It has almost been a year since Grammy award winning singer Whitney Houston died. I still remember sitting at my computer on the evening of February 11th working on a few projects, when I began to see news on social media about Whitney being dead. I paid it no attention until I received a text from a friend who told me to turn on CNN. And that is when I learned the awful truth.

Many things have been said about Whitney while she was alive and now that she has passed on. But no one knew her better than her mother, Cissy Houston. Cissy has been relatively quiet about speaking on her daughter’s death, only speaking a few times publicly. She was barely shown on the short lived reality show The Houstons: On Our Own, probably because she didn’t want to be involved with that madness.

Cissy sat down with Mother O recently and discussed with her Whitney’s death, her marriage to Bobby Brown, Cissy’s troubled granddaughter Bobbi Kristina, and obviously will plug her upcoming book that chronicles Whitney’s untimely passing. Whitney’s brother Michael also sits down during the interview, and based on the trailer, will make some shocking revelations of his own.

Oprah’s interview with Cissy Houston will air Monday on the OWN Network during Next Chapter, Oprah’s evolved imprint on Monday, January 28th at 10/9 pm CST.

I will certainly be watching. Will you?

Take a peek at the First Look tease below:

 Photo credit: OWN

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As a red carpet enthusiast and award show addict, I am so looking forward to the first big awards show of the season. The Golden Globes have always been one of my favorite award shows because of it’s candor, table seating (which makes it look more authentic and genuine), and non-stodgy or stuffy hosts and schedule. At the Golden Globes, celebrities and Hollywood elite (and hangers on) sip their Moet at the table, laugh it up with their costars and have a jolly ole time. If they are tense, us viewers don’t see it. Blame it on the alcohol.

This year’s Golden Globes will be hosted by two funny ladies, and THAT is what I looking forward to the most. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are funny as hell, and I hope they will bring their A game for the evening. There’s a lot of stiff competition in many of the categories, and it will be interested to see who comes out the winner—it’s anyone’s guess. But here are my predictions for who will be bringing the Golden Globe home.

Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical:

Although I loved me some Hugh Jackman in Les Miserables, I think the award will go to Bill Murray for Hyde Park on the Hudson. The Hollywood Foreign Press likes to root for the underdog, so I’m thinking Bill will be triumphant.

Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical:

2012 was Jennifer Lawrence’s year. I predict a win for her for Silver Linings Playbook.

Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama:

My heart would love to see Denzel win for this performance in Flight. I loved this movie! But I think it will go to Daniel Day Louis who gave an epic performance in Lincoln. If you didn’t see it, you should. It is an amazing piece of cinema.

Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama:

This is a tight race but I think that Naomi Watts will win for her role in The Impossible. This would be an upset for Helen Mirren, who I heard was stellar in Hitchcock.

Best Animated Featured:

Pixar’s Brave will be take home the award.

Best Performance by An Actor in a Supporting Role:

I have to go for Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained. He made this film, and his performance was extraordinary.

Best Performance by An Actress in a Supporting Role:

Anne Hathaway will win this award for her performance in Les Miserables. And rightfully so.

Best Motion Picture, Drama:

I think Lincoln will be the victor in this category although personally, I believe Django Unchained was the better of the films in this category.

Best Motion Picture, Comedy of Musical:

Les Miserables. Enough said.

Best Director Motion Picture:

This is a tight freaking category. I think it’s a toss up between Ben Affleck for Argo and Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. (Quentin, in my book is more deserving, but this article is about who I predict will win).

Best Screenplay:

I think Quentin Tarantino will win this category.

Best Television Series, Drama:

I would love to see The Newsroom win, but I think it will go to Downton Abby, Season 2.

Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical:

Modern Family. Like, why would anyone else win?

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama:

I only watch one of these shoes in this category on a regular basis (Nashville), and I don’t think Connie Britton will take it. I believe Julianna Margulies has it in the bag.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Drama:

Jeff Daniels in Newsroom was the best of television right there. I think he will get the nod.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical:

Tina Fey, 30 Rock. Why? I think she is the most likeable. I don’t watch any of the shows in this category.

