You may have caught Rickey Smiley’s latest entertainment venture, The Rickey Smiley Show, on TVOne, or heard about Terrence J leaving his mainstay, BET’s 106 & Park to pursue other hosting and acting gigs. These celebrities are now coming from behind the mic of their hosting jobs and onto the big screen of television and movies.

Before they were known for the Fast & Furious movie franchise, their upcoming fashion or make-up line or their OWN television network, these 15 celebrities paved their way to stardom as television and radio hosts.

Rickey Smiley

As the star of his own syndicated morning radio show, The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Rickey Smiley has more to smile about. He is now coming from behind the mic and onto the television screen with the premiere of his TVOne sitcom, The Rickey Smiley Show.

WENN

Okay, I know we’re all excited but everyone, please, just breathe.

One of the most popular Oprah themed shows in the history of her 25 year run was, of course, “Oprah’s Favorite Things.” The repeated phrase, “You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!,” has become one of the most memorable moments in daytime television.  Well, OWN just announced that “Favorite Things” will be making a very special appearance next month.

Set to air on November 18th on OWN, this episode of “Favorite Things” will have Oprah surprise a group of unexpected military spouses.  This is sure to be one of those exciting yet emotional moments as military spouses tend to deal with so many trials and tribulations and can always use a break or big surprise. No matter what they receive, every giveaway is sure to be a “big moment.”  This special will be immediately followed by a new docu-series, Married to the Military: Alaska.

I don’t know about you all but ever since Oprah was still on and I realized (and accepted) that I was never going to get tickets to any “Favorite Things” episode, I find myself so excited for all the people in the audience. Plus, it gives me new things to look up and obsess over.

Wait, a thought: First Lady Michelle Obama is big on support for military spouses. What if – wait for it – they get to have something like lunch or even just coffee with her?  Well, I’d just die…but jealousy would set in first.

If you could think of one thing to receive as a “favorite thing,” what would it be?

Source

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Image via iStockphoto

“A Dollar and A Dream” spotlights low- and no-cost ways to build a better business. The economy may be lagging, but new resources are empowering small business owners like never before. Follow the series to learn how to take your dreams to the next level without breaking the bank.

Your success in business is directly linked to how you produce your product. Maximizing productivity can be difficult for small businesses where manpower is in short supply. Luckily, improving productivity isn’t always about working harder; you may just need to work smarter.

New apps are hitting the marketplace everyday, designed to streamline business systems and help owners and employees get the most out of their time and efforts. The tools below allow for greater efficiency in managing billing, information, tasks and time. This selection only scratches the surface of what is available. Check out “Go Digital: Web Tools for Every Business” for even more recommendations.

When searching for a reliable app, first take a look at how you do business. What tasks or areas are you slowing down? Once you pinpoint the areas where you need to save time and money, the answer is just an Internet search away. It’s hard for a good app to stay a secret for long. Reviews from users and business publications will give you a good idea if a tool has the right features for you.

Here are a few common issues apps solve:

“I’m always late.”

Solution: OnTime

Platform: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch

Price: $1.99

Benefit: Analyzes your schedule to provide timely reminders to keep you on schedule.

How It Works: OnTime syncs with your existing calendar and takes into account your current location, the location of your next appointment, and traffic patterns to provide accurate alerts to keep you on time. It will even alert your next appointment if you are running late. Perfect for busy individuals who complain about time getting away from them.

“My team works remotely and has trouble staying on the same page.”

Solution: Flow

Platform: Web, Desktop (Mac), and iPhone

Price: Free app ($9 monthly service fee / $99 yearly)

Benefit: A central location to create and delegate project tasks and keep project updates from being overlooked in e-mail.

How It Works: Flow is an online collaboration platform. Invite contacts to join a task or project list whether they have an account or not and you can tackle projects as a team regardless of location. The app allows you to delegate tasks, keep track of each team members’ progress, as well as discuss and collaborate issues in real-time. Payment options are available on a yearly basis or month-to-month for special projects.

