By: Dove
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During our recent chat with Antwan “Big Boi” Patton about his new Converse sneaker line, he filled UrbLife.com in on his Top 7 Movies of all time! You may think that every man’s favorite, Scarface, is missing from this, however Big Boi admits that these films are all more suited for his personal Top 7 taste. And what good taste he has!

Check out the list, complete with trailers in case you’re not in the know!

1. Casino
Year: 1995
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods, Frank Vincent, Kevin Pollak

2. Reservoir Dogs
Year: 1992
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Quentin Tarantino, Eddie Bunker, Chris Penn

3. American Beauty
Year: 1999
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Mena Suvari, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Chris Cooper, Peter Gallagher

4. City of God
Year: 2002
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Alice Braga, Matheus Nachtergaele, Douglas Silva, Seu Jorge
Filmed in Brazil, Portuguese language

5. Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil’s Son-in-Law
Year: 1977
Directed by: Cliff Roquemore
Starring: Rudy Ray Moore, Jimmy Lynch, Sy Richardson, Leroy Daniels, Ernest Mayhand, Ebony Wright

6. Menace II Society
Year: 1993
Directed by: The Hughes Brothers
Starring: Tyrin Turner, Larenz Tate, Jada Pinkett, Samuel L. Jackson, Charles S. Dutton, Glenn Plummer, Khandi Alexander, Saafir, MC Eiht, Pooh Man, Vonte Sweet, AJ Johnson, Bill Duke, Too $hort, Samuel Monroe Jr.

7. Amelie
Year: 2001
Directed by: Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta, Serge Merlin, Jamel Debbouze
Filmed in France, French language

Follow Big Boi on Twitter @TheRealBigBoi

By: Dove
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Author, marketing guru, wife and mom – Jamilah Creekmur is proving that a modern day woman really can have it all! In January 2010, the 34-year-old go-getter ventured out from the 9-to-5 world to start the Harbor Digital Group consulting firm, and just released her first book Raised by the Mistress in August. Balancing a career and family life is never easy, but Creekmur makes it look like a breeze as she travels endlessly for book signings and corporate meetings, while still making time for invaluable family getaways.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Jamilah’s childhood experience with an alcoholic mother in love with a married man affected her deeply. Despite some emotional confusion, she managed to become a brilliant over-achiever. She graduated from the University of Delaware, was (and still is) an active member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and held down jobs at the likes of Saks Fifth Avenue and Hugo Boss.

By 2003, Jamilah became the marketing power behind AllHipHop.com, which quickly rose to become one of the most reputable online brands of our time. She and her college sweetheart-turned-husband Chuck Creekmur balanced career and parenthood as the company grew, and by 2009, Jamilah knew it was time to finally tell her story.

Raised by the Mistress sold out on Amazon in a matter of days after its official release in August, and the statuesque visionary has been working tirelessly to take Harbor Digital to the next level. UrbLife.com took a few moments with Jamilah to find out how she does it all, and the ways her childhood experiences have played in to her relationship with her own daughter.

When you were younger, did you always envision having a daughter? Did you have any pre-conceived notions about what your relationship would/should be like with your daughter?

Jamilah Creekmur: I always wanted a son and a daughter, so it didn’t matter to me.  I was thrilled when I learned that I’d have my little dollbaby babygirl. I had a really close relationship with my mother growing up, even though it was layered with a lot of turbulence. I never gave up on my relationship with my mother.

Naturally, I wanted my daughter and I to have a close relationship. We work on our relationship, on being close, on sharing, on open communication, on being friends, and on being a great mom and a great daughter to each other.

In your book Raised By the Mistress, you have written about real life events pertaining to your parents, their problems, and how it affected you growing up. Was there every anything that you consciously said you would or would not do with your child based upon you own experiences?

JC: Yes. My parents divorced when I was 4-years-old, and I still remember the day my mother left the house. I can see the whole scene in my mind. I never wanted my daughter to experience her parents having such an intense confrontation. My mother also struggled with alcoholism, and I saw a lot of that. So, I made it a point to not abuse alcohol and to never allow my daughter to see me in a compromised state either.

My parents and family never had a lot of money when I was growing up, so I aspired for wealth and financial freedom in my life. I never let any of my challenging circumstances keep me from believing I could not have my dreams come true. I work very hard now to create generational wealth that I can pass to my daughter, and aid her in reaching her dreams.

