Beyonce's Secret...

Beyonce let us all in on her very special secret on the VMA Black Carpet today...

Congrats to Bey and J on their very own baby camel! I knew she couldn't wait forever! Much love and hopes for a healthy and beautiful baby! The empire continues... 

Airport Thuggin - Lil Wayne - "How to Love"

I'm sitting at my gate, and I won't even front like I didn't shed a tear. I was blessed with a loving home, but so many ladies I know were not. Let this be a lesson in the importance of learning your worth... Lil Wayne - "How to Love"

Frank Ocean - "Swim Good" Cover

Ironically enough, I wanted to do a cover this week. I have the house to myself, which is perfect time to belt out all types of crazy notes. Of course, I lost my voice the day before yesterday. So did my mom - so I'm wondering if it's Laryngitis. Damn sure hope not.


Anywhoo - this handsome genius did a beautiful rendition of Frank Ocean's "Swim Good," one of my favorite songs off the Nostalgia EP. I love the acoustics and his voice is seamless. Not to mention he added his own riffs. Sing on, Ebrahim. I will try again next week...

J. Cole - "Work Out" ((Video))

This is off the much anticipated album "Cole World" slated for September 27th. I've been a fan since "The Come Up," fell in love with "The Warm Up," so I'm definitely excited to see singles dropping for the actual album. Really hoping he doesn't get mainstreamed too fast like Drake - he just wasn't the same after "So Far Gone." I have a thing for hungry talent. 


Anyway, enjoy the video - you know he had to holla at an NY chick. I hear we do it best ;-) 
J. Cole - "Work Out..." from the upcoming album "Cole World: The Sideline Stories"







J. Cole describes the difference betweek Krispy Kreme and Dunkin Donuts. Lol, the boys used to go crazy for KK donuts on roadtrips. When you see that Hot Light - it's on! 


Ugh - his skin is so smooth!! 

Fitness 2.0 - Smoothie Life...

I just finished my abwork for the day - and I figured I'd share my smoothie suggestion with you guys.


It's not easy to do when you're on the move, but on days like this, where I'm not at work - I try to whip together a post-workout smoothie and head out to run my errands. Making them doesn't take much time, but cleanup will slow you down a bit. It's a cheaper alternative to Smoothie King and Jamba Juice every day.

For starters, frozen fruit is key. It makes the body of the smoothy, and keeps it from being all runny. This way, there's no need for ice or anything extra.

Then, I throw in a packet of protein powder. Egg White Protein helps with weight gain, Whey is good for weight loss. I use them for weight maintenance, so I switch them up as I see fit. The greens are good for digestion, helps with hair skin and nails and overal body function. 

Flax seeds are a great fiber source, but only work when ground. You can either buy them ground and throw them into your smoothie, or chew a spoonful by yourself. Either way works the same - I tried to use my food processor, but they were just too small. So I just ate 'em. Feel fine. 


It's a great boost of energy to start the day, low calorie and no sugar added (although I might throw in some brown sugar every once in a while ;) ) 
Enjoy! 

Jay-Z and Kanye West - "Otis" ((Video))

In case you weren't staring at your television or computer screen today for the premier - I've got Otis live and direct for that ass. Not too many words necessary - but I am definitely ready to visit NY after staring at Jigga's snapback. Much love for the blatant disrespect of the Maybach - and infinite love for the fact that it's being auctioned off for charity. I might throw a bid in on eBay...


Jay-Z and Kanye West - "Otis" (From the album, "Watch the Throne")
Number one in 23 countries with no media promotion. True icons...

Get More: JAY Z and Kanye West, Music, More Music Videos

The Everest University Mystery...

