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Wednesday, March 19, 2014

March *Was* Madness (More Writing Links)

If we had gotten as much sunshine as we did madness, March would have become my favorite month. Instead, we got dumped on with snow, and I got dumped on with self-induced pity. Thank everything holy that this month is just about over!

Today, the writing is back on track (yes!), but I sure wish there had been a March Madness sale on blood and guts because I think I've poured all I have into this current manuscript. If writing a book is like giving birth, I'm praying to be induced early. Seriously, it's been rough.

I'm not complaining (much), though. I love writing and don't think I could live without it. It would be great if there was a way to make money at it - you know, other than actually finishing a manuscript and getting it out there.

Ah well.

I promised links. Here they are (in no kind of order):

Hope you find these helpful. I think for my next post, I'm going to list information for wanna-be or newbie writers. When I started out, I didn't have much help in understanding the process of writing, or even the different genres. For now, I have to go an eat something. I'm all hopped up on about 6 cups of coffee. Funny to be so tired and wired at the same time.

Peace
--Free

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Today's Word is "Recovering"

I'm not ever able to stay in a funk for long. I broke out of the one I was in yesterday by getting some sleep. I'm pretty sure now that my mood was brought on by this fatigue I'm dealing with. If it doesn't break soon, I'll call the doc.

In the meantime... I can sure tell you what you should never do when you're feeling down:

  • Read any of those life hack feeds I subscribe to. The next time I'm this broke and see a "hack" promising to tell my how I CAN travel the world, I'm going to jab a hole in my DELETE key. (I knew that shit was bogus when the first bullet point was "Choose your destination". Really? Well, let's see... Venice sounds wonderful or not this time of year. I bet I can score a $20 ticket on Hotwire right now.) What crap.
  • Look at any photos of celebrities. You know they look a lot like we do when they wake up in the morning but, according to Bossip or TMZ, they could roll out of a truck of snot and hit the cover of Vogue. Listen, when Target photo-shops their "Plus Size" (hah!) jeans models with a thigh gap a blind guy could shoot missiles through, I know that Satan is having a giggle.
  • Re-watch Les Miserables. Or any entertainment that makes me bawl and want to shove my face in the toilet and take a deep breath. (Happy Trudy loves a good tear-jerker. Blue Trudy would rather watch porn and laugh at the bad story lines.)
  • Listen to any music about somebody wanting their heart unbroken or getting butterfly kisses. (And get your dirty minds off the porn. That Butterfly Kisses song is just beautiful.)
What I did, after my Van Winkle nap, was tell myself that soul funk is just as toxic as shoe funk. So how'd I get rid of the funk?
  • Listened to some funky funk. Ohio Players, James Brown, Rick James... I will go ahead and suggest turning up the Players and showing off your pretend horn-playing skills. Not only did this lift my mood, I decided that, if I can never be a singer, I'd accept being part of the Players' horn section. I have moves, yes, I do.
  • Called my niece on her house phone to see if my nephew D.J. would pick up. Sometimes, he does, and that is just hilarious. He gets out "Hello" but, since we haven't deciphered the rest of his private language to know what he goes on and on about afterwards, it's just pure imagination. Since he didn't pick up when I called (and no one likes to give him their cellphone because he might decide to see if he can play Frisbee with it), I spent time looking at some of the 3 trillion videos of him that I have on my computer. Such a cute little monster.
  • Fixed myself a big bowl of Great Grains cereal and vanilla soy. There's something about eating cold cereal that reminds me of my childhood. Of course, since I'm "mature" now, I added flax-seed to the cereal and ended up feeling a little bloated for a couple of hours. It's okay, though. I worked it off in the horn section. Ha.
  • Cleaned out my email. This is something I can do without actually expending much energy. Bonus: I got a sweet note from a sweet buddy. (Girl, you know who ya are!)
  • Mainly, reminded myself that I've been in this place before. It passes. Everything passes.
Also, since I was trying to kick start my writing engine, I dawdled around the web and found some more writing resources. I'll share those with you guys when I'm not so tired.

Man, I miss Sugarfoot #RIP

Peace
--Free

Monday, March 17, 2014

Today's Word is "Crappy"


  • We had a few days of sunshine and break-up weather. I got all happy and energized. God said "Psych!" and let about a millions inches of snow dump all over my good mood.
  • My writing was going so well, I got cocky. "Cocky" ran into a big old brick plot wall. I spent 2 hours staring at a blinking cursor before I gave up and watched three episodes of "Scrubs" just to keep from sticking a fork in my head.
  • I'm too sad for music right now.
  • I need something good to happen in my life. Even just something minor. Maybe something fun showing up in my mail instead of another bill to cry about.
  • I shouldn't have joked about Planet Fitness the other day. I had to get more groceries for the week and just about depleted my bank account. I guess the exercise fairy heard that shit I was talking and called in a favor with the money fairy to put a whooping on my ass.
  • I'm almost too tired to even pray about being too tired.
  • I had to hide my razors because, like always, when I get in this kind of a mood, I think of shaving my head bald to get my mind off whatever's bugging me.
  • I'm exhausted and don't know why. I don't want to call my doctor because he might ask me to come in for an appointment. Going anywhere right now means getting out in that wet ass snow. I just don't have the energy.
  • Come to think of it, I don't even have to energy to deal with this post right now, so I'm out.
--Free

Saturday, March 15, 2014

A Miserably Good Musical

Sometime back in another era, I read Victor Hugo's Les Miserables but only because my parents sided with a teacher who insisted I follow the reading curriculum. That teacher had a whipping board that she called the "Board of Education". (This is back when school officials were allowed to beat the crap out of disobeying students in preparation for the ass whipping we were going to get later on at home. True story.)

Of course, I refused to enjoy Mr. Hugo's masterpiece. In rebellion for having to read it the first time, I refused to ever attempt it again - for around 30 years, because I can hold a grudge like nobody's bizness, sister. I think I read the novel during a trip to visit my father when he was dying. I can't remember if I read it to him or not, but I remember he was pleased I was reading it. He believed before I did that I would be a great novelist someday.

When I fell ill with sarcoidosis, I lost a lot of memories about my younger years. I remember things I did, but I can't recall much about why or when or how the hell I survived to celebrate my fiftieth birthday. One thing I do know is that I loved Les Miserables, but I don't remember why. I'm in the middle of writing a novel right now so I refuse to read other works. I have a mimicking habit that bleeds into hearing the voices other writers use. Still, I wanted to enjoy the Hugo's story again. I did what every lazy person does: I rented the video of the musical.

I'm glad I watched this recording. This was my first experience seeing the stage play. I love the music, even though my heart was breaking and I caught myself sniffling through several parts. I will re-watch this video again, but, trust me, it won't be when I'm too sad already.

