By Joane Amay

Women: Narciso Rodriguez Narciso eau de parfum ($112, 3 oz)

A heady musk softened by amber intertwines with vetiver, gardenia and bulgarian rose.

Men:  Brioni eau de toilette ($275, 2.5 oz)

With citrus, floral and woodsy accords, the luxury Italian label redefines quiet masculine elegance.

Women:  Bottega Veneta Knot eau de parfum ($160, 2.5 oz)

Mandarin, limette, neroli and orange flower, plus an intense note of lavender, rose, peony and musk evoke summers on the Italian Riviera.

Men: Yves Saint Laurent L’Homme Sport eau de toilette ($85, 3.3 oz)

YSL scores big with this cool blend of woody freshness, sensual amber, and citrus notes.

Women: B. Balenciaga eau de parfum ($145, 2.5 oz)

Green violet leaves, lily of the valley bell and iris keep this woody fragrance fresh and alluring.

Men: Dolce & Gabbana The One for Men Collector’s Edition ($86, 3.3 oz)

The deep brown of the limited edition flacon complements the regal richness of this spicy oriental classic.

Despite a hugely successful, decades-long musical career, Mariah Carey‘s live performances have been questionable in recent years. When the mic feed from her Rockefeller Center tree-lighting performance leaked, it seemed her vocals couldn’t get much worse — until this past weekend.

The pop diva put on quite a show at the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival, and received some mixed reviews. The Jamaica Observer hailed her set as “one of the best ever performances” in festival history in their review. But several readers disagreed in the comments, expressing their disappointment in her singing — or lack thereof.

“I must have witnessed a different show,” said one concert-goer. Others wrote, “Her performance was awful. Waste of my money,” and “Nice cover up Observer … but I was there live and she lip synced 95%.”

Video footage from the festival shows Mariah attempting to lip-sync through several of her biggest hits, including “Fantasy” and “Always Be My Baby.” She appeared to forget some words, and tried to cover up the flubs with a laugh.

It seems her problematic personal life, including her pending divorce from Nick Cannon, could be having unpleasant effects on her live performance. Watch the video below.

Super Bowl weekend has ended with a gleeful victory for the New England Patriots, but not everyone is celebrating.  After the big game, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders player Warren Sapp was arrested for soliciting a prostitute.

The arrest happened at around 7 a.m. on Monday at a Phoenix hotel, TMZ reports. Sapp was in town because he provided commentary for the NFL’s Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday.  The 42 year old was taken into custody at a Downtown Phoenix police station.

As a result of the arrest, Sapp’s future at the NFL Network is bleak. The network has removed the former football star’s biography from its “On-Air Talent” page. One source says his standing with the network is “not looking good.”

The hotel where Sapp was arrested released a statement regarding the incident:

“We are cooperating with police as they look into the situation since it is an active investigation. We have no further comment.”

Maricopa County police began cracking down on prostitution in the area and setting up sting operations in preparation for the 300,000 visitors going to the Phoenix area for Super Bowl Sunday. Authorities had arrested seven prostitutes in the area within two days.

Sapp had been arrested at least twice within the past five years. In 2010, he was booked for domestic battery, and arrested again for allegations of the same offense in 2014. The charges from his first offense were dropped.

Leave it to political candidates like Chris Christie to politicize a dangerous measles outbreak. The last thing you’d expect to hear from a twice-elected governor of a heavily populated Northeast blue state like New Jersey is that child immunizations should be a parent choice rather than a government requirement.

But, yes: you should expect to hear that from a last-term governor who is gearing up for a Republican presidential primary in 2016. Which is what’s going on here.

As irresponsible and reprehensible as Christie‘s comments pandering to the anti-vaccine movement, they represent what he more than likely believes is a shrewd political move that better positions him for the 2016 primary.

That primary is dominated by grassroots Republican activists, including many anti-science climate change deniers and evangelicals, who haven’t been too strong on Christie from the get. And out of the leading contenders for the Republican nomination, Christie ranks the lowest in terms of favorables from conservatives – even when stacked against the more libertarian Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).

Taking on the vaccine issue, he assumes, gives him greater street cred with conservatives.  He keeps that in mind, especially when recent YouGov polling shows that while 57 percent support vaccine requirements, 32 percent believe it should be a parental choice. That’s not a majority – but, still, it’s a large segment of the population.