Funniest parody yet:









Like every other person watching mid day TV - I see the Everest Commercials all. day. long. I often wonder to myself, what the hell do they do there? So, I went and looked for myself. Everything seemed pretty self-explanatory from their website... 


via info.everestuniversity.edu

Everest University offers AS & BS Diplomas/ Degrees  in these Popular Fields*:

• Accounting
• Business
• Criminal Justice
• Dental Assistant
• Massage Therapy
• Medical Assistant
• Medical Administrative Assistant

• Medical Insurance Billing and Coding
• Nursing
• Paralegal
• Pharmacy Technician
• Trades

14 Campus Locations in Florida.  Online & Master degree programs also available**

They have schools in 23 of our 51 States, including New York and Florida, with programs from Accounting to Surgical Technologist (wtf is that??) Okay, I had to look it up:

During surgery, technologists pass instruments and other sterile supplies to surgeons and surgical assistants. They may hold retractors, cut sutures, and help count sponges, needles, supplies, and instruments. Surgical technologists help prepare, care for, and dispose of specimens taken for laboratory analysis and help apply dressings. Some operate sterilizers, lights, or suction machines and help operate diagnostic equipment.

After an operation, surgical technologists may help transfer patients to the recovery room and clean and restock the operating room.

According to BLS.gov - this career can pay a decent salary, but it is based on your degree level in the field:

Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals$40,880
Outpatient care centers 39,660
General medical and surgical hospitals 38,640
Offices of physicians 38,520
Offices of dentists 36,380


This all sounds great, right? Then I researched reviews from current students and alumni... 


via Viewpoints.com
“NOT a REGIONALLY Accredited College! ”

Everest College — 

Everest College is NOT a REGIONALLY Accredited college. Do not be fooled! This means that your course units will not transfer or be accepted by any Community College or University. This also means that business will not see your degree as valid. Sorry for folks who wasted their time here. I am a Professor at a CA Community College and I asked our admissions and records if they would accept transfer units from Everest ( a non-regionally accredited college) and they said NO. I also called the number on the Everest College website- The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) is located at 750 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20002; (202) 336-6780. And they said they were NOT Regionally accredited.

That review was from an actual professor - which makes it even scarier. I went to the ACICS site, and Everest was nowhere to be found. I then went to the US Department of Education site and found that Everest IS in fact accredited, but had no specialized accreditation.   

“great school for working moms”

jessybeanzRochester, NY

Everest Institute allows busy working individuals like myself to pursue an education while living their life. I am a busy mother of two and I enjoy the flexibility that going to school at Everest gives me. They helped me with the application and financial aid, I did not a penny out of pocket to go to school. I am taking mostly online classes, however Everest also offers convenient class schedules at their two locations in my city. I am about 2/3 of the way done with my degree and have no complaints about the school whatsoever.

Everest actually got 40% positive reviews on the Guide to Online Schools site, and positive fedback on Viewpoints.com. These were all from current students, though - so I looked up Alumni next...

“POWER IN NUMBERS! THIS SCAM HAS TO END! ”

Emerald7575Vancouver, WA

Case one:
My externship was a real positive experience, a few ladies employed at my extern site told me that "I should go to a real college because you have been scamed honey" Everest is a JOKE.

Case two:
I was told during my first interview that they/HR noticed I had Everest on my resume & that didn't sit well with the hiring manager they looked down on graduates from there. The Doctor also was a really nice guy who came in to talk to me about how a friend of a friends child went there and.... "it was a very suspect/bad college".
Thank you.

Short & Sweet. I'm tired. :(

faith06Cedar Lake, IN

“Everest SUCKS”

a serious student

Pros

FU*K THIS SCHOOL!, there is no positive to this school

Cons

EVERYTHING, everest sucks, career services is unprofessional

Everest College — 

You could not pay me to say any good about this place, I had straight A's through the whole program.  And to say Everest helps those who help themselves is a load of bull.  I have been on my on finding a job because god forbid career services has to do their job.  A certificate or diploma through everest is worthless and will not help you in any way.  As soon as I took everest off of my resume, I started getting interviews and have gotten job offers. For 9 months I had it on my resume and got nothing. Since i took it off I was offered 3 jobs.  What does that tell ya.  I had a number of Dentists ask me why i went there.  So dont be suckered by everest like i was.  The only good thing was my instructor.  Thats the ONLY good thing.  Hell i was a student ambassador and that meant nothing too.

