- Issue Archive for the Week of
- Jun 8 - 14, 2006
- Vol. 1, No. 902
News
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Brangelina's Baby Named After Bloody Civil War Battle
Here's the first picture of Brad and Angelina with their new baby. She's bigger than we expected, somehow.
Okay, we're just kidding. But they did name her Shiloh, no doubt for the bloody 1862 battle fought in Hardin County. We see a sojourn to the battlefield for America's favorite celeb couple in the near future, just to show the l'il one her roots. Or not. It doesn't really matter as long as we get a million hits on our Website.
For a real — though illegal — look at Shiloh Nouvel, go here.
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Elvis Makes the Top Ten
According to The Hollywood News Web site — which sounds very official and professional but is, in fact, just something compiled by two young writers — Elvis Presley is one of our country’s top-10 “celebrity ghosts.” “Not only is this legendary singer believed to haunt his beloved home in Memphis, but also stagehands working at the Las Vegas Hilton (where he often performed in the early 1970's) have reported regularly seeing him dressed in his famous white-sequined suit.” He ranks above other Hollywood legends such as James Dean, but below — oh, read the whole list for yourself here.
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Her Head Is Still Spinning
Apparently two naughty Memphians have been scamming the TennCare system with abandon, but as of this week, their tax-payer supported healthcare mooching is over. James Hiatt, 52, faces a possible four years in the big house, while Linda Blair, 36, faces up to eight years after racking up a Class E Felony. Guess you could say she’s been exorcised.
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There's Always Darryl and Your Other Brother Darryl
"You could say it is the best and worst of times for actor William Sanderson. Best because the third season of HBO's award-winning revisionist western series, Deadwood, is underway. And Sanderson, 58, is one of the best reasons to watch the violent, foul-mouthed sagebrush saga from creator David Milch (NYPD Blue). The Memphis-born Sanderson is a scene stealer as the oily — and often creepy — E.B. Farnum, the default mayor of the lawless Western town and operator of the Grand Central Hotel."
So begins a nice story in the L.A. Times about Sanderson, who faces an uncertain future with the cancellation of his award-winning show. Read more here.
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Q&A with Rajneesh Nath
University of Tennessee Cancer Institute hematologist/oncologist
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"Windfall" for Memphis Actress Sarah Morris
Sarah Morris graduated from Hutchison a few years back and found her way to Hollywood, where she's appeared in several TV shows and movies. Now she's got a nice role in "Windfall," NBC's new series about a group of people who win a lottery that premieres tonight at 9:00.
Sarah has also landed a feature part in the new ABC drama, "Brothers and Sisters," which premieres this fall.
You can read more about "Windfall" here, and "Brothers and Sisters" here. To learn more about Sarah's career, go here.
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And Sioux Falls Wants to be a Mini-Nashville
"I'd like it to be a mini-Memphis."
No, those aren't the words of a twisted Dr. Evil, bent on world domination. They are the words of Bismarck, N.D., mayor John Warford as reported in a Memphis Business Journal story about warehouse giant Mallory Alexander opening a Bismarck facility. To read all about it, go here.
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Roscoe Dixon Guilty on All Counts!
Former state senator Roscoe Dixon was convicted Thursday on all five counts in his bribery and conspiracy trial in federal court.
A jury of seven whites and five blacks deliberated a day and a half before delivering the verdict Thursday afternoon. Dixon was the first Memphis defendant to go to trial in Operation Tennessee Waltz. Jurors listened to five days of testimony including several hours of secretly recorded video and audio tapes.
Speaking to reporters outside the federal building afterwards, Dixon and his attorney, Coleman Garrett reiterated the entrapment defense which jurors rejected.
Dixon will be sentenced later. He praised Garrett and said he was “glad” he decided to testify. He encouraged other defendants in Tennessee Waltz to go to trial so people can “see how the government acted." He said the government is trying to “steamroller a generation of black leadership in Memphis.”
