Flipskript Ink

2010 passed us by quickly...WOW! New adventures are taking place for my loved ones. My close ones will be giving birth to residents of planet Earth, many talented singers creating and releasing new music (as I quietly and patiently wait for Prince's new music, but I digress), matrimonial unions will be taking place and some will be relocating. This includes me. I know I spend much time on the internet writing, researching, blogging, and the such. I'm fortunate, thankful to God, and ecstatic to say that I will be moving downstate to take on a new business opportunity. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm anxious. I'm kind of sad to leave but happy to start the new year in a new place I will call home. So this could possibly be my last blogpost for this year, as I am looking for a place to live, packing, shopping (for essentials) all while keeping sanity with my Bible and poetry. Until 2011, thank you God, my 4 followers and to others who visit my page once in a blue moo

What do you do when someone belittles the things that you do? It's not just the things that you do, but it's your life's work? Should you let them know that they got to your head? Or prove them wrong no matter what? Many people have succumb to their dreams and goals because what others have said about their lives, past and/or current situations. What are the reasons that opposers and haters say such hateful things? Jealousy? Envy? Misunderstandings? Different circumstances? Or just simple confused state of mind? Whatever the reason are, there is no need to focus on the negativity of such BS. True, it may put a scar in your pride and make you question your purpose on this planet Earth. But before you throw in the towel on your precious aspirations, just think about and remember the ones who invested in not only you but your life work? Mommy, daddy, grammie, grandaddy, auntie, uncle, close cousins, best friends from preschool, co-workers, your spiritual siblings, and the one

After two months in between work, freelance work, helping my mama, Bible class, and taking on some indie learning projects, I finished this awesome book. I did not want to put this book down at all. If there was one final course that I had to enroll into in order to graduate college, I hope it would be filled with the information and advice that I found in here. There were times that I thought about being in school (high school mostly) and I was assigned to read books and stories that I couldn't identify with. But this book totally spoke to me. It had tips on how to get into a business, how to handle business, provided encouragement in the corporate business, and explained how to keep private business exactly what it is...private. It dug a little deeper into things concerning racial, gender, and sexist discrimination. Being a woman of color, one can only imagine what it's like to be a victim of all three. I've had some experiences in which my co-workers have said something

Coming home from a 40-hour week, you know I'm exhausted. Still, I force myself to get some writing done; if I can't write for some reason, I do some outlines. Sadly, this week, I've been slacking, frustrated, and discouraged. Earning my degree in journalism was indeed one of the greatest achievements in my life so far, yet real world beyond the campus has been anything but sweet and simple. Most young adults who graduate with some specific major won't exactly get their first full-time job in that major. Some people call this a trap, but I call it an opportunity to improve or develop certain skills of a job outside your expertise. It can be helpful in the long run even though it feels like constant exhaustion now. It's called doing what you got to do to get where you want to go, right? At this point, I've been looking and comparing online portfolios and website with various college mates, friends, and colleagues. Seeing their resumes, their literary and visual pi

Despite the fact that this child is a short shot away from being a preteen, this video is pretty awesome. Being the one to stand out from crowd, she sings, dances, colors and whips people into shape. If I wasn't growing dreadlocks, I would definitely have the long braids that she is rockin.

It's about quarter after midnight and I'm still up and abound doing my projects and other random things. I've always been kind of weird in my sleep but eventually I hope to get it right. I've been blogging on various webspaces, such as Tumblr , Black Writers Connect and I still plan writing a column for Mahogany Butterfly . I just thank God Almighty that whatever was slowing me down is gone and I can concentrate on spiritual peace, writing and my job. I just started reading Embracing the Real World: The Black Woman's Guide to Life After College by Chaz Kyser and oh my goodness, this chick is on point with what she writes. I'm happy the timing was good for me to get this book, with me being a December graduate and all. The chapters in the book are helping me understand what points I'm at in my life, regardless if the events have already happened or have yet to happen. I love that it deals with things that my counterparts don't deal with, like racial dis

Just another random update on the game of life: -working on many articles for Stimulation Status -been reading Divanomics by Michelle McKinney Hammond and this girl has been breaking down what the Bible and my mommy have been telling me all along, "Money has its place, but it's not first place" -just ordered Embracing the World: The Black Woman's Guide to Life After College by Chaz Kyser; can't wait to read it -watching the news about more death, fires, arrests...I dare say depressing -had a wonderful weekend indulging in spiritual food, and pondering on the deeper things in life Okay...time to get back to work.

