Hello all – Although I am not actively posting on this blog, I have been responding to comments. However, for some reason, my spam filter is not catching a lot of the comments that contain spam and vulgar language. For that reason, I have to turn comments off until I have time to investigate the problem.
Also, if you had not noticed, I have WordAds enabled on this site to help cover the cost of renewing my domain name each year. Thanks for understanding.
Ultra Black Hair Growth II, by Cathy Howse, details a method for retaining approximately 6 inches of hair growth in one year. Like many books that I own, I had to reread this one before the knowledge entailed within it really sunk in! I purchased this book two years ago after reading about the “Cathy Howse Method” on various hair care websites. I read it, tried the products, and then moved on to something else. Now, that I’ve reread it, I wish that I would have stuck with it! Although people claimed to know and share the basics of the regimen, I’m the type of person who likes to read and obtain information for myself.
So, I purchased and read the book. Although it is a short and easy read (158 pages), it contains a lot of information. As I figured, many hair bloggers were leaving out crucial details of Cathy’s hair-growing method. I would encourage any person interested in beginning her technique read her books, check out her website, and consider purchasing her products. I will talk about my experience with her products in a separate post.
Cathy Howse is a pioneer in the world of black hair care. Long before YouTube, blogs, and online hair-growing communities existed, Cathy developed what she calls “the only proven method” for growing “black” hair. Black hair refers to the hair type that most people of African-American descent have naturally – hair that is tightly coiled. Cathy advocates sticking to the following six requirements in order to grow and preserve your hair:
1) Frequent cleaning
2) Daily moisturizing
3) A conditioner that contains: protein to strengthen, oil to lubricate, and a scalp stimulant
4) Good blood circulation
5) Careful use of appliances
6) No hairbrushes
Please note that Cathy’s suggestions allow hair growers to also incorporate techniques advocated by other “methods.” For example, if one chooses not to wash her hair with sulfate shampoos, this may be easily incorporated into this method. If one chooses to wear her hair in a protective style, this can be incorporated as well because Cathy does not advocate for one style over another, as long as the style is not accomplished by doing things that damage the hair.
One of the most controversial points that Cathy makes in the book is that there is no need to trim your hair. This is controversial because for many, including hair stylists, the idea that one has to trim her hair in order to “make it grow” is deeply rooted. Cathy points out that hair grows from the root, not the ends and that hair does not split up the shaft. She does note the importance of retaining healthy ends in order to accomplish growth, but she does not advocate trimming on a schedule or, really, at all, except if one chooses to for a neat appearance.
Like I stated, this book is chock full of common sense types that apply specifically to growing the driest hair type. She also has a question and answer section on her website. The only criticism that I have of the book is the editing. There are some errors here and there grammatically, but nothing that affects the knowledge contained within the book itself. I would also like to see an update since the book was written in 2000, but you can visit Cathy’s website for update. For example, her hair is no longer relaxed. She now wears it naturally and only washes her hair once a week instead of twice.
For more details about Cathy’s hair care routine and more of her tips, visit her website! http://www.ultrablackhair.com/ubh2/
The Laptop Millionaire is a book that caught my eye in Barnes and Noble. I was actually searching for The 4-Hour Work Week, which is a classic book about making money online through entrepreneurship. The Laptop Millionaire is about the same thing, only it is more focused on the actual how to of making money on the internet rather than trying to sell the concept as a viable way to make a living.
The author opens with his own rags to riches story. He tells us enough to prove himself credible without harping for too long on the details of this own misfortune turned fortune. He keeps the dialogue moving and begins doling out specific tips on exactly how one can become a laptop millionaire. One of the first things that Anastasi discusses is the concept of exchanging creating value in order to get more money. This was eye-opening because it gets to the heart of how and what people pay for. People pay for things that are valuable to them, so all one has to do is begin to create value and the money will follow.
One of the reasons why I was interested in purchasing this book is because I have had an online presence via my blogging platform and on online forums for years, but I have never been able to effectively monetize my presence. Anastasi offers concrete, proven tips on how to create products, content, eBooks, and other solutions in order to generate revenue. A lot of this content is offered in bits and spurts online, but what I have discovered is that the bloggers who know the “secrets” to making money online only reveal bits an pieces. The Laptop Millionaire cost me $22.95 plus tax at Barnes and Noble and it offers enough specific tips that I don’t have to spend more time researching on the internet.
