A Quarantine Time Filling List

So, a high school classmate of mine, blog name, No Al, asked me to suggest some books while we are all social distancing ourselves during this Covid-19 event. I was happy to oblige. She's cool people and she (and a few others) have asked for books & web series before. And then my mind got an idea and I asked on Facebook and Instagram.

Who needs/wants a Quarantine book or web series list?🙂

Feeling Inspired!

Enough of you say "Me", might do a post.

As of the time I am typing this I have 4 on FB & 5 on IG to say Me.

I love sharing books & indie web series. I have to cut myself off because I could probably share forever. They are some of the simplest ways I like to entertain & understand myself. I also threw in my Being Active playlist. Just some videos I put on to "move my body" a little. Reading & Watching web series can be sedentary activities. But still not a proper excuse not to be functional.

The Reading List
Fiction

What Looks Crazy on an Ordinary by Pearl Cleage (Anything by Her)

32 Candles by Ernesta Carter

Desperately Seeking Exclusivity by Christopher Markland

Desperately Seeking Pleasure by Christopher Markland

The Delusion of Cinderella by Kym Whitley

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (Anything by Her)

The Mothers by Brit Bennet

Pastor Needs a Boo by Michele Andrea Brown (Anything by Her)

Nonfiction

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman (The is a version for all; Couples, Single Kids, Teens, Men)

Ghetto Nation by Cora Daniels

80s Kid by Jade Heasley

Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot by Mo Isom

I'm Already Professionally Developed by Eddie B

If These Shoes Could Talk by Tia McCullors

Brunchspiration: Faith, Inspiration, and Motivation by Norma Jarrett (Anything by Her)

The Web Series List (All Free, All on Youtube)

Everything I Did Wrong in My 20s: What Happens When Life Forces You to Find Happiness in Your Late 30s. (My Favorite Web Series)

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

The Unwritten Rules: Racey Jones and her journey in being the only black woman in her department at work.

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Giants: Life kicks three friends down in different ways, watch how they emotionally fight to get up.

Season 1 & 2

Avant Guardian: The guardian angel of the future 3rd black president is sent to God-mandated therapy.

Part 1 & Part 2

Keloid: A supernatural suspense focused on a mother and son’s journey to get his new supernatural powers under control, and hide from a past that haunts (and hunts) them.

Watch it HERE

Black Girl in a Big Dress: Adrienne is an awkward Black historical reenactor in love with the Victorian Era trying to steer 21st century dating with 19th-century standards.

Season 1

Season 2

The Staying Active List
Here is my Playlist on Youtube.

I hope this helps as we all are, as No Al said, #SurvivingTheQuarantine. Anything that will help us keep our wits about us. Whatever you end up reading or watching let me know. And don't forget to be active.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

A Reading Man (Attractive Characteristics to OUTSPOKEN_DIVA)

Memes could totally sum up my feelings about Men that Read. Yet, I will type out some words to go along them.

I wish I would meet a man in a bookstore. Heck, I wish I would meet a man in the book section at Walmart. Oooh, he would purchase my books in order for me to give him my number. Yeah, I know wishful thinking. But that would be Epic!!!

Football Nerd used to get me books. Matter of fact he bought me one of my favorite books as birthday gift.
When I got a Kindle, he had me make a list of books. A few days later, I got some of those books for download. After that it became his thing he did. Actually a couple weeks before he left this world, he emailed me some books. * no tears* I've learned he liked giving people books. Books are Totally Great Gifts!!!

But what is just as hot as getting a book as a gift, A Man That Reads.

A man who reads books, journals & newspapers is the bee's knees to me. They have things to talk about that I can learn about. Most men I've met that read usually don't read some of the same genres that I do. So, it intrigues me what his thought processes is like. Oh, I know he's a thinker because no one can truly read without thinking.

Men who read are also curious. They will ask questions and usual don't assume. I knew a guy who read a book about a lady who had emotional problems caused by her husband. He asked he a few "Can a Man make a Woman lose her mind" questions. I knew a few guys who read "50 Shades of Grey" and that started a few discussions on bedroom expectations.

And of course men who read have a nice vocabulary. I don't mean a man who knows how to uses big words. I mean a man like the guys like in my previous post in the series. Reading is one of the ways we learned grammar as children. Reading as an adult helps keep those same skill working. Trust me, I've been there.

Sad, there are various studies that say women read more than men. I wish it was a equal. And men (and women), if you don't read don't bother anyone who does. Non-readers are some of the most judgemental people I know. It is why I limit all my interactions with them.

So, if you are interested in me, read something more than your social media timeline. When you finish reading, come discuss it with me. I'll be around to listen & learn. Maybe we'll know each other long enough for you to read to me one day. Yes, that is a Relationship Goal!!!


As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

To Be a N-word, an A-word & a G-Word (I Blame Pop Culture)

Okay before we start this installment of "I Blame Pop Culture" let's take a test.

