The death of author E. Lynn Harris ?

Author E. Lynn Harris has died while on a west coast book tour, Arkansas Sports reports:

"Harris, a best-seller whose work dealt with black, gay culture and delved into athletics, was a passionate Razorbacks fan. For the past eight semesters, Harris served as a 'visiting' professor for the English department...Most recently, Harris' wrote his 11th novel, 'Basketball Jones', which involved an NBA player and the player's gay lover. Before 'Basketball Jones,' Harris penned 'Just Too Good To Be True,' a novel detailing the life of Heisman Trophy candidate Brady Manning. Harris' novel focused on the pressures surrounding Manning and the support system the star athlete leaned on to help him through dark and troubling times."

There are no further details about the cause of death, though the Arkansas Times reported hearing the author suffered a "serious health setback" earlier today.

The Arkansas Sports site did not name a source. I will publish any updates that come in here.

Harris was the author of 12 novels, a memoir, and many stories.

OUTRAGED!

BOSTON – Police responding to a call about "two black males" breaking into a home near Harvard University ended up arresting the man who lives there — Henry Louis Gates Jr., the nation's pre-eminent black scholar.

Gates had forced his way through the front door because it was jammed, his lawyer said. Colleagues call the arrest last Thursday afternoon a clear case of racial profiling.

Cambridge police say they responded to the well-maintained two-story home after a woman reported seeing "two black males with backpacks on the porch," with one "wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry."

By the time police arrived, Gates was already inside. Police say he refused to come outside to speak with an officer, who told him he was investigating a report of a break-in.

"Why, because I'm a black man in America?" Gates said, according to a police report.

Gates — the director of Harvard's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research — initially refused to show the officer his identification, but then gave him a Harvard University ID card, according to police.

"Gates continued to yell at me, accusing me of racial bias and continued to tell me that I had not heard the last of him," the officer wrote.

He was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge after police said he "exhibited loud and tumultuous behavior." He was released later that day on his own recognizance. An arraignment was scheduled for Aug. 26. Police refused to comment on the arrest Monday.

Gates, 58, also refused to speak publicly Monday, referring calls to his attorney, fellow Harvard scholar Charles Ogletree.

Ogletree said Gates gave the officer his driver's license and Harvard identification after being asked to prove he was a Harvard professor and lived at the home, but became upset when the officer continued to question him.

"He was shocked to find himself being questioned and shocked that the conversation continued after he showed his identification," Ogletree said.

Ogletree declined to say whether he believed the incident was racially motivated, saying "I think the incident speaks for itself."

Some of Gates' African-American colleagues say the arrest is part of a pattern of racial profiling in Cambridge.

Allen Counter, who has taught neuroscience at Harvard for 25 years, said he was stopped on campus by two Harvard police officers in 2004 after being mistaken for a robbery suspect. They threatened to arrest him when he could not produce identification.

"We do not believe that this arrest would have happened if professor Gates was white," Counter said. "It really has been very unsettling for African-Americans throughout Harvard and throughout Cambridge that this happened."

The Rev. Al Sharpton is vowing to attend Gates' arraignment.

"This arrest is indicative of at best police abuse of power or at worst the highest example of racial profiling I have seen," Sharpton said. "I have heard of driving while black and even shopping while black but now even going to your own home while black is a new low in police community affairs."

Ogletree said Gates had returned from a trip to China on Thursday with a driver, when he found his front door jammed. He went through the back door into the home — which he leases from Harvard — shut off an alarm and worked with the driver to get the door open. The driver left, and Gates was on the phone with the property's management company when police first arrived.

Ogletree also disputed the claim that Gates, who was wearing slacks and a polo shirt and carrying a cane, was yelling at the officer.

"He has an infection that has impacted his breathing since he came back from China, so he's been in a very delicate physical state," Ogletree said.

Lawrence D. Bobo, the W.E.B Du Bois Professor of the Social Sciences at Harvard, said he met with Gates at the police station and described his colleague as feeling humiliated and "emotionally devastated."