Best Performance by  an Actor in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical:

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock. See my reason from the previous category.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television:

Maggie Smith, Downton Abby, Season 2. This show is all everyone talks about, so, I’m pretty sure Maggie (deserving so) will come out the winner.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television:

Ed Harris, Game Change. Brilliant!

So, those are my predictions as it where. What are your thoughts on my picks?

The 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards airs live Sunday, January 13th, on NBC at 8pm EST. Yours truly will have the live up to the minute pictures of your favorite celebrities as they walk the red carpet. For last year’s pics, click HERE.

And to get the full list of the nominations and categories, click HERE.

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When I was a teenager, I lived for Saved by the Bell. The show came on the scene around the same time that I was entering high school, so it was a program that I watched every Saturday morning like clockwork. Even after school ended, I still found myself watching the reruns on USA. My favorite character was always Lisa Turtle, played by actress Lark Voorhies, the supposed BAP (Black American Princess) of the group. With her curly hair, fresh gear, and amazing life, I wanted to be Lisa. She was everything! I didn’t like how they didn’t have a romantic interest for her on the show (you don’t think Screech counts as a “romantic” interest), because I thought that her character really could’ve brought an interesting dynamic to the show if they showed her dating and such. Such a waste!

Anyway, I am getting away from the topic at hand. Lark Voorhies who played the Lisa Turtle character was fly and fabulous. In my head, I thought I was the Lisa Turtle of my high school. After a few acting roles during the late 90′s, Lark kind of faded away in obscurity. The rumor mill had her engaged to comedian Martin Lawrence (until he broke it off publicly by marrying someone else) and I think she even acted in a soap opera or two. It was if Lark fell off the earth—-then, she appeared online last week looking quite…different.

Internet personality Michael Yo caught up with Lark and interviewed her about her life since Saved by the Bell. When I saw the link of the video appearing on my social networking feeds, I couldn’t wait to catch up with my old BFF (in my head of course). But I was shocked to see that Lark’s appearance had changed so drastically over the years.

I am not sure it it was the makeup or the lighting or plastic surgery, but Lark looked…WHOA. Her whole appearance was alarming to say the least. I didn’t recognize her at all and most people were online commenting about how bad she looked.

Lark, girl, what happened to you?!

Lark and I are only 1 year apart, and I understand that as you grow older, you may want to try to hang on to your youthful looks for as long as you can. But, her appearance was one of more astonishment than anything. Her whole look aged her and it was hard for me to watch the entire video because she looked so weird!

I mean, at this point, I don’t think her high school crush Screech would touch her with a 10 foot pole.

The wonder that was Lisa Turtle is merely a memory now.

I know being a celebrity has us mere mortals thinking that they are held up to a higher standard than we are. But really, seeing Lark heavily made up to look like she looked was more sad than anything. Whatever is going on (and I hope it’s not a medial condition as some are stating), I hope Lark is well. And I also hope she fires whichever makeup artist did this to her face.

I would love to see Lark Voorhies make a comeback, and I am rooting for her.

What are your thoughts on Lark’s “new” appearance? Were you shocked to see how different she looks?

Photo source

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May is almost here. And one of the highlights of the month isn’t just beautiful flowers, warmer temperatures, and longer days—it’s also the month that people around the world celebrate Mother’s Day.

And what’s Mother’s Day without celebrating some of our favorite moms? As a Pop Culture enthusiast and former TV addict, TV moms gave me faux sense of comfort, laughs, and at times, provoked meaningful thoughts while I was growing up. As an only child, I was left alone a lot during times when both my mom and dad worked. So the TV was kind of an alternate reality for me. I grew up watching moms on television that were funny, beguiling, entertaining, and fabulous. TV Moms deserve their own institution. So I compiled a list of our favorite TV moms from the 60′s, 70′s, 80′s, and 90′s.

