“I dove at [this role]. I love the fact that she’s messy and mysterious. She’s not necessarily nurturing and ‘Come sit on my lap so I can talk to you, baby,’” Davis said. “She’s a woman. She’s sexual. She’s vulnerable. I wanted a character that took me out of my comfort zone.”

When an occasion calls for casual, but you want to put forth some effort, a dress with luxurious touches is a fuss-free solution.

Davis presents a chic goddess look in her column gown by Raoul.

To some, the thought of wearing gray may seem dull and boring. But, it should be known that when paired with a bright color or gem-tone, gray comes to life.

Davis proved that a basic shirt dress silhouette really is a go-to for any occasion. For day, a basic cotton design will suffice, but for night, one made in an elegant fabric is worth considering.

Sure, Angelina Jolie gave us leg on the red carpet years ago, but Davis also knows how to show off a well-sculpted leg in her thigh-high slit, asymmetric gown by Pucci.

For women who are shapely like Davis, a shift dress with paneling in all of the right places presents an overall sleek appearance.

From mixed metallic to shiny iridescent, any amount of sheen you want to add for day or night is a fashion do this season.

Davis appears graceful and refined in her teal, silk, and chiffon gown by Monique Lhuillier.

If you’ve been looking for a no-fail dress to add to your closet, consider one that is color-blocked.  The trend continues to stick around mainly because of the figure-flattering effect.

It’s likely that Davis didn’t go from the boardroom to the red carpet in this outfit. However, her look serves as major inspiration for an easy day-to-night look. A solid color or tuxedo-inspired blazer, bold shoe, and statement jewelry are the main items to pump up a look.

For a fierce color boost to your fall wardrobe, you can’t go wrong with anything red. But, whether you’re looking for a red lipstick or red dress, be sure to find the right shade that complements your complexion and hair color.

While transitioning into the fall season with your favorite white pants or dresses, linen and other lightweight fabrics should be put aside. However, anything made of cotton, crepe, or tropical wool is suitable.

A 37-year-old Ebola patient, who was thought to be dead for days, was found alive by a burial team in Liberia.

Despite efforts, an ambulance never arrived to aid the victim, but once he was thought to be dead, a burial team arrived within an hour. The unidentified man was doused in bleach and his body was prepared to be wrapped in a plastic body bag. As the team was wrapping him, they saw his hand move slightly. Cheers quickly erupted from a crowd that had gathered, as he was put on a stretcher.

The first responders arrived with an ambulance after 10 minutes to transport the man for care. But there was little hope for his survival, as hospital beds for infected patients are extremely scarce in Liberia.

“We couldn’t get him help when he was alive,”  a community leader told Dr. Richard Besser of ABC News. “They only come when you die.”

Liberia has the highest Ebola death toll amongst the West African countries, with more than 2,000 deaths and over 3,600 residents infected.

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R&B singer Akon is being accused of going to extreme measures in order to prevent contracting Ebola during a recent concert in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On Sept. 28, the 41 year old climbed inside a giant, airtight blow-up bubble during a performance in Goma to crowd-surf. Akon, whose real name Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Bongo Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, was pushed along by 60,000 screaming fans.

Media reports have denounced the St. Louis-native for his creative tactic, but possibly without merit. However, the five-time Grammy nominee performed inside the bubble on a number of occasions, including in Perth and Dubai. Neither of those countries were battling Ebola outbreaks at the time.

[Image: AFP]

The “Locked Up” singer frequently travels to Africa, where he is one of the most celebrated and admired artist. In 2011, Forbes ranked him fifth amongst the most powerful celebrities in Africa, citing his own Konfidence Foundation, a charity for underprivileged children, and his diamond mine in South Africa.

The performance was a part of a free concert sponsored by the charity, Peace One Day, to help promote the United Nations International Day of Peace.

Forty-two people have died in DR Congo since the Ebola outbreak erupted in West Africa six months ago.

[Image: AFP]

Many first-time visitors to baja mar, or “shallow sea”, as the Spaniards referred to the 700 islands and cays that make up the Bahamas, typically steer towards Nassau or Paradise Island. With four different cruise lines anchoring at Prince George Dock at any given time, a noon stroll down Bay Street or into the Straw Market can be as frenzied as a rush hour step through midtown Manhattan. In contrast, the city of Freeport offers a slower, more intimate charm. Remarkably, Freeportonians can truthfully boast that everyone knows everyone, which is quite a feat for a city with a population close to 50,000!

