What’s cookin’ everyone. The weekend is upon us and the news keeps coming. This week proved to be another lively one with Roy Jones getting the W over Felix Trinidad, Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama taking shots at each other as South Carolinians prepare to vote in the Democratic primary, Fred Thompson deading his chances of becoming president by dropping out of the race for the Republican party nomination and a study that counted 935 false statements made by President Bush and top administration officials to justify going to war with Iraq two years after the 2001 terrorists attacks.
 
Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of actor Heath Ledger, who was found dead Tuesday (Jan. 22) of what many think to be an apparent suicide or accidental drug overdose. Shout out to the sounding boards for staying hot with the feedback, despite all the cold weather sweeping the country. OK, let’s get to it....the Last Word for the week ending Jan. 25, 2008.
 
1. Sean Paul’s Temperature is Too High For New York Woman
 
It’s no secret that dancehall reggae has an effect on women. The right song can trigger a sensual display of body movement on the dance floor or a seizure, as one woman discovered when hearing Sean Paul’s hit song "Temperature."
 
The New York Post reports that Stacey Gayle, a 24-year-old woman from Queens, NY, suffered from a type of music-triggered seizure called musicogenic epilepsy the moment she hears "Temperature."
 
"As soon as the beat comes on, I don't know what it is, it just triggers my seizure," said Gayle, an admitted Sean Paul fan, who noted that the song caused a prior seizure. "It's like a weird sensation you get, like a tingling in your head. I smelled something funny, a weird smell."
 
Fortunately for her, the doctors were able to remove the part of her brain that was responsible for triggering the condition by using "Temperature" to induce the seizures so the could locate the area.
 
As a result, Gayle hasn’t had a seizure in three months.
 
2. Akon Gets Temporary Get Out of Court Card
 
Looks like Akon will have to wait a bit longer to get his day in court.
 
According to media reports, the singer’s lawyer Benjamin Brafman requested that Akon’s trial be postponed. The delay is the latest development in the case, which stems from an incident where Akon tossed a fan off the stage after the fan was identified by concertgoers as the person who threw an object on stage at the crooner.
 
Akon, who pleaded not guilty in December, is charged with misdemeanor endangerment and harassment. He is currently free on his own recognizance. The new court date has been set for March 5.
 
No telling how this may end up, but Akon looks to be the favorite for the R. Kelly Lifetime Court Delay Award.
 
3. Mariah Carey is That April Fool’s Day Chick
 
Mariah Carey fans may be the only people that will avoid being tricked on April Fools’ Day when the songbird’s new album That Chick drops on April 1.
 
Featuring T-Pain and Damian Marley, the album will include a mix of songs that range from breezy pop tunes to urban club bangers, according to Billboard.com. Song titles include "Lovin' You Long Time," the ballad "Love Story," "Migrate" which features T-Pain, "Touch My Body," and "OOC" – which is short for "out of control."
 
Carey will also debut what’s described as a new sound on the Marley assisted "Cruise Control," a track which sees the singer trying Jamaican patois.
 
With her following her monster hit album The Emancipation of Mimi, expectations will be high. But producer Jermaine Dupri predicts the forthcoming project will outdo its predecessor.
 
"It's kind of strange but I heard a lot of her records and it sound like the album is better than the last album," Dupri recently told Billboard.
 
It's a no-brainer that Mariah will deliver the goods. The question is will the release date hold up or will we have to hold out a little bit longer for Mimi to return.
 
4. Michelle Williams Reps Illinois to the fullest
 
Former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams is doing her part to shine a little light on her home state of Illinois. The singer, who is currently part of the Los Angeles cast of The Color Purple, has been picked by the Illinois tourism board to join its "My Illinois" promotional campaign.
 
Williams joins a variety of famous Illinois folk, including R&B icon Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson, Ramsey Lewis, Harry Lennix, LisaRaye, Irma P. Hall, Lupe Fiasco and Twista in the campaign.
 
According to a press release My Illinois is part of multi-year, integrated program that promotes the "rich ethnic, cultural and historical diversity of Illinois to the $4.8 billion African-American travel market."
 
As part of the effort, Williams will encourage travel to Illinois by sharing her personal experiences in the state while citing museums, cuisine and diverse culture as reasons to visit Illinois in a narrative that is featured on www.soulfulillinois.com.
 
5. Lenny Kravitz Enjoys the Celibate Life
 
Within the span of his music career, Lenny Kravitz has been guilty of two things. Creating good music and dating a slew of beautiful women. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
 
Which is why Kravitz has vowed to remain celibate until he exchanges I do’s with the right woman.
 
"[It's] just a promise I made until I get married," said the rocker, who was married to Lisa Bonet - and linked to Adriana Lima, Devon Aoki, Natalie Imbruglia, Vanessa Paradis, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman. "Where I'm at in life, the women have got to come with something else, not just the body, but the mind and spirit."
 
Still it’s got to be a struggle for Kravitz, who revealed in next month’s Spin magazine that he’s been celibate for three years. After all, he doesn’t seem to be in short supply of women who would be more than happy to help fall off the wagon. But you got to give Kravitz credit. "It usually trips them out, but that's the way it's going to be," he told Spin. "I'm looking at the big picture."
 
So do you believe that Lenny is walking the straight path and not taking full advantage of his rock star status? Would you be able to follow his lead and stay focused on everything else in music but the groupies and celebutantes?
 
Me personally, it would be a serious battle if I were that famous. There would be a lot of cold showers in my future just to stay focused. I’m just saying.