The history of KWANZAA

Dr. Maulana Karenga, professor and chairman of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach, created Kwanzaa in 1966. After the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Dr. Karenga searched for ways to bring African-Americans together as a community. He founded US, a cultural organization, and started to research African "first fruit" (harvest) celebrations. Karenga combined aspects of several different harvest celebrations, such as those of the Ashanti and those of the Zulu, to form the basis of Kwanzaa.

The seven principles, or Nguzo Saba are a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes a different principle.

Kwanzaa History
The name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits" in Swahili. Each family celebrates Kwanzaa in its own way, but celebrations often include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal. On each of the seven nights, the family gathers and a child lights one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder), then one of the seven principles is discussed. The principles, called the Nguzo Saba (seven principles in Swahili) are values of African culture which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans. Kwanzaa also has seven basic symbols which represent values and concepts reflective of African culture.  An African feast, called a Karamu, is held on December 31.

The candle-lighting ceremony each evening provides the opportunity to gather and discuss the meaning of Kwanzaa. The first night, the black candle in the center is lit (and the principle of umoja/unity is discussed). One candle is lit each evening and the appropriate principle is discussed.

Seven Principles
The seven principles, or Nguzo Saba are a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes a different principle.

Unity: Umoja (oo–MO–jah)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Self-determination: Kujichagulia (koo–gee–cha–goo–LEE–yah)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

Collective Work and Responsibility: Ujima (oo–GEE–mah)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.

Cooperative Economics: Ujamaa (oo–JAH–mah)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Purpose: Nia (nee–YAH)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Creativity: Kuumba (koo–OOM–bah)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Faith: Imani (ee–MAH–nee)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

Seven Symbols
The seven principles, or Nguzo Saba are a set of ideals created by Dr. Maulana Karenga. Each day of Kwanzaa emphasizes a different principle.

Mazao, the crops (fruits, nuts, and vegetables)
Symbolizes work and the basis of the holiday. It represents the historical foundation for Kwanzaa, the gathering of the people that is patterned after African harvest festivals in which joy, sharing, unity, and thanksgiving are the fruits of collective planning and work. Since the family is the basic social and economic center of every civilization, the celebration bonded family members, reaffirming their commitment and responsibility to each other. In Africa the family may have included several generations of two or more nuclear families, as well as distant relatives. Ancient Africans didn't care how large the family was, but there was only one leader - the oldest male of the strongest group. For this reason, an entire village may have been composed of one family. The family was a limb of a tribe that shared common customs, cultural traditions, and political unity and were supposedly descended from common ancestors. The tribe lived by traditions that provided continuity and identity. Tribal laws often determined the value system, laws, and customs encompassing birth, adolescence, marriage, parenthood, maturity, and death. Through personal sacrifice and hard work, the farmers sowed seeds that brought forth new plant life to feed the people and other animals of the earth. To demonstrate their mazao, celebrants of Kwanzaa place nuts, fruit, and vegetables, representing work, on the mkeka.

Mkeka: Place Mat
The mkeka, made from straw or cloth, comes directly from Africa and expresses history, culture, and tradition. It symbolizes the historical and traditional foundation for us to stand on and build our lives because today stands on our yesterdays, just as the other symbols stand on the mkeka. In 1965, James Baldwin wrote: "For history is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past. On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the facts that we carry it within us, are consciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do. It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations." During Kwanzaa, we study, recall, and reflect on our history and the role we are to play as a legacy to the future. Ancient societies made mats from straw, the dried seams of grains, sowed and reaped collectively. The weavers took the stalks and created household baskets and mats. Today, we buy mkeka that are made from Kente cloth, African mud cloth, and other textiles from various areas of the African continent. The mishumaa saba, the vibunzi, the mazao, the zawadi, the kikombe cha umoja, and the kinara are placed directly on the mkeka.