As an example, after reading the first couple of chapters of the book, I came home and wrote the first 20 pages of the eBook that I plan to sell about a niche topic. Since Anastasi tells readers what websites to utilize to generate revenue online, I don’t have to spend any more precious time searching online forums and blogs for solutions. If you are SERIOUS about making money online and turning your passion into profit, I highly suggest that you check out The Laptop Millionaire.
The Huetiful Hair Steamer caused a bit of excitement last year when it was introduced to the hair care market. The company promises that the steamer can infuse hair with moisture 5x better than conditioner alone. I was skeptical. Although I had experienced great results with a hair steamer previously, the hype surrounding this one just seemed like a bit much. Apparently, this company sent many, many hair bloggers free steamers in exchange for reviews. That is not to say that the reviews were not honest…I believe that most were; however, I do believe that many bloggers and vloggers left out crucial details about the cons of the product. Either way, it served as a great marketing scheme for the company.
A couple of years ago, I purchased a hair steamer from Salons ‘R Us, now known as LCL Beauty. I really enjoyed the steamer. It was suitable for home use, but it was salon-grade and it has a powerful steam output that really helped me maintain well-moisturized hair. I can’t remember how it died, but it did. I don’t think that I was careful enough with it. I do recall that a piece fell off here and there before it just stopped working. I was annoyed, but not pressed. I was a super-PJ at the time, so I simply moved on to the next thing!
Now that I am, again, stretching my relaxers, I have begun to notice that my hair is dry, dry, dry! I decided to look into purchasing another steamer and remembered all of the hype around Huetiful. The company offers free shipping (both ways), and a 60-day money-back guarantee. You never get that type of guarantee with salon equipment, so I decided to go for it. I plopped own the $116.95. The shipping time was really fast and I received my steamer a few days later.
The box that it came in was super-light and very well decorated. It looks like they put a pretty penny into designing the box…great marketing, once again. The first thing that I noticed was that the hood was too light. I’ve owned a number of dryers and I’ve never seen a hood so light or so shallow. There was no way that it would be deep enough for my whole head of hair to be steamed. The set up was fairly easy, but I noticed that the cup where the water is stored (which was already attached) appeared to be impossible to detach from the machine.
It took me all of three minutes to put it together and I poured water into the top to test it. It took about 2-3 minutes to produce steam. I tested the heat with my hand and noticed that it was not nearly as hot as the steam produced by my LCL beauty at-home steamer. Sigh. I tried not to get discouraged. A day later when I had time, I decided to give it a go. I washed my hair with WEN fig and 613, then lightly towel-dried with a turban towel. I applied my deep conditioner to my damp hair and added a bit oil to the conditioner. I set the steamer up, waiting for it get going and got ready for a treat.
I ended up being disappointed. There was absolutely no steam - zero, zilch, nada- getting to my nape. I mean, it was cold at the back of my head. I had my ends pinned up so that they could be steamed, but I didn’t feel the same power as I did with my previous steamer. There is no way that this steam was penetrating through my strands and I’m sure that the hair nearer to my scalp was getting zero benefit from the steaming. Another con is that the steamer height is not adjustable. I was using an adjustable-height chair, thankfully. I also noticed that the steam didn’t last long…only about 20 minutes. I usually deep condition my hair longer than that. But around the 20-minute mark, the water was boiled away and the steamer shut off.
Actually, the water was not completely boiled away. There was some still in the cup, I couldn’t figure out how to detach the cup and empty it out. The design also requires you to detach the hood to drain excess water. It’s kind of hard to explain, but it’s as tedious as it sounds. The bottom line is…I’m glad that they have a 60-day return policy.
I’ve had the steamer for about a week and I’ve used it twice. I had the same results both times. There was no noticeable difference in the moisture level of my hair following wash day and I basically feel like I’ve wasted $116 bucks. I’ll probably give it another few tries and if I don’t experience any noticeable improvement, then it’s going back to the company. I do plan to try the facial attachment out, also, and I will write about how that goes.