So yes, I have been shaped by a lot of the hard times, but I have also been shaped by my own faith and my own dreams. And I work hard to instill that in my daughter as well.

What are the most important values you want to instill in your daughter about relationships and family?

JC: That no matter what happens in her life, that she is in control of how she lets these things, good or bad, affect her. That her own happiness is for her to create in her life, and that there is absolutely nothing that will keep me from helping her to reach her own goals in life. It’s important for my daughter to know that her parents love her deeply, and that she matters in this world. Chuck and I work on that every single day. teaching her that her life is relevant. These attributes will hopefully all play out as it relates to relationships and family.

She has an amazing father, and he sets the standard for the type of man that she should look for. One that loves her mother unconditionally, and a man that loves her to no end. That is her father’s standard for her. He cherishes his daddy-daughter time with her, and I am proud that she is a ‘daddy’s girl’. It’s the best thing a little girl can have. I was, and still am, a daddy’s girl. So I am grateful for the role that he plays in her life.

Are you having any early worries about the day she wants to start dating? Do you know how you will approach the situation when that day comes?

JC: Can you rephrase the question please? Not sure I understand. [smiles]

What are your favorite things to do for mommy-daughter time?

JC: People are going to laugh, but my favorite thing to do with her at this moment in our lives is to have open ended conversations with her. Maia has an amazing imagination. So, we just start by snuggling on the couch or in the bed, and she will ask, “So what do you want to talk about today?” And we talk, and talk, annnnnnd talk. It can last over an hour, if I let her. [laughs]

But the conversations are so beautiful. We talk about school, which leads to college, which leads to buildings, which leads to how bricks are made, which leads to bricks sounding like sticks, and sticks are in the forest, and then we talk about the trees, and birds, and the sky, and clouds… it’s all so random, but all very very beautiful.

I love talking, and I especially love talking to my daughter.  I call her “my own personal human being”, so i get to have her all to myself. She will remind me that ‘one day’ she will have her own house, and I tickle her to pieces when she says that. I tell her that she is not allowed to leave me. Then she tells me that she is going to tell my mother on me… I mean, the conversations are the best. I truly love that little girl. I am very lucky to be her mother.

We enjoy painting our nails, and shopping and other girlie things that mommies do with their mini-me’s, but we both really enjoy our talk time together.

Does she get on the computer much yet? Do you censor tv viewing and music listening? If so, what are some ways you monitor the things she’s exposed to in the media or through music?

JC: Computer, yes. She works on her typing skills, and of course, she goes to the normal kid sites. Yes, she is censored heavily. She has never seen a rap video, or any other visual content that is not intended for a 6-year-old. We monitor by being 100% present. We watch TV with her, or do computer surfing with her there.

She is not allowed to watch TV in a room where we are not there.  She does not have a TV or computer in her room, and I doubt that she ever will while she lives with us. We keep lots of kid-friendly CD’s in the car when we travel. There are so many ways to let your kids be kids, so we work hard to keep her as a cute little girlie-girl as long as we can.

Considering you are a graduate of University of Delaware and an alumni of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, do you want your daughter to follow in your footsteps all the way? How would you feel if she wanted to pledge a different sorority than yours?

JC: It is not my goal to have my daughter do as I have done. She can go to any school that her heart desires. I will support her, and likewise with the sorority. I love my sorority, but my daughters choice will be her own. I only hope that I will have inspired her and motivated her enough to ‘want’ to be a Delta like mommy. She should be so moved by what she sees me and my sorors do in the community, in business, in economic endeavors, that she is compelled to want to become a Delta herself.

But if not, at least she would have seen her mother do amazing service as a Delta, and more importantly, as an active member to society, that is all I care about. My best friends are not in any sorority, and some of my dear friends are in other organizations. I am such a huge fan of girl power, that truly, as long as Maia is sisterly to other women, I will have done my duty.

You also attended the Fashion Institute and spent some time in fashion buying and marketing. Given your classy sense of style, do you try to direct your daughter’s fashion sense, or has she started to create her own style? What will you do if she decides to go through any trend stages you can’t stand (because ‘everyone is doing it’, of course)?

JC: Oh, she has her own sense of style totally! It’s all about leggings with skirts and tutus, cute shirts, long dresses, etc… I have no say so. My only task is to make sure her clothes are clean. Other than that, it’s “I can dress myself mommy!” and I love that. When I wear heels, she likes to wear her shoes “that make noise”. If I have on a dress, she wants to wear a dress… its really adorable. I love it.

