Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Differences

Hello my zany band of misfits.

So el capitan our resident grammar nazi Kage Alan has given up the topic of differences we see when we travel. Hmmmm I wonder on all my years pre children travel do I still remember the differences . The answer hell yes so here we go . Buckle up babies it's gonna be a bumpy ride.

In my youthful formative years I lived in the Netherlands and to say I notice a difference right away was an understatement. I mean if anyone knows anything about the Dutch history they have had a rather tumultuous history when it comes to blacks. But it was refreshing to be seen as a person and not a black person. Their views on sex and sex workers was totally different then what I had known and seen in the US.  Where they are sexually liberated, we here in the US have puritanical views on sex. We keep it taboo and they bust the door wide open. While I was living there I use to walk down the red light district and just look at the ladies sitting I the window waiting for their next client and they were all part of the sex workers union. I was stunned wow they actually have a union for ladies of ill repute. But when it came to me folks asked me how does it feel to be living in a foreign country and learning a new language. I was treat with respect.  But I can say that my adopted home country has change they have gotten their version of the tea party and when I use to go back for summer visits I saw the change in the red light district but also when certain new residents brought male child prostitution with them it started having a adverse affect. On the country and the type of visitors we were getting and then it brought in an anti Muslim . It's still a great franking country and I do miss living there and if you go use the tram and visit the museums. But for heavens sake study the map before you go so you don't look like a damn tourist.

Well I went to Spain with my husband I always wanted to visit and see the architecture they have. But because of their history with the moors they look down on people of color. When my husband and I checked in the front desk asked him if he wanted a separate room for his house keeper aka me. He was like no she is not my house keep she is my wife. He asked for the manager lets just say we stayed a a chain hotel and never went back. But the way they spaniards acted reminded me the way southerns have treated and still treated blacks. I also noticed that here when European spaniards come for a visit they look down on blacks. I was at the Olympic flame dinner in Manhattan I was having lunch with a few friends. I was waiting when I notice a group of Spanish tourist came in. I was sitting at the next table the sat down until the notice me and they asked the manager to move them to another table. When asked why they told them cause their might be more coming. I may not speak Spanish but I damn sure under stand enough when you say to your companions why did they have to sit us so close to that dark skinned person. If I was lighter skinned they would have stayed. Cause when my friends finally arrived they were shocked to see a lighter skinned female befriends with a dark skinned woman.  So yeah there are diff emcees. It yet there are similarities.

So it really does not matter where you go cause you will see some similarities and some differences. To me the major difference is food some places have better food and spices and some places don't. Not every country can do soul food or even friend chicken.

Ok I tried so ttyl ..go on and see what the rest of the Merry band of misfits have to say. 

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Topic Tuesday..Weddings and Award shows.

When we were given this weeks topic I did not do my normal kaveching that I always do because I thought this would be lighthearted fun topic. Boy was I wrong folks were having angina over it.

I normally do not do awards shows and I decided to watch the Grammys on this past Sunday night. There was only two reasons why I wanted to watch it one for Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis preform and two to watch what was originally planned as 33 same sex couples get married. I was like that is going to be epic. To say it was not would have been telling half truths.

To me the majority of the show was long and long. But when they got to Mackelmore, Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert singing Same Love   I got all misty eyed I will admit.  I adore the song and the message that comes with it.

When Queen Latifah walked back out on stage and preformed the ceremony I did cry it was the most single beautiful sight of love I have every seen. The only thing that kinda scared me was they brought out the Krypt keeper , I am sorry it was Madonna who looked like death warmed over and dressed up.

To me that was the best Grammy show ever just for that. For those of you who kavetched it was not about the awards in my eye but it was showing the world that no matter who you love that we all share in the same love.

Ok I am going back in the corner now. 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Self promoting

Morning to all.

Now this week topic is a bit odd for me cause one it am not a writer nor can I write.  So self pronto it what can a person do to promote themselves when they have a book published. Ok well besides social media which a lot of authors do. I say if you can do a few book conventions a year and book fairs. Get some cards made up with your website , Facebook, google plus pages of you have one. Blog about it join a blogging group. 

I say check with your local LGBTQI associations and see what events they have. Try to get your self there as a guest or speaker. Check out the local universities Gay/Straight alliance groups to go as a speak or donate books. 

Maybe I am wrong but try getting gay adult erotic performers interested in reading your book or visiting your site by showing them what you as an MM author and the community has done. Try putting a small add in some of the leading magazines if you have the cash. 

Get a shirt, bag or hat made up with your cover or site on it. As an establish author or up an coming author you have to  be willing to self sell yourself.  Being an author is not just about writing but selling your self to the masses. 

The MM community is a small community but with the right marketing tool it can become bigger. So  work it  become a self promoting pimp. Pimp your work don't feel that your publishing company will do it for you. You have to want it more than they do. 

So I wonder what the Merry band of misfits I know have to say on this weeks topics. 

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

The Good The Bad and The Ugly of 2013

Well folks here we are another year to an end yeah right ( sarcasm  runeth over). Today our dreamless leaders ask what is was good and bad about your year of 2013.  Well I know I might make folks angry but it's life.

The good my oldest child graduating from Henry Street Schools for international Studies. Here on the  Lower East Side of NYC. The boy did me proud and now he is a freshman at SUNY Oswego. The other good news is my middle baby is in middle school. The adjustment is hard but I have faith he will be fine.

