With the a new album and a 777 Tour” 7 Countries, 7 days and 7 Shows” the crowned Queen of Rock and Pain, Rihanna is showing fans she has no plans of being dethroned.

The Barbadian sex symbol delivers another oversensitive, artistic, and exposed masterpiece to fans entitled “Unapologetic”, is her 7^th studio album in 7 years. The album includes her #1 hit single “Diamonds”, which was produced by Benny Blanco, and several edgy tracks “Fresh Off The Runway”, “Power It Up” and “Jump” is a sample of R&B’s singer’s Ginuwine “Pony” simply excludes pure sexual hunger. Yet tracks “Stay” feat Mikky Ekko and “What Now” proves that this good girl gone bad has a softer venerable side and isn’t apologetic about it.  Rihanna seems to be in a space where heart is unsure of the meaning of love, what she wants and whom she truly wants it from. The track “Nobody’s Business” which feat. ex lover Chris Brown serves is a crucial example that RiRi’s heart may not be ready to let go. This album could be considered “Rated R: Part 2” with more techno and hip hop inspired melodies and her stronger vocal ability.

Though fans may consider this album to be a package of mixed emotions and messages, they should view this to be a desirable darker shade of grey, of a mood of Rihanna continues to get more mysterious as they continue to turn the page of this dramatic diary of an album.  Obviously after the confusion, this “Unapologetic “ chapter deserves 4 out 5 stars for true edge, sex appeal and venerability.

Lil Ms. Shines most defiantly continues to shine bright like a diamond with this one.

Tracklist:

1. ”Fresh Out The Runway”
2. ”Diamonds”
3. ”Numb” (featuring Eminem)
4. ”Pour It Up”
5. ”Loveeeeeee Song” (featuring Future)
6. “Jump”
7. ”Right Now”
8. ”What Now”
9. ”Stay” (featuring Mikky Ekko)
10. ”Nobodies Business” (featuring Chris Brown)
11. ”Love Without Tragedy / Mother Mary”
12. ”Get It Over With”
13. ”No Love Allowed”
14. ”Lost In Paradise”
15. “Half of Me” (Bonus track)

He’s young, he’s talented, and he’s a big deal! Get to know Alexander Wang.

At 29 years of age, Alexander Wang has become one of the most sought after menswear designers in the country. Wang has paid his dues, all the while marching to the beat of his own drum. A graduate of Parson’s School of Design, this talented designer started his menswear collection a short year ago and it already has global appeal.

What sets Wang’s menswear collection apart from most is his very nontraditional approach, comfortability and soft silhouettes. This isn’t traditional for most menswear designers. He takes sports inspired garments (hoodies, sweatshirts, jogging pants) and pairs them with chinos. This is brilliant because it keeps the look relatable to men.

His collections are often edgy yet it’s not in your face and very effective. Wang takes a very minimalistic approach to his overall vision for menswear and prevents it from overpowering the person wearing it; while creating pieces that can be worn with various things. We’re eager to see the T. by Alexander Wang Collection grow and evolve; he’s definitely has our attention.

The first time around the bride was giddy, the groom was anxious and the parents of the bride-to-be were popping for the party. There was an expensive white wedding gown to show off the most beautiful girl in the world on her dreamed of day. The cake was going to cost more than the groom’s first car and the bachelor party was just about enough to send the groom off into fantasy land.

The young couple wandered through the regional mall going from jewelry store to jewelry store trying to find the perfect

Learning a new skill or hobby is beneficial for your happiness and health levels.  When you are happy, your peace of mind and sense of well-being are higher which leads to you being healthier because you are more relaxed.  Taking care of you is important no matter the age or situation you are in.  If guitar playing is something you’ve thought about doing, try giving online lessons a test drive to see if it’s the hobby for you.  Below are the top 10 reasons you should stop waiting sign up for online guitar lessons.

1. It’s Something You Always Wanted to Do.  Sometimes you just have to make the time to do things for

Roommate 101: 5 Steps to Protecting Your Apartment When Renting

At one time or another, most of us have lived (for better or for worse) with a roommate for financial or other reasons. Most of the time, the process is rather informal. You look for a buddy who needs a room or post an ad.  After a couple of conversations, phone calls, or e-mails later, you are ready for them to move them in. Time is money and you don’t want to waste time going through a lot of potential roommates. In most cases, the roommate relationship works pretty well and ends quite civilly. In a small percentage of cases, however, this arrangement can go horribly wrong. It is those  tiny percentage of cases that form the bulk of the horror stories: the extremely loud all-night party goer, the weird roommate who collects weird-smelling [Insert something really weird here], etc.  To protect yourself, it is important to be prepared for the legal responsibility you are accepting in taking on a roommate.

After living in apartments for the majority of my life, I have come across plenty of renters who have put themselves in legal and financial risk because they failed to take some necessary precautions.  As a result, some of them lost their apartments, friendships and money. Don’t let that happen to you!

