OUT 327 a--STL-TIDBITZ

As a reminder, OUTTOWN is posted every Hump day!


What the H-E-double L happened to the weather? On Tuesday, one moment its mid 70s then the same day its in the 20s ! A 50 degree change in a matter for hours! . the drastic change caught all of us by surprise. It was fa sho a surprise and set a record of the barometer dropping in the fastest amount of time. Meanwhile 1,000s of Ameren UE customers on both side of the Sippu are waiting for their power to be turned on after the heavy heavy winds blew through the area.).

Beside the weather, looks like politics local and national are the talk of the STL town this week. Starting off with St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay’s crusade to tell US his point of view of getting booed at the MLK parade with protestors led by Tauheed Youth Founder Anthony Shahid (SEEN IN KKK OUTFIT) last week. This past Sunday, protest head, Shahid called in to the Freeman Bosley Junior Show (FREEMAN PIC ABOVE) on 100.3 The Beat to report that the boycott of black organizations coming in to the city to have conferences has gone nationwide (It started first with the National Society of Black Engineers and their 6 month trial period they had with Mayor Slay) on whether to join the boycott). Black organizations have rallied in not supporting coming to the STl for conferences unless the racial divide is rectified.All this stemmed form Mayor Slay’s decision to oust former and first Afrcian American Fire Chief Sherman George after George refuse d to promote firefighters after his decision that the firefighter placement tests were racially biased. Later on in the radio show, Slay said that he did not want to see George get ousted which led to Bosley Show personality Pat Washington to say, “This is the first time Ive ever heard you say this.” Then Slay’ responded ,”Ive said that before he was removed from office.” (paraphrase). In a nutshell, Slay, came on the show to try and inject damage control of the protest situation and that he was a supporter of George. Because Slay called in ten minutes before the show was to end, Bosley said that he was going to feature Slay this coming up Sunday so he can get more in depth of this public fiasco.

In related news, OUTTOWN, went onto Slay’s blog and this is what Slay had to write about the public vocal melee that occurred on the MLK event:

A few of you have emailed me about [yesterday’s] MLK Day event downtown. A moment intended to celebrate a great person’s life was spoiled by some hecklers repeating (loudly) their complaints about the Fire Department. It was quite a contrast to the great reception I received at another event yesterday which did not receive news coverage: an address to members of a national African American church meeting in St. Louis, the Church of God in Christ (COGIC).,.


Ever since Chief George retired, I have been talking and listening to people, both African American and white, about the months of discussions, negotiations, and (ultimately) impasse that led up to his demotion; and, more importantly, about how we can move our City forward and build on our great progress. I am very encouraged by what I am hearing. Certainly, some people initially disagreed with or were confused by what happened. Some still are. But, a majority of people in St. Louis, including many who continue to disagree with me about Chief George, want the City to advance a common agenda. They want more economic opportunities, safer neighborhoods, and better schools for all residents. And they want one St. Louis Fire Department — not one African American fire department and one white fire department.It is way too easy these days to call someone with whom you disagree a racist.



Not every disagreement over policy, even if it involves people of different races, is racial. But, we also cannot ignore racial disparities where they exist. There are two things I am not going to do: I am not going to encourage counter-protests because we need to unite, not further divide. And, I am not going to choose the events I attend based on whether or not there are going to be some shouters present. I am mayor of the whole City.Mayors accumulate friends and enemies. It’s a tough job, and I think I am pretty good at it. Yesterday, the detractors were on TV.




OuCH. Those are some tuff words coming from the Mayor. Well, in the long run, St. Louis is a racial divide and something must be done –and, to be honest recalling Slay will not help the bigger problem.

In other politics going on in the STL, several politicians and family members of politicians who are running for the 2008 Presidential seat have come through or will be coming through the STL area before the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday primaries in the STl and the East Side. First up was the Clinton’s daughter Chelsea Clinton coming through the STL area Monday to speak to students in the MU community. Clinton's target audience was college students at four campuses around Missouri. Her aim, she said, was to "make my mom and her campaign more accessible" to young voters who might not be aware of all Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, has to offer. Clinton delivered no speech. Instead, the 27-year-old launched into lengthy question-and-answer sessions with students who packed the commons area at the University of Missouri-St. Louis' Millennium Center, and later at Kayak's Coffee near Washington University. Earlier, she stopped at the University of Missouri in Columbia and near Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.

