Kim Kardashian: I’m Not Quitting My TV Show … Yet

Kim Kardashian, Jan. 22, 2013 (Marc Piasecki/WireImage)Are Kim Kardashian’s reality TV days numbered?

Speculation and misinformation flew through cyberspace after the 32-year-old said she’d be leaving “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” soon in a new interview with DuJour.
Though the family recently signed on for two more seasons – season eight just began filming this month – Kim seemed to suggest in the magazine article that she'd be gone after the ninth season.
Not so fast.

Kim took to her blog Wednesday afternoon in a post titled, “Regarding My Dujour Interview and Keeping Up With the Kardashians” to clear up what was actually said in the interview.
“I know that many of you have read the Dujour Magazine interview I just did. In the article, I was asked about continuing on with ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians.’ As everyone knows, we are extremely proud of the show and all of us are staying on through at least season 10,” she clarified.
“The show remains to be my number 1 priority and it’s a big part of my life and I enjoy every moment of it. It has given me such a rare opportunity to share more of my life with all of you and has brought my family closer to each other. I’m looking forward to the new season and beyond. The fact is that I have many goals that I still need to reach and accomplish and I (like so many of you) don’t know where my life will be in the next couple of years, but I’m looking forward to continuing this journey.”
So, there you have it straight from the horse’s mouth – Kim will be a part of “KUWTK” for at least three more seasons.
One thing Kim explicitly stated in DuJour was that she would be trying to lead a more private life after giving birth.
“My boyfriend has taught me a lot about privacy,” Kardashian said of her current beau, Kanye West. “I’m ready to be a little less open about some things, like my relationships. I’m realizing everyone doesn’t need to know everything. I’m shifting my priorities.”
Kardashian even added that the upcoming season of “KUWTK” would not feature “baby stuff.” As for whether West will make an appearance, she noted, “We haven’t really gotten that far yet.”

Trouble’ Finds Taylor Swift! Why Is Singer Being Sued for $1.8 Million?

Swift. (Getty Images)Finally, Taylor Swift will have writing material that deals with a subject other than her broken heart.

The “I Knew You Were Trouble” singer is being sued for $1.8 million in relation to a canceled concert that would have taken place in Ottawa, Canada, in August 2012 ... even though she had nothing to do with it not happening.
In the lawsuit, which was filed against the 23-year-old and her management company in New York last month, a Florida-based ticket company called FIRE USA Inc. claims that Swift kept her $2.5 million paycheck, despite never performing at the Capital Hoedown.
But FIRE USA Inc. is not looking for the $2.5 million back … it is seeking to recoup $1.8 million from Swift to cover the concert tickets that had to be refunded. Either way, she still makes money … just do the math -- she’ll still have made $700,00 for doing nothing!
According to the Ottawa Citizen, the Capital Hoedown was troubled from the start. The newspaper also reports that Swift was paid a non-refundable deposit of $250,000 in late 2011, followed by another $2.2 million that December … eight months before she ever even would have stepped onstage.
Swift’s rep did not immediately respond to omg! for a comment.

Rihanna’s Birthday Roundup: Cosmetics and Controversy

RiRi [Hearts] MAC. (Instagram)Up in smoke. (Instagram)

