Death, Sex and Police Brutality

TREME PICKS UP THE PACE
He begins his day having sex with a stripper in a FEMA-issued trailer. By the end of the day, Antoine Batiste’s (Wendell Pierce) life is upside down. His live-in girlfriend suspects he’s cheating on her, which leads to an argument. Batiste weasels out of the house to play his trombone with a few other struggling jazz musicians another night at the same bar where he met the stripper. When he leaves the club, Antoine accidently bumps into a parked New Orleans Police cruiser, officers respond by profusely beating Antoine and leaving his trombone on the street. He ends up sitting on a cement floor with other random men arrested by police.

In the third episode of what continues to put a microscope on a contagious string of complicated lives post-Katrina in New Orleans, David Simon’s Treme picks up the pace with unpredictable but satisfying drama. This week, every key character that anchors the show experienced a substantial life-changing crisis.

Shortly after losing his job as a hotel clerk, Davis McAlvary (Steve Zahn) finds himself in a confrontation with National Guard members. Davis, like Antoine ends up in a place no one wants to spend any time, the Orleans Parish jail. In an effort to repay the city’s overworked and underpaid public defender who frees him, Toni Bernette (Melissa Leo), Davis offers to give Bernette’s teenage daughter complimentary piano lessons. The problem for Davis is convincing Creighton Bernette (John Goodman) the lessons won’t go beyond a professional relationship. The implication in the scenes is that Davis may attempt to do a lot more than just teach.

A trip to the Lower 9th Ward brings local Indian Chief Albert Lambreaux (Clarke Peters) to the discovery of a decomposed body covered by a canoe. Within seconds of Albert and Lorenzo (Ameer Baraka) taking a walkthrough of the home full of mold and mildew, the two enter the backyard and lift up a canoe. The skeletal remains are those of Jesse, Albert's lifelong friend and symbolic member of Albert’s Indian tribe. You can catch all of the recently aired Treme episodes on HBO, April 29, 7 p.m. eastern time.

Who’s your favorite Treme character and why?
Please forward your comments about this story to Maniko Barthelemy at newsheels@gmail.com.

REINTRODUCING NEW ORLEANS

HBO EXECS LOVE “TREME”

Why did New Orleans natives want to go back so badly, after Hurricane Katrina? What happened to the millions of dollars in donations and government funds that poured into the city shortly after one of America’s worst natural disasters? Is the criminal justice system in Louisiana really as shady as rumored?

Why is it taking so long for the Big Easy to make a respectable comeback? Is it even worth rebuilding or investing in a city where levees are still reportedly not up to withstanding another Katrina? Why do New Orleans natives publicly mourn the dead with a street parade?

 With more than 1.4 million people tuned-in to its premiere, HBO’s Treme (pronounced treh-May) hinted at its unspoken promise to answer all those pestering questions about New Orleans post and pre-Katrina. The show and its substance were so impressive that HBO execs did not wait long for hard numbers to come out before renewing its brand new series for a second season.

The premium cable network’s early salute to David Simon and Eric Overmyer is a move many believe is bold. The duo best known for their work on the HBO series “The Wire,” which lasted five seasons and peeled away layers of corruption, chaos and cruelty in Baltimore, seems likely to do the same and get even more in-depth in New Orleans with “Treme.”

Treme’s characters are complex and comical. John Goodman’s character is a Tulane University professor, who’s fed up with misconceptions about the city and its residents. He routinely disgorges media outlets a verbal gumbo full of spicy and confrontational language. Clarke Peters, a cast member many may remember from “The Wire,” plays a local Indian chief. His return to the Lower 9th Ward neighborhood brings him heartbreak, hope and happiness, despite the obvious obstacles he faces personally and professionally. Steve Zahn’s character is a local eclectic down-on-his-luck radio DJ. He lives in the Treme neighborhood, is obsessed with New Orleans music and moves through life dancing to his interesting, innovative beat.

To keep true to the sound of the city, Simon and Overmyer tapped several local musicians and bands. Kermit Ruffins, a former member of the world-renowned Rebirth Brass Band, plays himself in the drama. Ruffins, with his amazing talent, raspy voice, Southern accent and New Orleans drawl, adds a necessary revealing twist on the significance of the city’s authentic music. New Orleans native Wendell Pierce, whose resume is extensive in film and television, plays a struggling musician whose professional and personal life is unraveling into an emotional and financial cesspool.