Here is TheCubicleChick.com’s 10 Favorite TV Moms: Celebrating Moms in Pop Culture:

10. Donna Reed, The Donna Reed Show: When Nick at Nite began airing in the mid-80′s, I became hooked on old TV shows. One of my favorite television shows that aired on Nick at Nite was The Donna Reed Show. She was always perky, and offered excellent advice to her two kids and her husband. She wasn’t a perfect mom (she made her share of mistakes), but it was always corrected by the end of the 30 minute show.

9. Louise Jefferson, The Jeffersons: The Jeffersons was one of my favorite TV shows when I was a little girl. I loved me some Louise Jefferson. She was quick witted and was able to put her husband, George, in his place when he needed it. Her one-liners were also very entertaining, Isabel Sanford was my hero!

8. Lois Griffin, The Family Guy: Lois is a curvy mommy with a nasal verbal flow. I absolutely love her and her “devotion” to her kids and husband. She sounds like Fran Drescher, but is only half annoying, and serves as a great balance for a cartoon that sometimes….goes there. A lot.

7. Thelma Crowley, Mama’s Family: Each night during dinnertime, Mama’s Family was on when I was a youngster. Thelma was a no nonsense mom and grandmother from middle America, and provided great comedy for my meals (and since my mom wasn’t the best cook, I had to have something to smile about). I miss watching Mama’s Family, and it doesn’t seem like the show is shown on reruns anymore. What a loss!

6. Edna Garrett, The Facts of Life: Edna Garrett, the red haired matriarch and den mother for a group of precocious girls (she also had 2 sons of her own—did you know that?) was a sweet and loving TV mom who dispersed discipline, kindness, and love to all of her girls at Eastland. The Facts of Life was one of my favorite TV shows of the 80′s, and Mrs. Garrett was a big part of that.

5. Florida Evans, Good Times: Seriously, what better line in the history of 70′s television than this?: “Damn, damn, damn, James!”. When James Evans died and Florida threw down that dish, I thought I would never heal. It was such a powerful scene. But Florida Evans remained a true shero throughout the entire Good Times run on ABC. Good Times is one of my favorite shows of all time.

4. Marge Simpson, The Simpsons: With her sky high blue hair and scruffy (and sometimes annoying) voice, Marge Simpson is a mom amongst moms. Fictional and a cartoon she may be, but I truly believe now that I am a mom myself, that there is a little bit of Marge Simpson in all of us.

3. Carol Brady, The Brady Bunch: The Brady Bunch, as corny as they were, was, and still is, one of my favorite television shows of all time. And Carol Brady, resplendent with her shiny well-kempt shag and shiny disposition always made me smile. She is a mom amongst all moms.

2. Lucy Ricardo, I Love Lucy: Lucille Ball was epic in I Love Lucy. And when Little Ricky was born (in real life and on the show), it was one of the most watch episodes on television at that time. Lucille was very much not the perfect mom, and that is what I loved about her. Flaws and all, there are very few women that can top her as a TV mom.

1. Clair Huxtable, The Cosby Show: For me, The Cosby Show was everything! It was one of the first shows that I truly couldn’t wait to come on. Each Thursday night, I waited with baited breath to see Heathcliff and Clair and their brood. Clair Huxtable was fierce, honey. She ran cases in the courtroom during the day, and at night, she was a pillar of strength and wisdom for her children and husband. When it comes to TV moms, Clair Huxtable was tops.

What are your favorite TV moms? Do you have some choices that didn’t make the list?

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Now that I have been able to process the incredible news, I must now share it with you! A few weeks ago, I blogged about Oprah’s Lifeclass Tour coming to St. Louis later this month. Well guess who snagged tickets? Yours truly! Woot woot! I will be in the house for Oprah’s Lifeclass, which will be taped in two shows while she is in the Show Me State. I will be a part of the evening taping that will have Iyanla Vanzant as the teacher.