Based on what I have observed, I have included five those tips based on some of the common mistakes I see renters take:

1. Review your lease. Your first step before obtaining a roommate is to review your lease. Your lease should contain information regarding the addition and removal of roommates. It will also tell you if you are allowed to have roommates and under what conditions. Be sure to inform your landlord of any new members you are adding to your apartment. A landlord has the right to evict you for violating the lease if you have additional roommates that are not accounted for.
2. Take pictures. Your second step will cover you in case of property damage. Taking a picture of the apartment you plan to rent is always a good practice. It can help to establish the basis for an argument in court. Go through the whole apartment, with particular emphasis on the room you plan to rent, and take pictures. Your goal is to establish a baseline for keeping your legal obligation of taking. If your roommate trashes the place, you may be to use this as evidence for your defense.
3. Understand the law. Your third step is to do some legal research. One of the easiest ways to do this is through and online search for terms like “tenancy laws” in your city or state of your residence.  Tenancy laws outline the duties and rights of the landlord and roommate. It will also explain information about evictions, which may be necessary if you have a roommate who stays too long, endangers your safety and other reasons. Be sure to seek legal counsel if you have problems understanding or applying these laws.
4. Document all agreements about rent and utilities.  This may already be covered by your lease; however if isn’t be sure to have a written agreement in which you clearly state what you and the roommate(s) are to pay each month. Having a roommate offering to pay a discretionary rather than a set amount on a bill is a slippery slope that can cause trouble. Set up a set amount for every roommate to pay and stick to it, unless circumstances change (i.e. person loses job, change or cancel in service, etc).
5. Communicate, Communicate, and Communicate. This is the key area in which roommate relationships break down.  Regardless of how well you know your roommate, be sure to discuss any “house rules” such as chores, cleanliness, etc. that you would like for them to follow. Be prepared to negotiate as you work together to find a common ground. On the same note, once you have  an agreement, your roommate must honor it. If they don’t, inform them of it and seek to resolve the situation as peacefully as possible before going to more drastic measures.

In summary, the key ingredients to any successful roommate relationship are communication, negotiation, and documentation. If you can get these areas covered, you should be in a better position to deal with just about anything a roommate will bring to you.

A Chicago native, Malisa Loberg likes to keep her finger on the pulse of the city!  She is adept at matching clients with neighborhoods and apartments that exceed their expectations.  Malisa writes about great Chicago rentals and relocation issues for Apartment Guys of Chicago.

If you’re looking to make the grade as in scoring an “A” on your next term paper, you have your work cut out for you. It isn’t that an A grade is unattainable, rather there are so many nuances that can spell the difference between acing a paper or settling for a lower grade. A lower grade may not hurt you, but it can certainly disappoint you if you’ve put forth your very best effort.

You can go beyond the ordinary and write the extraordinary with your next term paper. Assuming that your research is solid and your spelling and grammar are flawless, there is one important point you must attain. That point is interviewing at least one of your sources first hand and using that unique summation to put you over the top.

Let’s take a look at you can conduct an interview for at least one source.

Step One – Make your arrangements. Rarely can you call someone up and expect to interview him on the spot. Instead, you need to determine that this source is worth mentioning and can add value to your term paper. Identify that the person being interviewed is right for your term paper. If not, find someone who is.

When calling your source, explain what you’re working on and how you envision using this person’s information in your term paper. Ask your source for a date and time for an interview and promise to take up no more than 15 minutes of his time.

Step Two – Get ready for the interview. Now that your source is lined up, you’ll want to prepare for the interview. This means researching the individual’s background, taking care to spell his name correctly and ascribing the right title.

If you are interviewing in person, bring a pad and pencils and if you plan to tape the conversation do not do so without permission from the interviewee. Take notes as recording devices have been known to fail at the most inopportune moment. Note taking is all the more essential if your request for a recorded conversation has been turned down.

Step Three – Conduct the interview. You have questions to ask and answers that you need to get. Time is of the essence here too, so don’t be afraid to move the interview on to the next question if answers are drawn out. Once you are satisfied with the answer, then move on to your next question. Clarify key points that you don’t understand or need an explanation.

Observe how your source answers his questions. Body language cues can tell you more about an answer besides words alone. Expect that there will be some follow up the interviewer may want to do, therefore provide a contact number where he can call you. For example, a professor may need to check his files for supporting documentation, something he can do after the interview has been finished.

Step Four – Put it together. It is doubtful that the entire interview will be part of your term paper, but significant points will be included. Reconstruct the interview and then highlight key points that pertain to your report.

Make sure that you cite the interview according to APA Style Guidelines. For example that reference will look something like this: (J. Doe, personal communication, July 15, 2012). Citing an interview that you read is handled differently, so take note of these differences.

If citing sources for MLA Style, your reference will look like this: Doe, John. Personal interview. 15 July 2012.