Garrett also encouraged other defendants to fight.
“I believe in the final analysis if everyone will stand up on their hind legs and fight back, this thing can still be turned around,” he said.
The Flyer will have a full account of this story soon.
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Kleinifer?
Us Weekly is reporting that actor Chris Klein — who was formerly romantically linked to Tom Cruise’s fiancée Katie Holmes — is dating none other than former Memphian Ginnifer Goodwin. Apparently the two were seen smooching at a L.A. bar on Goodwin’s birthday. Reps for the two say they’re just friends, but isn't that what reps always say?
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Just In Time for Father’s Day …
During a recent visit to eBay, we found this: a circa 1950s ashtray depicting the Memphis skyline. We don’t really think it’s very accurate — the aerial view of the bridges seem to be going the wrong direction — but just think, for about $5, you could put your butt out on City Hall. Check out the auction here.
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Idol Worship
American Idol has local voice coaches up to their ears in students.
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High School Confidential
They Were Smart. They Were Cool. They Were Jocks. They Were Nerds. They Were In The Year Book. And We Found Them
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Who Is This?
Once a busy high schooler — her activities included the Latin Club, the French Club, the Pep Club, the Speech Club, the Student Council, and several musicals — this former Memphian has made people miserable.
If you haven't checked out this week's Flyer cover story, "High School Confidential," you probably don't know who this is. To find out — and to learn what many other Memphians looked like in High School, go here.
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Eat & Go
Not one for spending long hours lingering over a meal at a restaurant? Then the progressive dinner — where diners go to a different restaurant for different courses — might be the thing for you. On Wednesday, June 14th, there will be a progressive wine dinner in the Central Main Restaurant District Downtown at Felicia Suzanne’s, Grill 83, Stella, and McEwens on Monroe. Included on the menu this evening — pompano, beef, Georgia peaches, and wine from Caymus Vineyards. Cost is $115 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 523-0877 to make reservations.
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Ann Coulter is the Spawn of Satan
Rightwing she-bitch Ann Coulter makes a fine living saying outrageous things about all things liberal. Yesterday, she went on The Today Show to plug her new book (released on 6/6/6), the title of which we won't mention. She cruelly derided the activist widows of the 9/11 attacks, saying she had "never seen women enjoying their husband's deaths so much."
Shortly after Coulter's appearance, comedienne Kathy Griffin hit The Today Show stage. We all owe her a debt of gratitude for the following exchange:
Griffin: "I'd like to go after Ann Coulter. I saw that nut-ball on the show earlier."
Roker: "Oh please. Okay."
Griffin: "What's she doing wearing a cocktail dress at 7 in the morning? She just got home from the party last night? Doesn't she just make stuff up Al?"
Roker giggling: "Kathy."
Griffin: "Who fact checks?"
Roker: "I, I don't know."
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Memphis Makes Three out of Ten
The Tennessee Preservation Trust has just released its list of “Ten in Tennessee” — historic buildings or structures that are in imminent danger of demolition. Three places in Memphis made the list: the Zippin Pippin roller-coaster and Carousel at Libertyland, and the 1870s Goyer-Lee House in Victorian Village, which has stood vacant for decades.
For the complete “Ten in Tennessee” list, go here.
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Dude, That Airedale Is A Babe!
The Memphis Humane Society is giving local pets a shot at stardom with its 2007 Pet Pals Calendar. If you think your hamster or cat or cockatiel has what it takes to be a calendar pet pinup, send $10 and your pet’s photo and find out.
Pet photos may be submitted via 5x7 prints, on disk, or on CD. The calendar will feature 14 pet-of-the-month spots as well as 70 pet-of-the-week photos. Entry forms are available at the Humane Society, located at 2238 Central, and at Oak Court Mall. Call the Humane Society at (901) 276-7770 if you'd like an entry form mailed to you. Or entry forms may be downloaded here. The deadline for entries is July 15th. Rowr!