Vibunzi: Ear of Corn
The stalk of corn represents fertility and symbolizes that through the reproduction of children, the future hopes of the family are brought to life. One ear is called vibunzi, and two or more ears are called mihindi. Each ear symbolizes a child in the family, and thus one ear is placed on the mkeka for each child in the family. If there are no children in the home, two ears are still set on the mkeka because each person is responsible for the children of the community. During Kwanzaa, we take the love and nurturance that was heaped on us as children and selflessly return it to all children, especially the helpless, homeless, loveless ones in our community. Thus, the Nigerian proverb "It takes a whole village to raise a child" is realized in this symbol (vibunzi), since raising a child in Africa was a community affair, involving the tribal village, as well as the family. Good habits of respect for self and others, discipline, positive thinking, expectations, compassion, empathy, charity, and self-direction are learned in childhood from parents, from peers, and from experiences. Children are essential to Kwanzaa, for they are the future, the seed bearers that will carry cultural values and practices into the next generation. For this reason, children were cared for communally and individually within a tribal village. The biological family was ultimately responsible for raising its own children, but every person in the village was responsible for the safety and welfare of all the children.

Mishumaa Saba: The Seven Candles
Candles are ceremonial objects with two primary purposes: to re-create symbolically the sun's power and to provide light. The celebration of fire through candle burning is not limited to one particular group or country; it occurs everywhere. Mishumaa saba are the seven candles: three red, three green, and one black. The back candle symbolizes Umoja (unity), the basis of success, and is lit on December 26. The three green candles, representing Nia, Ujima, and Imani, are placed to the right of the Umoja candle, while the three red candles, representing Kujichagulia, Ujamaa, and Kuumba, are placed to the left of it. During Kwanzaa, on candle, representing one principle, is lit each day. Then the other candles are relit to give off more light and vision. The number of candles burning also indicate the principle that is being celebrated. The illuminating fire of the candles is a basic element of the universe, and every celebration and festival includes fire in some form. Fire's mystique, like the sun, is irresistible and can destroy or create with its mesmerizing, frightening, mystifying power.

Mishumaa saba's symbolic colors are from the red, black, and green flag (bendara) created by Marcus Garvey. The colors also represent African gods. Red is the color of Shango, the Yoruba god of fire, thunder, and lightning, who lives in the clouds and sends down his thunderbolt whenever he is angry or offended. It also represents the struggle for self-determination and freedom by people of color. Black is the people, the earth, the source of life, representing hope, creativity, and faith and denoting messages and the opening and closing of doors. Green represents the earth that sustains our lives and provides hope, divination, employment, and the fruits of the harvest.

Kinara: The Candleholder
The kinara is the center of the Kwanzaa setting and represents the original stalk from which we came: our ancestry. The kinara can be shape - straight lines, semicircles, or spirals - as long as the seven candles are separate and distinct, like a candelabra. Kinaras are made from all kinds of materials, and many celebrants create their own from fallen branches, wood, or other natural materials. The kinara symbolizes the ancestors, who were once earth bound; understand the problems of human life; and are willing to protect their progeny from danger, evil, and mistakes. In African festivals the ancestors are remembered and honored. The mishumaa saba are placed in the kinara.

Kikombe Cha Umoja: The Unity Cup
The kikombe cha umoja is a special cup that is used to perform the libation (tambiko) ritual during the Karamu feast on the sixth day of Kwanzaa. In many African societies libation are poured for the living dead whose souls stay with the earth they tilled. The Ibo of Nigeria believe that to drink the last portion of a libation is to invite the wrath of the spirits and the ancestors; consequently, the last part of the libation belongs to the ancestors. During the Karamu feast, the kikombe cha umoja is passed to family member and guests, who drink from it to promote unity. Then, the eldest person present pours the libation (tambiko), usually water, juice, or wine, in the direction of the four winds - north, south, east, and west - to honor the ancestors. The eldest asks the gods and ancestors to share in the festivities and, in return, to bless all the people who are not at the gathering. After asking for this blessing, the elder pours the libation on the ground and the group says "Amen." Large Kwanzaa gatherings may operate just as communion services in most churches, for which it is common for celebrants to have individual cups and to drink the libation together as a sign of unity. Several families may have a cup that is specifically for the ancestors, and everyone else has his or her own. The last few ounces of the libation are poured into the cup of the host or hostess, who sips it and then hands it to the oldest person in the group, who asks for the blessing.