Go Grand

Formerly known as Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort, the Grand Lucayan, dates back to 1998, and is the island’s resident AAA fourdiamond star accomodation. Just a 10-minute cab ride from the airport, the retreat promises a “classic Bahamian experience.” From traditional culinary fare like conch fritters or local rums in onsite restaurants and bars, to Junkanoo performances, where revelers festively round the property playing goatskin drums, horns and cowbells, there are lots of local touches. At over 500 rooms, the resort is grand but not overwhelming. The rooms and suites all feature scenic ocean, island or marina views, ranging from luxuriously romantic to cozy family-size. For added privacy, the Ocean Lanai Suites come with two rooms, two full baths and a semi-private balcony or patio. Prefer to feel the powdery sand underneath your feet while keeping company with the moon? Simply stroll the resort’s guests-only Lucaya Beach. Understandably, Grand Lucayan is popular for destination weddings and honeymoons.

Natural High

Nature adventurists and beach fanatics alike flock to the 40-acre Lucayan National Park, about 25 miles east of Freeport, to kayak, explore underwater limestone caves, and take in the glorious unspoiled beach. Do take the Jeep safari with Grand Bahama Nature Tours through the island’s natural yellow pine forest to reach the park. (Tip: Don’t be alarmed by the smoldering forest fires. They are the norm and are actually integral to preserving the pine trees.)

Once there, elevated walkways guide visitors through the mangrove swamp to pristine Gold Rock Beach. (Tip: Get to the beach before 11 a.m. to have it almost to yourself). Kayaking is a great way to explore the bounty of flora and fauna. Home to one of the most extensive underwater cave systems on Earth, Lucayan is a fave among experienced divers. But the average visitor can descend stairs into at least two of the caves: Ben’s and Burial Mound, a Lucayan Indian gravesite with preserved remains found in a water-filled cavern near its entrance.

Not So Secret Garden

The Garden of the Groves is another must for nature seekers. Trails wind through lush vegetation and cascading waterfalls, culminating at a magnificent labyrinth. The consecrated chapel overlooking the gardens is a choice spot for weddings, prayer and meditation. In The Bag Across the street from the Grand Lucayan sits Port Lucaya Marketplace & Marina, a five-acre open-air shopping and entertainment center overlooking Bell Channel Bay featuring elegant boutiques, duty-free shops, restaurants and bars. Purchase designer wares and impressive silver jewelry at the marketplace. Scoop up handcrafted straw and wood souvenirs at the Bahamas Arts & Crafts Straw Market. (Tip: Count Basie Square, which also attracts locals, regularly pops with live music, Junkanoo festivities, karaoke or a deejay.)

Brew On

Founded in 2007, the Bahamian Brewery is relatively new to the island. For $15 per person, tour through the 25-step process from malt to beer and finish it off by sampling one of the five Bahamian beers and Triple B, a non-alcoholic malt drink. (Tip: Bahamians love Bushcrack, a rather smooth malt liquor known for its kick, named for the popular saying, “Bushcrack, man gone!” used when you’re trying to avoid someone.)

A Dallas cop was recently fired for ignoring a woman begging for help for her kidnapped children. On August 25, Officer Les Richardson was responding to a burglary call when dispatchers announced shots were fired and a suspect rammed into a woman’s car in the vicinity Richardson was driving in.

He then drove past a woman who was shouting, “That’s him, that’s him, right there!”

“Right here what, baby? I’m on a call,” Richardson said, before driving off. The interaction was captured by his dash cam. Richardson, 61, is also shown smoking in his car, a violation of department policy.

The victim was referring to Steven Douglas, who kidnapped the woman’s two children at gunpoint. Douglas was later killed by police after a brief car chase and pointing a gun at an officer. The children, aged nine and one, were returned unharmed.

The four allegations against Richardson were: dereliction of duty, improper comments, failure to immediately clear upon the completion of a call and use of tobacco products in a city vehicle.

He had been on the police force since 1986.

A patient with possible Ebola-like symptoms is being treated at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., a hospital spokesperson confirmed late Friday morning. The patient had traveled to Nigeria recently.