“Everest College made it possible for me to get a degree”

everybodydownSanta Fe, NM

People bash this school pretty hard but my experience has been good and I am finishing my first degree. I may even get another with Everest. I made up for lost time doing four semesters a year. Everest makes it possible to get a degree quickly but it isn't easy. I see the bad comments on here and I can see that the people that make them didn't finish. Although it is expensive, the online courses save me from having to commute and traveling expenses. I am happy and i see other successful people I go to school with and they are happy too.

And the realest ish they ever wrote:

poopiefaceFort Worth, TX

“this school is a scam!”

Pros

FU*K THIS SCHOOL!

Cons

EVERYTHING

Everest College — 

I'm an employee for Everest college and this school is a scam!!! I just got hired on after graduating from college to do the Finance side of the job. I dont even have a degree in business and they told me I could do the finance stuff. Whatever, I dont care. It's a job in the mean time while I look for something else better. 

The school's courses cannot be transfer to anywhere! It's not even consider a real school by the state! This school is for profit! They don't use the term students during staff meetings. They use terms like customers! Because they see each student who comes in there is a customer! who's bringing them money! they dont care about you! They all try to be nice and tell you oh it's all about the student. and we are here for you, whatever...Everyone who works here is only here because it pays and they have no where else to go. I hope the government is going to bring down post secondary schools down because they are making a profit from people in the next couple of years.

This is their system...get you to qualify for grants, which is capped because Federal government put a limit on it. So you are force to take out Federal student loans and on top of that a Genesis loan...which is by the way is how they make a profit. They make about 20 million from each school off of the students who pays for their private loan student loans. They are not state regulated so they dont have state grants! They only have federal grants, which is the Pell grant. They dont have to report numbers to the state if they are not regulated by them. 

The people who are in the medical programs gets a certificate...NOT A DIPLOMA OR A DEGREE...a certificate!!! and those who are in the two years program gets an associate...a degree that cost them 40 grand!!! you can get a certificate at a community college for 10 grand or less. and those credits can transfer to a university! 

Their goal is to get the student excited about school! bring them in for a prelim and then bring them back two days after because they think if they wait after that then the student will change their mind about going to school. They are very pushy! Most schools have cancelled their pharm tech program because of low hiring rates! the students are not finding any jobs after they graduate. 

I would be hesitant to even look at this school. Out of the few alumni I found with positive reviews - most of them had horrible grammar. I wouldn't want them doing anything surgical to me. The best part of the research was the parody commercials. If you know anyone who's attended this school - PLEASE encourage them to leave their feedback here. All this searching still left me confused about Everest. 

Mike Epps on Everest College Guy:

New Music - Chris Wynter - "Don Status"

My homeboys are really doing it big in the music scene, and this song definitely doesn't disappoint. I'm honored to know them personally, but their musical talent speaks for itself. 


"With J's on - she got them Infareds. Leave them thangs on, now I'm gettin sneaker head..."


Punchlines for days, and the beat is so gritty. I love it, and I know you will, too...


Chris Wynter = "Don Status" - Enjoy! 

Meek Mill - "Get Dis Money" ((Video))

"Tryna turn this dollar bill into a pretty situation..."


The first time I heard Meek Mill's voice, I swore he was Peedie Crakk. I guess the hunger in his tone is a Philly thing. I love his flow, reminiscent of the Northern rappers we loved back in High School; Freeway, Chris & Neef, Peedie, Jada...
This is what we call Motivation Music. What I play on the drive to work, my entrance music at the gym. Inspiration to get your paper up. However you get it...


"Dreamchasers" comes out in 15hours. I'll be anticipating this mixtape for sure.


P.S. - thank you Meek for cutting your hair. Much better.  


Meek Mill - "We Gon Get Dis Money..."

Goodbye Hair - Hello Product Reviews!

I have hundreds of hair products under my bathroom sink - being natural is a trial and error process. Most of the time, I spent so much money on the product that I don't want to dispose of it.


