Carib Press (CP): Tell us your thoughts as a Haitian about how Haiti’s past still influences her today?

FREEDOM: It hurts to see such a beautiful country and people with so much pain in our past. The people are good hard working people and I have been doing my best to preach positivity and inspire change. When I look at the past one thing I do know is that it is time for change and we need to do everything we can to make it happen.

CP: As an artist who hails from Haiti, what do you feel is your personal responsibility, if any, to the Haitian people?

FREEDOM:  I have a huge responsibility to the Haitian people to represent them correctly and create music that will make them feel proud, as they should about being Haitian. I do my best to stay active in the community and do the most of what I can do.

CP: How did you get involved in music? Who are your musical inspirations?

FREEDOM:  I have always loved music and had a deep passion for being an artist since I was very young. I was the first person to have a Hip Hop radio show in the north of Haiti, and I was only 11. My mother saw me singing when I was a small child, she supported my dream, understood my passion for it and helped me put a band together by the time I was 13. Ever since then I never stopped making music. My biggest musical inspiration is Bob Marley. His music painted light in the darkness and that’s what I strive to do.

CP:  In 2004 you self-released your first album entitled “1804: Liberation.” Tell us about Freedom Recordz, and also the names of some of the other artists that we should be looking out for.

FREEDOM:  Freedom Recordz is where artists come to evolve as themselves and reach their pinnacle of success. It was founded in Haiti in 2003. We still make real uplifting music and appreciate the strength that has. That is the foundation of our movement. Other artists on the label are, Roach Killa, Fausto Vincenzo, Freedom Army, Reyhal, and Preimers.  For more information check out www.freedomrecordz.com

CP: In an effort to organize and centralize, as the Rastas might say, you have formed an organization called Save Haiti Today, tell us a little bit about that.

FREEDOM:  Save Haiti Today is a non-profit organization that I started which includes Adrian Miller, S.O.I.L., Ryerson University, and many more people. We specialize in bringing aid directly to Haiti instead of having to go through third party situations. We take missions out there to distribute supplies and now are working on raising funds to build a learning center for homeless children in PAP Haiti. You should check out www.savehaititoday.com and participate in saving lives by donating what you can.

CP: How is the song “Move On” related to the organization?

FREEDOM: “Move On” is a theme song for world change. It is about reminding the world to help Haiti move on. It’s an inspirational song that was made to help people keep their head high and keep moving forward with life even when it’s hard. The proceeds from “Move On” will also go directly to help rebuild Haiti.

CP:  Tell us about what you have scheduled for the near future and what FREEDOM’s long term goals are.

FREEDOM:  Right now, it’s all very exciting. I feel blessed thankful to be in the position to make a difference and plan on taking full advantage of every day God gives me. We just started pushing the new single Freedom -“Move On” and everything is progressing well. We got a lot of support from celebrities like Stacey Dash and Macy Gray, which are featured in the video and now is a great time to see the reaction. I have always tried to make music for the people by the people and it translates well into this song. It is the first single off of the upcoming Freedom Album, which features people like Snoop Dogg, Lil Kim, Spragga Benz, and many more. Long term I want to continue to evolve musically, create good music for the masses, collaborate with different artists, and continue to do my best to help Haiti.

As a young artist, with a mature attitude, FREEDOM is putting his best foot forward to assure that his fellow Haitians have a fair chance in the future.  Watch and listen for this rising Haitian star!

Like fine wine, which gets better with time, White Wedding is an infectious, warm-hearted comedy that tackles the chaos that erupts when a groom and his best man get lost on their way to the wedding.

As the film opens, Elvis (Kenneth Nkosi), the groom, is getting ready to make the arduous journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town via Durban, where he plans to meet up with his best man Tumi (Rapulana Seiphemo). Upon arrival in Durban things don’t go accordingto plan because Tumi, a serial cheater, has an argument with his girlfriend, which results in his vehicle being destroyed. With no other means of transportation to continue on to Cape Town they are forced to borrow another car to make it in time for the weddingrehearsals. But as night falls, Tumi’s shortcuts don’t end up making up for lost time, and tensions and tempers flare as Elvis realizes he might not make it in time to his own wedding.

A pretty straightforward flick that pulsates with culture and unforgettable characters, the movie follows the events from both the groom and bride’s perspectives. The bride, Ayanda (Zandile Msutwana), has shunned a typical traditional African wedding, muchto her mother’s dismay, preferring a white wedding at a glamorous palm-fringed hotel than an elaborate cultural ritual.

Laughter ensues as the story shuttles between a fretful bride and a groom who is struggling to find his way through the Eastern Cape with a goat for the wedding feast in the car and a young English hitchhiker (Jodie Whittaker) who they pick up along way.

Nkosi, one of South Africa’s most popular TV presenters, has a great screen presence as the anxious loyal and committed groom, while Msutwana as the worried bride is equally convincing.

With a simple message that love can overcome any obstacle, White Wedding weaves all its threads so satisfactorily that audiences will feel like celebrating at the wedding as much as any of the invited guests.

White Wedding releases in select theaters Sept. 3.

Radio: Weekly Countdown with Richie B Fridays 4:15pm to 5:00pm on Hot 102 FM
TV: The Top 10 is presented on TVJ’s Entertainment Report (ER) – Fridays at 8:00pm
www.myspace.com/richiebthepartymaster