Within those numbers we find the solid political numbers emboldening Christie: 35 percent of Republicans and 39 percent of Independents agree that vaccinations should be a parental choice rather than a government mandate. These numbers compared to only 19 percent of Democrats.

That’s a sizable enough portion of the Republican electorate for Christie to assume he can effectively tailor anti-vaccine messaging in a bid for more votes. And, the number of voters who support parental choice are higher in the West, Midwest and Northeast, places where Christie could use support during a primary to offset political resistance in Southern states where he’s not viewed as favorably.

This includes states like California, currently in the midst of an intense public battle over immunizations, where primaries are open to all partisan stripes – including Independents.

The states that offer so-called “philosophical” exemptions for immunizations are also mostly red states or states with large pockets of Republican and mostly white voters.  Pandering to the anti-immunization crowd could play well to Republican voters in those states who have already been supportive of immunization waivers.

These are also, largely, many poor-to-middle-class whites that Christie will need in a GOP primary. Here’s where race begins to rear its ugly head a bit in the calculus: Gov. Christie was draconian on keeping uninfected medical personnel out of New Jersey on their way back from Ebola-ridden West Africa. Yet, on the subject of the much more contagious measles, he’s all about pandering to a largely white vaccine skeptic population.

Plus, the majority of states he’s making a primary play for are among the whitest states in the country with very few people of color in them.  This from a guy who’s the governor of a state where nearly 30 percent of the population is black and it’s sandwiched between two of the most populated cities in the United States.

Oprah Winfrey is adding another scripted show to her OWN‘s schedule. The media mogul will reportedly be starring in and executive producing a new show based on the Natalie Baszile novel Queen Sugar. Selma director Ava DuVernay is set to direct, write, and executive produce the upcoming OWN series.

Queen Sugar is set in modern times and revolves around the life of a single mother from Los Angeles who moves to Louisiana after she inherits an 800-acre sugar cane farm from her father. She struggles with adjusting to her new life and encounters romantic interests along the way.

“I loved this book and immediately saw it as a series for OWN,” Winfrey, who worked with DuVernay in Selma, said in a statement. “The story’s themes of reinventing your life, parenting alone, family connections, and conflicts, and building new relationships are what I believe will connect our viewers to this show.”

DuVernay also released a statement on her excitement that the project is coming to fruition.

“From the moment I was introduced to the book, I was captivated by the idea of a modern woman wrestling with identity, family, culture, and the echoes of history,” DuVernay said. “To bring this kind of storytelling to life alongside Oprah for her network is wildly wonderful. I’m excited about what’s in store.”

The show has yet to be named, and there is no news of any other casting choices.

Source

After his phenomenal turn as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., many audiences were surprised to learn that David Oyelowo had been passed over for a Best Actor Oscar nomination. But in an interview at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Selma star shared that he wasn’t entirely shocked.

The interviewer asked, “What is it like to be the subject of Oscar snub outrage?” And, while he seemed to expect a thoughtfully diplomatic answer, what he got was a critique of Hollywood’s handling of race.

“Generally speaking, we as Black people have been celebrated more for when we are subservient, when we are not being leaders or kings, or being in the center of our own narrative driving it forward,” Oyelowo said. He then cited multiple examples of outstanding actors being snubbed for leading roles–Denzel Washington as Malcolm X, Sidney Poitier in In The Heat Of The Night.

The Brit continued by challenging the stereotypical depictions of Black people in film, saying, “We have been slaves, we have been domestic servants, we have been criminals, we have been all of those things. But we’ve been leaders, we’ve been kings, we’ve been those who change the world. And those films where that is the case are so hard to get made.”

Watch the entire video below.

Things are not looking good for Suge Knight, after he killed one man, and injured another, while backing into them with his car. According to the LA Times, the hip-hop mogul is currently in custody, and was revoked his $2.2 million bail by a judge who listed “possible flight risk, three-strike candidate, possible witness intimidation issues and his criminal past” as reasons.

Now, reports are saying that Suge has officially been charged with murder, as well as attempted murder, from the vehicular incident, and he is facing life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors claim that running over Terry Carter, who was killed during the altercation, was intentional. Suge’s attorney said that the producer was trying to escape the assault that occurred on the set of Straight Outta Compton, and accidentally ran over Carter with his car.

Early reports suggested Terry Carter was a good friend of Suge’s, but Sgt. Richard Biddle of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department revealed that Carter’s relatives told investigators that wasn’t true. Surveillance footage allegedly shows that Suge’s actions seemed “like an intentional act.” Witnesses are not cooperating with the case, as no one is coming forward for questioning, and authorities are having a tough time tracking them down.

