It was so distracting to me.

So people ask, 'But how can you work for a friend?' I say it's because I know that the magazine is called 'O.' The bottom line is somebody has to have the final word. Oprah's not right all the time, but her record is pretty damn good. That's not to say you can't disagree.

The first time I met Beyonce she was about 18 years old, sitting in a makeup chair eating fried chicken, and I knew it was only a matter of time before everyone would know her name.

I consider myself lucky that Sheila Johnson, the cofounder of Black Entertainment Television, didn't choose to rest on her very impressive business laurels. Her luscious 100 percent modal scarves, printed with photos she takes all over the world, are gorgeous. Wearing one is like being wrapped in a hug.

I normally don't love green juices, but Body & Eden makes theirs tasty by blending ingredients like avocado and banana with the usual suspects like kale and spinach. Delicious as they are, they're low calorie, and the drink names are catchy: I Have Balance, I Have Energy, and my favorite, I Have Calm.

Sometimes you have to listen to a CD over and over before you really get it, but as soon as I heard the first note of R&B artist Chrisette Michele's debut CD, I was blown away. Her voice is playful but pretty, light but strong - the woman's got soul.