5 Friends You Should Have at Work

Haha this list is so on-point. I would have actually put Office Manager/Recptionist (that is often the first person you meet during the interview process and the first person everyone sees when they arrive in the AM) at #1 followed immediately by the IT guy.

You spend most of your day at work. Why not make some friends while you're there?

You won't just have more fun — you'll be happier and work better. Gallup research shows that developing close friendships at work boosts employee satisfaction by almost 50%.

And while we don't always choose our friends with career success in mind (company happy hour, ahem), there are some people in the workplace whose friendship can actually help us perform better on the job.

Whether or not you want to spend time with them after work, it would behoove you to develop at least a pleasant rapport with them.

Here's our top five:

1. The IT Manager
When your computer freezes, your emails disappear, or you can't for the life of you remember your password, there's only one person to turn to: the IT manager.

They may or may not be someone you'd actually hang out with outside of work, but make sure they're your buddy on the job.

Between making sure your computer won’t crash just before a big deadline and having the power to see everything you've ever done on the Internet, this is someone whose good side you definitely want to stay on.

And this means more than just smiling when you ask them for help. Be friendly even when you're not having a Windows crisis! Strike up conversations in the kitchen, find out where they're from, ask them what they're doing over the weekend. Be their friend and when the company orders a new MacBook Pro — and they get to choose who gets it — you'll be at the top of the list.

2. The Veteran
Chances are there's someone at your company who's been there longer than you. She knows the processes inside out. She's connected to all the right people. She was there when the company still offered free snacks, for goodness sake. She's your go-to gal for any question you have that you'd rather not ask your own manager.

But beware — all veterans were not created equal. Some are more willing to help than others, and it'll take some time and research to pinpoint your match. The veteran you want to make friends with is the one who has been most welcoming since you first started, the one who is patient and has always been comfortable answering your questions. Ideally, she's someone whose company you actually kind of enjoy, and who you have other things in common with. You don't want her to feel like your friendship is a one-way street.

3. The Cross-Department Crony
No matter how much you love your job, there are always things you need to vent about. And while it's helpful to talk to others who share your job function — and therefore your specific grievances — sometimes this kind of relationship can be dangerous territory. You might end up feeding off of one another's negativity or reinforcing their biased opinion. And what happens when one of you gets promoted? Talk about awkward!

A safer shoulder to cry on is one that belongs to someone who works in an entirely different department. He may be able to give you a more objective perspective on your situation than someone who’s deep in it with you. He's far enough removed from the situation and most importantly, your own boss. And finally, he may confess to you his frustrations with his own crazy department, which will make you feel better about yours!

4. The Office Manager/Receptionist
She keeps the stock room ... well ... stocked. She plans company outings and makes reservations for your business trips. Above all else, she makes sure the whole organization stays afloat. Don't you want to stay afloat with it? Get your office manager’s good side and, hopefully, she'll look out for you where she can. The secret is most office managers get a little tired of being ignored. Often, people only talk to her when they need something. Be a better friend than that! Go to lunch with her. Make her job easier by cleaning up after yourself. Refill the coffee maker when you've taken the last cup (you know you should be doing this anyway, right?).

Get to know your office manager above and beyond what she can do for you, and who knows where you’ll end up.

5. Your Work Best Friend
Need someone to cover for you when you have to leave the office a little early? Looking for a colleague to bounce crazy ideas off of? Someone you trust to share gossip with (when you just can't hold it in anymore)? Your work best friend's got you covered. According to Vital Friends author Tom Rath, people who have a “best friend” at the office are seven times more likely to be engaged in their work.

Your best friend is the person who you are absolutely closest to and, unlike the other friends on this list, you will probably spend a significant amount of time with him after work.

This type of closeness can be great for your productivity, your stress level, and your overall happiness — but it can also be dangerous if you have a falling out. Work hard to nurture this friendship but be prepared for the consequences if for some reason it goes awry. (From Yahoo Shine/Excelle)

Nelly and Jermaine Dupri Host Formal, Give Away Scholarships

I'm one of the many people who are always sleeping on Nelly just because he's been silent and hasn't had any music out in a while, but he's obviously still making moves.

Rapper/actor Nelly and Hip-Hop mogul/producer Jermaine Dupri partied for a good cause last night in St. Louis, Missouri.

Nelly hosted his 4th Annual Black and White Ball at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel, where he was joined by celebrities like R&B singer Mario, track & field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee, baseball Hall of Fame member Ozzie Smith and others.

During the event Nelly, Plaza Motors and Lindenwood University’s Black Student Union announced the launch of the 2010/2011 “Black and White Ball Scholarship Program.”

The scholarship will pay four years worth of tuition at Lindenwood University for two worthy students.

Nelly is currently in the recording studio working on the untitled follow-up to his 2008 album, Brass Knuckles.So far, producers on the new album include Rico Love, Play-N-Skillz, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jim Jonsin.(From Allhiphop.com)

Diddy and Lox Reunite with Bad Boy/Interscope Venture?