Kids always reach a point where think they are a little smarter than their parents, but we all discover one day that “momma knows.” Has there been a distinct moment yet that made you appreciate challenges your mom went through with you? And what is the most creative way you’ve found to discipline your child so far?

JC: Yes, she is very opinionated, umm… like me. And she’s very vocal about her opinion, like me… so the first time I saw that, all I could do was laugh and run to call my mother. I asked her, “Was I like this?!” and my mother just cracked up laughing and said, “Yes babygirl, you were and still are.” Ultimately, with challenges, you just reinforce the boundaries and what you will and will not accept from her. You say it with enough authority, and she is straight.

Given your very intense schedule, how do you balance running a company, writing and marketing a book, making appearances and setting aside the right kind of time for your family?

JC: Well, we all support each other, and we all involve each other in our lives. So she gets to participate in some things and she finds that extremely fun and she loves “working” with us. She tells me the days that she has to “go to work” if she is going to the office with her dad, and now she loves working with me. I just got a credit card machine for my book, and she loves it! So she’s very eager to help me with my book sales efforts.

But truthfully, you can only do what is in front of you, one day at a time, so that is all I focus on.  I take big-picture goals, and chop them down into smaller more manageable goals, and work hard.

I am lucky to be an entrepreneur like my husband, so I have a little more flexibility with my schedule, which helps. But prior to that, it was all about having a system – a ‘family system’.  Knowing what your ‘hard cut off’ times are so that you can end your calls or meetings and be home in time for the school bus or aftercare program.

Communicate what the family schedule is, and everybody respecting that… and lastly, making sure that you carve time out for your family.  Trips, vacations, movies, library, etcetera and being fully present during those times. It is not easy, but it is not impossible either.

What is the best advice you can give to a new mother?

JC: Just realize how much responsibility God has given you by choosing you to bring life. Appreciate the moments because they go so very quickly. Teach your kids to be good people and contribute to their community. Smile often. Spread hugs and appreciate life. Don’t get caught up in your child having everything they want, because all they really need is your time, attention and love – and each of those are 100% free.

CLICK HERE to purchase Jamilah Creekmur’s new book Raised by the Mistress on Amazon

Find out more about Jamilah at JBCNYC.com and follow her on Twitter @JamilahCreekmur

By: Tati Amare
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Michael Jackson fans swarmed to Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Sunday, August 29 to celebrate the 52nd birthday of the late King of Pop. The second annual event was sponsored by Spike Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks and The Republic of Brooklyn.

Hosted by Spike Lee, Rev. Al Sharpton, Idris Elba and Brooklyn Borough President Marky Markiwitz, the birthday tribute was set to music by DJ Spinna in the park’s Nethermead Meadow.

Thousands of people gathered to hear all the MJ classics, reminisce and dance the afternoon away, even in mid-90 degree weather! UrbLife.com was on the scene and saw everything from MJ impersonators to babies showing love and respect for Jackson’s legacy.

28-year-old Nyjera Pierson was at event with a girlfriend and expressed, “ This day is amazing! I love him so much and am so impacted by is music and his work for humanity.” So I had to ask her if she, like me, thought she was going to marry him when she grew up. Of course she said, “Yes, and I’m still in love with him!”

Jamila Oyo, 34, helped her children and nephew dress up like characters from Michael Jackson’s classic 1978 movie The Wiz. “He’s a legend who inspires from the young to the old – from babies to someone 99-years-old. That’s just Mike!” Jamila told us.

The crowd, the love, and surprise performances from Snoop Dogg and Warren G made the day one that people won’t soon forget. Can’t wait for next year!

Check out the energy in these videos from people who attended on Sunday, including one from our friends at TheUrbanDaily.com with impersonators, dancing and actors Jamie Hector and Chad Coleman!

Special thanks to Iman at Bazan PR!

By: Dove
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Ever since Blair Underwood hit the big screen in 1985′s Krush Groove (oddly cast as then-budding mogul Russell Simmons), the actor became a fan favorite. This Fall, Underwood will star as President Elias Martinez in NBC‘s series The Event, which debuts on September 20. The character was originally written for a Hispanic actor, and the star recently explained that this would now be the first Afro-Cuban president.

The 46-year-old married father of three also covers the latest issue of Jet Magazine!

