Warning: This article contains spoilers of the Castle series finale.
Castle's last-minute cancellation certainly didn't lend itself to a satisfying series finale.
After this month's fiery backlash that came down after the announcement that Stana Katic would not be returning for Season 9, the network made the decision to nix the show completely — but it's totally obvious that writing and production was counting on her coming back, because the final moments of the show felt very thrown together.
In a very short segment, we witness both Castle and Beckett being shot. The star-crossed lovers fall to the ground, crawl to each other, and lie — potentially mortally wounded — side by side, hands intertwined. Cut to seven years later, and the happy couple gleefully chase their three beautiful, bouncing children around their cozy home. All in all, the whole thing takes less than two minutes.
Let's watch those last moments again, shall we?
Castle final scene
Castle final scene
OK, it's pretty obvious what we just witnessed. That shooting scene was definitely intended to be Beckett's death sequence, and the little montage tacked on to the end was the alternate ending Castle executive producer Alexi Hawley spoke of a couple weeks back.
While the ending did reveal answers about Castle and Beckett's future, fans were not totally stoked with how it was handled.
Castle finale tweet 1
Castle finale tweet 1
Castle finale tweet 2
Castle finale tweet 2
Castle finale tweet 3
Castle finale tweet 3
Castle finale tweet 4
Castle finale tweet 4
Castle finale tweet 5
Castle finale tweet 5
It sounds morbid, but I can't help but wonder if the ending would have felt more real if Beckett had, in fact, died. Sure, it would have been sad, but fans made it obvious, loud and clear, that the show would be nothing without Katic as Beckett — so wouldn't Beckett's death signaling the end of an era be apropos? Traumatic, yes, but it almost feels like more closure would have been given.
What do you think? Would the finale have done fans justice if Beckett had died?
Drama has arrived full force on Below Deck Mediterranean, and while last week's episode highlighted a growing divide between Hannah Ferrier and Bryan Kattenburg, they may not be as central to this week's drama as expected. Instead, the bulk of the bickering will involve Danny Zureikat and Jen Riservato. The two have already been at odds about Riservato's inability to get herself out of bed on time, but Zureikat's latest offense is arguably worse: He made out with a guest!
The sultry scene from the show's recent preview began with the guests and a few crew members relaxing on the beach. This was already dangerous territory, but Zureikat took it to a new level by telling a guest that he'd love to kiss her. Despite his initial reservations, he walked her to what he foolishly thought of as a secluded area and proceeded to make out with her. His reasoning? He had butterflies, which he hasn't experienced since high school.
Riservato witnessed Zureikat's make-out session, and suffice to say, she wasn't pleased. She may not be the most professional employee at times, but she certainly knows better than to get handsy with a guest. The recently released preview did not show her immediate response to her discovery of Zureikat's behavior, but she did later refer to his public display of affection as "unf***ing believable." If this angry response is any indication, the PDA may lead to a showdown between the crew members.
Danny Zureikat has already been warned about getting a little too close to the guests, but last week, his behavior seemed harmless. This time, however, he definitely crossed the line. Based on another sneak peek, this situation is definitely not going to play out in his favor. Unfortunately, his supervisor will receive much of the blame, so expect a future crackdown from first mate Bryan Kattenburg, who is determined to keep his crew in line.
Below Deck preview
Below Deck preview
It sure didn't take long for juicy drama to arrive on Below Deck Mediterranean. I can't wait to see what comes of the show's latest and greatest spat.
What do you think of Danny Zureikat's behavior? Is he unprofessional, or is he just giving the guests what they want? Comment and share your opinion below.
It was my little sister hurling it. At 9 years old, I was by no stretch of the imagination a "fat cow." But as you know, when you are a child, things are much bigger in your head than they are in reality, and when it comes from someone who is supposed to love you unconditionally, the wound is that much deeper and hurts that much more. At that time, her words were fact, even though she was only 5 years old. I felt I was disfigured.
I don't know why she started calling me "fat cow." I know that I am four years older than she is, and obviously, I was always much bigger than she was just because I was older. The thing was, once she saw that those three words fell on me like a ton of cement, she used them often. Those words were my kryptonite.
I began to doubt myself and what I thought I knew about myself. Up until that time, I hadn't thought of myself as anything but average, but if my little sister, the person who is supposed to look up to you and love you unconditionally, saw me as nothing more than a flaw, then it must be true. What must strangers think? I must be grotesque.
These words became her weapon of choice anytime we had a sibling squabble. This lasted until I left for college. Each time she used those words, I felt immense shame and profound injury. I wanted to run and hide, cry and disappear. Those three words made me feel worthless.
I began to believe I was overweight when I was 9 years old. I went on my first diet when I was 12 years old. By the time I was 17 years old, I was restricting my calories and dabbling with bulimia. At 18 years old, I was so deep into the eating disordered culture that I could barely recognize normalcy.
I was eating maybe 400 calories a day, vomiting immediately after eating or drinking anything (including water) and I was working out for about two hours every day. This was normal for me. This was me taking control of the situation. This was me quieting the screaming of “You fat cow” that played on a loop, like a whisper in my brain at all times. This was me living with what I called bulimarexia. This was me being 5 foot 7 inches and weighing 107 pounds.
I know that my sister never meant to hurt me beyond the moment. I know that she simply wanted to wound me in the heat of an argument. Logically, I know that and I forgive her, but it didn't stop my mind from twisting it into a dagger, and her words became a catalyst for a lifetime of disordered eating.
My point is this: Be careful with your words because people hear them, and once something is said, it cannot be unheard. It can be forgiven, but it will never be forgotten. I can never forget the hundreds of times my little sister called me a "fat cow," and it will never be less painful. Even now, many years later, it still hurts my feelings. Her intentions were irrelevant because as a child, it was all about my perspective.