Rihanna is celebrating her 25th birthday today in classic RiRi style: making headlines, both good and bad.
The good news first -- MAC announced on Wednesday that the “Stay” singer and the cosmetics giant have partnered for a multi-season collaboration, the first for the company and any celebrity. And she’s not just lending her name and face – MAC is calling Rihanna its “creative partner” and she will have a heavy hand with the 31 products in the RiRi [Hearts] MAC line. The first, RiRi Woo red lipstick, will be unveiled on May 4 with a pop-up shop at her concert inside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
“When it comes to creating things, I like to get my hands in there,” she told Women’s Wear Daily. “When you think of makeup, the brand that pops into your mind — for something legit — is MAC. Whatever color you want, it’s like ‘Let’s go to MAC.’ I’ve been using MAC on tour for such a long time it was a natural fit for me. I have always loved makeup, and I always said that if I do it, I want to do it with a credible brand.”
[Related: Rihanna's Most Scandalous Moments (Photos)]
After that announcement, Rihanna posted a photo of a few of the products, all marked with “RiRi [Hearts] MAC” in her handwriting, on Instagram. “That's right baby, I'm a #MACgal now!” she wrote. “Get into it, package designed and products created from scratch by yours truly! Thanks to the EPIC team at #MAC for giving me the opportunity to play and share my favorite s**t with my fans and yours.”
Rihanna. (Instagram)However, some other Instagram photos made fans really take notice. On Tuesday, the day before Rihanna’s birthday, her best friend and personal assistant, Melissa Forde, posted a series of the singer laying around in a bikini … smoking a funny-looking cigarette. “#whobad @badgalriri #smokeitupsmokeitup,” Forde wrote as the caption for one pic of Rihanna from behind in a cloud of smoke. In another photo of the birthday girl exhaling, Forde wrote, “Bitch I got that flame.”
Also on Tuesday, a behind-the-scenes video from her London Fashion Week debut hit the web. In it, Rihanna can be seen going over last-minute details on the pieces from her Rihanna For River Island line, as well as the models’ hair and makeup. “Part in the middle, straight … blunt,” she tells an assistant after inspecting one catwalker’s hair.
In another scene, she and the models pose together for photos before the big show last Saturday. And later, as each girl struts down the runway in her creations, Rihanna is seen dancing backstage while watching on a monitor. “That’s so sexy,” she yells over the blaring music (her own, of course).
Although her first fashion line was mostly panned by critics – The Daily Beast called it “a horror show. The clothes were hideous and without an ounce of panache or style between them.” – Rihanna didn’t seem to mind. On Tuesday, she posted a screengrab of Vogue’s website on Instagram with the caption, “Anna Wintour thank you for covering my show!!!”
Do you think Rihanna’s 25^th year will be more subdued or should we expect even more drama?

Are you Always Late? New Study Explains Why

Recent studies suggest that the reason you’re always late goes far beyond not waking up in time or taking too long to get dressed. There may be psychological reasons you can never get to where you’re going on time – which means you can finally retire that good ol’ CP time excuse.
Management consultant and author of “Never Be Late Again,” Diana DeLonzor admitted that before writing her book she was always late. Like many of us she could give herself extra time to get ready and even plan things out ahead of time to make sure she beat the clock, but nothing ever worked.
“It didn’t matter what time I got up,” she said. “I could get up at six and still be late for work at nine.”
While we often laugh off the fact that we are late, sometimes it can even get in the way of our personal relationships and professional life. In DeLonzor’s case, her husband was always upset with her for being late, she got into a lot of trouble at work, and even friendships started to crumble apart because she just simply couldn’t make it anywhere on time.
From the outside looking in, many people assume that if someone is late it’s because they were careless about the time, lazing around as if they had nowhere to go, or just didn’t care about being on time in the first place. The truth is, many of the people who are always running behind genuinely feel awful about it but they just can’t seem to overcome their lateness.
The study that Diana led may finally have the answer as to why it’s nearly impossible for some people to simply be on time.
The study included over 200 people and of those 200 people about 17 percent of them were chronically late. Researches discovered that several patterns formed that were prohibiting these test subjects from being on time.
According to the test results, those who were always late also tended to procrastinate a lot, lacked self control, enjoyed thrill seeking, and even displaying some minor ADD like symptoms.
Of course, procrastinating and thrill seeking isn’t much of an excuse for being late. Your boss probably wouldn’t appreciate it if you looked him or her square in the eye and said “Hey, I got here an hour late because I decided to take a shower at the last minute.”
A further look into the study, however, reveals that procrastination and even the lack of self control may have stemmed from other psychological issues.
“People who are chronically late are often wrestling with anxiety, distraction, ambivalence or other internal psychological states,” said Pauline Wallin, a psychologist in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
While the psychological traits behind chronically late people are all similar, DeLonzor revealed that there are actually different types of late people – the most common of which are the deadliners, the producers, and the absent-minded professors.
If you believe that you work best under pressure and can’t really find much motivation to get things done unless there is a sure fire reason as to why you should do it… you’re probably a procrastinator. Oops, I mean deadliner.
Anyway, deadliners are the people who don’t tend to actually take the task at hand as seriously until more pressure is added to the situation. This group tends to get a thrill out of racing against the clock to get things scratched off that daunting to-do list and will often put off work until the last minute for that very purpose.
Once again, that’s probably not too great of an explanation for your boss if you get called into the office for being late once again.
The next group has been coined the producers – but we’re going to call them the flexers. That’s right. In case you aren’t familiar with the term a person who “flexes” likes to show off or exaggerate things which can often cause them to lie to themselves. In this case, they are lying to themselves about how much they can cram into one day because in their minds there isn’t a to do list too long for them to handle.
DeLonzor explains that the producers a.k.a flexers try to get as much done in as little time as possible but often underestimate how much time the task will ultimately take them.
So what happens is: you wake up at 9 a.m knowing you have to be somewhere at noon. You decide that you’d rather go ahead and clean the house now to get it out the way and assume you’ll be finished in about 20 minutes. Flex #1. Then you tell yourself that it will only take five minutes to curl your hair. Flex #2. Of course you have to do your makeup and since you swear to yourself that you don’t wear that much make up you guess it will only take a minute or two. Oooowe look at those muscles!
So if this is you, the best thing to do is to just be honest with yourself and realize that perhaps you can’t do as much in one day as you thought you could and allow yourself more time to complete tasks efficiently… and be on time.
Another popular type of late person is the absent-minded professor. It’s pretty much self explanatory. You’re the person who has what we call the “squirrel” syndrome. You know how there is that one friend who can be driving along having a full blown conversation with you and suddenly they become overly excited and distracted by a random squirrel off to the side of the street? Yea… squirrel syndrome.
You get so distracted that just trying to make your way out the door and to the car is a challenge and eventually you just completely lose track of time, your keys, your wallet, your phone, where you were going in the first place, why you were going, what you need to bring and… there goes that squirrel again.
Other types of late personalities are rationalizers, indulgers, evaders, and rebels.
This isn’t an excuse to be late, but it does help explain why you might be late all the time and figuring out what type of late you are may be exactly what you need to help figure out what you need to do to make sure you finally start arriving on time.
source: www.popularcritic.com

