Sister Nerds, Your Attention Please...

My friend and fellow author Dennis Upkins, has asked for our input on an upcoming writing project.  Here is the premise in his own words:

Ladies, I have questions. May I have a moment of your time, please?

So for Clarion Write-a-thon, I’ve been knocking out a lot of writing projects. I just finished a book which I’m currently editing. I’m working on an outline for a publisher. I’m about to work on my next project which I’ve developed.

An action-packed SF/F story, it’s a predominantly female merc crew with a queer black heroine as the central protagonist. In fact, I envision said heroine resembling the lovely and talented Ms. India Arie in the above pic. This is a diverse team that features other women of color, a protagonist of size, as well as a trans heroine. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that even with most women-centric stories, women of color, particularly black women, are often thrown under the bus and that’s definitely something that never sat well with me. The story is loosely based on an old comic book script I previously wrote. Think a female Expendables meets Birds of Prey in a dystopian setting.

So my question to the women is this. In an action packed book where the ladies take center stage, what would you like to see more of from writers and what would you like writers to avoid? I basically want to hear your thoughts so I can know what to bear in mind while writing the story.

Your comments can also serve as a great resource for other male writers who genuinely want to do it right. While many of us know to avoid the major tropes and fails, there may be a few elements that we haven’t considered.

Women of color and queer women, I especially want to hear from you. Thank you for your time.

Thoughts?  Feel free to share them here, here, or here.  It's up to us to tell our own stories because no one else is going to do it.  Denny's a terrific author and a good guy, so I know he will do it justice.  I'm ready to spend my money.

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I'm on Vyou!

HEY BGN!!

I'll be on VYOU.COM  vblogging about...eh, whatever that comes to mind lol. But since this is my 1st time doing this I would like YOU the readers to send in your questions. so ask away, about anything, have fun with it.


www.vyou.com/nikkilajoy

thanx

-Nikki Lajoy

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Remember BOP Magazine?

OMG you guys...so like remember BOP Magazine and Tiger Beat?  Yes---I know they are currently in syndication and faces like Justin Beiber and Taylor Lautner grace the covers of the tweenie magazine.  However, I want to take it back a couple of decades here to MY generation.  Remember when Jordan Knight and the "two Coreys" were one the covers?

BOP Magazine for me was my source for wall art in my bedroom as a tween.  I would have the walls plastered with images of the New Kids, Bobby Brown, the guys from 90210, and even images of my favorite wrestlers.  Oh yeah...I was all about the WWF back then.  I had pictures of Sting, Flying Brian, and Brett Hart.  GEEK ALERT!

So now as I look at the new version of Bop Magazine on the news stand as I'm waiting in line to check out my groceries, I think to myself---are these guys this just manufactured Hollywhite kids carved into an image that should be socially accepted to all tween girls?  And why does every kid on the covers of the magazines look relatively the same?

So is the guy with the Justin Beiber-swagged to the side-haircut supposed to make me go all crazy and googly-eyed?  As a 12 year old girl going through puberty it didn't hit me what these magazines are doing now that I am in my thirties.  I loved the Bop Magazine of yesteryear but I'm not really a fan of the Bop Magazine of today.  I mean---why should I be?  It would be pretty creepy if I was seen buying a copy of a magazine that features boys that could quite possibly be young enough to be my son.  EEk!

Where are the black tweens on these mags?  Is there a magazine for Black tweens?  If so, can anyone comment about it?  I'm just a little disturbed right now after seeing these magazines on the stands and thinking that I once was a loyal subscriber for many years.  In hindsight---there were very few black tweens featured back when I was reading them.  C'mon BOP Magazine---get it 2getha.