Zawadi: Gifts
When we celebrate Imani on the seventh day of Kwanzaa, we give meaningful zawadi (gifts) to encourage growth, self-determination, achievement, and success. We exchange the gifts with members of our immediate family, especially the children, to promote or reward accomplishments and commitments kept, as well as with our guests. Handmade gifts are encouraged to promote self-determination, purpose, and creativity and to avoid the chaos of shopping and conspicuous consumption during the December holiday season. A family may spend the year making kinaras or may create cards, dolls, or mkekas to give to their guests. Accepting a gift implies a moral obligation to fulfill the promise of the gift; it obliges the recipient to follow the training of the host. The gift cements social relationships, allowing the receiver to share the duties and the rights of a family member. Accepting a gift makes the receiver part of the family and promotes Umoja.

Quitting smoking: 10 ways to resist tobacco cravings

Quitting smoking — When a tobacco craving strikes, use some of these tips to resist.I'm a smoker and I'm gonna try these tips! We'll see......

For most tobacco users, tobacco cravings or urges to smoke can be powerful. But you're not at the mercy of these tobacco cravings. When an urge to use tobacco strikes, remember that although it may be intense, it will be short-lived, and it probably will pass within a few minutes whether or not you smoke a cigarette or take a dip of chewing tobacco. Each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to stopping smoking or other tobacco use for good. But it can be difficult.

So here are 10 ways to help you resist the urge to smoke or use tobacco when a tobacco craving strikes, no matter where you are:

Delay. If you feel like you're going to give in to your tobacco craving, tell yourself that you must first wait 10 more minutes and then do something to distract yourself for that period of time. This simple trick may be enough to derail your tobacco craving. Repeat as often as needed.
Don't have 'just one.' You might be tempted to have just one cigarette to satisfy a tobacco craving. But don't fool yourself into believing that you can stop at just one. More often than not, having just one leads to another, then another — and you may wind up using tobacco again.
Avoid triggers. Urges for tobacco are likely to be strongest in the situations where you smoked or chewed tobacco most often, such as at parties or bars, in the car or while watching television. Identify your trigger situations and have a plan in place so that you can avoid them entirely or get through them without using tobacco. Don't set yourself up for a smoking relapse. If you usually smoked while you talked on the phone, for instance, keep a pen and paper nearby to occupy yourself with doodling rather than smoking.
Get physical. Physical activity can help distract you from tobacco cravings and reduce the intensity of cravings. Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity can make a tobacco craving go away. Get out for a walk or jog. If you're stuck at home or the office, try squats, deep knee bends, push-ups, running in place, or walking up and down a set of stairs a few times. If physical activity doesn't interest you, try prayer, needlework, woodwork or journaling. Or do chores for distraction, such as vacuuming or filing paperwork.
Practice relaxation techniques. In the past, smoking may have been your way to deal with stress. Trying to resist a tobacco craving can itself be stressful. Take the edge off stress by practicing relaxation techniques. These include deep-breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, yoga, visualization, hypnosis and massage.
Call reinforcements. Touch base with a family member, friend or support group member for moral support as you struggle to resist a tobacco craving. Chat on the phone, go for a walk together or simply share a few laughs — or get together to commiserate about your cravings.
Remember the benefits of quitting. Write down or say out loud the reasons you want to stop smoking and resist tobacco cravings. These might include feeling better, getting healthier, sparing your loved ones from secondhand smoke or saving money. And if you're a closet smoker, you may save hours of time since you no longer have to spend time trying to conceal your habit.
Go online. Join an online stop-smoking program. Or read a quitter's blog and post encouraging thoughts for someone else who might be struggling with tobacco cravings. Learn from how others have handled their tobacco cravings.
Try nicotine replacements. Try a nicotine replacement product instead of a cigarette. Some types of nicotine replacement therapy, including patches, gums and lozenges, are available over-the-counter. Nicotine nasal spray and the nicotine inhaler are available by prescription, as are the stop-smoking medications bupropion (Zyban) and varenicline (Chantix).
Chew on it. Give your mouth something to do to fight a tobacco craving. Chew on sugarless gum or hard candy. Or munch on raw carrots, celery, nuts or sunflower seeds — something crunchy and satisfying.
Remember, trying something to beat the urge is always better than doing nothing. And each time you resist a tobacco craving, you're one step closer to being totally tobacco-free.


