Ready For Love TV Show on NBC

Ready for Love is the new dating show from executive producer Eva Longoria, and is slightly modeled after the Bachelor series. The show premiered tonight on NBC and I think I'm almost ready to make it a weekly date with the three bachelors looking for love.

Eva Longoria personally selected the trio of soulmate-seeking guys - Dallas businessman Ben Patton, Santa Barbara musician Tim Lopez (of the "Hey There Delilah" group Plain White T's) and Miami entrepreneur Ernesto Arguello. For me, I think they are all sterotypically the tall dark and hadsome fairytale princes, rich and confident, but I also understand it is a show and they need something most people will like. Still I wish one of the guys was more average?

The key ingredient that differentiates this from the Bachelor series are the matchmakers, Amber Kelleher-Andrews (my favorite), relationship author Tracy McMillan (Why do you think you're not married) and dating coach Matt Hussey.

Julius Agwu Becomes an Author on His 40th Birthday

Actor and Comedian, Julius Agwu marked his 40th birthday recently and used the occasion to also launch his autobiography, "Jokes Apart, how did I get there?". The book was edited by Nigerian writer and editor, Toni Kan. Among those present to launch the book were Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and other entertainment celebrities.

Traditional Wedding For Gay Couple - An African First

They say culture is dynamic and this was proven recently in South Africa, in the small town of KwaDukuza as a young gay couple said "I do", the traditional Zulu way. 
It was the area's 'First Traditional African Gay Wedding', and if my guess is correct, also the first in the whole of Africa. What I find quite heartwarming is the fact that their parents were present and supportive of them.

10 Tips For Healthy Personal Relationships

1. First and foremost, love yourself. Not selfish but true, natural and overflowing love.

2. Understand the puzzle called you. When you understand yourself, understanding others would not be difficult.

3. Express verbally your love for your spouse, children and ward.

4. When your spouse or child apologises, forgive completely. Be magnanimous. Even if they do not, be generous enough to forgive and let go, and never bring past issue(s) to current issue(s).

5. Be faithful to your spouse and trust him or her and do not discuss your domestic affairs with a third party: so many homes have been sent to the hangman's noose by the fatal tongues of gossips. As an appendage, never forget that to be trusted you need to be trustworthy.

Adventures of a Miss!! Episode 4

“Hey Toke, surprised?” she extends her hand to shake mine.

Is this girl normal, does she think I am her friend or what? “Zainab, what are you doing here, I thought I had a meeting with your husband?” I say trying to sound calm.

“No Toke, I used his phone to text you so I would be able to get you to come” she sets her purse on the chair and takes the other empty sit. “I know everything” she started. My palms were sweating like this girl was a giant. I think I can take her if it ever comes to a point where we need to get physical.

“OK Zainab, so what do you want from me, it…” she cut me off before I could finish.

“No, I’m not here to fight, trust me, I am here to make peace and I do have a business proposition for you”
This lady is crazy I swear, like what the hell kind of woman goes out of her way to make peace with someone who has slept with her husband. “Zainab, I’m sorry I don’t think I’ll be interested in your business proposition after all, it is just weird for me because I don’t know how you really feel about me. I wouldn’t like me if I was you so I wonder what you’ll gain from this deal.” I say as a matter of fact.

Olivia Pope's Scandal and Taking Your Own Advice

One program Myne and I enjoy watching is ABC's Scandal. Kerry Washington is Olivia Pope, the owner of a crisis management firm which is regularly called in by the high and mighty to help diffuse the eponymous scandals which would otherwise blow up in their faces.

A recurring theme in the series is Olivia Pope' love affair with the President of the USA. And before you start wondering, no, she is not the First Lady - and yes, there IS a First Lady. Not surprisingly, not being able to have the man she loves makes for a very miserable Ms. Pope.

In some recent episodes, Ms. Pope has taken to dishing out advice to some of her scandal-plagued clients. Nothing surprising about that, you might say - except that in some cases, the advice centres on the dangers of making wrong decisions or getting entangled with someone who is already taken. In other words, it is exactly the kind of advice that she needs to take herself.

Now before you start thinking "hypocrisy in a black dress", I should point out that Olivia Pope is very well aware of the fact that the advice she's giving could benefit her. In fact, she goes to such great lengths to spell it out to her clients that it's possible they know she's speaking from personal experience.

POLL - Can Women Have it All?

The debate about women having it all seems to always crop up at least once a year, or each time a working women has a child and then returns to work. When the working woman is a media personality like actress, Drew Barrymore, it makes news headlines which it is currently doing. But we discussed this topic over on Bukky Apampa's site last year, and these were my comments.

ALL is relative, don’t compare, be content, and relearn your attitude so you can be happy with what and where you find yourself. Michelle Obama had a top paying job before, now she is a SAHM as the FLOTUS for about 8 years. Same with Hilary Clinton who took time off when she was first lady and later ran for president, now a SOS.

It is different for everybody, some women have it all (happy and content) as SAHM, no career and they don’t want one. Some make partner at a big time lawfirm or CEO at a fortune500 either at 35 or at 65, it is all for them at different times. I could go on, but you get the idea. We are all different, and so are our decisions and options in life.

Mateo Victory - Wise Words

This is like a love letter from Mateo Victory to his African sisters, preaching self confidence, abstinence, , rejection of DV and all forms of abuse, etc. I enjoyed the lyrics and the cultural vibe to the video.

Living Life to the Full - Toolz on Vacation

Toolz, is a presenter for Beat FM Lagos, as well as the Juice on Ndani TV. She shared these photos of her vacation on Zanzibar, a small Island off the coast of East Africa, via her Instagram page, and it's got me looking forward to summer and vacation time. Sometimes, we get so bogged down with work and forget that all work and no play, more like rest, is not good for us, physically or mentally. This is a reminder to relax, take time off work, and live life to the full.

Fela Durotoye Worries about Hypertension Killing Young Nigerians

World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7, to mark the anniversary of the founding of World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1948. Each year a theme is selected for World Health Day that highlights a priority area of public health concern in the world. The theme for this year is High Blood Pressure or Hypertension. Fela Durotoye, Nigerian motivational speaker, decided to mark this day with a hard hitting article on how this issue affects Nigerians.

Almost everyone knows someone who has experienced a mild heart attack or a severe stroke.

A few years ago, stroke used to be leading cause of 'brief illness' among old people 65 years and above. (Remember the obituary adverts?.. "With gratitude to God for a life well spent...he died after a brief illness"?).

Sadly, today we are hearing shocking but growing cases of young professionals and students suffering from stroke at the age of 35. There are now so many obituaries starting with "Gone too soon". Even now, the WHO puts the life expectancy of the typical Nigerian male at 47years.

This is disastrous as it means that more Nigerians are dying in their prime and most productive years. But even more is that since most Nigerian men marry in their early-thirty's (many of them 35+ years), it means that by 47 years, most of the deceased have children just under teenage years when those children need the departed parent for guidance and mentorship on their most critical life decisions.

And one of the leading killers of our nation's young aspiring and emerging leaders is high blood pressure or hypertension.