Robin Roberts to Interview Michelle Obama

Robin Roberts Sits Down With Michelle Obama on GMA
To mark the third anniversary of her “Let’s Move” campaign against childhood obesity, First Lady Michelle Obama will sit down with Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts. The two will discuss the accomplishments of the campaign and a series of new goals. One of which is a new partnership that will help busy parents find fast, easy, and healthy recipes for their families.
The appearance will mark a series of firsts for each. This will be Mrs. Obama’s first morning show interview, and one of Roberts first major pieces since returning from a bone marrow transplant. Roberts made her first appearance back on GMA this morning, and was greeted with a taped message from the President and First Lady wishing her good luck and a happy return to work. Mrs. Obama said she was looking forward to speaking with Roberts next week.
The interview will air on Good Morning America on Tuesday, February 26.
Fifth Beckham Baby in the Works?
David Beckham says he and wife Victoria Beckham want to have more children. They currently have three boys and a 7-month old daughter, Harper. “We might have one more or two more, you never know. We’re not thinking about it yet, but if it happens, great. We’re enjoying the kids as it is. It’s always a thought,” Beckham said on Jonathan Ross’s ITV1 talk show.
Beckham also said he was happy to get a daughter, after having three sons.  In the interview with  Jonathan Ross, he said Harper’s gender was a surprise. “After having three boys, you just assume that you’re going to have another boy, but when we got told she was a little girl, it was amazing.”
Beyonce Documentary Scores Huge Ratings
Beyonce has yet another milestone to celebrate this week. Her HBO documentary, “Life is But a Dream” drew over 1.8 million viewers when it premiered on Saturday night. It garnered the highest ratings for any documentary in over 10 years. The documentary featured Beyonce’s home footage of key events in her life, from her 2011 Billboard performance of “Who Run the World (Girls)” to the birth of daughter  Blue Ivy.
While critics may have called for more depth, fans were clearly pleased.
Brit Awards Promise Performances From Justin Timberlake, One Direction and more [USA Today]
Taylor Swift Sued for Canceling Concert [E!]
Kelly Clarkson Slams Clive Davis’s New Book [The Atlantic Wire]

