Photo courtesy: Juan Ocampo

Los Angeles Dodgers Rafael Furcal takes to the air in a double play during the fourth inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics in the spring training ball park at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona yesterday. Still, the A’s beat the Dodgers 9-to-5. 

Singer/actress Queen Latifah has signed on to play the lead in the romantic comedy, “Just Wright.” The story is a so-called Cinderella tale involving a physical therapist who falls in love with a basketball player she is helping recover from a career-threatening injury. The rom-com had been in development for the past six years at Disney. Recently, Fox Searchlight picked up the project and set it up to begin production some time in May.

Latifah’s company, Flavor Unit, will be co-producing the movie with producer Debra Martin Chase. This is not the first romantic comedy for the entertainer. In 2006, Latifah starred in the remake of “Last Holiday.” Born in East Orange, New Jersey as Dana Owens, she first gained fame as a pop/hip-hop artist before making a smooth and successful transition into acting.

Latifah was nominated for a best-supporting actress Oscar for her role as Matron Mama Morton in the musical “Chicago” (2002).  Among her other films, “Hairspray” (2007),  “What Happens in Vegas ” (2008), and “The Secret Life of Bees” (2008).  Also, she is the voice of Ellie, the woolly mammoth character, in the animated “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” due out this summer. 

 ”Monsters vs. Aliens” had a smashing debut earning a gigantic $58 million to easily crush the competition and grab the top spot at the Box Office this weekend. That’s the third best March opening ever. The 3-D animated flick is about a misfit group of home-grown monsters who must go to battle to protect planet Earth from space aliens. The DreamWorks animation is one of the first movies ever to be totally shot in the 3-D format.  

Another new film, “The Haunting in Connecticut,” had an impressive first weekend as well, scaring up $23 million at theaters. In third, last week’s number one film, “Knowing” raked in around $14.7 million, followed by the bromance “I Love You, Man” with about $12.6 million and rounding out the top five, the spy thriller romance “Duplicity” with $7.5 million.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

Two couples enjoy a walk through the Burbank foothills.

Photo: NASA TV

After a 12-day mission, the shuttle Discovery with a crew of seven on board, touched down safely at Kennedy Space Center in Florida today at 3:14 p.m. EDT.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

The candidates running for three Burbank City Council seats are cranking up their campaigns for the final push to election day, April 14. Last Monday, all six candidates appeared at a forum in Burbank’s Magnolia Park area.

If you missed the forum, the Burbank Leader has profiles of all six council contenders in this weekend’s edition of the newspaper and on its website. Reporter Christopher Cadelago’s profiles are really interesting short feature pieces with quotes from the candidates on their views and concerns. The candidates are Elise Stearns-Niesen, Garen Yegparian, Incumbent David Gordon, Kimberly Jo, Jess Talamantes, and Incumbent/Mayor Dave Golonski.

Yesterday, my voter information pamphlet and mail-in ballot for next month’s election arrived in my mailbox. Also, another clear sign the election is coming up fast, a slew of glossy political flyers I received over the past few days. And that’s a good thing. Written material works a lot better for me than those political messages left on my phone. The flyers and newspaper profiles provide basic information on who the candidates are, their major supporters, and what they stand for.

For a second time, the fate of legendary music producer Phil Spector is in the hands of a Los Angeles County jury today. The jury got the case yesterday after closing arguments wrapped up. The 12 jurors will decide if Spector murdered 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson.

The cult film actress was found shot to death in the foyer of Spector’s Alhambra mansion in 2003. During the nearly five months of testimony in the retrial, the prosecution tried to prove an enraged Spector killed Clarkson when she tried to leave his place. Defense attorneys countered by claiming the evidence doesn’t support that finding and therefore, Spector should be acquitted.

The jury, made up of six men and six women, will consider second-degree murder, which carries a prison term of at least 15 years or a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter with a penalty of two-to-four years behind bars.