The synopsis for conspiracy-theory themed The Event seems simple enough: “An average guy stumbles on to a secret so big, even the president is on a need-to-know basis.” So we’ll be expecting intrigue, action and hopefully enough good script writing to keep the show on air for a while.

Meanwhile, Blair is working on two movies - I Will Follow co-starring Salli Richardson (Antwone Fisher, I Am Legend), Traci Thorns (Rent, Grindhouse) and Omari Hardwick (Dark Blue, The A-Team); and Homework with Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) and Elizabeth Reaser (Grey’s Anatomy, Twilight movies).

Check out the full-length trailer for The Event below! Will you be tuning in to watch?

Click here to find out more about The Event, and follow Blair Underwood on Twitter @BlairUnderwood

By: Dove
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Jimmy Fallon is proving himself to be a great host on so many levels, and tonight’s 2010 Emmy Awards were no exception! In fact, this opening number may be the very best of all time!

Watch as Tina Fey, Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Joel McHale (Community, The Soup), Kate Gosselin, Betty White, Jane Lynch (Glee), Lea Michelle (Glee), Corey Monteith (Glee), Amber Riley (Glee), Chris Colfer (Glee), Jorge Garcia (Lost), Tim Gunn (Project Runway), Randy Jackson (American Idol) and more join in the fun performing Bruce Springsteen‘s classic “Born to Run”!

By: Dove
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Actress Zoe Saldana hints at her hidden tattoos and tough ways in this racy new Calvin Klein ad, which debuted today (August 29) just in time for the 2010 Emmy Awards! You can catch the 32-year-old actress in the film Takers, which is on par to be #2 this weekend at the box office!

Check out the photos and video! (click lower-right blue arrow on image to watch)

Click HERE to watch the Takers movie trailer!

Follow Zoe Saldana on Twitter @ZoeSaldana, and see more photos and behind-the-scenes video from the Calvin Klein ad campaign at NothingToHide.com

By: Jenny Buccos, with intro by Tati Amare
**travel videos not by Jenny Buccos
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In between planning trips for her award-winning multimedia projects designed to educate youth on the world’s cultures, histories and people. As the founder of ProjectExplorer.org and director of over 200 short films for students, Jenny Buccos actually finds time to do some leisure traveling.

Jenny has visited more than 30 countries, with plans to visit three more before the end of 2010. In the last two years alone, she logged 50 flights – all to points abroad or within foreign countries. That’s averaging a flight every 15 days! Since she has seen so much of the world, UrbLife.com challenged Jenny to pick out her Top 7 destinations.

Jenny, we’ll start here and get back to you. There are plenty of links in this article to keep everyone informed, and I’m officially inspired to get my travel on!

1. London, England

London was one of my first international travel experiences and remains my favorite destination. It’s a great place for friends or family, and a perfect romantic getaway, but I also enjoy it going solo. I like to be based in Soho, and Hazlitt’s Hotel is perfect, consisting of a small group of historic houses from the early 1700’s. This hotel doesn’t have all of the luxuries of a modern hotel, but it’s my perfect urban escape and a stone’s throw to all I want to see.

London feeds my theatre addiction without running up my credit card. Between the £5 groundling tickets at Shakespeare’s Globe to the £10 seats at the National Theatre, one can take in plenty of theatre on a budget.

My favorite parts of London are easily the South Bank and Southwark. I like to start early in the morning at Borough Market touring the food stalls.

Konditor and Cook is just off the main market and is the perfect spot to grab a cup of coffee and something sweet for a walk along the Thames. I dream of Konditor’s raspberry coconut bars.

I could spend all day at the Tate Modern, which has free admission, and the bookstalls near the National Theatre on the Southbank always result in a fantastic find.

2. Johannesburg, South Africa

South Africa is a strong contender for my Number 1 spot. Johannesburg has been a favorite destination since first visiting in 2007, and I try to make annual trips there (five so far!) to visit the friends I made while shooting a documentary there.

While many international visitors land in Johannesburg and head straight to safari, this city for me is the soul of South Africa. When visiting, I typically stay one night at the Melrose Arch hotel, a trendy 5-star hotel with rooms similar to NYC loft spaces. Here, I usually get room service and a massage to recover from the 15+ hour flight and the inevitable jet-lag before meeting up and spending the rest of my vacation with friends.

Johannesburg is all about the energy and vibrancy of its people. I spend most of my time hitting the night clubs to listen to jazz music, attending plays, and many, many hours sharing great meals with great friends. Johannesburg has amazing restaurants across the city. Sophiatown Restaurant in Newtown are favorites and the owners remember me every time I return, even though I’m barely there once a year.