The medical team is working closely with the Center for Disease Control about the patient, who is listed in stable condition, on whether the patient has the disease.

The ebola outbreak has now spread from western Africa into the U.S., when Thomas Eric Duncan flew into Dallas, Texas from Liberia after making stops in Brussels and Washington DC. Duncan, who contracted the disease through an act of compassion by helping an infected pregnant woman, faces legal action for lying on a series of health forms asking if he had contact with an infected person. The pregnant woman died hours later.

Despite concerns of an American outbreak, the CDC has no plans to amp ebola screenings at U.S. airports, citing the screenings may not always prevent infected individuals from entering the country. Duncan, who remains in isolation, showed no signs of the disease upon arrival. He began feeling sick days later.

Instead, the CDC will continue to advise customs and border control officials about how to spot ebola symptoms in travelers. The agency will also provide informational pamphlets that list symptoms of the disease to people traveling from Ebola-affected regions.

Thus far, over 3,300 people have died from the diseas in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Health experts say there is no risk in the U.S. of a similar outbreak.

Researchers from Oxford University and Belgium claim in a study that they’ve found the exact origin of HIV/AIDS. They say the pandemic began during the 1920s via the “bustling trade routes and migrant workers” in Kinshasa, now the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Urban population, changes in sexual habits, and the handling of bush meat contributed to the pandemic of HIV/AIDS, according to the researchers.

Scientist call the origin a “perfect storm.” The virus spread so quickly that when it was finally discovered, it was too late to stop it. Researchers combined both genetic analysis and statistics to gain more knowledge of the specific strain that has since infected more than 75 million people. Some sources even claim that the Belgian Congo Independence movement may have expedited the spread of the disease.

“Data from colonial archives tells us that by the end of the 1940s over one million people were traveling through Kinshasa on the railways each year. Our genetic data tells us that HIV very quickly spread across Congo, a country the size of Western Europe,” Dr. Nuno Faria of Oxford said.

Although different simian viruses exist and 13 cases of transmission from chimpanzees, gorillas, and monkeys to humans have been documented, the scientists have been focusing on the strain reaching the masses globally — HIV-1 group M. By the 1960s, the epidemic tripled due to sex trafficking and use of contaminated needles in health initiatives. After more than 30 years, the constructed and strict analysis these researchers put in place to dissect the times and locations of HIV/AIDS is considered a breakthrough.

“Using statistical approaches applied to HIV-1 sequence data from central Africa, we show that from the 1920s Kinshasa (in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo) was the focus of early transmission and the source of pre-1960 pandemic viruses elsewhere,” said the Oxford University scientists in the study.

According to the United Nations, over 70 percent of the African population live with the disease, while globally, 1.5 million people succumbed to the disease.

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By the looks of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” season seven trailer, things are about to get explosive. But Phaedra Parks is setting the record straight before things go too far.

In a teaser released earlier this week, husband Apollo Nida accused his wife of cheating on him with an African man named “Chocolate.” Word quickly spread around town, eventually trickling down to Parks’ foe Kenya Moore.

It’s a rather interesting accusation considering Parks and Nida’s reported marital woes, but a rep for the “RHOA” star says the rumors are not true.

“Phaedra has been a completely faithful wife. She doesn’t know any men named Chocolate,” Steve Honig told Radar Online. “I did hear she had her eyes on a guy named Pistachio but it didn’t work out because he was nuts.”

Photo courtesy of Rick Diamond/Getty Images North America

The couple’s marriage is on thin ice as Nida is currently serving eight years behind bars and Parks has been left to raise two small boys by herself.

An Arizona teacher was fired after defending a Black student against a group of boys who were taunting him with racial slurs, reports CBS 5 News.

Pam Aister, a 25-year veteran in the Fountain Hills Unified School District, said the incident happened back in May when five boys bullied 9-year-old Malachi Gillis inside her classroom. The young boy alleges the group said comments such as “You belong to a zoo,” “stupid head,” “monkey,” “crackhead” and even the N-word.

A mother of one of the students said the teacher’s behavior while defending Gillis was “threatening.”

Aister was initially suspended in May and the district moved to fire her over the summer. She eventually appealed the decision and spoke with a governing board on Monday night.

“Student 11 (bullied student) is in my room now. He is not alone,” Aister told the board. “When you pick on him – you pick on me. It is not five to one anymore. It is five to two. There will be no more taunting, teasing and racial names called. That is not acceptable here; do you understand?”