http://health.msn.com/health-topics/quit-smoking/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100161572

The 12 Craziest Types Of Women To AVOID

Have you ever been in a relationship with a sista that you knew wasn’t playing with a full deck? Question……why were you in a relationship with her in the first place?….smh. The below article is taken from AOL BlackVoices. It will give you insight on what type of women to AVOID.

By Shirea L. Carroll

Ask a man to describe a woman, and often they’lll use some word synonymous withcrazy. A lot of men tend to think of women as emotionally unstable creatures, extremely temperamental, overly dramatic, irrational, and more. But the worst is when a man says that a woman “has issues.”

While that may be true from time to time, all women aren’t moments away from being put in a straitjacket. In fact, many actions perceived as “emotional” or “crazy” are actually warranted and justified responses to a man’s asinine actions.

For example, just because a women didn’t give you her number when you tried to holler at her on the street doesn’t mean she hates men. Women aren’t deranged stalkers just because they ask the man they’re dating why he’s been MIA for five days. The woman that’s the mother of your child isn’t an insane baby mama just because it took child support for you to finally take care of your kid.

Women are socialized to handle emotions differently than men. For example, women are shown as little girls that crying is okay. However, when little boys cry, they are taught to “man up,” making it hard for them as adults to decipher between a crazy woman and one who is simply going through it.
On the other hand, there are, in fact, women who hold on to emotional baggage until it festers into real deal issues. These women give emotionally stable women everywhere a bad rep. Here, we analyze 12 types of crazy women and teach you the difference between what’s sane and what’s a major red flag.

12. The “Why Didn’t You Call Me Back?!” Woman
Men act like they hate being on the phone, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she’s reached out to you more than more than once after not speaking to you in 48-hour period.
She Has Issues if she texts you 11 times and calls 14 times – all in 30 minutes time span – after you told her you’re walking into church.


11. The GPS Woman
Men say they feel like a child when a woman keep tabs on them, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she wants to know what you have planned for the weekend.
She Has Issues if she found out how long it should take you to get from point A to B, mileage on your car, or needs to know the EXACT store you are in at the mall.


10. The Love Atheist
Men love the gentle, loving side of woman, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she says she’s taking love slow because of what she’s been through.
She Has Issues if she says that after what she’s been through, love is evil and she will never ever have any parts of it.


9. The “All Men Are Alike” Woman
As much they are guilty of doing it, men hate to be stereotyped. She:


Isn’t Crazy if she says things like, “You’re so predictable.”
She Has Issues if she frequently says things like, “All men are dogs,” “You’re just like the rest of them,” or “I hate all men.” Scary.

8. The Cry Baby
Men don’t respond well to tears, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she cries when you miss your anniversary.
She Has Issues if she turns on the waterworks because she wants apple juice and not orange juice. Ummm…


7. The Ultra-Independent Woman
Guys often feel intimidated by an independent woman, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she often reminds a man that she likes to stand on her own two feet and be able to do for herself.
She Has Issues if she’s always saying she “doesn’t need a man for sh*t.”


6. The Bi-Curious Woman
Believe it or not, some men aren’t aroused by girls who like girls, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she ever thought about being with another woman.
She Has Issues if she goes back and forth between men and women every time a man hurts her.


5. The Laundry List Woman
Men watch VH1’s ‘What Chilli Wants’ and roll their eyes with how picky Chilli is, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she has her own list of things that she’s looking for and you don’t fit it.
She Has Issues if the list hasn’t been revised and reevaluated multiple times in the last 10 years.