3. Mozambique, Africa

It was hard to narrow down my African adventures to just one or two favorite places. Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho – I could drive the whole of southern Africa. It’s breath-taking!

I’d return to Mozambique in a heartbeat. I spent most of my time in the sea-side Portuguese-speaking city of Maputo. Mozambique has more than 1,000 miles of pristine coastline, though it is not terribly popular with American and European tourists. A violent civil war in the 1980′s and early 1990′s led to a sharp decline in tourism.

At Costa do Sol, minutes from the center of Maputo, I had one of the best meals of my life – an entire line-caught fish hooked just hours before, simply grilled with lemon and pepper. The entire fish, including my drink and chips, cost no more than $5 and the setting was a palm-tree spotted beach at sunset.

I day-tripped from Maputo via a sunrise ferry ride to Catembe, which was followed by a four-hour-plus drive where we reached an abandoned beach on the Indian Ocean. There we found a seldom-visited elephant and crocodile game reserve. There was no infrastructure, no mobile reception, just my friends, myself, and the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean. I saw only two other people the entire time.

4. Greece – Athens and Mykonos

Visiting Greece was the first time I’d gotten to visit places that I’d seen in schoolbooks as a kid. Seeing the Parthenon up close was thrilling, and peering over the hill into the Theater of Dionysus recalled every ancient Greek play I’d read in college. What surprised me the most was a small fishing boat ride to the island of Delos, the birthplace of Gods.

Of course a girl’s got to eat, and Greece was perfect for a pescatarian. The fish was perfectly cooked wherever we went, in simple herbs and lemon, and I had more feta cheese there in a week than I’ve eaten in the 10 years since. I would love to return now that I know a little better how to get the most out of my travels, so that I can see all the things I know I missed the first time around.

5. Penang, Malaysia

I have toured most parts of Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Penang was, by far, my favorite. It has everything – amazingly photographic Buddhist and Hindu temples, a diverse culture, posh hotels, beaches and food! Penang is a food lover’s dream! There’s amazing Indian and Chinese cuisine.

The nighttime hawker stalls on Gurney Drive have some of the best street food I’ve ever encountered. Though I recommend avoiding the rojak, a popular local dish with diced fresh fruit dowsed in shrimp and chili paste.

Penang’s culinary treasure, for me, is the otak-otak at Mama Nyonya’s restaurant. This is not a dish I would have typically been drawn to, but the owner prepared this for me during a film location scouting trip. Otak-otak is a fish mousse, infused with sweet coconut milk and herbs. It is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. The taste: nearly indescribable.

In Penang, I recommend the G Hotel and its stylish, comfortable rooms. It’s got a great night scene with a DJ spinning lounge music, and is located right across from Gurney Drive. They even have bicycles to rent if you want to see the city on two wheels.

6. Jordan – Wadi Rum, Petra, Dead Sea

The Middle Eastern country of Jordan is steeped in history and tradition. In fall 2008, during my first travel experience in the Middle East, I spent four weeks exploring Jordan; from the northern border near Lebanon to the capital city of Amman to the rarely-visited regions due to their proximity to the Iraqi border.

For me, there are three “musts” in Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea.

Awe-inspiring Petra left me marveling at the precision and artistic details with which ancient builders carved a massive city entirely from sandstone. It takes two to three days to explore this sprawling city, and Petra by Night is a must.

Several times a week, visitors can walk the long candlelit pathway, in silence, to the Treasury, the most famous building in the ancient city. At the Treasury, I sat under the starry sky, sipped traditional herbal tea, and listened to Bedouin music and storytelling illuminated only by candlelight. It was possibly one of the most breath-taking travel experiences I have ever had. Most of the hotels and restaurants, though, are tourist traps.

Taybet Zaman, however, provides a gorgeous mountain top view in a restored 19th century village setting, and Petra Kitchen invites visitors to participate in Middle Eastern cooking classes with regional, seasonal ingredients.

Wadi Rum is unlike any other place I have seen. While I’m not the camping type, there are very few options for visitors. I spent a night in a bedouin tent – no running water, sand everywhere. However, this was one of the most authentic travel experiences I have ever had. One of the main reasons I travel is to experience how people around the world live their lives – their food, their traditions, their music. I hung out in the tent, drank sweetened mint tea and listened to my hosts play the rababa.