By a vote of 4-1, Aister was terminated for “not [taking] responsibility for her misconduct.”

“That makes me beyond mad because why is she being fired for something she is supposed to do?” asked Malachi’s mother, Jennifer Gillis. “She’s supposed to be standing up for the students. They didn’t like it, so it turned into her threatening the kids because she stood up for this one black child in her class.”

A petition has since been launched to reinstate Aister. Supporters are calling the board’s decision “ridiculous, over the top, and logically offensive”

Photo courtesy of CBS 5 News

To date, the petition has collected more than 13,000 signatures.

Several dozen people took to Powell Symphony Hall in midtown St. Louis Saturday night to protest the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The peaceful protest, which has now gone viral, interrupted a performance of the St. Louis Symphony.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, musicians were getting ready to perform after intermission when demonstrators began to sing “Requiem for Mike Brown.” Protestors in the balcony unfurled three banners related to Brown’s shooting as attendees looked on, some clapping in support while others sat in silence.

A symphony spokesperson says about 50 people participated in the demonstration and they all had tickets for Saturday’s performance.

After approximately five minutes, the protest ended with demonstrators leaving voluntarily. St. Louis Police say they received no calls about the incident.

Flip the page to see footage from the demonstration.

Photo courtesy of AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Steve Giegerich

Michael Brown demonstration at Powell Symphony Hall (Oct. 5)

Pilar Sanders isn’t letting up on her personal campaign to slander ex-husband Deion Sanders‘ name. In her latest stunt, she accuses the Hall of Famer of abusing their three children.

On Friday, Pilar posted a photo to Instagram showing her in a cast with overlay text stating, “I survived domestic violence … but my three children are still being victimized by Deion Sanders … who stops the abuser when mommy can’t and public ‘officials’ won’t.”

Additionally, a caption read:

“#MOORtruth Who Helps Wombmen & Children Who Are Threaten To Keep Quiet and Abused If They Tell? What Happens To Public ‘Officials’ who Intentionally Suppress AUDIOS AND VIDEOS – MATERIAL EVIDENCE OF #DOMESTICVIOLENCE #AttemptedMurder #SPOUSALABUSE #CHILDABUSE #PhysicalAbuse #MentalAbuse #EmotionalAbuse #SocialAbuse #FinancialAbuse when they’ve taken Oaths To Protect The People and Uphold the #Constitution #RayWheless #JeffShore #RickRobertson #KOONSFULLER #GregAbbott #GregWillis #JodyJohnson #TexasRangers #RickPerry ? Is it the #HallOfFame #NFL the #NFLNetwork #CBS #Pepsico #UnderArmour #OWNNETWORK #LionsGate or #primeprepacademy Which Public ‘Official’/Person Blames the Other for Not Doing their Job WHEN (not if) the Abuse Gets Worse?”

In the past, Pilar has accused Deion of kidnapping and attempted murder. All of her accusations have gone without a response from the former NFL star.

Pilar and Deion divorced in 2011 after 14 years of marriage. Deion has full custody of their three children– Shilo, Shedeur, Shelomi.

Not only are Facebook pokes annoyingly pointless, but they can also be deadly.

Drunken buddies Scott Humphrey (left) and Richard Rovetto were leaving a Nottingham bar in a taxi when Humphrey asked Rovetto, “If you’re such a good friend, why did you poke my missus,” referring to Facebook. The taxi driver recalls Rovetto explaining to Humphrey that he didn’t know the woman was Humphrey’s girlfriend and the discussion getting more heated.

Things escalated when the cab stopped in Top Valley, Nottingham, and Humphrey, 27, struck Rovetto, 29. Rovetto bled from his nose and Humphrey punched him again — this time fatally. Rovetto fell to the ground and hit his head on the pavement. Humphrey fled the scene and Rovetto was taken to the hospital where he was treated for head injuries, but died hours later.

Humphrey eventually turned himself in and was sentenced to jail for four years and four months. Robert Egbuna, Humphrey’s defense lawyer, said, “The defendant is genuinely remorseful about his actions. He will never forget that day. As soon as Scott Humphrey heard about what had happened to Richard Rovetto, he was devastated … He has been very candid and admitted this offense from the very start.”

