February 28, 2005

Keep the Flame Burning

It's been a long day. I ran a social issues room over on Paltalk.com about 5 hours this morning. The subject was C-Span's telecast of "The State of the Black Union" that was hosted by Tavis Smiley. Outstanding presentation with the highlights on Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Minister Farrakhan, Julianne Malveaux, Joycelyn Elders & Faye Wattleton.

Please listen to the broadcast and pass the link on. It is a must see. :)


http://www.cspan.org/VideoArchives.asp?CatCodePairs=,&ArchiveDays=100&Page=2 .

There is a morning and afternoon session.

Enjoy,

Sepialove

February 27, 2005

Reading is Fundamental

Yearning to be profound was my biggest concern with starting my 1st real topic. But I realize that just being me and allowing the thoughts to take care of themselves was better.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to read. Dick and Jane, Dr Seuss and Nancy Drew got me started, and then I discover the library. I loved the Dewey Decimal system! Going through the aisles and stacks of different books became a passion. Comic books like Richie Rich, Archie, Little Lulu, & Baby Huey littered my bedroom. With junior high came fashion mags like Seventeen, Tiger Beat, and Right On! Then high school caressed me with the musings of the classics. Shakespeare, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Miller, and F. Scott Fitzgerald jetted me into period literature and swept my mind into a frenzy of an insatiable thirst for more.


I would read ANYTHING, from the backs of cereal boxes to the latest local newsletter. Sunday mornings were a treat for my grandmother and me to scan the newspaper for sales, comics, opinions and commentaries. Cutting out coupons and sharing our views on current events kept us occupied for hours. Mother Dear, as we called her, couldn't read well, (I think she was an undiagnosed dyslexic, but an extremely wise woman). Yet she always pushed her children, grandchildren, and great-grand’s into furthering our education as far we could go.

Today's technology is a blessing and a curse. I love the instant availability of information and resources; however, I think that the Children of the Millennium don't read nearly as much as my peers and I did. I admit since I joined the legions of internet users, my readership has slowed down as well. I may read more articles and sites online, but whole books have gone months without being touched. I remember during my recuperation for a car accident in 2001, I read 25 novels in one month during my convalescence.

So why do a blog? Well, so I can express myself and give others a glimpse into the person that is Sepialove.


By the way, Sepia is a shade of brown and my pseudonym is to reflect all of the magnificent shades of African American love. Hokey isn't it. *gag* So I'm sentimental.


Don't shoot me. ;)

February 26, 2005

I blog therefore I am

I blog therefore I am?

Well, who IS Sepia? I ask myself that question daily. Woman. African American. 40 something. Mom. Social advocate? Music & karaoke lover? Nerd & self proclaimed internet junkie? YEAH! That's IT! :)

I have actually said that I wasn't gonna do this. What could I possibly say that would be of use to the world at large? My internet experience started back in 1997 with AOL 3.0. My best friend had a computer and life wasn't the same again. Black Voices. com became my new cyber home. Being online afforded me a new social existence. Where else can you find a like minded group of people in milliseconds? I was lured and courted by graphics, games, email, chat rooms, and a whole range of online activities.

Starting out on AOL, typing became a necessity, but eventually, my online evolution brought me to the voice chat experience. From the silent sanctum of AOL and BV over 30 and 40 to the new voice chat site of Mplayer, (now defunct, under new management as www.livve.com). Personalities that were restrained and identified through various text and font styles were freed by the sounds of vocal indentation, tone and expression.

I have often said that the black chat experience is nomadic in nature. The core of us veteran chatters often seek new fertile ground to explore, yet will send back for others in the "vocal tribe" for a familiar face and voice. "Water seeks its own level" is so true. Still, ever the internet adventurer, online friends tiring of Mplayer found Paltalk.com, which is my current vocal chat oasis. (www.paltalk.com). I have been on that site since 1999 in the African american lobby. Other lobbies are available and I do visit the social issues, karaoke and music areas, but the AA lobby is my online haven.


I happened upon the world of Blogitry, (is that even a word *lol*), and have been a fan ever since. The first blog I purposely read was related to politics and the Presidential election of 2004, which was the Daily Kos (www.thedailykos.com). After that it became a treasure hunt of links. blogs, personalities and virtual opinions. Reading personal blogs has only become a recent hobby and the wide variety out there means I will always have a new blog to explore.


Some of my favorite blogs / links are:

http://blackinformant.com/ (that also features a wealth of African american sites),

http://www.ugogurl.com/index.php, (a guide to travel for Sisters of Color),

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/ (News).

Now, here I am. *sigh* What have I gotten myself into? ;) I'm gonna try and see how this goes. Say a prayer, this may be a bumpy ride.


Sepialove