Lost in a big sense Necessary to the core Calling yourself free? There is a price to be paid for deliberate ignorance and such. Do not tell me that God does not exist today. You chose to pretend.

To add on to his popular hit, "We Are the World," this is just a list of MJ songs that I have found to tweek my soul and show the serious inner-humanitarian in him. All of these videos I found on Youtube. They will show either the video of the listed song or a montage of MJ videos with lyrics. Kudos will be given to each user :0)! 10. What More Can I Give Celine Dion, brothers Nick and Aaron Carter, boyband *NSYNC, Usher, Beyonce, Mya, Luther Vandross, and more superstar friends came together to make this heartfelt song. Jackson penned this song after the September 11th attacks and was recorded two years later. This man showed that he was giving a lot and more. Video courtesy of TheRumberos. 9. Heal the World If not everyone, most people should remember the superbowl halftime show of 1993. After performing his hit, "Black or White," the stadium was filled with pictures of children from various colors and races while child-like voices filled the air singing "

From Dr. Laura to Mel Gibson to that guy from Seinfield and various shows shedding light on the verbal taboo, the N-word is at controversy once again. I checked out articles and opinion pieces from websites, such as Brown Sista and the Huffington Post . It's a well known fact that no matter how the word is spelled or used, its meaning will not change. In a like manner, the groups of people who are allowed and not allowed to use it will not change either. As a Black woman navigating my way in the game of life, I was naturally hurt to hear this word from someone's mouth because you're not just hurting one person. At the same time, I'm no longer surprised; with the choice of free will, free speech, and the such. This actually motivated me to do some research on other uses of not only the n-word, but also the b-word and the infamous lexicon of Don Imus, 'nappy-headed hoes.' In late July, Cobleskill mayor Mark Nadeau had his own racist rant pertaining his mocking of

I read the post on Stimulation Status my editor wrote about Essence Magazine hiring a white fashion director. In the original story, found on Clutch Magazine , cultural critic and Essence writer Michaela angela Davis spoke about the shocking and disappointing confusion. Davis sparked a Twitter revolution when she tweeted her response, "I am so hurt and confused...I feel like a girlfriend has just died." Another Essence writer, Nawja Moses spoke of how she can pick of handful of Black women who would have been just as qualified for that job. While it's understandable for these two women and others to feel the way they do, I'll admit that part of me is a little curious about how a Caucasian woman is to head and direct the fashion department catered to the style and beauty of African American women. At the same time, I'm not that affected by it. From one perspective, it feels like a slap in the face that a Black publication would hire someone else of a different rac

I recently had the opportunity to interview Coco Davis, a talented author who is currently incarcerated. Doing time in the big house has not stopped her from writing her novels. Here is an excerpt: Nicole Davis is a sister, mother, wife & writer. She let nothing get in the way of her passion to write, not even being on lockdown. Originally from Chicago, Davis was an outspoken tomboy who always had a love for writing. She went to school, where she studied real estate. Davis is currently serving a fourteen year sentence in a federal prison after a series of unfortunate events. However, the fourteen years are almost up. While serving time, Davis became a phenomenal writer of the novels, Chicago’s Baddest B----, Unfinished Bizness, Fire and Flame, and 3 Brothaz. A friend of Davis served time with her in a correction facility in Danbury, CT. Once she was released, she lost contact with her, but maintained contact with Davis’s god sister. The friend turned out to be Michele Fletcher. Fle

Shout out to my brother, Mark, for showing this to me. Many dancers have studied the footwork of the late King of Pop ever since he revealed the microsecond dance on his Motown 25 performance. In a like manner, MJ has studied other early performers. Fred Astaire. Sammy Davis Jr. Cab Calloway. Each performer enhanced the fancy foot-glide with their own personality and as a result, the audiences of then and now have always been and continue to be floored. From some award acceptance speeches of the 90’s (the ones I remember), Michael always remembered to acknowledge those who came and graced the stage before him. [With that said, let’s not forget about Wylie Draper, the young man who portrayed the adult version of Michael on the well-known The Jacksons: An American Dream , who died a year after the movie was made]. One year after Jackson's unexpected death, tributes continue to flood the media waves. Chris Brown, who was denied access after the incident with former girlfriend Rihanna