Pick out the Nerdy, Awkward, Geeky person or character

Steve Urkel

Bill Haverchuck
Character from "Freaks and Geeks" 

Aisha Tyler

On Friday Night name the activity or activities would a nerd, awkward person or geeky person would be doing

Cosplay

Line Dancing

Reading

Name the show(s) that the nerdy, awkward, geeky watch

Cosmos

Scandal

Game of Thrones

Okay the answer is All of the Above!!! How did you do?

Like every topic in the world, Nerds, the Awkward and Geeks have been pop culturally define. And like all other topics pop culture has defined, the definition is based on stereotypes, popular attitudes & trends. . You're not a "real" nerd. No, you're not nerdy enough.That seems to okay to say these days.So it is safe to say those that are of this population are annoyed with it.  Well at least this awkward nerdy geek is.

First lets discuss the non-nerds & geeks in hiding (I won't pull a Perez Hilton on you) views on others that identify as being nerd. I thank you for drinking Pop Culture's kool-aid and believing all that it has told you what being nerdy, awkward, and geeky is. I won't call you a "meat-head" but if you only want believe what it has told you well I might have to.

Those glasses don't make a person a nerd or geek. It means that person can't see without them and the don't have the money to buy another pair. A geek is a person that feels they are an expert or enthusiast or a person obsessed with a hobby or intellectual pursuit. Nerds are people who may spend many amounts of time on  non-mainstream activities, which are generally either highly technical or relating to topics of fiction or fantasy. An awkward person is in an emotional state of intense discomfort with oneself very frequently. Thank you Wikipedia, for the general definition help. None of these definitions use the word Only. They can be interested, know about, and enjoy mainstream activities. What only the non-geek can join in the "water cooler" conversation? Just because a guy Cos Plays on Saturday doesn't mean he can't enjoy a ball game on Saturday. Just because she watches Housewives at 7 doesn't mean afterwards she's not watching Cosmos at 8 (I live in Central Standard Time.). Don't let Pop Culture tell you that.So what if doing popular dances is not what your fellow educator knows.So is what their rhythm is off. Are their bills paid? You know the latest ones but did you have to borrow money to pay for lunch today. Spent to much at bar, maybe??? Know a person who identifies as a nerd, geek or awkward as a person not a stereotype. 

Oh nerds, geeks, awkward people, stop signifying. You are next. Stop Nerd Checking each other. What's this not "Not Nerdy Enough" crap, we got going on. Oh Pop Culture poison our "grog" also (yep I said grog). 

I say we. My nerdness has never been questioned directly to me. I'm not a hypocrite because I Am a Hypocrite. I "Nerd Card Checked" someone once. I bought a some $$$ worth of books. and this lady said "Oh you are book nerd like me". My rude self said, "Oh really. You have more books than shoes too". She said "Well No. I". I cut her off by walking away. Yeah, I must have sipped some that day too. I felt horrible later on. She could've been a book nerd and a shoe whore. I didn't know that lady. I know with the rise popularity of Nerd Curiosity and fake cultures of the Geek Chic, we feel as the hip slang says "Some Kind of Way". It still should not make us pigeonhole those in the community. There is not one kind of "Nerdy", "Geeky", or "Awkward" person. You don't know everyone in the community's story. Like the non-nerdy, We have to know them as a people and not by "our self-made standards". Just because they've never played D & D doesn't mean they don't have a kick a-word Marvel comic book and figurine collection. They may not can afford to go to Comic Con International. Yet, they are at their local Con front and center every year since the local Con started. Fantasy Fiction, Textbooks, Romance, Comedy, Memoirs or Historical Diaries are all books. Be happy that person is reading, period. Stop tearing down our own. Mainstream does enough it by itself.

One day this blog post will be obsolete because Nerds, Geeks, & the Awkward will be seen as just people. But until the story stops being Unique it still has to be told correctly. But That's what happens when you are an outlier of the Mainstream Machine called Pop Culture. 

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

Book Title Help!!! Help Me, Please!!!

I used to love "Really Rosie" as a kid. I read the book first. Nickelodeon showed the “movie” all the time when I growing. I never saw the musical. But “Belieeeeve Meee”, I think I would have loved it. Gosh, if my age is not showing, I don’t know what is.

I remember when I took up reading as a hobby. After doing a stint (a grading period LoL) in “Chapter 1” (remedial reading resource) in the 1^st grade all because the teacher couldn't read my hand writing (Back in the good ol' days when it was thought that messy handwriting indicated...), I decide I didn't like people thinking I was stupid. A feeling that I have never shook. I threw myself into reading.

I wish I had made a list of All the books & stories I read as a child. I remember quite a few Plots but for the life of me don't remember the Titles. *sigh* Child OutSpoken_Diva didn’t know the importance of making lists like Adult OutSpoken_Diva does now. I have looked and looked at “Classic Children’s stories list. Came up with the same stuff mostly. But all is not a frustrated lost. I need you guys help. Maybe you guys read what I read what I read as child. Maybe you guys might remember the titles of what I read. Maybe might jog your memory. LoL

1.     A very disruptive elementary class gets a shock when their teacher is not in class and they get a stern substitute that makes them change their behavior. The teacher comes back and the class is forever well behaved. At the end, a mask resembling the face of the substitute is hanging in the teacher’s closet.