Remember that I've mentioned before how other people hate watching any kind of entertainment with me? One reason is that I'm easily distracted, the other is that I get distracted by things that I want to discuss. In detail. Right when the thought hits me. I wear the absolute hell out of a Pause button.

If anyone reading this has never watched Les Miz before, I want to encourage them to do so. Netflix had the 28th anniversary edition. The story is as relevant as if it were written today. Anyone who has lived any kind of real life will find themselves tripping through about ten different emotions while watching the musical. It's really just a story about hopelessness and hope; life and death; cowardice and courage.

Since no one watched this production with me, I'm going to burden you guys with the Pause-and-discuss moments I had with my imaginary friend. Her name is Tate:

  • The play is based on a French novel, but the characters all spoke with British accents. Was this intentional? It must have been. The first time I heard any of the Bee Gees speak I almost fell off my chair. After that, of course, I heard the accents in their songs. 
  • When the priest offered Valjean bread and a place to rest, I wondered where that free bread and bed had been when the poor guy was busted for stealing?
  • How hot is the bad guy? And why is it that the bad guys are always so hot. Maybe that's just my inner teenager coming out. I didn't get into "nice" guys until after I'd actually gotten a bad guy. Huh.
  • Why is the girl who gets the guy blonde while the girl who only gets some death-bed love a brunette. (I have this white hat/black hat thing that I need to get over.)
  • That Valjean guy can sing his ass off! The other singers were good (I especially liked Cossette), but I broke down in tears when Valjean began "Hear My Cry" with that beautiful high note. Oh! I had goosebumps.
  • During one of the musical interludes, I fell out laughing at the look of the harpist. It's like she didn't realize the camera was going to catch her in such a moment. Priceless.
  • I kind of like how when people die, there aren't all the special effects movies use that make me look away or want to puke. I'm not familiar with lots of theater works so I was didn't realize one of the characters had died by walking off into the mist. Skip subtle and just hit my dumbass over the head. 
Yeah, so I had a good time. I liked that the DVD had a separate section of just the songs. I'm going to get the soundtrack fast as I can.

Hope you get a chance to watch it. Hope I didn't ruin it for you.

Peace
--Free

Friday, March 14, 2014

Me & Planet Fit

So, I'm at the gym yesterday (because my nephew guilt-tripped-slash-shamed me into going) and I spent more time thinking about the gym I belong to than using what it had to offer. (I'm pretty sure that thinking burns calories, so don't get all huffy.)

I belong to Planet Fitness (when my membership payment doesn't go all Captain Kangaroo and bounce), which prides itself on the whole "No Judgement Zone" theme. This is true, mostly, but I have noticed a difference in atmosphere between the two centers I use. My 'home' gym, closest to where I live is nicer than the across-town gym.

The home gym has fans. Cooling fans, I mean. I love those fans. I'm shameless about taking one of those fans and lugging it nearer to my workout station. Matter of fact, I'm downright rude. One time, I waited until the guy on the treadmill a few spaces over went to re-fill his water bottle. When he came back, I'd moved the fan from behind his spot to behind mine. He was too polite to say anything. I'm such a thug.

The home gym also had stair machines which, until about two weeks ago, the other gym did not.

The parking sucks at both locations because they are both just down from Burlington stores. The pavement is better at the home gym location though. On the other hand, the location across town is in the same mall as a great beauty supply store. Oh, and there's a not-really-dollar dollar store just down the way. I go there at least every third visit to pick up a $2.99 lock because I'm either forgetting to bring the lock I have, or because I lost that tiny key to open the lock I have with me. I have a collection of cheap locks and loose keys in a box in the closet. One day I'm going to sort and match them up and put them in the yard sale I never actually have.

The point I was going to make before I went all ADHD on you is that I prefer the across-town gym to the one just a couple miles down the road from where I live. The biggest reason for this is not that, until a couple of weeks ago, I could avoid that crazy stair machine, but that I like the atmosphere at the other gym. The across-town gym, I mean. There is a more diverse mix of people (size, shape, color, motivation) there than at the home gym.

When I go to my home gym, it's not that I feel out of place in my raggedy workout clothes, as long as they match. There are just some unspoken expectations. I always spend an extra five minutes in the locker room checking out my hair and making sure I pretend to do stretches because it makes me look like I give a damn. You can't look like a total amateur at home gym. For instance, you really don't want to get caught looking at the picture on a machine like you forgot exactly how to use it. The people there notice stuff like that. They all walk around that 'No Judgement Zone", waiting to not judge each other. One time I made the mistake of adjusting the seat on a machine - while I was sitting on it - and the damn seat clanged down with a clatter loud enough to stop time and shine a confession spotlight on me. No one judged, but they made such a big deal of not judging that I didn't go back there for a couple of months.

I really do prefer the across-town gym, if I haven't pounded that idea home by now. I go there and actually hang my reading glasses from my tank top so that I can see the machine instructions better. If I don't read the instructions, I end up trying to use an ab machine for my inner thigh workout. It's damn near a tragedy.

Another thing I like about the preferred gym is that I can be as lazy as I want with my workout. There's no pressure to enter the place like you've just held hands in the locker room for a prayer and a pep talk before storming into your workout. Sometimes, I get all my exercise just wandering around trying to decide which machine I'm not going to be getting on.

It sounds like I'm not serious about my exercise, but, really, I am. Usually. My normal routine is doing 3 miles per hour for 45 minutes on the treadmill at varying inclines. (I can do an incline of 11 without sliding off the damn thing, if I hang on for dear life and pay no attention a single thing going on around me. I can't run. I tried a sort of half-trot once and looked like Goofy's black Alaskan cousin. I lose my balance watching other people run. Matter of fact, if someone next to me starts running, I will move to another machine just to get away from them.)

When I finish on the treadmill, and if I have survived it, I move on to the Ab Station. There are about 9 machines over there, but I stick to three of them. I don't know what the hell to call them, but they are all for doing variations of crunches. I like the one where you kneel and pull your weight up via a little roller thingie. Since I got so technical, here's a photo:

Love this thing-a-ma-jig
The Ab Station is supposed to be a 12-minute routine. I haven't figured out if my 12-minute system of exercising for 2 and resting for 2 counts, but ~shrug~ hey. Besides, I always forget to pay attention to that red light/green light notifier flashing on and off. Doesn't matter since no one seems to actually do the entire rotation. We all just pick and choose our favorite machines and pretend not to notice who skipped which.

