Ricki Lake and Rob Kardashian leave empty-handed as war hero nabs season 13 mirror-ball trophy. By Kelley L. Carter J.R. Martinez wins “Dancing With the Stars” Photo: ABC On Tuesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars” finale, there was much pomp before the circumstance. By the time the dust settled, war hero J.R. Martinez and his partner Karina Smirnoff were crowned season 13 champs. The three finalists — Ricki Lake, Rob Kardashian and Martinez — danced one last time before Martinez’s win was announced. Lake and her partner Derek Hough were up first, redoing what they considered to be one of their best dances. The judges thought it was unforgettable. “This is one of the most memorable dances of this or any season. The first time around, I really liked it. I love it the second time around,” head judge Len Goodman told the pair. The judges scored them 30/30. Next up, was Kardashian and his partner Cheryl Burke, redoing their emotional dance from earlier in the season, which Kardashian dedicated to his late father. The judges noted a quick mistake he made on a slide, but Bruno Tonioli said, “You really have improved beyond everyone’s expectations. You make even the little hiccup look charming.” The judges scored them 26/30. Martinez and Smirnoff rounded out the routines by taking another shot at a jive, and even though they had a few missteps, judge Carrie Ann Inaba said, “You are such a catalyst for joy whenever you get out on this dance floor.” The judges scored them 28/30. The judges finally revealed which of the three would be the first to head home. Surprisingly, it was Lake and Hough, who were favorites for much of the season. “I’ve loved basically every minute of this. I really feel like I had the best partner, the best teacher and the best motivator. For someone’s who’s a middle-aged mom, I hope I made my children proud, my fianc
Maria Topp and her partner of five years, Martin Douglass, got into a physical altercation back in February 2011. Douglass put Topp on her back and straddle her, in attempts to break free, Topp bit Douglass’s testicles off! The mother-of-four bit Martin Douglas, her partner of five years, during a drunken brawl at his flat in February. Mr Douglas, 45, needed emergency surgery to reattach his genitals after Topp bit them off in the early-morning attack. Mr Douglas, whose arm was also injured, spent several days in Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, where he received treatment. Topp cannot remember biting her partner, but can recall their fight, and the court accepted that violence had been used by both sides. Caroline Goodwin, defending, told a previous hearing: “The defendant was on her back with the victim straddling her.” Mr Douglas was so traumatised by his injuries that emergency services staff struggled to understand him when he dialled 999. He later required 19 stitches to his wound. Even though she didn’t top Lorena Bobbit, that sounds extremely painful. It does sound like Topp was using some self defense tactics… Do you think she should go to jail for this? Source
Hugh Jackman wasn’t just willing to get in the ring, he was eager to. So the actor tells our partner site, Movie Fanatic, in an interview regarding Real Steel , a film he hopes will appeal to families, kids and adults like. Affable, generous and gracious, the Australian talked about about the film’s intricacies, as well as two other major movie projects he has coming up within the next 12 months: Wolverine and Les Miserables with Russell Crowe. Real Steel opens Friday. Check out the trailer for the film below and follow the link to read Movie Fanatic’s exclusive interview with Hugh Jackman ! Real Steel Trailer
“What’s your number?” If your boyfriend or girlfriend asked this question, would you answer? Let’s not pretend we don’t all know what “number” I’m talking about and it isn’t your phone number (although for some guys out there your number actually may be approaching seven digits.) I had the pleasure of attending the premiere of the new movie “Whats Your Number?” starring Anna Faris and Chris Evans and since a healthy portion of the ways we govern our sexual and dating lives is based on our “number” I thought it would be interesting to find out just how important the number of partners someone has had really is. To give you a basic idea about the film, Anna Faris’s character has slept with 19 people and discovers in a Cosmo Magazine article that a woman’s chances of marrying after 20 