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Weaving My Way Into a New Style

I am taking a step into a new oasis that is quite daunting for me and is a new experience for my own self-image as well as my tresses. I posted back in February the article Hairnorexic and discussed my personal issues with my own hair.  Since I was about 19, I have worn weaves in my hair.  It started with synthetic hair that I used with bonding glue.  That was a major mistake, since bonding glue has a bad reputation of taking your hair out if you do not remove it properly.  I always got stuck with stylists who never removed it correctly and the result was bald spots on the sides of my head.  It was horrible!  However, I grew up and wisdom was imparted to me by fellow girlfriends that I should seek a sow-in as opposed to bonded hair glue on my scalp and locks.

I followed their advice and could not be more grateful!  The sow-in had the opposite effect and my hair grew substantially.  I've been wearing sow-ins now for the last 6 years and my hair is grateful to me for it.  A sow-in for those reading who do not know--is when your hair is braided and the stylist takes a needle and thread and sows the tracks of the weave into your braided hair.  The result is the photo that you see on my Creator link as well as the photo above.  I will be blunt and completely honest with all of you, I do not take care of my hair like I should.  I barely wrap my hair at night with a silk scarf and I'm constantly styling it with a curling or flat iron.  My hair is also inundated with product in it from gels, to creams, to mousse.

I also live in a city where it is a predominantly Caucasian town and there are only three black beauty supply stores in the whole city.  Their quality of weaves are sub-par and as a result, I tend to get weaves that shed constantly and decreases in value of their texture over a relatively short period of time.  The weave starts off one week as naturally free-flowing thick human hair to stringy-scraggly Barbie doll hair.  Remy is allegedly the premium brand of hair for weaves, but now there are so many variations of weaves that use the Remy name, I don't know which one is the higher quality from that of the lower quality.

I had a girlfriend at work walk up to me at my desk and I stopped what I was doing in awe of her appearance.  She had these beautiful long box braids that came past her shoulders and looked amazing!  The ends unraveled a bit which I liked.  After seeing her braids I decided to make it up in my mind to go for it and wear braids this summer!

I've never worn braids in my entire life.  I've always been a relaxer, straight hair, European-tressed kind of girl.  It probably speaks to a whole host of issues regarding my self-image which I would love to blog about later--but in the meantime, I must say that I never thought I would look attractive wearing braids.  I thought to myself---well braids are not really my thing, I can only see girls with a stylish appearance wearing braids, and even dare I say---I once thought at a very immature age that braids looked "too ethnic" for me.

Yes, I thought all of those things at one point in my life, and now at the ripe old age of 32, I'm starting to come to terms with my self-identity and who I really am as an independent self-sufficient Black woman.  I'll be honest, I'm scared and nervous and I'm hoping that the end result of my hair braiding 7 hour journey tomorrow will result in a beautiful hairstyle.  I plan to vlog about it on VYou so all of you can see it.  Wish me luck!  I'm a nervous nelly over here, but I know that stepping out into the unknown is certainly a challenge worth taking.  I refuse to feel regret.

My friend who is a guy, posted an article on Carol's Daughter media website about his own "mansistion" from wearing dreadlocks for 13 years to finally cutting his own hair.  He's sort have gone in the opposite direction of myself, yet we are facing the same challenges of "letting go".  Take a look at what he has to say about his own experience:

http://www.transitioningmovement.com/Default.aspx?CN=B4CB798FF7FD

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Sistah Supersheroes: Zealot

Cyan Fitzgerald is the offspring of Wanda Blake (Al Simmons' widow) and Terry Fitzgerald (Al Simmons' best friend).  Al Simmons is better known as "Spawn."  Cyan got kidnapped and was returned to her parents by Spawn.  Spawn became fond of the girl and started looking out for her.  When Cyan realized who Spawn was, she called him "Sad Man" (out of respect for his sorrow).  Spawn gave Cyan his wedding ring, which let Wanda know that her daughter had a demonic guardian.

In an alternate future, young Cyan met and was trained by Zealot, a member of Coda.  After her training, she took the name "Zealot" and joined the WildC.A.T.s on a mission to go back in time and kill Spawn before he could have a chance to turn Earth into Hell (some of us would say she's too late *wink*).  Instead of killing Spawn, she aligned with him to battle and defeat his future god-like incarnation.