In 2007, Spector first murder trial end in a mistrial, after the jury deadlocked 10-to-2 for conviction.

Comic/ radio D.J. and now best-selling author, Steve Harvey, is getting mucho attention on his promotional tour for his relationship book, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, And Commitment.” Women everywhere are talking about this book.

Harvey was on “Oprah” Monday, March 23, his second appearance in less than a month. If you missed the TV show, you can get a taste of Harvey’s book and love advice on Oprah’s website. Like most of these advice and self-help books, Harvey’s take on how women should deal with men isn’t really new. It’s the witty, straight-on way Harvey dishes out his recommendations that’s fresh and interesting.

For example, he says the four words that strike fear into men are, “we need to talk.” According to Harvey’s book: “No man wants to sit around gabbing with you like we’re one of your girlfriends. Ever. It’s just not in our DNA to lounge around, sip coffee, and dab at our eyes with tissue as if we’re in an AA meeting or on some psychologist’s couch trying to get things off our chest. When men are talking, and especially when they’re listening, it’s with purpose.”  Hmm, I prefer to cut to the chase myself and I’m of the female persuasion. No matter, Harvey is telling it like it is from the male perspective and women are loving it.

“Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man” debuted at the top of the New York Times Hardcover Advice Book List the week of February 9, 2009. Several weeks later, Harvey’s book is still smoking at number one on that list. Over at the Barnes & Noble website today, “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man” is number three; it’s number two on Amazon.

Harvey has been kicking around the entertainment biz as a comedian for some time. He toured as a member of   “Kings of Comedy” and later appeared in the Spike Lee movie, “The Original Kings of Comedy” (2000). Right now, Harvey is getting a lot of kudos for his popular nationally syndicated “The Steve Harvey Morning Show.” It reportedly has almost seven million listeners weekly on more than 60 stations nationwide. In the Southland, the Hip Hop and R&B station The Beat, at 93.5 FM in Redondo Beach, carries “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” from 6 AM to 10 AM.  

The fate of legendary rock producer Phil Spector will soon be in the hands of a Los Angeles County jury. Today the prosecution is expected to complete its rebuttal to the defense team’s closing arguments, which began on Tuesday.

Spector’s attorneys urged the jury to acquit their client on the grounds that the alleged victim, actress Lana Clarkson, probably committed suicide. Clarkson was found shot to death in the hallway of Spector’s Alhambra mansion in 2003. The prosecution claims an enraged Spector pulled the trigger of the .38 Special that killed the 40-year-old actress.

However, in his summation, Defense Attorney Doron Weinberg told the jurors more than a dozen pieces of forensic evidence point to Spector’s innocence. Weinberg said the big question is did the prosecution prove its case “… beyond a reasonable doubt?” Indeed, that is the key question the jury will have to answer during deliberations.

In 2007, the jury in the 69-year-old Spector’s first murder trial deadlocked 10-to-2 for a conviction, so a mistrial was declared. In the retrial, the music producer faces a minimum of 18 years in prison if found guilty of second degree murder, two-to-four years if convicted of involuntary manslaughter. 

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers heavy hitter Manny Ramirez is back in the swing of the game. Yesterday, Manny cracked one over the left-field bullpen at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona — his first home run in spring training this season. It happened in the first inning with two out during a game against the Mariners. Nevertheless, Seattle beat the Dodgers 8-to-6.

Still, Manny’s performance last night gave the Dodgers something to cheer about. After being out for a week or so with a leg injury, Manny returned to play on Monday and had a less than spectacular day at the plate. The left-fielder struck out twice against the Los Angeles Angels, who pounded the Dodgers 10-to-4. Now to the relief of the team and Dodgers fans, the 36-year-old slugger appears to have his batting groove back.

 White House file photo/Pete Souza

President Barack Obama took to the air waves last night for the second prime-time news conference of his 64-day-old administration. President Obama’s main goal was to rally the country around his proposed new $3.6 trillion budget, which is causing debate in Congress mainly because of its huge dollar commitment.