partners drops significantly. This sends her on a quest to find all of her ex’s(with the help of an often naked Chris Evans) to ensure that the next man she gives it up to is the man that walks her down the aisle. Now I had the pleasure of speaking with the gorgeous Tika Sumpter (who can also be seen in the up coming Think Like A Man with Kevin Hart) on the red carpet who co-stars in the film playing one of Anna’s close girlfriends and I asked her about the importance of “the number” to women. So, should a woman ever reveal her number? Tika doesn’t think so saying, “Everybody always says they want to be honest I don’t think people really want to be honest with each other, so no. I don’t think everybody can take it, only a certain person can take it.” Personally I would have to agree, even as a man I can admit we may want to know but we may not always be happy with the answer, a sentiment she echoed for me saying, “Most men love being all over the place but if a woman can’t count(them) on her fingers then they don’t want to be with you. You want us to play as if we don’t have a lot of partners.” Well maybe Ms. Sumpter would want to know her boyfriend’s number? “Absolutely not,” she said. “Why would I want to know that? I just want to know that he’s safe and that’s it.” Which seems to be the right way to go about it. No one really wants to know their partner’s number because if it’s too low you probably won’t believe them(especially if it’s a guy) and if it’s too high you’ll probably want out of the relationship, or at the very least you’ll be thinking very heavily about who’s had your partner’s goodies before they got to you. What’s Your Number? is a very funny film, personally one of my favorite Anna Faris movies. It does a good job of expressing just how consumed women can become over something as silly as their number of sexual partners, how it affects their future, and Cosmo Magazine articles. It was a movie I wouldn’t have minded being dragged to by a girlfriend even if just to validate my belief of how women can sometimes over think things and have it played out comedically on screen for me. It’s no secret guys pride themselves on a high number and girls aim to keep it low. Society has pretty much conditioned us to think and act this way so don’t be too hard on yourself for your sexual behavior. So, would you tell your partner your number? Discuss it with them and us at TheUrbanDaily in the comments below now and after you go see What’s Your Number? in theaters this weekend. MORE MOVIE COVERAGE FROM THEURBANDAILY… Terrence Howard On “Red Tails,” Great Expectations For Black America [VIDEO] Sonia Sanchez Gives Props To Hip-Hop At Black Film Festival [VIDEO] Teaser Trailer for “The Last Fall” Starring Lance Gross and Nicole Beharie [VIDEO]
David Arquette and Chaz Bono join George Clooney’s ex in bottom three. By Kelley L. Carter Elisabetta Canalis Photo: ABC Networks In the final minutes of Tuesday night’s “Dancing With the Stars” elimination show, it was George Clooney’s ex-girlfriend who was given the boot. Elisabetta Canalis and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, were eliminated after landing in the bottom three alongside David Arquette and Kym Johnson and Chaz Bono and Lacey Schwimmer. The Italian actress and host seemed a bit jarred when it was revealed she was the contestant leaving in week two, considering that she and her partner had impressed the judges with a big improvement from last week . “I’m not going to say much. I’m just going to say this: It’s not great, but it was better than last week,” head judge Len Goodman said before scoring her Monday. Tonioli disagreed, saying, “The gears were grinding, the engines were hot. The pistols were pumping. Keep working.” Canalis ultimately scored 21 out of 30, which placed her right in the middle of the pack and above Hope Solo and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Arquette and Johnson, Carson Kressley and Anna Trebunskaya and Bono and Schwimmer. Canalis, who looked to be holding back tears, expressed how much she enjoyed her short time on the show: “I want to thank everybody, because they made me come here! Thanks to the public and everybody who voted for us. It was a great experience.” Chmerkovskiy, a newcomer who also is Maksim’s younger brother, said he was very proud of his celeb partner. “I wish I did better for you. But I’m very lucky to be here,” he said. Were you surprised to see Elisabetta go? Let us know in the comments!