TOP 25 DANCEHALL SINGLES

TW LW    WOC TITLE/ARTISTE/LABEL

01 – 01 – 15 – Clarks Pt 2 (Clarks Again) – Vybz Kartel – Head Concussion (2wks@#1) NM
02 – 02 – 15 – Gal A Mad Over – Mavado – Di Genius (1wk@#1) NM
03 – 03 – 12 – One Man – Vybz Kartel & Gaza Slim – Adidjaheim/Notnice NM
04 – 05 – 10 – Summer Break – Bugle/Chevaughn/Razz & Biggy – Notice Production U-1
05 – 04 – 13 – How We Do It – Elephant Man feat Bounty Killer – CR203/Adidjaheim/Notnice (2wks@#1) D-1
06 – 08 – 18 – Boss Lady – Toya – Downsound U-2
07 – 07 – 13 – Gallis Fi Dem – Flexx – Romeich Records NM
08 – 09 – 07 – House Top – Mavado – Rose Gold Entertainment U-1
09 – 10 – 08 – My Heart – Wayne Marshall feat. Mavado – Yard Vybz/Off Limits U-1
10 – 11 – 05 – Drinking Rum & Red Bull – Beenie Man feat. Fambo -Seanizzle Records U-1
11 – 06 – 19 – Hold Yuh – Gyptian – VP Records (2wks@#1) D-5
12 – 15 – 05 – Jeans & Fitted – Vybz Kartel feat. Russian – Head Concussion Records U-3
13 – 14 – 09 – Rightful Place – Edee – Unseen Lab U-1
14 – 12 – 21 – My Cupp – Richie Loops – Big Yard Music (2wks@#1) D-2
15 – 18 – 04 – Dem a Pree – Mr. Lexx – Ward 21 U-3
16 – 13 – 22 – Clarks – Vybz Kartel / Popcaan / Gaza Slim – CR203/Adidjaheim/Notnice (4wks@#1) D-3
17 – 21 – 02 – Nah Sell Out – Khago – Seanizzle U-4
18 – 20 – 04 – Curfew – Beenie Man – Rose Gold Entertainment U-2
19 – 16 – 09 – Show It – Demarco & Craig – Star Kutt/Koch (pp#12) D-3
20 – 22 – 04 – Di General – Timberlee – Ward 21 U-2
21 – 23 – 02 – For Your Eyez Only – Shaggy feat. Alaine – K-Licious Music U-2
22 – 17 – 17 – Bank Inna Mi Pocket – Versatile – Romeich Records (pp#5) D-5
23 – 25 – 02 – Life – Shawn Storm – Adidjaheim/Notnice U-2
24 – New I’m Ok – Beenie Man – Seanizzle
25 – New Irie – Andrew & Wada Blood – Deewaan

TOP 25 REGGAE SINGLES

TW LW    WOC TITLE/ARTISTE/LABEL

01 01 19 Dance Like We’re Making Love/Sugar Dumplin – Nicky B – Feelin Records (2wks@#1) NM
02 03 16 Free – Etana – No Doubt Records U-1
03 04 17 The Leaders – ELJAI – Jah Mix Entertainment/No Doubt Records U-1
04 05 13 Wanna Give You Love – Warrior King – Rootz Warrior Production U-1
05 02 21 Gangster Life – Junior X – Revolutionary Entertainment (1wk@#1) D-3
06 07 12 This is for Real – Ras Charmer – House of Hits U-1
07 08 11 Torn – Tony Anthony – Phylani Music U-1
08 09 10 We Shall Find A Way – Hezron – Hard Shield Records/Tads Int’l Records U-1
09 06 22 My Promise – Andy Livingston – Black Dutch Records (2wks@#1) D-3
10 11 12 Down in Jamaica – Kabbalist – Bamboo Music U-1
11 12 11 Tomorrow – G Whizz – TJ Records U-1
12 14 06 My Life – I-Octane – DJ Frass U-2
13 10 23 Unconditional Love – Jah Cure feat Phyllisia – SOBE/Danga Zone (3wks@#1) D-3
14 15 09 John Prophecy (aka Di Yutes) – Strugglas – Roaring Tone Productions U-1
15 17 05 Protect The People – Tarrus Riley – Don Corleon U-2
16 18 06 Life Caan Done – Princess Thundah – 619 Entertainment Group U-2
17 13 22 Thank You Jah – Vybz Kartel – Adidjaheim / Notnice (pp#4) D-4
18 20 04 Just as I Am – Misteree – Capsicum Records U-2
19 21 04 If You Don’t Know Me By Now – George Nooks – Total Records U-2
20 22 04 Still Got The Blues – Oneil Peart – Red Nile Music U-2
21 16 20 Come Back to Bed – Gramps Morgan – Dada Son Entertainment (pp#7) D-5
22 24 03 Fight Without a Reason – KI – NTS Records U-2
23 25 02 Tears – Kurt Warmington – Infidelity Records U-2
24 – New Good Man in ur Life (Real Man) – Chuck Fender – Penthouse
25 19 09 The Promised Land – Nas & Jnr Gong feat. Dennis Brown – Universal Republic Records (pp#15) D-6

TOP 10 ALBUMS/CD CHART

TW LW   WOC TITLE/ARTISTE/LABEL

01 01 07 Romain Virgo – Romain Virgo – VP Records (2wks@#1) NM
02 02 12 Distant Relatives – Nas & Damian “Jnr Gong” Marley – Universal Republic/Def Jam (3wks@#1) NM
03 03 07 The Hit List Vol. 2 – Various Artistes – Tads International Records NM
04 05 03 Hold You – Gyptian – VP Records U-1
05 07 05 Reggae Gold – Various Artistes – VP Records U-2
06 04 13 Infallible – Tanya Stevens – Tarantula Records (2wks@#1) D-2
07 08 04 Million Chance – Tony Anthony – Phylani Music U-1
08 09 02 I-ternal Fire – Capleton – VP Records U-1
09 06 10 Cashflow Reggae All Stars – Various Artistes – Cashflow/Tads Int’l Records D-3
10 – New D.O.B. – Busy Signal – VP Records

_____________________NOTES_____________________________________

NUMBERS IN BRACKET INDICATE THE NUMBER OF WEEKS AT THE NO. 1 SPOT.

Lee “Scratch” Perry, one of the most prolific artists in reggae has been creating

music and evolving with the times since the 1950s.  This summer, Perry is coming

to Los Angeles to share his soul and his energy on stage in the streets of Los

Angeles.  In anticipation of his arrival, I caught up with Perry over the phone to

exchange a few words with him.

CP        You began your music career back in the 50s.  Where and how did you get your start?

LSP        Where did I get my start?  Well actually, I was a countryman growing up and I go to Kingston because I wanted to get involved with the music.  I went to Duke Reid [soundsystem] and he didn’t think I have a good voice to sing, so he didn’t take me.  And then I went to Coxsone [soundsystem].  For a couple years we writing songs together like Lion of Judah and other songs for other artists.  But he still didn’t think I had a good voice either.  So after a while there was a guy named JJ Johnson and he wanted me to do a session for him because he knew I was working with Coxsone and he wanted to get into the business so he came to me.  And so I do a song for the guy and it was funny.  People liked it as well.

CP        Reggae didn’t really exist at that time.  What was this type of music?

LSP         No, that was the music they call “Ska.”

CP        So at those early stages, the soundsystems were already in existence in Jamaica, but “Reggae” was not what it is today.  I’ve noticed that early Ska and Rocksteady in Jamaica were influenced by Black American music and Rock and Roll in general.  Did you wear the matching suits and cover those types of songs in the beginning of your career as well?

LSP         Yeah you’re right, they were making over American Jazz as well.  But no, not really… I never really liked to do repeating of other people’s songs.  I like to do my things in my own way, and if the people think it’s okay… then it’s okay.  I did a compilation called Chicken Scratch.  I did the Chicken Scratch for Coxsone and this was ska.