Knight is set to make his first court appearance on Tuesday.

Source: LA Times

In case you somehow missed one of the biggest television events of the year, Super Bowl XLIX aired on Sunday and the game ended with one of the most spectacularly bad play calls ever to happen in a Super Bowl—perhaps in all of football history.

As the 4^th Quarter was winding down, the New England Patriots had scored to lead by 4 points after trailing by as much as 10 points. The Seattle Seahawks managed a miraculous drive in the last minutes of the fourth quarter, including a 33-yard juggling catch by Jermaine Kearse. Marshawn Lynch followed that miracle catch with a 4-yard run that left the Seahawks on the 1-yard line with 30 seconds left in the game. Suffice it to say, the Seahawks could feel the weight of the championship trophy in their hands at this moment.

Then it happens.

The decision was made for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to throw a pass instead of handing the ball to Lynch, the team’s running back. For context, in case you’re not a football fan, no coach would ever think to throw the ball on the 1-yard line when there are still two downs left and timeouts available. NOT NEVAH.

So, of course, when Wilson throws the ball it is intercepted by rookie Patriot player Malcolm Butler, leading to a Patriots championship win.

The play call was so outlandish that people suspect that the decision was made not on the basis of the smartest football play, but to avoid having Lynch be the hero for the day since he is not the “ideal” face of the franchise. Whatever the motivation behind the awful decision that lost the Seahawks the Super Bowl, the resulting commentary is priceless. There have been an onslaught of memes and tweets making fun of the moment, and we’ve rounded up the best ones for you here.

Pete Carroll’s phone pic.twitter.com/DFT3uYMgsQ

— Umang Dua (@umangdua) February 2, 2015

 

 

Marshawn Lynch, who is no fan of the media, is known for responding to media with phrases such as, ‘Thanks for asking.”

 

He’s also said at media conferences that he was only present so he would not be fined.

The Super Bowl is also about the commercials and one of the most talked about commercials is one from Nationwide. In it, a young boy describes all the things he would have done but could not because he died.

 

Lynch has said to media “You know why I’m here,” to imply that nothing had changed in his attitude towards them and he was only present because he had to be.

Most might still see Tia Mowry-Hardrict as the child actress from the hit ’90’s show Sister, Sister, along with her twin Tamera Mowry-Housley, but she’s certainly grown up, and into her own. The Instant Mom star is currently juggling her acting career with home life as a mom and wife, but she somehow still has time to create her own sense of style.

Tia recently spoke with the Huffington Post about her individual style, her fashion obsession, and more. When it comes to what she loves the most in style, she admitted, “I’m definitely addicted to shoes. I love boots’ I love high heels; I love flats. One of my favorite pair of shoes right now are my Mara & Mine shoes with skeleton feet on them. I’m starting to pick pieces that are great investments — stuff that I will have for a very long time that are different, eclectic and unique.”

When it comes to her fashion inspirations, Tia didn’t list the usual iconic suspects, like Diana Ross or Josephine Baker. She named a few modern-day fashionistas. “I really, really like Nicole Richie and the only reason why I always bring her up is because I’m impressed with her style evolution. This is someone that came onto the scene that people didn’t necessarily view as a style icon and she completely switched up the game. And I like how she takes risks with fashion. She can make purple or blue hair look unbelievable — and wear it to a fashion gala and make it chic, sexy and glamorous. I also love Rihanna. I like how daring she is and I like how she approaches fashion like “this is who I am, either you like it or not.” She’s a fashion killa! I admire that.”

Tia’s fashion sense has evolved, but don’t assume she has burned down all of her ’90’s style from her days on television. Think again. Tia is still inspired by her childhood era. “Yup! I still rock plaid and flannel, which are still very much in style. Also Dr. Martens and overalls. I’m a huge fan of overalls,” she said.

Tia also did an interview with Cupidpulse.com, in which she gave some tidbits on being a celebrity mom, and how she keeps things fresh in her marriage to Cory Hardict. She said, “Be honest with yourself. In my opinion, there’s no such thing as balance! Some days, you’re going to be a better mom than other days. I have a three-and-a-half year old at home, but I still consider myself a new mom. I’m still learning new things.”

