But Not in Love With Love Jones

I never have been. I won't call it trash, but it is overrated, to say the least. Don't get me wrong it is a beautiful visual. But Love Jones is not the boy meets girl feel-good story for me. I have felt that way since I watched it 20 plus years ago. I remember watching it alone on premium cable the summer after it premiered. I was home taking summer classes at the community college downtown. I was in a sweet, budding relationship. And even wore my hair the ways Nia Long wore her hair in the movie. I was a flipped hair & side part under fanatic. I don't know why I used the word, Was. Lol But I still remember feeling like I Never wanted a Love Jones type of love. 

And for years, I kept my assessment of this beloved movie to myself.

Within the past year, I heard others in my Xennial (Late Gen Xers & Early Millenials) age peer group say that they feel the same way. I felt like I finally found my tribe. So, before I wrote this post I decided to watch Love Jones with 40+ eyes. Because I think the last time I fully watched the movie was maybe 8 years ago. I knew I felt like:

• Darius Stalked Nina.
• Nina was messy.
• Hollywood broke Friendship Code & was not chin-checked hard enough.
• Matter of fact, why was Hollywood ever in the friend group? What did he bring to the table?
• So, no one thought a married Savon hung out with the homies a little too much.
• A black woman choosing love in the rain over her hair getting rain-drenched is soul-crushing.
• Shelia was the wisest person of them all.

My opinion still holds up!!!

I wish people would tell the truth. Fans of Love Jones only call this movie a classic in the Black Community, because of the cast and soundtrack. Oh, the soundtrack is great. The acting is good also. And though my thighs still need blues in the left & funk in the right, the story itself is not relationship goals folks should want, in my opinion. The only lessons I always take away from this movie are:

• When you meet someone and they use timing & complicated in the reason they are unavailable to date, Believe Them.
• Pay attention to the advice coming from your friend circle.
• Learn to detach your heart from your sex organs if it's going to be just a "sex thing".
• Poetry is a creative but not sustainable way to effectively communicate.

So, do you like the movie, Love Jones? How do you truly feel about it? Let's chat about it in the comments below or on the social media platform you see this on.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!!!

A Little Dry (OUTSPOKEN_DIVA's Favorite Recipes)

Mockmosa

Ingredients

• 64 fl oz orange juice
• 24.5 fl oz sparkling white grape juice

Directions

1. Pour the orange juice into a jug and then pour in the sparkling white grape juice.
2. Serve in a glass of your choice

Virgin Tropical Bellini

Ingredients

• 11.3 fl oz can mango nectar
• 11.3 fl oz can guava nectar
• 1-liter bottle ginger ale

Directions

1. Refrigerate the juices and ginger ale.
2. In a large container or punch bowl mix together the mango and guava nectar; wait until ready to serve to add the ginger ale.

Sometimes the mainstream forgets some people can't, don't, won't drink alcohol. And just because they are living a temperance lifestyle doesn't mean that they have to have non-imaginative drinks only. I truly hope you enjoy the non-alcoholic beverage options.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!!!

The Guilty Windowsill Plan (Answering Questions)

I'm a little proud of the title of this post. I felt my creative juices flow when it came to me. LoL I know. I'm being silly. So, let me get serious and answer your questions.

Q: You record sometimes with a window in your background. What is in the window? I know I see a bottle of water.

A: I saw this meme on Facebook and I decided to finally answer this question on this platform. Folks don't miss crap. There is nothing major there. My bedside table is full of books & an oscillating fan. Also, it's just easier to reach up and get a Bottle of Water, Mini Fan, Vitamins, a pair of Reading Glasses, & Headphones from the bed when I need them. Sometimes you may see a teacup there. I'm just cooling the beverage so I can drink it. That's All!!!

This Post's Q&A Video

Don't forget, if you have any questions, email them to C.OUT.SPOKEN.DIVA@gmail.com or leave them in the comment section below or on the social media site where you see this post. I will answer them.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms

Send Off Bag???

I'm so glad social media engagement looked different when I was younger. I can not imagine sharing my silly dating hi-jinks as folks do now. I think my close friends only know most of my goofy stunts, let alone the world wide web.

Have you guys seen the "Send-Off Bag"? I saw it on Facebook. The contents of it were interesting, to say the least.

It is very carb-heavy. I don't smoke, so the weed is of no use for me(FYI It won't get wasted.) And the money is touching the sandwich(I hope it is a sandwich and not just a slice of bread) and that's gross and not edible. I hope somebody tells homeboy if he is going to make this thing, pack a more sanitary bag. Presentation is Key!

But here is my question to the person who posted the photo. Are you going to fool with him again?

If it were me, I wouldn't. Even if this is a hook-up/smash and dash situation, you never let someone give your "sex" value.  This goodie bag, the pre-made gesture seems thoughtful, but so is a text message to see if you made it to your destination safely. This is the same as if he had put the $40 in a pretty card & it said, "Thanks for the Tail". Now would anyone have shown that off on social media? Sometimes just have your "fun" and leave the internet discussion points alone.

But then I wouldn't get a chance to learn & talk about it.