Sean Maher, best known for roles on Firefly , Make It or Break It and now The Playboy Club , is gay. The actor made the admission today in an interview with Entertainment Weekly . “It’s so liberating. It was interesting to be coming to have a conversation that I was always afraid to have,” Maher tells the magazine , adding: “This is my coming out ball. I’ve been dying to do this.” Maher lives in Los Angeles with a partner named Paul. The couple has two kids, Sophia Rose, 4, and Liam Xavier, 14 months. The 36-year old actor says he was never asked about his sexuality in the past, but painted “a different picture” than the truth whenever the topic was remotely broached. “I’m 22, I move to L.A., and it’s such a clich
Leisha Hailey, an actress most recently seen on CSI but best known for her role on Showtime’s The L Word , was kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight today and immediately took to Twitter to complain that she and her girlfriend got the boot because of their sexual orientation. Hailey says a flight attendant asked her and her partner to leave because they were kissing and, according to the stewardess, Southwest is a “family” airline. “They don’t like us,” the actress Tweeted of the company’s alleged “homophobic” policies. But Southwest has now replied and says its employees simply responded to passenger complains about the actress’ “excessive” affection toward her girlfriend. “Our crew, responsible for the comfort of all Customers on board, approached the passengers based solely on behavior and not gender,” the statement reads. “The conversation escalated to a level that was better resolved on the ground, as opposed to in flight. We are ready to work directly with the passengers involved to offer our heartfelt apologies for falling short of their expectation.” Hailey should just be grateful she wasn’t wearing baggy pants , too.
Hello Beautiful! Welcome to Strand Therapy! brought to you by Your Partner In “Natural” Style — Design Essentials Natural . Strand Therapy is your one-stop-shop for all things natural! If you are currently transitioning, not sure what styles are best for your hair type, or if you need help maintaining your kinky curly tresses (or straightening them) then this is the place for you! To kick things off, we’re proud to present our “ Top 10 Must-Haves to Rock Your Natural Hair on a Budget. ” Whether you are newly natural or a seasoned natural going through transitions, here are some great tips to keep your curls and coils coiffed and sexy while on a shoestring budget: Make your own leave-in conditioner with a spray bottle , conditioner , and water . Use apple cider vinegar as a final rinse to break down the harsh chemicals present in the water. Don’t forget about hair oil! (Oils moisturize the scalp, provide nutrients to the hair, and promote hair growth). Consider making your own deep conditioners by mixing household nourishing ingredients (honey, apple cider, bananas, vinegar, eggs, avocado, and mayonnaise) Plastic caps are great for deep conditioning. Once applied to the head, it locks in the moisture and provides heat. It’s also another great alternative to using a hooded hair dryer when secured around the head with a hot towel. Use a Flaxseed Styling Gel as it promotes hair growth, leaves hair feeling soft, moisturized, shiny, and healthy. Use a Sulfate free shampoo and conditioner. Stay away from baking soda as it can strip the hair of moisture. (Sulfate-free shampoos reduce hair irritation, hair loss, color fading, and frizziness). Essential Styling tools should include: bobby pins, satin scarf, tail comb, blow dryer, diffuser, butterfly clips and rubber row brush. Indulge in essential oils. There are so many to choose from! Lavender oils calm and soothe the scalp. Basil stimulates hair growth. Tea Tree decreases scalp dryness. Click here to learn more about essential oils and their benefits. Patience is very important when learning to style and maintain your hair. It’s important to allocate time to style your hair and stick to a regimen. It will pay off!. To learn more about Design Essentials® Natural and to win free natural hair care products, be sure to visit us at www.designessentials.com . You may also “Like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter ( @designessntials ). We recently participated in the Fall 2011 World Natural Hair Show in Atlanta, GA and provided great natural maintenance and styling tips for professionals and consumers, not to mention provided some awesome giveaways! If you missed the fun, check out our online slideshow from the event. We were also joined by Mae Tapp of NaturalChica.com who hosted our on-site natural giveaways ( Thanks, Mae!). Don’t forget to send your hair questions to strandtherapy@gmail.com ! Bye, Beautiful! Why Can’t Black Women Do Their Own Hair Anymore? Top 3 Best Leave-In Conditioners For Natural Hair [REVIEW]