When was a time someone made you feel shame about who you were? What did you do to overcome it?
After spending two weeks in Venice Beach, it might just be my favorite place in California. Located on the west side of Los Angeles, this eclectic and creative community has the spirit of a city with a laid back beach vibe. Beyond the temperate and sunny weather, this area has a ton of independent businesses which give Venice Beach its character. I have seven top picks to get a true feel for Venice.
I am by no means a true yogi, but the unique teaching style of Love Yoga can make anyone say "om." I originally intended to try various studios in the area, but after my first class with Kyle Miller, I bought an unlimited pass and went nearly every day of my trip. What makes it so special? The teaching style is encouraging, with a bohemian/surfer type vibe that made even a newbie like me feel welcome.
2. Cafe Gratitude: Vegan paradise
"I am elevated" is how you order a glass of rose lemonade at Cafe Gratitude. With everything on the menu named after an affirmation, ordering my meal was an experience in itself. This 100 percent organic, plant-based restaurant was so tasty, meat eaters would even enjoy it. Everything I tried was great, and I definitely recommend the yam cauliflower samosa chaat and house "BLT" with coconut bacon.
3. Salt & Straw: An unforgettable ice cream experience
As you approach Salt & Straw, you can smell the sweet aroma of ice cream begging you to come in. I was greeted by the sweetest employee named Jackie who gave me the lay of the land — and by that, I mean making sure that I sampled about every flavor. Each flavor was unique and went a step above what you'd expect. For instance, their Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons had salt in the vanilla, not just the caramel swirl. My personal favorites were Honey Lavender and Wildflower Honey with Ricotta Walnut Lace Cookies, but you honestly can't go wrong with anything that you try.
I had to make sure to get some physical activity in after my food indulgences. Unlike some parts of Los Angeles, Venice has welcoming, walkable areas. The Venice Canals were my favorite place to explore. The winding canals were gorgeous, and equally admirable houses dot the waterway.
5. Abbott Kinney: Independent shops
I probably visited Abbott Kinney five times during my trip, and each time I discovered a new store. You won't find chains on this popular street, which makes it a special place. While many stores are on the pricey side, I found reasonably priced souvenirs at Avocado and Huset. It's also worth walking down some side streets to see street art that is located all around the neighborhood.
6. The Lincoln: Spirited local bar
The Lincoln is a bar that recently opened and stays true to the Venice Beach vibe. With a curated menu and tightly chosen décor in the indoor/outdoor areas, I was able to meet Venice locals and try a few cocktails on the seasonal menu. All cocktails and wine on the menu were an affordable $12. My favorite was the Hot Route, a Mezcal-based cocktail with a refreshing watermelon twist.
7. High at Hotel Erwin: Best view in town
High Rooftop Lounge at the Hotel Erwin has killer views of the Pacific Ocean and LA skyline. It's a great place to see the sunset and observe Venice from above. Breezy night? No worries! Heaters and blankets and readily available, which were helpful on the windy night that I went. They also have a pretty awesome crab dip and extensive cocktail list.
Overall, Venice Beach was just what I needed to relax and have an easy getaway from Manhattan. I can't wait to return and would love to hear tips for anything that I missed.
Less than 24 hours after she was declared safe from her missing-person scare, Sinéad O'Connor seemed to unravel in an open letter directed at her ex-husband and son on Facebook. She threatens legal action, discusses her own suicidal tendencies and calls her son evil for abandoning her during her issues with mental health.
She directly threatens suicide and blames her family for the state of her mental health. "None of you will ever see me again because of what you've done," she writes. "If I manage not to kill myself, you'll be paying the medical costs which have been and will continue to be involved with that, since you were and remain. the chief co-ordinator of my total psychological and emotional destruction." She uses a racial slur, writes in all capital letters in some places, and changes topics rapidly. To be an armchair psychologist: The letter is, at the very least, written by someone who needs to get help.
On Sunday morning, O'Connor disappeared after going out for a bike ride in her Chicago suburb. A concerned friend, perhaps knowing her current mental state, reported her missing. O'Connor was found safe on Monday afternoon. There are over 2,800 reactions to her post on Facebook with words of concern, love and trolling in the comments. Celebrities are often surrounded by a large team — hair and makeup artists double as BFFs, publicists become confidantes, agents and managers are life coaches. With O'Connor on a warpath against her family, who is taking her to get help?
Let me paint you a picture of an all-too-familiar scenario. Girl brings her new boyfriend home to meet her family. Her parents and siblings are nice enough, but as soon as he gets up to use the bathroom, they start to pick him apart, from his job prospects to his background. The boyfriend evisceration ends with your mom saying something like, "What ever happened to that nice Cooper boy from down the street? I ran into his mother the other day, and apparently he's in law school now!"
Turns out there's a good reason this scene rings a bell for all of us — our families, especially the female members, are programmed to be hypercritical of the prospective partners we bring home. And what's more, the more attractive he is to us, the less likely they are to approve of him.
The science behind this phenomenon is called "the Juliet effect" named after the well-known Shakespearean heroine who went against her parents' wishes and fell in love with the son of their mortal enemies. Of course, that's a somewhat better reason to be wary of a potential suitor than his penchant for wearing tight shirts, but you see the correlation.
When I first started bringing my now fiancé around my parents' house, there was a lot of initial friction. Even though they had known him since he was a teenager, now that he had the potential to be their daughter's life partner, they were noticeably on their guard. At the time, he wasn't financially viable and had trouble keeping to one career path. Of course, my mother saw this as a problem, whereas all I could see were his adorable dimples and piercing blue eyes. Thankfully, he got it together over the next few years, and now he is both the cutie I fell in love with and a reliable lifetime mate in the eyes of my parents.