In his news conference, the president described how his budget: “… will build our economic recovery on a stronger foundation so that we don’t face another crisis like this 10 or 20 years from now. We invest in the renewable sources of energy that will lead to new jobs, new businesses and less dependence on foreign oil. We invest in our schools and our teachers, so that our children have the skills they need to compete with any workers in the world. We invest in reform that will bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses and our government. And in this budget, we have to make the tough choices necessary to cut our deficit in half by the end of my first term…”

The president expressed confidence that: “We’ll recover from this recession, but it will take time…” After his opening statement, Obama took questions from reporters on a variety of subjects including stem cell research, the Mexican drug/border violence problem, and the Israeli & Palestinian conflict. However, most the reporter questions focused on shoring up the weak economy and financial system; providing the president with more chances to push the benefits of his recovery plan.

The president readily admitted our economic crisis is serious, but insisted our country is still stable: “I would just point out that the dollar is extraordinarily strong right now. And the reason the dollar is strong right now is because investors consider the United States the strongest economy in the world with the most stable political system in the world.”

FLLewis/A Writers Groove

Two walkers chat and keep up a brisk pace on Olive Avenue in Burbank recently. I’m seeing more and more exercisers pounding the street pavement and sidewalks as the temperatures rise. For the next few days, the highs are expected to be in the mid-70s to the 80s here. So I’ll probably be seeing even more folks outside, reviving up their sluggish or dormant exercise programs. Just like I’m doing.

After nearly five months of testimony, the murder retrial of rock legend Phil Spector is about to wrap up. Yesterday, the prosecution presented its closing arguments in an attempt to convince the jury to convict Spector of murdering 40-year-old actress Lana Clarkson.

The actress was found shot to death in Spector’s Alhambra mansion back in 2003. Clarkson starred in “Barbarian Queen” (1985) and the movie spoof “Amazon Women on the Moon” (1987).

Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Truc Do called Spector a “demonic maniac” who was known to use a gun to play Russian Roulette with the lives of women he wanted to control. According to the Los Angeles Times website, The Deputy D.A. reminded jurors that several women had described Spector’s reckless and threatening behavior, a chauffeur testified Spector confessed to him, expert witnesses had noted blood was found on Spector’s jacket and that there were bruises on Clarkson’s wrist — evidence of a struggle.

The famous rock music producer is on trial for second degree murder; if convicted he faces at least 15 years in prison. Last Friday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler agreed to allow the jury to consider a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a penalty of two-to-four years behind bars.  

 In 2007, a mistrial was declared in Spector’s first trial after the jury deadlocked 10-to-2 in favor of conviction. In recent years, the 69-year-old Spector has been a recluse. He is famous for creating the recording technique dubbed the ”Wall of Sound,” back in the 1960s.

The defense team will get its chance to go before the jury with closing arguments today. Spector’s attorneys claim Clarkson’s death was a suicide. The jury is expected to begin deliberations by the end of the week.

Doing time in the big house has not hurt the writing career of ex-Internet hacker, Kevin Poulsen. Publishers Weekly is reporting today that Poulsen has sold his book ”Kingpin” to Crown. In the 1980s and 1990s, Poulsen had quite a colorful reputation as a cyber criminal and was once a fugitive on the run. In one of his notorious hacks, Poulsen reportedly engineered a scheme to rig call-in contests of Los Angeles radio station KIIS-FM to win two Porsches, some vacation trips, and thousands of dollars. 

Finally captured by authorities, Poulsen pleaded guilty to a variety of charges including money laundering, mail, wire, and computer fraud in June of 1994. Poulsen was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison. In the past few years, Poulsen has pursued a different career — that of journalist.  He is now a high profile blogger and senior editor of Wired magazine.