4. The Everything’s-A-Big-Deal Woman
Some women do make a mountain our of a molehill, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she screams at you for constantly not putting the toilet seat down.
She Has Issues if she thinks that, because you were 5 minutes late, you were out cheating – and doesn’t talk to you for a week.

3. The Fiend
Needy women quickly turn a man off, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she asks, “When am I going to see you again?”
She Has Issues if she makes up some cockamamie scheme to force you two to see each other, or hates when you hang out with anyone but her.


2. The Lone Ranger
Men get fearful of the woman who has been single for too long, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she’s working on personal goals and levels of success while single.
She Has Issues if she has 36 cats and shrine of her ex.


1. The Victim
A woman playing the victim can be annoying to men, but she:


Isn’t Crazy if she express exactly how and what she’s learned from her love failures.
She Has Issues if she starts of sentences with, “I used to be so ____,” and has let her past experience destroy her self confidence, self-esteem, and self worth.


Men need to realize that they are not beyond reproach; we all struggle at times from life’s obstacles, but it’s tiresome for a woman who has her mind and heart right to have to fight against the crazy stereotype when all women aren’t jaded. Know what you’re dealing with before you start labeling.

Shirea L. Carroll is a journalist who has written for Essence, VIBE, Washington Post’s TheRoot.com, XXL’s Juicy, and AOL. Reporting on everything from music and entertainment to celebrity and love, she has interviewed some of today’s biggest celebrity names. Find the NJ native on her blog Invite Only, or follow her on Twitter @InviteOnly to find out “who is and isn’t invited.”

Cancun Palapa Sample.mp4

A Message To My Fans - Kim Kardashian videos, photos and blog: Official website

Kim Kardashian's explanation for the divorce to Kris Humphries:

A Message To My Fans - Kim Kardashian videos, photos and blog: Official website:

'via Blog this'

This is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write. I see all of the support and I am so thankful for my fans, friends and family who are helping me through this difficult time.

I am trying not to read all the different media reports but it’s hard not to see all the negative ones. First and foremost, I married for love. I can’t believe I even have to defend this. I would not have spent so much time on something just for a TV show! I share so much of my life on a reality show, that contemplating whether to even film my wedding was a tough decision to make, and maybe it turned out to not be the smartest decision. But it’s who I am! We filmed Kourtney giving birth, Khloe getting married, break ups, make ups, our best moments and our worst moments. These were all real moments. That’s what makes us who we are. We share, we give, we love and we are open!

Everyone that knows me knows that I’m a hopeless romantic! I love with all of my heart and soul. I want a family and babies and a real life so badly that maybe I rushed in to something too soon. I believed in love and the dream of what I wanted so badly. I felt like I was on a fast roller coaster and couldn’t get off when now I know I probably should have. I got caught up with the hoopla and the filming of the TV show that when I probably should have ended my relationship, I didn’t know how to and didn’t want to disappoint a lot of people.

I’m being honest here and I hope you respect my courage because this isn’t easy to go through. But I do know that I have to follow my heart. I never had the intention of hurting anybody and I accept full responsibility for my actions and decisions, and for taking everyone on this journey with me. It just didn’t turn out to be the fairy tale I had so badly hoped for.

There are also reports that I made millions of dollars off of the wedding. These reports are simply not true and it makes me so sad to have to even clarify this. I’m so grateful to everyone who took the time to come to my wedding and I’ll be donating the money for all the gifts to the Dream Foundation.

I’m sorry if I have hurt anyone, but my dad always told me to follow my heart and I believe now that I really am.

TV Line-up for Sunday

SUNDAY

Sunday may be fall TV's strongest night: There are dead people, cartoon people, racing people, killer people, and crime-stopping people! It's like a people-palooza up in here!

7PM - 8PM 

ABC
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Season 9 premieres 9/25 at 7pm
People feel good about themselves by going to strangers' houses and pushing their own agendas and insulting the homeowners' personal taste.

8PM - 9PM 

CBS
The Amazing Race
Season 19 premieres 9/25 at 8pm
Tune in to watch pairs of teammates go extreme-vacationing and almost come to blows as they compete to win a million dollars.