Another “must” in Jordan is the Dead Sea. The sensation of floating in the Dead Sea is nearly impossible to describe; one that just needs to be experienced first-hand to understand. After roughing it in Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea was the perfect relaxing Spa getaway. The Kempinski Hotel has gorgeous waterfront views as the sun sets over Israel, and equally amazing rooms.

7. Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is a city at the crossroads of the planet, and being there is like sampling every great city in the world. The food is a mix of Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, with Indian and Middle Eastern influences. The culture is urban with jazz clubs and experimental theater, and also reflects the traditional music, dance, and art of before the Ottoman Empire.

My week in Istanbul was marked by fishing off Galata Bridge with local fisherman, strolling the city’s incredible Museum of Contemporary Art, exploring a 6th century cistern, and some very-high end window shopping. Its a city of stark contrasts which makes it a perfect vacation spot.

The very-trendy W Hotel Instanbul complete with a Spice Market restaurant [by Jean-Georges Vongerichten] (yes, the same Spice Market as in New York’s Meatpacking District) was an unexpected find for me. The only downside of the W was the early morning call to prayer that sweeps across the city, and seemed to blast directly into my hotel room.

You can find out more about Jenny Buccos on her sites ProjectExplorer.org, GoodGlobalCitizen.ning.com and JennyBuccos.com. Follow Jenny on Twitter @GoodGlobalCitiz

By: Dove
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It was announced back in May 2010 that actress/singer Vanessa Williams (47) would be joining the cast of Desperate Housewives, and in June some details surfaced about her new character Renee Perry. Now the official Season 7 cast photo has been released!

According to TVFanatic.com, the new housewife is a former college rival of Lynette (Felicity Huffman), not-so-happily married for years with no kids. Probably the happiest guy on the planet right about now, 31-year-old Reggie Austin (The Starter Wife, Life Unexpected) will portray Williams’ baseball player husband on the show.

It was also confirmed by TV Guide in June that Brian Austin Green will be on this season as well. The 37-year-old former 90210 star (a.k.a. Megan Fox‘s hubby) will star as a “charming playboy” contractor… but which housewife will get her cougar on? Rumor has it that it will be Mrs. Perry and Bree (Marcia Cross) entrapped in a love battle for the blue collar stud!!

Season 7 of Desperate Housewives will debut September 26 on ABC! If you have never watched or have missed episodes, here’s a Season 7 Starter Kit to get you up to speed! Romance, scandals, catfights, secrets… it’s all here:

Follow UrbLife.com on Twitter @UrbLife!

By: Bridget Baggett of UnleashMagazine.com
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Being a dog in the 21st century isn’t such a bad thing anymore. As recently as a decade ago, flea and tick prevention bordered on archaic. Horrible flea collars that made Fido’s hair fall out, sprays that made both you and him cough and sneeze, God-awful shampoos that sent him running under your bed, leaving a sudsy trail of bubbles all over your home.

Well, welcome to the future – those days are long gone. Today’s options offer your pet flea, tick and internal parasite control. That is a serious improvement for man’s best friend. However, it’s very important you educate yourself before choosing a method of prevention and defense.

Fleas and ticks are tiny insects that attach themselves to the pet’s body and feed on their blood. They also can transmit several diseases and cause conditions like tapeworm infections, flea allergy dermatitis, tularemia and anemia. Because these conditions can cause the pet a lot of discomfort, it’s important to keep them at bay.

And of course, they like people too. You or your children can acquire anything from moderate itchy patches of skin to all-out allergies from flea bites, and even worse reactions to ticks.

An effective way to prevent the infestation of parasites in and around your home is by using pesticides. They are readily available for use by the homeowner, or a professional pest control expert can apply them. Limited applications during the summer and springtime can greatly reduce flea and tick populations.

While most lawn care pesticides are EPA approved, they can have various side effects on the endocrine, nervous and immune system if ingested or inhaled. To protect children and pets, keep them away from the treated area, making sure the lawn is dry before allowing anyone to access it. Before spraying, remove children’s toys, pet toys, feeding bowls and bedding.

There are several indications that you may have a flea and tick infestation on your hands.

They can hide in a forest of pet hairs, especially on long-coated or double-coated dogs, and can zig-zag among and between hair shafts. Don’t depend on seeing the insect. Instead, look for clues like excessive biting and scratching at the skin that may cause legions or red inflamed lumps. Because this a high traffic area for parasites, observe your pet to see if he bites at his rear end especially around his tail or the inside and outside of his thighs.