I also want to note that the steamer is overpriced. You can purchase a salon-grade steamer for $90-$140. Although the Huetiful does not fold, it can be stored pretty easily by detaching the hood and draining the water; however, the make of it is not very durable so you’d have to be careful with it. Huetiful might be a better choice than a salon-quality steamer for those who don’t have much space, but it should be priced at around $60 and no more than $75, tops. As a comparison, a table top hood dryer costs about $25-$50 and the Huetiful hair steamer is about the same quality. It is not a professional-use product, so it should not have a professional price tag.
Lastly, one thing that bothers me is that the company insinuates that they carefully developed this steamer. I believe that it is a mass-produced steamer that they simply branded, not developed. I found a steamer online that appears to be the exact same model, only offered by a different company and not marketed specifically to black women. As you read other reviews about the product, analyze them carefully. First, find out whether the reviewer received the product for free! Until next time…happy steaming.
For more information about my personal hair care routine, visit my hair and beauty blog simplydebra.com.
Induction Ceremony Program Booklet (Austin, TX)
Disclaimer: This is what worked for me. I am not suggesting or promoting my methods or practices, or any of the programs mentioned. Although I am posting this on April 3, 2012, I took the July 2011 Texas Bar Exam and this blog post was written the day after I received my results online. I was busy looking for a job and never posted it. By the way, I got my results in November and found a job in December.
I usually don’t write too much about personal matters. I like to keep my blog about reading; however, I decided to write this post in case some other soul is out there googling “how to pass the Texas bar exam” like I was. I wanted to write this down while it was still fresh on my mind.
Yesterday, I found out that I passed the Texas Bar Exam on the first try. I was ecstatic! I tried to recall the feelings that I had over the last 3 years and 3 months. I’ve had a mix of anxiety, joy, and nervousness. I’ve had great triumphs and smalls setbacks. But, the feeling that I felt yesterday when I saw my name on that list was worth every single moment of studying, crying, being broke, worrying, living with family, traveling for conferences and law school prep, dragging heavy books around, buying $900+ laptops, and countless hours reading in the library. I’ve broken my tips down into what helped me to prepare for the bar during law school, what helped me during bar prep, and what helped me on the day of the exam.
Before Law School
I’ll keep this section brief. Before law school, I focused a lot on writing. My degree was in English and I also taught writing. Now, a lot of people think that they are good writers, but they are not. I actually enjoy writing and I focus on keeping my writing as well-organized as possible. My knowledge in the areas of grammar and punctuation are well above average (although, I do make mistakes like everyone else, especially when blogging). I am sure that this helped me immensely on the writing portions of the bar. Where my knowledge might have been lacking, my answers were succinct and easy to understand. This likely helped the graders understand my responses, at least.
During Law School
During law school, I took bar classes. This tip may seem basic, but I know that many of my friends took “fluff” classes after second year in order to pad their GPA’s. They graduated “with honors” but had not learned much law after the first year. I took harder classes, some of which dragged my GPA down, but when bar prep came around, none of the subjects were new to me.
When I started my commercial bar prep course, there was only one bar class that I had not taken, which was Oil and Gas law. The only reason that I had not taken it was because the time that it was offered conflicted with the time that I had to pick my son up from school; the following semester, it conflicted with my internship. However, had I known that it was not only “on the bar,” it was also interwoven into the Property essay questions, I would have found a way to take it.
Since I did not take Oil and Gas, I started reading a book called The Oil and Gas Primer. I started reading it during the second semester of my last year of law school. I read the first half of the book twice. It helped me get a basic foundation; I took notes on the vocabulary at the same time.
By taking bar classes, I was able to review certain areas of the law during bar prep, instead of trying to learn them during bar prep. There is no time for that during bar prep….but, I’ll get to that.
I made detailed outlines or took detailed notes in class, or both. I saved every single handout and informative email sent by professors. I categorized them and referred to them when need be. During bar study, I referred to them because the information was often much more compact and useful than the massive amounts of information from BarBri.
During my first year of law school, I took LEEWS (http://www.leews.com/) and started practicing that system of essay writing. It worked well for me and I used a lot of the tips that I picked up for bar essay writing. (Disclaimer: I distributed information for the company while I was in law school, but I was not paid or asked to promote it in this post.)
