Cellphones

I hate spending money on technology I don’t favor, like phones. I hate phones but I find them to be a necessity because pay phones are hard to come by in Southern California. I actually don’t think pay phones exist anymore. I haven’t seen one in ages.

My Motorola phone has served me well these last four years. I really hate to part with it because I get attached to things after using them for lengthy periods but my phone no longer satisfies my needs. I need something to keep up with my contacts, my calendar, and has GPS. I don’t necessarily need music or movies, but I do need to be able to listen to audio files.

Here’s the catch, I know I won’t have any compatibility issues with my iMac if I get the iPhone because Apple designs all gizmos and gadgets to work together. If I get the BlackBerry, I may run into some compatibility issues with my iMac. I tend to dislike things that aren’t compatible with my computer.

I’m also trying to figure out how much my monthly bill would be. I really want to spend $100/month on a phone bill for a phone I rarely use at the moment, but I do recognize my phone use will change now that I’m trying to build a business. I don’t plan on cold calling anyone, but I will need to keep in touch with people I meet (more for social purposes than business).

I think I’m going to start with the Motorola Razr I’ve had for the last two years. I purchased it for $20 with my current phone plan but never used it because I’m still using my old phone. I just have to go to AT&T to see if there’s anything I need to do to turn it on.

My cousin is absolutely amazed at how phone illiterate I am considering how much I love gadgets. Well, I attribute my computer literacy to the fact that use my computer for all my communication needs. It’s my phone, my tv, and really, who needs a phone when you can video chat, for FREE!

Designing business cards

I must be slow or something because I’m trying to figure out Photoshop CS2 and I’m not having any luck. I tell you, Comic Life Magiq is a much easier program to use than Photoshop, and it’s only $49.99, which makes it a bargain. I just don’t what I’m doing with Photoshop. It’s not user friendly. There’s no wonder I’ve had the software for years and haven’t bothered to use it. I don’t mean to sound like an advertisement, but I produce all my graphics for my blog with Comic Life in 20 minutes or less. That’s how user friendly the Comic Life is.

As for Photoshop, I’m glad I didn’t fork over the dough to upgrade to Photoshop CS4 as I would have spent a large sum of money (even with an education discount) for a program I’ll mostly likely never use.

I’m searching help in Photoshop because I want to add an Image to a stinking layer but apparently this is a complicated task and HELP has no idea what I’m talking about. I’m just frustrated because I’ve been at this for hours. HOURS!!!! And I can’t figure this out.

Anyways. It was just easier to order my business cards than it was to design it myself. Though the design isn’t much different from what I order. The only thing I wanted to add to my business card was the logo that appears on my website. **Bad news, I discovered a typo on the cards I ordered so I had to put in a new order. It's a good thing I can write this off on my taxes. I'd be ready to shoot myself. I can't believe I didn't see it the first time.**

I also purchased some domain names. I still haven’t heard on whether my offer had been accepted but I do know that it hasn’t been rejected. I just wish the person would reject the offer already if that’s what he’s going to do. I hate waiting. I hate rejection.

I’ve been reading a book my sponsor gave me a week ago. I’ve been meaning to finish it this weekend but I’ve been busy attending meetups and getting the training I need to successfully promote my business.

I joined a Toastmaster’s Club. I didn’t know what a Toastmaster’s Club was at first, but I’m happy I went because what I learn with this group, I can use to promote my business. So, what’s a Toastmaster’s Club? Well, it helps you become better at public speaking, which is something I’ll need to be able to do when the time comes to pitch a script or motivate the people I sponsor into my business.

Apple Store

I went to the Apple Store in the Glendale Galeria. I love that store. To commemorate the occasion, I took a picture of myself. I'm thinking of getting a new laptop. I need something to celebrate my new business. Plus, I can write it off as a business expense.

UPDATE: This is the worst picture.

My business

Okay, I’m officially ready to write more about the business I just started a few days ago. I’m calling it the name you see to the right (for now).