2.    A soccer player wants to improve her game. At home her parents are more concerned about the birth of her new sibling. She then gets some mysterious help in form of a note in a hallowed out egg. This goes on for weeks until the girl improves. She finds out it was her soccer coach all along.

3.     A boy refuses to sell chocolate for the school. His defiance trickles down to the other students. It also ticks off the school & the “secret" school gang.

4.    Girl decides to run away. Takes her little brother because he has money. They end up in a museum. The museum buys a statue that may not be real. So they go find the lady who sold it to the museum and they learn great things from her.

Though my hand writing is still not legible as many, my aptitude for reading is good. Reading has saved my life many time. Every time simple words don’t come to me in a conversation, I know that means turn the TV and Internet off and let the books pour into me. Thank you guys in Advance for your help!!! This should be fun.

Oh wait!!! Are there any plots (child, tween, teen, adult) of books that maybe I can help with? Leave them in the comments below.

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

Time for March

March is Women's History Month so get ready for a few blogs featuring Woman Champions and also a “Help Me Understand”. Let’s just say this “Help Me Understand” has a love/hate relationship that I don’t get.

March is also National Nutrition Month.  We including me need to eat better. I’ve been using a Pinterest for my food diary. OMG it is so effective because I actually see that I eat crappy and I’m a Nutritional Consultant. We have to do better. 

National Reading Day is March 2. As an Avid reader I urge you to READ. Reading is so important. Too many people don't read. I believe Don't Read and Can't Read are the same thing. Either way you are Not reading!

National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is March 10. Again it’s sad to me that there has to be any Awareness days ever but this one saddens me the most. Why? The stats that says women account for about 1 in 4 new HIV/AIDS cases in the United States. And of these newly infected women, about 2 in 3 are African-American. Everyone should frown. The fact that HIV/AIDS exist should make us frown.

March 10^th is also my anniversary of me being “Radical”. If by now you don’t know what “Radical” for me is, shame on you. Go Read what it is Here. Not telling you the number, this the internet. March 10^th is not the day I decided to go Radical. I have no clue what day that was. I was going through then so all the days ran together then. March 10^th was the last day I was Not Radical. Why do I called it “Being Radical?”

1.  The method. There wasn’t one. I just did it.

2.   For some odd reason not doing it is strange, uncommon, weird, crazy, drastic, dramatic… Radical

Was I planning to make it to make it this long? NO!!! But some time in, I realized I could not just give it up all willy nilly. This was really part of my life.  Do I regret it? NO!!! I have gotten so much sleep since going Radical. Yes, I am laughing, too. Seriously, I have my days, weeks, and months that I think I went crazy. Then I think “No, Crazy was those years ago when you didn’t see the "Real" you when you looked in the mirror. Crazy was when I was crying all the time because I was connected to those that had unplugged from me and was too dumb not realize it. I think I'm a better person for it. So will "Radical" make it to next year? I don't know. I am human. God willing, YES!!!

So, that is the month of March. Go celebrate the ladies. Eat Better. Read, it Fundamental. Don’t have sex or at least Protect yourself having it. Those last statements seem so cliché. Oh well it gets my point across.

As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms

Life Decision about TV

While waiting for my next client, I was looking at The View (love that show) and one of the actors of The Walking Dead was on the couch as a guest and I found out what this popular show is about. Then it hit me being Scripted & Reality TV show everyone and every interest is represented somewhere on TV. In my opinion, if a person wants to watch TV and can't find anything of interest on TV, they're not looking hard enough or don't want to really watch TV
.
It is no secret to the offline world, I watch an obscene amount of TV. I've tried to put it in hours and get embarrassed. I even have the TV on when I read and I read a least 3-4 books a month
.
As I sit here doing this blog I am being reminded of the first show that identified me, the show Daria. I was a dry wit sarcastic nerd of a teenager and I dreaded talking to "stupid" people and couldn't wait to go to college where I belonged. Daria was proof it wasn't just me out there feeling like that. Since then I found myself in other TV characters. There was Joan of the show Girlfriends. The trusty advisor to her friends whose life is just a neurotic as theirs. I can name every one of my friends as a character on Girlfriends. The ill-fated show Emily Owens screamed at me every Tuesday. I am going to miss this show. Woman becomes a doctor, vying the opportunity to assist a renown doctor. She knows she's awkward, accepted it, & made it work for her and people thinks she's cool. Then her high school nemesis walks in and she has not changed. Now balance all of that. I'm good until somebody from my foundation church visits my current church and sees me and wants to talk to me and whoever is around me. I see someone from the "hood" at a restaurant or the mall, I say silent prayers like Emily Owens. Friend Request on Facebook it all makes me feel like Emily Owens. I'm gonna miss that show Emily Owens (Gone to Soon).

Those are just some. I don't think I watch anything that does not reflect me or my interests somewhere. TV is more than just entertainment, it is a reflection of life. Look at what you watch. What does a show say about you?

As Always, Talking to You In Adult Terms