CP        Considering the long span of your career in music, where you started with ska, how do think Jamaican music has evolved?  Do you think it has changed drastically from the 50s ska to reggae today?

LSP        Well after a while when things started to change, I decided to do things for myself.  I went out and make a song named People Funny because of all the things I do for them, they don’t remember I do for them… so I wrote a song about them.  With this song I changed the music.  I changed the music with People Funny Boy.

CP        People Funny Boy was your first single on your label, The Upsetter.  Was it at this point that you started fiddling around with the dub sound on your mixing board?

LSP        At that time Duke Reid was doing rocksteady.  But right, I started making the dub sound.

CP        You also used a sample of a crying baby on People Funny.  No one was really doing that at the time, what inspired this?

LSP        Well People Funny Boy went straight to the top.  It wasn’t ska and it wasn’t rocksteady.  See, God chose that in creation you start as baby.  And if you don’t start to crawl, you won’t walk.  And if you don’t scratch you won’t reach anywhere.  At the time when I was doing the Chicken Scratch for Coxsone, they didn’t understand that I was saying so.  My songs did not appease them because they didn’t know how things start, how things move on.  So I did Chicken Scratch for Coxsone, but I couldn’t take his rage anymore and his type of music, so I went away and started to make my type of music and so I did People Funny Boy.

CP        I notice that unlike other reggae artists, you don’t just make up lyrics to version tracks, you actually create original songs.  Have you always worked with a band?

LSP        You’re right.  Yep, original tracks given to me by God.  Coxsone had musicians, I did not use them.  Duke Reid had some musicians, I did not use them.  I go over and select my own type of musician and called them “The Upsetter’s.”  I am The Upsetter, and all the musicians that we put together are apostrophe “s,” The Upsetter’s.  I do not use any of the ska musicians, Coxsone having The Skatalites.  I did not use any of Reid’s rocksteady musicians.  I got my own and called them The Upsetter’s.

CP         People say that you created the dub sound and helped create the foundation of reggae.  Do you think that this is due to the fact that you gathered your own musicians, and that you didn’t use version tracks or The Skatalites or anyone else from the established soundsystems?

LSP        Well, there’s this saying, “The voice of the people are the voice of God.  And the people who are looking to be chosen, look into the bag and the see the frog.  And after the people look into the bag and see the frog, they know that the frog in the bag is the king of all the kings.”  So what people say are great truths, the people say I created… and if I did not create the people would say so.  People say I created reggae and people say I created dub, and if I did not create reggae and I did not create dub, then the people would not say so.  And I did not tell the people to say so.

CP        In addition to creating the reggae sound and the dub sound, you’ve also produced a great many records.  Are there any that stand out to you as exceptional or a highlight in your career?

LSP        I created a lot of sounds and I make a lot of artists famous, but I do not really have a favorite.  But I write Punky Reggae Party for Bob, having a party.  Yeah, and because of The Clash and The Jam I really mix Bob Marley energy and the really punk energy and I create another vibration for another generation.

CP       By the 80s Reggae was a global.  It began to influence rock and roll, punk music and even hip-hop.  Unlike other Jamaican artists who want to stay “cultural,” you seem to be happy to work with other people; you don’t really discriminate between genres.

LSP        Right, I create a new vibration, another creation and it’s love and it’s full of energy; it’s full of magic, it’s full of miracle and its full of science.  And the people who love to share in my vibration, I’m willing to help them.

CP        What about your home recording studio, The Black Ark?  You recorded Bob Marley there at your home in Kingston?

LSP        It was in my backyard.  I built another house back there and called it the Black Ark Studio.  I recorded Bob, Congo, Max Romeo…

CP        But the Black Ark burned down to the ground, correct?

LSP        It did not burn down to the ground, but after a while everybody was working there and there was suffering, so when you take away the suffering away from a patient, it is with you.  When you take away the sin or the bad luck from others, it is with you.  So because of all that pressure, the pressure from the Marley, and the pressure from the Congo and from Max and Junior Byles… it’s like I take away their jinx and give them my good energy.  So the jinx was still there in the Ark.  To get rid of the jinx you have to burn it down with fire.  It was not the case that I wished to burn it.  It was because of the jinx that I did it.  Otherwise the jinx would get me.

CP        After The Black Ark, you left Jamaica?  Did you move to England?

LSP        I leave Jamaica 25 years ago now.  After I leave Jamaica, I went four years in London and after London; I go here and there.  Spent some time in Jamaica and then go back to Switzerland.

CP         Switzerland is where you live now.  What made you move there?  Was it your wife or did you just take a liking to Switzerland?

LSP        Well she met me in London, and we talked and she planned to come to Jamaica.  I leave London about three weeks after I met her, back to Jamaica… and she come to Jamaica and spend a couple weeks in Jamaica; then go back to Switzerland.  But then I come to Switzerland and that’s it.  But I still go back to Jamaica sometime… twice a year sometimes.

CP        Your discography spans the last 50 years.  Though you’ve recorded so much, do you have any favorites?  For example, one of my favorite songs of yours is Solid As A Rock.  That one is kind of like the ska sound.  Then there’s Soul Fire, which has a heavy bass and the dubbed out “Scratch” sound.

LSP        Solid As A Rock we didn’t write, it’s an old Jamaican song but I made it have the Scratch sound.  I made because I change the song to my style and I am sold as rock.  Soul Fire is soul music.  And that song is talking about my soul and my soul is fire.  Fire in your heart.  Boom boom boom, your heart is the drum and my heart is the drum.  Without the poom, poom you cannot live on this earth, this is the mind.

Lee “Scratch” Perry has just completed yet another record entitled, “Revelation,” and is

performing in Los Angeles at this year’s Sunset Junction Festival in Silverlake on

Sunday, August 22nd at 8:00 pm.

For more information about the Sunset Junction Festival, visit:

www.sunsetjunction.org

Ernie Smith- The Best of Ernie Smith: Original Masters (VP Records 2010)

Poetical Works Of Marcus Garvey is a beautiful collection of Poems and Hymns written by the Right and Honorable Marcus Garvey. For those who are followers of Garvey this book brings the same themes of Repatriation, Redemption and Black Self reliance that Marcus always focused on but with an artistic twist. Covering everything from his love for his wife in “The Love Aime” to focusing on the same ideas he championed in his speeches in
“The Tragedy of White Injustice” this book is truly a gem.  For those of you who wish they could have known Marcus his own words and artistic creations in this book will give you an idea of who Marcus really is. Displaying everything from personal feelings of love and faith to courageous rallying cries of unity for all Africans at home and abroad to “Hail the United States of Africa” this book is a must read.