"It's just deeply disappointing but also a pointed reminder that there are serious problems that we have to wrestle with," he said.

Bobo said he hoped Cambridge police would drop the charges and called on the department to use the incident to review training and screening procedures it has in place.

The Middlesex district attorney's office said it could not do so until after Gates' arraignment. The woman who reported the apparent break-in did not return a message Monday.

Gates joined the Harvard faculty in 1991 and holds one of 20 prestigious "university professors" positions at the school. He also was host of "African American Lives," a PBS show about the family histories of prominent U.S. blacks, and was named by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential Americans in 1997.

"I was obviously very concerned when I learned on Thursday about the incident," Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust said in a statement. "He and I spoke directly and I have asked him to keep me apprised."

This Mess I Call Life (Corey's Random Updates)...

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was not a good movie. I am an admitted Harry Potter fan. I have read all of the books and Half Blood Prince was my favorite! I love Snape and Hermione and Ron and Luna and this book really delivered. I wish this movie would have done the same. So much of the nuisance and character building was missed from the film.

Bruno was a great movie! I laughed out loud, kicked the chair in front of me, and screamed several times.


Okay, first of all, I would like to tell all readers that there are real housewives in Atlanta with SICK amounts of money. The ladies on Bravo’s television show are clearly middle-middle class chicks. With that in mind, I watch the program to laugh at the antics and hysterics of these classless women. I am a Sheree fan. And while most of the girls love Miss Ne Ne, I hate her! Consequently, I am so looking forward to Kandi from Exscape being added to the mix to let this former stripper have it!

One of the funniest hours of television this summer is this week’s Kathy Griffin’s Life on the D-List. She is attempting to see if humor is color blind and attempts to be down with the black community. Catch it on a repeat if you have missed it.


And if you missed it, our sister Reco (Memphis native, Kappa Alpha Psi member, and Atlanta resident) was kicked off Bravo’s whack ass fashion show. How dare they allow Miss Anna and those rags she calls couture continue over Reco? I cannot wait until August 20! Please Heidi, come show these girls how it’s done…

He's cute but he knew better!

DeKalb teacher arrested fondling student in parking lot
By Megan Matteucci

Police say they arrested a Stone Mountain Middle School teacher Thursday – moments before he was about to have sex with a 15-year-old student.

Charles Thomas McClendon, 29, is now being held in the Clayton County jail, charged
with child molestation and enticing a child for indecent purposes.

A Jonesboro Police officer was patrolling when he spotted two people in the back seat of a pickup truck, parked behind the El Tarasco restaurant around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, Jonesboro Major Tim Jessup said.

As the officer pulled up, McClendon tossed a condom, jumped out of the truck and pulled on his pants, police said. The girl fumbled around the truck and put her clothes back on, Jessup said.

McClendon was in the act of fondling the girl, according to an arrest warrant filed in Clayton County Magistrate Court Thursday.

Officers intervened as McClendon was putting on a condom, according to the warrant.
“If Sgt. [Eric] Bradshaw came five minutes later, they would have been in the act,” Jessup said.

Once McClendon realized his visitor was the police, he tried to get back in his truck and drive off, Jessup said. But officers stopped him.
McClendon, of Decatur, initially told police the student was his girlfriend, but later admitted she attended the school where he teaches. Officers identified the school as Stone Mountain Middle School.

“I just got back in town and went to pick up my girlfriend. Then we came her to have sex. I’m sorry,” McClendon told the officer. The teacher’s statements are included in a police report.

The girl, who first lied about her age, told police McClendon was her boyfriend. She later told police that McClendon was her tutor at Stone Mountain Middle last year, Jessup said.

While patrolling the blogosphere...

I found some hilarious photos. Check them out...


Don't worry baby... you don't need no beef to be with daddy!


Supposedly Media Take Out has a picture of a suspicious bump on Beyonce's private parts... She got a big ego and a bump to go with it!