Recently, a group of psychologists in Norway found this familial conflict over a daughter's suitor is firmly rooted in genetics. The long and short of it is moms want their daughter's mate to have qualities that will benefit the family in the long run, aka why Juliet's mom wanted her to marry the wealthy Paris. Meanwhile, Juliet wants first and foremost a physically attractive mate, because it will increase her chances of having attractive children who will in turn make good matches because of their genetic superiority. Leave it to genetics and evolution to ruin a good love story, right?
However, there's a funny twist here. When asked what sort of partner sisters and mothers would choose for themselves, they almost always went for the same hunky sort of man their daughter/sister opted for. Talk about familial hypocrisy!
"For their own partners, women focus on an attractive appearance that suggests good health and an ability to pass on their genes. At the same time, they prioritize qualities in their sister's partner that can provide direct benefits for the whole family," wrote the Norwegian researchers.
So how can you make everybody in your family happy, including yourself, when it comes to choosing a mate? Simple — find someone with a great job who's kind, genuine, funny, good with kids and somehow also manages to be funny and sexy as all get out. No problem, right? (Cue every woman reading this slapping their foreheads simultaneously).
Teen Mom 2 star Leah Messer is under fire again, and this time it's for giving her daughter a special treat. People have taken to Twitter to slam Messer for allowing her youngest daughter, Adalynn, to *gasp* eat frosting straight from the can.
The young mom first came under fire after she failed to give her daughters breakfast before taking them to school in the show's season premiere. After last night's episode, where Messer was seen sitting her child down with the questionable sugary treat of frosting fresh from the can, a little bit of concern and a whole lot of criticism came barreling her way.
Judging from the response she got on Twitter, you would think she was force-feeding her 3-year-old that can of frosting or specifically starving her of anything nutritious, People tend to forget that MTV loves to show the more salacious bits of these young mothers' lives, so perhaps we should take a step back before judging Messer so harshly.
Editing, aside, a super-busy morning can sometimes get the best of us. Who hasn't fed their kids a half-assed breakfast, like plain toast, in the car on the way to school at least once while running out the door completely disheveled. We try to keep it all together, but sometimes that just doesn't happen. If only the worst highlights of our parenting were on display, let's face it, that picture would not be pretty.
As for the frosting, an ultra-sugary treat every once in a while isn't going to kill a kid. Is giving your kid a can of frosting an award-worthy parenting moment?
No, but sometimes that's part of parenting, and it doesn't automatically make you a bad mom. We don't get to see the whole picture of any mother's life, so how about we do a little less judging and cut other moms some slack when they need it most.
This Halloween, a reboot of the beloved cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show is back. Its show-stopping songs will surely inspire a new generation of fans, but does its star, a "sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania," hold the same mystique as he did in 1975?
Image: Fox
Talk about time warps. A new version of one of our favorite musicals is making its way to television — that's right, network TV. The Rocky Horror Picture Show Event is based on the midnight movie phenomenon that had audience members dressing up, quoting the characters, cross-dressing and pelvic thrusting to the "Time Warp" in the aisles.
Part of the cult success of the original film is that so much of it felt taboo to the mainstream culture in the 1970s. Back then, transgender people and where they should use the bathroom certainly wasn't a national debate. Tim Curry's performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an alien transvestite, was seen as shocking to most people. But it was the younger generation who took inspiration from him.
We call the kids in the 1980s who dressed in ripped fishnet stockings with bright pink and purple hair punk rockers. But it was the fashion of Rocky Horror that inspired them.
Laverne Cox, a trans woman, takes up the role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, and looks gorgeous in her black leather getup with cobweb-patterned tights.
But does the image of her shock audiences? Certainly not at the movies. In the above image, she holds a whip. Post Fifty Shades of Grey, it seems quite tame. Maybe the filmmakers' decision to air this reboot on television was the right choice after all.
If we compare Cox's Frank-N-Furter to Curry's, we see a big difference.
Image: 20th Century Fox
Instead of the sleek and beautifully strong woman we see in Cox's portrayal, we see Curry struggling to adhere to feminine beauty ideals. His Goth makeup and masculine body portray a much more outrageous image, one that doesn't fit neatly into the feminine or masculine category but sits uncomfortably in between.
At the end of the day, the catchy songs in The Rocky Horror Picture Show Event will have audiences singing along and enjoying the goofy, B-movie inspired story. But whether or not it will inspire a new generation of cult followers remains to be seen.
Relatively lean and from a well-exercised part of the cow, flank steak is a pretty tough cut of meat. Remember, it's all that fat on other cuts that keeps them nice and tender with nothing but salt and pepper. But flank steak needs to be marinated to help tenderize it.
Now, don't just go grabbing any cut of flank steak. You want a well-butchered cut with a deep, even red hue. Since it's a lean cut, you might be tempted to look for flanks with zero fat (isn't that the point?), but you'd be wrong. You do need a little of that fat still attached. It should look smooth across the surface, not like someone tried to make sure it was really dead.
Often you can save a ton of money buying larger cuts when they're on sale and cutting them into smaller, individual-size servings at home (or even asking the butcher to do it). After the steak is cooked, allow it to rest for five or 10 minutes, and then cut thin slices across the grain, which makes it easier to chew if there are any tougher bits left.
Place the meat in a shallow dish or large zip-top bag, and marinate it for about half a day. Either make sure the meat is fully submerged in the marinade, or turn it halfway through to make sure both sides get equal time in the liquid.
