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HOUSTON — Shawnedria McGinty was not sure what to think when she saw the comic book series Memin Pinguin on shelves at her local Wal-Mart. After flipping through the popular Mexican comic book, one word came to mind – racist.

Before starting his recording career, Grammy-winning artist Ne-Yo was a chart topping songwriter for such artists as Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion. He then earned rave reviews for his platinum debut album "In My Own Words." Ne-Yo began writing at an early age and looked to Sammy Davis, Jr. as his idol. He also expresses his creativity through acting, painting and martial arts. He recently played himself in a guest spot on ABC's All My Children, performing a track from his new release, "Year of the Gentleman."

Robert Sebree / AP fileKnown for his edgy, provocative material, George Carlin achieved status as an anti-Establishment icon in the 1970s with stand-up bits full of drug references and a routine called “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television.”

The interview is 45 minutes and I am in the process of listening to it now but she did say it was extremely hard being raised as a biracial child at a time that it was not normal to see biracial families in the 1960s.

• Obama calls absent black fathers to task • Analysis: Obama a symbol of progress, change • Obama crosses historic milestone • Commentary: Obama nomination gives 'goose bumps' • Robert F. Kennedy's legacy to help integrate Ole Miss • Black presidents nothing new to Hollywood • Black preacher sees mostly white faces • Aggressive, drug-resistant breast cancer affects black women • Commentary: Why Americans can't get over race • Transracial adoption: Do whites need training before parenting black children? • White valedictorian: A first for historically black Morehouse • NAACP names youngest president in 99-year history • CNN HBCU Tour: Students share what it means to be black in America • Young People Who Rock: Rissi Palmer is changing the face of country music • HBCUs, business leaders help groom future entrepreneurs • Essence.com: Experts discuss greatest challenges for black Americans in 2008 • Wounds still linger for children of civil rights activists • 'Call My Name' adds color to AIDS quilt • iReport.com: Morehouse student wins HBCU student contest • Essence.com: Washington is ground zero for AIDS outbreaks • North Carolina Central University students say racism still exists • Radio host Michael Baisden on black radio in America • Time.com: How black radio found its voice

A Cuban expatriate, he left his burgeoning career as a jazz-fusion bassist to come to Canada, where there is next to no market for Latin music. He has since reinvented himself as a Spanish-singing guitarist-songwriter with the stage name Alex Cuba, even though his intimate voice isn't the clarion call typical of Cuban front men. His classically trained guitarist father even discouraged him from singing, in favour of Alexis's brother, Adonis, who possesses a sharper salsa voice. **Click to read the rest of the article and please check out www.alexcuba.com**

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New York Gov. David Paterson, who is legally blind, describes how he manages public speeches without notes. Seven-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette talks about putting together her latest CD and trusting the process of making music.

My friend, Justice, and her music group are in the local paper in London. I am really proud of her! I told her I would knock over my penny bank to go to London to see her perform! (Not joking either!) **She is a fan of Maxwell's music too. That is why we get along so well. We understand one another!**

It is with great disappointment that the PRINCE concert scheduled to take place at Croke Park next Monday 16th June 2008 will no longer be taking place due to reasons beyond the control of PRINCE and MCD Productions.

In a Thursday, June 20, 2002 file photo, blues legend B.B. King, left, performs with Bo Diddley at the second anniversary celebration of B.B. King's Blues Club and Grill in New York. A spokeswoman says Diddley died of heart failure Monday, June 2, in Florida. He was 79. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File) (Richard Drew - AP)

An examination by The New York Times of the 2000 census — the first in which information on adoptions was collected — showed that just over 16,000 white households included adopted black children. Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows that the adoption of black children by white couples has gone up each year since 1998, to 26 percent in 2004 from 14 percent.

It looks as though a Twitter user is attempting to republish the Pulitzer Prize-winning saga Roots, one tweet at a time. Several book-oriented Twitter feeds exist, including TwitterLit (literary opening lines) and Twittilate (semi-erotic tales), but this appears to be the first attempt at twittering an entire book.Twittering Alex Haley's groundbreaking story of an African boy brought to the United States in the 1700s is no easy feat.An average binding of the book clocks in at a hefty 736 pages, and though user kuntak is abbreviating the original text somewhat, the task is still a daunting one.We're not sure who is behind it or how far they'll get, but stay tuned. We're keeping our eyes on it as the story unfolds. See also:Twitterverse Overjoyed as Gay Marriage Ban OverturnedTrue Story of a Twitter Marriage ProposalSweetest Tweet Ever? Man Proposes Via Twitter Thank you, to my twitter friend, http://twitter.com/jeanlucr, for sharing this link with me.

Stories about and from police officers, updated daily, from both the US and Canada. Photos and video are included. There are many sections to choose from, but the Home Page and the News Page are good ones. It even lists officers down that day, which is sad.

AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED Dr. Pepper is saying that they will give everyone in America a can of Dr. Pepper if Axl Rose actually releases Chinese Democracy in 2008. "It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love," said Jaxie Alt, director of marketing for Dr Pepper. "So we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for perfection — for something more than the average album. We know once it's released, people will refer to it as "Dr Pepper for the ears" because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds — an instant classic." [Click the link for more on this story]

One of the biggest threats to US security may now come from within Europe, US Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff has told the BBC. Do you agree?He said militant attacks and plots in Europe over recent years had made the US aware of the "real risk that Europe will become a platform for terrorists". Mr Chertoff said it was likely security checks on travellers from Europe would be increased. He cited deadly bomb attacks on Madrid and London, and a terror alert affecting UK-US flights in August 2006, as well as "people travelling from South Asia and the Middle East into Europe and carrying out attacks there". How serious is the terrorist threat from within Europe? Do you think security measures need to be improved? Have you a personal experience of being affected by increased security measures?Click here to read the main story

He raised concerns about corruption damaging the image of the so-called Beautiful Game but said younger generations could learn from it. The Pope was meeting Italian football professionals and a delegation from the lower division Serie D. The German-born pontiff is said to be a fan of Bavarian giants Bayern Munich. "I'd like the game of football to be a vehicle for the education of the values of honesty, solidarity and fraternity, especially among younger generations," he told the footballing pilgrims.

People had to decide whether to keep money, or give it awaySome people may be genetically destined to have a generous personality, Israeli research has suggested. A total of 203 people took part in an online task in which they could either keep or give away money. Gene tests revealed those who had certain variants of a gene called AVPR1a were on average nearly 50% more likely to give money away.

The global fashion magazine, founded in 1997. It began online but started print editions in 2004.

The lunch lines weren't moving fast enough for Linda Stoll, head of food programs at the Boulder Valley, Colo., school district. Because of that, kids had barely enough time to sit and eat before the lunch period was over. So, last year, Stoll began looking for ways to speed up the queue. She discovered that many students, especially kindergarteners, can't remember their six-digit ID number, which they're required to type into keypads at the end of lunch lines. She then found out that there was technology that would allow a scanner to identify a kid qualified for lunch with the swipe of a finger, moving him or her quickly along. It would help kids who regularly forget their lunch money, and it would potentially remove some of the stigma faced by children who receive special tickets for free or reduced lunch. She proposed the idea, believing it would be the perfect solution.