Jonathan Littman wrote a book about Poulsen’s cyber exploits. “The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Serial Hacker Kevin Poulsen” was published in 1997.  According to his agency’s website, LaunchBooks, Poulsen’s book is a true crime narrative about “… the story of Max Butler, the hacker and former FBI informant who in an incredibly audacious move single-handedly cornered the worldwide billion-dollar black market in stolen credit cards before finally being taken down by an FBI sting.” 

No word yet on how much money Poulsen’s deal is worth or when his book is due to hit store shelves.

Weekend filmgoers were in the mood for a science fiction thriller and that pushed the new movie, “Knowing” to the top of the Box Office. The Nicolas Cage supernatural doomsday flick debuted at number one with a haul of $24.8 million.

The new bromance, “I Love You, Man,” with its crude humor and “R” rating swaggered into second with around $18.4 million. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star in the new sophisticated, corporate spy romance, “Duplicity,” which earned about $14.4 million for third. Since it stars Roberts, many film watchers expected “Duplicity” to score more millions. After the public outrage over those AIG bonuses and the involvement in the economic meltdown by many of the big financial giants, a lot of folks may have shied away from this movie due to its corporate world setting.   

Last weekend’s frontrunner, the family film  ”Race to Witch Mountain,” dropped from first place to fourth with an estimated take of $13 million. Rounding out the top five, the superhero thriller “Watchmen” with $6.7 million, bringing its three week total to $98 million.

White House photo/ Joyce N.Boghosian

Veggies and herbs will soon be sprouting on the south grounds of the White House. First Lady Michelle Obama and about two dozen elementary school volunteers broke ground for a kitchen garden last Friday. The kids and the First Lady appeared pretty handy with the shovels, pitchforks, and rakes. The fifth-graders from local Bancroft Elementary School will help work the spring garden.

In the weeks ahead, lettuce, peas, spinach, collard greens, carrots, radishes, broccoli, onions, and kale will be planted along with herbs like sage, garlic, chives, and oregano. They expect quick results: the first harvest around late April. Some of the harvest will go to the White House kitchen and some will be shared with a local D.C. soup kitchen for the homeless.

The White House design plans include zinnias and marigolds, so therefore it really should be considered a kitchen and flower garden in my opinion. The White House blog says Mrs. Obama is getting assistance with the project from White House horticulturist Dale Haney.

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove  — Visitors at Grand View cemetery during a recent opening.

The gates of Grand View Memorial Park cemetery in Glendale will once again be open for a few hours tomorrow, Sunday, March 22. This is one of a series of openings ordered by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Anthony Mohr. The 125-year-old cemetery is considered to be a landmark by many in the nearby community; both Burbank and Glendale residents.

Grand View has fallen on hard times and it has little to do with the economic meltdown. Most of the cemetery’s troubles began back in 2005, when a state investigator discovered thousands of human remains that had been stored improperly. Since then, Grand View has been bogged down with legal actions and management difficulties. A year and a half ago, Grand View was shut down, but it opens periodically for families and friends of those laid to rest at the cemetery.

The  future 2009 visitations will be as follows: April 10 Good Friday, April 12 Easter Sunday, April 24 Armenian Genocide remembered, April 26, May 10 Mother’s Day, May 24, June 14, June 21 Father’s Day, and June 28. The cemetery gates are open from 12:00 p.m. until 4 p.m. during visitations. 

FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove

President Barack Obama is back in Washington, D.C. today after a whirlwind visit to the Southland. President Obama wrapped up two days of events with a trip to Burbank to tape a guest appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” late yesterday.

This is the first time a  U.S. President has sat down for a chat on the ”Tonight Show.” However, Obama has been on the late night show twice before: December of 2006 and October of 2007. So the president was quite comfortable with the routine of trading quips with Leno in front of a studio audience.