The bad where  the hell should I begin ...filing for divorce on the day my oldest graduated, getting ill with an illness thy can't pinpoint and now having my youngest son father sue me for custody. Yeah my year is ending with a bang.

The Ugly basically me I have found I need to fix me before I can look for love an acceptance. So my resolution this year is not to share things with folks near or far. To deal with all medical and other issues on my own. So that is how my year was. How was yours. 

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Favorite things to cure the holidays blues

Joyeux Noël

Now when your fearless leader gave us this assignment on what cure your holiday blues. I was like ok cool until I read the rest of this post and then was like I so do not need to know about what the Red headed Granny was trying to put up Alan's ass...

So here is what help me during the holidays first I start with a large cup of Java  then I put on the Thin Man movie staring William Powell and Myrna Loy and watch the whole series I have DVD " hush it Kage" yes I know not blu ray heavens to Betsy.  Then from there my sister who house I am at makes the kids a light lunch..me more coffee now after watching the thin man series..the kids play the WII sports and I read then we watch Allister Simms A Christmas Carol. Followed by dinner...four after dinner dinks for me with alcohol then dessert and finally a Charlie Brown Christmas. 

But this year things are different I am not going to be at my sisters for I do not have the energy to deal with family this year and plus I do not have enough alcohol in my house to take with me. So me and the boys will be home. But I would do all the same things here so all is goo in my world. So that is how I cure my holiday blues..what do you all do?

So on that note I wish you all 
A Merry Christmas
Vrolijk kerstfeest, Hyvää Joulua,Frohe Weihnachten, Jwaye Nwèl and ¡Feliz Navidad

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

The Basterdization of Thanksgiving and the greed of Black Friday.

This post might not be all that riveting but I will give it the old college try.

When Jeff posted this weeks topic about store being open on thanksgiving and Black Friday I was like ha ha... But then I actually had to sit back and say this is why I loathed the begin jog of the holiday season. The spirt of thanksgiving is supposed to be about family, love ones and being thankful that we all have that time to spend with one another.  Incoming years it's has not been about that in our society, I have seen women plan their holidays around the stuff for Black Friday. I mean they go on line in stoner to see of they can get a sneak peak at Black Friday deals. They even plan where the family will be so they can be at the nearest target, Walmart, jcpenny, kamart, toysrus  for those door buster sales. That's not for me I mean my sister loves doing things like that I did it once with her*we will get back to that in a moment *.

Now my opinion about store being open on a holiday *except for the supermarket* and they close early so that the staff can be with their family..But noooo big box stores now have to say we need money folks like to spend on things they don't need..yes yes we will get more money by sudecing their inner greed. Is it right hell no but hey money is money and the big box stores don't care if they are getting blood money.  Walmart is the worst offender of any big store in this damn country. The way they treat their employees is horrid. They pay them yes true slave wages 90 percent of all Walmart employees are receiving government benefits to help them survived because Walmart is too damn greedy and cheap to give them a living wage. Walmart USA will not let their employees join a union and  but yet ifwalmart wants to open a store in a foreign country they have to let the employees unionized but not her.

Walmart tried to open a store here innNYC and they pulled out all the stops and even had Emperor Bloomberg in their corner and the city co uncle put an end to those plans because they said due to the fact you will not let your employees unionized we cannot let you in.  You see bloomers is not a fan of unions and he is seen as trying to be a union buster. So that was one of the good things the NYC city council did for it's people.

Another reason why I am not a fan of Walmart is the fact a security guard lost his life because of the Black Friday mobs. Walmart did not hire enough security to man the front doors. When the crowd rushed in the young man was trampled to death. Walmart stated it was the victim fault he got killed and they were not paying the fine.

But most of all the folks are to blame to get wrapped up in that frenzy of  $88 flat panel tv was it worth it. I mean fighting over parking spaces where a 66 year old man sliced another diver down to the bone because of a damn parking space.  When hearing and reading about things like this makes me wonder what the hell has happen to us as human beings and where is the humanity that I thought all of us were raised with.

Ok so my Black Friday story happend a few years ago I was at my sister's in Jersey for one thing I am so not a morning person and with out my coffee you can call me Satan's wife. She woke me up at three so we can get to JC penny for some damn Black Friday sale. We get to the store we are standing in line like crazy people. When the line started moving these lovely middle age suburban soccer moms started pushing like they were about to sell out the last pair of implants. I asked the woman nicely not to push the dyed job ignore and keep pushing well the last time she pushed me she got a cup of scalding hot coffee down her blouse. With the dyed job screaming and her equally dyed job and booked enhanced friend yelling I looked at my sister and never again will I do this and this is why I shop in February.

Ok folks I think I gave you my view check and see what the rest of the crew had to say on this subject.

Later folks.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Description vs. Dialogue

So when we got this weeks topic. I was a bit huffed. I was a little surprised by it. I had showed someone what I had written and they had said good description but where is the dialogue. I was like I can't do that I don't know how the person was like if you can write a face book post you can do it.

My issue is I can tell you the story but can't tell you the story. I can tell you what's going on but not in how the characters is suppose to do it.  So there that is my dilemma .

Ok I was not gonna post but since I had time I between cooking four birds I said why the hell not.

What are your issues with dialogue and description.