Now that's a Home Run!

This Mess I Call Life (Corey's Random Updates)

This past week was a beast. However, all was well that ended well. Here’s an update:

I took a really important test and score a 194 out of 200. The average score is 155. I studied.

I have been saving money only to turn around and lose it. I saved around four-hundred dollars last month but had to repair the upstairs central heating and air unit. Then I found out I have to get an editor to format my dissertation and a statistician to fix my data. That will cost $2100 over the final five months of my higher education debacle. Jesus is Lord!

I feel so slighted. This guy, who has regular parties, hosted a party last night and charged five dollars to get into his house (classy, huh…?). I paid my five dollars but Douglas, who rode with me, did not have to pay. Then, when I get inside, I found out no one else in the “First Family” had to pay either. F—in B—h!

I am so swamped with work. And it’s the summer. And I am a teacher. I am supposed to be chillaxin, not swimming in a sea of work. I am an adjunct at a local college and I take on additional courses each summer and I am FINALLY finishing my dissertation. Oh well. I will do what I have to do. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

I wish I could get alerted when people update their blog via phone. How can I make that happen?

I am excited about seeing Jasmine Guy’s “For Color Girl’s Who Have Considered Suicide.” She is directing this play, starring Nicole Ari Parker and a few other recognizable names. I am trying to get a ticket for Tuesday’s preview show.

Atlanta International Fashion Week is coming up. It is usually worth a coin. Check it out at http://www.atlantaintlfashionweek.com.

The first family is getting ready for our annual family reunion in Gatlinburg. It’s not really a family reunion, per se, but we went last year for whitewater rafting and had a blast and we are doing it again this year. I anticipate an annual trip. We only pay $100 to go and when we go, we get our life!

Thoughts on recent media outing of Tyler Perry Star?

Ms. Anne's Snack Shop: A Culinary Adventure with Congorillas

Before exploring this upcoming weekend, I have to admit that last weekend was quite an adventure.

My friend and fellow blogger, Turn me up a lil (Thad) and I made a commitment to hang out more. He was off this weekend and we met up for lunch to discuss his dating life (the Italian) and his professional life (choices to pursue which advance degree).

Thad is an amazing guy. He has swag and a pedigree.

So it was up to me where we went and I decided on Mrs. Annes.

Mrs. Anne’s Snack Shop is an Atlanta trademark. Since Thad has not been in the ATL a year, I figured he had to true Mrs. Anne’s at least once. Home of the famous Ghettoburger, Mrs. Anne’s was named the number three best burger in the United States one year by a program on Food Network and I think going to Mrs. Anne’s in an Atlanta “Rite of Passage.” Since Thad has been in Atlanta less than a year, I felt like I owed him this burger.

Well, we got the true Mrs. Anne’s experience.

The burger shack has only two workers…. Mrs. Anne and her son. She only serves eight people at one time. You cannot order in advance. You sign a list and wait to be called.

We signed the list and there was a group of eight being served and six people waiting. We thought we were pretty lucky. We could handle waiting forty five minutes (which is how long you wait to order and eat ONCE you make it inside).

So we sit outside, in the 100 degree heat, and wait. On cement benches. We talk and catch up and grow hungrier and hungrier.

Finally, the eight customers being served exit and the next group lines up. Two fat negroes (a CONGORILLA and his CONGORILLAETTE) jump up and are the first in line. They came right after us. And I’ll be damned if they were not seated.

I got hotter than wolf pu%$y! Thad told me I should have said something and looked as though he would hit me. He was really hungry.

We sat back down, on our cement bench, and watched those fat a##es eat our BURGERS! For forty five additional minutes, with our stomachs churning, we waited.

Finally, they finished and we entered. Thad said he was so hungry he didn’t even want to eat anymore. That is the worst hunger. But then the seasoned fried came and we ate. And then the burgers came, and we ate.


Thad said the burger was worth the wait and that he was pissed I had taken him there because he would have to come back and do the whole thing over again.