Hello fans, this week is crazy for me cuz I was in class most of this week for my job at the Water Geyser that took most of my time. So I am posting Reto-bitz of what was happening around this time last year in the 06 for this week. I will try and have a new post by Tuesday Nov. 20 before the Turkey Day Holidaze. But don’t be surprised if I slip up and put some update before that time. HOLA BLOGGER FANS, Ma’atology here one more gain for ya and tryin to shake you up like the Japanese earthquake this week!So, like Aretha say back in the day, “Lets jump-jump-jump to it.”Last Friday was Veteran’s Day and from what I heard, especially locally, people didn’t really come out and parade like they did for the St. Louis Cardinals World Series victory. So what is that really saying? Sports Yay! War Nay?But I digress….A big news story has broke here in my neck of the woods in Belleville involving a desolate man, his in-laws, the Belleville police and the mayor. Man, Hollywood couldn’t write a script this juicy….For those who haven’t heard or read (unless you were living in the valley somewhere or not in the STL area) in Belleville “tent” resident Larry Sicka (SEEN IN MUGSHOT ABOVE) went on a family rampage this week by stabbing to death his ex in-laws Henry (who who lying in the grass of their front yard) and Dolores Kahle , at their Swansea home on Thursday afternoon(luckilly the wife had called 911 before her demise) . Then, on the next day, then went to another in-law‘s in Edwardsville and tried to kill her, but without such luck when she called the police which yielded to his feeling to Bellville at someone’s’ resident taking someone hostage near St. Elizabeth’s Hospital (they had that area police barricaded). Before taking the person hostage,
Sicka, (MAN, WHAT A NAME FOR A SICK MAN-- SICK-A), who repeatedly was living in a tent, shot at Belleville police, shooting one police officer, Sgt. John Borough (who was in recovery and out of critical condition as of this writing) in the face the next day. \A few hours later, Sicka fatally shot himselfThen, Illinois State Police examined the way Belleville police handled the standoff (YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS—SOMEONES GETTING FIRED) that led to the shootout. Investigators are currently determining what, if anything, went wrong with the police department's plan or its execution and how a similar result could be avoided.Meanwhile, family, friends and fellow Belleville police officers kept a vigil which began last Saturday for Brough (SEEN IN PIC) at the critical care waiting room at St. Louis University Hospital (As of this writing, he was till in critical condition) . Belleville police Chief Dave Ruebhausen described Brough, a 22-year veteran of the force, as a proud member of the department's honor guard.Then, Belleville Police Chief Dave Ruebhausen was placed on paid administrative leaveThe move by Mayor Mark Eckert comes three days after a police sergeant was critically wounded in a standoff downtown. The mayor at first said that the move was not because of the incident.WINK WINK.But now he is saying if people reviewed the tape, they would fire him, too.OK, but the man is on PAID leave, so I’m sure Reub ain’t crying too loud. Man, talk about the domino theory . And all of this stemmed from Sicka’s wife Robin plans to divorce him. According to reports, Larry Sicka's wife got their divorce finalized four days before he allegedly stabbed to death his in-laws (her parents) , but Sicka was unaware that the marriage was legally over, his attorney said.. Now you know some Hollywood producer is just salivating for the rights of this plot. I can just imagine what this movie of the week would be titled something like, “Out of Law.”