On keeping the passion alive, she talked about her her hubby’s date night. “It’s when we both get dressed up and get sexy for ourselves, for each other. I put on my really nice, sexy dress and red lipstick, and my husband puts on a really nice suit,” she explains. “Then, we go to our favorite restaurant…and really have a great meal and have a great glass of wine.”

Source: Huffington Post, Cupidpulse.com

This weekend, the stars were out in Phoenix, as people gathered from around the world to watch the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots face off in this year’s Super Bowl. While some were partying it up at pre- and post-game events, others cheered on their favorite players from the stadium. See how your favorite celebrities spent their weekend!

Rihanna snapped a few selfies with her glam squad before her DirecTV show.

Nicki Minaj shared a smooch with fans before her Bud Light performance.

Colin Kaepernick smiled on the red carpet at the 4th Annual NFL Honors award show.

Chrissy Teigen posed with some fellow Seahawks fans at the stadium before the game started.

Rick Ross got a chance to hold the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy after the big game.

Emmitt Smith walked the red carpet with wife Pat at the NFL Honors award ceremony.

Kandi Burruss hosted a Super Bowl party with some friends, including Love & Hip-Hop Atlanta‘s Rasheeda.

Baby North West helped her mommy, Kim Kardashian, get ready for the big game.

Kevin Hart sat with buddy Will Ferrell in the stands to root for the Seattle Seahawks.

As thousands of fans keep Bobbi Kristina Brown in their prayers while she fights for her in life at a Georgia hospital with family by her side, authorities are searching for answers. The daughter of Whitney Houston was found face down and unconscious in her home bath tub, and is now in a medically-induced coma, with little brain activity. According to TMZ, the cause of the incident was originally believed to be drugs, and now authorities may have proof of that.

The site reports that the police did a search of Bobbi’s home, where they found no drugs inside, but a family source told the outlet that investigators returned for a second, more thorough search of the place, and allegedly found several items. Cops won’t confirm the possible drug discovery, but the family source said that was what they found.

Bobbi’s condition was reportedly improving on Sunday, since she was showing slightly more brain activity, as well as some eye movement. TMZ also reported that emergency services originally received a call about a “drowning” at her home, which typically means that someone has died underwater. Her husband and a friend both performed CPR on her, but could not get a response. Her father Bobby Brown released a statement this week, asking for the family’s privacy during this tragic time.

Bobbi’s iconic mom died nearly three years ago on February 11, 2012.

Source: TMZ

The Celebrity Apprentice diva feud between Vivica A. Fox and Kenya Moore came to a dueling end after the Kill Bill actress slammed teammate Kenya for stealing her cellphone and tweeting an offensive message about Vivica’s alleged menopause. Kenya, who currently stars on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta, was ultimately fired by  Donald Trump, after losing as project manager and bickering with multiple cast mates.

The exchange was complete with ego-bursting, name calling, mudslinging insults as the two clawed at each other:

“That’s a dirty a** b*tch. She has toxic tendencies. You are just a toxic trick,” Vivica said sternly.

“Oh my God, really? This is not the ghetto. Don’t take it there,” Kenya fired back.

“You’re there, honey. That’s the only place you can be prevalent in, honey,” Vivica advised. “Baby, I’m an international star. You’re a ghetto star. Don’t do that.”

As the booted Kenya tried to wish Vivica well, whether genuine or not, Vivica wasn’t having it, slamming the 44-year-old reality star: “I could care less. Bounce.”

The hostile exchange didn’t end there. As the ladies exited the boardroom, the barbs continued. “Trick. She stole my phone. I’m glad they saw you for who the hell you are. Bye, trick,” said Vivica.

Kenya, who appeared on Wendy Williams the day after the episodes aired, denies taking Vivica’s phone and posting the messages.

Watch the epic argument:

A South Carolina high school was the target of racist vandalism on Sunday, February 1, the first day of Black History Month, when a large rock outside of the school was spray-painted with the slur “Happy N–ger Month.” The defaced rock, which stands in front of South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, SC, was signed “KKK.”

“It was discovered yesterday morning, and since then, it’s been eradicated,” a school staffer told Raw Story. “People are still calling because it was posted. Whoever did it, took a picture.” Photos were posted to social media and the racist snapshot instantly went viral.

Police said the perpetrators could be facing vandalism charges. The school does have surveillance cameras, but it’s unclear whether the culprits were caught on camera.