Judge Gregory Dickinson QC also spoke on the tragic accident, saying, “When you and him went out that evening, violence and death were the furthest things from your mind. You didn’t intend to kill him. Part of the tragedy is that it’s left to chance what happens. There will be a fight like this somewhere tonight and the person will get up and go home and the police will never hear about it.”

Rovetto is survived by one child.

This is a lesson to all that one simple fight can lead to a tragic ending.

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Uganda‘s Ministry of Health confirmed Monday that a health worker died of Marburg virus–a highly infectious viral hemorrhagic fever in the same family as Ebola. Health workers quarantined 80 others who were in contact with the victim. They are being monitored for all signs of the disease after a 30-year-old radiographer in a Kampala hospital died of Marburg. He had a headache, abdominal pains and diarrhea, and vomited blood before dying.

Though there is no cure or vaccine for the illness, Ugandan health workers are better prepared to contain this recent outbreak due to prior experience with Ebola. In 2000, Ebola killed at least 224 people in the country. Outbreaks after were managed within a few days and killed significantly less people. President Yoweri Musevini urged citizens to remain “calm but vigilant,” and to avoid shaking hands.

According to the CDC, “Marburg virus was first recognized in 1967, when outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia).”

By Jordan Gray

Men are often reluctant to talk about their needs in intimate relationships.

Whether social conditioning or an inability to communicate our needs are to blame, men (who tend to be the less communicative partners in intimate relationships) are prone to silently suffering when their emotional needs aren’t being met by their partners.

Whether you are a man or a woman reading this article, this will give you greater clarity into yourself/partner and what your/their needs are in your intimate relationship.

Let’s put an end to the needless fighting due to miscommunication, the unnecessary sex-less nights, and the verbal shut-downs.

Read through these tips and I promise you’ll never see your relationship through the same lens again.

Here are seven things men want in a relationship.

[Image: Shutterstock]

1. Praise And Approval

Men have infamously tender egos.

We need frequent reassurance about ourselves, our career paths, our efficacy as partners, our sexual prowess, and our attractiveness (among other things).

I have countless male clients telling me every month that their partners rarely let them know what they like about them.

While it may be true that men need relatively less frequent verbal praise than their female counterparts, this isn’t the kind of gesture that requires keeping score. Why not just have more of a good thing?

So ladies, let your praise loose. Tell your man exactly what you find attractive about him. Let him know what physical features of his are your favorites. Tell him how attractive you find it when he says something a certain way, when he accomplishes something, or when he takes you on a date. Your praise won’t make him cocky; it will help him feel loved.

And (bonus) the more you praise his positives, the more you will see them.

2. Respect

Men feel respect as love.

If he feels like you disapprove of him, his career, or the things that he believes to be integral to who he is as a person, he will have a hard time trusting and loving you.

The thought process behind that being “If she doesn’t respect who I am at my core, then how can she really want what is best for me?”

If a man’s partner doesn’t respect his path or mission in life, then he will find it very difficult to feel anything other than an anxious need to distance himself from her.

[Image: Shutterstock]

3. A Sense Of Sexual Connection

Men and women both connect through sex and communication, but generally, women connect better through communication and men connect better through sex.

Does this mean that men need to have sex with their intimate partners every day in order to feel connected? Not necessarily.

Men, more often than not, connect through indicators of sexuality just as much as they do through sex.

Allow me to explain …

Often, a man will initiate sex just to make sure that you are still sexually available to him. So, to my man-loving readers out there, if he reaches across the bed for you, even showing the willingness to embrace him, to kiss him deeply, and to engage him could be enough to make him feel loved (not that the follow through isn’t enjoyable).

This lack of awareness around women needing to connect through words and men needing to connect through sex can sometimes turn into an unfortunate and rapid downward spiral. She doesn’t feel like opening sexually until she feels connected to him, but he finds it difficult to communicate with her because they haven’t been physical with each other in days.

Talk with your partner and ask what specifically helps them feel the most loved so you can avoid these unintentional standoffs.

4. Emotional Intimacy

From a very young age, men are taught to avoid appearing weak at all costs. Perceived “weakness” includes things like complaining, divulging fears or concerns, and expressing self-doubt or worry.

A man’s partner is his safe space to fall. He can expose the cracks in his armour and allow his partner to help him heal.