This fabulous event will take place at the Peabody Opera House downtown, and I am bringing my Aunt with me as my guest. Both of us are so excited about the taping and the chance to possibly meet Queen Oprah. What will we wear? How are we going to style our hair? The list goes on and on.

I am so thankful for this opportunity. This may be hard to believe, but back when I was in 10th grade drama class, I played Oprah each time that we did improv. Everyone in my class hooted and hollered because I had her down pat! She was my inspiration then, and my inspiration now. And I have been a fan of hers since I was a little girl. And now, she and I will be in the same room. How amazing!

March is turning out to be an incredible month for me—in more ways than one (some of you know why, but for those of you who don’t, I will be filling you in soon).

I am so grateful!

I’m going to see Oprah live! Can you freaking believe it? How FABULOUS!

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Dancing With the Stars has always been must see TV for me. But the new season and cast is making me all warm and fuzzy. It’s chock full of some of my favorite entertainers and boasts and impressive line-up, moreso than other seasons. The mamba and the cha-cha is never going to be the same again.

The new cast of Dancing With the Stars 2012 include:

Gladys Knight, soul singer

Sherri Shepherd, The View co-host

Jack Wagner, actor (formerly on Melrose Place and General Hospital)

Donald Driver, Green Bay Packer receiver

Melissa Gilbert, actress (Little House on the Prairie)

Gavin DeGraw, singer

Jaleel White, actor (Steve Urkel, Family Matters)

Maria Menounos, co-host on Extra

Roshon Fagan, Disney star

Martina Navritilova, tennis great

Katherine Jenkins, opera star

William Levy, telenova star

I am so looking forward to seeing Miss Gladys Knight work that dance floor. I think she is going to surprise us all! Other people to watch out for are Donald Driver (the sports people always do surprisingly well on DWTS, especially the footballers), Jaleel White, and Melissa Gilbert.

Last season of DWTS was fabulous, and I loved seeing J.R. Martinez and Ricki Lake tear it up. But this season is going to be a game changer. I love the diversity of the cast.

Season 14  of Dancing with the Stars begins March 19th at 8pm/7pm CST.

Who’s gonna watch?

Photo credit: Huffington Post

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The 46th Super Bowl is almost a week away, and no matter if you are a die hard football or someone who doesn’t know the difference between a punt and a kick, you will probably be watching the Big Game next Sunday. But it’s not just the game or halftime show that gets us all excited. The Super Bowl is known for its commercials, complete with some of the best creativity ad companies can muster. Rating Super Bowl commercials has become a major part of the festivities, and this year, USA Today is letting everyone have an opportunity to rate their favorite Super Bowl commercials with the USA Today Ad Meter application on Facebook.

Traditionally, USA Today is known for listing the top favorited Super Bowl commercials in their paper the Monday following the game. It is compiled by a group of chosen viewers who rate what was hot and what was not during the Super Bowl. This year, USA Today wants to up the ante by allowing all of us the ability to rate the commercials on Facebook. It’s definitely a win/win.

The app is available on Facebook HERE and will be live right before the Big Game. Currently when viewing, you may see a testing page because, well, the commercials haven’t been shown yet. But it’s an easy way to rate commercials using your laptop, tablet, or phone while watching the Super Bowl.

I will be using the USA Today Ad Meter on Facebook to rate my favorite commercials. Will you?

Super Bowl XLVI takes place on Sunday, February 5th in Indianapolis and will air live on NBC. Kick-off is scheduled for 5:30 CST/6:30 EST.

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For several weeks, there has been buzz regarding CNN’s newest installment of Black in America which focused on African Americans in the technology arena in Silicon Valley. Centered around NewMe founders Angela Benton and Wayne Sutton, the program spotlighted 8 people, 6 chosen to live together at the NewMe Incubator home in Palo Alto, California. Here they learn the intricate ins and outs of the technology world at Silicon Valley and prepare to pitch their ideas and work together to make it happen.