The city’s unique jazz funerals, with a brass band playing the type of music full a flavor distinctly New Orleans opens a book that’s been rather confusing for some, regarding the way African-Americans in The Big Easy traditionally bury their loved ones.

The elements of the show are compelling and give viewers a healthy balance of intriguing storytelling, drama and facts. While the setting, plot and cast are all crucial components to making “Treme” a top-rated show, as much as “The Wire,” Simon and Overmyer intentionally make New Orleans the center of attention. Writers creatively zoom- in and wrap the show around the city’s rough edges. Every bit of New Orleans that is entertaining, informative and saddening is on full display.

At its core, the drama fills a void for those who still call New Orleans home, even though their zip code is different post-Katrina. For skeptics and tourists wondering if New Orleans is worth the time, effort and resources needed to recover; “Treme” dishes the answer, one episode at a time. There are eight episodes left in this first season of “Treme.” What do you think about “Treme?” “What do you think HBO is getting right or wrong?

Please forward all comments to Maniko Barthelemy at newsheels@gmail.com or you can post your comment directly.

Become the CEO of You

The question, although grammatically incorrect, commands your attention. “Are you living or are you existing?” It comes from a movie I recently watched, “The Family that Preys.” Sure I know I’m late because the movie was released in 2008 and I just watched it earlier this week. However, the question posed by Kathy Bates in the movie to Alfre Woodard, who plays her best friend, is profound.

As the job market weaves in and out of good and bad news like a see-saw now may be the perfect time to take stock of yourself and priorities and answer the question. If you conclude you exist, that life equals not necessarily carving out your place in the world but surviving on autopilot. In short, it’s dull and you are passion-deficient. Your days are full of focusing on the challenge of the obstacle, not the opportunity beat the odds.

Truly living your life, on the other hand, is exemplified by the continuous drive to improve yourself on an emotional, physical, spiritual and financial level that equals satisfaction that can feel unbelievable. Whether you are unemployed or have a job that just pays the bills but robs you of pleasure and excitement, every day you get up, you can get closer to where you truly need and want to be. Don’t waste time. Become the CEO of you.

The best way to get on track is to really sit, think and write about your passion. I’m certain we’d all like to hit the lottery and live happily ever after but the chance of that happening is pretty obvious. As you outline your path to your true purpose, consider the impact and balance it with the reality of your dream.

What’s your dream? How do you plan to change your life? Share your thoughts with me at newsheels@gmail.com or leave a comment on the site.

Celebrate Women’s History Month

What happens emotionally to a U.S. military bomb technician, when his Iraq deployment is over and he comes home to his family in America? The question is answered throughout one of the most talked about and initially dismissed box office hits, “The Hurt Locker.” In a few days, a woman could make history in the world of film for the way she directed “The Hurt Locker.”

If movie director and producer Kathryn Bigelow wins the Oscar for best director, she’ll be the first woman to crack the academy’s 82-year-old glass-ceiling in the best director category. Bigelow’s win would have perfect timing, as March is Women’s History Month.

Without question, we can all name at least five women on a personal or professional level who broke barriers. Whether it was just a woman’s intuition, triumph out of tragedy or an unexplainable thirst to defy odds, history shows us that women are capable of pushing past prejudices, preconceived notions and chauvinistic attitudes.

Long before Rosa Parks silently rebelled against discrimination, journalist Ida B. Wells known for her literary work that challenged anti-lynching in America, chipped away at bigotry. In 1887, Wells lost her legal fight against the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. Wells filed suit against the company because she was forcibly removed from her seat onboard a train, after refusing to sit in the “colored only” section.

The loss became a lightening-rod for Wells. She took the lessons learned from the loss and her experience as a fired school teacher to spring board her career as a respected journalist. Wells became part-owner of the “Memphis Free Speech” newspaper.

Where would the world of medicine be without the groundbreaking work of Alice Hamilton? Hamilton’s studies and reports about the harmful effects of lead, munitions and rubber fostered nationwide improvements in safety standards. As the first woman to become a faculty member of Harvard University in 1919, we can all imagine some of the pain and frustration Hamilton had to endure. However, her determination to excel lead to her also becoming the university’s first professor of public health.

You don’t normally think of a woman when you hear the word ‘sanitation.’ Yet, the accomplishments of Ellen Richards prove we should rethink our word association patterns. As a chemist, educator, and sanitation engineer, Richards was a trailblazer. She was one of the first women admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she graduated in 1873. Richards used her education and experience to pioneer a science program for young women in Boston public schools.