FOX
The Simpsons
Season 23 premieres 9/25 at 8pm
At this point the show is leisurely stepping over the shark, but whatevs. It's The Simpsons.

ABC
Once Upon a Time
NEW! Series premiere airs 10/23 at 8pm
From a couple writers of Lost (Seasons 5 and 6, so don't get too excited) comes one of two new fairytale dramas this season. In this one, there are two realities: One is our normal humdrum life, and the other is an existence where fairytales are real and guys dress like dandy fops.

FOX
The Cleveland Show
Season 3 premieres 10/23 at 8:30pm
Yup, this Family Guy spin-off is still kickin'.

FOX
Allen Gregory
NEW! Series premiere airs 10/30 at 8:30pm
Wow alert! This is an animated program on Fox that ISN'T from Seth MacFarlane! Back when he was fat, Jonah Hill created this series about a hyper-intelligent and super-rich seven-year old who's going to normal school for the first time.

9PM - 10PM 

HBO
Boardwalk Empire
**EDITORS' PICK!** Season 2 premieres 9/25 at 9pm
Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) returns to prove that with power comes an unreal irresistibility to women you would otherwise never stand a chance with in this period drama set in Prohibition-era Atlantic City.

ABC
Desperate Housewives
Season 8 premieres 9/25 at 9pm
This is the ladies' final season on Wysteria Lane. It's also quite possibly the last time you'll find any of them remotely attractive.

FOX
Family Guy
Season 10 premieres 9/25 at 9pm
Back for another season of testing your patience and "This reminds me of that time when—" cutaway gags involving pop-culture jokes.

CBS
The Good Wife
Season 3 premieres 9/25 at 9pm
Julianna Margulies stars as the scorned wife of a disgraced senator in what has become one of network TV's better dramas. This is the show's first season to air on Sunday night (it used to air on Tuesdays).

SHOWTIME
Dexter
Season 6 premieres 9/25 at 9pm
Here comes the religion season! Rumor has that the serial-killer serial killer Dexter (the always fantasticMichael C. Hall) finds God this season, Saran Wraps him to a table, and cuts his eyes out with a grapefruit spoon.

AMC
The Walking Dead
**EDITORS' PICK!** Season 2 premieres 10/16 at 9pm
AMC's runaway hit returns with more than twice as many episodes as Season 1, but without twice the budget! Don't be surprised if, to cut costs, most of the zombies are so fresh they look just like normal human beings.

FOX
American Dad
Season 7 premieres 9/25 at 9:30pm
Seth MacFarlane's third program of the evening. Of the evening! Man, that guy is rich.

10PM - 11PM 

CBS
CSI: Miami
Season 10 premieres 9/25 at 10pm
The Sunglasses Brigade arrests more creepy punks on the tip of Florida. Bad guys, you better watch this, because Horatio and his team—*puts on sunglasses*—will be watching you. YEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHH!!!!

ABC
Pan Am
NEW! Series premiere airs 9/25 at 10pm
With a backdrop of the famous airline during the 1960s, when models roamed the aisles and beefcakes lingered in the cockpit, this drama really makes today's Southwest Airlines flight attendants look totally hideous.

SHOWTIME
Homeland
**EDITORS' PICK!** NEW! Series premiere airs 10/2 at 10pm
This thriller stars a grown-up Claire Danes as an FBI agent who suspects that a recently returned prisoner of war (Damian Lewis) might be a sleeper terrorist. Jeez, can't we trust anyone these days!?!?

HBO
Hung
Season 3 premieres 10/2 at 10pm
Thomas Jane stars as a man with a really big wang. Seriously.

AMC
Hell on Wheels
NEW! Series premiere airs 11/6 at 10pm
This new Western follows a Confederate soldier who's determined to get revenge on the people who murdered his wife. His quest leads him to lawless towns built near the Transcontinental, but ends up into jeopardy when a tribe of Cheyenne Indians defend their lands. In case you couldn't tell, it's a drama.

HBO
How to Make it in America
Season 2 premieres 10/2 at 10:30pm
Welcome to Entourage: New York! A handful of street hustlers hustle their way into your heart with their story of persistence, hard work, and sleeping with models. 