The Super Bowl XLIX was full of twists and turns, and no, we’re not just talking about the “pass heard `round the world,” but the celebrity arrests over the weekend. Twenty-four hours before NFL Hall of Famer Warren Sapp was arrested for allegedly slapping up prostitutes, Marcus Paulk, best known for playing singer Brandy’s annoying little brother Myles on the ’90’s hit show Moesha, was apprehended for DUI and drug possession.

Paulk, 28, was pulled over in Scottsdale after driving extremely close to emergency vehicles during a routine stop. Once Paulk stepped out of the car, officials said they noticed his bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and swaying stance, according to court documents. He was arrested after failing a field sobriety test, blowing .109 and also had a bag of marijuana in his front pocket, according to reports.

He has been charged with suspicion of marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the child star’s first run-in with the law. The actor was arrested in Los Angeles in November 2013 for allegedly kicking and punching his ex-girlfriend, but avoided jail time after cutting a plea deal.

With 2016 presidential fever upon us and candidates openly declaring their intention to become the 45th President of the United States, the battle lines have already been drawn in the sand. With the economy doing well, gas prices lowered, employment levels rising, and health insurance assisting millions, it appears that income inequality will be the main topic of discussion from the primaries up until Election Day. Although I’m not convinced supply-side Republicans actually care about the impoverished more than their precious “job creators,” it’s just refreshing to see poor people not getting blamed for everything that is wrong in society.

Like many people, when I heard the story of James Robertson, the 56-year-old Detroit man who allegedly walks 21 miles to and from work everyday because he cannot afford a car on his $10.55 hourly wage, I was immediately saddened yet inspired. While his situation is upsetting to those of us who don’t have to deal with that daily hardship, it’s inspiring to hear about the resilience of his spirit.

However, there is something about Robertson’s story that truly bothered me. I couldn’t put my finger on it at first. It wasn’t until I really took in many of the responses to the story that I truly understood what was wrong with many people’s reactions to Robertson’s life. They either applauded him as a rare relic of a time long past, or they challenged the truthfulness of the entire story as if that sort of struggle is simply unimaginable in the great United States of America. The truth is, as unique as the details and circumstances of Robertson’s life are, there is nothing original or incredibly uncommon about his struggle.

The remark above was the highest-rated comment on the Robertson story on the ABCNews.com website. While many may see it as the cold, hard truth, implicit racial connotations aside, I see it more as an ahistorical re-framing of how we view the disadvantaged in America. There’s a very prevalent idea that hard work, dedication, and extreme sacrifice are characteristics that don’t really exist in impoverished neighborhoods. Far too many people aim to frame poor people as welfare moochers who would rather buy themselves a new pair of Air Jordans or a platinum blonde lace-front wig, than invest into a 529 Plan for their kid’s college education. By creating that conceptualization of the disadvantaged, we view their hardships as a result of poor decisions and a lack of motivation for upward mobility, instead of investigating everything that may be wrong with our capitalistic society’s need for a perpetual functional underclass. So when these people hear stories like Robertson’s, they pat them on the back for being “the exception” to the lazy-ass rule that dominates the inner-cities — a “rule” that is nothing more than an exaggerated lie.

But, 21-mile walks aside, how many of us know a James Robertson in real life? How many of us know someone who works two jobs Monday through Friday to make ends meet, and picks up a third job on the weekend just to keep their head above water? How many of us know people who work so hard, so much, that they must sacrifice seeing their children for days on end? How many of us know immigrants with advanced degrees in their home countries, who come to America to work for minimum wage just to support their families, or even just to send money back home? Hell, how many of us are just like James Robertson ourselves? We may not walk 21 miles to work, but we must sacrifice extensively in our own personal ways just to keep a roof over our heads. The sad part about Robertson’s story is that his struggle is all too common. But the inspiring part is that there are many people just like him who go about the business of supporting themselves everyday although we, citizens and politicians, are very unwilling to enforce serious structural changes that could improve the lives of underpaid and overworked employees nationwide.

One of my favorite quotes is: “Rich people pay other rich people to convince middle class people to blame poor people.” In many ways that is exactly the lens we use to view the disadvantaged, which is why it’s so damn difficult to get legislation passed to assist people in need. Truthfully, I wish Robertson was a unicorn — an unreal fairytale — but he is very real, and his struggle is entirely too universal. Now that he has received almost $150,000 in donations from a GoFundMe campaign created by Evan Leedy, maybe we can start looking at entire communities that reflect that same exact heart and work ethic.

LAB

Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.