Donald Trump Threatens Suit Against Man For Organizing Macy’s Petition

It’s been a while since we’ve had a good Donald Trump headline. After his election night rant against Obama, and subsequent Twitter war with Cher, the Donald was uncharacteristically quiet during the Yuletide season.
Now, he is back in full force crazy, suing a man who started an online petition urging Macys to quit carrying Trumpprojects.
Trump’s attorney sent a letter to petition organizer Angelo Carusone, threatening to sue him for damages “not less than $25,000,000″ if he continues to campaign against the Donald.Trump and his attorney claim the petition is hurting Trump’s image (like he doesn’t do that himself).
Here is an excerpt from the letter, where Trump’s laweyer claims the petition is disrupting a “longstanding” relationship with Macys. “While you claim to be merely exercising or right to free speech, your egregious, per-meditated and illegal conduct far exceeds anything protected by the Constitution…Rather than simply engage in lawful protest, you have apparently made it your mission to interfere with and intentionally disrupt Mr. Trump’s longstanding and well-established business relationship with Macy’s as well as his contractual dealings with other third parties through mob-like bullying and coercion.”
Well, first of all, the Donald can’t really accuse anyone of “mob-like bullying” after threatening revolution when President Obama was re-elected.
In fact, it was the Donald’s bullying remarks that inspired Carusone to start the petition in the first place.  Carusone’s petition, launched on SignOn.org, calls out Trump’s  “especially unpleasant, nasty and despicable behavior” and urges Macy’s Chairman, CEO and President Terry J. Lundgren to stop selling Trump’s fragrance and clothing lines at Macy’s stores.  So far, the petition has  gathered more than 683,000 signatures. Carusone, 30, delivered the petition to Macys headquarters in New York during December.
Now that Trump has fired back, Carusone claims he will not be deterred. “These things can get messy, and I’m aware of that, and Donald Trump is volatile, and extremely wealthy, so that’s a potent combination right there, and he seemed very frustrated,” Carusone said.  However, Carusone also believes backing down would sent the wrong message. “For me the worst thing is to succumb to bullying and intimidation.”
When the petition first started, Macys claimed they were not affiliated and still valued Trump’s business. The retail chain has yet to comment on these latest developments.

Rihanna the New Princess Diana? Sunday Times Article Makes Weak Comparison

Over the weekend, a featured article in England’s The Sunday Times caused quite a stir, comparing Rihanna to the late Princess Diana. Feminist writer Camille Paglia penned the essay, entitled “Why Rihanna is the new Diana” arguing the two have several key similarities: immense beauty, a love/hate relationship with photographers and a turbulent quest for love.
While Paglia may have located similar behavior in Rihanna and Diana, she is missing crucial context as to what parts each played on the world stage. Diana was a royal princess, Rihanna a pop singer. I guess that makes Jay-Z Queen Elizabeth?
Here are some of the more interesting soundbites from Paglia’s comparison:
On their shared humble backgrounds
“Diana and Rihanna began as sensitive, wounded, but appealingly bubbly and good-natured provincial girls who slowly discovered their own photogenic virtuosity and began to conceptualise themselves as living sculpture for the lens.”
Paglia needs to reconsider her definition of “provincial”. Rihanna was born to a low-income family in Barbados, making “provincial” a condescending, but academically appropriate term.  On the other hand, Diana was born with a title to an aristocratic British family. While Lady Diana’s famous vocation as a Kindergarten teacher made for good press, her family (the Spencers) can trace their lineage back to the House of Stuart, a Scottish branch of the royal family that ruled England in the 1500s and 1600s.
So, it can definitely be argued that Diana knew more of what she was getting into in terms of a life of wealth and grandeur, and her roots are quite far from “provincial.”
On their relationship with photographers
“Like Diana, Rihanna has worryingly drifted into using photo ops to send messages of allure, defiance, or revenge in a turbulent relationship with an errant partner…..Diana’s anguished helplessness and isolation inside the royal family, with its stoical code of duty, led her to gravitate toward the ever-hovering paparazzi, whose global power as a media institution increased exponentially because of her popularity…”
Ok, so this claim has a bit more merit, but still contains weak evidence. Both figures certainly craved an outlet for escape. Rihanna does frequently send not-so-cryptic Instagrams with pouty lips, seeking Brown’s attention.  Yet, she also posts about her love of marijuana, so it’s not all anguish.
However, Diana’s relationship with the paparazzi was not playful or welcoming. Paglia is correct photographers may have caught Diana’s need for an escape from isolation–inferring from a somber gaze– but she did not seek them out to share herself. Diana screamed at photographers on vacations, wanting to keep her love affair with Dodi Al-Fayed under wraps during her separation from Prince Charles. And lest we forget, she was killed in a car crash as she tried to escape a paparazzi.
On their shared pattern of toxic men
“Diana, rebuffed, eventually accepted her exile. But Rihanna, in the classic syndrome of the battered woman, still pities and hopes to change and save her abuser. (“I was more concerned about him,” she told Oprah about her recovery from Brown’s assault.”)
Paglia’s comparison is richest  here, drawing parallels to Diana’s relationship with Charles and Rihanna’s with Chris Brown.  While violence was never confirmed, Diana’s marriage to Charles was toxic, and she eventually broke with royal tradition to get a divorce and seek love elsewhere. Rihanna, as the Grammys showcased, is back on Brown’s arm, trying to make it work.
Ultimately, Paglia crafted an interesting essay, but might have done better to focus her comparison rather than trying to make each piece fit. Parts of the argument definitely seem forced.
However, one person is thrilled  by the article–Rihanna. “Just so happens I came home drunk to this in a pile of papers outside my hotel room! My lil Bajan behind, never thought these many people would even know my name, now it’s next to Princess Diana’s on the front of a newspaper! Life can be such a beautiful thing when you let it be #yourejealous ,” she wrote on Instagram.
Just a guess, but Diana would probably not feel quite as flattered. The Royal family has yet to comment on the article.