This is my other favorite:

I don't think he's doing it right

Now that my nephew goes with me to the gym, he's got me using all the stuff I avoided before. A couple weeks ago, I started working on my arms and chest. If someone had told me before that I could keep my boobies high and tight by using those machines I thought were only for guys, I'd have been on that like a boss. The one thing I don't like much is using free weights. I didn't even know what 'free weights' meant until my nephew told me. I told him that we are both safer in the gym when I don't use things that are heavy and can be dropped. He thought I was kidding about my clumsiness until he saw me on the treadmill. He ain't laughing now.

I know that a lot of people complain about Planet Fitness, but my experience has been mostly positive. Mostly. The only thing I don't like is that, at the across-town gym, the so-called Fitness Trainer turns out to be this chick who I thought just hung out there because she was homeless. Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen an employee outside of Home Depot less interested in their job. During one of my first visits to the gym, I thought about asking her for help with setting up a PIN # on the treadmill, but I didn't want to rouse her from her stupor. She's skinny, though she doesn't look particularly fit. I can say that because I once weighed 98 pounds and I know I wasn't fit. I think she needs a good meal. Some spinach or liver, maybe, to get her energy up.

Mostly, I see getting and staying fit as being about getting and staying motivated. If I don't plan to hit the gym, I eat a bit less. If I want to cheat and have a Whopper because I got coupons for a freebie in the mail, I make plans to be at the gym the next day. (The next day because, let's face it, after a Whopper and fries, all I'm good for is a nap. Besides, I don't like being around people when I have that special onion breath that comes only from Burger King's onions. And what the hell is it about those onions that make them so especially funky?)

As far as Planet Fitness, I don't know if I will be renewing my membership when I can opt out. Now that I'm thinner and have more stamina, I think I'd rather save up that twenty bucks a month to spend on my healthier food and cute clothes. Somewhere along the way, I should be able to get a used elliptical or treadmill. My nephew has a membership now so I can hit the gym as his guest. Let him pay for going to the Purple Yellow Palace. To be honest, I'm not sure that PF has my best interests in mind when this is the first thing I see while showing the hot-as-hell guy at the counter my card:

aka: Planet Really?
Sometimes, I take two if hot-guy's not looking.
Come to think of it, maybe that tired trainer chick is just sluggish from all the free pizza...

Like going to a doctor to score crack

Peace
--Free

Text-to-Speech Options

I don't know how other writers feel about hearing their work read back to them, but my niece hipped me to the idea. She proofs some of my stuff for readability and says that hearing the stories (instead of reading them) keeps her from trying to edit as she reads. Well, that's my problem too.

Not that I did any real research here, but I found these links after struggling with the Microsoft Narrator installed on my PC. (Some of these are links to links...)

I've used Narrator, which isn't as bad as it is just plain unfriendly to a new user. Also, Narrator doesn't  play nice with all documents. I spent more time trying to de-glitch it than I did listening to my stuff. So...

In the voice of Bill Engvall, "Heeeere's your links!"

Not a lot of links, but I'll be scouting for more as I  have time.

Peace
--Free

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Procrastination Games

Sometimes, when I can't break a writing block, I...

  • Watch those evil-looking ass crows that gather around the cans on garbage day and imagine their conversations.
  • Imagine that those same crows are watching my evil ass, imagining my thoughts.
  • Sit for hours in front of the keyboard, looking at that blank Word screen, having amazing thoughts that I cannot put into language.
  • Have better conversations with characters not yet assigned to a story while I'm trying to wake up the characters in a story I am working on.
  • Wish, wish, wish I had an appointment or other obligation to attend to because, for some reason, I work better under irritation and pressure.
  • Have mental arguments with God about His having given me this urge to create without giving me ways to just snap my fingers and get the job done.
  • Paint my toenails with several coats of polish because that gives me a reason not to get in my favorite cross-legged position to write.
  • Compare writer's block to physical ailments like constipation. 
  • Realize that writer's block is a constipation of the mind and spirit.
  • Wish Ex-lax made a product to unplug my mind. In the sense of relief, not disconnect.
  • Compare writing to the very last moment of a pregnancy that just will not end.
  • Get all wrapped up in thoughts about the 'pregnancy', pushing and willing the thing I'm creating to just be out of me.
  • Lay on the bed and make elaborate plans for re-doing my room decor.
  • Realize I can't afford to re-do my room decor.
  • Lay on my bed and imagine that my first published novel will be such a hit that I'll be able to afford having someone else do my room decor.
  • Realize that, with enough money, I wouldn't be in this room anymore.
  • Remind myself that I write, not to have more money, but just to breathe.
  • Make a list of books that I've read that were so awful that I know my worst written story has a chance. If I just get off my ass and get it written.
  • Realize that those awful book authors were stronger than me in spirit, if not talent. They did get their awful book finished. 
  • Write dedication pages in my head (and not on paper or screen because I can't write shit when I'm blocked).
  • Force myself to sit very still and try to get 'centered, then realize I don't believe in 'centering' myself as much as stirring myself up. The process of meditating or 'getting centered' usually just makes me drowsy.
  • Write these silly blog posts because I know that writing anything is better than writing nothing.
  • Think about the hours and hours I've put into the story that is stuck in neutral and wonder if I should just delete-delete-delete it into oblivion.
  • Decide to just let the damn story sit in the corner as punishment for putting me through this hell.
  • Think that I am such a loser because I can't do this writing thing that I cannot imagine living without.
  • Beat myself up until my ego is slinking off to sulk in the corner along with the story I sent there.
Mostly, I do anything except write. It's a non-cycle.

Too much to ask for?
(via getgln)


Peace
--Free

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

**REVIEW** Mizani H2O Intense

$9 @ Burlington Coat Factory
$3000 elsewhere
This stuff is my new love. Good thing Burlington Coat Factory wouldn't give me a cash refund when I finally returned a Christmas gift. I only used part of the exchange because the only thing I could find was the Mizani. So glad I took a chance and bought it.

I paid less than ten dollars for the jar, but I priced other Mizani products at places like Sally Beauty Supply. The product website informs us that "Mizani" is Swahili for "balance". It could also mean "gold" because that's how the products are priced.

After trying my "discount" jar of the H2O Intense, I have to say that it's worth paying double what I did pay.

Pros:
  • Not greasy or sticky
  • Has a very pleasant (and faint) scent
  • Takes very little to treat thick hair
  • Leaves hair soft (no "crunch") without feeling heavy, damp or oily
Cons:
  • I might have to jack a child's college savings to afford it
Now, I don't know if you saw the freak show that was my hair yesterday but, as awful as the pic was, you can see that my hair has been growing quite a bit in the past weeks. (The photo of me on the sidebar was just taken in December.) The Mizani Intense as made that mop of a mess as soft as it's been since I was twenty and wearing Gheri Curls, minus the nasty mess.