Putting It Together

Once your term paper is ready for its final draft, your interviewed source should flow naturally with your paper. An interview has another benefit too as it allows you to make contact beneficial to your future such as a career or academic resource.

Amanda Greene is Brand Manager at RHL, leading online supplier of dorm bedding.

Tyler Perry’s gratitude is contagious. He always takes time to say thank you and opens up to his fans. He posted on Facebook today July 10, 2012 marks his 20 year anniversary in show business and the questions we all have about should be quit when the going gets ruff.

Here’s the letter he posted on Facebook.

Why did I put all my money into this? Is this going to work? God, do you hear me? Where are the people? I’m so scared. How will I pay these people? Why did I do this? I can’t pay my rent, they are going to repossess my car…

The year was 1992, July 8th-12th. All these questions were crowding my mind. I was a 22-year old wannabe… but what I wanted to be I didn’t know. All I knew was that I had written this play about adult survivors of child abuse and I wanted the world to see it. I was so sure that it was going to work that I put my own money into the show.

I had worked as a used car salesman and a bill collector and saved my income tax check and my bonuses. I took that money and hired a cast and built a set and rented a very small theater in Atlanta called the 14th Street Playhouse. I had done all the math in my head: I was going to perform 6 shows, 200 people a show, for a total of 1,200 people. The tickets were $12 and I was going to make $14,000 and be rich… LOL. I was going to give my tithe to the church, give my mother some money, pay my rent (that was two months behind), get my car payment caught up and live happily ever after. I knew as sure as I am sitting here that it was all going to be all right. I had prayed that thang out, as they say in the Baptist church… LOL. Looking back on it now I can laugh, but back then it wasn’t so funny. What I quickly realized is that prayer alone will not always get the results you want. As much work as I did, I didn’t do enough to promote the show. More work was needed to go along with my faith.

I was expecting 1,200 people but only 30 showed up. I was devastated. I thought my dreams were dead. Based off this one thing I thought my life was over. Based on this one failure (what I thought was a failure but it clearly wasn’t), I thought that the rest of my life would be ruined. Needless to say, looking back on it, it was all a part of God’s plan and amazing design for my life. And God has a plan for all of our lives.

Today I celebrate my 20th anniversary in show business. It’s been an amazing journey, one that I will detail in my autobiography one day. You would be surprised, inspired, angry and blown away with what I’ve endured to be here, but until then I’d like to share a little inspiration with you. So many times we think that because one thing didn’t go as planned we should give up on it. So many people leave their dreams dying on the floor, gasping for air because it didn’t work out the first time. Be it marriage, business, children, faith, whatever your dream is, you can’t give up because it didn’t go as planned. If I had walked away because it didn’t work you wouldn’t be reading this. I had to keep moving. Yes, there were setbacks. Yes, it was difficult, but I got to see my dreams come to pass because I never stopped moving forward, I never stopped praying and most of all I never stopped believing. DON’T STOP BELIEVING!!!! PLEASE DON’T STOP BELIEVING!!! Say this to yourself out loud right now: “DON’T STOP BELIEVING”, and repeat it to yourself whenever you doubt that you can make it.

What you must understand is that everything, all of it, the good the bad and the ugly, it all works together for your good. If you love the Lord you are called according to His purpose. What’s His purpose for you? If you’re not sure, seek it and all your dreams will come true.

To all my dreamers, to all the people who have invested in themselves, to all the people who have the same questions that I did, hear me when I say this: YOU CAN DO IT!!

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN SHOW BUSINESS TODAY!!!!

God Bless you, in Jesus’ name, AMEN!

-Tyler

When you’re refinancing your home, the temptation often is to get your own appraisal to get a jump on the process. Don’t do it.

Appraisal Fraud

For years the industry has been riddled by collusion between appraisers, lenders, and sometimes borrowers. When I first got in the business it was common for a loan officer to call around until they found an appraiser that would give them a home value that would enable them to make the loan. If one appraiser wouldn’t give a high enough value the loan officer on the loan would just call another and another until he found an appraiser willing to play ball. Too often lenders would lose a loan because the appraisal came in too low so lenders and loan officers took matters into their own hands and made sure they would always get the value they needed.

As a new mom, you are about to embark upon a whole new world. It is a world of excitement, pride and love, unlike anything you have ever experienced. After nine months of anticipation, as well as planning and visualizing everything you will do with your new bundle of joy, the moment has finally arrived. After bringing your new baby home, you have realized it is not all fun and games. There are numerous diaper changings per day, 3 A.M. feedings, attending to every demand a newborn can make. In a nutshell, this wondrous world of motherhood can be positively exhausting.

Vanessa Banks’ angelic presence continues to inspire. Even after her passing, she is still making an impact. Illustration by TuTch Imaging.

When I decided to pay homage to Vanessa Banks, I asked one of our editors to do it because at the time, I was still stunned by her untimely death (like most of the world).