I still haven’t heard back on that domain name I would like to buy. I guess no answer is a good thing as my offer could have been rejected. I sent an email to the owner and didn’t receive a response. If my bid is too low, you’d think that person would email me to let me know I should go higher.

I so hate shopping for domain names. I think I’m going to let a few domain names go. I have a couple that I don’t need. I just purchased them because I didn’t want anyone else to have them.

I went to a meetup tonight and only two of us showed. The organizer was kind of pissed. I think she’s going to make a stipulation that if anyone RSVP’s yes and don’t show up, they’ll get kicked out. That’s a smart rule because this is the second meetup scheduled and folks didn’t show up.

I have a meetup tomorrow at 9:30 am in Burbank. I wanted to cancel so I could spend the weekend learning about my business but since I RSVP’d I should go.

My Brunsli hairties

I got my Brunsli hair ties in the mail today. They’re so cute. I’m going to have to take some pictures of them in my hair. Of course, them being made as small as possible, they’re still too big for the the amount of hair I have on my head. My hair is long but very thin.

As for my business, I’m still getting it up and running. I’m hoping to do the official launch sometime this weekend, though I will still have more to do like order business cards. I would like to design my own business cards because I want them to be a work of art.

I also put in a bid for a domain name. I hope I get it, though I don’t think I will. The person who owns it seems to be holding out on a mega offer despite dnscoop.com saying the domain name is worth $0.

The good news is my domain name shavonne.org is worth $201! Ha. I wanted to buy shavonne.net but the company that owned it wanted over $1,000 for it. Dnscoop.com says the domain is worth $115. Trying to rip people off. I’m satisfied with my domain name for my blog and wouldn’t change a thing, now.

But I want a domain name for my business! Here’s to crossing my fingers that he will accept my offer.

On the writing front, I'm a couple of weeks behind. Gosh, I don't know how I will get everything done that I want to this year unless I lose some sleep. I have about five months left before I have to start getting my packet ready for the writing fellowship. I need 40-hour days to get everything done but I'm happy I'm out of school.

My cousins: DeVante and Damarick

I just had to post this news story about my two cousins DeVante and Damarick. I remember when they were little. They were so cute.

Mammies, jezebels, and sapphires

A friend wrote me about my post on Hollywood and black screenwriters, which got me thinking about Hollywood and how I really should have finished that statement I had made in response to reading about how one Hollywood executive didn’t “want to see a movie about a black woman saving a town full of white people.”

Hollywood executives don’t seem to have issues with black women saving white folks as long as the black women are playing mammies. Mammies! “Most portrayals of Mammy depict her as an "obese African American woman, of dark complexion, with extremely large breasts and buttocks . . . .asexual, maternal and deeply religious woman whose main task was caring for the master's children and running his household." - Marilyn Yarbrough with Crystal Bennett, 2000

There I said it. Queen Latifah played a mammy in the Secret Lives of Bees. Though her character lived in her own pink house, before she became she started raising bees for honey, she worked as a nanny. The movie also had a sapphire played by Alicia Keys. The only thing the movie was missing was a jezebel; however, the movie did manage to have not one, but two dimwitted black women. It’s like watching a modern day minstrel show but without white actors in blackface.

Now, from Ken Rance’s description of his screenplay, New in Town, the female character is upwardly mobile (white collar) and just happened to start dating a blue collar worker. Sounds more like a date movie than a movie about a woman trying to save a town. But that’s just me. Perhaps that executive just wanted an excuse to not make the movie with a black female lead.

As for the movie New in Town, I don’t plan on seeing the movie, but I probably wouldn’t have liked it even if it had been black casted. I have issues with movies where white collar black females are paired with blue collar men.

Too bad Ken Rance wasn't a screenwriter for tv. Screenwriters for tv have more influence when it comes to casting.

Networking

I already blogged about how I joined meetup.com to link up with people who have similar interests as myself. So far so good.

