Barack Obama And Hip-Hop: Does The Support Of Jay-Z, Nas, T.I. Hurt His Chances?
'[Rappers] need to be super quiet on Barack,' Scarface says, or critics will 'smash on him because of what somebody else said.' By Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Gil Kaufman Views 14,809 He's on fire in the streets. Kids and adults alike are wearing bootleg T-shirts emblazoned with his face and phrases. Approximately 95 percent of the hip-hop community is singing his praises. And yet his appeal is just as strong in other parts of the country and the wo

Critic’s Choice: New DVDs: Larisa Shepitko
Two harsh but hauntingly beautiful fables -- “Wings,” released in 1966, and “The Ascent,” from 1977 -- are the best-known films of the director Larisa Shepitko.

Barack Obama, and Antici...pation [News Roundup]
Yeah, he still ain't telling. Probably tomorrow. [Washington Post] He did reportedly call all the losers last night. No one's admitting anything, though. [CNN] Random Texas Congressman Chet Edwards — who Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been pointing out for months — is apparently shortlisted now, though, and gave a cute press conference with his son in tow. He didn't Say Anything but that it's not so hot in Texas today. [Huffington Post] Time says that Mitt Romney is McCain's main man, so HuffP

Barack Obama's 'lost' brother found in Kenya
The Italian edition of Vanity Fair said that it had found George Hussein OnyangoObama living in a hut in a ramshackle town of Huruma on the outskirts of Nairobi. MrObama, 26, the youngest of the presidential candidate's half-brothers, spoke for the first time about his life, which could not be more different than that of the Democratic contender. "No-one knows who I am," he told the magazine, before claiming: "I live here on less than a dollar a month." According to Italy's Vanity Fair his two metr

Barack Obama Chooses Joseph Biden As Vice Presidential Running Mate
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has chosen Delaware Senator Joseph Biden as his running mate, according to a text message sent to supporters at 3 a.m. on Saturday (August 23) morning and a message posted on Obama's campaign Web site. "Joe Biden brings extensive foreign policy experience, an impressive record of collaborating across party lines and a direct approach to getting the job done," read the message about one of the best kept secrets in Washington until the news leaked out

Video: American Prayer - New Obama Music video
American Prayer - Dave Stewart, Forest Whitaker, Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, Cyndi Lauper, Barry Manilow, Joan Baez, Macy Gray and Joss Stone. http://www.myamericanprayer.com

News Bites: Barack Obama Has Chosen His Mate
No, he's keeping Michelle. I meant his running mate! Presidential candidate and Scarlett Johansson penpal Barack Obama has chosen Delaware senator Joe Biden is now in the running to be our next vice-president. The announcement was made via 3 AM text message. Politics via Gossip Girl! Sorta gay comedic actor Chris Kattan has finalized his separation from his wife of two months, Sunshine Tutt. He should have kept her for that hot name alone. At least he's free now to score dudes. Or goats. Or whatever it is

Barack Obama has Chosen Joe Biden to be his Running Mate: WHERE’S MY TEXT MESSAGE
So, it’s about 3:00 a.m. We’ve posted numerous items about Barack Obama’s selection of Joe Biden for VP. And, still not text? What gives? I bet many of you are not happy. Here’s the official text from Barack Obama’s website: Joe Biden brings extensive foreign policy experience, an impressive record of collaborating across party lines, and a direct approach to getting [...]

Barack Obama: Audio From the Rolling Stone Cover Story
• A Conversation With Barack Obama • Barack Obama: The Stevie Wonder Geek Returns to the Cover of Rolling Stone • Photo Gallery: Barack Obama, a History in Pictures

Barack Obama Taps Joseph Biden as VP Running Mate
This just in. After days of speculation, Barack Obama has FINALLY selected his running mate. For those of you that frequent CoverAwards, this will not come as a surprise. Barack has selected Delaware Senator Joe Biden to be his vice presidential running mate. Biden, who has served in the Senate since being elected at the age of 29, is [...]

Obama Makes The Smart Move
It was leaked to the press late last night that Obama picked Senator Joseph Biden as his VP running mate. Although nothing to get excited about, we think this is a smart move. He gets a little cred with older white folks and makes his run for the Whitehouse look less risky by selecting a “seasoned” politician with a strong background in international affairs. Now that this is over, it’s time to go hard and push that shady McCain’s wig back.