11:08PM: The Time America Lost A Piece Of Her Soul

Troy Davis was executed tonight by lethal injection at 11:08pm (EST) for the 1989 murder of Savannah, Georgia police officer Mark MacPhail. 

His final words before he was execiuted was, "The incident that night was not my fault.  I did not have a gun.  I did not personally kill your son, father or brother.  I am innocent.  Look deeper into this case, so you can really find the truth.  For those who are about to take my life, may god have mercy upon your souls and may god bless your souls.

11:08PM: The Time America Lost A Piece Of Her Soul 

Wednesday TV line-up

WEDNESDAY

The new kid on the Wednesday-night block is Simon Cowell's singing competition The X Factor, which lands in the U.S. for the first time and will face competition from a long-running reality show, a beloved Emmy-winning comedy, and a spooky thriller from the creator of Glee. Wednesday is a night to never ever go out.

8PM - 9PM 

THE CW
H8R
NEW! Series premiere airs 9/14 at 8pm
This new reality show puts celebrities face-to-face with regular people who hate them. Then they fight to the death in a steel cage match where the winner drinks the loser's blood from the loser's hollowed-out skull. But The CW will probably only air the parts where the celeb tries to win the hater over.

CBS
Survivor: South Pacific
**EDITORS' PICK!** Season 23 premieres 9/14 at 8pm
Sexy contestants and old contestants compete to not die in the jungles of Samoa while a well-fed and well-rested camera crew documents all of their near-fatal experiences.

ABC
The Middle
Season 3 premieres 9/21 at 8pm
Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) stars as the mother of three kids in this send-up of the Middle American suburbs. Look for a Raymond reunion this season when Ray Romano guest-stars.

FOX
The X Factor (Part 1)
NEW! Series premiere airs 9/21 at 8pm
Simon Cowell's new singing talent show comes to the U.S. this fall, and unlike on American Idol, kids, seniors, and groups can all compete for the title of Mr. or Ms. Not Good Enough for American Idol.

ABC
Suburgatory
NEW! Series premiere airs 9/28 at 8pm
This witty new comedy follows a precocious young teen (delightful newcomer Jane Levy) whose single dad plucks her out of New York and plants in the Stepford-esque suburbs where things might be scarier than they are in the city.

9PM - 10PM 

CW
America's Next Top Model
Season 17 premieres 9/14 at 9pm
Tyra Banks returns for a seventeenth season of craziness! Who will be the latest to earn the title of Top Model and follow previous winners into obscurity?

CBS
Criminal Minds
Season 7 premieres 9/21 at 9pm
AJ Cook and Paget Brewster return for Season 7 of this rarest of rare programs: a CBS procedural that doesn't use an acronym.

NBC
Harry's Law
Season 2 premieres 9/21 at 9pm
Kathy Bates stars as a do-gooder lawyer in this surprise hit for NBC. Brittany Snow and Aml Ameenhave left the program, but Mark Valley and Karen Olivo are lawyering up for Season 2.

ABC
Modern Family
**EDITORS' PICK!** Season 3 premieres 9/21 at 9pm
Don't you want to be able to tell your children that you watched an Emmy-winning comedy that you weren't embarrassed to admit that you liked? Season 3 kicks off with the Dunphys and Pritchetts in Montana. Or Wyoming. Ahh, what's the difference, really? As long as it's not god-awful North Dakota!

ABC
Happy Endings
**EDITORS' PICK!** Season 3 premieres 9/28 at 9:30pm
Last spring's Friends-inspired romantic comedy matches up nicely with Modern Family as Cougar Towntakes a break.

FOX
I Hate My Teenage Daughter
NEW! Series premiere airs 11/30 at 9:30pm
Jaime Pressley and Katie Finneran star as the mothers of teen girls who act just like the lame chicks who teased them when they were in high school. Then they start hating them!

10PM - 11PM 

SyFy
Paranormal Witness
NEW! Series premiere airs 9/7 at 10pm
For when a spectral reverend rhetorically asks, "Can I get a witness!?!?"