100 _ 1, Tyson Gay, United States, 9.79. 2, Nesta Carter, Jamaica, 9.85. 3, Yohan Blake, Jamaica, 9.91. 4, Daniel Bailey, 10.09. 5, Richard Thompson, Trinidad, 10.11. 6, Mario Forsythe, Jamaica, 10.12. 7, Trell Kimmons, United States, 10.20. 8, Lee Dexter, Jamaica, 10.21. 9, Martial Mbandjock, France, 10.26.

400 _ 1, Nery Brenes, Costa Rica, 44.92. 2, Jonathan Borlee, Belgium, 45.27. 3, Allodin Fothergill, Jamaica, 45.44. 4, Kevin Borlee, Belgium, 45.53. 5, David Neville, United States, 45.59. 6, Jamaal Torrance, United States, 46.02. 7, Erison Hurtault, Dominican Republic, 46.05. 8, Cedric van Branteghem, Belgium, 46.31. 9, Ben Offereins, Australia, 46.74.

800 _ 1, David Rudisha, Kenya, 1:43.50. 2, Abubaker Kaki, Sudan, 1:43.84. 3, Boaz Lalang, Kenya, 1:44.29. 4, Marcin Lewandowski, Poland, 1:44.97. 5, Jackson Mumbwa Kivuna, Kenya, 1:45.62. 6, David Mutinda Mutua, Kenya, 1:45.90. 7, Antonio Manual Reina, Spain, 1:45.97. 8, Duane Solomon, United States, 1:46.17. 9, Mansoor Belal Ali, Brunei, 1:Mansoor Belal Ali, Brunei. 10, Bram Som, Netherlands, 1:48.06. Sammy Tangui, Kenya, DNF.

1,500 _ 1, Asbel Kipkop, Kenya, 3:32.18. 2, Leonel Manzano, United States, 3:32.37. 3, Augustine Kipromo Choge, Kenya, 3.32.88. 4, Mekonnen Gebremedhin, Ethiopia, 3:33.96. 5, Thomas Lancashire, Great Britain, 3:33.96. 6, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, Kenya, 3:34.03. 7, Carsten Schlangen, Germany, 3:34.19. 8, Collis Birmingham, Australia, 3:35.50. 9, Nixon Chepseba, Kenya, 3:36.14. 10, Abdelaati Iguider, Morocco, 3:36.73. 11, Alvaro Fermandez Cerezo, Spain, 3:37.13. 12, Kristof Van Malderen, Belgium, 3:37.36. 13, Arturo Casado, Spain, 3:37.67. 14, Samir Dahmani, France, 3:38.01.. 15, Ismael Kipngetich Kombich, Kenya, 3:40.98. Johan Cronje, South Africa; David Krummenacker, United States; Victor Seco, Spain, DNF.

3,000 Steeplechase _ 1, Mahiedine Benabbad Mekhissi, France, 8:02.52. 2, Paul Kipsiele Koech, Kenya, 8:07.66. 3,Gari Roba, Ethiopia, 8:13.15. 4, Tomasz Szymkowiak, Poland, 8:21.55. 5, Albert Kiptoo Yator, Kenya, 8:23.69. 6,Bjornar Ustad Kristensen, Norway, 8:24.51. 7, Antonio Jimenez, Spain, 8:25.42. 8, Steffen Ulicizka, Germany, 8:25.99. 9, Tarick Kipyegon Terer, Kenya, 8:28.20. 10, Tareq Mubarak Taher, Brunei, 8:35.03. 11, Simon Ayeko, Uganda, 8:38.84. 12, Krijn van Koolwijk, Belgium, 8:40.60. Haron Lagat, Kenya, and Patrick Kipkirui Langat, Kenya, DNF.

400 Hurdles _ 1. Bershawn Jackson, United States, 47.85. 2, David Greene, Great Britain, 48.26. 3, Javier Culson, Puerto Rico, 48.71. 4, Justin Gaymon, United States, 49.30. 5, Michael Bultheel, Belgium, 49.38. 6, Angelo Taylor, United States, 49.72. 7, Jehue Gordon, Trinidad, 49.80. 8, Sebastien Maillard, France, 50.75.

Pole Vault _ 1, Malte Mohr, Germany, 19-21/4. 2, Renaud Lavillenie, France, 19-01/4. 3, Maksym Mazuryk, Ukraine, 18-101/4. 4, Fabian Schulze, Germany, 18-61/2. 5, Steven Hooker, Australia, 18-61/2. 6, Derek Miles, United States, 18-61/2. 7, Giuseppe Gibilisco, Italy, 18-21/2. 8, Lukasz Michalski, Poland, 18-21/2. 9, Romain Mesnil, France, 17-101/2. 10, Kevin Rans, Belgium, 17-61/2. Damiel Dossevi, France, and Raphael Holzdeppe, Germany, NM.

Triple Jump _ 1, Teddy Tamgho, France, 57-53/4. 2, Alexis Copello, Cuba, 57-33/4. 3, Christian Olsson, Sweden, 56-111/4. 4, David Giralt, Cuba, 56-11/4. 5, Benjamin Compaore, France, 55-73/4. 6, Nathan Douglas, Britain, 55-33/4. 7, Marian Oprea, Romania, 55-23/4. 8, Randy Lewis, Grenada, 52-101/4. Samyr Laine, Haiti, NM.

Shot Put _ 1, Reese Hoffa, United States, 72-81/2. 2, Christian Cantwell, United States, 70-111/4. 3,Tomasz Majewski, Poland, 70-41/4. 4, Dylan Armstrong, Canada, 68-53/4. 5, Adam Nelson, United States, 66-53/4. 6, Cory Martin, United States, 66-5. 7, Dorian Scott, Jamaica, 63-0. 8, Wim Blondeel, Belgium, 59-63/4. Daniel Taylor, United States, NM.