When you mix these recipes, set aside one-third of your mixture before adding the oil. You can let your freshly cooked steak rest in that mixture to soak up a little more flavor before serving. The following recipes make enough marinade for a 2-pound cut. Always discard marinade that comes into contact with raw meat after marinating.
Being a tween girl is kind of awesome. You're at that age where people are still mostly completely decent to one another, but you're now old enough to watch big-kid movies and opt out of coming into the grocery store. You're allowed to earnestly and unabashedly still like things — horses, sports, any and all pop music — without it pigeonholing you, and there's this whole thing called Bonne Bell Lip Smacker which (and I actually checked so I'm not speaking from memories of decades past) is still a very real and very awesome thing.
Not that puberty is all bad. It can be a really exciting time, but it's also a really confusing time, especially if you're not totally prepared for it, which I wasn't. I went through puberty very young, which means that I didn't even know what was happening to my 9-year-old body when I went to the bathroom in Mr. Zablotney's science class only to learn that I'd started menstruating. I told him I thought I was dying and he was nice enough to give me a friendly awkward head pat and a hall pass to the nurse's office.
My daughter has my genes and my early boobs, and while we've chatted about puberty in the past, there's a lot to get through that just can't be said in the moments between locking your child in the car to talk about the wonders of hormones and when they figure out how to jimmy the lock. The fact is that in order to tell her everything I wish I had known, we're going to have to sit down and tackle a list of really important things, one by one. Here they are, in list form: everything she needs to know about her changing body before she hits the big 1-0.
1. Puberty is awesomeawful awesome.
There's a lot that can be really freaky about having your body change on you, and there's no way around the clinical fact that you will begin to get breasts and start menstruating because you're undergoing the biological change required to have babies. Babies are a result of sex, as you know, so I understand that adds a bit of an "ugh" and "ick" factor to what you'll be going through, since you won't even be thinking seriously about sex for a few more years. Plus, you might go through some unpleasant things: tender breasts, body odor, mood shifts and even cramps. Put that way, I can understand why my first explanation of menstruation and puberty left you in tears. There's nothing wrong with acknowledging the suck factor of growing up.
But there's an exciting aspect to it, as well. You're getting older. You're growing up. As you mature you'll be inducted into a worldwide club of awesome period- and breast-havers, and one day, you'll even find the thought of sex exciting too. It's OK to be excited about puberty, and it's OK to hate the idea of it. Sometimes you'll feel both things at once.
2. Get ready to ride the roller coaster, whether you want to or not.
Speaking of which, get ready for your emotions to get whacked. I know this is already happening a little, and it can be really confusing. As your hormones start fluctuating, it's actually the opposite of weird for you to feel deeply bummed out for seemingly no reason, or for things that usually don't bother you to make your skin crawl.
Please don't apologize for this. Try not to be nasty to people, and if you get frustrated enough to snap and hurt someone's feelings, you should apologize for that, definitely. But when you're feeling inexplicably down and feel like crying for no reason, that's not apology-worthy. Just tell me if you'd rather have your space or some company, and I'll help you weather the storm if you want.
3. Anyone who tries to tell you that all period cramps are a "slight discomfort" is a liar.
I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to tell you that when every single body book, health teacher and sex-ed textbook is saying that you might feel some "mild discomfort" that is easily magicked away with a few muscle relaxers and a heating pad, two things might happen.
The first is that cramps — if and when you get them, and if and when they are the ugly achy kind — will be a godawful shock to you because you were expecting a little twinge and then suddenly you don't want to get off of the couch for a few hours. The second is that if your cramps are bad you might start wondering if you aren't maybe a little weak/crazy/broken for thinking so. You aren't. I'm not guaranteeing you that you'll have awful cramps, but if you do, there's nothing wrong with being gentle to yourself. Now you know.
4. No one has the right to touch or stare at your body except for you.
Seriously. If a comment about your changing body or a lingering stare makes you feel ookie, you have the right to tell that person to move the fuck along. If you're not comfortable doing that, go get an adult and have them back you up.
If someone touches you without your permission, go straight to an adult. If they don't listen, find one that does. I am promising you now that if you come to me and tell me that someone has made you uncomfortable, I will not question you. I will not brush this off. You can trust me on that.
5. You can talk to me and your dad about anything...
Yeah, I know that coming to chat with me about nipples and discharge is probably the last thing you want to do. Well, second to last thing. Talking to Dad about it is probably the last thing. But you can, if you need to. Nothing about you is gross, and if you have a question, ask! If I'm not around, don't feel weird about asking your dad to clear up a burning question you might have about bra rash or to go get you some 'pons, because any dude worth his salt a) knows exactly where they are and b) won't bat an eye when you ask. And your dad is a dude worth his salt.
Still, I know that there is a weirdness hurdle that is sometimes just a little too hard to clear, especially when it comes to sex stuff, and I'm not going to force you to talk to me if you don't want to. But in return, you do have to promise me you'll talk to someone about this stuff. An aunt. Your doctor. I can refer you to a list of women that won't give you bad information.
I hope that once you blurt it out once, you'll feel better coming to me. But if you just can't for some reason, remember to take everything you hear from your friends with a grain of salt, and for the love of god, stay off the internet. If you need some good websites I'll bookmark them, but trust me when I say that there are better people to ask about vaginal discharge than the Googs.
7. Vagina, menstruation, period and tampon are not dirty words.
I know that stands in direct opposition to probably everything you're seeing and hearing, but at least half of the population will be born with a vagina, vulva, clitoris... the whole shebang. Most of them will get a period. Something that half the world has and does is not shameful, gross or weird. You don't have to wear a shirt that says Period Pride, but you also don't have to laugh at someone calling a period "a rag" or a "vagina" by a nasty or even cutesy name.