My school offered an MBE course, which I took. In the course, we reviewed MBE subjects and took practice exams. The practice tests were extremely useful; we were required to achieve 60% or better on each subject area. If we did not meet this barrier, we had to retest. Some of the restest questions were the same, but not all. What really helped, though, was the explanations after the test that were conducted by the professors. I should mention that this course was provided through a partnership with Kaplan PMBR. All of the professors who participated were also PMBR lecturers.
During Bar Study
I am not trying to tout my study habits during bar study. I will say up front that I was not the person who followed BarBri’s schedule, or the suggested schedule from my school 100%, or even close to it. Here is what I did and did not do:
I hope this is helpful to someone. If so, please post in the comments!
It’s been quite a while since I posted a book review! I started a new job in December of last year and I’ve been too busy to post, but I’m back! I hope to read a book a week until the end of the year. This is very doable if I cut back on TV time! I have 3 hardback books and 4 e-books on my Kindle waiting for me to read them. But, Unplanned by Abby Johnson is a book that I read back in December.
Little did I know in December of 2011 that the topics of healthcare and abortion would come together and cause turmoil throughout the ranks of the Komen Foundation and other high-ranking organizations. Unplanned is a book that tells a riveting behind-the-scenes story of a conservative working at Planned Parenthood. Abby Johnson started out as a young volunteer and rose to rank of executive, leading a Planned Parenthood location in Texas. Her unusual participation in an abortion procedure forces her to face her internal conflicts. As a devout Christian, her job (working in a clinic that provided abortions among and other healthcare services) conflicted with her moral beliefs.
Many young women can relate to Abby’s conflict whether they have performed similar work or not.Like Abby’s real-life character in this book, I have been conflicted about my moral beliefs versus my support and patronage of Planned Parenthood. This book presents both sides.
What I enjoyed most was Abby’s candid discussion about not only her experience working at Planned Parenthood, but also her own past. She reveals some ugly truths about abortion clinics and also discusses the value of the other healthcare services provided by Planned Parenthood. In addition, she shares her own story of not one, but two, unplanned pregnancies and why she made the choices that she did.
Lastly, Abby talks about why and how she changed her mind about working for Planned Parenthood. If I have a criticism of this book, it would be the slightly dramatized chapters in the book following Abby’s choice to walk away. Although it was a heart-wrenching decision, people quit their jobs every day. It is also fascinating that she ran away from one extreme to the other, seemingly without considering a middle ground. She went from being a staunch supporter and worker at Planned Parenthood to being strongly anti-abortion and anti-Planned Parenthood. I would have liked to see some talk about a middle-ground, an area of compromise where we can support the rights of women and the unborn at the same time…is that possible? I’m not sure, but when I put this book down, I felt inspired…of course, my beliefs align pretty strongly with Abby’s. Abby introduces readers to pro-life organizations that are less divisive. She could have simply walked away from Planned Parenthood and found another job, but instead, she chose to share her story and to use her experience as a platform to help change the lives of others.
For those looking to better understand the perspective of individuals, particularly, Christians, who work at Planned Parenthood, this would be an interesting book to read. Be fair-warned that this book is not pro-Choice. The author advocates an end to abortion because of her religious beliefs and because of the detrimental effect that abortion has on women and families. But, the way she wrote this book provides a fair perspective of both sides because, unlike many people, she has “fought the war,” from both sides. If you’ve read this book, let me know what you think! If you wouldn’t read it, let me know why not!
31 Dates in 31 Daysis a new book by author Tamara Duricka Johnson that looks at dating from a whole new angle. Unlike the typical how-to dating book, Johnson’s insights are based on her own first-hand accounts from a radical dating experiment in which she embarked on 31 dates in, yes, 31 days!The title alone made me feel exhausted! Dating takes a lot of time, effort, and planning. It generally also requires cute outfits, hair appointments, and other special gestures meant to impress one’s date. I was curious to read on and find out how and why Johnson would embark on such a feat. As it turns out, she was approaching her milestone 31st birthday. Like many single women (and men), she was tired of the dating games and the ups and downs. She wanted to get something more meaningful from the dating experience.
The 31 day project was just the thing to kick-start her personal dating revolution. By setting up dating “rules,” Johnson was able to streamline the dating process, control costs, and focus on learning as much as possible about the men she was dating, and about herself, along the way.
