News: January 15, 2008: Special Edition
 

Oprah just continues to do IT!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080115/..._oprah_channel

She's starting her own NETWORK!!!

but I love Discovery Health

now after reading the article....I think I'll be pleased. Oprah is really doing "biggest" things

DH really does have too many reruns lol

I saw this on GMA today - GO OPRAH! I know I will be pushing for her network here at work (and will be watching too).

Somehow I wasn't surprised.

GO OPRAH!!!

Eddie and Tracey have split

I didn't know they got married (unofficially).....wow! It is over before I knew it happened.

Johnny Gill says, "WOO HOO, now Eddie can continue to love me the right way."

That was quick!

wonder if Tracey caught Eddie and Johnny in the bed together

Daymn!! I almost fell out of the chair with that one. :D:D

I hope they are just playing with the media and are not this messed up.

First they said it was according to People and it's not on their website (as of this writing). Now they have released a statement that has me :confused:


ETA: People has it now:

http://www.people.com/people/article...171955,00.html

GTO! I haven't read the article, but :rolleyes:

DAYUM!

Patty has some good info....

http://www.wdasfm.com/pages/airstaff/pattyjackson.html

The one about Celebrity Fit Club has me :eek:!

Me too!:eek:

Ummm, why is T.O. so emotional? I believe he is bipolar.:cool:

from Patty's 411....
 

Patty's report is a good one!

I'm surprised about this one....
:eek::eek::eek:

Shhh...don't tell anybody but I LOVE Johnny Mathis. :)

for the jewelry wearers:

By Marilyn Lewis
How would you like a little refund on that diamond nose stud you bought in your wilder days? Or the diamond engagement ring you purchased for your sweetie when you settled down?

If you bought a piece of diamond jewelry -- or jewelry with a diamond in it -- between Jan. 1, 1994, and March 31, 2006, you may be eligible for a refund as part of a recent settlement of a class-action lawsuit alleging that De Beers, the big South African diamond company, had cornered the market for diamonds for decades, keeping prices artificially high.

In settling, De Beers is shelling out $295 million to put the trouble behind it -- $135 million of which is earmarked for consumers rather than wholesalers.

"While we don't accept the allegations, we do believe that settling this suit is in the best interests of our clients, our shareholders and consumers," De Beers says in a statement on its Web site.

How refunds are calculated
Your share, if any, will be small. Everyone has to split the pot, so the size of each refund depends on how many other consumers file claims, and for how much. There could be hundreds of thousands -- even a million -- consumer claims, says Joseph J. Tabacco Jr., the managing partner at Berman DeValerio Pease Tabacco Burt & Pucillo in San Francisco. He's one of the lawyers behind the lawsuit.
Theoretically, a $10,000 diamond ring is eligible for a $4,500 refund. But realistically, lots of competing claims will dilute that payout considerably. There's no way of knowing yet how big a refund the $10,000 purchase could bring, says Tabacco.

Here's how refund eligibility is figured:
Purchase price Maximum claim
Mixed-stones jewelry
Less than $200
6% of the retail price

Mixed-stones jewelry
$200 or more
14.5% of the retail price

Diamonds-only jewelry
Less than $200
10.5% of the retail price

Diamonds-only jewelry
$200 to $999
27.5% of the retail price

Diamonds-only jewelry
$1,000 to $5,499
32% of the retail price

Diamonds-only jewelry
$5,500 to $9,999
38.5% of the retail price

Diamonds-only jewelry
$10,000 or more
45% of the retail price

Loose diamonds
Any and all
59% of the retail price


How to make a claim
Even if the payout is diluted, who doesn't like a bit of cash back? You have until May 19 to make your move. Here's how to do it:
Go online to the settlement site to file a claim online. Or download a .pdf claim form to mail it to the address on the form, postmarked no later than May 19. Or phone 1-800-760-5431 to get a form mailed to you.
Contact the claims administrator if you have questions or need more help: 1-800-760-5431 or administrator@diamondsclassaction.com.


For purchases under $10,000, no receipt is required to make the initial claim, though you may need to produce one later. You'll be asked to confirm on penalty of perjury that your claim is accurate.
For purchases of more than $10,000, include a copy of a document, not the original, showing the jewelry's value and the diamond's cut, clarity, color, number of carats and anything else that helps establish the purchase and price.
If you paid less than $96 for jewelry with diamonds only, or $166 for a piece that includes stones other than diamonds, your refund wouldn't reach the $10 minimum payout, so don't bother. And the refund covers only the diamond, not the other elements in your jewelry, such as the gold, the setting or the labor.

Claim administrators can't yet say when refunds will be mailed out.

The big winners
The suit is one of a string of legal actions that have dogged De Beers over the years. Not long ago the company, founded in 1888 by Cecil Rhodes, controlled as much as 90% of the world's diamond trade.
Victims of the alleged monopoly were anyone who bought diamonds at pumped-up prices, including jewelers, jewelry companies and retail buyers of polished diamonds and diamond jewelry.

When things go wrong, you can get satisfaction without blowing your top. Here's how.
The real winners of the lawsuit are -- surprise!-- the plaintiffs' lawyers, says Rob Bates, senior editor at Jewelers Circular-Keystone, a diamond trade publication. "The only people who are really enriched by this are the lawyers," who stand to collect $20 million to $30 million in fees, as Bates points out in his blog, Cutting Remarks.