8. Carry pads and tampons before you start getting your period.
This is just practical. Even if you're totally comfortable with the idea of a period before you get yours, you might just prefer taking care of business without going to the nurse. Or one of your friends might need a spare. Carry them.
9. Body hair is normal. Cellulite is normal. If you're wondering "is this normal?" it is almost certainly normal.
Here's something that makes me sad: The number of girls who are concerned that they are the only ones with cellulite. With underarm hair. With an uneven labia. With one breast that is a little smaller than the other. I know that like a lot of girls, you're already starting to judge your appearance very harshly.
You've already asked if maybe you're a little "F-A-T," so embarrassed at the thought that you couldn't even say the word out loud. So I'm going to repeat what I told you when you first asked me that, your arms crossed over your belly.
There. Is. No. Wrong. Way. To. Have. A. Body.
Take care of yours. Treat it well. If you have a concern about your health, voice it. But breasts, bellies, butts, hips, ankles and labia come in all shapes, colors and sizes, and none of them is "incorrect." Yeah, not even yours.
Puberty is not a door that you walk through, where, once you reach the other side, you are required to stop doing the things that you like doing, or where you must cease enjoying things because they suddenly meet some arbitrary qualification for being "babyish." You are not under any obligation to stop dressing comfortably in the summer, and you certainly are not bound by Puberty Law to have sex any time soon.
You are growing, that's all. A lot of stuff is going to change for you, and some of it will be really confusing. I can't guarantee you that your periods will be light and pain-free, or that acne will skip a generation or that you'll always find a bra that will fit. But one thing I can promise you is that you will still be you. And you, Kid? You're awesome.
In a new interview with Chelsea Handler, Gwen Stefani explained how she and her boyfriend, Blake Shelton, came to co-write their duet, "Go Ahead and Break My Heart," and how she was worried about what might happen if she didn't like the song.
During her appearance on Handler's new Netflix series, Chelsea, Stefani also talked about her own songwriting process, and how writing her half of the duet was difficult after the tough year she's had.
"There was a time when I was really insecure about writing," she said. "There was such a drought of time when I was so insecure. I think when you have a really long year, you start to compete with your own self and get insecure."
The duet was definitely inspired by both Stefani's and Shelton's divorces last summer. Stefani divorced 11-year husband Gavin Rossdale, while Shelton split from his wife of four years, Miranda Lambert.
"I know that I don't cowrite that much because I'm very insecure about it, I guess, and [Gwen's] kind of got her circle of people that she writes with. But for us to reach out to each other as writers, it may never happen again," Shelton said about the song earlier this month. "I hesitate to brag on it too much, but I really think that it's as good of a song as I've ever written in my life."
He and his wife of 33 years, Sharon Osbourne, announced their split earlier this year amid her revelation that he had had an affair with hairstylist Michelle Pugh. But now, sources reveal that there was much more trouble in their relationship than just the affair — Ozzy would disappear for days on end and refuse to tell Sharon where he had been.
Once when it happened, Sharon panicked, thinking Ozzy had had a health emergency, a source revealed. Ozzy was diagnosed with a genetic condition similar to Parkinson's disease in 2005, and has only been sober since 2013.
Sharon asked the couple's three children, Jack, Kelly and Aimee, to help find Ozzy and, according to the family friend, they found a clue on his cell phone, which he had left behind.
"There was a number no one recognized," the source said. "It was Michelle’s."
The insider continued, saying Ozzy finally returned to the family's home two days later, and he "wouldn’t come clean about where he was." Additionally, Michelle Pugh has refused to speak to anyone from the family to confirm or deny whether Ozzy was with her during that time.
"They are extremely confused and desperate for more information," the source told Us Weekly.
This isn't the first time Ozzy and Sharon have split up — they've had relationship troubles several times in their marriage. According to the source, there's definitely still a chance they could work it out.
"This has happened before," the insider said. "Hopefully it will blow over."
The ability to communicate in one or more languages has many advantages. Knowledge of Latin might help a high school student raise her score on the ACT or SAT, while knowledge of Mandarin Chinese might help a recent college graduate enter the field of international business. Of course, many students begin to master a language well before high school and college, and one of the best ways to do so is to enroll in a dual immersion school.
Dual immersion schools, while growing in popularity, are still relatively foreign to some parents. If you are beginning to consider this option, here are three things parents should know about dual immersion schools:
1. The name of the program matters
In this context, the term "dual immersion" refers to an academic program that includes English-dominant students and students who are dominant in a language other than English. For instance, if you enrolled your child in a Spanish dual immersion school, some of her peers would speak English as their first language, while others would speak Spanish as their first language. Every student would likely benefit from eventual bilingualism in English and Spanish, as well as cross-cultural exchange. This is true in dual language immersion programs, two-way bilingual programs and two-way immersion programs. The same may not be true of foreign language immersion, which may only be one-way in nature (in other words, without students who speak Spanish as their first language). When in doubt, ask for clarification before you commit to a prospective school.
2. The structure of dual immersion may vary from school to school
In general, dual immersion schools attempt to evenly divide instruction between English and the second language — a distinct departure from the typical school tradition of a 45- or 50-minute foreign language period several days per week, but how they divide it is unique to each program. Some schools may consistently teach certain subjects in certain languages: history and science in English, and language arts and math in French, for example. Other programs may vary the language of instruction by day (French on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and English on Tuesday and Thursday, for instance) or time of day (French in the mornings and English in the afternoons, for example). Classroom composition — specifically the strengths and weaknesses of the students in the class — grade and teacher preference can all influence this aspect of dual immersion education.