Thankfully, Johnson decided to share her experiences with the rest of us. Her writing style was funny, yet sincere as she described each new encounter. Some were downright delightful; others were downright forgettable. But, they were all meaningful. In each chapter, we learn more about the men and we learn more about the author. Most importantly, we follow along with the author’s journey and use her dating lessons to reflect on our own experiences.
Are we entering the dating process withe pre-conceived notions that are acting as roadblocks along the path to love? Are we missing out on dates with amazing people due to our “wish lists” and “checklists?” Are some of us looking for love so desperately that we continue to fall for mates that are not actually worthy of our affections? Do we know how to simply enjoy dating without placing a bunch of expectations on ourselves and others?
31 Dates in 31 Days is a good read for both men and women. Although the book seems to lean towards the female perspective, men can learn a lot from reading about the many dates through the eyes of a woman. I was impressed not only by the author’s eloquent writing style, but also by her dedication to writing about each date. I thought that she would surely skip the less interesting dates, but, no, even in those dates there was a lesson to be learned and she made those dates fun to read about as well.
Interestingly, the author became keen on a number of the men that she dated rather quickly! This, too, was inspirational for aspiring daters. Where it may seem like there are no prospects, there can suddenly be plenty! Most of us can take some cues from the project. Instead of doing the same old thing, we can try something new and see where it might take us.
You’re probably curious to know whether or not the project led to love. I won’t spoil it for you, but you can certainly find more information on 31datesin31days.com! I will say that I was truly inspired; shortly after finishing this book, I found myself looking at the men around me in a whole new light. I would definitely recommend this book to all aspiring daters and to all of those who simply want to be inspired to try something different. After you check out the book, let me know what you think!
No Weapon is the riveting follow-up novel to Audrey McKay’s first book Enough Good News. It continues a few years after Enough Good News ended. (My review for Enough Good News can be found here. This review may contain spoilers for those who have not read that novel first). Instead of focusing on Sidra’s story, it focuses on the tale of Sidney Lyons and how her life has changed since accepting the Lord. When Enough Good News ended, the reader was left feeling hopeful, but uncertain, about which way Sidney’s story would go. Soon after accepting Christ into her life, she made a big mistake that almost severed her ties with family and her faith in the Lord.
In No Weapons, Sidney seems to have recovered well from the mistakes of her past. Unfortunately, old spirits are waiting to come back and haunt her once again as an unspeakably evil force begins working to bring her down. It only took me about one day to read this book because I was quickly caught up in Sidney’s tale and how a single lie worked to turn so many people against her. The book also had real life connections as it dealt with scandals and corruption within the church which are both, unfortunately, all too common today.
Christians who are interested in learning more about spiritual gifts will find this book intriguing. In McKay’s first book, spiritual gifts are mentioned when Sidney accepts the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into her life, but in No Weapon, those gifts play a central role in the development of the plot. Until reading this book, I never gave much thought to “spiritual gifts” and what they mean, but this book definitely encouraged me to look into them more.
Along with the consistent action in this story, McKay skillfully weaves in the thoughts and insights of non-Christians who are witnesses to the turmoil taking place among so-called believers. This is an important part of the story because it helps the reader understand why so many people are hesitant to become a part of the Christian faith. Many non-believers have witnessed wrongdoing and hypocrisy among Christians that makes them question the teachings of the Bible and spiritual leaders. The way that McKay uses the true believers to respond to such doubts can serve as a lesson for the rest of us.
The plot of this book was a real page-turner. The way people came together to work against Sidney was fascinating. Not only that, but the use of technology to aid in their endeavor made the work more interesting and believable. I would highly suggest this book, even if you haven’t read the first book in the series. The author provides enough background information to make it easy to follow all of the characters. For more information about No Weapon, or to learn more about the author, visit her website here.
In Enough Good News by Audrey McKay, readers are introduced to a rather dynamic character, Sidra Lyons. Many young professionals will be able to relate to Sidra. She is living the life of a young, talented attorney and reaping the benefits of years of education and hard work, while at the same time working to grow even closer to God. From Sidra’s story, we learn that becoming a Christian does not mean that one will no longer have problems; it simply means that the Lord will be there to assist us as we face those problems, if only we pray and look to Him for guidance. All is calm in Sidra’s world when things began to rapidly change in both her work and her personal life.