And let me be the first to say that she looks fantastic while doing so.  Totally feeling the Hannibal Lecter-esque face mask.


Cyan first appears in Spawn #3.

Wanna run upon her in an alley?  Didn't think so.

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GREAT TIPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN

For as long as I could remember my skin never was perfect. I always had issues with acne and unevenness since grade school. Ive tried many products from clean & clear, neutrogena, noxzemea, and proactiv just to name a few. And nothing seemed to work no matter what I did. As I got older and did some research I realized that simple is better. I normally went out my way to put different things on my face just so I can wake up with a miracle. So after years of just really understanding my skin and learning how to clear my skin in a simple way here are a few of my tips that I follow:

1.) Drink water although this is a given, but it really does help. The more water I drank the more I seen an improvement in my skin (and overall health of my body)

2.) Cleanse I typically like to use a mild facial wash to clean my skin. Something that doesn't contain a lot of additives that may cause more skin issues. 

3.) Moisturize I love to use a product that's light and doesn't have to much of a scent to it. something that actually will last all day. 

Sometimes depending on how my skin is feeling I'll do the OCM (oil cleansing method) which is basically just doing an oil treatment for your skin. I love doing this method it really makes my skin very soft and moisturized. I'll use a mixture of castor and olive oils for this method.

For my moisturizer I'm currently using Hope in Jar. I loove this product, although its a bit pricey this is something that actually works. A little goes a long way with this product.

I also use shea butter, vaseline, and or a face butter in the fall/winter time. 

-Nikki Lajoy

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The Different Ways to Love

As a nerd girl I have collected like minded friends whose passion for video games, comic books and everything pop culture is vast and far reaching. It is great to have a friends group in which it is understood that a movie can be more than just a movie, or that a TV series can seriously impact ones life. This is especially true when we obsess about something together. Yet after all the years I have known my nerdy friends (for some most of my life) I have noticed that we all have our different ways of showing our love of something.

Personally, I love finding connections between my various fandoms. Whether it be seeing your fave TV actor on the big screen, or finding out the soundtrack to that new movie was written by one of your fave musicians. I love finding out that the people who create content I love are working with other people who create content I love. For instance I am a huge fan of the british comedy The IT Crowd (check it out if you haven't already), which stars Chris O'Dowd and RichardAyoade, two of my fave actors. So when these guys popped up in credits for other things I loved, like the movie Submarine (directed by Ayoade) I was extra happy. I just enjoy knowing that there is a creative community in which all the content it created.

My friends, on the other hand, fangirl in other ways. One friend I know loves just knowing everything about her current obsession. She'll know exactly what the creator was trying to say and how it was received. She'll watch hours of behind the scenes content just to understand every part. For her, knowing everything that was put into the project, gives said project more meaning. Then I have friends who just love sharing their current obsession. For them, pleasure is derived from seeing others enjoy what they enjoy. It is about finding common ground and bonding together through mutual enjoyment.

It is fascinating how people can love the same things for different reasons, and show this love in different ways. So what I want to know it how do you love? 


Truphena Matunda

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BGN is now on VYou!

VYou is a new social media site that allows users to ask questions to a social media user in a Q&A format.  I receive many emails asking questions about this blog.  I also want you to feel free to ask me about BGN and why the blog was created.

I've never talked on webcam before and was really nervous about posting these videos!  I feel like a lunatic for doing this!  However, I've decided to face my fears and jump in and go for it!  What do I have to lose other than my dignity?  Just kidding!  I used to care what other people thought of me, and now I'm just like "whatevz".  This site is just more of a reason to express why its so fabulous to be a Black Girl Nerd!

Here is the link to the BGN VYou site: http://vyou.com/blackgirlnerds

If you already have a VYou account, feel free to follow me and I would love to follow you back and see what you have to say too!


Huggz n Luvz,
J.