Khloe Kardashian Fired from X-Factor?; Clive Davis Reveals Bisexuality

The X-Factor is all about being a complete package in the entertainment world, and apparently Khloe Kardashian might not have it after rumors began swirling that she was fired from the X-Factor.
According to The New York Post, co-host Mario Lopez has already been offered his hosting spot back but Khloe has not.
Anyone who watched the singing competition can admit to the fact that the youngest Kardashian was very inexperienced when it came to hosting and many times she would even mix up her lines or read the teleprompter wrong. On top of that, the usual Kardashian that we see on reality TV seemed to vanish on stage as the once bubbly TV personality fell flat.
Unfortunately for Kim’s little sister, her performance was often so bad that it made audience members uncomfortable for her.
“She tried to act like she wasn’t nervous but you could clearly tell she was,” one dedicated fan of the Kardashians said. “It was just really weird and awkward and it made you feel sad because you wanted her to do well but it was just so bad. I love Khloe but she doesn’t need to come back next season.”
Well there may be a reason the reality star wasn’t such a great host. In addition to the fact that she’s never done it before, she was specifically instructed not to take any hosting lessons.
“I’ve never done live TV before, and I was asked to not do any hosting lessons because they wanted me to be just myself,” Khloe told Huffington Post Live.
She went on to explain that she didn’t even get to rehearse on the stage until the day before the show because the sat hadn’t been finished yet.
While the new hostess felt as if she was getting better with each and every show, it seems like producers didn’t see enough improvement to keep her around.
“I am sure there was a big percentage of Khloe’s fans who followered her to X Factor,” L.A. hosting expert Marki Costello said. “But at the end of the day, when she doesn’t know what she is doing, are you helping your show or hurting it?”
While the rumor mill is suggesting Khloe has already gotten the axe from the show, other insiders are claiming that the final decision hasn’t been made on whether or not Khloe will be retuning for next season so the allegations that she has already been fired are completely false – for now.

Prince Michael Jackson Becomes ET Correspondent
Prince Michael Jackson is only 16-years-old, but he’s already grabbed his first job as a correspondent for “Entertainment Tonight.”
Michael Jackson’s son was given the task of interviewing the cast from the upcoming film “Oz the Great and Powerful.”
While some people are speculating that Jackson only got the job because of his famous father, “ET” correspondent Brooke Anderson decided to clear their air via Twitter.
According to Anderson, Prince is “impressive” and “rocks” as a correspondent.
Of course, his pop icon father did give him the upper hand in his first assignment since Michael Jackson starred in the 1978 musical version of “The Wizard of Oz” titled “The Wiz.”
The cast was understandably shocked when the showed up to see the young boy sitting across from them for the interview, but a short sneak peek of the interview explained that the teenage correspondent is actually quite mature for his age.