"That's kind of pathetic," he says. "That's just the way our legal system works. Consumers aren't going to get a lot."

Recently, De Beers has lost market share to new diamond-mining companies. The competition should have driven prices down, but, Bates says, with no new diamond finds and high demand from China, India and other emerging consumer nations, prices have remained high.

The settlement helps the whole industry, Bates says. "It shows that diamonds are no longer controlled by a cartel. It's a sign of a more modern industry, that people can have greater confidence in the price."

Published Jan. 21, 2008

http://www.wdasfm.com/pages/airstaff/pattyjackson.html

Treneyce--I hope it's not true. He's going to leave you for a (much) younger woman. :p

I wonder why Martin III kept it a secret. At least there is someone to carry on the King legacy after the children are gone.

Jamie--You are a OSCAR winning actor. You don't need to be hosting no VH1 shows (and it is suppose to be Charm School for men, using guys from ILNY). :(

Alright Patty, you need to get the scoop on why a DJ in Greenville just had a baby by Tank and those babies are only a few weeks apart.

Both UBs are obvious.

Ivy Rose is going places...
 

The Ivy Rose Doll will be a part of the Grammy Gift Basket. Below is
the link with the info.

http://www.blackprwire.com/display-news.asp?id=3831

^^I think that is so cool!!

Raheem DeVaughn's CD was released! That CD is FIYAH!!

Honestly, I wonder about that ... especially since I read that Johnny lives with Eddie and Eddie's mom in Eddie's house. Now how can that be necessary?? (am I just late on this?? -- it's the first I heard of it!)

Yeah you are a little late...this came out about 2 years ago or more about Johnny living in his man's (oops I mean eddie's guest house) Johnny was even on the radio here a few years back when this was hot and heavy in the gossip. He was on with Patty Jackson who does the 411, I thought he was going to start crying during the interview while denying that he and Eddie are just friend....he he he

No way! :eek:

lol Thanks for bringing me up-to-date, sistergreek :D

:eek: "my, my, my":cool:

Sports news for SG Steeltrap:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080206/...5.jh_3c.MLMxIF

I think he's been hurt because he's been on that horse too much. :p Also that horse should be hurt himself. Shaq's a big dude.

I've always loved him. :D

Are you okay with that?

^^^
I was thinking the same thing. I can see if certain famous AKAs (Alicia, Gladys and Patti) getting the doll, but not everyone. :confused:

ETA: Ohhhhhh, everyone is going to get the doll. It's cheap looking, even if it's wearing pink and green and pearls, so maybe it's not a big deal. Especially since it doesn't have letters and stuff on it.

You ladies bring up good points. Actually, I am okay with the doll being a part of the Grammy Awards, but not because the doll is or represents Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (it takes a lot more than pink and green and pearls), but because of the business accomplishments of my soror. The doll is her tribute to our sorority and I'm proud of her for stepping out there. When Mattel announced their tribute, people wanted to see and were excited about it. I respect what it takes and how hard it is for our people to achieve the level of Mattel. My soror's doll may not be the "quality" some are looking for because I'm sure she doesn't have the longevity or resources that Mattel has. Nonetheless, I'm proud of her and proud that Ivy Rose and the Sisterhood Boutique will get this level of exposure.

Rejoice08

I forgot the creator is your soror. Your comments make sense.

That's what I thought. I figured it was a good idea for your soror to get her business out there like that and give you all a shout out.

It does look cheap in comparison to what I expected but it's also a nice keepsake. My confusion was that I thought this was supposed to be the Mattel doll when I clicked the link so I was like "Mattel couldn't do better than that?"

ESP...ESP...ESP...ESP :D

Actually the doll is very beautiful. I bought one to support Soror Rochelle and I think she did a wonderful job. The pictures don't do the doll justice at all.

There is some credibility to the doll. Sistergreek Rochelle did get the help of the company who makes the Madame Alexander dolls. :) I understand the sistergreeks' position on why they support the doll.

:confused:

ETA: I understand now! ;)

^^^^
:) I probably shouldn't have used "credibility" as a word to describe the doll. What I was trying to say is that there are certain companies that people who collect dolls and they know what they are getting when they get it. Mattel (with the Barbie Collectibles) and Madame Alexander are two of them. This isn't a doll that was put together by someone going to the craft store and making the doll. It was made by a reliable company.

In other news: It's official that Shaq's now going to the Suns. Where's ST?

Brandy's Ma to Kim K: You Screwed My Girl, Too
 

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tm...i_kim_docs.jpg

Posted Feb 4th 2008 7:56PM by TMZ Staff

Brandy's mom is suing everyone Kardashian, claiming they raped her financially.

According to a lawsuit filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, Sonja Norwood, the mom of Brandy and Ray J, claims in 2004, when Kim K was a stylist, she was given permission to use Sonja's American Express card to make "one (and only one)" purchase on behalf of Sonja.

According to the suit, Kim allegedly gave the card to other members of her family -- Khloe, Kourtney and Robert Jr. The suit claims in 2006, the Ks racked up $62,793.83 in unauthorized charges. And, in 2007, they blew another $57,841.82. The total: $120,635.65!

And get this for audacity: the suit claims the Kardashians charged thousands of dollars in their own stores, Dash and Smooch.

It's unclear why Sonja didn't just cancel the card.( that's what I was thinking)

http://www.tmz.com/2008/02/04/brandy...d-my-girl-too/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't realize that Kim has a semi-real job before as a stylist.