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Black Game of Thrones

Remember our Black casting game on Twilight?  Well I think it's time to play again with the HBO TV series Game of Thrones. Next to True Blood its the reason why I keep my premium channel subscription all year.  The cast of GOT is very WASPish---however, it is based on books during a time period and a geographical area that was predominantly White, so I can't exactly get mad at the show for that.  However, wouldn't it be interesting if there was an all-Black cast on the show?  Who would you cast?

Here are my picks for Game Of Thrones (this is a condensed cast list):

MORGAN FREEMAN as Tywin Lannister

ERICA HUBBARD as Daeneyrs Targaryen

LAZ ALONSO as Jon Snow

KEITH DAVID as Petyr Baelish aka Littlefinger 

MICHEAL EALY as Robb Stark

NAOMIE HARRIS as Cersei Lannister

ANGELA BASSETT as Catelyn Stark

TONY COX as Tyrion Lannister

Here is the intro to the show for your listening pleasure.  I LOVE the theme music to this show!

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Favorite Films With Interracial Couples: BW/WM

Zebrahead - This early 90s movie stars a young Michael Rapaport and an even younger N'Bushe Wright in this Oliver Stone production.  Set in the rough streets of Detroit Rapaport plays a high school teen who loves hip hop music and black culture.  His fondness of "blackness" is accepted until he meets Wright who he begins to fall in love with.  However, other students at school is not so comfortable with the new interracial couple on campus.

The Restaurant - This story takes place in New Jersey at a restaurant employed by struggling artists hoping to become actors.  Adrien Brody forms an intimate relationship with Elise Neal in this provocative film about falling in and out of love.

Boiler Room - Wannabee Wall Street yuppies sell fake stock at a call center disguised as a hedge fund.  One of the employees played by Giovanni Ribisi meets and falls in love with the firm's secretary played by Nia Long.  The two together decide to bring down the phoney investment company that is responsible for robbing millions from its victims.

Monster's Ball - Billy Bob Thornton plays the role of a prison guard trying to re-evaluate his life and in the meantime he meets Halle Berry.  Their romance heats up but things become complicated when it is revealed that he is the man involved in the execution of her ex-husband when he was in prison.

Something New - A free-spirited landscaper meets an uptight account in this refreshing film about taking a dive in the interracial dating pool.  Sanaa Lathan meets Simon Baker on a blind date and experiences what true love is in this daring new journey.

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To Our Service Members

I know I’m just a weeeeee bit late since Memorial Day was a few weeks ago but I feel like this is something that should be said anyday of the week.

I would like to say thank you to all the members of the Armed Forces, past, present, and future for signing away your life to protect us and our rights. It takes one helluva man or woman to do that, even if their reasons behind it may not always be very patriotic. I know a lot of people who have joint just to get out of a bad situation or the benefits but to know they could be put on the front lines as a result, hey, gotta respect that regardless. Now to dig a little deeper…

A special thank you to all the women that service and especially the women of color that service. It goes without saying that there are glass ceilings that are inevitably hit when trying to move up in the ranks. There are certain stipulations that are in place for a promotion and some of these things are virtually impossible for a woman to achieve because we are women. Nonetheless, they still fight the same fight and give their all, if not more, to keep up and surpass the men.

In reading an article last month, I came across Command Sergeant Major Teresa King who is taking legal action against the Army for what she feels is sexism that led to her suspension from the Army’s drill sergeant training school. She was the first woman to take command of that job and she was black. To make me even prouder, personally, she was from my home state. She is an unsung hero that dedicated her life to the Army and one that I truly respect for her struggle, grind, perseverance, and strength. I only know bits and pieces of her story but I think she is just amazing. If you’d like to read more about her and her case, an article can be found here: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57424377/army-drill-sergeant-boss-teresa-king-takes-legal-action-to-get-job-back-alleges-racism-sexism/.

All that being said, thank you to every member of the Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force, National Guards, Coast Guard, respective Reservists branches, and to those that support them. From the bottom of my heart, I truly and sincerely respect you for all you do.