I've been an Essence magazine reader since my senior year of high school. With the exception of my Bible, this magazine spoke more to me than the stories, books, and other publications I've read for school. I wasn't aware of the history of the Black woman, my history, until my junior year in college when I signed up for a Black studies minor. I went through the motions of being upset, deceived and confused as to what I was taught before. The whole cartoon conception of the mammy, jezebel, sapphire, tragic mulatto, working horse and she-devil stereotypes were used as verbal and emotional/mental weapons to keep Black women in their place. Throughout such back-stabbing horse manure, many bold sisters have forced their ways out of the "norm" and made breakthroughs for future generations of Black females. Harriet Tubman was the leader of the pack in the Underground Railroad. Sojourner Truth acknowledged to the masses that she was Black...and a woman. Madame C.J. Walker

The teenage fiction novel addressing the downfall of a high school prank, the preteen short story addressing bullying in the Black community, and the unknown production project of a romance between a student and her college professor is in the works all at once. I'm loving these random ideas that seemed to appear out of nowhere but just like the portfolio of a fine artist, writer, or photographer is ongoing an dnot a one-tine project, it is the same with time management. Aware of how short this post is, just needed to write a reminder to myself of my plans. I have plenty of inspiration, I just need the motivation...

I recently started experimenting with poetry in the haiku form. I just picked a random selection of events and topics and let my mind run in circles. These have no particular order (at least I don't think) and interestingly. After taking up a defensive driving course and nearly touching base with a speeding drunk driver, I spewed these words onto my paper: 1. I pay you no mind For in the next 10 seconds Memory will fade. 2. Roadside courtesy Burning tires, sonic boom Sharp cut off in lane. 3. Put down the 40. Pay attention to the road. Nothing looks blurry. 4. Common sense would say Not under the influence. Hello, Officer. 5. Defensive driver With no warning turns into A wreckless driver 6. The battle royale Road rage, propogandic fits Totaled car & dead.

I initiated the opportunity to interview a colleague and schoolmate of mine, Carmen Mojica on her memoir, "Hija De Mi Madre" and her poetry. While doing this interview, I was anxious and moved by her work that I wanted to help her get exposure through some of the magazines that I write for. While another article is in progress, one was published in Stimulation Status Magazine . Here is a excerpt of the article: Bronx-born Carmen Mojica recently published her first book, “Hija De Mi Madre,” a collection of memoirs, poems, and research she did as an undergraduate student confronting the issue of self-hatred. Calling her book a saving grace, Mojica is grateful for the lessons she learned when looking back at her past and continuing on to write her story. “I found myself stalling a lot to write, reluctant to see my history in writing,” Mojica said in an emailed interview. “I had a nervous breakdown while writing the very first draft because at that point I still had not forgiven

For a temporary period, I was held hostage. In a frozen desolate surrounding of murky involuntary silence...and I have to break free. Ok...time to climb out of my writing hiatus. I've been suffering from the inevitable writer's block for the past couple of weeks, on top of my adventures as a daycare assistant teacher. Working full-time with kids and part-time as a freelance journalist is tiring beyond belief, but you got to do what you got to do, right? And people always wondered what a person can do with a sociology degree? HA! Just about anything that you can set your mind to. To make a long story short, sociology is the study of human interaction, the structure of society, how its components are interrelated, and how people are selected for prevalence (Henslin, Down to Earth Sociology). With sociology, a person can choose to go anywhere with it: law, social work, medical sociology, grassroots canvassing and activism, journalism, writing, or advance to a higher level of educa

I haven't seen this video or heard this song in forever. I was barely ten years old when I first heard this song and understood its message. This soulful throwback is a declaration to the underdogs, over-achievers, and everyone else in between trying to make a difference within themselves or in their communities. Everyone has been told in their lives at least once, "you can't do this," or "you're not that," even your own oppressor. That hasn't stopped him/her from pointing out your flaws, so why should it stop you from doing handling yourself correctly? Des'ree said it best when she sings "you gotta be bad, bold, wiser, hard, tough, stronger..." You can cry, be angry, and meek and it's okay. These qualities are not weak. Though outsiders will suffocate you quickly with such behavior, you can overcome it by being yourself and conquering evil with kindness. And kindness is not a weakness.