Clive Davis Reveals He Is Bisexual on ‘Katie’
Clive Davis is a legend in the music industry known for being a successful music producer and industry executive, but what fans didn’t know about Davis was his true sexuality.
On today’s prerecorded episode of “Katie,” Clive opened up to discuss the last few pages in his memoir which reveals he is bisexual.
“The Soundtrack of my Life” covers many aspects of Clive’s life, including his touching friendship with Whitney Houston and how he often tried to stage interventions for her drug habits, but it’s the last five or so pages that people can’t stop talking about.
“Davis who is twice divorced, remains close to his family, which includes three sons, a daughter and six grandchildren and to friends, with whom he vacations regularly,” USA Today writes. “Soundtrack’s aforementioned personal revelations acknowledges ‘something that my children and close friends have always known, but that I knew I would need to discuss in a biography.’ He considers himself bisexual.”
The man who has worked with some of music’s greatest starts including Aretha Franklin, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, and Gil Scott Heron finally revealed that he is currently in a serious relationship with another man.
“After my second marriage failed, I met a man who was also grounded in music,” he said. “Having only had loving relationships and sexual intimacy with women, I opened myself up to the possibility that I could have that with a male, and found that I could.”
He also wanted to make it clear that he still finds himself sexually attracted to women as well and that people need to start become more aware of bisexuality as a sexual orientation in addition to gay or straight.
“…I never stopped being attracted to women,” he explained. “Bisexuality is misunderstood, the adage is that you’re either straight or gay or lying, but that’s not my experience. To call me anything other than bisexual would be inaccurate.”
Usher joined his music mentor on Katie’s couch and took the time to remind everyone that Clive’s bisexuality doesn’t make him who he is. For Usher, Davis was still the same man who helped shape his career and allow him to be the man he is today.
——————————————————————-
Fergie admits her lovely lady lump is a baby bump! She’s expecting a baby with Josh Duhamel. [Yahoo]
Lucky Naomi Campbell, models say the darnedest things. [People]
If you care to know, Spears Grocery list. [ABC]
Kim Kardashian finally emerges from under all that make up for first pregnant photo shoot. [US Magazine]
New York Giants player takes former Miss Universe off the market for good. [Daily Mail]

Jada Pinkett Smith Gives Advice on Making Blended Families Work

Thinking of dating a single parent? Jada Pinkett-Smith has some advice for you. Mrs. Smith has been a pioneer for how to successfully blend a family. Married to megastar Will Smith for 17 years, the couple has two biological children, Willow and Jaden. However, her marriage to Smith was her first and his second. Trey Smith is Will’s first child with ex-wife Sheree. Many women have expressed reluctance to date a man with children because they fear experiencing “baby mama drama.” In an open letter response to her fans on Facebook, Jada shared that while it’s not always easy to blend a family, it’s more than worth it.
“Blended families are NEVER easy, but here’s why I don’t have a lot of sympathy for your situation because… we CHOOSE them. When I married Will, I knew Trey was part of the package…Period! If I didn’t want that…I needed to marry someone else. Then I learned if I am going to love Trey…I had to learn to love the most important person in the world to him…his mother. And the two of us may not have always LIKED each other… but we have learned to LOVE each other.”
One issue she brings up that is rarely addressed is the accountability that a woman much shoulder when choosing to date a man with children. There are plenty of anecdotal stories from friends, friends of friends, relatives and others who are in a troubled situations with the mother or father of their significant other’s child. They complain. They talk about how much they cannot stand the child’s mother and so forth. While some of those feelings are more than likely valid, overcoming them to create a stable environment for everyone involved should be the goal.
Pinkett-Smith continued to discuss how she and Will’s ex-wife handled their roles as parents and eventually became the de facto advocate for blended families done right. “I can’t support any actions that keep a man from his children of a previous marriage. These are the situations that separate the women from the girls.”
That statement is powerful. In a situation where men usually have free reign to tell one story to the ex and an altogether different tale to the new woman, those who are secure in both themselves and their relationship fully support their man in forging, maintaining or strengthening a relationship with their children.
She goes on to say, “Your behavior is that of an insecure child who needs to recognize her own weaknesses that MUST be strengthened to take on the task at hand. We can’t say we love our man and then come in between him and his children. THAT’S selfishness…NOT love. WOMAN UP… I’ve been there…I know. My blended family made me a giant… Taught me so much about love, commitment and it has been the biggest ego death to date. It’s time you let your blended family make you the giant you truly are.”
Jada is right in that it is worth it. She also right that it’s easier said than done. All my life I have been hesitant to date a man with kids. In fact, my motto was that I wouldn’t date any man with kids. I love kids, but I’m not fond of exes at all. After a break up, it seems like it would be easier on both parties if they can move on, completely separate from one another. That is not the case when children are involved; nor should it be. While I never thought I’d date someone with kids, I did go against my motto a few years back.  After much soul searching and a lot of questions, I found myself in a relationship with a single parent. Before jumping into a relationship with someone who is a parent, ask yourself the following:
1) Does your significant other have a healthy respect for his/her ex? Or does he/she usually never have a kind word about their ex? If you’re dealing with someone who doesn’t respect the mother or father of their children, then the negative relationship they have with them will carry over to you in a number of ways.
2) Is the relationship truly over? Needless to say, this is a big question that needs to be settled before you begin dating seriously. Since it is unrealistic to expect a complete severing of ties with the ex because they share kids, you have to be certain that the relationship is over. Like it or not, their ex will always be around.
Of course, there are other factors to consider. However, if you’re thinking about dating a parent, there is no better role model than Jada Pinkett-Smith.