On the STL Side, the big stories dealt with the random violence that occurred at the Galleria mall and Club Plush on the same day last Saturday. On the Club Plush incident, 22-year-old Charles Hogans was fatally shot early last Sunday, moments after he and another man were thrown out of a nightclub for fighting, police said. The shooting happened at Plush in the St. Louis Union Station complex.OH BOY HERE WE GO.Hogans, 22, was shot several times about 2:30 a.m. in a parking lot off 20th Street behind Plush, police said. Just before he was killed, Hogans and another man fought in the crowded club, and Plush security guards made them leave, police said. Moments later, shots rang out, and Hogans was found wounded. He apparently was on his way to his car when he was shot Homicide detectives assume that the killer was the man with whom Hogans had fought. Police say they got only a sketchy description of the man and could find no witnesses to the shooting as of this writing.UH, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE HOOD WHERE IT’S ILLEGAL TO SNITCH.As a result, Club Plush surrendered its liquor license the day after a patron was shot and killed and is now is closed. This is the latest black club causality in the STL. The last was Club Formula, on Washington AVE, closing its doors last month from a killing of a bouncer.(Side note. This club was going to close regardless of the violent incident due to my source that said the club was planning on closing before the end of this year.)Then, there have been violence and death happening at On Nov. 5, when a man was shot to death inside the front doorway of the Royal Palace Lounge, at 4266 Natural Bridge Avenue. On Nov. 11, St. Louis police officers working as security guards for Spruill's Nightclub at 1100 North Jefferson Avenue wounded four men after they critically wounded a man near the club. On Sept. 24, a police officer working as a security guard for Spruill's, wounded a man who had just shot another man on the club's parking lot.What is really going on here? Is it the environment that’s brooding this as far as the type of crowds that is starting all this ISH. I think the problem is that these black clubs first start off as THE UPSCALE club of the STL, with the grown up folks, then club owners want their hands scratched with more scratch and let anybody and everybody in them resulting in certain types coming in trying to tear the club up. At first, Plush was dubbed the new premiere upscale club when it opened about three years ago, but then the riff raff started coming in and giving the police constant mileage to their spot.The only black nightclubs that are still open are Dreams (where I’m sure the riff will be trekking to) and The Loft, the only upscale black club in the STL. Its going to be interesting how these two clubs will handle this wave of black clubs and violence and close outs.
Now the malling in the mall.A tiff on a basketball court a mile away led to a weekend brawl in the food court of the St. Louis Galleria, authorities said Monday as they sorted out the details and worked on new safeguards. One is to enforce a "zero-tolerance" policy on rowdy behavior at the mall, in Richmond Heights, through the holiday season.PATRONS BETTER HAVE THEIR MONEY!Police say participants detained from fights Saturday evening range in age from 13 to 20 and attend several schools across the area. Nobody was hurt, and no weapons were involved.The problem started between two juveniles after a pick-up basketball game at the Clayton Center earlier in the day, said Richmond Heights police. Their fistfight sparked dozens more among young people at the mall."The incident ... should not be a reflection of our commitment to the safety and well-being of the millions of shoppers that come to St. Louis Galleria every year," said Jennifer Koch, a spokeswoman.CAN WE SAY SPIN THE (PUBLIC RELATIONS) BOTTLE?Four adults were charged with ordinance violations of disorderly conduct and assaulting a law enforcement officer. Five juveniles were referred to St. Louis County Family Court. (I almost witness this myself, but I will get to that when I report on my out town travels later on)Then, at West County Mall in Des Peres, a woman got robbed at gunpoint.Of course the directors at both malls are saying that it is Ok to come to the mall. Yeah the holidaze are here! SO you know they aint gonna stop folks from comin in the malls to make their registers go ching ching, regardless of of the circumstances.
In National newz................There was a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this week in the Nations Capitol for a memorial honoring slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., The memorial, to be built roughly a half-mile from the Lincoln Memorial, where King gave his historic speech, will be the first to honor an African American on the Mall. Dubya, who gave a speech before jetting off to Asia for a week long trip of smiles and Democracy relations, joined former President Clinton and a host of civil rights figures and members of Congress to celebrate the monument to be built not far from where King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in August of 1963. Among those present for the ceremony were Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey and the Rev. Jesse Jackson and several members of Congress. This is definitely a long time comin’ but as Sam Cook say, “A Change is Gonna Come.”