Also, look for what is called “flea dirt,” which looks like sprinkled pepper. This is actually flea faeces – more precisely, digested blood from your dog. A good way of determining this is dropping some of this “pepper” onto a damp paper towel. If it turns reddish, it’s fleas, not seasoning.

To determine if you’ve been bitten, first examine your skin. Flea bites leave tiny red raised bumps over the skin that tend to itch. These bumps can get larger if one suffers from allergies. Ticks can be hard to detect. Usually you wont feel a tick bite as it occurs, and if it goes undetected the tick will usually satiate itself and drop off on its own. The most sensible course of action for a tick bite is to remove it and have it tested for presence of disease.

Certain ticks can transmit diseases to humans, which require antibiotic treatment. Most well known of these is Lyme disease, carried by ticks that are most often found on deer.

Prevention is key. Keep your house and its surroundings clean. Remove leaves, clear brush and tall grass around the house and kennel area. Wash and disinfect all pet bedding inside your home. Vacuum and steam clean your carpets regularly so flea larvae is completely eliminated. You should also dispose of vacuumed dirt in an appropriate manner so that the house remains parasite free.

After walking your dog, comb his fur with a flea comb and look for any signs of infection. Also, make sure your dog is contained in an area that has been previously treated and is rid of parasites.

Monthly topicals, such as Frontline Plus are also recommended to protect your pet. Frontline Plus is a flea and tick preventative for dogs and cats. It kills 100% of adult fleas on your pet within 18 hours and 100% of all ticks within 48 hours. It is applied in a single area, usually between the shoulder blades, and then uses the body’s natural oils to spread evenly over the pet. Not only has it been proven to be effective against all life stages and several species of tick, but it is also waterproof!

While fleas and ticks are prevalent in warmer months, they can be a year-round problem if you’re not careful. For more suggestions and alternative ways to control these pests, check out the recommendations over at Doctors Foster and Smith!

For more great articles on dogs (and celebrities who own them), go to UnleashMagazine.com!

By: Darrell W. Butler
ACE, NFPT, ISCA Certified Personal Trainer
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When my friend Carmen came back from her trip to Miami last weekend, she returned with more than just a deeper tan and some tacky souvenir t-shirts. She also came back with a few horror stories about her experiences at some of the local gyms that she utilized while she was down there.

At the first gym she visited, one of the guys there kept forcing her to stop her iPod so that he could hit her with stale pick-up lines and cheesy come-ons, despite her numerous attempts to get rid of him. At the next gym, she was startled to find some elderly hippie-chick doing impromptu nude yoga poses while standing on one of the benches in the women’s locker room!

To her surprise, I was actually unfazed by these two stories because after training at gyms around the world, I have literally seen it all. Unfortunately many people simply don’t know any better; especially newbies who may have never set foot inside of a fitness center before.

How can you avoid being the subject of a future gym horror story? Without further ado, I present to you the Seven Deadly Sins that you should avoid during your next workout!

1. Thou shall not take extended cell phone conversations inside of the fitness room!

If you’re expecting an important call and can make it quick, then most people won’t mind you having a brief conversation. However if you plan to have your best friend “keep you company” for the entire hour that you’re on the treadmill, resulting in your screaming loudly into your cell for 60-minutes straight, this might not be the most polite tactic to keep yourself entertained throughout your cardio session.

Instead, try listening to music, reading a magazine, watching television or actually focusing on your workout and save the phone calls for the parking lot. If you have been committing this heinous sin you may now repent with 20 push-ups and a vow to cease and desist immediately. Can you hear me now…?

2. Thou shall not use the gym as a pick-up bar.

Depending on the culture of your gym, it may be a great place to meet someone with similar interests and possibly form a romantic relationship; however the fitness floor may not be the best location to make your move. A smile or a quick hello is always nice, but staring or stalking is not! Once you’ve broken the ice, see if they initiate further conversation or wait until they’re done and possibly strike up a conversation in the lobby or by the juice bar.

During their workout you could serve as a major distraction, since many of the people in the gym simply want to get through their workout without being interrupted. If you have been committing this heinous sin, you may now repent with 30 sit-ups and an immediate visit to eHarmony or Match.com.

