Updates: July 2011

Busy busy busy busy

I'm always working.

The last post I had here (last month) is a link to what I've been working on. I'm the video editor for Ricketts Productions' "HARD TARGET", a television show about preventative crime. The show keeps me working all the time.

Updates:

-I've decided to make Alternatively a full-length novel, which means it will no longer be in vlog form. The LiveJournal will be taken down.

-I'm not running with my "Correcting Twilight" idea again. Why? It's a waste of time, been done before, I'm busy, etc.

-I am currently working on a graphic novel. As it develops I will post updates on a new blog. Not sure when I'll create that one though.

In the meantime, watch out for my lengthy posts on random topics that come to mind.

Hard Target Facebook Link

Yeah, I'm a Tumblr

Due to the fact that I'm usually pretty busy and don't have time to think of a great topic to discuss here, much less wax philosophical on it, I've created a tumblr. Feel free to ask questions there, or comment on my mini-uploads.

Clickity

Enjoy

Shameless Self-Promotion (Quick Update)

Sorry that my first post of the year the is so late into the new year (after my 20th birthday, even). Stuff's been going on for me. Some of which I'm going to use this blog to mention in hopes that I can get an inch of publicity here.

First things first, you guys may or may not know that I am a certified makeup artist. I get jobs here and there (when I'm not working full-time), but I've got something planned that takes the cake: Bacchanal Jamaica 2011. Girls love having hugely dramatic looks for carnival and that I can achieve. I need as much help as I can get with putting my name out there so please like my makeup page and pass it on to your friends.

I also make miniature food jewelry now. There's more to it than what's been added to the page. I just need to photograph them. I also need to set up my Etsy shop so people can buy my stuff online.

This was just a quick update to let everyone know what's up with me right now. This is why I've been disappearing. This and my job. I'm coming back later this month or some time in April for the first official re-boot post.

A Much Needed Re-Vamp AND Race-Specific Roles

First things first, blogspot is acting up shit so it may take a while before this blog looks vaguely functional again.

I haven't been here for months because I have a life now and things (important things) have gotten in the way. I am still working on projects that were mentioned here previously (The Twilight thing, Alternatively), but going a different way about both. "Twilight" will be completed in full before I post each chapter here month by month. Alternatively is being completely re-written as a novel that may take me years to finish.

In other news, I've had a long year. A very long and meaningful self-searching type of year. And I've discovered that I really don't like most of this blog anymore. I want to change it. This blog has been very me-centric since its creation and I'm just about sick of that now. This blog started out being an unconventional method of me extending my trivial frustrations to the rest of the world and I have no reason to do that anymore. So no more rants about random stereotypes, if anything were to come out of that topic it would be a long article about stereotyping happens. That's not to say this is gonna some hippie "meaning of life" vibe to it from now on. Sometimes it probably will, but not always.

From time I might throw in a comment here or there about a project that I'm working on. But the point here is that this blog is no longer about that on a whole. Some of my older posts have been deleted for either exposing to much of my personal info or just serving no purpose whatsoever. I couldn't find it in me to delete a few of the old ones. But they just may go eventually too. I have no idea when I'll update this again.

____________________________________________________
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

I was surfing the net the other day and stumbled upon a Broadway fansite that had spawned an everlasting argument about whether some roles were race-specific. Specifically, Glinda of Wicked:

And while it makes perfect sense to assume that this character should be played by a white woman because the character has been casted almost exclusively as white women (and in some cases Asians), does this mean that the role is racially exclusive to white women?

I vote "No". I believe this role should be open to women of any race given that they have the talent and ability required to play it. It's been done before (there's been a few cases of understudies or standbys who are black taking over for a night). First of all, the argument that usually is brought up would be "G(a)linda is blonde. We can't re-write the script to erase all references to her defining feature."

Right. Because never...


In the history of forever...



Has there ever...