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Larry Parrish vs. D’Army Bailey: When Worlds Collide
Larry Parrish is a former federal prosecutor who hauled porno stars into court in Memphis in the 1970s. D’Army Bailey is a judge in Circuit Court and a former college radical in Berkeley California in the 1970s.
Parrish played himself in a documentary film about the porno flick Deep Throat. Bailey played a judge in the 1999 made-in-Memphis movie The People v. Larry Flynt about the publisher of Hustler magazine.
Parrish is running against Bailey in the August 3rd election. Judging by an affidavit Parrish attached to a lawsuit filed in Circuit Court, the race should be a beauty. To read more of this juicy little tale, click headline.
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Doh!
It’s nice to be publicly recognized by your superiors at work — unless you happen to be an undercover police officer. Last week, Sheriff Mark Luttrell’s office sent out a press release to local media commending 431 Shelby County Sheriff’s Office employees for perfect attendance in 2005, naming each. Today, the sheriff’s office sent out another release asking media not to include the names of those employees working in the gang and narcotics bureaus. Seems it’s not cool to narc out a narc — even if they do show up every day.
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David Gest Sued By Employee
The New York Post reports on a lawsuit filed against David Gest by a former employee. The story includes some eye-popping allegations. Read it here.
Read the Flyer interview with Gest conducted soon after he moved to Memphis here.
Politics
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Benjamin Hooks Speaks
"I get mad when people say we have made no progress," the longtime civil rights leader told the annual banquet of the Knights of Pythias and Court of Calanthe at the Comfort Inn. "There is a black sheriff in Jackson (David Woolfork), a black mayor in Memphis (W.W. Herenton) and that's just a sample of the inroads that have been made. There is progress and to say otherwise is to say that Martin King died in vain and the NAACP stood idle."
So said former NCAAP leader and Memphian Benjamin Hooks while speaking to a church group in Jackson, Tennessee. To read more of Hooks' comments, go here.
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Bush Blues
This website offers a fascinating map of the United States that charts the month by month transition of red states to blue since the 2004 presidential election. Tennessee, for example, has gone from 14 percent approval for President Bush to a negative 23 percent.
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DIXON GUILTY ON ALL 5 COUNTS!
Former state senator Roscoe Dixon was convicted Thursday on all five counts in his bribery and conspiracy trial in federal court.
A jury of seven whites and five blacks deliberated a day and a half before delivering the verdict Thursday afternoon. Dixon was the first Memphis defendant to go to trial in Operation Tennessee Waltz. Jurors listened to five days of testimony including several hours of secretly recorded video and audio tapes.
Speaking to reporters outside the federal building afterwards, Dixon and his attorney, Coleman Garrett reiterated the entrapment defense which jurors rejected.
Dixon will be sentenced later. He praised Garrett and said he was “glad” he decided to testify. He encouraged other defendants in Tennessee Waltz to go to trial so people can “see how the government acted." He said the government is trying to “steamroller a generation of black leadership in Memphis.”
Garrett also encouraged other defendants to fight.
“I believe in the final analysis if everyone will stand up on their hind legs and fight back, this thing can still be turned around,” he said.
For more reviews and updates, go here.
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Roscoe Gets Game (Briefly)
Pinned against the ropes, former senator and accused felon Dixon tried to play Rocky Balboa.
We Recommend
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We Recommend
June 8-14, 2006
Music
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American Music: Photographs by Annie Leibovitz
Traveling from juke joints to Graceland, legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz has been photographing musical performers for more than 30 years. If you haven't gotten over to the Brooks Museum to check out this exhibition, you're missing a remarkable experience. The more than 70 photographs include images of B.B. King, the late Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, Etta James, and Dolly Parton, as well as Eminem, Dr. Dre, the White Stripes, a Stax Records reunion, and Emmy Lou Harris (left).
For more info, go here.
