Basketball Argument Leads To Killing In Philly!

A West Philadelphia Recreation Center which for years has been a safe haven for neighborhood boys and men turned deadly yesterday afternoon when an argument resulted in two brothers being shot, one of them fatally during a basketball game. One of the 2 brothers, who were not identified, was 23 and killed after being shot in the abdomen. The other brother, 19, was grazed in the head by a stray bullet and subsequently released after being treated at a local hospital.

It seems that no place is safe from violence, and the sad commentary on our country with violence being the easy answer continues. Thanks to the Philadelphia Daily News for the article.

Michael Jackson Finally Buried!

Michael Jackson was finally laid to rest last night at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, CA. The service, which was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. was delayed by the late arrival of the family who arrived in a 26 car procession. Among the estimated 200 guests at the service were Elizabeth Taylor and Quincy Jones. Hopefully Michael can rest in peace now.

Oprah To Dedicate Sept. 16th Show To Michael Jackson!

Oprah Winfrey will dedicate her September 16th show to the memory of the late Michael Jackson, offering clips from her interview with the pop star from 1993. Jackson is scheduled to finally be buried tonight at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Cosby Attempting To Impact Detroit Schools!

Comedian turned education activist Bill Cosby was in Detroit yesterday trying to impact the faltering Detroit Public School System. Cosby walked through the streets of Detroit with school financial manager Robert Bobb promoting the city's "I'm In" campaign urging residents to enroll their children in a school system that has seen declining enrollment in the last decade. The campaign is being spearheaded by a $500,000 marketing blitz according to the Detroit Free Press.

Cosby is doing a good thing by supporting the public school systems throughout our country. It's the only educational option for most children, especially those from impoverished backgrounds. Hopefully Cosby's efforts will not be in vain, and parents will encourage their children to take the educational opportunities seriously and use it as a source for a better and brighter future.

Well At Least Whitney Gave It A Good Try!

Well it looks like Whitney Houston's long awaited comeback may be stalled before it even starts. The New York Daily News reports that Whitney's voice cracked as she sang every song yesterday during a taped performance that will air on "Good Morning America" this morning. The first single from her new album has stalled on the charts and the album released this week is expected to sell in the 200,000 range for the first week. Not a bad debut in these times, but not good numbers for a highly anticipated release.

Whitney blamed her lackluster performance on a taped segment of Oprah which will be shown on September 14th. Unfortunately by then, it may be too late to save her new album from disaster.

Detroit On The Brink Of Financial Ruin!

When Dave Bing took over as mayor of Detroit, he knew that the city was in a financial mess. Now he may be forced to layoff as many as 1,000 workers to offset an $80 million budget shortfall according to the The city is facing a $300 million budget deficit, and declining tax revenues continue to plague the city. Bing is facing some tough decisions that will not be popular according to the Detroit Free Press, including dealing with the various unions if he's forced to layoff workers. Bing has a successful track record as a businessman, so he'll do what's best to keep the city afloat.