NBC
Up All Night
**EDITORS' PICK!** NEW! Series premiere airs 9/14 at 10pm
Will Arnett, Christina Applegate, and Maya Rudolph star in this raising-a-baby comedy that critics are calling "not nearly as bad as the rest of the crap that's coming out."

CBS
CSI
Season 12 premieres 9/21 at 10pm
Ted Danson takes over as head honcho this season.

NBC
Law & Order: SVU
Season 13 premieres 9/21 at 10pm
Christopher Meloni has exited the best of the Law & Order franchise, but stepping in to keep the show as handsome as possible is Danny Pino (Cold Case). Also joining the Unit is Kelli Giddish, formerly ofChase.

ABC
Revenge
NEW! Series premiere airs 9/21 at 10pm
Think The Count of Monte Cristo but with female centerpieces (Emily VanKamp and Madeleine Stowe). Also, this time it's a television show and not a book or a sandwich.

DISCOVERY
Storm Chasers
Season 5 premieres 9/28 at 10pm
While you're hiding in your basement scared of half-an-inch of rain, these tough guys are seeking out the meteorological mayhem.

FX
American Horror Story
**EDITORS' PICK!** NEW! Series premiere airs 10/5 at 10pm
This story of a couple—Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton—who move into a haunted house comes from Glee creator Ryan Murphy; it will either be really good, really bad, or, more likely, some entertaining combination of the two.

COMEDY CENTRAL
South Park
Season 15 returns 10/5 at 10pm
Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and the others return for the second half of Season 15. Remember the last episode? The brilliant "You're Getting Old"? That one made me cry like someone killed my pony.

USA
Psych
Season 6 premieres 10/12 at 10pm
Shawn and Gus will continue faking psychic powers; I hope that wasn't a spoiler or anything. On tap this season: baseball, vampire, and Clue-themed episodes!

NBC
Free Agents
NEW! Series premiere airs 9/14 at 10:30pm
This adaptation of the 2009 U.K. series of the same name stars Hank Azaria as a guy who in real life would never get the girl he actually gets on the show. No way.

COMEDY CENTRAL
Nick Swardson's Pretend Time
Season 2 premieres 10/5 at 10:30pm
Comedian Nick Swardson comes back for a second season of sketch comedy. Make sure your bong is packed for the ride.

Some of the 2011 Emmy Nominations List: 63rd Primetime Emmy Nominations

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy Series
Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Parks and Recreation
30 Rock

Outstanding Actress in a Drama
Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: SVU
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale, Justified
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Outstanding Actor in a Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
John Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Timothy Olyphant, Justified

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Walton Goggins, Justified
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andrew Braugher, Men of a Certain Age

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot In Cleveland
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Louis C.K., Louie
Steve Carrell, The Office
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Variety, Comedy Or Musical Series
The Colbert Report
Conan
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Reality Show
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef

Outstanding TV Miniseries or Movie
Cinema Verite
Downton Abbey
The Kennedys
Mildred Pierce
The Pillars of the Earth
Too Big To Fail

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy
Idris Elba, The Big C
Nathan Lane, Modern Family
Zach Galifianakis, Saturday Night Live
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live
Matt Damon, 30 Rock
Will Arnett, 30 Rock

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy
Kristin Chenoweth, Glee
Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
Gwyneth Paltrow, Glee
Cloris Leachman, Raising Hope
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Elizabeth Banks, 30 Rock

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Mini-series or Movie
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Taraji P. Henson, Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
Jean Marsh, Upstairs Downstairs

Outstanding Leading Actor in an Mini-Series or Movie
Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys
Barry Pepper, The Kennedys
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos
William Hurt, Too Big To Fail
Idris Elba, Luther
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini-series or Movie
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Bryan F. O'Byrne, Mildred Pierce
Tom Wilkinson, The Kennedys
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
James Woods, Too Big to Fail

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Mini-series or Movie
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce
Melissa Leo, Mildred Pierce
Mare Winningham, Mildred Pierce
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Eileen Atkins, Upstairs Downstairs

Who do you think will win in each category?