While doing some random Googling, I decided to check out what Miss Raven Symone was up to. After warding off rumors of her alleged pregnancy were some articles and pictures showing off her curvy-yet-slimmer body. She reclaimed the shape she had when she started her 'That's So Raven' series. I've always admired this chick because of her optimistic attitude about her success and her weight despite vicious negativity that was hailed her way. She admitted to Star Magazine that she gains when she stresses. People gain and lose weight all of the time during stress, depression or whatever and Raven is no different. More power and mad props to this independent diva for accepting her voluptuous curves and shedding those pounds. Seriously! This Cosby kid has flourished over the years into a renaissance woman, mogul, and role model for young girls everywhere. I used to laugh at the jokes people made about her weight and the whole blah blah blah. And the woman is standing tall in s

I recently took on the challenge of writing my first fashion article with a new publication called Sesi Magazine. I'm so used to writing about music, arts and entertainment and the like that I felt like I wanted to try something different. As with most assignments and projects, it was tedious and hard, but giving up wasn't an option. After nights and days of research and regressing back to my prom days, I finally sent in my first draft. After a few tweeks here and there, my editor liked my idea. I'm proud and excited to announce that the second issue of Sesi Magazine was published and is on sale. Check out Sesi Magazine for a preview and purchase.

I've been interviewing some college buddies who are doing big things. This time, I grabbed hold of Nick Florest aka Varyus Waise on his many talents in music and graphic novels: Varyus Waise is engaged in more than just writing music and poetry. He also writes graphic novels and comics. This Brooklyn native has always been and continues to be busy. As a kid, you could catch him with either a comic book or an encyclopedia in his grasp or learning about the ways of Batman and Robocop. After finishing his bachelor’s degree in journalism and Black studies, you can find him in the studio with his rhymes, hanging out at a poetry show, writing comics, or making a difference in the nonprofit sector. inCOLOR speaks with VW (Nick Florest) about his musical and literary pursuits. inCOLOR: What inspired you to write? VW: To write comics, I had a roommate in college who was heavy into comics and he put me on to some great stories Marvel was doing. I just caught this surge of creative energy and

When I first heard of this girl, the first thing that captivated me was her unique poetic flow. Then I heard '40 emcees,' and was completely stolen. I thought, "I had to buy this album, this chick is so avant-garde to mainstream it's so refreshing." I decided to profile her on inCOLOR Magazine because of her upbeat, socio-intuitive perspective on the simple complications of life. Wondering up and down why she looked so familiar, I was surprised to find out that she starred in an old Nickelodeon throwback, "My Brother and Me." In between school and writing, Amanda [Diva] Seales did her thing and is making her way. Check out the article and watch her videos on the link above.

She's an actress. She's a poet. She's a beautiful dreamer. She can tell you like it is with a smile on her face. This is exactly what she did when I first met her at my first college in CT. Bridget Gray has shown the world her Shades of Grey and took her fans on a journey to Self-Love. Here's an excerpt from inCOLOR Magazine : Living by the pen, Gray has talked about her masculine femininity, her views on the game of life, war and peace and why color should not matter. A native of Illinois, Gray traveled to Los Angeles, CA to pursue her dreams of acting. After playing a variety of roles in feature films, television sitcoms and dramas, and music videos, her infectious stage presence and twist of the tongue made her a not-so-average spoken word performer. In 1999, she won a poetry slam and began combining old-school knowledge with a new groove and attitude, performing in various poetry spots and competitions, as well as lecturing and performing at many colleges and uni

In my Black Woman course, my class was divided into groups and took part in focusing on the Black woman's contribution to the music, arts, sports, media, etc. My group focused on the media and sexuality, but I was fascinated by a girl in my class who recapped the early, hidden life of Early Black Hollywood. I was familiar with Josephine Baker and Dorothy Dandridge but I had no idea who the Black Garbo aka Nina Mae McKinney was until this class. I had to write about her for inCOLOR Magazine. Before Beyonce played Carmen, Dorothy Dandridge was the original. Before Meagan Good became a cinematic sex symbol, Nina Mae McKinney was the first to do it all. Dubbed the ‘Black Garbo’ after the popular actress Greta Garbo[and garbo being the Italian word for grace and politeness], Nina Mae McKinney was the first Black movie star of the early 20th century. A multifaceted performer, she did more than act; she was a singer, band leader and comedienne. Big and bright in both talent and personal