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My So-Called Online Dating Life: Part 2

Picture from Essence.com

I am still a single girl on a special quest to find Mr. Right--and not Mr. Right Now.  I had a conversation with some girlfriends the other night that perhaps I should lower my expectations a little and just have fun!  In other words, I should find a guy that is a "in the meantime" kind of fella that will help ease the loneliness until I find the "it guy".

Here's my dilemma with that.  First of all, I loathe lowering my expectations and standards on a man.  This is not a unique concept for me.  I've lowered my standards for many years and it has got me NOWHERE.  You hear me?   Nooooo where!  If I go down this road again, I feel like I have pressed the rewind button on my life and will inevitably make the same mistakes that that happened in the past once I hit the play button.  "Nawt guna do it" (George HW Bush voice).

So in MY meantime, I will just wait.  Yes I said it. I will "wait" until the right fella comes along.  God has just the right man waiting for me and I know that if I circumvent His plan, then I will reap what I sowed and I'm not interested in reaping drama, depression, anxiety, worry, guilt, and anger. I'm done with those emotions!

Now I'm still doing the online dating thing.  I've registered on sites from Match.com, to ChristianMingle.com, to AfroRomance.com and even PlentyofFish.com.  The other day I received an email from a guy who looked adorably cute, was very intelligent, and had a humorous profile.  When I emailed him back to ask him to tell me more about himself he was surprisingly blunt.

He told me he just got out of a relationship 2 months ago, had a child with that ex that he's fighting custody over, lost his job as a result, and is now living with his mother.  Now let me ask you guys a question...should I email this guy back?  Or should I politely ignore his response and keep it moving?

It kind of goes back to the standards and expectations comments I mentioned earlier.  I am a single, kid-free, educated, hard-working woman who would like to have a better-half that shares those same exact things.  I'm aware that at my age (32) the pool of men without kids is very shallow---not even deep enough for the kiddie pool.  I am willing to accept a man with kids.  But should I accept a man who now lives with his mother?

This economy sucks, and far be it for me to judge anyone living with their mom.  I lived with my mother when I lost my job in New York City and couldn't afford that high-a$$ Manhattan rent.  However, I made sure I didn't waste ANY time getting the heck outta dodge when I moved in.  So my stay with mom-dukes didn't last long when I did find work again.

So that leaves me now with the fact that this man has just got out of a long term relationship with the mother of his child only 2 months ago!  I should mention they were together for 3 years.  I've been involved in rebound relationships and they never last.  I've been the rebounder and the reboundee and I say again in bad English---it don't work!

I guess the quest continues and I just have to wait for who God has in store for me.  It's all I can do.  I'm not upset or frustrated about being a single girl living in a small town where there are 4 women to every man who lives here.  No, I'm not upset about that.  I'm just hoping I'm not 90 when that day happens.  That's all.

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Sistah Supersheroes: Adept

Trying to unite the four forces.

Jelene Anderson, a.k.a. “Adept” is a peaceful sistah who chooses to undergo a complex process that will change her into a superhuman.  Adept is a fundamentalist Christian, but her decision to go through the elite Morituri process was done to protect her home planet.  Earth, if you were wondering.  The downside is that the process greatly shortens the lives of the participants.  Adept has about a year to live.

During a series of test to bring forth her ability, Jelene nearly died when she was trapped in a cage and attacked by venomous snakes. Within a few minutes, she manifested the ability to analyze every situation and produce the right measures that could counteract it. She managed to chemically produce the antidote for the snakes' poison and also devised a counteractive mechanism that freed her from the cage.

Adept’s superpower is the ability to quickly and thoroughly analyze any situation and provide a solution to the problem.  This makes her a damned useful shero to have in battle, and even though it takes her some time to come up with a result, the point is that she always does.  This appeals to the nerdy researcher in me.

Adept’s uniqueness lies in her faith.  Never have I heard of any comic book character having faith in God.  For me, this gives her an unusual slant, as she is peaceful by nature, but chooses to evolve in an effort to save Earth.  This eventually costs her her life, and near the end of it, she declares that she was content to go and thankful to God for all the wonderful things she had seen. 