And the R&B world is mourning the loss of yet another giant in the biz when Gerald Levert, died last Friday at his Ohio home at the age of 40 from a heart attack stemming from heart disease. Gerald Levert had a heart attack in his sleep. This was definitely a shock. I recall going to see him in concert at the Fox in 2002, when he, Luther Vandross (which is eerie, BTW), Angie Stone and opener Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams performed. He didn’t have that ego driven attitude from that concert cause he was the only artist who walked of stage and walked around the floor area of the Fox to greet his fans (with tight security around him of course) and how the females showered him with love.NPR 's News and Notes did a tribute to the late singer, they ended it with the remake of Wind Beneath My Wings that he sang with his father, Eddie Levert of the OJAys. Man, it was so heartbreaking especially that it was reported that they were more best friends than father and son. He will be greatly missed, but his music lives forever.There will be a memorial for Levert as well. Stevie Wonder, Johnny Gill and Angie Stone are among the artists scheduled to perform at a musical tribute organized for Gerald Levert. The memorial, titled Celebration of Life, was organized by the late singer’s family and will take place in Levert’s Cleveland hometown at 12 p.m. Friday (Nov. 17) at the Cleveland Music Hall. Also scheduled to perform is Gerald's younger brother Sean, who sang with him as a member of the R&B trio LeVert.Fans attending the ceremony will be admitted on a first come, first served basis, reports Billboard. Donations in Levert's name can be made to the R&B Foundation.Meanwhile, preliminary autopsy results reveal that mild to moderate heart disease may have caused the singer's heart attack, but a final determination may not be available up to eight weeks, according to Billboard.At the time of his death, Levert had completed a new album that was due to be released in February. He also finished work on his first book, "I Got Your Back," which he co-wrote with his father Eddie Levert, Sr., and St. Louis bred author Lyah LeFlore.
Then, we lost yet another soldier….Before I was going to press last week, I snuck in about Ed Bradley passing last Thursday as well at age 65 from leukemia. I don’t think No one knew how sick he was. He was a true revolutionarian in the journalism biz. He was not scared to push the buttons on controversial topics and figures in the world of entrainment, violence and politics.I recall enjoying listening to his NPR segment "Jazz at Lincoln Center." on Sunday mornings especially when I was doing supervisor security work for my dad’s company when he had a contract at Pilgrim rest Church on Bond Ave in Alorton about five years ago and I would listen to his show as I watched over the parking lot. He also won 19 Emmys! That is a historic feat (I'm sure 60 Minutes will get an Emmy for their moving tribute to Bradley last week) Then there was an issue about the earring he sported in his left ear. It was revolutionary for a very conservative journalism field, and he was accepted with it. Bradley was a jazz fanatic and it showed in his cool, improving style of interviewing people. He was definitely a genius.News coverage msnbc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpa53VChwjM
And now to the disturbing…I know y’all heard about this new book and TV special that O.J. Simpson got going.The taped interview was conducted by publisher Judith Regan, who is putting out a book Simpson wrote in which he "hypothetically describes how the murders would have been committed," Fox TV said The interview will be the basis for a two-part Fox special, tentatively titled "O.J. Simpson: If I Did It, Here's How It Happened," airing on November 27 and November 29, Fox said. The book, "If I Did It," goes on sale this month, too.
In regards to the show, according to panachereport.com, Simpson allegedly broke down in tears while taping a TV special when he was asked to read a chapter from his new book recounting the night his ex-wife Nicole and Ron Goldman were killed. At one point, Simpson stopped taping and said, "I can't do this. I can't have my kids hear me say this." After a short break, he continued.What is really going on here? First his reality show, Juiced (liked Punk’d) now this. What’s next, a record deal? This is too way out on many levels (and you know we are gonna look at it. LOL)................................