The president joked about the tight security that goes with the highest office in the land, getting a dog for his daughters, and sports. Also, Obama admitted “it’s pretty cool” flying on Air Force One. Nevertheless, he did talk about serious concerns like the struggling economy and those controversial AIG bonuses: “… the immediate bonuses that went to AIG are a problem. But the larger problem is we’ve got to get back to an attitude where people know enough is enough, and people have a sense of responsibility and they understand that their actions are going to have an impact on everybody. And if we can get back to those values that built America, then I think we’re going to be okay.”

 The president hit his mark on the important issues, however, he became a little too relaxed during the lighter moments and that resulted in a gaffe. It is well known that the Commander-in-Chief is better at shooting basketball hoops than bowling. While discussing his recent bowling efforts the president said: “…it was like Special Olympics or something.”

The president and the White House realized his misstep pretty quickly. On the flight back to Washington, DC last night, the president reportedly phoned Tim Shriver, the chairman of the Special Olympics, to apologize for the remark and explain he did not intend to disparage those with special needs.

In 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, founded Special Olympics to benefit those with intellectual disabilities. Senator Kennedy is one of Obama’s strongest political supporters. The White House released a transcript of the ”Tonight Show” interview of the president by Leno and its on the www.whitehouse.gov website.

Earlier in the day, the president stood before another enthusiastic crowd of more than a thousand people at the Miguel Contreras Learning Complex near Downtown Los Angeles. Just like the day before in OC, during this town hall meeting the president fielded questions on a variety of subjects, most dealing with the weak economy, jobs, and his stimulus plan.

Thursday morning, President Obama went out to Pomona to visit the Edison Electric Vehicle Technical Center. Also, the president met with some Village Academy High School students who made a video about the painful effects the economic crisis has had on their families.

 Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times

President Barack Obama and his team today are probably doing a quick review of his performance at yesterday’s town hall meeting at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. It seems to me that the president pretty much rocked the place.

 The one thousand or so folks in the auditorium cheered and applauded like so many did during Obama’s presidential campaign. That’s really a surprise in Orange County, the bastion of conservative Republican views, a county the president did not win during the November election. It appears some in the OC have tossed aside political party affiliation and embraced the president as a leader worthy of their respect and confidence.

For an hour, President Obama took questions from the audience on everything from his economic stimulus plan to job losses to immigration to the financial mess. Before the president opened up the floor to questions, he responded to the public outrage about AIG dishing out $165 million in bonuses after accepting $170-plus billion of taxpayers’ money:”It goes against our most basic sense of what’s fair and what’s right. It offends our values.” He vowed to “take responsibility ” as president to fix the “system and the culture” that made those unfair bonuses possible.

When it was over, you got the feeling the president coud have remained on stage for several hours in that packed auditorium doing a lively Q&A with the audience. Later today, President Obama will hold his second town hall meeting in Downtown Los Angeles before heading to Burbank for an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” 

Natasha Richardson 1963 – 2009    Los Angeles Times Photo

Actress Natasha Richardson died today after apparently suffering a serious head injury in a ski accident on Monday. Media reports say Richardson took a tumble on a beginners’ slope at a resort near Montreal. Her husband, actor Liam Neeson, was shooting a film in Toronto at the time. Neeson was with his wife when she was flown from a Canadian hospital to one in New York City, yesterday.

Richardson’s family released a statement: “Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.” Neeson and Richardson have two sons, Michael 13 and Daniel 12.

Richardson was born into an acting dynasty. Her mother is acclaimed actress, Vanessa Redgrave, her father the late award-winning director Tony Richardson. Her grandfather is the famed British thespian Sir Michael Redgrave. Also, her sister Joely Richardson, uncle Corin Redgrave, and aunt Lynn Redgrave are performers, too. 

Natasha Richardson acted in movies as well as on stage.  She won a Tony award for her performance as Sally Bowles in the 1998 revival of “Cabaret.”  Richardson’s films include, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (1990), “Nell” (1994), “The Parent Trap” remake in (1998), and “Wild Child” (2008).