“My personal life. I sacrificed it to be where I am as an actor. So my relationships have suffered … I was told once that I could never be loved because I don’t love myself. That hurt my feelings.”

– Idris Elba opens up about how his personal life has been the victim of his professional life in an interview with the Daily Mail. Idris also revealed that the last time he felt really happy. “When my son Winston was born. And watching the magic that is childbirth,” he said. “Of course I was there. Did I feel like a spare part? Nah, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

[Image: Mark Seliger via Details]

A few weeks ago, I hosted an event with hundreds of single men and women. We discussed whether single people have unrealistic dating expectations in today’s society. During the discussion, the loudest cheers went to several women who explained that their biggest pet peeve on the dating scene is frequently running into men who lie their asses off about what they want from the woman they’re dating. According to these women, too many dudes lack the honesty and forthrightness to just say, “Look baby, I’m just looking for someone to hook up with, so you in or nah?” So what the men apparently do instead is cover up their shitty intentions with a thick layer of “relationship potential” lies, in which they claim they’re looking for “the one.” The way the women were clapping, jumping up and cheering, you would’ve thought D’Angelo’s “How Does It Feel?” video came on in the background.

Although the men there were outnumbered, many of us didn’t contest what the women said because, well, we know that’s a valid complaint about many dudes. Hell, we know that’s a valid complaint women have of us today. Many of us sat back and listened and let these women inform us of their issues, but that feeling wasn’t reciprocated when it was our turn to air our collective grievances. When men talk about our biggest dating pet peeve, women simply don’t want to acknowledge how real and horrific it is. What’s this pet peeve you ask? Well, it can best be described by the infamous words of Charlie Murphy: Habitual line-steppers.

For men, habitual line-stepping, as it refers to dating, occurs when a man informs a woman of what he wants, to which she agrees, only to turn around and feel taken advantage of because their situation didn’t evolve into something more — something he never, ever promised. While there are many men in our society who use deception and clandestine behavior to lure women into situationships, there are many other men who are up front with women about what they want, yet they find themselves in situations where the woman simply refused to abide by the rules and regulations they both established at the beginning of the relationship. Men absolutely hate dealing with this bullshit when it comes to dating because it’s so incredibly avoidable on her behalf.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Women may not want to hear this, but there are many women who are habitual line-steppers when it comes to respecting the boundaries they both agreed upon from jump. There are countless numbers of single men who’ve shown women that they only want sex, only to have her try to escalate that agreement into a relationship — and then cuss him out because that’s not what he wanted. There are numerous men who have informed women that they are actively dating (read: seeing different people with no commitment). And they’ve had to entertain unnecessary drama because one of the women has decided she can no longer accept her limited role in his life and starts overstepping their previously, mutually agreed upon boundary. This is one of the main reasons you hear about dudes seeing a woman one day, and disappearing to never be heard of again the next (which I definitely DON’T advocate). As soon as a man gets the feeling that he’s involved with a habitual line-stepper, the next move is testing the strength of his fall-back game.

Now I could end this article by saying something cheesy like, “Let’s remember people, communication is a must in order to help a relationship succeed,” but I’m going to go an entirely different route. The honest route. Ladies and gentlemen, sometimes you need to ignore the shit that pours out of someone’s mouth, and use your god-given instinctual abilities to analyze what their actions are telling you. Ladies, if you get the intuition that he’s not being completely honest with you and his behavior supports that thesis, abandon ship and don’t waste time. And fellas, if you meet a woman who shows any potential signs of being a habitual line-stepper, shut that shit down before things get serious, regardless of whether she admits to being one. Sometimes your judgement is more powerful than anything she could say.

LAB

Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.

Ladies, rejoice, your cries have been heard and WeTV has answered the call for an African American bachelor. Millionaire Shawn Bullard, a former NFL-athlete turned real estate developer extraordinaire, will grace the cable network’s historic reality dating show “Match Made in Heaven,” beginning Wednesday, Feb. 4.

After thirteen years and 19 long seasons of color-less bachelors on ABC’s “The Bachelor,” WeTV is putting a spin on the concept, with a Black suitor, a diverse group of women competitors, and a modern, religious undertone. Forget the coveted red rose and bring on the white cell phones! The suave 33 year old will reveal each woman’s fate through a text message instead of those anxiety-inducing ceremonies. And the host, who will help guide the charming Philadelphia native is none other than Pastor Ken Johnson, a spiritual advisor for the Indianapolis Colts. The bachelor’s mother, lovingly dubbed Mama Bullard, is also a prominent fixture on “Match Made in Heaven.”