I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing. I mean Diddy could use some fire on his team right about now, but what do you think? Do the Lox really need to make this move to stay relevant?

D-Block's Sheek Louch has added on to the speculation of a Diddy-Lox reunion by confirming his group's forthcoming album dropping under Bad Boy Records.According to Louch, an exact release date has not yet been determined, however, the Bad Boy reunion is still expected.

"I got an answer for that, I really think I got an answer," Sheek said about the forthcoming album. "Yo word up, top of the year, Lox album is coming. I would love for it to come then, we're working actually with Puff, with Sean Combs. We working out that. Puff Daddy, we working that out. We working that out and hopefully it goes down. It's gonna be Interscope/Bad Boy/D-Block. Oh yo, slash Ruff Ryders, I'm sorry, I can't leave my boys out. It's like a big thing because we still Interscope. We still Ruff Ryders. It'll be a nice thing." ("On-Air Idiots")

According to Jadakiss, a new Lox album is well over-due to the fans.

"Our main focus right now is that Lox album," Jada stressed in an interview. "It might be coming out through Diddy, it might be coming out through some other people, but it's going down. Yeah, Diddy just did a new deal with Interscope as y'all know with his Dirty Money and all his other stuff, he put an offer out there for a one album deal over there, so you know, we thinking about making it. If it don't make dollars, it could make cents and we'll do it again. It's about the evolution, it's about growing. We came into the business with him, despite our differences [because] of our lack of knowledge in the game and other sh*t and what so, we still learned a lot from him and to work all them things out and make a full 360 and possibly work again with him after ten years -- that would be incredible. It shows maturity as artists, it shows respect as men and it's good for the outside far as what he can do for us and what we can do for him." (Power 99)(From Sohh.com)

Video: Chris Brown Tells His Side

This '20/20' interview was actually less painful than I thought. Chris takes time to apologize yet again and he does it without completely getting into a battle of 'he said, she said.' I think this was a good look for him. He got to express his regrets and promote his new album in one swift shot.

WORLD AIDS DAY 2009

Just saw a remarkable concert by Alicia Keys on YouTube and listened to Barack Obama tell West Point students he needed 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan! This has been some December 1st. Let us not forget to get tested and take charge of our health. Shout out to Concreteloop for this great video!

Movement Under Way in Cali to Ban Divorce

This is ingenious! It reminds me of a Facebook group I once joined 'Ban Gay Marriage, Ban Straight Marriage.' lol The inconsistency is jarring.

Til death do us part? The vow would really hold true in California if a Sacramento Web designer gets his way.

In a movement that seems ripped from the pages of Comedy Channel writers, John Marcotte wants to put a measure on the ballot next year to ban divorce in California.The effort is meant to be a satirical statement after California voters outlawed gay marriage in 2008, largely on the argument that a ban is needed to protect the sanctity of traditional marriage. If that's the case, then Marcotte reasons voters should have no problem banning divorce.

"Since California has decided to protect traditional marriage, I think it would be hypocritical of us not to sacrifice some of our own rights to protect traditional marriage even more," the 38-year-old married father of two said.

Marcotte said he has collected dozens of signatures, including one from his wife of seven years. The initiative's Facebook fans have swelled to more than 11,000. Volunteers that include gay activists and members of a local comedy troupe have signed on to help.

Marcotte is looking into whether he can gather signatures online, as proponents are doing for another proposed 2010 initiative to repeal the gay marriage ban. But the odds are stacked against a campaign funded primarily by the sale of $12 T-shirts featuring bride and groom stick figures chained at the wrists.

Marcotte needs 694,354 valid signatures by March 22, a high hurdle in a state where the typical petition drive costs millions of dollars. Even if his proposed constitutional amendment made next year's ballot, it's not clear how voters would react.

Nationwide, about half of all marriages end in divorce.

Not surprisingly, Marcotte's campaign to make divorce in California illegal has divided those involved in last year's campaign for and against Proposition 8.As much as everyone would like to see fewer divorces, making it illegal would be "impractical," said Ron Prentice, the executive director of the California Family Council who led a coalition of religious and conservative groups to qualify Proposition 8.

No other state bans divorce, and only a few countries, including the Philippines and Malta, do. The Roman Catholic Church also prohibits divorce but allows annulments. The California proposal would amend the state constitution to eliminate the ability of married couples to get divorced while allowing married couples to seek an annulment.

Prentice said proponents of traditional marriage only seek to strengthen the one man-one woman union.

"That's where our intention begins and ends," he said.

Jeffrey Taylor, a spokesman for Restore Equality 2010, a coalition of same-sex marriage activists seeking to repeal Proposition 8, said the coalition supports Marcotte's message but has no plans to join forces with him.