Javelin _ 1, Andreas Thorkildsen, Norway, 294-10. 2, Tero Pitkamaki, Finland, 273-6. 3, Matthias De Zordo, Germany, 270-3. 4, Jarrod Bannister, Australia, 269-2. 5, Teemu Wirkkala, Finland, 269-0. 6, Ainars Kovals, Latvia, 267-2. 7, Aro Mannio, Finland, 264-7. 8, Tepr Fryddrych, Czech Republic, 253-7. 9, Olexandr Pyantnytsya, UKraine, 247-10. 10, Till Woeschler, Germany, 244-9. Women

200 _ 1. Allyson Felix, United States, 22.61. 2, Shalonda Solomon, United States, 22.70. 3, Bianca Knight, United States, 23.01. 4, Aleksandra Fedoriva, Russia, 23.07. 5, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Trinidad, 23.26. 6, Yelizveta Bryzgina, Ukraine, 23.28. 7, Porscha Lucas, United States, 23,26. 8, Olivia Borlee, Belgium. 9, Consuella Moore, United States, 23.63.

800 _ 1, Janeth Jepkosgei, Kenya, 1:58.82. 2, Mariya Savinova, Russia, 1:59.49. 3, Caster Semenya, South Africa, 1:59.65. 4, Alysia Johnson, United States, 1:59.89. 5, Jennifer Meadows, Great Britain, 1:59.93. 6, Anna Pierce, United States, 2:00.05. 7, Elisa Cusma-Piccione, Italy, 2:00.35. 8, Tintu Luka, India, 2:00.79. 9, Jemma Simpson, Britain, 2:01.13. 10, Neisha Bernard-Thomas, Grenada, 2:01.75. Halima Hachlaf, Morocco, and Karen Shinkins, Ireland, DNF.

5,000 _ 1, Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya, 14:34.13. 2, Linet Chepkwemoi Masai, Kenya, 14:35.07. 3, Sentayehu Ejigu, Ethiopia, 14:53.13. 4, Alemitu Bekele, Turkey, 14:36.79. 5, Sally Kipyego, Kenya, 14:38.64. 6, Elvan Abbeylegesse, Turkey, 14:39.61. 7, Sylvia Chibiwott Kibert, Kenya, 14:39.80. 8, Ines Chenonge, Kenya, 14:43.14. 9, Meselech Melkamu, Ethiopia, 14:44.26. 10, Molly Huddle, United States, 14:44.76. 11, Stephanie Twell, Great Britain, 14:54.88. 12, Mercy Cherono, Kenya, 14:58.88. 13, Esther Chemtai, Kenya, 14:59.75. Lidia Chojecka, Poland; Lindsey de Grande, Belgium; Zakia Mrisho, Tanzania; Margaret Wangari Muriuki, Kenya, DNF.

3,000 Steeplechase _ 1, Sofia Assefa, Ethiopia, 9:20.72. 2, Milcah Chemos Cheiywa, Kenya, 9:22.34. 3, Almaz Ayana, Ethiopia, 9:22.51. 4, Mekdes Bekele, Ethiopia, 9:24.17. 5, Lisa Aguilera, United States, 9:24.84. 6, Lydia Jebet Rotich, Kenya, 9:29.24. 7, Katarzyna Kowalska, Poland, 9:33.79. 8, Birtukan Adamu, Ethiopia, 9:54.06. 9, Korene Hinds, Jamaica, 9:54.37. Sophie Duarte, France, and Mardrea Hyman, Jamaica, DNF.

100 Hurdles _ 1, Priscilla Lopes-Schliep, Canada, 12.54. 2, Sally Pearson, Australia, 12.64. 3, Perdita Felicien, Canada, 12.68. 4, Queen Harrison, United States, 12.69. 5, Lolo Jones, United States, 12.78. 6, Danielle Carruthers, United States, 12.93. 7, Derval O’Rourke, Ireland, 12.96. 8, Christina Vikicevic, Norway, 13.21.`9, Elisabeth Davin, Belgium, 13.34.

High Jump _ 1, Blanka Vlasic, Croatia, 6-63/4. 2, Antonietta Di Martino, Italy, 6-6. 3, Emma Green, Sweden, 6-6. 4, Ruth Beitia , Spain, 6-31/2. 5, Svetlana Shkolina, Russia, 6-31/2. 6, Irina Gordeyeva, Russia, 6-11/4. 7, Lavern Spencer, St. Lucia, 6-11/4. 8, Ana Simic, Croatia, 5-103/4. Hanne Van Hessche, Belgium, NM.

Triple Jump _ 1, Olga Rypakova, Kazakhstan, 48-63/4. 2,Yargelis Savigne, Cuba, 47-91/4. 3, Olha Saladukha, Ukraine, 47-21/4. 4, Dana Veldakova, Slovakia, 46-63/4. 5, Snezana Vukmirovic-Rodic, Slovenia, 46-51/2. 6, Svetlana Bolshkova, Belgium, 46-03/4. 7, Nadezha Alekhina, Russia, 45-1. 8, Anna Pyatykh, Russia, 45-01/2. 9, Adelina Gavrila, Romania, 44-8.

Discus _ 1, Sandra Perkovic, Croatia, 219-7. 2, Yarelis Barrios, Cuba, 216-5. 3, Yanfeng Li, China, 212-5. 4, Dani Samuels, Australia, 203-10. 5, Nicoleta Grasu, Romania, 202-4. 6, Aretha Thurmond, United States, 202-0. 7, Becky Breisch, United States, 196-1. 8, Joanna Wisniewska, Poland, 191-8.

Dane Richards, who set up Henry’s goal, scored late in the first half for the Red Bulls, who won for the third time in four matches and pulled four points behind first-place Columbus in the Eastern Conference.

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for San Jose.

Its tough going for the Los Angeles Galaxy, who built momentum early in the season, now has back-to-back losses for the first time this season.  The Kansas City Wizards (KC) claimed all three points against LA at the Home Depot Center Saturday night, as the match ended 2-nil.

A big win for the Kansas City Wizards! They are now just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes, who currently occupy the eighth and final playoff spot.  The Wizards beat the Galaxy on the road and they shut them out.  It was the Wizards first victory over the Galaxy since September 2008 and it was well worth it.

Skipper Davy Arnaud gave the Wizards their first in the in the 12th minute with a pass from midfielder Kei Kamara.  And Jimmy Conrad sealed the deal with the Wizard second goal in the 69th minute.

Kansas City Wizards Head Coach Peter Vermes had this to say on winning in LA, “Coming in, we knew that it was going to be a very difficult match based on the fact that LA is the leading team in the league and they have a great pressing game, especially at home.”

The frustration continues for the Galaxy who are still stuck at 43 points.  Down the stretch with eight games left, the team needs to turn things around, now a 13-5-4 record on the season.

If the team is trying to figure out a way to get back on track, it starts with the defending.

LA Galaxy Defender Sean Franklin had this to say, “We know we have a good team and a good defense and it showed the first half of the season. We’ve just got to go back to what we were good at and I know our team will bounce back from this. We’ve got a good group of guys, a good group of veterans and we’ve just got to prepare better for the games.”