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!

Chasing Chasing Destiny

I saw the news that the author, Eric Jerome Dickey passed. And now, I am on the hunt (physically & mentally) for my favorite book by him. I have a craving to hold this book. And it is not on my Favorites bookshelf. (Yes, I have a bookshelf dedicated to my favorite books) Fun Fact About Me: I only own three of my favorite books in e-book format. They are The Bible, The Scarlet Letter, He's Fine But is He Saved. Two were free & the other is The Bible. So, I can't just pull it up on the tablet.

And Looking for This Book is Making Me Sadder.

My college & 20s hands would be emptier without many of the books of Eric Jerome Dickey. I remember staying up and reading his stuff in one sitting at night. Dickey's works are very rich in describing people who look like me, work like me, and love like me.

I remember the book, Friends & Lovers and imagining the comedian faces at a sad event. I remember my friends and I discussing & sometimes giggling at some of the vivid intimate scenes like in Genevieve & Milk in My Coffee. And it is safe to say his books have shaped a few of my viewpoints on heterosexual dating. Matter of fact, if there are any guys with children(teens in particular) interested in dating me, you might want to browse this book I am looking for. Spoiler Alert: Separation is not Divorce.

I Must Find This Book

Eric Jerome Dickey will be missed. I thank him for helping me see myself. I thank him for being an author that help the literary world understand that Black People are not a monolith. I thank him for being him.

I've Located My Copy of the Book! It Will be With Me, Soon!!

As Always Talking You in Adult Terms!

Oh, 2020 Won't Get a Cookie

It was nowhere near the best. I had plans and none of them looked like this year. There may be some truth to the wives tale about whatever you're doing at Midnight when the New Year arrives, you'll be doing that all year. I was watching Watch Night services in my bedroom. I have been in this same place watching a lot of content in 2020, including church services. I've been in this same place planning work things, errands, & my "social life". I'm in my bedroom typing this blog post.

I want the questions, "Where do you see yourself in 5 years? or 10 years?" canceled from the world's lexicon. Because thanks to 2020, none of us will ever guess or plan anything like this. Plus, I've never like that question anyway.

If "Write your plans in pencil, then give God the eraser" was a year, 2020 had to be it. Because everyone had a jolt of change given to them. And the ride of its low lows & high highs will lead into 2021. I won't even say I want off this ride because I don't want to know where I would be dropped off at. I'll see this thing until it ends if I am allowed.

Youtube Me would like a word.

I appreciate its lessons. But the year's delivery system needed work. 2020 won't get a cookie. But with the words of the talented Sir Elton John, I have a message for it.

Because With God I Am!!!

As Always Talking to You in Adult Terms!!!

I'll Name This, Diana!

I was on time for my family's Christmas Zoom call. And I watched All of the movie, Wonder Woman 1984 on the HBO Max app that day, too. I was ready to watch it in theaters like the fan I am. I bought my mask in July when the film was pushed back from its August date. It was at a fraction of its current cost.

Well, I reviewed Wonder Woman, so it's natural for me to give the Good, the Bad & the Diva on its sequel. All in all, WW1984 is decent for a sequel. But decent is not perfect.

The Good

Unlike its predecessor, WW1984 is brightly shot. It is a love letter to the 1980s. It has the fashions, hairstyles, greed, & corruption. I was a child in the 80s, I remember those years well. The opening scene was wonderful & a good introduction to one of the lessons of the film. And of course, it was great to see Themyscira. Yes, you saw Steve Trevor in the trailer and he's in film & it will make sense why. The method is a tad cruel, but it will make sense. Cheetah's storyline ending was nice. It was subtle. *wink* And like this blog post's title alludes, WW1984 is a Diana tale. I like that because the viewers got to see how her beliefs & mindset grew over the years, especially now that she lives on Earth.

The Bad

It is a Diana tale and Wonder Woman is shortchanged. I only liked the concluding freedom confrontation. The other action & fight scenes were formulaic. I know I asked the Invisible Jet to be in this movie. But it needed maybe a memory scene to go along with its "appearance". Maxwell Lord was a typical cartoonish DC villain. And we got it with his wants in the movie. Did we have to hear him talk about it all the time? Despite the usual CGI issues I liked Cheetah, but Barbara Minerva looked very musty. I know she was to reek with desperation, but I swore I smelled her until she came into her own later. 

The Diva

As a person who dislikes 80s fashions & all animal printed clothing & accessories, I loved Cheetah's outfit when she arrived on the scene. Very transformative! And I asked the Wonder Woman creators for non-stereotypical black female representation. Even though the scenes are not long(one is very quick), they are still powerfully seen. I saw the name of the most known black actress in the movie & I was concerned. But trust me the film let me see me in it. And lastly, stay for the credits. A familiar face in a beautiful cape will appear. And you don't want to miss it.

Wonder Woman 1984 will be on the HBO Max app for 31 days after its premiere. I will be watching this decent sequel many times before it goes away. And don't worry about my WW mask. It like what Diana Prince does for her world protects me while I'm out of the house.

As Always Talking to You in Adults Terms!