“My team wastes time tracking me or a client down to sign off on documents.”

Solution: DocuSign Ink

Platform: Android, iPhone, iPad

Price: Free (paid version $14.99 and up)

Benefit: Send, sign and save documents anywhere, on any device.

How It Works: DocuSign is the most widely used eSignature software and provides extra document encryption, authentication of signers’ identities, and tracking of who signed, when, and where. The paid version offers additional features including sending documents to multiple parties and creating reminders.

“We have so much paperwork to keep track of, our filing system takes up too much time.”

Solution: TurboScan

Platform: iPhone

Price: $1.99

Benefit: Turns your iPhone into a multipage scanner.

How It Works: Don’t waste time looking for paperwork. Take a picture of documents, receipts, notes, whiteboards, or other text and TurboScan will generate a high quality PDF or JPEG file that be stored and shared easily. All processing happens on your iPhone, so there’s no need to worry about your confidentiality being compromised.

“I have too many small tasks to keep track of; I feel like I’m always forgetting something.”

Solution: Wunderlist

Platform: Web, Desktop (Windows and Mac), Android, iPhone, and iPad

Price: Free

Benefit: The classic to-do list, updated with the functionality and portability of modern technology.

How It Works: Wunderlist manages whatever needs to be done, from shopping list, to projects, to to-dos. Unlike a conventional to-do list, you don’t have to keep track of a piece of paper. Wunderlist syncs your lists across platforms, allows you to set reminders or notifications, and lets you share your list via email, Facebook, or Twitter. It’s one of the more elegantly designed to-do list apps on the market.

“I haven’t perfected setting hourly rates for my clients; I think I’m under-billing.”

Solution: MyPrice

Platform: iPhone

Price: Free

Benefit: Especially helpful for new freelancers and contractors who aren’t sure where to begin when setting prices.

How It Works: The app helps you calculate rates for a project based on the tools, help, and supplies you will need. Just plug in what you’ll need to get the job done. The app will calculate how much you should charge to turn a profit. MyPrice is also beneficial in helping business owners think critically about the resources and expenses at their disposal for a given project.

Do you have any apps that your business swears by? Help out your fellow entrepreneurs and share them in the comment section.

C. Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City, perfecting living the fierce life at The Red Read. She is at your service on Twitter @CleveInTheCity.

Image: iStockphoto

We got word today that 2012 is going to be a record-breaking year for gas prices. With that in mind, a number of credit unions and community banks in 20 cities are giving away gas and information about how you can dump your big bank and take your business to a smaller alternative.

Among the banks participating are Money One Federal Credit Union, based in College Park, MD with operations across the D.C. region; Pioneer Bank, with branches across upstate New York; Hope Credit Union, which has locations in New Orleans, across Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas; and Incommons Bank with locations across Texas. Get a full list of participating banks on The Great Gas Giveaway Facebook page. And The Huffington Post has a list of the gas stations and sellers that are participating. The freebie caps at $20 worth of gas and is available to the first 200 drivers.

Now’s the time to take a closer look at your bank and determine whether another financial institution, even a smaller one, can better fill your needs. As HuffPo says, most people have turned to larger banks because they’re accessible and offer digital services. But big banks have come under fire for raising fees on many basic services, lowering the value of doing business with them. And in some cases, due to the economy, bank consolidation or other factors, they’re actually closing down branches. And some small banks can offer better deals (free checking, for example) for those looking for them.

So you could walk away with a new bank account and a full tank of gas.

From books like the 48 Laws of Power to cliché sayings that reference the art of getting what you want, some have immediately come up with the ideal that you have to hurt or use people to get ahead.  While you can’t always be Miss Nice Girl in every situation, there is a clear difference between capitalizing on opportunities and using people and taking their kindness for granted.