Goin’ out on your own terms, boo.  Goin’ out like a “G.”  Mad props to you, Adept.  You are a total Boss Chick.

You can find Adept’s story is in a volume called Strikeforce: Morituri #1, and goes through #13.  Strikeforce was created by Peter Gillis and Brent Anderson.

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Tara Betta Not Be Dead!

I have a number of TV shows that I am addicted to.  I've mentioned a few in past blogs from Scandal to Grey's Anatomy.  Tomorrow night is the premiere of HBO's True Blood which is now in its 5th season!  I was hooked on this show from day one.  It took awhile for Sookie Stackhouse (played by Anna Paquin) to grow on me, but eventually she did.

I also must admit that the character of Tara Thornton (played by Rutina Wesley) was someone who I didn't like either!  She came across as phoney and all I could think was--- "here we go with another black girl with an attitude...oh lawd!!"  However, as I began to learn more about Tara's back story I realized she is very guarded and behind that strong facade is a soft shelled girl that can be broken into a million pieces if you pierce her just right.  She reminded me of---well me.

Now Tara---next to Lafayette Reynolds (played by Nelsan Ellis) , is my favorite character on the show.  Can we pause and talk about Lafayette for a sec?  HBO did something strategically smart and brilliant.  They kept this character alive.

****SPOILER ALERT****

For those of you who have read the Sookie Stackhouse books (currently I'm on book 2) Layfatte dies in the beginning of the 2nd book.  If you watched the end of Season 1 they show a faceless dead corpse in the back of Andy Bellefleur's car which in the book was supposed to be Lafayette Reynolds.  So why did HBO keep him? My guess is because he is the most charismatic, funny, colorful, savvy, and interesting character on the show.  Period.  An effeminate gay black man funny and interesting?? Say it ain't so! His character carries the show on so many levels and he is certainly the comic relief to this dark and sometimes scary 60 minute ride every Sunday night at 9pm.

Would you like to see a sneak peak of what I'm talking about?  Check Lafayette at this FINEST here:
(I think this very scene is what made HBO decide to keep  Nelsan Ellis on this show)

"Tip yo waitress"




So for those of you that follow the show...are you Team Bill?  Or Team Eric? I will always love me some Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer). However let's be honest-- Eric Northman ( played by Alexander Skarsgård) is nothing but the hotness.


But back to Tara---she's suffered a tragic gun shot wound to the head and we don't know yet if she lives or dies this season.  If they get rid of Tara I will be PISSED.  You hear me HBO?!?  I don't know if I will have the courage to ban the show, but trust me if she goes I will not hesitate to rant about it for weeks!

For now all I can do is speculate what I think will happen to her.  Either she will be turned into a vampire ---if she in fact dies.  She could also turn into some weird new creature we haven't seen nor heard of yet (this show is infamous for series of bizarre mammals) or she could just die a normal human death.  Which we all know that's gonna suck.

So we shall see what happens Sunday night.  Time for me to get ready for my True Blood party.  I hope you guys will be watching with me.  Should be an interesting night! #WaitingSucks!

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Sistah Supersheroes: Miranda Mercury

Miranda Mercury is an adventurer, a traveler and a heroine.  She's a fighter; she believes in justice and has no patience for intolerance.  She's brave and logical, and doesn't consider herself great or heroic.  She saves a planet at the tender young age of 10, and from then on, engages in remarkable feats of sheroism.  Miranda's accompanied in her adventures by her sidekick Jack Warning, a blond genius who's loyal to the core.  


Miranda is unique because she's humble and has a year to live; she's dying of an incurable virus given to her by an enemy.  But it doesn't stop her from rolling up her sleeves and doing what needs to be done.  Which is the essence of a Boss Chick.


You can find The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury on Amazon.  

Miranda & Jack

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5 MORE Types of Nerdy Girls

One of the most popular blog posts on BGN is 5 Types of Nerdy Girls posted back in March.  Back by popular demand is 5 MORE Types of Nerdy Girls. Maybe you can relate?  Maybe not?