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"Two 6 Mafia" Just Doesn't Have the Same Ring to It
According to MemphisRap.com, Three 6 Mafia founders Juicy ‘J’ and DJ Paul have split up with their longtime collaborator, Crunchy Blac, a rapper whose solo debut has been on the Three 6 back-burner for a few years now. But we have to wonder whether the menacing Blac wasn’t deemed a poor fit for the new post-Oscar crossover-friendly Three 6 Mafia.
Blac now joins a long list of exiled Mafiosi, including Koopsta Knicca and female rappers Gangsta Boo and La Chat. You can read more about the break-up here.
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Jerry Lee Lewis in a Box
On Tuesday, June 13, Time-Life records will release "Jerry Lee Lewis: A Half Century of Hits" to inaugurate its "Legends of American Music" series. The Killer oversaw production of the CD, which will include more than 60 tracks, including some unreleased songs and a recording of an argument with Sam Phillips about religion.
For more, including a complete listing of songs on the discs, go here.
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Stax Kids To Perform At Italian Festival
Fourteen students from the Stax Music Academy will depart Memphis on June 26th to open festivities for the 19th Annual Porretta Soul Festival in Porretta Terme, Italy. The trip is the first-ever Stax Music Academy Summer Tour Presented by FedEx.
Founded in 1988 by Porretta Terme native Graziano Uliani as a tribute to the late Stax Records legend Otis Redding, the Porretta Soul Festival takes place in the town’s Rufus Thomas Park.
The students will perform elsewhere and will then travel to London. The festival will also feature Memphis Horns legend Wayne Jackson, James Govan & the Rum Boogie Blues Band, Charlie Wood, The Neville Brothers, and New Orleans queen of soul Irma Thomas.
For more info on the festival, go here.
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Going with the Flow
Al Kapone is keeping it real and keeping busy.
Film
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Fond Farewell
Robert Altman and Garrison Keillor bid an unsentimental adieu to vanishing culture.
Art
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Mischief Maker
Greely Myatt's "Lapses To Kill" at David Lusk.
Sports
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Hubie Knows B-Ball
Those tuning in for ABC’s broadcasts of the NBA Finals have received a healthy dose of hoops wisdom from color analyst and former Grizzlies coach Hubie Brown. Memphis fans are already familiar with Brown’s basketball acumen, having witnessed the Hall of Famer turn a moribund Grizzly franchise into a playoff team. To read a recent interview with Brown, including his memories of the ABA, go here.
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’Birds of the Future
With the last-place Memphis Redbirds’ embarrassing 18-2 loss in Albuquerque Thursday night, it’s time for local baseball fans to officially begin looking at the future. And what better way than to check out the newest members of the Cardinal family? Read here about St. Louis’ top pick in the 2006 draft — pitcher Adam Ottavino — and start counting the days till he takes the mound at AutoZone Park.
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Do You Feel a Draft?
With the NBA draft barely two weeks away (June 28), SI.com’s Chris Ekstrand takes a player-by-player look at the league’s recent pre-draft camp. The last player in his scouting report is Memphis Tiger guard Darius Washington. Check out Ekstrand’s take here.
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"Air" is Out of Here
The Nashville Star Gazette is reporting that the Tennessee Titans have traded their longtime quarterback, Steve McNair, to the Baltimore Ravens.
"We have granted permission to Baltimore to give Steve McNair a physical, which we expect to take place in the next 24 hours," the team said in a statement. "Upon passing a physical, final trade terms will be agreed upon." To read more, go here.
Food & Wine
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Little Ethiopia
The Blue Nile's tasty African cuisine finds a home in Collierville.
Opinion
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Letter from the Editor
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution, Take a bow for the new revolution, Smile and grin at the change all around ...
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Collateral Damage
The "stress of combat" and other issues.
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"Big Dog on the Porch"
The chilling truth is how much worse Roscoe Dixon's corruption could have gotten.
THIS WEEK'S ISSUE
