Academy Awards Doing Better With African Americans

Forest Whitaker, right, won best actor for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Jennifer Hudson, a former "American Idol" contestant won the best supporting actress award for her debut performance in the musical "Dreamgirls." Eddie Murphy lost for best supporting actor because Hollywood does not like him. Too standoffish.

This was the third year where multiple black actors won Oscars. Denzel Washington ("Training Day") and Halle Berry ("Monster's Ball") in 2002, the first time blacks won both lead-acting prizes. In 2005, Jamie Foxx ("Ray") and Morgan Freeman ("Million Dollar Baby") won Academy Awards. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences includes only 110 African-Americans out of 5,830 members.

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Al Gore's Carbon Neutral Oscar Awards Ceremony

According to Leonardi DiCaprio and Al Gore the 2007 Academy Awards ceremony was carbon neutral - carbon offsets purchased by the Academy from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The Academy reportedly purchased 178 megawatt hours of electricity offsets (emission free production of electricity that substitutes for hydrocarbon produced electricity).

The Academy also used 300 hybrid vehicles to drop stars off at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Avenues. Other symbolic global warming reduction gestures were included in the ceremony. Touchy feel good Hollywood stuff. The Oscar goodie bag contained gift certificates representing 100,000 pounds of greenhouse gas reductions from TerraPass, a "carbon offset retailer." The 100,000 pounds are enough to balance out an average year in the life of an Academy Award presenter. For example, 100,00 pounds is the total amount of carbon dioxide created by 20,000 miles of driving, 40,000 miles on commercial airlines, 20 hours in a private jet and a large house in Los Angeles. The credits are based on wind power and other alternatives. (New York Post)

Of course, the film tha Al Gore narrated, "An Inconvenient Truth" received the Oscar for Best Documentary. Of course, advertising the problem does nothing to reduce it.

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AAEA Offers 'Authentic Black' Certificates

The Washington Informer

Barack Obama has initiated an old discussion about what it means to be Black (better capitalize it). This issue has been debated in the past regarding O.J. Simpson, Tiger Woods and Michael Jackson, among others. We have developed a 'Certification of Black Authencity' so that poeple will have an objective measure.

Please answer the questions below with a 'yes' or a 'no' to describe yourself. If you qualify, we will send you a certificate upon your request. You will have to provide your own frame.

1. Articulate
2. Educated
3. Aspire to be middle-class or higher
4. Dress well
5. Pious
6. Polite
7. Neat
8. Organized
9. Generous
10. Peaceful

If you answered 'yes' to at least 7 of the questions, then you are an authentic Black. To order your certificate click HERE. Leave you address at the email and the certificate will be mailed to you.

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Punxsutawney Phil Did Not See His Shadow in 2007

SPRING IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. The Gobbler's Knob rodent did not see his shadow.

If Punxsutawney Phil, left (the rodent), sees his shadow on February 5, it means there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If he does not see his shadow, then there will be an early spring. In a global warming world, the shadow/no shadow scenario might not make a difference. If things keep going in the direction of recent years, we might not have much of a winter.

"This Groundhog is never going to stop if he keeps seeing his shadow; he has to be stopped; and I am the one to stop him" Who said this? And is it an attempt to fight global warming?

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AAEA Prez Denies Romance With Mya

AAEA President Norris McDonald, right, is denying that he has a romantic relationship with the singer/actress Mya, left. Although the Grammy Award winning singer Mya is from Prince George's County, which is home to the AAEA Headquarters, she is not involved with McDonald. He is actually embarassed by the rumor and states, "Mya is a beautiful young woman, but I am too old for her. I do respect her wholesome image even though she did camp it up a bit for "Lady Marmalade" with Pink, Li'l Kim and Christina Aguilera."

McDonald said he would love to record a country song with Mya if she is willing.

Mya Marie Harrison was born October 10, 1979, in Washington, D.C, and is the daughter of an African-American father and Italian mother.

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