Bullard, who’s smile will make a nun blush, will court 24 ladies through romantic rendezvous, intimate excursions, and wild eliminations. But before the history-making show debuts, Bullard gets candid about his televised quest to happily ever after, his romantic deal breakers, and his relationship status with rumored boo Claudia Jordan.

UPTOWN: Tell us about your show and why viewers should tune in?

Shawn Bullard: Viewers should tune in because I’m America’s first African American bachelor and unlike other dating shows you have a very diverse group of females and you have realistic life influences, other than myself, which are my mom and Pastor Johnson. They don’t do the decision-making for me but they are strong influences.

When it comes to the sexiness of the show, it’s very styled. It’s like a movie; you’re going to see the dates which are amazing, upscale, exotic, and it shows the Black man in a very upscale manner that’s not depicted in a lot of reality shows today. It’s something Blacks can call our own for once. If you look at “The Bachelor” in 19 [seasons] there has never been a Black bachelor, and if there is a Black contestant you know they’re going to get eliminated, you know they’re not going to get picked.  We always ask for certain things and now you have it and now it’s time to support it.

U: Why a reality show now?

SB: I’ve actually been engaged before and I’ve been in a long-term relationship, and she was the love of my life. There was no reason to really break up — I let it slip through my fingers and I messed up.

I’m a guy that has built myself up to the point of, why not be on TV? And I’m a risk-taker. And it wasn’t like I picked the network, they picked me. They had a gauntlet of men to choose from and they picked me so that was even more influence for me to do the show.

U: How important was your mom’s opinion on the show?

SB: Her influence was super important because I love and respect my mom so much. I’m not a mama’s boy at all and you’ll see that on the show. Sometimes she wanted girls out of the house that I wanted in the house and vice versa, so we definitely clashed. But I always respected her opinion and took her influences to heart. But did I always decide on her side? Not at all.

U: What were some of the deal-breakers you just couldn’t tolerate, when deciding between the women?

SB: I was very flexible and I understood the dynamics of the show. One of my pet peeves is bad breath on a woman, but on the show, all the girls smelled good.

I don’t like a woman to lie — no one does — but in that dynamic, sometimes the girls were caught lying so they could have a chance with me. So who am I to cut a woman off because she wanted to show her best impersonation to me? So some of my pet peeves I had to throw out the window due to the situation.

U: The show does have a Christian undertone with the Pastor Ken Johnson assisting your search, do you think this was a godly way to find love?

SB: I don’t think it was really like a godly way, Pastor Johnson was like a guiding force and he just happened to be a pastor. Pastor Johnson wasn’t a pastor like “my way or the highway, my way is best.” He gave me guidance and allowed me to make the choice on my own.

U: Did you know Pastor Johnson before the show?

SB: No, we met at the show although it may not seem like it, but we met at the show.

U: Once “Match Made in Heaven” airs, what do you think will be the biggest misconception about you?

SB: I’ll have to wait and see but I am a guy that came from the streets. I had a good upbringing but I’ve been stabbed five times and I’ve done some bad things. But when you see me now, some may say I’m a straight-laced, business guy. But I’m a guy that came from a street education, combined with my school education and the perseverance you learn from sports, and all that together makes up my personality.

U: You’ve been photographed with rumored-boo Claudia Jordan, what’s the status of your relationship?

SB: Claudia is my homegirl, like my really good friend. She’s been in the biz for a minute so I look at Claudia as a legend in the game. She’s cool peoples and that’s all — we’re just friends.

U: If the show is renewed for a second season, what advice would you give to the next bachelor?

SB: I would tell him to go into it with a clear mind. It’s going to be a hard task to go through a lot of women who are there for love. Although, I believe I’m a tough act to follow. He’ll need to be a good listener and he’s going to have to be a man that commands [the attention of] women of all ages. The demographic on WeTV is 23-50 so you can’t be too young or too old. If you’re young, you’ll need to be mature and if you’re older you’ll need to be caught up on the times.

U: Looking back, any regrets?

SB: This show showed me I could’ve been a better man in my past relationships. But regrets as far as going on the show? No. I matured on the show and it helped me become even more of a man as I think back on my past relationship with my ex-fiancée, I could’ve been a better man.

U: Is it too late to rekindle that flame?

SB: For me it’s never too late, but, I got what I need.