First, Sidra gets a new boss at work, Jensen, who manages to work her nerves on a daily basis. Next, Sidra’s family undergoes some changes when a one of her father’s secrets is uncovered. Then, Sidra’s work life is interrupted as she faces the biggest and most personal case of her entire life. Little does Sidra know, she will end up needing Jensen in more ways than one and her family will never, ever be the same.
Sidra’s strength as a Christian helps her endure the many difficulties that she faces. She continually goes back to the Lord for strength and her story is one that will encourage many Christians. Although Sidra is strong in the faith, others in the story are not. Sidra’s newfound family member is struggling to learn more about Christianity and the questions that she poses are the same questions that many new Christians ponder. McKay uses Sidra, Jensen, and the other characters that become intertwined in Sidra’s life to address themes dealing with Christianity as it relates to love and relationships, family and friendship, as well as career decisions.
McKay addresses spiritual gifts, hypocritical Christians, betrayal, and the strength of holding on to the faith in the face of doubt. There are elements of mystery, thrill, and more in this rather complex story. This work was rather intriguing as I continually wondered how Sidra’s story would evolve and what would happen between she and Jensen.
Often, readers are left wondering, what happens next?! Luckily, McKay plans to follow up this story with more works, such as the sequel to Enough Good News, entitled No Weapon, as well as the third book in the series, Blind Justice. Stay posted for my review of No Weapon, and check out Audrey McKay’s website for more information about her writing and how to purchase her works.
The Bride Experiment by Mimi Jefferson asks the reader to ponder: “What happens when single women get fed up?” The novel picks up where The Single Sister Experiment left off. In The Single Sister Experiment, a group of single women have been inspired to give up clubbing, partying, drinking, and having sex out-of-wedlock in order to more fully devote themselves to the Lord. Through the process, they are forced to face the demons of their pasts and come to terms with the many mistakes that they have made. In The Bride Experiment, some time has passed and the ladies have been blessed for their faithfulness to the Lord.
Despite their progress, the women are not immune from the setbacks that any Christian faces when trying to give up the ways of the world. In addition, The Bride Experiment introduces James, a single man who has a strong distrust from Christians. Readers may remember James from Mimi Jefferson’s first book. He was introduced as the man who Joan was desperately in love with and who also happened to be the father of her son. Male and female readers will be able to relate to James’ story. He comes from a troubled past and has dealt with many of his issues by using women. In The Bride Experiment, readers learn more about what it’s like to a single man to face obstacles while trying to change his life, raise his children, and date, all while figuring out his relationship with the Lord.
I enjoyed reading this book because it had many twists and turns. Besides learning more about James, the reader also learns more about Raquel, the woman who James chose over Joan in the first novel. It becomes evident that Raquel is dealing with pain from a troubled past. All of the characters come together to deal with a tragedy that threatens to change all of their lives. The author also further develops Tisha, Lila, and Janet’s characters and catches the readers up on their triumphs and struggles in trying to maintain an existence as Godly women. The author explores struggle to remain celibate, the difficulty letting go of an ex, and the way that Christians are often viewed as hypocritical. Throughout the 270-page novel, I believe every reader will find an element that he or she can relate to.
I really enjoyed the book and I would highly suggest it to any single Christian looking for stories of other Christian singles to relate to. Married Christians and those who are curious about the faith will enjoy the book as well. It can help those wishing to minister to singles better understand the challenges that singles face. Instead of making it seem easy to remain celibate and resist the temptation to party, Mimi Jefferson presents realistic characters who sometimes fail.
It is not necessary to have read Mimi Jefferson’s first book, The Single Sister Experiment, to enjoy this one. However, if you are just starting out on your journey, I would suggest that book as well. The Single Sister Experiment was the first Christian Fiction book that I read and it lead me on a journey that allowed me to better understand my relationship with God through the characters presented in various Christian novels. I also had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Jefferson a few years ago and experiencing her teaching first-hand. (I did, however, pay for this book and was not asked to provide a review.) You can read more about Mimi Jefferson’s ministry and learn how to purchase the book by visiting her website. If you check it out, please come back and let me know what you thought of it.