3. The dual immersion model is not easy nor is it restricted to honors-level students
As you might imagine, learning a subject like history, math or science in your second language can be a true challenge. Especially when they first begin, dual immersion students may require additional homework and study time, as well as additional parent support. However, it is important to note that dual immersion instruction is not only for advanced or honors students. Children of all ages and abilities can benefit from learning in two or more languages, both academically and socio-emotionally. Registration requirements and program rigor vary from school to school, so like any aspect of education, a bit of research can help you find the ideal dual immersion program for your student.
"Are you sure about this?" my doctor asked for what seemed like the 17th time since his nurses had begun prepping me for my surgery an hour before. "There's no turning back after this," he continued to explain.
For over a year, my husband and I had been fairly confident that we were done having children. Our kids are 15 months apart in age and, up until we found out that we were unexpectedly expecting our second child, we had momentarily considered being a "one and done" family. Looking back, I could not possibly be happier with the little boy that unexpected pregnancy gifted me with, but I'm content with never being that surprised again for the rest of my life.
We adore our kids, but we're not in the market for more. When I found out I was pregnant with our second, I was taking birth control, so we definitely weren't in the market then, either; my doctor explained that a different medication I was taking could have interfered, or that I could have mixed up my pills somehow, but that I wasn't the first (and wouldn't be the last) woman to get pregnant while using birth control (though yes, it is over 99% effective at preventing pregnancy). The universe is just funny like that.
After I delivered my second son, my doctor addressed the birth control issue with me again. I told him that I was ready to get my tubes tied; he was somewhat hesitant and encouraged me to think about it before I made such a permanent decision. So, I opted for an IUD instead and took some time to mull it over.
We were fairly certain that we were done having kids, but the fact that I would never be physically able to carry a child again did make me sort of sad. I don't like words like "never," so the permanence of getting my tubes tied was an idea that I knew I would have to get used to. After a year had passed, my husband and I discussed it again, but this time we were 100 percent positive that we were ready to move forward as a family of four.
I saw my doctor the next week to have my IUD removed. During my appointment, I told him that although my husband kindly offered to have a vasectomy, I wanted to get my tubes tied instead. He didn't question my decision this time but instead informed me that he, along with many other obstetricians, had recently started using a bilateral salpingectomy (removal of both fallopian tubes) instead of a tubal occlusion (traditional "tying" of the fallopian tubes) as the primary sterilization procedure. The procedure takes only a few minutes longer, and it spares the ovaries, so there are no physiologic or hormonal changes once the tubes are removed. It also has the same risks and recovery time as a traditional tubal occlusion, which is minimal.
He explained that by removing both of the fallopian tubes entirely, the risk of an ectopic pregnancy in the fallopian tubes was eliminated. If gone undetected, ectopic pregnancies can rupture and become life-threatening, so obviously removing the fallopian tubes would be beneficial in that aspect.
He also explained that research has shown that some of the most common and aggressive ovarian cancers develop in the fallopian tubes, rather than the ovaries. So by removing the fallopian tubes entirely, a woman's risk of contracting such a deadly disease is decreased significantly.
Ovarian cancer, though fairly rare, is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer deaths. It's so hard to detect because women rarely experience any symptoms that would be cause for concern. Women that have tested positive for certain gene mutations, like BRCA1 or BRCA 2, have an increased risk of developing both breast and ovarian cancer, and women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer are also at an increased risk.
I am unfortunately a part of that demographic. I lost my mother to breast cancer when she was just 34 years old. Since then, I have been hounded by every physician I've ever seen to be vigilant with my own health, and I'm constantly reminded by them to always be on high alert for any abnormalities. Since breast and ovarian cancer are so closely linked, and I have such an unfortunate family history, a simple procedure like a bilateral salpingectomy could be a game-changer for me and so many other women like me.
The decision to go forward with having my fallopian tubes removed was a no-brainer for me. My mom's time on this earth was cut drastically short, and I don't ever want my boys to have to experience what it's like to grow up without their mother. So, as I was being wheeled into the operating room when my doctor asked me yet again if I was sure that I wanted to go through with the surgery, my answer was easy: "Absolutely."
It can all be gone in the blink of an eye. On the last day of April 2016, I spoke to my 22-year-old brother for about 30 minutes. Sam did what he always did: He encouraged me to relax and to ignore the usual, unavoidable family drama. I was frustrated because there was, yet again, another disagreement between members of my large, loving and sometimes annoying family. My shy and comforting brother simply asked me to let it go and to move on.
The night before my life was turned upside down, I was browsing through some of my favorite blogs in the hopes of calming myself down. I went to sleep knowing that I should have called the parties involved to squash what was clearly a petty disagreement. I will never again go to sleep knowing that I am upset with anyone that I love.
Sunday, May 1, I avoided two phone calls from my aunt. At 11:58 a.m., while I was trying to dress my girls for church, I received a text message telling me that my brother was dead.
I was angry, and I was sure that it was an attempt to force me to pick up my phone and to participate in an argument that no longer mattered to me. I was ready to disown anyone who would participate in such a disgusting prank. When my mother did not pick up her phone, I called my younger sister, and the moment I heard her screaming into the phone, "Tell me it's not true, Nancy. Tell me he's alive!" my life was forever changed.
These things do not happen to people like us. You see it on television and movies. It happens to friends of friends and every so often to close friends, but it does not happen to us. One of my closest friends in the world, a piece of me, does not die, and especially not 17 days before his 23rd birthday. At 23, I was planning my wedding, ready to enter into a sense of independence that I had never experienced before, and yet I will be burying my little brother three days after his 23rd birthday.
These are the life lessons that I hope it will not take a tragedy for those I care about to truly accept. Although I thought I applied most of these on a regular basis, it took a great loss to realize that I never really understood just how precious time is and how little control we have over the time that we are given to walk within our purpose.