"We find it quite hilarious," Taylor said of the initiative.

The U.S. divorce rate is 47.9 percent, according to data provided by the National Center for Health Statistics reports. That figure, however, does not include California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana and Minnesota because those six states no longer report their divorce rates to the center.

California stopped because of budget problems, said Ralph Montano, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health.

While most people would not support banning divorce, it does make sense for couples to be educated about the financial and emotional commitments of marriage, said Dan Couvrette, chief executive and publisher of Toronto-based Divorce Magazine. The publication has a circulation of 140,000, including a regional edition in Southern California.

"It's a worthwhile conversation to have," said Couvrette, who started the magazine in 1996 after going through his own divorce. "I don't think it's just a frivolous thought."(From AP/Yahoo News)

Cop Kills Suspect in Police Sayings

I'm floored that family and friends gave this man a place to lay his head knowing all he had done...SMH

A lone officer on patrol in the middle of the night Tuesday spotted a stolen car, its hood up and engine running, and pulled over to check it out. As the patrolman sat in his cruiser, a burly man with a large mole on his cheek came up from behind.

The officer turned, stepped outside and recognized the most wanted man in the Pacific Northwest — the ex-con accused of gunning down four cops at a coffee shop.oments later, Maurice Clemmons, 37, lay dead in the street, shot by the patrolman after Clemmons made a move for a gun he had taken from one of the slain officers, police said.

Clemmons' death brought to an end two days of fear across the Seattle-Tacoma area and one of the biggest manhunts the region has ever seen. Dozens of police officers milled around at the scene afterward, some solemnly shaking hands and patting each other on the back.

Clemmons eluded capture thanks to family and friends who provided him with shelter, cell phones, cash and first aid for the severe belly wound he suffered when one of the dying officers in Sunday's coffee-shop rampage got off a shot, police said. Six to seven of those associates were being arrested Tuesday.

Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said paramedics were stunned that Clemmons lived as long as he did with the bullet wound. It had been packed with gauze and patched with duct tape.

Clemmons has a violent, erratic past, and authorities in Washington state and Arkansas — where then-Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2000 commuted his 108-year prison sentence for armed robbery and other offenses — are facing tough questions about why an apparently violent and deranged man was out on the street.

On Sunday, six days after posting bail in Washington on charges of raping a child, Clemmons walked into the coffee shop in suburban Tacoma and killed four uniformed Lakewood police officers as they caught up on paperwork on their laptops, police said.

"The only motive that we have is he decided he was going to go kill police officers," Troyer said. Investigators also reported that Clemmons told others the night before the shooting that he was going to kill police and they should watch the news, but they wrote it off as "crazy-talk." (From AP/AOL News)

Tiger Woods Announces End of Golf Season

I wish somebody would tell Tiger that a simple explanation would suffice. No one will care anymore if it's a classic case of DUI or infidelity. Celebrities have bounced back from greater things. This whole faux scandal is corny.

To say that Tiger Woods has been under some scrutiny over the past few days would probably backdoor some sort of "Understatement of the Year Award." The news about his accident and ensuing rumors surrounding the incident (pick your poison, whether it be: TMZ's many opinions about Tiger's wife, Tiger declining to interview with police officers, the 911 call itself, Wanda Sykes' comedic stance, how advertisers are responding, or Tiger's official statement) have stormed every available news outlet on the planet.

And as such, Tiger is doing everything he can in order to recede from the public eye, including apparently, stepping away from the game of golf (via Golf.com) for the remainder of the year, which includes his own Chevron World Challenge Tournament in California.

"I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week," Woods said. "I am certain it will be an outstanding event and I'm very sorry that I can't be there."

Bear in mind that Tiger's absence from the tournament is -- technically -- because of "injuries sustained" in his car accident. However, without implying anything other than the obvious, it seems safe to say that avoiding a four-day press conference relating to nothing but the accident (golf and the tournament would be but minor sideshows) is a logical move here.

And as such, we've probably seen the last of Tiger on the course for at least a few months. (From Fanhouse)

Day 26 Parts Ways with Bad Boy

Like we didn't see this coming! I'm actually surprised they still have a legit deal.

Diddy's boy group Day26 have reportedly parted ways with the rap mogul's Bad Boy Entertainment label.

According to Day26's Willie, the group still maintains a level of respect and unity with Puff's label.

"Bad Boy is always our family, but we're with Atlantic right now...we really want to get people focused on the artistry, on the music. I think a lot of people lost it with the entertainment of the show. So now, we really want to show people what we're all about, that we do our thing whether it's on stage, in the studio, writing and producing -- we do it all." (The Boom Box) (From Sohh.com)

Sade's Back!

Yesssssssssssss!

The wait is over. Epic Records announced on Tuesday that the new album from Sade, titled Soldier of Love, will be released February 8, her first album in over nine years. (From Concreteloop.com)