Just as women need to slowly open up sexually within a relationship, men open up over time emotionally.

He needs to make sure that when he first cries in front of you, you won’t be repelled or handle it poorly. If you push him away or are unable to be nurturing when he needs it the most, he will no longer trust you with his emotions. He will remove himself somewhat from the relationship.

In this instance, both partners lose- he goes on silently suffering and believing that he is flawed in his imperfection, and she is held at arm’s length emotionally.

[Image: Shutterstock]

5. Space

Author Deborah Tannen has written brilliantly on the masculine and feminine divide between independence and intimacy (masculine being primarily drawn towards independence and the feminine toward intimacy).

Within all of my relationships and the vast majority of my clients, I consistently see that it is the feminine-associated female partner that wants more time spent together and the masculine-associated male partner wanting more time apart. There is no perfect balance to be found here. This will always be a balancing act of closeness and separateness.

But rest assured, suffocating a man (either by failing to allow him free time or with overly jealous behaviour) is the fastest way to end a relationship. Men need breathing room in a relationship. We need time for our hobbies, time with our friends, and time to toil away on our projects to feel fulfilled.

Traditionally, when women (or the feminine associated partner) needed to solve a problem, they would go further into the tribe – connecting with close friends and family and discussing their issues. Conversely, when men have a problem to solve, they would leave the tribe to be alone with their thoughts.

So let him roam. Let him breathe. Leave him to his own devices. A man will be that much happier for you to receive him when he returns, knowing that you trust both him and the strength of your bond enough to let him have his space.

6. Physical Touch

Men need frequent non-sexual touch as well as a sense of sexual access.

If a man’s partner comes up behind him and touches his neck and hair in a loving way while he sits absorbed in a task, he could feel just as loved as if they had just had penetrative sex (even more so, depending on his mood).

This touch is interpreted as physical love- the message of which registering as “I love you, and I want you to feel happy all the time. Know that I’m always here for you and I care for you deeply.”

[Image: Shutterstock]

7. Security

Men and women are both attracted to certainty in a relationship. The more a man feels like his partner is in it for the long haul, the more ready and able he is to be able to open up to her (assuming he is equally invested in her).

But security goes deeper than just the fact that you won’t leave him. The security that he feels ties back in to several of these points. He feels secure in knowing that you approve of him and where he is in his career. He feels secure and loved when you touch him non-sexually throughout the day. He feels secure when he is allowed to have his guys’ nights away from you and you don’t feel the need to call or text him every half hour to check in.

And he feels secure with a partner who takes steps to love him in the way that he most needs.

How To Give Him What He Needs

So how do you stack up in your relationship?

If you are a man reading this, do you feel like all of your needs are being met? Could you ask for your partner to do something differently? (Maybe send her this article?)

If you are someone who is in a relationship with a man and you are reading this, how could you love him more fully? Which of these can you incorporate more of into your relationship?

Let this article (and the female equivalent) be the catalyst that gets this conversation started between the two of you. Even if you don’t agree with every point made, let these articles begin a dialogue about both of your needs in your relationship.

Wrap Up

The overwhelming response to this article on the female side had several mentions of the word blame. Defensive and angered cries shot out around the interwebz (“It’s not all men’s fault!”).

This isn’t about blame, or fault-finding, or anybody doing anything wrong. This is about loving people in the best way that they could possibly be loved and opening up a dialogue about emotional needs in relationships.

RELATED: What Women Want. I Cracked The Code, And Here’s The Secret.

Reprinted with permission from The Good Men Project. Originally appeared at .

[Image: Shutterstock]

“I’m tired of being labeled. I’m an American. I’m not an African-American; I’m an American … I mean, I don’t know where my roots go to. I don’t know how far back they go … I don’t know what country in Africa I’m from, but I do know that my roots are in Louisiana. I’m an American. And that’s a colorless person … I don’t label myself. I have darker skin. I have a nice, interesting grade of hair. I connect with Caucasian, I connect with Asian, I connect with Black, I connect with Indian, I connect with each culture.”

– Raven-Symoné chats with Oprah on OWN’s “Where Are They Now?” about not wanting to be labeled and keeping her personal life private. Speaking of labels, Raven-Symoné also isn’t comfortable with being put into the “gay box.” She discussed her sexuality with Oprah by saying, “I don’t want to be labeled ‘gay.’ I want to be labeled ‘a human who loves humans.’”