Seriously, this is the best hair product I've used since going natural. The instructions suggest using the cream 2 to 3 times a week but, in the name of all that is cheap, I've stuck to 2 times a week for the last two weeks. Results: Awesome-soft hair.

Like most quality products, the Intense might seem pricey off the shelf, but could be cheaper to use in the long run. I was going through quite a bit of my other (cheaper) products by having to re-apply or over-apply. By the way, not all of the other products I've tried have been that much cheaper than this one. 

Because I have to use so little of the product, this 5-ounce jar is going to last me a very long time. Also, I will be scraping the lid and crevices to get out every last dab! 

Finally, I noticed another of the Mizani products I'd love to try: the Butter Rich hairdress. If I get my hands on a sample, I'll be sure to do a review. (By the way, Mizani is a division of L'Oreal.)

Peace
--Free

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

***LINKS*** I'm a Tumbl'n Writer

To the links in just a moment but, in case you needed a smile today:

This is what I woke up looking like this morning. I call it my "crazy writer's hair", better known to other natural gals as "I-didn't-tie-down-the-naps" last night!

Excuse the glamour. I said I'd just woken up!
Look how that mop of mine is growing! Must be all the greens and biotin I'm ingesting. Whatever.

Now, on to the promised links....

Good Stuff on Tumblr

Just doing searches on Tumblr ("writer resources", "grammar", etc.) will yield useful info. Enjoy.

Peace
--Free

Monday, March 10, 2014

Spine-free Moments


  • When a comedian makes a really funny joke about something and you realize it sort of describes you, but you laugh along as if they must be talking about someone else. Outwardly, you're laughing harder than anyone else. Inside, you're reminding yourself to find a treatment center for whatever goofy thing it is you're laughing about. I mean, if a comedian is making jokes about it, that shit must be serious. Dude.
  • When someone does something extremely rude or ignorant to someone else and you slink off as if nothing happened. The thing is, you just know that you appreciate being stood up for when you're being bullied and you'd find new names to describe any coward who left you to the mercy of such rudeness.
  • When a "friend" blurts out in front of others a confidence you shared privately and you just shrug it off. In your head you come up with a whole speech about the vow you'll be taking to never tell such a blabbermouth anything ever again. You even make mental lists on the spot about what you won't share with them again. Ever. (Those lists are so detailed that you need colons and semi-colons to sort them.)
  • When someone is talking, talking, talking to you and you damn near bust a gut instead of interrupting them to go to the bathroom. Notice that these chatterboxes are usually the same people who will rudely interrupt your part of a serious conversation to point out some minor distraction that means nothing to either of you.
  • When you let someone monopolize valuable time because you don't want to interrupt their meaningless rant about that rash on their ass. Or whatever. (Though I usually want to know if I'm in the presence of someone with a rash on their ass, just in case that shit is airborne and contagious.)
  • When caught in a lie, instead of being mature enough to admit and apologize, you go into elaborate details with other lies to cover up or excuse the first one. (It's even worse when your cover lies are so creative that you want to go home and write short stories about them.)
  • When you really like someone but they get a big head about it so you pretend you can't stand the very stink of their presence. What's worse is when you figure out that they liked you too but they are just as shy and insecure as you are. Too bad. Two silly dumbasses would probably make a great couple. Or... not? Never mind. (Did I really type 'the very stink of their presence'???)
  • When you take an unpopular stance about something, but only in your head, and don't speak up when the issue is being discussed. Maybe you're afraid of the beating your belief will take. Take the hits and speak up. If you don't your soul will take the beating for you.
  • When your friend is in the wrong, but you stand silent while he/she sits on their pity-pot about it. It's even worse when they sit on their throne and beat everyone else over the head with their scepter.
Damn. My spine is in a snit just from me writing that list. I don't know why making good choices is easier in our heads. My goal is to live making better choices instead of:
  • Money over Matter. 
  • Feelings over Sense. 
  • Lust over Love. 
  • Around over Through.
  • Winning over Fair.
  • Payback over Forgiveness.
  • Right over Compassion.
  • Looks over Beauty.
  • Easy over Struggle.
  • Cheating over Learning.
  • Wrong over Right.
  • Cookies over Salad.
Okay, that last one was just... Well, actually, that one's true too!

Peace
--Free

Sunday, March 09, 2014

***LINKS LIST*** For Readers

I did a links list on Thursday for writers, and every writer should be,always, a reader. Here are **links for getting your read on :


  • LibriVox.... has a good selection of books that can be downloaded for your listening. If you write romances of any kind, you must read "Fanny Hill" (while hearing it might help you and your plot some heat of your own). Aesop's works (for children and otherwise) could replace whatever you listen to on those family drives or during carpooling duties. If you want, you can volunteer to be a recorded reader. Use the simple or advanced Search system to explore the library of works. Lots of stuff there.
  • Project Gutenberg ....not only offers free ebooks, but I noticed that they have a self-publishing opportunity for "contemporary writers". Huh. Interesting. I can't tell you more because, when I looked, the site was undergoing temporary maintenance. Best way to check this site is by going here and then finding the Site Map near the bottom of the page. Note that you can make donations. Think of it as supporting literacy and value in the age of the Kardashians.
  • Cliff's Notes.... (and, I learned that I have been spelling that right, until everyone did it wrong so long that wrong has become right, like, yep, the Kardashians did with pop culture's idea of what's "trashy" and "classy".) ~deep breaths, Trudy, take deep breaths~  Think Cliff's Notes and "cheating" comes to mind. I like to think that the Notes can help you pick and choose which works of literature you want to start with when you decide to expand your reading. Stephen King is my hero, but I know that's only because he fed his writing diet with a knowledge of the writers I spent most of high school avoiding by using Cliff's Notes. Here's how I use the Notes to feed myself: I make a list of books that I've been told any serious writer should read, then I read a C.N. summary to decide which one I feel like starting with at the moment. In the meantime, I can hold pretty my own in conversations with well-read people. You can find anything in the C.N. from autobiographies (Ben Franklin and Malcolm X, for instance) to that delicately bawdy "Fanny Hill" I spoke of before. By the way, Cliff's Notes are just the better known notes, but there are others that I found via Wikipedia: 60-Second Recap seems more suited to Cracked Readers (me!), Book Rags and, Spark Notes (which had full text of a title I checked). 
In my post of links for writers, I neglected to add a list of the free Kindle books Amazon has available. I will try to provide links in this following list, but things sometimes go crossways when I do this with my Amazon account. If the links don't work for you, simply do your own Amazon search in "books" on "grammar".
You get the idea. Amazon's notes indicate that these books are also available free elsewhere on the web. I included them because I know lots of folks use Kindle readers.