3. Thou shall not expect everyone else to put your weights away.

I’m always amazed how many “big strong guys” seem incapable of putting their weights away after using them. If you’re strong enough to load 700 lbs onto the leg press, then you should be strong enough to take the weights off instead of leaving them for an 80-year-old grandmother to have to deal with when she goes to use the machine after you.

There’s nothing less motivating than walking into a gym with equipment strewn everywhere and the entire rack of dumbbells out of place. The way that I see it, putting your weights away is a part of your workout, so unless you’re Tiger Woods and have a caddy putting all of your equipment away; you’ll need to start doing it yourself. (If you are Tiger Woods however, re-racking weights should be the least of your worries, so feel free to leave them out…)

If you have been committing this heinous sin, you may now repent with 40 minutes on the cross trainer and a call to your mother for her to explain why it’s not her or anyone else’s job to pick up after you!

4. Thou shall not hog all of the equipment!

If the gym is extremely busy, you can’t reserve or camp out on a piece of equipment that someone else might be waiting for, especially if you’re not even using it! If you’re only using the bench as a seat to have your conversation or read a magazine, get up and let someone else use it until you’re ready to resume your workout. Or if you’re using multiple pieces of equipment in a circuit, allow someone else to jump in between your sets.

Also, try not to block an entire rack of dumbbells to jump rope or admire your biceps in the mirror when someone else may want to use the weights that you’re standing in front of. If you have been committing this heinous sin, you may now repent with 50 squats and a single-spaced one page report on the Sesame Street episode entitled “Sharing is Caring.”

5. Thou shall not be the creepy exhibitionist in the locker room.

Sure people are changing and showering, so a little indecent exposure here and there is to be expected, but some activities simply do not require nudity. For example, if you’re shaving your face or applying make-up, do you really need to be naked?

If you’re drinking a protein shake, flossing your teeth or taking a phone call, do you really need to be naked? Nude flexing in the mirror? Clipping your toe nails in the buff? Posing like the Captain Morgan guy while blow-drying “intimate areas”? Shaving those intimate areas? No, none of that is okay!

I think it’s cool that some people have that much self esteem that they want to bare it all, but some activities should be reserved for a nude beach, or perhaps the privacy of your own home. If you have been committing this heinous sin you may now repent with 60 jumping jacks… but for the love of mankind, please at least put a towel on first!

6. Thou shall not reek of strong odors!

It may often not make sense to shower before you come to the gym and get sweaty, but depending on how “ripe” you are, the rest of us sure would appreciate it! Working out is hard work, so it’s expected that you may not smell like roses by the end of your routine. However, if you haven’t washed your gym clothing after multiple uses, that goes beyond the statute of limitations!

On the other end of the fragrance spectrum, try not to lay the perfume or cologne on too thick either, since it’ll only get stronger as you begin to sweat…especially if that cologne is merely masking the fact that your shirt hasn’t been washed in weeks. This also goes for those of you who may try and work off a hangover by coming to the gym straight from the club, still reeking of booze and cigarettes.

None of these strong odors are appealing in general, but especially not at the gym, so if you have been committing this heinous sin you may now repent with 75 b… actually let’s just skip the workout penalty here and send you straight to the shower asap!

7. Thou shall not leave sweat all over the equipment.

There’s a woman at my gym who’s a big fan of self-tanner so she leaves neon-orange pools of sweat on every piece of equipment that she touches, yet never wipes any of them down. Yes, I did say that “sharing is caring,” but this is one case where that mantra definitely does not apply.

Nothing skeeves me out more than someone else’s bodily fluids dripping down the sides of a weight bench, and there simply isn’t any excuse for it as most gyms at least have antibacterial spray and a paper towel dispenser on hand.

I think it’s great when someone is giving their all to a workout and sweating profusely, so like they said in Coming To America, go ahead and ‘let your soul glow’! Just be sure to handle your business first before moving on to the next machine. “Clean up in aisle 4…”

If you have been committing this heinous sin you may now repent with 100 alternating lunges and a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy yourself a set of towels.

Sure, most of these sins seem to simply boil down to basic etiquette and hygiene, however since I’m still witnessing these same things happening on a daily basis, it’s apparent that some people just aren’t getting it.

If you run into one of these offenders or if you are one yourself, feel free to print this article to help serve as a reminder to repent and do the right thing! As for me, I’ll be off trying to figure out where in my apartment to hide this tacky “I Heart Miami” neon pink flamingo lamp that Carmen brought back for me…