 Lucky for me, I kept my CHI items for the future. I was so disappointed when I bought them, because so many people swear by them - and they didn't work for me. The straightening serum got it straight but couldn't keep it, and the hairspray made my hair super frizzy. I decided to try them again, post-keratin treatment, to see what the results would be. Let's find out... 

Unfortunately for me - I got caught in some serious rain on my way to class, and consequently messed up my hairstyle. This gave me a chance to try everything out. I sprayed the CHI Moisture Therapy Silk Guard on my hair, then blow-dried it straight with the round brush. Then, I secured my edges with the Elasta QP Glaze. The Optimum Oil Therapy is a very lightweight oil cream for my scalp, that doesn't weight down the hair itself. 


Lastly, I sprayed the CHI Moisture Therapy Silk Lock Hairspray over everything - the true results will reveal themselves once I step outside. So far, so good. Nice and shiny, smooth edges, and even the nape of my neck is still straight. 

 I'll take an after pic when I get to work, lol let's see how this goes... 

Frank Ocean - "Thinking About You..."

"Cuz I been thinkin' about forever..." 

Goodbye hair...

We hacked it off this weekend. Wasn't much to it but to do it. I love it so far. Of course, you get the guys who ask why I did it - but it's just hair! I've done more drastic cuts before, and it always grows back. This time, I promise to keep up with my regimens and grow it back nice and strong. Don't know how long this straight business is gonna last, though...

Thank you, Jael!

Night out with the fam.

Apartment Blues...

I was sitting with my mom talking about some things we're working on - and I started reminiscing on my old apartment. I really miss it. The spacious floor plan, the lake view, my doggies running around. ::sigh::


I'm grinding out the next few months til graduation, and debating whether I should wait til January to make another move. It would be wise to wait, but I'm getting stir crazy. I didn't even get to decorate the way I wanted to. I've already started buying things at IKEA. 


Having that solitude spoiled me, and now I just feel cramped here. I love home, but I miss my other home. Yoga on the patio, quiet walks around the complex. The ability to be alone. Grrr!! 


One thing I can say, this is a perfect opportunity to get it all back together. Getting my money up, clearing my debts - getting shafted out of my apartment was definitely a learning experience. I enjoyed my time there, and I promise myself that the next place will be equal or even better. 

Our barren living room on week one...

So, bear with me as I endure my angst. I'm so ready to go. But with these new business moves I'm putting in place - it's only a matter of time...

Hello Hairstyle - Goodbye Hair...

I got my hair done about two weeks ago. Keratin treatment and new cut with in-between tracks for body. I loved it! Sadly, with my crazy, resistant hair - it lasted about four days. The keratin treatment didn't take, and my  roots are curly again. I have to flat iron every day to keep the style, and that's what I was trying to avoid!

One hour after the cut...

Two weeks later...

Thank God for Kinky Curly, because it's been keeping my edges under control, and Jane Carter's Smooth & Shine for the rest. It's all gonna go bye-bye on Friday - I gave up on growing it out from this length and decided to cut it short again. We're gonna try the keratin again, and move from there. I figure a fresh start is what I need. No breakage, no uneven parts. Fresh. 

Think I wanna go back to this cut:

Short hair, don't care...

Just gotta wait and see what Jael says. She's really good with styling - now we put her cutting skills to the test. Rescue me!


Check out Jael's work HERE.

Fitness Queen Andressa Soares (Mulher Melancia) In Paris...

This woman is dynamic. She really does it all. Bodybuilding, modeling, game shows, music. Who else can say they have all those knotches on their belt at once? Some may say it's all a part of objectification - but I see it as creating an enterprise. I admire her physical strength - not to mention her beauty. I never realized that she's an international sensation...


Peep my previous posts on her Here.


The men of Paris were going insane!





Dammit, I wish I spoke Portuguese...
Fitness moves from the queen herself:





I'm on a constant quest for improvement - and she is one of my fitness inspirations. You wanna get your booty right? Watch this chick do it big!