I’ve been contacted by a producer about screenplays though I don’t have any screenplays to show him, but knowing he’s interested in anything I will write is a start. I just need to write some scripts.

Found some folks to hang with on the weekends. My next two weekends are booked. Yay! It feels good to hang out with adults without a whole lot of responsibilities. It makes me feel younger.

Now, I’m going into my next venture. When I was in school, I did a little research on network marketing. Learned a couple of things, too. For example, Avon, Tupperware, Tastefully Simple and other network marketing companies experienced increased profits during recessions. The downside is most network marketing companies don’t last. As soon as the founders make enough money, the companies are sold off.

I’ve been introduced to a network marketing company with some real potential. The products are things I would use, like water! Who doesn’t need water? Pure water? The water is awesome, too. And there’s an e-commerce to help increase my earnings.

Anyway, I’ll be posting more information about it as I go through the process of learning more and starting my home business. I’ll be signing up on Monday. I feel really good about this.

For other issues, I’m gaining weight again. I’ve eating so much food, like tonight I went to have all-you-can-eat sushi. It was dang good, too. I’m still within my ideal weight range but I want to stop it before it gets out of control. If you could see a lot of the people I work with you’d understand why I’m paranoid about my weight.

Now, more about the sushi I consumed. I tried some things I never had before like Salmon Roe (it smells fishy) and Ono (white tuna-very good), and Eel (very good). I almost didn’t eat the Salmon Roe (eggs) because my mom, the drama queen, acted like Salmon Roe is the most disgusting thing you can put in your mouth. She doesn’t like the texture of the eggs. Well, I wouldn’t go that far with it-try cinnamon spaghetti-but I do have to say the fishy smell and salty taste is something that can keep me away from Salmon eggs. I’ll stick with my smelt eggs.

Well, I should be watching my movies I got through Netflix. I really like Netflix. I’ve gotten seven movies for $16 and I can still order more before the month is over. Talk about saving some money and gas, but I feel like I’m cheating on Movie Gallery. Whoever came up with Netflix is a genius.

Girls' night out

I went out last night with the AV girls night out meetup group. Only three of us showed. We met at El Toritos. I’m not into Mexican food because of my lactose intolerance but it turned out to be much better than expected. My mom had me thinking the food was gross. I didn’t like the beans that came with my meal-I prefer black beans-but everything else was good.

One of the girls (K) I met actually works where I work (she’s in the military), which is really weird because it’s not like there’s that many young women where I work. The other girl (J) is a first grade teacher.

Anyway, the teacher didn’t feel like seeing the movie. We were supposed to watch Bride Wars but Cinemark 16 didn’t have it, so K and I decided on Confessions of a Shopaholic. The movie turned out to be a good movie. Ha! I enjoyed the implicit meaning especially in light of what’s going on with the economy.

I can’t wait until the next girls' night out.

Locking hair: Sisterlocks vs Nappylocs

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In my search for more information about Sisterlocks, I've learned a lot about the process and what to ask when you meet with a consultant.

I think I probably feel like a lot of people when I voice my frustration about the secrecy behind the patterns. Just because I know how to do something doesn't mean I'm willing to do it myself. I know how to change the oil in my truck and custom frame a picture, but that doesn't mean I want to do it. I'm willing to pay someone else to do the things I don't want to spend my time doing but apparently if people know what it is the consultant is doing to their hair, people won't want to pay a consultant. Whatever. It's only bad business if the consultant doesn't know what she's doing and she's screwing somebody's hair up out of ignorance or laziness.

I want to know as much as I can about what's being done to my hair so that if someone tells me 3 inches of the end of my hair will be left out of the pattern, I'll know to tell that person to stop being lazy and lock the whole length.

I purchased the Nappylocs business in a box and started reading the booklet. The Nappylocs booklets describes several different patterns that can be used to lock one's hair: 8, 6, 5, 3, and 2-point patterns. Now the book doesn't say which pattern works best on which hair types but my guess is the looser the curl pattern, the tighter or more turns you want (8 or 6 pt).