities to distract fans from the ups and downs the Indians would go through. Well all of that is over, and soon fans will have to choose between spending their viewing and sports interest on the Indians and the Browns and considering the Browns are king in this town, the Indians better do something. Since the all star break the Tribe is 5-8, and the offense is looking worse and worse, they’ve averaged 2.3 runs in their last 8 losses. Once again, the name of the game is to end the game with more runs than your opponent, and as long as this team continues to put the pressure on the pitching to win them games, they will struggle. Now with the Browns returning to business as usual ALL attention will be on them for the next few weeks, with all the signings that will take place and the intrigue of is Colt McCoy the guy, who will he throw the ball too, and who will we have to rush the passer. So is tribe time running out? No…based on the condition the Indians do something to take advantage of the position they are in. They’re only 2 games out of first place, and we’ve seen that all it takes is for you to get into the playoffs and anything can happen. Now is the time where the Dolans’ can destroy the perception of them being cheap. They were rumored to be going after Carlos Beltran, but the Mets demands were outrageous. If so, then understandable, but they can’t just stand pat and think this team will come out of this scoring slump. The offense needs some help and making a move would catapult them back into the headlines and the front of minds of fans. Here’s a few guys that I think could help the tribe, and give them a spark; Gaby Sanchez from the Marlins a right handed batter who has an on base percentage above 350, 24 doubles, 16 homeruns and 58 RBI, the only snag could be, he plays first base, a position in which the Indians like to play Carlos Santana at a lot. Seth Smith from the Rockies a guy that can play the outfield, a left handed batter who has hit 25 doubles and a .288 batting average. This is the only guy of the four I will name that I’m not so sure of, but Carlos Lee, who is 35 years old and is subject to make between 16 and 19 million dollars next season which is the last year of his contract. However, he can still produce, and being traded might do him some good. Only 9 homeruns this year, but 58 RBI, and 27 doubles, on a bad Astros team and a pitchers park down there in Houston. The last guy I think the Indians should go after, Cameron Maybin of the Padres. He’s hit 6 homeruns has 22 stolen bases and a .333 on base percentage and could add some more speed to the top of the lineup. His walk (26) to strike out (77) ratio isn’t that great, but that could just be a case of a young player trying to do too much on a bad team. Three of these players would be under control of the Indians until at least 2015, and all but Carlos Lee are eligible for arbitration in 2012 or 2013. And for these guys you shouldn’t have to give up a left arm and a leg. They should be able to make a reasonable deal and most of these guys are still young so you still keep that youth factor that the Indians love so much. So for now time hasn’t run out, but the sand is running down the glass pretty fast.