British Author, Philip Pullman, Risks Offending Christians with Latest Book, "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ"

Bestselling British author Philip Pullman's latest novel, "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ," may offend many Christians.

According to Reuters, bestselling British author Philip Pullman risks offending Christians with his latest book, a fictional account of the "good man Jesus" and the "scoundrel Christ." This will no doubt rile Christians, as much as "The DaVinci Code" did when the book was first released and then opened old wounds when the movie was released to box office acclaim. The same holds true for "Passion of the Christ," which sparked widespread controversy.

The 63-year-old, an outspoken atheist, angered some members of the Catholic Church with a thinly veiled attack on organized religion in his hugely successful "His Dark Materials" trilogy, the first of which was turned into a Hollywood blockbuster.

But "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ" is a far more direct exploration of the foundations of Christianity and the church as well as an examination of the fascination and power of storytelling. In the novel, Jesus has a twin brother called Christ who secretly records and embellishes his brother's teachings.

Speaking about the book to an audience in Oxford on Sunday, Pullman acknowledged that it was likely to cause offense.

The controversy the book will most likely spark, will undoubted push it to the top of the bestsellers' lists across the globe.

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Jamie Foxx Picks Up Sketch Comedy Pilot on Fox

 Hollywood Reporter -- Almost two decades after his breakout stint on “In Living Color,” Oscar winner Jamie Foxx is back at Fox with another sketch-comedy show.

The network has ordered a pilot for an untitled project executive produced by Foxx and two of his fellow “Color” writers, “MadTV” creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small, with “Wild ‘N Out” alumnus Affion Crockett attached as one of the stars.

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Patti Labelle Says Some 'American Idol' Judges Aren't Qualified

R&B legend Patti Labelle told it like it really is about "American Idol." She said some "American Idol" judges aren't qualified to judge. I am pretty sure she isn't dissing Ellen DeGeneres, who I believes she likes a whole lot. We know it wasn't Randy Jackson or possibly Simon Cowell. Patti Labelle is a class act and I am glad she told them like it really is!

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Actor Charlie Sheen Enters Rehab, Takes Break from Show "Two and a Half Men"

Actor Charlie Sheen has entered rehab and has taken a break from his show, "Two and a Half Men." Gee, I wondered when the pressure for him to step aside was going to manifest itself, since other "celebrities,"  most notably black ones, are always forced out. CBS has also announced that it is temporarily halting production of the show. So, here's my question -- who's taking care of the couple's kids since they are both in rehab? Wow. This is golden. Can you imagine if this scenario was playing out for Denzel Washington, for example? Talk about a double standard.

Sorry, but I have no pity for Charlie Sheen. He has been portrayed as a verbally abusive man by former wife Denise Richardson and Brooke Mueller, as well as by past girlfriends. He should have been forced to take a break from the show when the news first broke that he was arrested last year for allegedly assaulting his wife in Aspen, Colo. He was charged with felony menacing and misdemeanor charges of third-degree assault and criminal mischief.

It is also interesting to note that this move comes after Los Angeles child protective services visited the actor and the couple's infant sons last weekend. Some people just shouldn't have kids. The network should have forced Sheen off the air when the news broke that he assaulted his wife. Chris Brown was black-listed for his fight with Rihanna, as he should. The same treatment should be meted out to Charlie Sheen, who is no stranger to being in trouble with the law.

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Gary Coleman Curses Out Lisa Bloom on National Television

Washed-up child actor Gary Coleman literally cursed Lisa Bloom out on national television. This guy needs some medication fast. I am no fan of Lisa Bloom and her mother Gloria Allred, but she pushed him and she knew he was volatile. Still, there's no excuse for his behavior. The guy is a ticking time bomb who needs some help fast.

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Devar Hurd Gets Two Years in Jail for Stalking Singer Ashanti Through Text Messages

Devar Hurd, 31, a delusional fan of singer Ashanti, who sent a barrage of text messages about her to her mother Tina Douglas, was sentenced Thursday to two years in jail. He said he didn't mean to annoy or alarm the singer and her family when he sent the messages. Duh!

Some of the messages included photos of his genitals and a picture of the family's Long Island home with a comment about stopping by to visit, according to media reports.

He was convicted in December of stalking and aggravated harassment.

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Prince Harry Throws Hissy Fit After Being Thrown from Horse During Polo Match in Barbados

Prince Harry threw a hissy fit after he was thrown from his horse during the annual Sentebale Polo Cup in Barbados last weekend. He told Sky News that he tried throwing himself clear of the falling horse after it slipped. He was "a bit sore" but otherwise uninjured. Prince Harry, who was visibly upset, threw his polo mallet and punched his helmet after the fall.

I guess he had a good reason to be ticked off.  A "mystery benefactor" promised to donate $100,000 Barbados dollars ($50,000 USD) to the his charity if he stayed on his horse for the entire match. The donor has since reportedly told the prince that it's "clear that the horse fell over, rather than [Harry] fell off it" and has honored his $100,000 donation.

Prince Harry raised $47,700 USD for his charity Sentebale, which helps poor children in the African kingdom of Lesotho.

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Mary J. Blige to Headline 2010 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans

R&B singer Mary J. Blige will headline the 2010 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. The event, which is billed as one of the nation's largest annual events, celebrating black music and culture, will be held July 2 - 4.

A full list of performers have not been released yet. The performers will hit the stage at the Louisiana Superdome and motivational seminars will be held during the day at the Morial Convention Center.

Mary J. Blige has performed at Essence eight times. This year she is expected to perform songs from her latest studio album, "Stronger with Each Tear."

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Billboard Live Presents Alicia Keys at The Apollo in HD on Jan. 7, 2010, in Downloadable Free Concert

BillboardLive.com has teamed up with R&B powerhouse Alicia Keys to show off its new technology which allows fans to watch free concerts broadcast in high definition (HD) via iPhone or iPod Touch. You can access the live performance, which will be available on January 7, 2010, by logging on and downloading the Microsoft Silverlight and OWL (Our World Live) HD player onto your computer free of charge. Once the download is completed, fans will have the ability, for the first time ever, to view the concert from up to five different camera angles of their preference, according to Eurweb. Of course, this depends on the viewers' bandwidth.

The concert, featuring the 12-time Grammy Award winning singer, will take place at 6 p.m. PST at The Apollo Theater in New York City. Keys will also be introducing new artists who will also perform during this broadcast. Alicia Keys latest album, The Element of Freedom, debuted in the No. 1 spot on Billboard's R&B
Albums and Digital Albums charts and No. 2 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums charts, according to Nielsen/Soundscan.

To watch the promo for the concert on BillboardLive.com, CLICK HERE.

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Beverly Johnson Sued by Former Boyfriend Mark Burk, Claims They Had Oral Agreement for Money

Beverly Johnson has been sued by her former boyfriend, Mark Burk, who claimed she failed to live up the an oral agreement in which she promised to pay him half of whatever she earned while they were together. He said they agreed that they would act like husband and wife.

According to TMZ, in the lawsuit, which was filed in California, Burk claims Johnson agreed to support him "for the rest of his life in the same style and manner that was established" during their relationship.      

Burk's lawsuit states they broke up in December 2008 and Johnson has yet to pay him any money.  Burk is seeking $5 million in damages. This is laughable and I hope the judge throws this case out. I find it hard to believe that Beverly Johnson had to resort to a "pretend" husband because she couldn't find a real one.

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