Harper Lee sent the literary world into a frenzy when she announced on Tuesday that she would be releasing a sequel to her iconic novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

The news stunned fans of the now 88-year-old author who have been waiting on a second book from the Pulitzer Prize winner since 1960, when To Kill a Mockingbird was first released.

Lee seems unfazed by her sophomore release coming 55 years after her debut. “It’s a pretty decent effort,” she said of the forthcoming Go Set a Watchman.

Her latest effort was actually written before her first novel, but set 20 years after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird. The new book features the beloved character Scout as an adult, returning to her hometown of Maycomb from New York, to visit her lawyer father Atticus, and other characters featured in the first novel.

In a statement attributed to Lee by her publisher, the author says that Go Set a Watchman was completed in the 1950s, but she thought the manuscript had been lost. “My editor, who was taken by the flashbacks to Scout’s childhood, persuaded me to write a novel from the point of view of the young Scout. I was a first-time writer, so I did as I was told.”

“I hadn’t realized it had survived, so was surprised and delighted when my dear friend and lawyer Tonja Carter discovered it. After much thought and hesitation I shared it with a handful of people I trust and was pleased to hear that they considered it worthy of publication. I am humbled and amazed that this will now be published after all these years.”

Reportedly, Carter only discovered the manuscript three months ago. She then helped to negotiate the deal to publish Go Set a Watchman with U.S. publisher HarperCollins.

The publisher further described the plot of the novel, saying Scout is “forced to grapple with issues both personal and political as she tries to understand her father’s attitude toward society, and her own feelings about the place where she was born and spent her childhood.”

Lee, who is deaf and almost completely blind, lives in an assisted-living facility in Monroeville, Alabama. The author largely retired from public life after the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird, despite large demand for her to release more work. In her last major piece of publicity in 1964, she told an interviewer, “I didn’t expect the book to sell in the first place,” and that the reaction was “just about as frightening as the quick, merciful death I’d expected … like being hit over the head and knocked cold.”

Hopefully she will be better prepared for what’s sure to be an overwhelming reception of her latest novel when it is released this summer.

Source

A new study has revealed that many of the major brands who sell herbal supplements are selling you a dream. Testing commissioned by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman revealed that four major store chains—Walmart, Target, GNC and Walgreens—are selling items that may contain none of the ingredients listed.

DNA testing on hundreds of bottles of store-brand supplements discovered that four out of five contained none of the herbs on the label. Instead, they were packed with fillers like wheat, beans, rice and houseplants, pine and unidentified plant materials.

Schneiderman said on Tuesday that he sent letters to the chains demanding that they stop selling mislabeled dietary supplements. He says that the practice poses serious risks, as consumers may suffer dangerous allergic reactions because they don’t know what’s in the concoctions.

“This investigation makes one thing abundantly clear: The old adage ‘buyer beware’ may be especially true for consumers of herbal supplements,” Schneiderman said.

In its defense, the herbal supplement industry criticized the method of testing. Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, accused Schneiderman of participating in “self-serving publicity stunt under the guise of protecting public health.” Mister continued, “Processing during manufacturing of botanical supplements can remove or damage DNA.” He explained that for that reason, DNA testing may not be the best method for these products.

President of the American Herbal Products Association, Michael McGuffin, also decried the use of DNA testing, asserting that it needed to be confirmed through another process, like chromatography or microscopy.

However, Arthur Grollman, a physician and pharmacology professor at Stony Brook University said the study was  “a well-controlled, scientifically based documentation of the outrageous degree of adulteration in the herbal supplement industry.”

Walmart, where only 4 percent of products contained DNA consistent with labeling, maintained that their testing found no inconsistencies. However, they agreed to Schneiderman’s request to stop selling the products in New York.

“We take this matter very seriously and will be conducting side-by-side analysis because we are 100 percent committed to providing our customers safe products,” said Carmen Bauza, Walmart’s vice president of Health & Wellness.

Walgreens promised to cooperate with the attorney general, who asked the chains to provide detailed information about production and quality control.

“We take these issues very seriously and as a precautionary measure, we are in the process of removing these products from our shelves as we review this matter further,” Walgreen spokesman James Graham said.

GNC also agreed to comply, but defended their practices. Spokeswoman Laura Brophy said, “We stand by the quality, purity and potency of all ingredients listed on the labels of our private-label products.”

Target said it could not comment until the report had been fully reviewed.