Did y’all peep out that rush job of a BET Hip-Hop Awards held at the Fox Theatre earlier this week and was TAPED for TV this past Wednesday (GEE, I WONDER WHY?) in Atlanta? BET must really be desperate for another awards hit like the BET Awards. This production seemed and looked rushed and just put together (especially the monstrosity of a red carpet pre-show). Luckily some of the rap kings were in attendance (Busta Rhymes, Diddy, Snoop and Jay Z) to give it cred. But before I get into some of the WHY’S on this event, is it me or did every artist who performed or presented was from the ATL where the event was held. The only great moments were the host, comedian Katt Williams dynamic take on the State of Hip Hop Address, BET winner Chamillionaires’s humbleness while accepting his awards, the taped Cipher Rounds with various new school rappers, UNk’s highlighted Walk it Out performance with a ton of dancers and the Legacy Award given to Grandmaster Flash who schooled everyone about the importance of deejays in hip hop
The rest of the show is WORDZ to the WHYZ. Why was pre-show commentator Toccara shouting in the mike when she interviewed the celebrities? And why did her co-host Project Runway finalist Michael Knight seemed lost in the interview segments? Why did Tyrese run and jump into the Red carpet ropes to get to the fans? Why wasn’t Janet there with Jermaine Dupri (Bow Wow was his date)? Why was Keyshia Cole wearing ducks on her boots? Why did the camera keep showing (a very high) Snoop in the audience standing up dancing? Why wasn’t there any female rappers performing (and only Missy was nominated for anything?)? Why did Busta say he would “bust rappers’ asses” who come off whack if he is on the bill with them?
Why didn’t Katt Williams jump on the Birdman-Lil Wayne kiss with a joke? (The only jokes he really did was saying Rick Ross looked like a yellow bus with his yellow gear on and warning the crowd not to take gadgets on a plane referring to Snoop and his own arrest) Why did Young Jeezy have women on poles emulating a strip joint during his performance?
The last two are about The Game, who needs to take an ego pill. Why did he get on stage after performing talking about the beef between him and Dre and that he was cool with Jay Z (it caused Jay Z to have a stunned look on his face when the camera zoomed in on him)? And why did game say he was the king of hip-hop right now? (Hello, can you say Ludacris, T.I?)
OK… on to my out town travels last week.I didn’t do much last weekend. I think I was still overextended form the five-day tour of events I did last weekend. What I did do was do some scouting for models and clothing sponsors for my upcoming "masculine show project” asking guys if they were models or would like to model and going to various clothing stores if they would be interested in donating their clothes for the show. I did my scouting at the St. Clair Square Mall in Fairview heights and the Galleria Mall in Bridgeton. I talked to some potential guys so hopefully they will come to my auditions this weekend. I left just in time cause a few hours later, the melee with the young adults that broke out up in the mall occurred but I left after 5 p.m.
There also were three odd occurrences that happened this week as well that I found interesting.One day when I was getting gas at the neighboring Phillips 66 in Belleville, there was this male/female thug couple who was standing in line to pay for their items. When the guy asked to get a cigar blunt, the cashier was laughing and looking out the window at his colleague who was taking a smoke. I was wondering what the holdup was with him ringing them up. In the meantime, the thug couple started pairing off in Chris Tucker, "Friday" dialogue (expletives and all) and then I found out why they were so long paying their items--they were paying them with a heap of pennies! One sista that was behind me in lien even volunteered to pay their bill with their credit card due to her getting stressed over the situation. This was too classic for words.
The other odd situation was when I went to the gym at Bally in Clayton and as I walked upstairs to the weight area. There was a flash of light that struck as though it was lighting in the building. Now mind, you, the space was already lit, but I kept seeing flashed of light. I got up closer and it was a sista who was taking digital pics of this guy working out! She was in regular clothes and he was in work out clothes. Was this a photo shoot or something? All I got from that was she was his wife and she was taking picks of him for some reason.Then I had a 5 dollar bill in my billfold and it had on the back of it a note that was written by this sexually-driven girl who wrote, she "would fuck anything moving" and had her home and cell phone numbers on the bill! Man talk about free circulated adverting! I’m pretty sure whoever received that bill somebody stored her number in their celly before spending the bill. (Present company excluded. LOL)
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