Chris Birchall was booked in the 69th minute for his fifth yellow card of the season. As a result, he will be suspended for next weekend’s game in Chicago.

The Los Angeles Galaxy are back in action next Saturday, September 4th when they travel to Chicago to face the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. That game kicks off at 1 pm PST.

Two weeks ago, after being named as the other woman in a bitter divorce case, the former “American Idol” champ took a mixture of aspirin and sleeping pills. She was hospitalized for three days.

Since then, she has confessed in a “Behind the Music” special to a suicide attempt, taped new footage for her VH1 reality show and tearfully talked about her tribulations on ABC’s “Good Morning America” _ all while promoting her third album, “Back to Me,” which was released this week.

Her manager, Brian Dickens, said there was no talk of delaying the album _ the only question was whether Fantasia would be up to promoting it _ “was she able to handle it.”

“Things that have been misconstrued in the media is that this was a publicity stunt, and that is in no way shape or form true,” Dickens said.

Once she decided to push forward, the 26-year-old singer continued with plans to publicize the album.

She shrugs in frustration at the suggestion that the attempted suicide was a publicity stunt. She’s been criticized before, but it still gets her down.

“I didn’t need any more press or publicity. It was already going on; I wanted to be away from the press and publicity. I was sick and tired of it,” she said as she curled up in bed, wearing a low-cut purple gown, at her hotel room Monday afternoon.

“If that was the case, there could have been other things that were done for some publicity. I feel like it (is) all nonsense,” she said. “All I can do now is move forward. I’m ready to get back on the road. … We worked so hard on this album. I just want to focus on that, and my girl, my 9-year-old daughter.”

She hasn’t told her daughter, Zion, about the suicide attempt; she was told her mother was on tour.

Fantasia’s complicated life has always been part of her persona, going back to when she became a star in 2004 as an “American Idol” winner who was a high-school dropout and the unmarried mother of a young child.

“There will be something else to happen; there will be something else to come my way, I know it,” she said. “I’m just that artist I feel like will always be going through something.”

Fantasia has had plenty of turmoil to match her career milestones.

She’s had hit songs, a platinum album and Grammy nominations, and she starred on Broadway in Oprah Winfrey’s “The Color Purple.” She’s also battled bad publicity, endured financial woes _ she almost lost her North Carolina home _ and had questionable absences from “The Color Purple.”

Her VH1 reality show, “Fantasia for Real,” which debuted this year, documented her attempt to recharge her career after a disappointing second album while taking care of her sometimes dysfunctional extended family. A new season begins Sept. 21.

“She’s got a very much kind of ‘Behind the Music’ kind of story, a lot of ups and downs in her life,” said Rick Krim, VH1’s executive vice president of music and talent relations.

But the worst was yet to come. Earlier this month, Fantasia was named in court papers filed in North Carolina by Paula Cook, who accused her husband, Antwaun Cook, of having an affair with the singer.

The accusations made headlines, and sent Fantasia over the edge.

“My name was being bashed, what I worked so hard for, again, it seems like it was all going down the drain,” she said. Fantasia insists she didn’t start dating Cook until after he separated from his wife, and says they are no longer together.

Dickens said the accusations were a “contributing factor to pre-existing weight: the lawsuit, the media business, family, a combination of all of this.”

Besides the emotional damage she endured, Fantasia damaged her kidneys, and needs doctor visits to make sure she’s OK.

Fantasia says she’s been enduring pain for years, from family struggles to barbs about her image, but put on a happy face for the public: “I’ve been carrying so much for so long for six years, and it just became an overload, and it gets to a point where nobody will understand.”

She said a life coach has helped her realize that masking her problems while trying to please and take care of everyone else in her life has to end.

“I have to please myself. What does ‘Tasia want to do when she wake up in the morning? … I have to learn how to say `no,”’ she said.

Krim said while he doesn’t believe her suicide attempt was “part of the marketing plan” for her new album, he hopes the attention will rekindle interest in Fantasia’s talent, and her career.

“I think now hopefully people will be rooting for her,” he said. “This is just another chapter in her up-and-down life.”

Though Fantasia knows her problems are far from over, she insists that she’ll never again try to take her own life.

“I won’t get back to that place anymore because, again, I really don’t care anymore about what people have to say,” she said. “It ain’t nothing that can stop me now. Why? Because from this day forward, I will do what makes ‘Tasia happy.”

_

KINGSTON, Jamaica  _ Jamaica’s opposition called Sunday for an independent investigation into who hired lobbyists to try to persuade the U.S. government to drop its extradition request for alleged drug lord Christopher “Dudus” Coke.

The People’s National Party said in a statement that a commission of inquiry should be formed because the government has failed to provide a “full and truthful” account of precisely who contracted U.S. firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips last year.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding initially denied any role in the lobbying contract. But he later acknowledged personally approving the decision to hire the firm while his government resisted the request to extradite Coke, the alleged boss of the notorious Shower Posse gang.

Golding apologized to Jamaicans for not being more forthcoming and said he authorized the deal in his capacity as leader of the governing Jamaica Labour Party. He said the $50,000 paid to the firm came from party donors.

The People’s National Party said only an independent panel can determine the whole truth.

“The government has still not provided a full and truthful account of the issues related to either the Manatt Phelps and Phillips relationship or the elements of the extradition request for Christopher Coke,” the party said.

A spokesman for Golding’s government did not immediately return a call seeking a response.

In May, a hunt for Coke in his West Kingston slum stronghold led to a confrontation that killed 73 civilians and three security officers over four days of fighting.

Coke finally was arrested June 22 at a police checkpoint while wearing a wig and traveling in a preacher’s car. He was sent to the United States days later under tight security.

Now jailed in New York, Coke has pleaded not guilty to charges that he ran a big drug ring in the eastern United States from his base in Jamaica’s capital.

Golding, whose party has long counted on the support of gunmen inside Coke’s Tivoli Gardens slum, opposed the U.S. extradition request for nine months before reversing course under heavy political pressure.

The dilapidated home is currently being rented, and the government has not had any luck reaching the owner, who is believed to be living in the United States, said Laleta Davis-Mattis, a spokeswoman for the Jamaica National Heritage Trust.

The government has asked a judge for permission to buy the property, which is estimated to be worth $38,000. The money would be set aside and given to the owner if she appears, Davis-Mattis said.

It is unclear how much the repairs would cost, but State Minister Robert Montague said in a statement issued Tuesday that the government pledged $35,000 for the project.