Bill was here, too! At SIUE. Former US President Bill Clinton , as of this wriitng will be at my alma mater Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. Sent by the presidential campaign of Clinton's wife, U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, Clinton is supposed to attend a "Solutions for America" event at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday in the Dunham Hall Theater. Cirtics have been saying that Bill is destroying Hillarys chances by overshadowing her campaign and may cause her the Democratic nomincation. Well, we will see after SuperTuesday what will happen. To peep his visit go to http://www.alestlelive.com/ as more information is available. Also on the Dems tour is Ill. Sen. Barak Obama whose camp says will make his first appearance to STL in 08 (he came through the STL in August for the Urban league Conference and the Countown to Change at Union Station in November of last year). As of this writing, no further details were given as to where and when (all was said was the time which is 9 in the MORN)the Presidential hopeful will be arriving but its FREE and OPEN to the public. But after his big endorsement of the American poltical royal family the Kennedys I’m sure his arrival will be like a rock concert!On the GOP side, Two of the leading Republican candidates for president — Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee — announced stops in Missouri this week in their quest for campaign money and votes. Huckabee held a news conference Tuesday at in Jefferson City, and then attended a private fundraiser in St. Louis. McCain is headlining a public rally at 2 p.m. Friday at JetDirect Aircraft Services, 18190 Edison Avenue, at Spirit of St. Louis Airport.

Looks like my alma mater SIUE is getting quite a buzz this week with new newz that former President BilL Clinton comin to the university but two other newz items have also been circulating the school involving hedonistic and police ish. On Sunday, the Illinois State Police arrested one person for allegedly stabbing a 20-year-old male in the hand and charged another 36 people, mostly SIUE students, for illegal consumption of alcohol by a minor on a party bus after their return from a bar in St. Louis. The group was part of the coed “frarority”Alpha Sigma Sigma, an anti-Greek organization formed on the campus. Illinois State Police said they received a 911 call from an individual on the bus reporting the stabbing incident while on Interstate 255 heading toward Edwardsville. The bus pulled over in Pontoon Beach, where it was met by police officers and an ambulance. The 36 were issued notices to appear and released. Of those 36, 30 are listed as students in the SIUE online directory. Also, former porn star Ron Jeremy (PICTURED ABOVE) Former porn star and actor Ron Jeremy, who has starred in over 1,800 adult films, came to SIUE this past Tuesday to defend his profession to a standing room only crowd on the campus But most students didn't join the overflow crowd in the campus' 700-seat banquet hall for an academic discussion. They came to see Jeremy. The school newspaper has run articles for weeks. A Facebook group was created. By 5 p.m., 538 had confirmed they would attend, and another 222 were maybes. He debated the pros and cons of pornography with recovered porn addict Michael Leah who lost his marriage and job to his obsession. Campus Activities Board Director Michelle King said the student based group decided to bring this event to campus based on the success of the "Heads vs. Feds" marijuana legalization debate last year, as well as the controversial subject matter and Jeremy's notoriety. The debate, which has toured colleges across the country, including the University of Missouri-St.Louis in November, has some students interested. SIUE police was present in case anyone got out of line.

To Watch video footage online go to http://www.alestlelive.com/ (Don’t fret, no flesh will be shown. LOL)

In other school drama, Missouri will have only six scholarship players for this Wednesday night’s game against Nebraska following the suspension of five players who violated team rules by being at a Columbia nightclub early Sunday morning.Senior guard Stefhon Hannah (SEEN IN PIC) was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken jaw after being struck by an unknown object outside Athena Nightclub in Columbia. Coach Mike Anderson suspended him indefinitely Tuesday, along with Jason Horton, Marshall Brown, Darryl Butterfield and Leo Lyons. Hannah is expected to miss the rest of the regular season because of his injury.All of the suspended players are either starters or key reserves.