The Gamer - She's a geek through and through when it comes to video games.  She's conquered all of the Halo games successfully and never loses a battle.  It's not fun playing games with her at times, because she will beat you within a matter of minutes.  She knows all of the strategic video game cheat codes and owns every cheat game manual ever published.  She tends to work in the gaming industry as software engineer or game designer.  She loves Cree Summer, but wishes it was her authoring voice talent on all of those video games instead of Cree.  She owns every game system ever created and loves PC games.  She's as hard-core as it gets in the gaming industry.


Likes: Video Games (duh!)
Dislikes: Nintendo Wii


The Traveler -  This girl never lets the grass grow under her feet.  She's been to almost every continent and her passport is inundated with stamps.  She's always telling you about the latest excursion she's planning and begs you to go with her.  Her favorite country to visit is London and she travels there every summer.  Her Instagram photos are filled with pictures of her travels and all 7 wonders of the world are in most of her photographs.  You wonder where she gets the money to travel this way, but she's always telling you about bargain prices through various sites and travel brochures.  She tends to brag a little more than you'd like, but she always comes back with a souvenir and thinks of you on her trips back.


Likes: Flying
Dislikes: Living on American soil for more than 6 months


The Writer - She loves writing commentary about her life and her environment.  She blogs about random things like food, fashion, movies, or what she did at work yesterday.  She writes in a myriad of ways whether it be through blogging, journaling, or working professionally as a writer.  She can be seen writing on her laptop at a park or typing on her tablet at work.  She likes to keep notes just in case she doesn't forget anything and she admires writers like Octavia Butler and Nikki Giovanni.  Her works can be seen in books, screenplays, blogs, or magazines.  Her closest friends sometimes appears as characters in her works as well as her worst enemies.

Likes: Brainstorming
Dislikes: Writer's Block


The Retrograde - This geek is obsessed with the 80s or any other throwback decade.  She wears retro T-shirts and still listens to cassette tapes on her boombox she bought in 1993.  She's always saying to people "Remember way back when?" and she still owns a VCR/DVD combo unit so she can play her VHS tapes.  She tends to listen to artists like Public Enemy, Madonna, and Tears For Fears.  She has a diverse taste in music that is stuck to only one decade.  She tends to shop at bodegas or convenience stores that still carry items like Bazooka Joe bubble gum and Tang.  She's completely clueless to current pop culture and doesn't know one Justin Bieber song.


Likes: Friendship bracelets
Hates: The News

The Social Networking Addict -  You name the social networking site--she probably has a profile on it.  This girl has her own YouTube channel, Tumblr page, Pinterest page, Facebook, Google Plus, and Twitter pages--just to name a few.  She's so obsessed she still keeps up with her Myspace page.  Somehow she's managed to get over 50,000 followers on her Twitter feed and counting.  She's the one that introduced you to Pinterest and several other new social networking sites.  She has a significant amount of friends in cyberspace compared to the three she has in real life.  She's constantly updating her Facebook at least 20 times a day and sends you annoying apps and games to play.  She's extremely social online, but offline she's as quiet as a mouse.

Likes: Being popular via the web
Dislikes: Social interaction with real people





Photos Courtesy of: http://prettyblackgirlsinglasses.tumblr.com, http://www.clutchmagonline.com, http://madamenoire.com, and http://ashy2classy.net

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Weird Celebrity Crushes

Time to go ultra-nerdy on this one!  Have you ever had a crush on a celebrity who is completely NOT your typical Hollywood stud-muffin?  The ones who you would never or rarely see on the covers of GQ Magazine or Esquire?  Am I the only one here who's had a bizarre crush on a celebrity that when I mustered enough courage to finally be honest about it, my friends would look at me like I was an alien from another planet?  Okay, let me give you an example of my weird celebrity crushes:

Peter Dinklage from Game of Thrones

I actually remember Peter way back from this indie film he starred in called The Station Agent.  I was  not only amazed by his stunning performance, but I was also strangely attracted to him.  I mean this guy has some major swagger and his height restriction is completely undercut by his good looks and his confidence.  He's more confident than a man twice his size and half his age.  Who knows, maybe that's why he's so hot to me?  I usually don't even date shorter guys---but he would definitely be the exception!