Just as the history-makers of yesterday balanced their roles as homemaker/manager; mother, caregiver, professional, coach, teacher, guardian and disciplinarian, thousands of women continue to carry the torch of success. The purpose of Women’s History Month, adopted in 1987 nationwide, is to highlight and salute the accomplishments of women across the world. Their accomplishments serve as inspiration and motivation.

In the words of James Brown, “this is a man’s world but it would be nothing without a woman or a girl.” I am the first woman in my family to graduate college. What’s your story? I invite you to share your stories about yourself or women in your family who have made history. Please e-mail me your fascinating and inspiring stories at newsheels@gmail.com or you can comment on this page.

Happy Valentine's Day

Thank you for logging on to the site. I appreciate your generosity and wish you a Valentine's Day full of all the love you imagine, sweetness you desire and satisfaction you anticipate. Remember, however, it is just as important to give as it is to receive something special from someone special.

Update: Baseball Fans Support Haiti

Fans of a Minor League Baseball Team in Maryland donated more than $2,000 to help with relief efforts in Haiti. The Bowie Baysox held a two-week raffle for a pack of season tickets at a cost of $10 per raffle. The team announced today that Tony Miller of  Annapolis, MD was the lucky winner. More than 100 fans participated in the fundraiser. One-hundred percent of every raffle ticket sold went to the relief efforts and were given to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

Biggest Loser Gives Big Picture

The Weight of the Weight

From the career woman to the couch potato there is no doubt many women are struggling to hold on to a notorious New Year’s resolution. How do you lose weight and keep it off? Celebrities make it look pretty easy. Marie Osmond is 50 pounds thinner, since joining the Nutrisystem program. Valerie Bertinelli recently showed off her sleek, curvier figure, in a two-piece bathing suit. Bertinelli’s dramatic weight loss comes courtesy of Jenny Craig. Now on the quest to shape up and slim down is respected, adored and admired actress Phylicia Rashad, also a Jenny Craig client.

The upper-hand all possess over the average woman is 24-hour access to personal trainers, personal chefs and the cash to trim the fat, after the fact. Despite that reality, when a celebrity goes from obese to awesome, the before and after photos are inspirational and unforgettable. The photos we don’t see are the ones that document the battle of the bulge.

One television series that appears to fill in the blanks left by celebrities who privately slim down but openly share the end results, is NBC’s “The Biggest Loser.” The show, now in its sixth year is a raw and real spin on what it takes and how it feels to change your body from fat to fit. “I find it motivational and entertaining,” says Deidra Sampson.

Sampson is a faithful fan and is on a personal quest to lose 40 pounds. She is one of millions who tune in every week. Contestants sweat, scream and succeed on a number of levels at shaking a very powerful health hazard, obesity. “The Biggest Loser” serves as entertainment and the images of everyday people have a lasting impact. There are moments when contestants laugh and have fun as they exercise. However, there’s also the harsh reality of their weight.

Every week they hit the scale. Some of the men and women are more than 400 pounds. The amount of weight loss per week by each contestant keeps the person on or off the show. “It has scared me into action. The health risks and physical limitations associated with obesity are too great,” says Sampson. To motivate and educate the contestants and the general public, fitness trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels team up and workout with the contestants. “Because of the show I am getting a personal trainer to push me toward my goals. I need a Bob or Jillian who is educated on the body and how it works and to push me beyond the limits I set for myself.”

Unlike some weight loss reality shows where the prize may be a man proposing to a woman at the end or where celebrity judges rate contestants on their overall weekly weight-loss and their dance routine, “The Biggest Loser” stands out. The grand prize is $250,000 and a slimmer look. “I like it because it’s amazing to see the amount of weight the contestants lose and to follow their journey throughout the season,” says LeAnne Morman.

As bold as the average person appears on “The Biggest Loser” facing some of the biggest critics, millions of people every week, at least one celebrity is scheduled to turn the mirror of the world onto her image transition. Later this year Kirstie Alley, is scheduled to premier her show on the A & E network. Alley has lost and won several times a very public battle with weight. Two years after dropping down to her ideal weight, the celebrity picked up all 85 pounds she’d lost. The show is about how she’s going to keep it off this time around.

Please forward all comments to Maniko Barthelemy at newsheels@gmail.com