By Jay Levin Every relationship has its springtime; then winter rolls around. Winter can come in a few days, a few weeks, or a few months but, with rare exception, it sure does come. This may seem to happen for a variety of reasons – everyone has a story about why a given relationship didn’t work out – and we tend to buy into these stories. There is, however, a bigger truth at work than these narratives. In reality, winter in relationships happens for one big reason: Very few people are trained in relationship skills. Worse, most of us deal with conflicts and tensions in relationships by relying on coping mechanisms and patterns learned in childhood and teenage years – and in most cases these patterns are actually disruptive of relationships, when not absolutely destructive of them. This is easily remedied by two things. One is professional Life and Couples coaching . The other is an absolute willingness on your part to become a student of effective relationship skills and of the healthy way to understand and approach relationship that a coach like myself will impart to you. It doesn’t matter the current stage or pattern of your relationships. You can be at the early dating stage, you can have experienced a lot of failed short term relationships or affairs, you can be with someone for months or years. What matters is this: If you want to have a great relationship that endures past the early romantic, sexual phase, you need to learn modern relationship skills in order to gain and keep real closeness to one another. This learning doesn’t come automatically– it can take tens of years of trial and error and ups and downs in relationships to figure it out – and that’s why Life and Couples coaching is booming. Why takes a trillion years to accomplish a state of partnership satisfaction when, given modern research and knowledge, you can learn your way into a great relationship in a few weeks to a few months, depending on how actively you apply yourself? First, you must learn an alternative to blaming your partner or yourself. You must be accountable for your actions and get out of “the blame game.” Blaming others doesn’t solve anything. Instead, it is important to understand why you and your partner feel and behave the way you do when challenges arise- and then learn how to resolve problems in a mature manner. Second, arguments and disagreements can actually be resolved after you have been taught some superb and easily-learned methods to deal with them. Simply learning the techniques for creating agreement and closeness provides so much confidence that it is much easier when a challenge arises for you not to go into reaction and to take a moment instead to think about the situation rather than say or do something that will make matters worse. Third, keeping agreements is still another core principle. Better to go back and renegotiate even the simplest agreement – “I will wash the dishes tonight” – than break trust. Fourth, open communications are essential to prevent each person wondering what’s happening with her or his partner – a gap most of us tend to fill with projections, worries and fantasies. While there is considerably more than these four principles to learn, a smart basic way to approach working with a Life and Couples coach is to start by accepting the real world truth – which is that most relationship difficulties, from the early dating stage on, are caused by the tension and misunderstanding created by two people who simply don’t know (because they haven’t yet been taught) how to make the other person feel safe EVEN while retaining their own autonomy. Life and Couples Coaching can teach you that and much more. It can take you way past resentments and tensions. It can help you and your partner get out of your own ways and each other’s way so that you are each relating from a place of authentic self and tremendous acceptance. It can, in fact, get you to an exquisite state of existence of a sort you may only have had hints of in your life. It does this by showing you what needs to be changed and how to make those needed changes almost painlessly. We all sometimes need good teachers and good guidance to take us past the “flaws” we think we and our partners have that show up in relationships. A skilled Life and Couples coach can be the ideal person to turn to in times of turmoil, because that’s how you can discover that such flaws almost always result only from everyone’s backwards original education in the most crucial of human experiences – in how we are to relate to each other. By contrast, a Life and Couples coach like myself can teach you truly effective, very neat and satisfying relating skills. For most people, the sooner you learn, the sooner your relationship and life can improve. *** Jay Levin is best known as the founder of the LA Weekly, of which he was editor-in-chief and president for many years before selling what he had grown to be the largest and most successful city weekly in the country. For the last dozen years, apart from his new media enterprises, Jay has been teaching life mastery and helping people successfully reorient their lives and heal their relationships without spending years in therapy or marriage counseling. Jay’s coaching and courses draw on his background first as a journalist in which, in order to write about them, he participated in scores of different human development trainings. Later he continued his education for its own sake, attending dozens of other workshops. His major non-journalistic professional education in human development has been via the Master’s degree program in spiritual psychology at the University of Santa Monica and the human development program from Pathwork Institute. For more info click here: http://www.relationshipcounselingtoday.com/ View original post here: Relationship Seasons
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