We often focus on the physical reproduction of things, understanding that beginning a fitness journey today means that we will start to see the weight loss in a week or two and the physical proof will take even longer. What about the mental transformation that happens instantly? Choosing to actually get up and to stop putting things away creates mental results today that will alter the way that you view yourself and your ability to succeed.
2. I welcome failure
If and when failure and I do cross paths, I welcome it as an opportunity for me to learn in order to walk within my purpose effectively. If you want to impact your world for the better and to walk within your purpose, you have to be willing to understand what fear is and accepting it for what it is. Your failure is not a reflection of you; it is simply a reflection of weaknesses that you have to improve upon in order to thrive and excel in your purpose. In order to be able to spot and to pluck out these weaknesses, you have to fail. Accept it, understand it and love it!
3. I have less patience for those who are not like me, and that is OK
It is OK to be picky about your circle. The people in your life are sitting in your boat with you. Are they helping you to row to the other side or are they weighing down? Start approaching your life like a boat and allow people onto your boat that will offer you support and encouragement, not drown you.
The three ways that my brother's death have changed the way that I view time. I talk more about it in the podcast below.
We have rounded up the cutest pregnant celebrities of the week, starting with Blake Lively, who showed off her amazing maternity style at the Cannes Film Festival. Pregnant Megan Fox dressed her baby bump down in a plaid shirt, while Kerry Washington was spotted showing off her baby bump on Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show. Blac Chyna, Nicky Hilton and Behati Prinsloo round out our list of the most buzzworthy baby bumps of the week.
Blake Lively
Image: KIKA/WENN.com
Pregnant Blake Lively looked so stunning at the Cannes Film Festival this past weekend that we could just do a photo gallery of her looks. The 28-year-old Gossip Girl alum, who is expecting her second child with her husband Ryan Reynolds, looked radiant in a blue Atelier Versace chiffon gown (top photo) and later showed off her baby bump in another shimmery Atelier Versace gown while promoting her new film, Café Society.
Lively also posted this photo as she showed off a hint of her baby bump in a pretty floral gown.
Blake Lively pregnant
Blake Lively pregnant
Lively and Reynolds have a 16-month-old daughter named James.
Pregnant Megan Fox kept her maternity style casual as she was spotted leaving Café Gratitude in Los Angeles with a group of friends on her 30th birthday. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles star wore a gray T-shirt paired with a flannel shirt and leggings.
Fox and her estranged husband, actor Brian Austin Green, are expecting their third child together. They are already parents to two boys, 3-year-old Noah and 2-year-old Bodhi.
Kerry Washington
Kerry Washington baby bump
Kerry Washington baby bump
Hello there, Kerry Washington! The pregnant Scandal star waved at fans as she made her way inside before her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The 39-year-old star and her husband, former NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha, already have a daughter named Isabelle and are expecting their second child together.
Washington kept fairly tight-lipped about her pregnancy during the interview. When asked if she first told her mom or Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes about her pregnancy, she joked that her "parents don’t want me to answer that.”
What about her Scandal character, Olivia Pope? Will she be pregnant on the show? Washington didn’t reveal a thing, saying, “I’m not going to tell you.”
Next up: Nicky Hilton’s baby shower, Blac Chyna and Behati Prinsloo
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Nicky Hilton
Nicky Hilton baby shower
Nicky Hilton baby shower
Nicky Hilton celebrated the upcoming arrival of her first child, a baby girl, at her baby shower, where she was surrounded by her friends and family, including sister Paris Hilton. The 32-year-old socialite had her baby shower at the Hotel Bel Air, and the fancy fete was decorated with pink flowers and balloons as well as a cake that said “Congratulations Nicky and James.’”
Hilton married banking heir James Rothschild at Kensington Palace last summer.
Behati Prinsloo
Behati Prinsloo baby bump
Behati Prinsloo baby bump
Pregnant Behati Prinsloo posted this baby bump photo, simply captioning the photo as “growing.” The Victoria’s Secret model and her husband, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, are expecting their first child together.
Prinsloo, who celebrated her 27th birthday yesterday, is expecting a baby girl. She is currently 5 months pregnant and due this fall.
Blac Chyna
Blac Chyna baby bump
Blac Chyna baby bump
Rob Kardashian posted this picture of his pregnant fiancée, Blac Chyna, with the caption, “My beautiful babies in Miami.” The 28-year-old announced she was pregnant with Kardashian’s baby just 10 weeks after they started dating. This will be the first child for Kardashian; however, Chyna has a 3-year-old son named King Cairo with her ex, rapper Tyga.
For every marriage, there is a different way of doing things. Some couples live completely separate lives, going to bed at different times, spending hours on activities outside the marriage and home. Other couples tend to do everything together. We call these latter types "codependent." And I am one of them.
Officially, co-dependence is defined as something unhealthy, that stems from having had an alcoholic or ill parents. It's considered dysfunctional (isn't everything, though?). But we all know those couples (ahem, myself) who got married young, have never really lived apart, and now depend on one another for, well, everything. We see you!
Personally, I got together with my husband at 23. We grew up together more or less. I can't imagine life without him. If that makes me co-dependent, I'll take it. But if you are looking for the signs you might have a codependent marriage, here are seven of them:
1.) You haven't grocery shopped alone in more than a decade.
We know. The grocery can be a scary, cavernous place. So many choices! The deli! The bakery! Better to go together. Always. Or like, sit at home for hours when you could have just run to the store since going alone is a much scarier prospect than arriving together, 10 minutes before closing time.
3.) One of you lets your drivers license expire since you are always together.