During the program, we learned how small of a role African Americans play in the tech world. According to data given in the special, only 1% of tech companies in Silicon Valley was founded by Blacks. We tend to be heavy users of technology, but not creators. This is indeed a problem that the NewMe wants to change.

Black in America, The New Promised Land of Silicon Valley was a great insight into the have and have-nots in Silicon Valley where it comes to African Americans. According to an interview with the founder of Tech Crunch, “…this (Silicon Valley) is a White and Asian world”. He also could not name one Black technology CEO.

With the motto of “no wack demos”, Angela, Wayne, and crew went on a mission to  change this, one start-up at a time. By perfecting their pitches and helping one another reach their goals, they all hoped to rise to the occasion on Demo Day.

I was most impressed with NewMe Founder Angela Benton. Angela was a teen mom at 15 and is now a single mom of three. That did not stop her from succeeding. Angela received a Master’s of Graphic Design and started BlackWeb2.0, one of the preeminent Black technology sites on the web. By creating the NewMe Accelerator, Angela wanted to raise the stakes with her start-up Cued.

NewMe Accelerator member Tiffani Bell also motivated me during the broadcast. Tiffani is a graduate of Howard University and is one of the few Black female programmers out there. Her site PencilYou.in, an online appointment and calendar service for beauticians and cosmologist, works as an “online appointment book”.

8 people in a three bedroom house, 9 weeks, and hundreds of hours working showed us viewers the tenacity of these individuals. And although only ONE of the NewMe Accelerator members received funding after Demo Day, the fact that it was created and was successfully launched speaks volumes. Now that a dialogue has begun due to the accelerator and the Black in American special, we can begin to make a change.

What did you think of Black in America, The New Promised Land of Silicon Valley?

Writer’s Note: Angela Benton is also the creator of The Young Black Professionals Guide, a site in which I have contributed articles.

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Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to learn firsthand from a woman who is the epitome of success, grace, intelligence, poise, wisdom, and talent? When I found out a few weeks ago about Oprah’s upcoming new show called Oprah’s Lifeclass, I knew it was something I didn’t want to miss. Add to that the ability to be schooled by a woman who has overcome so much to become one of the most powerful women in the world, and it didn’t take much coaxing—she had me at hello.

Oprah’s Lifeclass is a new series on her network imprint, OWN, in which she will share lessons that she has found valuable throughout her 25 years on television. She will reach back into the vaults of the Oprah Winfrey Show and guide us in her new series, teaching us what she learned in particular episodes or A-ha moments on her past shows. It will be a unique and daring introspective from a woman who can only tell the stories she tells.

In addition to the Oprah Lifeclass series on OWN, there is a companion online class that will accompany the show, where us students can actually receive coursework via the web. You can sign up for the class by clicking HERE, and the first one million registrants will receive a free Oprah Lifeclass journal to take down all of your notes. When you sign up, you are entered to win an opportunity to meet Oprah in Atlanta.

Oprah’s Lifeclass premieres October 10th. Check local cable listings for time and channel.

I am so looking forward to Oprah’s Lifeclass and the lessons and vivid truths she is going to bring. If anyone can teach people how to channel their inner success and make it work for them, it is Oprah Winfrey. I am honored to her student.

Have you signed up for Oprah’s Lifeclass? What are you looking forward to most?

I can’t wait!

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When I saw these pictures last night of a svelte and rather glamourous Kirstie Alley arriving at the Late Night with David Letterman soundstage, I did a double take. After losing tons of weight during last season’s Dancing with the Stars, she looks nothing short than amazing. We all know of Kirstie’s battle with the bulge and her struggle with weight loss, but she seems to have it all under control now. Kirstie is giving face in a flattering purple gown, and I can’t help but to notice what a difference a reality competition can make. Kirstie girl, you are looking good!

Below are the pics of Kirstie Alley looking nothing short of fabulous. Looks like I need to sign up for a dance class or two so I can shed some pounds as well. What do you think of Kirstie’s new look?

Photo credit: Wireimage/Getty Images

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