Well, I don’t think anyone can argue with Raven-Symoné on either points. She’s definitely a woman who knows who she is, and held her own Ms. O.

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Cracking is probably a singer’s worst nightmare — especially if your name is Mariah Carey and you’re famous for your five-octave range.

Ms. Carey, one of the best-selling artists of all time, unfortunately butchered a few notes as she kicked off her Elusive Chanteuse World Tour in Tokyo. The songbird, known for her flawless signature high notes, struggled a bit while performing, cracking on classics like “Hero” and “Vision of Love.” Everything just seemed to be off-key, literally and figuratively, for Carey as her mic stand even gave out at one point during “Always Be My Baby.”

US Weekly reported that some fans were highly disappointed, making comments such as, “This is like watching a bird with a broken wing trying to fly.” Others remained loyal to the record-breaking diva, “I’ve seen other videos of this tour and they are great. One small part does not mean she did bad. She did great overall,” said YouTube user ilyas aksabaev.

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The new album Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse is in stores now!

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Perhaps this is all due to stress from her recent split from husband Nick Cannon, or maybe just a simple common cold. We’re sure Mariah will soon find her “Beautiful” voice again! On a more positive note, the album, Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse, did snatch a number one spot on Billboard charts.

Standing at over six feet tall, Geoffrey Holder was a force to be reckoned with on Broadway and the big and small screens. In his 84 years of life, Holder managed to accomplish what some of us only fantasize about. He was a Tony Award-winning dancer, a Bond villain, the “Un-Cola Man,” a composer, a designer, and a painter, and put his stamp on the arts and entertainment for many generations. Holder died from pneumonia in New York, but had been a resident at the Lillian Booth Actors Home of The Actors Fund in Englewood, New Jersey.

Regardless of your generation, it’s pretty safe to say that Holder made an impression on you — even if you didn’t know it until now. Millions know him as Baron Samedi, a Bond villain, in 1973′s Live and Let Die, opposite Roger Moore and Jane Seymour. In 1975, Holder won two Tonys for directing and costuming The Wiz. Then, in the early-1980s, he took on the role of Punjab in the film adaptation of the Annie musical. In 1992, Holder appeared in Boomerang as Nelson, the creator of the too-hot-for-TV Kissable commercial. Most recently, Holder narrated Tim Burton‘s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was released in 2005. People magazine once described Holder’s voice as “deep as Othello and as smooth as Caribbean rum.” That was quite an apt description as Holder was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Not only did Holder make his mark on Broadway and Hollywood, he also became an advertising phenomenon when he took on the role of the “Un-Cola Man” in a popular 7-Up commercial.

Holder came to New York with his own folk dance company for the first time in 1953. A year later, he appeared in Truman Capote‘s House of Flowers, in which he met his future wife, dancer Carmen de Lavallade. In 1957, de Lavallade birthed their son Léo.

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I met Geoffrey during the Philadelphia run of House of Flowers. Alvin Ailey and I had just joined the cast. Three days after Geoffrey and I met, he proposed to me. Four months later I said yes. And it’s been a fabulous adventure ever since. Happy Anniversary to us! #AsIRememberIt #vintageblackglamour

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Holder’s impressionist paintings have hung in Barbados Museum and Washington’s Corcoran Gallery. And Lena Horne and William F. Buckley were patrons.

Holder was a principal dancer for the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and choreographed productions for the Dance Theater of Harlem and Alvin Ailey.

However, the stage and the screen weren’t the only places Holder’s talents shined. He was also known for throwing down in the kitchen and authored Geoffrey Holder’s Caribbean Cookbook.

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh suggested on Monday that President Obama is refusing to divert flights from Ebola-infected countries and close America’s borders because he believes that the United States “deserves” to be infected because of its involvement with slavery.

Limbaugh claims that his convoluted theory is indicative of the liberal mindset. He claims that because freed American slaves established Liberia, America is responsible for their Ebola epidemic…according to “the liberals,” of course. He said, “Liberia came to exist because of American slavery…And since they fled to this country to escape the bonds of slavery and they set up Liberia — if it hadn’t been for us — they wouldn’t now be suffering from this virus.”

He continued, “The danger we have now is that we elected people in positions of power and authority who think this or think like this in terms of this country being responsible, this country being to blame for things and it’s that kind of thinking that leads to opposition to shutting down airports from various countries.” 