Obama Chooses Biden as Running Mate, Guarantees Important Delaware Win [Horse Race]
So, sigh, it's New York Times official. In his increasingly promising race to become America's Next Top Presidential Also-Ran, Illinois senator Barack Obama has chosen foreign policy-hungry Delaware senator Joe Biden as his running mate. We entertained this idea and called it a bad one earlier this week, and I know close to nothing about politics compared to Pareene so I'll just leave this as news without comment. Other than to say that this is a bad, borderline esoteric choice that ought to leave Obama's l

UFO Lobbyist Offers to Brief Obama on Extraterrestrials [UFObama]
Jeff Peckman, who came to national attention earlier this year when he launched a ballot initiative to create an Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission in Denver and later announced that he possessed actual footage of a live ET, continues his campaign to thrust alien life into the political limelight. This week, he invited Barack Obama to hear a briefing on UFOs and extraterrestrial life from a private citizen's perspective. Adjust your tin foil hat and find out what Peckman has to say to the presidential cand

Design the next Obama Tshirt
This special invitation is for supporters like you with artistic or design talent. Imagine people all across the country wearing an Obama T-shirt you designed. Millions of Americans wear Obama gear to show their support, and some of the designs have become symbols of the change we're working to bring to this country. That could be your design if you enter our T-shirt contest by August 31st. On top of that, when your shirt is printed, you'll get one personally signed by Barack. Design the next Obama T-shirt

Zombies Invade, and the Only Safe Place is a Reality TV House [Dead Set]
Though some might say that zombies already inhabit reality TV shows like Britain's smash hit Big Brother, a new show called Dead Set is taking that claim to the next level. Produced by the same company that makes Big Brother, the (fictional, scripted) show takes place in the Big Brother house as massive zombie attacks take place outside. At first, the inhabitants of the surveillance game show house don't realize anything is going on. But then things get bloody. Written by UK Guardian columnist and media cr

Why Have Superheroes Taken Over Our Movie Theaters? [Supercinema]
Why have our summer cinema screens been ruled by the superhero? Are The Dark Knight and Iron Man really two of the most wonderful movies ever made, or is there something else going on that makes people even consider a movie like Hancock acceptable entertainment? The University of Wisconsin's Professor of Film Studies, David Bordwell, has some thoughts on the subject that he'd like to share. One of the first things that Bordwell wants to establish is that, no, Iron Man and The Dark Knight weren't a

Experts Say Oil Wars Will Hit in 2-5 Years [Disaster]
Oil prices are set to double between 2010 and 2015, and the Guardian's Michael Meacher says this might spark the global oil wars that scifi writers and futurists have been predicting for decades. He's got hard statistics to back up his claims, and some interesting ideas for solutions. [UK Guardian] 11:28 AM on Fri Aug 22 2008 By Annalee Newitz 1,024 views

Stargate Universe Gets The Green Light [Stargate Universe]
While I'm still wearing bulky gear all week in mourning for the cancellation of Stargate Atlantis, for every Wraith cloud there is a silver lining. A new spin-off show, Stargate Universe, has gotten the greenlight from the Sci Fi Channel. So we can expect a big 2-hour premiere in 2009, followed by a regular series. Click through for more information about Stargate Universe and the crew of the Destiny. Yes, the ship is called Destiny, what did you expect? It's Stargate — cheese is its bread and butter. Th

"Variety" Goes Behind The Music (In The Movie Trailer) [In A World...]
Variety launched a package called Music for Screens yesterday, and it's full of pieces that are apparently designed to appeal to people who like music, but prefer it in 45-second clips—you know, when it airs during movie trailers or crucial scenes on Gossip Girl. I was particularly interested in the trade pub's look at people who compose music for movie trailers. In today's movie business, the movie trailer carries almost as much importance and buzz as the movie it precedes, and like any good

Ne-Yo Is An Interoffice Male [Videodrone]
The video for Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent" brings us to an office where women are in charge, dress codes are relaxed enough for some workers to flaunt their backless outfits next to the watercooler, and well-dressed male employees have nothing better to do than sit around and dream about the power ladies surrounding them all day. While this clip was certainly nice to look at (and the song is sumptuously great), I'm looking forward to the sequel, in which all the employees are forced to sit through what may be

Humans Abandon Earth, Bring Sexual Harrassment With Them [Venus Rises]
Two webseries premiered this past week, and NBC's superslick Gemini Division, starring Rosario Dawson, grabbed all the attention. But the rough-and-ready Venus Rises also launched its first episode, about ore miners in deep space. In Venus Rises, humans have abandoned the Earth, and there's a class division between the Martian overlords and the Venusian workers. Click through to find out more. The first episode, "Ikarus part 1," is actually a prequel to the main series. The series is somewhat confusingly m

Soaps News - Preview: Restless Nikki Starts Nipping Again
Melody Thomas Scott of The Young and the Restless is giving the single greatest performance in ...

Random Notes: Bob Dylan, Metallica, Billy Joel and Amy Winehouse: Radiohead, Marilyn Manson, Eric Clapton and the Week in Rock
Radiohead, Marilyn Manson, Eric Clapton and the Week in Rock