Beyonce’s Life is But a Dream Provides Brief Glimpses Into Singer’s World

After watching Beyonce’s much-hyped HBO documentary, Life is But a Dream, which aired this weekend, I can say I know her better–but only just.
Beyonce has been a fixture in the music industry since the late 1990s–her teens–yet has managed to remain a figure of mystery. Her famously guarded attitude has kept her out of the tabloids, an especially impressive feat given that Beyonce’s early twenties coincided with the rise of the paparazzi and TMZ culture, a timing that proved very unfortunate for other teen superstars of the late 1990s, like Britney Spears.
Beyonce’s transition into a viable, mature musician as an adult was also startlingly seamless. Arguably, she only achieved such an end by shrouding herself in secrecy. That very backdrop made Life is But a Dream a compelling project, as its promises of “raw, real, and revealed” teased us with real insight into Beyonce’s world, something we had been wondering about for over a decade.
Yet, in the documentary, moments of true gravity are often cut short. Just as Beyonce reveals a problem or source of unhappiness, her feelings are rarely explored–as if exposing the vulnerability was enough.
Take for example, one of the earlier scenes, shot in 2011, when Beyonce makes the decision to part ways with her long-time manager, father Matthew Knowles. “I’m so fragile at this point. I feel like my soul has been tarnished. Life is unpredictable but I feel like I had to move on and not work with my dad,” she says, voice breaking.
Then, rather than delve into the emotions surrounding this decision, she decides to sing a few gorgeous bars of “Listen,” her big ballad from the Dreamgirls (2006) soundtrack.  Viewers are again at the mercy of her talent, and coaxed away from demanding more depth from the Matthew conversation.
Life is But a Dream largely features Beyonce in acts of masquerade, struggling to remove the mask of perfection, letting it slip momentarily, and then retreating behind it just when she’s afraid she’s revealed too much.
Here are some other notable moments where she (briefly) lets us in:
On her decision to break with Matthew’s management company
“When you are trying to have an every day conversation with your parents, you have to talk about scheduling, you have to talk about your album, performing and touring. It’s just too stressful and it affects your relationship. I needed boundaries and I think my dad needed boundaries. It’s really easy to get confused with this world that’s your job that you live and breathe all day every day and you don’t know when to turn it off. You need a break. I needed a break.”
Realizing her Father did teach her a few valuable lessons
“I think I realized that business and being polite, doesn’t match. You can be fair but me being polite was not me being fair to myself. Now, I’m learning how political things are and a lot of the crazy things [my father did] was necessary.”
How Jay-Z taught her about art
“I think me marrying a musician is a coincidence. We connected because we both perform and have similar lifestyles but we connected on a spiritual level and he just so happened to be a musician. He’s taught me so much about being an artist. Not a musician but an artist. And fighting for what I believe and having my standards. He doesn’t compromise his art. I used to be afraid of people thinking I was too difficult or too critical but I don’t care about that anymore as long as it is the right reasons, and I learned that from him.”
On their future as a couple
“I just pray that Jay and I stay a team because right now we are really connected and are really communicating well and completely understand each other. This baby has made me love him more than I thought I could love another human being.”
On the state of music today
“People don’t make albums anymore. They just try to sell a bunch of quick singles. Artists put out an album, then they put out a new one. People don’t even listen to a body of work anymore. When I first started out, there was no internet, people taking pictures of you and putting your personal life or exploiting your personal life as entertainment.”

Is Social Media to Blame For Celebs’ Outrageous Behaviors?