Couples who spend every waking moment together tend to designate a driver. The other person in the relationship tends to then lose their driving skills. Fast. Then, when they must get behind the wheels, it goes something like this:
Brody Jenner's engagement to Kaitlynn Carter is big news for two families: the Jenners and, of course, the Kardashians. With Caitlyn and Kris Jenner's divorce, Jenner is no longer technically tied to the Kardashian family. But he still grew up with America's most-watched siblings. Wouldn't he want Kim, Khloé and Kourtney Kardashian see him walk down the aisle? And more importantly, don't we want to watch them watch him walk down the aisle?
Tough cookies for us, says Life & Style. “Brody won’t be inviting former stepsisters Kim, Khloé or Kourtney because he thinks they would make it all about them,” says an insider with the wedding-planning scoop. Yes, that's exactly why we want them there — so we can watch the whole thing on a Kardashian sister's Snapchat.
From Carter's perspective, of course, the move is understandable. No one needs the groom's famous family stealing your spotlight on your wedding day. (Except us. We need that.)
Life & Style elaborates that although the ladies on the Kardashian side of the family won't be invited, Jenner may "extend a courtesy invite" to his half-siblings Kendall and Kylie, as well as Rob Kardashian. So he's not just starting drama within his own wedding, he's forcing the Kardashian-Jenners to take sides as well. This all sounds like a fantastic plotline for Keeping Up with the Kardashians, doesn't it?
The public perception of the cesarean birth is changing. For a growing number of parents, a "natural" C-section can be the next best thing to a vaginal delivery and a world away from the image of a distressed baby being whipped out of — and away from — its mom.
One mother, Sarah Saunders from Devon, England, had a natural C-section with her son and shared a video of the experience on YouTube showing the baby effectively "delivering himself" by wriggling his body out of her womb. It's pretty amazing.
Baby delivers itself
Baby delivers itself
Natural cesareans are believed to give babies a slower, calmer entry into the world. It can take up to four minutes for the baby to be born during a natural C-section, before it is placed on the mother’s chest to help with bonding. After making an incision into the womb, doctors draw out the baby’s head. They then leave it to maneuver its own shoulders out in a similar manner to that of a vaginal birth.
Jenny Smith, a senior midwife at the Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, one of the few places the procedure is offered, said: "It is about the mother. After the incision is made the mother is able to see her little baby wriggle out. It is a special moment that is missed otherwise. The baby remains in the abdomen for up to four minutes and the mother can look at it, see its little face and when it wriggles out it is the parents that first determine the sex."
It was British obstetrician Professor Nick Fisk who pioneered this groundbreaking approach to a surgical birth. Fisk developed an interest in what he calls a "skin-to-skin cesarean" or "walking the baby out" because he wanted to make the birth experience more meaningful for parents who have cesareans.
Fisk’s approach is awesome — and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be adopted by all hospitals who offer a C-section as a delivery option. "What I realized was that cesareans were done a certain way because they've always been done a certain way, but in fact they can be done differently — and in a way that parents love," said Fisk, who finds other doctors are sometimes shocked when they hear about what he is doing. "They say, 'but surely you have to get the baby out fast so she can get oxygen straight away?' And I say, when the baby is being born she's still attached to the umbilical cord and is still getting oxygen from the placenta. Cesarean birth can be gentle, just as vaginal birth can be gentle."
For so long, too many moms who have had C-sections have felt that they’ve somehow missed out on the long, emotional experience that’s typical of a vaginal delivery. That, because the baby is lifted out of their wombs by surgeons in a matter of seconds, they’re somehow less worthy of the birthing badge of honor. That shouldn’t be the case, because a cesarean birth puts huge pressure on a mom, just in different ways. But if a natural C-section was an option for more women, it would be the perfect way to bridge the gap.
The world fell in love with clownfish back in 2003, when Disney released a little film called Finding Nemoand brought the fish species' beauty to the world's attention. Soon after its release, pet stores were flooded with families asking how they could get their hands on their very own Nemo to add to their saltwater tank. It's easy to see why clownfish had such a huge spike in popularity — they're beautiful, exotic and relatively easy to care for. But their popularity also had a pretty devastating effect on the clownfish population.
Most animals found in pet stores come from breeding facilities, but exotic pet fish are usually taken directly from the ocean. It's a well-known fact that breeding facilities are outrageously cruel to animals, but snatching wild animals from their natural habitat isn't a great alternative, either. The clownfish population took a serious hit when families started demanding clownfish be plucked from their cozy homes in the coral reef and made available in pet stores. Some research has shown that wild clownfish numbers have dropped by as much as 75 percent since the film's release.
Researchers from Flinders University and the University of Queensland are not going to let our fishy friends go down without a fight; they have teamed up to create The Saving Nemo Conservation Fund, which will bring some much-needed education and awareness to the issue. They are even trying to snag the attention of the Finding Nemo star, Ellen DeGeneres, in hopes that she can help promote the conservation fund and prevent another surge in clownfish adoptions when Finding Dory, the Finding Nemo sequel, is released this summer.
Come on pet owners, let's not leave all the hard work up to the researchers. What can you do to help save Nemo? It's simple — don't buy him. There are several fish species you can buy to stock your tank without harming the environment. Here are five equally gorgeous fish with a healthy population that will not dwindle when you want to bring a fish home as a pet.
If it's the bold color of the clownfish that you love, try an eye-catching betta instead. They come in a wide variety of colors and make an excellent, easy-to-care-for family pet.
Fantail guppies make excellent family pets. They don't require a huge tank, are relatively low-maintenance and, let's be honest — they're so gorgeous, you'll be gawking at them for hours.
You wanted an exotic looking pet? You got it. Bright, colorful and a distinctive 'flower horn' will add all the of the wow factor you need in your fish tank.