A committee is trying to determine whether the structure is Garvey’s original home, although officials are certain that Garvey grew up on the property where the home is located, Davis-Mattis said.

The trust also wants to identify other sites in the neighborhood that were significant in Garvey’s life and create a walking tour, she said.

Garvey was born in 1887 in northern St. Ann Parish, Jamaica’s largest district. He moved to the United States in 1916 and led one of the largest black organizations in history, the Universal Negro Improvement Association. He also survived an assassination attempt.

Garvey died in London in 1940 and was buried in Kingston, Jamaica.

BAGHDAD (AP) _ The number of U.S. troops in Iraq has fallen below 50,000 for the first time since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and ahead of the end-of-the-month deadline mandated by President Barack Obama, the American military said in a statement Tuesday.

The number is a watershed in the more than seven years that the United States has been at war in Iraq. Under Obama’s plan, American forces will no longer conduct combat operations but are instead to train Iraqi troops and help with counterterrorism operations _ if asked for by the Iraqis.

“Today, in line with President Obama’s direction and as part of the responsible drawdown of forces, U.S. military force levels in Iraq are below 50,000,” the statement read.

“U.S. military forces will transition to Operation New Dawn, effective Sept. 1, 2010,” it added, referring to the change in operation name from Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Gen. Ray Odierno, the commanding general in Iraq, told reporters Tuesday that 49,700 troops are currently in Iraq and that the number would remain level through next summer.

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2nd bore hole for communications reaches 33 trapped miners, ventilation shaft nearly there

COPIAPO, Chile (AP) _ Rescuers are lowering capsules containing rehydration tablets, glucose and oxygen down a long hole to 33 miners who surprised the world by staying alive while trapped a half-mile underground for 21/2 weeks.

Raising hopes further Monday, a second bore hole punched into the chamber where the miners are entombed and a third probe was nearing the spot, Mining Minister Laurence Golborne reported.

The hole that reached the miners Sunday will continue to be used to lower supplies, the second will be for communication and the third will provide ventilation, Golborne said.

Their ordeal, however, is far from over.

Above ground, doctors and psychological experts are debating how to keep them sane during the estimated four months it will take to dig a tunnel wide enough to get them out of the safety chamber 2,200 feet (670 meters) underground where they have been buried since Aug. 5.

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Establishment vs. outsiders as voters in Ariz., Alaska head to primary polls

WASHINGTON (AP) _ It’s the political establishment vs. the outsiders in Tuesday’s primaries. And the establishment has the better odds.

Republican Sens. John McCain and Lisa Murkowski were poised to win bitter primaries in Arizona and Alaska against tea-party-backed candidates.

In Florida, boatloads of cash may not be enough to propel former health care executive Rick Scott and real estate businessman Jeff Greene to victory in gubernatorial and Senate primaries.

“I think the voters have figured out that no matter how much money some guy spends, just because he’s wealthy and can run ads that slam the other guy doesn’t make him the right person to govern Florida,” said state Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is locked in a bruising Republican gubernatorial campaign against Scott.

Scott has spent almost $39 million of his own money on the campaign and for months has blanketed the state with his commercials, most attacking McCollum.

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China demands answers after 8 Hong Kong tourists killed in Philippine bus hijacking

MANILA, Philippines (AP) _ China demanded answers Tuesday from the Philippines after a 12-hour hostage drama in the heart of Manila ended with eight Hong Kong tourists dead along with their Filipino hostage-taker after a day of botched negotiations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said his government was “appalled” and telephoned his Philippine counterpart Alberto Romulo to voice concern, while Hong Kong residents expressed outrage and media outlets in the Chinese territory denounced Philippine police as incompetent.

Dismissed policeman Rolando Mendoza, 55, was armed with a M16 rifle and a pistol when he seized the busload of 21 Hong Kong tourists and four locals to demand his reinstatement on the force. The ordeal ended in bloodshed on live TV with police storming the bus and killing the gunman after he fired at the tourists, killing eight of them.

“The Chinese government demands the Philippine government launch a thorough investigation into the incident and inform the Chinese side of related details as soon as possible,” Yang said, according to a statement posted on his ministry’s website.

At the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong, a wealthy former British colony unaccustomed to violence, several dozen protesters chanted: “Strongly condemn the Philippine government for being careless about human life!”

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AP IMPACT: Katrina recovery a tale of SBA delays, rejections, ‘things that were wrong’

CHALMETTE, La. (AP) _ Five years after Hurricane Katrina, Jay Young is still haunted by the desperate voices on the other end of the telephone crying and begging for help.

As a loan officer for a federal agency that was supposed to help homeowners and businesses get back on their feet, he had high expectations he could make a difference. But he recalls how he was forced to turn away many qualified applicants because of what he says was pressure from his supervisors to close files quickly.

Karen Bazile remembers having high hopes, too, when she applied for a loan from the same agency, the Small Business Administration, to rebuild her home in the New Orleans suburb of Chalmette. While she ultimately got the money, she quickly lost faith as she struggled with different loan officers who misplaced her paperwork and told her she had only 48 hours to find and fax critical documents or her application would be canceled.

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Supporters say church destroyed on 9/11 is being ignored in furor over mosque near ground zero

NEW YORK (AP) _ Supporters of a Greek Orthodox church destroyed on Sept. 11 say officials willing to speak out about a planned community center and mosque near ground zero have been silent on efforts to get the church rebuilt.

But the World Trade Center site’s owner says a deal to help rebuild St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was offered and rejected, after years of negotiations, over money and other issues.

Though the projects are not related, supporters _ including George Pataki, New York’s governor at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks _ have questioned why public officials have not addressed St. Nicholas’ future while they lead a debate on whether and where the Islamic cultural center should be built.

“What about us? Why have they forgotten or abandoned their commitment to us?” asked Father Alex Karloutsos, assistant to the archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. “When I see them raising issues about the mosque and not thinking about the church that was destroyed, it does bother us.”

In an effort to deal with the furor over the planned location of the Islamic center, Gov. David Paterson has suggested that state land farther away from ground zero be used. He was scheduled to meet with New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on Tuesday to discuss the Park51 project, which is planned for two blocks north of the 16-acre World Trade Center site.

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Honolulu’s long-standing trash woes grow worse as plan to ship garbage to Washington falters

HONOLULU (AP) _ Gigantic piles of shrink-wrapped garbage have been moldering in the heat of a Hawaii industrial park for more than five months, waiting for a place to be shipped.

That wait appeared to end Monday when city officials inked a deal to dispose of the 40 million-pound pile of odious rubbish over the next six months by mostly burning it in an existing waste-to-power plant.