I am sure that there are many, many more sites out there that have useful reading for writers. Just go and explore. Start somewhere.

Good reading and writing.

Peace
--Free



** Make sure to read each site's notes about copyright. Books are made public domain by expired copyright; this varies by country.

Saturday, March 08, 2014

inspire wiki A Must Love Site

inspire wiki is probably one of the most, well - inspiring - sites I've seen lately. Very nice site for a scroll. Check it out.

On TV Part 1 (My criticisms)

I don't watch TV much. When I do, no one likes watching with me because I am such a critic. Since my family and friends don't want to play, I'll post some of my gripes (and likes) with you guys. (Yeah it's a slow post day for me...)

  • Loved "Burn Notice" but hate how writers went too far to promote only the lead character. Mike, Fiona, Jesse and "Mom" were the best parts of the show. (Can't go wrong with "Cagney". Love Ms. Gless!)I hated the way Jesse was announced as "a spy who lost his way" instead of "a spy Mike burned out of his original career path." Also, I found it irritating that Mike was rarely wrong. The actor is probably a really nice guy, but I found myself doing a lot of eye-rolling at his over-played macho-ism.
  • Still mad that "Leverage" ended. If show writers copy formats so much, I wish they'd continue the tradition with characters from good shows like this one. Though I'd miss Mr. Hutton, I'd love to see that hunky Aldis Hodge and the spunky Beth Riesgraf as a crime-solving duo. Throw in Christian Kane for some deadpan humor and to keep those other two in line. Matter of fact, it would be great to see Hutton work with Gina Bellman again. I wish I had her speaking voice. Sexy heifer.
  • Sebastian Maniscalco's "What's Wrong With People" is one of the few comedy stand-ups that I can watch again, again, again, except I have to rest my abs in between views. I laughed so hard I got laryngitis. Doesn't hurt that Mr. Maniscalco is hot as Sriracha sauce. Nothing like a man with a sense of humor. My favorite part is "Will you look at this shit?" and the teeth-brushing bit. Wish I knew how to make a GIF from Netflix.
  • Hate any kind of soap opera. One exception: "General Hospital" back in the Luke and Laura days. Admitting that makes me cringe for a couple of reasons. One, I just dated myself back to the Jurassic era. Two: Laura fell in love with her rapist. Other than GH though, I only looked at soaps (or as my mom called them, her "stories") long enough to mute and change the channel. Okay, I'm lying. I watched enough bits and pieces of soaps to crush on actors like Ed Freeman, Jr, Michael Easton, Shemar Moore, Steve Burton, Henry Simmons and - the one and only reason I ever left work to watch a soap - Darnell Williams. Wow. I didn't just lie, I created a new version of lying, didn't I? I guess all these guys caught my eye while I was muting the TV...
  • I can't stand any kind of love scene in TV shows. No one ever wakes up afterwards with effed-up hair (even black women with complicated do's), one titty hanging out of that strategically placed sheet, or sleep in their eyes. In real life, no real lady would just crawl out of a marathon sex romp and leave for work without at least a quick trip to the bathroom. That's only unrealistic, it's downright nasty.
  • I'd like to see more shows about people who have real-life problems without the TV-like fixes. Let's see a broke person who doesn't live in a house decorated by Ikea. Better yet, let's see them without a house. I'm still trying to figure out how everybody on "Friends" (which, to be fair, I barely glanced at) was always dressed so great, eating well, and meeting in cafes did all that without being independently wealthy or turning tricks on the side. At least on "Living Single" folks had careers that paid well. I watched that show just to look at Kyle and Max's romance light and burn so hotly. Well, okay - mostly I watched just to look at T.C. Carson, although Max would be my girl crush if I was into chicks.
  • I know that everyone hates it when a show is yanked off air without tying up loose ends. I was so pissed off when "Quantum Leap" went off the air that I didn't realize there was a note that Sam never returned home. Other shows that I loved and never saw the ending of: "Nowhere Man" (I just queued all discs via Netflix), "Dead Like Me" (a favorite) and, "Life".  I loved the show "Pramface", but it went off for so long that, by the time it came back on, I'd lost interest. Because I am a little nutsy, I usually just make up endings to these shows for myself. Sometimes, I re-write show in my head as I am watching them on TV. I'm too lazy to pursue screen-writing and too crazy for any of my ideas to work for a general audience anyway. 
  • Sometimes, I wonder what ever happened to actors I've seen on the screen. For instance, why the hell did Monica Potter never do much after "Along Came a Spider"? (I actually typed "Kiss the Spider" first!) Was it because she looks more like Julia Roberts that Roberts herself? Talk about doppelgangers... And why do people like have such high profile careers when folks like James McAvoy (from the U.K.'s "Shameless") and the hotness that is Callan Mulvey (from Australia's "Underbelly") are not universal superstars? I just have no idea what's up with that. I also have no idea why guys like Jesse L. Martin and Laz Alonso are not on People's "Hottest" or "Most Beautiful" lists. Meanwhile, Adam Levine is Taye Diggs get so much attention I have to gag.
I better stop now. I see that my critique of TV shows is turning into a fantasy wish list instead. Matter of fact, I'm going to have to do another post just about the people I like from TV shows.

Peace
--Free



Thursday, March 06, 2014

**UPDATE** Bailey Quarters

This is for "annie". An update of photos of Jan Smithers who played Bailey Quarters on WKRP. Apparently, lots of people love this woman. I hope she knows that. I did this post waaay back in '09 and it still gets hits all the time.

If looks tell a story, I think she must be
a sweetheart. What a natural beauty.
Bailey & Andy,
sitting in a tree...
I wished they had




















I was going to search for more recent photos of Ms. Smithers, but when I read that she'd retired from acting, I decided to leave her to her privacy.

The original cast
Come to think of it, since it's the show we all liked, maybe we should leave the characters in our memories as they were.

Peace
--Free

***LINKS LIST*** For Writers

I haven't done this for a while, but here are a list of resources that might be useful to other writers out there. I scanned various sites for the links, so I can't vouch for every single one. Enjoy.



Groups/Orgs 
(Not really my thing. Some can be pricey or a bit gimmicky, but different strokes, right?)

Agents (info and guides)

Self-Publishing Info

Language (Grammar, Aids, Usage, etc.)
Mood/Concentration Helps
Last of all, I'll suggest a book that helped reinforce in me the knowledge that, whether I publish or not, I am a writer. I'm not much on taking advice about writing (other than for style and such), but John Gardner's "On Becoming a Novelist" was the first book on writing given to me as a young woman. Reading that book was a turning point for me. I've got to get another copy. I suggest that any writer buy it or find it in their library to read. Here's an Amazon link to the author's works.