Not a single soul from the Obama administration, or likely anywhere outside of Rush Limbaugh himself, has said anything even remotely resembling that highly imaginative theory. The stupidity of this notion is so vast that I cannot even pretend to entertain it for the sake of poking fun at it.

Republicans have been calling for Obama to impose strict travel bans on countries affected by Ebola, but experts have warned that this could make things worse. International health personnel wouldn’t be able to enter the country, ill patients would have a harder time seeking treatment, and local economies and health infrastructures would be further devastated. The Obama administration has sent troops to infected countries, is providing ground expertise to medical staff, is establishing field deployable hospitals, and offering “personal protective equipment and laboratory reagents, support for technical advisors, and other requests.”

If you’d like to hear Limbaugh’s full rant about Obama’s dastardly plan, take a listen below (Warning: we arenot responsible for any brain cells lost in the process).

[Source: ThinkProgress]

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a world of trouble after their mascot displayed a sign with a terrible Ebola joke, during their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. During the Oct. 5th game, the Jaguars’ mascot Jaxson de Ville held up a handwritten sign in the fourth quarter that read, “Towels carry Ebola,” referring to the Steelers’ terrible towels. Immediately viewers and NFL fans lit up social media on Sunday night calling for the mascot to be fired.

Whoever came up with the Ebola Towel joke in #Jacksonville should be fired. On the spot.

— Ronnie K (@RonnieKRadio) October 5, 2014

In bad taste, stay classy Jacksonville RT@sbnation: Jaguars mascot doesn’t get how ebola, jokes work http://t.co/tUY5Z6VXWN

— Dan Levey (@iamdanlevey) October 5, 2014

The Ebola epidemic is definitely not something to laugh about or make light of..big mistake by the Jaguars

— T.K. Smith (@TK_Smith3) October 6, 2014

Jaguars president Mark Lamping identified Curtis Dvorak as the man in the team mascot costume for the past 20 seasons, and said that the team had no knowledge of the joke beforehand.

“Improvisation and humor have both been key elements to the character of Jaxson de Ville, especially when he performs at home games,” Lamping said according to ESPN. “On Sunday, the person who has played Jaxson de Ville over the past 20 seasons made an extremely poor decision in that regard.”

The team extended their sincerest apologies to anyone who was offended. In the meantime, Lamping is taking the matter seriously and is handling it internally.

Ebola is a viral disease spread through contact with bodily fluids and has quickly affected African nations Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. More than 3,400 people have died from the current Ebola outbreak, according to the World Health Organization.

Thomas Eric Duncan, 42, is the first patient in the United States diagnosed with Ebola. Duncan, who is currently in critical condition, is being treated at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Spokespeople for the hospital stated that he is currently stable and receiving the experimental drug brincidofovir, which has only been tested in animals. There is currently no vaccine or proven treatment for Ebola. Ninety percent of those diagnosed with the disease die. Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Duncan is “fighting for his life.”

Since Scandal became must see Thursday night TV and made Kerry Washington a Emmy nominated star, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen that infamous walk on the big screen. All that’s about to change with the announcement that she’ll be returning to theaters in romantic comedy Is He The One with some help from director Malcolm D. Lee.

Washington will leave behind Olivia Pope’s infamous coats for a wedding dress in the starring role. “Washington plays the bride, and the story is told in flashbacks that cycle through the three major relationships of her life. The big question: Who’s at the end of that final walk, waiting for her at the altar?” reads the synopsis. Marriage is something that hits home for the Scandal star. She’s becoming more open about her secret marriage to former NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha. The two recently welcomed baby girl Isabelle into the fold.

Is He The One will be Washington’s first film role since co-starring with Jamie Foxx in Quentin Tarintino’s Django Unchained. The script was written by DJ Richardson and Michelle Morgan, the scriptwriter behind Kristin Wiig’s Girl Most Likely. This will be Malcolm D. Lee’s first film following the box office success of The Best Man Holiday and before he begins work on the third film of The Best Man series. Lee’s series features primarily African-American characters.

The project is currently in development according to IMDB which means it may be awhile before we find out who is cast as Washington’s future groom. That could ultimately determine the movie’s fate in being labeled as a “black film” or a mainstream vehicle.