But bigger problems remain for Honolulu as the state’s largest city struggles to find a home for all its waste.

Honolulu’s lone dump is filling up fast and its plan to ship trash to Washington state has faltered.

But the city produces nearly 1.6 million tons a year, and though it will burn more in a couple of years, it still will have to site a new landfill soon after.

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CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama official driving push for expansion of electric vehicles

WASHINGTON (AP) _ David Sandalow starts his five-mile commute each day by unplugging an orange extension cord connecting his Toyota Prius hybrid to an outlet in his brick carport.

His Prius, which was converted two years ago to allow him to recharge the battery from an electric outlet, gets more than 80 miles per gallon and lets him drive 30 miles on a single charge. He fills up his car with gasoline about once every month or two, an oddity in a transportation sector long dominated by the internal combustion engine.

“If you’re thirsty, you can get a Diet Coke or orange juice or water. If you’re hungry you can get a hamburger or hot dog or a fruit plate. If you want to drive someplace, you only have one choice. You can use gasoline or petroleum-based products,” says Sandalow, the Energy Department’s assistant secretary for policy and international affairs. “That doesn’t seem strange to us … but it’s odd. It’s strange that we are utterly dependent on this one fuel source for mobility.”

If American consumers begin to shift to electric cars this decade, Sandalow will be one of the government’s driving forces behind the change. Crafting policy from the vantage point of an electric car driver himself, the former Brookings Institution scholar has helped shape the Obama administration’s ambitious plan to pump billions of dollars into partnerships aimed at developing cars running on electric power, creating an advanced battery industry and helping communities prepare for the transition.

President Barack Obama has pledged to bring 1 million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to U.S. highways by 2015, and turned to the nascent battery industry as one of the hallmarks of his economic recovery plan. Electric vehicles built by General Motors and Nissan are arriving in showrooms later this year and every major auto manufacturer is working on an electric strategy, encouraged by federal funding and tax incentives.

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22-year-old Miss Universe quickly embraces role as ambassador for native Mexico

LAS VEGAS (AP) _ From flags to Facebook, 22-year-old Jimena Navarrete has quickly made it clear what she plans to promote as the world’s newest Miss Universe _ her home country of Mexico.

“I want the whole world to know about my country and my people,” the Guadalajara native said after beating 82 competitors for global bragging rights at the pageant in Las Vegas.

“I imagine that they’re all going crazy in Mexico right now,” she said through an interpreter. “I’m extremely proud and I’m sure they’re very proud, too.”

She donned a flowing red dress, strutted confidently in a violet bikini, and said onstage that the Internet is indispensable and requires parents to impart family values.

The model-turned pageant queen then posed for pictures with a Mexican flag and Mexico’s last Miss Universe as congratulations from her countrymen came pouring in.

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9 months after Tiger Woods caught in adultery, his marriage ends in divorce

Divorced. Single dad. Golf game still to be determined.

And so, after nine months of turmoil over his extramarital affairs, now begins the next chapter in the life and times of Tiger Woods.

In a hearing that lasted no more than 10 minutes in a Florida judge’s chambers, Woods and his Swedish-born wife officially divorced Monday.

“We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future,” Woods and Elin Nordegren said in a joint statement released by their lawyers.

The divorce was granted shortly after 2 p.m. in Bay County Circuit Court in Panama City, Fla., about 375 miles from their Isleworth home outside Orlando, where Woods drove his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree on Thanksgiving night. That set off shocking revelations that sports’ biggest star had been cheating on his wife through multiple affairs.

Woods’ life and golf game have been in disarray ever since.

He and Nordegren were married Oct. 5, 2004, in Barbados and have a 3-year-old daughter, Sam, and an 18-month-old son, Charlie.

Terms of the divorce _ such as how much it will cost Woods _ were not disclosed. They said only that they will “share parenting” of their two children.

Haitian-born recording artist Wyclef Jean, confirmed rumors on Wednesday, August 4, that he planned to run for president of Haiti.  The following day he filed papers. Unfortunately, election officials found him ineligible to run for office.  While officials did not disclose the reasons Jean could not run for office, it is assumed that he could not run because he failed to meet the residency requirement.
With Jean apparently out of the race, there remains a crowded field of approximately three dozen candidates which include two former prime ministers and Raymond Joseph, the latter Jean’s uncle and a former ambassador.  Jean was to run for the Viv Ansanm (which translates as “live together”) party.
The winner of the race will succeed outgoing President René Préval, who is not eligible to run again due to term limits.
The election is scheduled for Sunday, November 28, 2010. A candidate will need to capture at least 50% of the vote to win outright or face a run-off.

Thompson, who returns to this children’s tale about a magical nanny who uses her powers to tame children, is talking about casting friend and fellow actress Maggie Gyllenhaal in this sequel to the 2005 flick.

“I think on a film like Nanny McPhee, it’s vital that you cast people you know are company members. People who play with the team,” continues the Academy Award-Winning actress, who is know for her work in such films as “Howards End” and “Sense and Sensibility. “It’s bliss working with someone you are close to. It’s always much easier than working with someone you are not close to, or you don’t like. Maggie was so fantastic with the kids and really did mother them.”

In this wonderful family movie, scripted by Thompson, Nanny McPhee, this time, appears at the door of Mrs. Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young mother who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. Mrs. Green is at the end of her rope. Her three children are constantly fighting each other, her husband, Rory (Ewan McGregor), is away at war and hasn’t been heard from, and her brother in-law is pressuring her to sell the farm. To add to her existing woes, her posh niece and nephew have been sent to the farm for an unlimited time, and are not getting along with their cousins. She is trying in vain to stop the feuding when she hears a knock on the door, and opens it to reveal the unsettling figure of Nanny McPhee, who quickly takes control of the Green household. Aided by a magical walking stick, and relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a stature that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet, the loving but stern McPhee uses her magic to teach the children several lessons. As the children begin to discover McPhee’s magical powers, they soon realize that she is no ordinary nanny.

“She’s a bit like Batman in that she has her magic powers, and can operate in whatever way she deems necessary for the situation,” says Thompson. “I wanted her to visit a family in which the dad was away at war, and the mother was home trying to hold everything together. New problems for the children and new problems for the parents, and five new lessons for Nanny McPhee to teach,” continues Thompson who covers all the well-trodden bases of children’s entertainment in this family fantasy-comedy.

A magical tale perfect for the family to enjoy together, this mischievous, warmhearted flick, which is loosely adapted from the Nurse Matilda books by Christianna Brand, is a clever charming fantasy which every age will love.