Been a dark-skinned woman pulling off the blonde look...ever. There are many different shades of blonde in the world. I have a hard time believing none of them could suit a black (or hispanic, or any) woman. Would it take a bit longer for wigmakers to do their job because they'd have to discover the perfect shade for the actress? Yes. But the point here is a black woman can be blonde and since there is no specific mention of what shade of blonde Glinda's hair is, it would be fair to give her any.

Glinda's main claim to fame in the musical is being blonde and aside from that, ambitious and rich. (Not her entire character, mind you, just the memorable bits) Being "ethnic" should not keep someone from being either of those things, and Glinda has never been given a specific race according to the script (Actually, the only characters that have come close are Elphaba- who is green- and Doctor Dillamond- who is a Goat). And while some roles (such as those in Hairspray or The Wiz) are pretty much exclusive to the races they were written for, the ones from Wicked are not.

At least I think so. What do you think? Leave a comment and don't be afraid to disagree.

"I've Got Nothing"

So, as you may (or probably may not) know, I'm a follower of several UK Tubers. And the big word in UK when it comes to YouTube right now is ChartJackers.

ChartJackers is a project involving a group of very talented and very popular UK YouTubers to help raise funds for BBC's Children In Need. Their aim is to jack the music charts and get their single to number one. (Note: I'm about two months late letting you know about this, but you can still help.) They're little adventure has been followed every week by BBCSwitch.

Their single and music video has been completed with the help of their subscribers. It's a brilliantly cheesey pop song and the video includes clips sent by fellow YouTubers. [Watch Here]
The song is now available on iTunes and iTunes only. Every dollar made from people buying the song will be going to Children In Need. I believe the song is only available in the UK right now, but that's temporary. Personally, I'm addicted to the song and would totally download it for free but my conscience would eat me alive.

If you are in a situation that prevents you from buying the song (like myself), you can still help. You can spread the word in your blog, on Facebook, on your Vlog, etc. Or you can print this flyer and post it around your school/workplace.

As a little bonus, if 3,000 comment on this video they will each do a dare this week. That should be fun to watch.

Just so you know...

[Warning: Rambling and Ranting are sure to follow]

So I've pretty much gotten used to the idea of being stereotyped no matter where I go.

In Jamaica, I'm the "brown" chick who listens to white people music and avoids dancehall whenever possible.

In America, I'm a black girl who listens to white people music and has way too many white friends.

In the Internet, I'm the Jamaican who likes jerk chicken, ginger beer, calypso music and limbo....wut.

Stereotypes seriously don't bother me as much as they used to. Because I do listen to "white" music and I can't stand dancehall. I love jerk chicken and yes most of my American friends are white (huge surprise, I lived in South Florida...so mostly white Cubans...), but just so you know, ginger beer, calypso and limbo are two of the least accurate stereotypes I've gotten yet.

I hate ginger beer. I can't speak for all Jamaicans here. A lot of people love it. I just hate ginger in general. It's like mint only disgusting.

Calypso? French music brought to Trinidad played mostly at their Carnival celebrations...oh yeah, so Jamaican. The music that we Jamaicans listen to at carnival is called 'Soca'. It's closely related to calypso and also originated in Trinidad...only it's not as annoying...While I'm on that note, I've always noticed that most people who imitate Jamaican accents end up with something that sounds vaguely Trinidadian or Bajan, with the exception of "Futurama"'s Hermes who sounds vaguely African. Goo'jahb.


Limbo is something that most Jamaicans just do not do anymore. It's tired and old. As a matter of fact, the only people in Jamaica who limbo anymore are 6-year-olds who watch more American television than probably necessary and the kind of tourists who spend their time in "Touristville" (aka. Montego Bay and Negril) and never step foot in Kingston where civilazation is. I mean the only reason the hotels put on events like limbo contests and shit is because they think that's what you want to see. It is not an accurate depiction of "real" Jamaica. (Neither is 'Shotta's'. Jamaica isn't always violent.)

If you want semi-accurate stereotypes, please stick with the Rastas, weed and dominoes. It's still wrong but it's closer than freaking calypso. >.>