It’s human nature to operate out of a self-driven nature. If someone will let you borrow the money, indefinitely, why not take your time paying it back? Or if the guy who has a huge crush on you will shower you with lavish gifts, why not accept them although you know you have no interest in him whatsoever? All of these things may seem harmless, but are in fact ways of using people to your advantage. That’s not cool.

While you can sit and attempt to justify reasons for these actions, try explaining them to karma, who requires no explanations, just payback. It’s really as simple as the golden rule when deciding if you are a user. Ask yourself one simple, yet effective question, would I want this done to me?

Dead exotic animals rounded up from the Muskingum County Animal Farm

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Sorry, I just had to do that for this story.

But anywho, yesterday, the owner of Muskingum County Animal Farm in Zanesville, Ohio made the random decision to set free 56 of the animals inhabiting his farm. According to CBS News, owner Terry Thompson opened up all the animal cages and then shot himself as an alleged final act of spite against his neighbors. Seems his neighbors weren’t a fan of all the animals and he had been in some legal trouble as of late. Of the 56 animals, we’re talking about Bengal tigers and lions running through neighborhoods. Just imagine if you didn’t get that memo until the last minute! Geez!

In a scene out of a movie, police officers in the town went on a huge hunt for the animals as residents stayed their behinds indoors since schools in the area closed. Police say that they shot and killed nearly 50 animals, including eight (count ‘em) bears, a wolf, and a large number of wild cats. They say that only one animal could be left–a monkey, though the sheriff of Zanesville says he “thinks” the monkey was eaten by one of the cats. That is somewhat comforting to know for the sake of the people in that town (especially if it was a crazy a** baboon), but folks still need to be on the lookout. Because according to CBS News, the monkey carried Herpes B. SAY WHAT!? So if you live around there and have a pistol hidden in some lock box in your home, feel free to pull that thing out in case this allegedly “eaten” monkey winds up on your porch.

While many are sad that these animals had to be killed at all (including animal man Jack Hanna who was called in to help), especially the rare 18 Bengal tigers Thompson owned, everyone is pretty much in agreement that police had to do what they had to do to prevent losses in human life. Residents can blame this whole fiasco on Thompson if they want, but some blame can also go in the direction of the state of Ohio for having some of the nation’s weakest restrictions on exotic pets. Don’t let Dr. Doolittle fool you. That ish isn’t cute.

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Want a high-tech tablet but don’t have tablet money? Well, here’s your opportunity to score a fly new BlackBerry PlayBook for free from our friends over at 24Wired.TV. For all the “CrackBerry” addicts out there who can’t seem to put down there beloved phones, you can now go completely crazy over BlackBerry’s new tablet, a sleek piece of work that allows you to surf the Web, watch movies, video chat, check out all your favorite social media sites, and of course, handle business. If you’re as excited as we are about copping anything for free, let alone a tablet, check out 24Wired.TV and follow these steps:

• Follow 24Wired.TV on Twitter: Twitter.com/24wiredtv
• “Like” the site on Facebook: Facebook.com/24wiredTV, and answer the giveaway question on their Facebook page.
• Subscribe to their newsletter (Located in the upper right of 24wired.tv).

You must act fast though, because the contest is going until Wednesday, August 3. Good luck!

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Madame Noire recently caught up with TV persona Free, formerly of BET’s hit show, 106 & Park, for an interview.

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On Thursday June, 03 2010 top African-Americans from the business world gathered at The New York Times building for the 2010 NV Awards. Every year, NV Magazine salutes leaders and visionaries that demonstrate excellence in their industry. Daymond John, Fubu founder and Jacque Reid, radio personality and star of VH1′s “Let’s Talk About Pep” were the evening’s hosts. The honorees included; Pharrell Williams, Mimi Valdés, D’Wayne Edwards, Richard Dent III, Robert A. Marchman, Johnita Due, Cory Booker and many more. Check out TAP’s flipbook of the 2010 NV Awards.