::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

"Friends, how many of us have them? Friends, ones we can depend on?" (Whoodini, circa 1984) "What about your friends?  Are they gonna let you down?  Are they gonna be around?" (TLC, circa 1990)

buzzz worthy. . . By Mona Austin From  shops and stores, to office buildings and homes, in the Capital area it still looks a lot like Christmas everywhere you go throughout the month of January.  Decorations enable us to carry  the bliss of the season into the New Year.  To kick off Christmas in Washington, designers from all over the country went all out capturing the awe and wonder of Christmas  for the the residents and visitors of  1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  The elegantly decorated White House indeed  leaves a lasting impression. This year I attended a preview of the 2014 White House decorations.  The theme  "Children's Winter Wonderland" intended to capture the pureness of Christmas through the eyes of children. at t Take an inside look at the decked halls that kicked off Christmas at Americas most famous address. Plan ahead.  Use this behnd the scenes look at White House décor as a model...

buzzz worthy. . . President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama issued the following statement to those who observe the holiday on the first day of Kwanzaa:   "Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes to those celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season.  Today begins a celebration highlighting the rich African American heritage and culture through the seven principles of Kwanzaa—unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.  During this season, families come together to reflect on blessings of the past year and look forward to the promises in the year ahead. As we remain committed to building a country that provides opportunity for all, this time of year reminds us that there is much to be thankful for.    As families around the world unite to light the Kinara today, our family extends our prayers and best wishes during this holiday season."

buzzz worthy. . . New Year's Eve is a wonderful time to celebrate the start of a new year. And fireworks are a wonderful way of celebrating. In 2013, there were reports of injuries caused by consumers taking fireworks apart and modifying them, and of children being hurt by having unsupervised access to consumer fireworks. There were also reports of shooters of fireworks being impaired by alcohol. If you are at a party for New Year's Eve where consumer fireworks are being shot, make sure that there is a designated shooter who has not been drinking any alcohol and that the fireworks are being used without modifying them in any way. Nancy Blogin, President of the National Council on Fireworks Safety, notes: "Each New Year's Eve, consumers are injured because their judgment has been impaired by beer, wine, or other alcoholic drink. Alcohol and fireworks do not mix!" Blogin also implores consumers to not modify fireworks in any way, or leave fireworks where...

buzzz worthy. . .     Today's ceremony in Kabul marks a milestone for our country.  For more than 13 years, ever since nearly 3,000 innocent lives were taken from us on 9/11, our nation has been at war in Afghanistan.  Now, thanks to the extraordinary sacrifices of our men and women in uniform, our combat mission in Afghanistan is  ending, and the longest war in American history is coming to a responsible conclusion.   On this day we give thanks to our troops and intelligence personnel who have been relentless against the terrorists responsible for 9/11--devastating the core al Qaeda leadership, delivering justice to Osama bin Laden, disrupting terrorist plots and saving countless American lives.  We are safer, and our nation is more secure, because of their service. At the same time, our courageous military and diplomatic personnel in Afghanistan--along with our NATO allies and coalition partners--have helped the Afghan people reclaim the...

buzzz worthy. . . 5 Life Insurance Game-Changers Consumers Need to Know in 2015   Field expert, Brian Greenberg, cites life insurance industry innovations and trends that consumers should capitalize on in the New Year    By Brian Greenberg   If you've been putting off buying life insurance or revising your current plan, you're not alone. Many consumers cite high premiums and a glut of red tape among the reasons they shy away from purchasing or modifying a policy. However, over recent years and even months, the life insurance industry has made great strides and is now more consumer-oriented than ever before. Common barriers and challenges that once blocked shoppers from securing great coverage benefits with ease—and at affordable prices—are a thing of the past. Indeed, amid a handful of game-changing industry innovations, the time to consider life insurance coverage is now. Here's why. 1. No Medical Exam Necessary Medical exams have always been a...

buzzz worthy. . . "Whitney," a Lifetime Network original movie premieres on January 17, 2015. The network has also provided the following encore airing schedule: Sat., Jan. 17 at 8 PM; Sun., Jan. 18 at 12 AM; Sun., Jan. 18 at 7 PM and Sun., Jan 18 at 9 PM. Directed by Angela Bassett, "Whitney," is based on the life of the late pop star and her relationship with Bobby Brown, starring Yaya DaCosta (Lee Daniels’ "The Butler") in the lead role with Arlen Escarpeta ("Final Destination 5") as Bobby.

buzzz worthy. . . In 1984 Mark Lowry, a comic and member of the Gaither Vocal Band was asked to write a song for a Christmas presentation at his church. He came up with questions he might ask Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prolific contemplations in the lyrics struck a chord with many people and has since been recorded over 30 times. Aria Austin will make her musical debut singing "Mary Did You Know?" on the upcoming release "Hand In Hand at Christmas" scheduled to be released in the fall of 2015. As we reflect on the real meaning of Christmas, listen to a demo of the song.

buzzz worthy. . .  Promo poster for Sony Pictures' "The Interview." 'THE INTERVIEW' IS BACK IN THEATERS AND AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ONLINE:Headed to the movies on Christmas day? The previously blocked fictional comedy about a plot to assassinate Korean leader Kim Jung Un , "The Interview" will show in limited theatres across the country tomorrow, despite previous threats from Korea that caused a mass blackout of the $44 million Sony Pictures release. Last Friday President Barack Obama said that the studio "made a mistake" by bowing to intimidation  The FBI linked the communist nation to the cyber attack.. The Korean government has since denied it had anything to do with the alleged hacking attack, in which the emails of Sony executives and several holiday movies were leaked.      The studio released a statement on Tuesday saying "The Interview" will play in 200 independent theaters.  As of 10 AM/PST, the movie can also be vi...

buzzz worthy. . . Ansel Elgort , star of the feature films "The Fault in Our Stars" and "Divergent," and actress/director/producer and SAG Award® recipient Eva Longoria will reveal the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ® nominations on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood, Executive Producer Kathy Connell announced today. The nominations announcement will be telecast live on TNT and TBS at 9 a.m. (ET) / 6 a.m. (PT) and webcast live on sagawards.tntdrama.com and tbs.com . SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard will introduce Elgort and Longoria. Prior to the announcement, this year's stunt ensemble honors nominees will be announced by SAG Awards Committee Chair JoBeth Williams and Vice Chair Daryl Anderson during a live webcast on sagawards.tntdrama.com and tbs.com at 8:50 a.m. (ET) / 5:50 a.m. (PT). Ansel Elgort starred as Gus opposite Shailene Woodley's Hazel in this summer's hit "The Fault in...

buzzz worthy. . . From the London scene. . . Cable Street Collective The Cable Street Collective's upbeat "Best of Times"  came out earlier this month.  About the group. . . Formed in 2012 at the same London open mic night that produced Denai Moore, Cable Street Collective combine catchy tunes with dance-inspired beats to create music that mixes African influences (two of the group grew up in Swaziland and Malawi) with UK funky house and a whole host of other sounds from in and around their home bases in East London and Brixton. Tom Robinson of BBC 6Music and BBC Introducing says their music “grooves like a bastard.”  XFM’s new music guru John Kennedy says: “Their music is guaranteed to bring the sunshine, whatever the weather.” Their debut EP 'The Best of Times' is available on iTunes, Spotify and as a physical release. 'Can't Take Me Under' is the lead track and will be released as a single on February 16th 2015. Take a look a th...