KMOX Radio/Donnybrook personality Charlie Brennan on his radio show Tuesday had an interesting debate on should St. Louis native rock veteran Chuck Berry receive a statue in his honor in St. Louis despite his checkered life with sex scandals. Brennan felt as though the rock and roll pioneer should have one base don the fact that he was one of the creator of Rock and Roll (He even quoted the late pop musician John Lennon famous quote of “If we changed the name of Rock and Roll, it should be Chuck Berry.” ) Brennan wants to rally up STlers to raise 80 grand to try and get a statute erected in Berry’s honor. He also went on to say that St. Louis has honored other people who had a checkered past including aviator StL native Charles Lindbergh with a street and airplane artifacts at Lambert Airport (who was a bigamist) and Mrs. Grant of Grant’s Farm (who had slaves even through the Civil War).Brennan also said that other cities , nationally and internationally, have honored Berry with accolades (as well as other STl area natives blues pioneer WC Handy and jazz pioneer Miles Davis ) so why Berry is not acknowledged in his own hometown who still performs to this day who in his 80s. Well the callers POV ranged from Berry shouldn’t get honored because of his checkered past and that people like Lindburgh was honored long before people knew of his scandalous life. Well, if I have to put my two cents in this debate. To me , it just seems as though St. Louis has a hard time acknowledging and awarding African American contributions albeit in music, politics , or the like (Remember former STL Mayor Clarence Harmon refused to give hip-hop superstar Nelly as key to the city?)...........................Freeman Bosley Junior Show news, personality Pat Washington put in a call for the STl community last Sunday on the radio show to help in the clean up efforts for the The Browns family, the family that was devastated by the incident that caused three young children to be in critical condition in the hospital with near fatal injuries after a car hit their house a few weeks back in the Riverview area in St. Louis. Washington is gathering a Clean Up Committee and for those who were interested, can email her at misspat247@yahoo.com

St. Louis bred comedian Cedric The Entertainer was sitting on the coach to the Oprah Winfrey Show Monday along with comedians Martin Lawrence and Monique to discuss their film, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.” On the show, Cedric on said he has wanted to work with Martin again ever since they performed onstage live in Def Comedy Jam. "I had a small part in [Big Momma's House], and so we had this relationship. "He's one of the greatest." Cedric plays the role of Clyde, an ultracompetitive cousin to Lawrence’s Jenkins character. The film opens nationwide this weekend..........................What was up with the The Loft on lockdown last Saturday? According to sources, the cops and patio wagons came though the popular nightclub after a fight and some shost ring out inside the club. Come to find out there was some one who got stabbed up in there and that some thundercat caused a fight with the Ruff Riders Bike Motorcycle Club that were up in the club. After the police scoped the place, the clubbers continued partying. But the question now is for how long? OUTTOWN does not know if these incidents were related, but one thing for sure, this doesn’t look good for the Loft that has been open since 2005.When something like this happen, its just a matter of time that the end is near for this hot spot (eg. Club Formula and the stabbing and death of a security guy outside the club in late 2006).............. Speaking of hot spots closing doors, OUTTOWN got a report that yet another hot spot has closed its doors. Balabans in the Central West End closed shop this week.

STL Rapper Vandalyzm is having an CD listening party for his CD Megatron Majorz that will be held Feb. 14 at the Old Rock House in Soulard. Officially released Dec. 18 Vandazlym was featured in a provocative interview in the RiverfrontTimes earler this year and in the article he spoke about his style on the CD. He said, “"I set out to make an album that was so good people would hate me, to the point where they'd think that I'm a villain. So I thought, 'Why not be the most badass villain that I know: Megatron?' So I went ahead with that. My alias is V-Majorz, so it became Van Megatron Majorz. If you don't like it, fuck you." The album's eighteen tracks according to the RFT critics, “decry the stigma of the post-Nelly era in St. Louis hip-hop, dumbed-down lyrics, and emcees who brag without the street cred to back up their boasts.” Finally someone not afraid to tell the truth about the hip-hop scene. You go, you go! .......................Why does Fox 2 News reporter Roche Madden always ends his news stories saying FOX 2 News with a heavy emphasis on the word “FOX?”…………… Did “This Bitch is Crazy” author Tracy Foster ever have her baby?…………Congrats are in store for former St. Louis American freelance writer Katrina McKissic-Kerr. She and her husband are expecting a child this year, She is over two months pregnant........................Happy B-day goes out to Majic 104.9 perosonality BJ the DJ who will be celebrating his b0day today, Wednesday. He will celebrate at "Studio Blue" located at Natural Bridge and I-170. Free admission. For more info call him up at 314-415-5772 or email him at bjames@pkwy.k12.mo.us Also Happy 28th B-day to MPAC’s Maranda Witherspoon. She will be celebrating at Nectar this Saturday. To RSvp email her by Feb. 1 at marandaw@hotmail.com.




And lastly, OUTTOWN wants to give its heartfelt sympathies to So Diverse member Lisa whose mother died last week and Franklyn Rogers who was a custodian at the Riverview Gardens District who passed on Wednesday.

IN THE MIA (MISSING IN ACTION) FILE. Where is model Brandon Demps?

BLIND BITZ. Which veteran STL business woman paid a younger male colleague to get “her groove back “ at an STL hotel suite during a recent special event (hint, the business woman is not in politics, the last letters of her name spell out a particular currency , and this hotel hosted this event )