Ever since Twitter became popular and everybody logged on to Facebook, we’ve been seeing a trend in celebrities showing some outrageous behaviors. Many of the celebs who were caught acting a fool were also very prevalent on social media and new studies are suggesting that it’s actually the social media that is causing the many celeb outbursts.
Chris Brown, Rihanna, Donald Trump, Nicki Minaj, Azealia Banks, Cher, Khloe Kardashian and many many more are becoming more famous for their Twitter and social media habits than they are their careers.
The famous faces never hesitate to “pop off” on their social media sites and that behavior seems to be spilling over into the real world.
So is it just because these individuals happen to be a bit emotional and out of control? Or did social media make them that way?
According to some of the latest research by the University of Pittsburgh and Columbia Business School, Twitter and Facebook may be the ones to blame for the lack of self control that many stars exhibit these days.
In other words, once upon a time Chris Brown and Donald Trump weren’t much different than us but the evil forces of social media have caused them to lose self control while boosting their self esteem.
The research paper titled “Are Close Friends the Enemy? Online Social Networks, Self-Esteem, and Self- Control” claimed that users who are focused on how they are received by close friends tend to have a sudden self esteem boost that may at the time decrease their self control.
So all those likes, retweets, and pictures comments are apparently doing to people’s heads and causing them to feel like they are above the laws of the land and we should all kiss the very ground they walk on… sounds crazy right? But mind you this has all been backed by science.
Based on the results of the study Chris Brown’s arrogant attitude may be the direct result of Team Breezy liking and retweeting everything he posts online. Along the lines, his head got blown up and he suddenly lacked the self control that would tell him not to throw chairs into windows, jump Frank Ocean, speed through Beverly Hills, get into a club scuffle with Drake, or dye his hair blonde.
“We have demonstrated that using today’s most popular social network, Facebook, may have a detrimental affect on people’s self-control,” said coauthor of the study Andrew T. Stephen.
So what’s the secret to social media causing people to lose their self control? Apparently, it’s all in the image they are trying to portray to others.
“We find that people experience greater self-esteem when they focus on the image they are presenting to strong ties in their social networks,” said Keith Wilcox, assistant professor of marketing at Columbia Business School.
When the image they want to portray is accepted by close friends on social media, they are convinced that they can uphold that same image (whatever it may be) in every day life as well which may convince them that they don’t need to abide by the rules that everyone else may follow.
The researches are urging for more studies to be done that would focus on the affects that social media has on its users.
“It would be interesting to explore the persistence of the effect of browsing Facebook over time,” they wrote at the end of the research paper.
It certainly would be interesting considering the fact that all the social media heavy celebrities have suddenly come down with egos larger than their careers.

Brute Who Maced Six Year Old Turns Himself In

The man who violently beat a man before macing both him and his six-year-old daughter gave himself up to police after the surveillance footage went viral.
It’s yet another case of a grown man having no problem inflicting harm on an innocent child. Just days after Joe Hundley slapped a child for crying on a Delta airplane, a brute made his way into a Laundromat on White Plains Road in Bronx where he viciously beat a man and his young daughter.
The 47-year-old man did his best to defend himself against his attacker, Fernando Gonzalez, but it was no use.
After brutally beating the man it is believed Gonzalez took it a step further and maced both of his victims, including the six-year-old girl.
NYPD released the footage of the attack on Monday and Fernando knew he wouldn’t be able to remain unidentified for long and decided to surrender to police.
Even more shocking was the reason behind the attack.
From what investigators understand, the entire scuffle was simply because Gonzalez’s victim got into an argument with his girlfriend earlier that week and the brute wanted to have the final say in the situation.
The senseless, vengeful act has left the victims with minor injuries and horrendous memories of the event.

NY Deli Apologizes for Publicly Frisking Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker has finally received an apology by the New York deli that publicly frisked him after falsely accusing him of shop lifting.
Whitaker made it clear that he didn’t want the man to lose his job so he failed to report the incident to police. Despite his efforts, however, the man has indeed been let go.
The owner of the Manhattan deli, Anthony Galofaro, spoke with “TMZ Live” and revealed that the employee involved in the incident is “no longer with us.”
He also offered to “make a donation to a charity of Mr. Whitaker’s choice to rectify this wrongdoing.”
While it’s important for the employee to be held accountable for his actions, the public shouldn’t be so quick to judge or demonize him just yet. Galofaro claims he is actually a “decent man” and that race played no part in what happened in the deli that day.
“We have a lot of shoplifters here,” the owner explained on Monday. “It was very busy. He thought (Whitaker) took something and he wasn’t sure.”
With so many accusations that the award winning actor had been frisked because he was black, the owner cleared the air and expressed he was hurt that anyone would even think that was the case.
“It hurts me more than anything else what I’ve been hearing in the papers,” he added.
Either way, he is taking the steps necessary to make sure it never happens again and is even retraining all his employees on how to handle such situations.
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Gun violence still on the rise: 25 minutes shooting spree leaves four people dead. [Daily Mail]
Oscar Pistorious blames murder on “Roid Rage” [TIME]
Teen takes parents to court for abortion case. [ABC News]
GA Supreme Court allows Warren Lee Hill execution. [ABS]