Good luck, good writing, and

Peace
--Free

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

What the Ring Means

I was checking out a Tumblr post by a web buddy (okay, really we are sisters of the heart) of mine. She was talking about the 10+ club. It's a wife thing for women married 10 years or more. What a bitter-sweet read for me. Matter of fact, I didn't read the post through, because just seeing it literally put an ache in my heart.

One thing I took from the post was thoughts about love, marriage, divorce and life stages; choices, decisions, regrets, and acceptance.

The ring I put on as a first-time newlywed was more a symbol of hope and trust than it was of love. I didn't understand any of those three things. I had no clear plan of hope; trust was a concept I'd only learn by having it broken; and my love was not mature. I think now about the biblical story of Hosea and Gomer.

The ring I put on the second time I married was given all the respect the first ring deserved. That second marriage was penance of a sort. I paid for every childish mistake from before and probably put a down-payment on future mistakes I haven't even considered yet.

There are times now when I wear a cheap band or solitaire on my ring finger. I wear these when I don't want to be "hit on", or when I want to remind myself of what I've cost myself in missed memories and milestones.

Maybe, one day, I will wear another ring that is an echo of the first. If it's true that there really are no mistakes - just learned lessons - then I will be so much wiser. I am wiser anyway.

For women who have made it into the 10+ circle, I want to congratulate you. You hung in there and stayed even when the romance waned and "real life" took over. You can look back with smiles at the photographs of a dress and cake that were only symbols. Your time with the one you bound yourself to, the doubts you endured, the struggles - all those are what count. You chose to grow old with the one special person who also chose you and now, these however many years later, you can say you made it this far. Keep going. I hope all those ladies make the 20-year Club and beyond.

For the other ladies, like me, we've also endured journeys of our own. That we are still able to find happiness of our own is our special testament.

Peace
--Free

Food Ahh's and Ick's

This food detox I'm enduring (yeah, it's been a whole 15 hours) has me thinking a lot about, well, food.

How much of what we hear about "the latest" berry, oil or seed is hype the greedy? There has to be something good about any natural food, I'm sure. What I wonder about is whether I need a pantry/fridge full of every kind of seed, berry, nut, tree, leaf or twig.

My shopping plan for eating better is real simple: whatever is grown, pure, colorful and on sale.
Problem is, I can be a sometimes picky eater. I have a thing about textures (hate grit, love creamy) and I'm hypersensitive to flavors.

I'm considering adding a couple of new things to my pantry though:


  • Chia seeds - I like the idea (if true) that they hydrate the body. One claim I need to check on is that they promote weight loss by "preventing food absorption". That sounded great when I first read it, but I have to wonder if, by the same process, the seeds will prevent the absorption of nutrients. I get all yin yang in my feelings about stuff like this. I really hate this type of trendy hype. Since chia seeds taste nice (and might actually help the heart),  I don't care if they do anything for weight loss and will probably give them a try.
  • Flax-seed - Even if I don't try chia, I will most definetly be adding some flaxseed to my blended concoctions. Reading about it on WebMD, I was pleased to see the Omega-3 and fiber mentioned, but my beady little peepers lit right up at the note about estrogen. The woman out there will know where I'm coming from with that one. (By the way, I just love that WebMD. Not as much as I love my docs, but they're probably glad I'm not calling them up with my random questions at... 6:15 AM   Pretty sure about that!

I hope flax-seed doesn't tasted disgusting. Already I'm thinking "gritty-grimy" as far as the texture. Maybe all the pulp in my "Veg-oothies"** (I made that up, so don't go stealing it) will protect my taste buds.

Now, getting to the ahh's and ick's I headlined with, here are some of my faves/not-faves as far as food:

  • Liver - I used to hate this so much that I would gag when Mom forced it on me. I'd spit that nastiness right out the second she wasn't looking and actually scrape at my tongue with my dinner napkin. UGH! As I've matured (in all kinds of ways), I find I don't mind eating liver. If I don't have to handle it raw. Is it not the most disgusting common food known to exist? My sister cooks it with onions, with or without gravy, and that is some good eating. Sometimes. I have to be in the mood for it.And I only like beef liver, which is the chewier kind.
  • Gizzards - Love, love, LUV chicken gizzards. I cook them with a little olive oil and some garlic salt. Of course, I look like some kind of crazed freak of nature while I'm gnawing around those tough little ligaments (or whatever) to get at all the meat. Thing is, you have to eat like a pan full of them to satisfy hunger. I have never eaten a gizzard in the company of all but my nearest and dearest. One time I lost my grip while tugging the meat from one and it shot across the table and hit my uncle in the face. So, yeah. My life and times...
  • Cabbage - Never been a fan of cabbage. When I was about fifteen, I brought my mother a head of lettuce from the store because I thought it was a cabbage. (You ever tell anyone about that, I'll hunt you down to laugh with you about it.) My family likes to cook it in water with oil and salt pork. And this is why so many black people have "high blood" and "the sugar diabetes". Help us, Jesus.
  • Beets - Just started eating them without pickling juices. Not crazy about these solo, but like tossing them into blends or drinking the raw juice. Not a bad juice, just don't wear clothes or get near furniture while you guzzle. That vegetable stains air.

My basic plan is simple: getting lots of fresh air and exercise and putting better stuff in my body. I used to think that "eating better" meant choosing making better fast-food choices. I'd get the green tea latte at Starbucks or the McDonald's ranch salad. I thought I was being smart, but I was just spending more money than I needed for stuff that only sounded healthy. Let's take a look at some those choices.
The biggest thing about eating (or drinking) something that sounds healthy is that almost anything can be made to sound healthy.

I'm not saying that I will never go to Starbucks again, but I'm going to go less and go smarter. As this article suggests, I'll use a this-not-that way of choosing my treats.

Like a lot of people, I tend to point out that I only eat fast food occasionally. The thing is, I don't like mystery about what I'm ingesting - ever. While, again, not everything you read is true, this article pretty much put me off McNuggets for life. I used to love McNuggets more than I loved the last man I was with, and now I realize neither of them was any good for me. Ick.

This list of the 18 Most Sickening Food Ingredients gave me dry heaves. I'm going to need a Valium the next time I enter a grocery store. This article was way funnier and had "sex" in the title (even though I'd rather eat beetle ass than condom lubricant). I was only alarmed by a few claims.

All giggling aside, I think that we need to be more aware of what we're putting into our bodies. We've heard so much about what's bad for us, we've gotten tired of listening.

Peace
--Free

Monday, March 03, 2014

**REVIEW** The Detox is ON!

 Okay, so I'm not juicing my food so much as liquefying it. 