Michael Jackson (RIP)

I'm not talking about little Michael from The Jackson 5 or even not-yet-surgically-enhanced Michael from Off The Wall.  I developed the biggest crush on MJ when the "Remember The Time" video was first released.  OMG...he was soooo sexxy to me!  Yes, I know that he totally looked like a female in that video, but I just loved his charismatic smile, sexy swagger (yes there's that word again), and his pelvic rhythms.  Miss you Michael!

Willem Dafoe

Remember the movie he did with Madonna called Body of Evidence?  Well I crushed on him hard after seeing that movie.  I'm not sure if it was the masochistic candle wick burning scene that did me in or his jawline that attracts me.  But he's hot.  It's weird I know, but whenever I see he's booked on a late night TV show or is appearing on some sort of news program, I have to tune in!

Seal

I know most of you probably think I'm just going out on a limb with this one.  My attraction for Seal is deeper than his physical presence.  It's his music.  One of the most played CDs that I own (aside from Jon B.) is Seal's 1994 self-titled album.  "Don't Cry" is one of my favorite songs of all time.  Not to mention his accent is uber-sexy.  And let's be honest, no one can debate with me on that.

Steve Buscemi

My favorite film of all time is Reservoir Dogs.  I could easily include Quentin Tarantino on this list because I like him too...but I think I just really like him because he's my favorite director.  For us its just business.  As for Steve, I have had a crush on him for years.  It seems like he gets hotter and hotter with age! On his new show Boardwalk Empire, he's the hottest guy on the show!  Many would debate with me and say Michael Pitt is---but his character is dead now.  That only leaves Steve..heh heh.






Hollywood hunks?  No.  Unusually sexy?  Ab-suh-freakin-loutely!

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Sistah Supersheroes: Lady Spellbinder

This violet-haired diva isn't a shero, but a villain.  I root for bad girls as well as bad-ass girls.  Distinctions between sistah villains and sistah sheroes simply don't matter to me when exposure is the objective.   Lady Spellbinder, a.k.a. Fay Moffit, was the boo of a dude named Delbert Billings, also known as Spellbinder.  Spellbinder had the chance to become immensely powerful, but he was one of those men who lacked vision.  The power in question was the ability to create genuine, realistic, painful illusions in the minds of victims.  Fay, being a woman of drive, ambition and vision, murdered her man execution-style to obtain said power.  Clearly, he was in her way.


I have no problem with this, not at all.  Sometimes stuff must be done to get what one wants and I completely respect the game.  


Anyhoo, Lady Spellbinder went up against Batman and Robin, using her powers to great effect until they figured out her weakness.  But as with any strong black woman, they didn't keep her down for long.  She went on to battle others, including the Birds of Prey.  Word on the street is that she was killed in the Battle of Metropolis, but it could very well be an illusion.  Fay's gifted like that.

"Try again, suckas!!!"

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DEBT COLLECTORS the series

A new web series has premiered in cyberspace called Debt Collectors.  Here is a synopsis of what the series is about taken from their website :



Debt Collectors is a parody of police procedurals that follows the Federal debt collection agency, a fictional government organization dedicated to capturing and incarcerating those who fail to repay their debts.


The story revolves around Sabrina Rollins: young, post-collegiate, between jobs, and sleeping on her cousin's floor. While applying for jobs online, Sabrina is ambushed and taken into the FDCA's custody. Unable to pay her debt, Sabrina is given two options: spend the rest of her life in debtor's prison or join the FDCA.


Check out the team behind Debt Collectors as well as Episode 2 that just premiered today below!



Meet The Team behind the Series:


 

Episode 2:

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