NEW BLOG... THIS FOOL TOLD ME TO LOWER MY EXPECTATIONS AND IT WORKED!!

What would you say if i told you to, "lower your expectations"? You'd probably look at me as if I passed gas in a crowded elevator! To be honest, that's the look I had on my face as read the two page section from the book "Don't Sweat The Small Stuff at Work".... The idea of someone telling me to lower my expectations just seems obsurd.

When I continued to read I realized how much sense it made. Why would we assume that in life everyone we meet, date, work or interact with will give us 100% of what we expect 100% of the time? Now don't get me wrong, i'm not saying to go around expecting the worse from everyone, rather to accept that fact that you will meet people who aren't what or who you expect them to be. Be it the non communicating boy friend/girl friend, the "do the bare minimum" co-worker, or better yet the customer service rep who hates everything about customer service. We will meet them all, over and over again through out the course of our lifetime and yet we don't adjust our thinking to account for it.

We're all human and the sooner we realize that the bumps in the road are simply a part of the commute. The faster make the adjustment for these bumps, more enjoyable the ride will be. LEAVE A COMMENT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK?

Life's Short

B. Free

Read more

Is Reading "Nine Little Black Dresses for your Holiday Parties"

It's Christmas time in the city, the parties are happening in every cornerpocket of your local metropolis! Your job? To be a FASHIONIZER.Make no mistake about it, though the holiday spirit prevails, it's backdrop will be an unofficial fashion show coming to a Christmas or NYE party near you. This is the perfect season and occasions to showcase your trusted friend "The Little Black Dress" as it promises to invoke sounds such as "oohh" and "ahhhh" from the mouths of onlookers. In this post, the LBD(Little Black Dress) steps outside of its box and embraces trend. A traditional LBD should be wearable for years and many occasions but this season I'm aiming to motivate you towards the more risque. Below you will find a variety of Ready to Wear, on trend options for the High End Shopper as well as the Budget Savvy Buyer. As much as we love our LBD's, the right accessories can determine just how deeply we can make OTHERS fall in love. Want to know how to accessorize your LBD? Checkout What to Wear With your Little Black Dress .

Click here to finish this article --> FINISH READING

Read more

INSIDE SCOOP ON NEW MUSIC FROM JUANITA PLACE

1. Intro

2. Brand New (Music by B. Rice and S. Jones, Lyrics by B. Rice for Making My Music Publishing, BMI) …“This song was originally a concept taken from one of our favorite instrumentals to play. Shontez and I were rehearsing and came up with a new sound to our old standard. When I began writing lyrics, the dark quality of the sound gave me an image of an anti-hero preparing to save the only thing he really cared about…”

3. Hello Venus (Music and Lyrics by B. Rice for Kognate Music Publishing, BMI) “…this is a song that I feel is an accomplishment in my growth as a lyricist. It captures the moment that I have felt inspired by music and women who perform it, and the surreal imagery you see in the sounds. Also, it’s really a song that came to me after I realized I had a huge crush on one of the most unlikely female artists, and she totally doesn’t pay me any attention…”

4. Coming To an End (Music by B. Rice and S. Jones, Lyrics by B. Rice for Making My Music Publishing, BMI) …“I started this song by myself from a random melodic progression that just wouldn’t leave my head, which is how it normally starts. After I brought this song to the group, ‘cause I couldn’t finish it, it took on an entirely different feel. Shontez was practicing a lot of Latin rhythms that week, and couldn’t wait to get it in a song. This groove is crazy when we play it live.”

5. Just To Us ¤ (Music and Lyrics by B. Rice for Kognate Music Publishing, BMI) “…this is 100% true, I wrote this song after being caught in a very elaborate lie, which ended up getting me so stressed that I couldn’t eat, which is an amazing feat, cause I can ALWAYS eat, but this day tore me up. The result, I had to write in hopes that someone would hear, ‘cause the girl I had just pissed off, wasn’t having it…”

6. Percussive (Drums by S. Jones)

click here to read more

Read more

On The B.Free Blog, A Discussion of Race: "Black Women...Invisible?"

That is what one study suggests. I was recently sent an article by a friend published on Psychology Today about black women being invisible. Hmmm, I know you're thinking, exactly what do they mean? The study noted in the article suggests that black women are often overlooked physically in public and their comments often go unheard or brushed off in social settings. There were two parts to the study. One part was a facial recognition of sorts and the other was a recall of comments made during a discussion.

I go any further, I want to say that I reached my own conclusion before I even finished reading the article. The very last class I took before graduating with my BA in Psychology was a class, more like a seminar on African-Americans. I remember the professor mentioning at the beginning of the course how women in general, but especially black women are often left out of or not used in research studies. One would argue, it is because how research is. I work in research. People feel that there may be some motives that aren't clear, but no research is clear nor would it be dependent if everything was known up front of what would be studied. It creates this bias which could have a serious effect on results. The other reason for not enough blacks in studies in general, is because a lot of research studies that involve studying the black population simply do not get funded. My professor wanted to do a study about stress and it's effects on the heart of black people. Our stressors are different. Our heart rates escalate when we walk into a mall for fear of being watched or followed because we may steal or when we are in class or work and we are the only Sistas Representin' (SRs) in the room. So, no wonder we may get overlooked in social studies because no other race besides our own wants to acknowledge us!

Read the rest of this story here.

Read more

The Grimm Report CD reviews: Ajule - Kings & Pawns Volume 1: Memoirs of a Drug Lord

Ajule

Kings & Pawns Volume 1: Memoirs of a Drug Lord

Grimm Score: 5 out of 5

If you are a true fan of the Hip Hop scene in St. Louis then you should be familiar with the Lord of the STL Underground scene, Ajule aka Ju the Czar. A well known battle rapper during the golden era of the Hi-Pointe Café Monday Night open mic sessions, Ajule quickly gained popularity and respect from spectators and fellow emcees. Ju the Czar, Mr. Zoom In or whatever alias the public may know him better as, releases his new mixtape “Kings & Pawns Volume 1: Memoirs of a Drug Lord”, which is truly a blessing to Hip Hop. The mixtape is hosted by ICU and features production from Mike Will Made It, Band Camp, Sag and Sineca... Read More

Read more