Because I am closer to being homeless than I am to living the high life, I had to do a lot of research and comparison shopping before I settled on what type of appliance to purchase. Thanks to a really good friend (Hi, Perry), I was gifted with fifty bucks toward the buy. Here are the products I considered (and why I didn't choose any of them):

Magic Bullet - Too plastic, too many parts & pieces, yet not enough power for constant heavy-duty use. (Sounds like I'm talking about a whole other type of "magic", doesn't it!) Besides the lack of power, I really couldn't be bothered with making space for, or keeping track of, all those dang parts. It is cute though.
Magic Bullet $50 - $60 (250 watts)


NutriBullet - Had better wattage at 600, but for that much money, it should. Besides, I read too many reviews about leaks, rusting, cracking and - my pettest of peeves: poor customer service and contact. Also... plastic! I'm not real fond of anything plastic when it comes to using long-term use of anything coming in contact with my food. Pro: comes in a variety of cute colors. Add to cons: too many parts.



NutriBullet around $100

Ninja - I would've have run when I saw the price but I felt too faint to move fast. This baby can go for $100 to $260 and up. I wasn't able to run, but I sure as hell got away fast enough not to notice whether or not this one had color options. I did notice that it packs 1000 watts at the low end model. I don't know about wattage for the higher end ones. At 260 bucks, I don't really care.
Ninja. 1000 watts at the lower end


Vitamix - If I felt faint looking at the price on a Ninja, I damn near puddled right to the floor when I saw the (gasp) $440 tag on this monster.The product service plan of $45 is what I had to spend when I walked in the store. Don't ask about the wattage. For this price level, that bitch would have to run my car before I'd buy it.  For the price, I could hire a personal chef for an eighth of an hour.


Pro: not many parts. They probably cost another arm...
I heard about another blender that runs around playing in the 600-dollar range. I left it playing and kept my ass in the world of the real. I won't even mention that madness. If you pay $600 for anything that doesn't cook, clean or sleep with you at night, you better be friends with Oprah or Bill if you don't want people waiting for you fall on your financial face. Hah!

Annnny-way...

I had fifty bucks, health on my mind, and a need for power. I found this for $40 and spent another $5 for a 2 year repair/replacement warranty:


Farberware 4-speed digital at 800 watts.
Chile, I almost stepped on a woman's foot trying to snatch that bad-boy off the shelf.
Single-serve cup attachment
I'll probably never use it with the blender, but that single-serve cup is perfect for packing with me on my errands.

An 800-watt motor, stainless still facing, and a glass jar. Perfection. (The travel cup is plastic but... whatever.)

The Pros: Easy set-up (once I decided not to bother with the travel cup), not a bunch of pesky pieces to deal with, and it's very sturdy, and powerful but not very loud. LOVE that not-loud part since I have a bitchy upstairs neighbor and a room mate who wastes every hour of the day in front of the living room television set...

The Cons: That freaking travel cup. I couldn't take the hassle of changing out between it and the glass jar.

I like that I don't have to monitor it while it's blending. It has a very cool way of stopping and restarting so as to let the contents settle for better blending. (Did that make sense???) 

The real test, of course, is how well it works. It does a super job. My first blend was one of carrots, kale, collards, spinach, turnip greens....

.... beets, strawberries, blueberries apples, banana and...

... about a cup of store-bought carrot juice I had left from last week.

Yeah. So.

That's a pretty crazy mix, but I'm a pretty crazy chick. I think I just got carried away with tossing in more stuff and watching the colors blend. It was fun until I realized I had 42 ounces of liquefied goodness that might taste like crap. So I squeezed in a little honey. 

The color: amazingly pretty. Sort of a beet-red/Prince-purple look. Gorgeous. Oh, wait - I was thinking of Prince. ~sigggggh~ But the juice was also gorgeous. The taste: deee-lisshus. Really. It was pretty thick, but pulp is what I wanted, which is why I decided on getting a blender instead a juicer. I don't want to pay all that money for produce to just toss out the best (and most nutritious?) part. Besides, I think that fiber won't hurt when it comes to filling me up and (ha ha) emptying me out. (Too much information? Sorry.)

I had 20 ounces to sip for my all-day meal and still have about 20 million ounces (kidding) left for the freezer. I'm going to have to see how freezing affects nutrients...

Anyway, I'll try to update here as I get through the coming weeks. My plan at the moment is to do an all- (or, mostly-) liquid intake for a month as a junk-food detox. Okay, it's really more about vanity. Summer will soon be here and I'd like to have my skin and hair ready for this round-the-clock Alaska sun that allows one to hide NOTHIN. 

Well, off to bed for me. I used up the last of my energy sucking down the rest of my "meal". 

Peace
--Free




(And because I just have  to post a reminder pic of GOALS)


You can do this chica!

Cancerians

***(UPDATE: I recently realized that indulging in horoscopes is not something I should be doing. In dealing with astrology, I was ignoring Isaiah 47:10-14 - and other passages. Often in my life, I was using the idea of being a "Cancer" to excuse some of my behavior. I am sorry for leading anyone astray with this or any other posts.)***

I'm a crab, a cancer (so to speak) on the ass of all that is boring, ordinary and plain. We Cancers are hard to describe, but I'll try.

As friends:

  • Can be incredibly childish and incredibly mature, all depending on where the second hand is on the clock.
  • Can't understand why everyone doesn't think, feel, care or live the way they do.
  • Will forgo every financial need and obligation they have to give you money if you need it.
  • Will not take money from you unless they are starving, in heat or just have to have that pair of shoes they saw at Nordstrom.
  • Will do random and puzzling things when you least expect it - like get you that two-hundred dollar bottle of perfume you mentioned three years ago was your favorite.
  • If mad at you about something, they will wish for at least ten minutes that you smell like rat piss every time you use that perfume they bought you.
  • Will do whatever they have to do to make you smile if they think someone else hurt your feelings.
  • Will put Wile E. Coyote to shame in thinking of ways to pay back the person who hurt you.
  • Will tell you about these plans when you are feeling better and make you decide you should never, ever, tell the crazy bitch again about someone hurting your feelings.
  • Will make you feel beautiful and smart and crazy-cool just when you need it the most.
  • Will tell you, when you are able to hear it, to please, lord-a-mercy, never wear those green and yellow pin-stripe pajama pants to the store again unless you want her to pretend she doesn't know you.
  • Won't ignore you the first time you show up at the store in those ugly pajama pants, but will find reasons to walk far ahead or behind you the whole time you're in public.
As siblings:
  • Will keep a family secret so long that one brother won't find out that another brother joined the military until the second brother has been stationed in Germany for three months.
  • Will call her mother, sister or favorite aunt with a secret "I'm okay" code-word on a set schedule whenever she's dating someone new.
  • Will idolize her siblings to the point where they no longer seem possibly human.
  • Will cut off contact with anyone who does the slightest malicious harm to one single member of her family - even after that family member has forgiven the other person and moved on.
  • Will lie to her brothers that everything is fine in her relationship, even when they are not, just so they don't start looking to hire a hit man to take out the jackass making their little sister unhappy.
  • Will sometimes think about hiring a beat-that-ass-down man in place of a hit man to deal with the jackass herself.
  • Thinks her brothers can do no wrong this side of Heaven, yet forbid any of her friends to ever even think about dating them.
  • Loves her family to the point of never being able to be out of touch with them.
  • Wanting to be in touch with them from a distance of at least ten miles for the sake of her privacy and sanity.
  • Will go into Witness Protection to guard her privacy from her family.
  • Will break Witness Protection rules to call her family and tell them the things she does want them to know.
  • Needs nothing else in her life as long she knows she has a family who loves her.
As loners:
  • Really hate having their private time invaded.
  • Really hate being ignored when they want to be acknowledged.
  • Will, as payback, teach anyone who dares ignore them the distilled essence of being ignored.
  • Get over being ignored by going back into their private world.
  • Once in their private world, they've locked out the real world.
  • They don't care if your hairdryer malfunctioned and you are running around the house with flaming hair and yelling things about calling 9-1-1. You are just being a freaking nuisance!
  • Can get lost in thought for hours over the most mundane and trivial part of a book, conversation or situation if it moved them in the slightest.
  • Escape from real world dilemmas by thinking of the alternate world they would create for themselves if they could.
  • Wonder sometimes if their sort of creativity is actually a form of delightful madness.
  • Don't mind the idea of a delightful madness because that's an idea they can spend a lifetime exploring.
  • Turn every good and bad thing in life into something they can use to create, express and share.
As lovers
  • Will love deeply some things about you, yet wonder how they hell they are going to keep from killing you in your sleep over other things.
  • Can pour out their heart to you in a letter, but find it hard to un-glue their tongues from the roof of their mouth when you are looking them right in the eye.
  • Will ignore you sometimes to the point you want to check your own pulse to see if you exist, then, at the turn of a switch, will turn into a sex-starved nymphomaniac who leaves you weak and breathless.
  • Will sometimes get irritated by your presence if you hang around them too closely.
  • Will hunt you down like a bloodhound on the scent if you don't call them.
  • Will wonder why the hell you breathe so fucking loud when they are trying to daydream.
  • Will wonder if you're upset with them if you don't talk to them for twenty minutes.
  • Will not speak one word to you if you've pissed them off, not even if the house were on fire, but will wake you up at 3 a.m. to make sure that you're okay because they had a dream that you got hurt.
  • Will wake you up at 3 a.m. just to talk about something that occurred to them and that needs to be discussed. In depth. Even though you both have to be up for work in a few hours.
  • Will hate you with all the fires of Hell if you even mention that you're tired and have to be up for work in a few hours.
  • Won't let you see them naked if they had too much water that day and feel the least bit bloated.
  • Will catch you off-guard and ravish you in the middle of your morning shower because they woke up feeling like their ass looks especially good that day.
  • You'll sometimes wonder how you ever existed on this earth with any amount of joy before they came into your life.
  • Other times, you'll want to smack the piss out them because they their ways and means are just are not to be understood by the human mind.
Cancerians are odd, weird, lovely, adorable and crazy as hell. What would the world be without us?

Peace
--Free

Sunday, March 02, 2014

Grown, Strong, Cute & Sexy

Grown:

  • Not always responding in anger even when you might have a right or reason to, even if it makes you look weak, ass-kissing or embarrassed.
  • Saying "ma'am" and "sir" to someone above you in age, rank, title or experience.
  • Saying "please" and "thank you" even to people who don't have the sense to do the same.
  • Speaking to those present when you enter a room even when they are too rude to speak back.
  • Not taking offense when elderly people do or say something fairly harmless that seems to be a throwback of the past. It's not "throwback" to them, it's their life and times.
  • Never taking simple kindness for granted.
  • Knowing that it often takes more maturity to follow than it does to lead; to listen than to speak.
  • Knowing the difference between listening and hearing.
  • Being able to take criticism in the spirit in which it is given.
  • Not thinking that everyone's main goal in life should be to end up as a "baller" or "shot-caller".
  • Learning to forgive, even though you don't have to forget or condone something.
  • Not cussing at will and random, no matter who's around, just because you know some really good cuss words.
  • Not acting like an ass if you don't want to be treated like one.
  • Not walking the walk and talking the talk of a hoodlum and then being offended when people assume you are a hoodlum.
  • Ditto for whore, bitch, "gangsta", or dumbass.

Strong:

  • A strong man knows how to be gentle.
  • A strong woman doesn't have to be loud to get her point across.
  • A strong man won't hit a woman just to prove he can or will.
  • A strong person knows that it sometimes takes more strength to walk away from a fight than it does to throw a punch.
  • If you are going to "settle" something with violence, throwing punches takes more skill and wit than pulling a gun.
  • Packing a gun doesn't make you strong, it just makes you armed.
  • Controlling someone with fear is a form of cowardice.
  • Strong is a lifestyle, not a shape, size or personality.
  • It takes more strength to work through problems than it does to work around them.
  • It takes more strength to put aside differences than it does to perpetuate them
Cute:
  • Cute is a child who can recite the alphabet, the multiplication tables or reads learns poetry and prayers. 
  • Cute is a child who has good manners.
  • Cute is not the kid who can sing or dance to the latest Katy Perry or Jay Z song when they haven't yet learned to wipe their behinds correctly.
  • Cute us not the kid carrying the latest cell phone when they don't understand that money was not created just for their joy and comfort.
  • Cute is someone who understands they are wonderfully and awesomely formed no matter what their shape, size or color.
  • Brains without sense is not cute.
  • Brawn without character is not cute.
  • A jerk of a person with all the boobs, muscles, money or status in the world is no cuter than a decorated piece of wood is a cake.
Sexy:
  • Sexy is not your hair, height, bra size or whatever you may be packing in your pants.
  • Sexy can't be bought, taught, worn or given away.
  • Sexy is whatever it needs to be to whoever finds whatever it is sexy.
  • Your sexy might not be my sexy, but it's still sexy.
  • Sexy is not defined by how "pretty", thin, tall, curvy or rich you might be.
  • Sexy is tricky until you find your own.
  • Once you get it, sexy has no expiration date.
I'm almost there, but I will always be working on being grown, strong, cute and sexy.

Peace
--Free