K. Michel Press

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Am I Marriage Material?

2010-10-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ah! You know, it’s shaping up to be a beautiful autumn evening… and all the more so with your company.

This is The 8 O’Clock Cat and, as usual, operating on CP time.

I was just re-vamping my Twitter account when I ran into the Coogster, Supastarrr, Mizz Minnie and KaraKelly online; such crazy fine ladies. You can see all of their blogs on my blogroll. As I understand it, two of them have been deleted (Supastarrr’s and KaraKelly’s). Speaking of which, KaraKelly owes me an e-mail.

So how’d you all enjoy your Fall so far? Me?

I was recently BANNED from a Black Woman Empowerment slash Interracial Relationship blog. I won’t mention the name of the particular blog (or blog host) in order to protect her identity and the integrity of her blog. However, I will say that she’s an older Black woman from the generation before ours. Man, I tell you—she gave me one of the most demeaning digital ear wringings I’ve ever received. Now…

--It was the only digital ear wringing I ever received but still …pretty demeaning. She left me with parting words though.

The host wanted me to go to “The Art of Manliness” site and silently listen to the conversation of “healthy men” and not the “fatherless masses of AA (African-American) males”. Men who are among my friends, associates, neighbors, or what have you. Of course, she was being facetious in telling me this. But you know what?

That’s what we’re going to do.

Each week, until the end of the year, I’m going to pick a topic from “The Art of Manliness” blog and post the perspectives of a young, dashing, brilliant, virile African-American man… instead of commenting directly on their site. I don’t know about you but I can’t wait to see how healthy men converse. This week’s theme is “Marriage Material” and so we’ll be talking about marriage.

In this theme, I’ll also be analyzing “No Wedding, No Womb” next week as well. I’m going to be doing something I haven’t seen anybody do yet. I’m going to both argue for and against “No Wedding, No Womb” in two separate posts. Where does it succeed? Where, not?

It’s not November yet, but we’re going to start “Marriage Material” tonight.

Making The Case For Marriage | The Art of Manliness

Here are two comments that are vehwy, vehwy interesting from “The Art of Manliness” blog. One comment argues for the institution of marriage in this day and age …the other, against.

This thought-provoking comment is arguing for the institution of marriage as we know it today:

There’s a lot of passion behind many of the views here, having been fueled with hugely-emotional experiences that left the individual elated or disillusioned or what have you.

I’m not saying that these experiences and accompanying feelings are all valid; far from it. The deepest woundings and healings come from marriage, because it is in marriage that we often let ourselves become most vulnerable. But we as humans have an incredibly difficult time some times seeing things without looking through the lens of emotion.

What you think about something directly correlates to how you feel about that thing.

If you seek negativity, you’ll have no problem finding it, wherever you look. In the institution of marriage, in men, in women.

Our world seems to thrive upon negativity. It seems the popular thing is to extract all the negativity that one can find from a situation and carry it with you, leaving the positive at the side as just being happenstance.

So we have a society in which negative thinking is the rule of the day. You can see it in pretty much every walk of life, but especially in developed countries, its seems. I think this is because things are going so much our way that we now have the luxury of thinking about all the adversity in our lives, completely overlooking the unbelievable amount of blessing that we are the recepients of that made us even able to complain in the first place.

We can complain, therefore we do. It’s stylish and in vogue to have this so-called 'realist' outlook. If one attempts to make a lifestyle out of looking for the positive, they are dismissed as living in their own world, or of not having the requisite 'real-life' experiences to see things in the dirty grey that everyone else does.

This whole mindset seems to have taken a particularly-strong hold on our view of the institute of marriage. Stand-up comedians can hardly make it through a routine without at least a stab at marriage. It’s, 'the old ball and chain'. I mean, how often do you hear good things about a marriage? It seems that those who would seek to continually find the positive in marriage, who strive daily to make it work, are dismissed by 'veterans in the field' as just being too green. They show with pride their battle scars to beat the band, warning the young bucks to flee before it’s too late; that really, all it takes is time, and then you too can and will become an embittered, out-for-yourself, venom-spitting individual who has chosen to make it their life’s work to make sure that marriage and relationships with the opposite gender is as miserable for others as it was for them. It’s not a matter of if, in their minds; it’s just a matter of when.

What you think about marriage is going to have a profound effect on how you feel about it. Do you think it’s some Hallmark-propogated social ritual? Good luck on finding a fulfilling one, mate. Do you think it’s just the grown-up equivalent of high school dating? Have fun trying not to go through marriages like Kleenex.
I challenge you to consider what your thoughts are on marriage, women (if you’re a man) and men (if you’re a woman). Consider the origins of your thoughts. Look back and see why you believe what you do, what experiences in your past have shaped your beliefs and opinions.

Go against the grain and think positive. It’s not just for hippies and that guy from Kelly’s Heroes. – Jinky Williams

This brow-raising comment? Against the institution of marriage today.

“Interesting, but I have to quibble. This article is utter, subjective and roaring tripe from the first syllable to the last smug percentage.

Either the author is looking for any brightness in his own clattering marriage to distract himself from the permanent horrors of the experience, or this article is an offering to his bride to soften her up for a rare shag.

To deal with his points blow by blow, marriage means:

1. Less and poorer sex.

Let’s face it, marriage vitiates sex. It takes one of the most transcendent human experiences and makes it dull. It is perhaps a cosier and more familiar experience, but passion and cosiness are contradictory states. Every ‘happily’ married man will spend the remainder of his life without the thrill and mystery of a new woman, and the ecstatic highs that are only possible with passion. He’ll spending a lifetime mounting her without the butterflies or shiver down his back, like a mountaineer permanently restricted to one ever-subsiding hill.

His only remaining highs will be the isolated births of his children or that guilty moment he finally cheats on her.

Marriage removes a man forever from the sublime and damns him to a soap opera.

2. Less money.

Marriage is a staggering waste of money. Absurd amounts of money are squandered on bedspreads, jewellery, or any other of her dainty pretensions. It cripples a man’s spending power with the burden of a huge new set of responsibilities and demands.

3. Far worse health.

…because a married man lets himself go. This may be laziness, but marriage habituates a man to laziness. When everything is expected and sure, nothing has to be worked for. Married men get fatter quicker, take less trouble over their appearances and suffer all the ugly consequences of reaching a plateau. It’s often seen that when a man retires, his life, mind and body will quickly wither. Similarly, when a man marries, he pays a terrible physical penalty for moving into a lower gear. On top of that, the extra responsibilities that come with having a wife and children compound ordinary stress in terrible ways. A single man who loses a job has to worry about looking after just one person.

4. A faker smile.

By the beginning of the second decade of marriage, all expressions of joy are hollow and false. A husband becomes so used to papering over his bleak lot with false smiles, he quite forgets the prompt for a genuine one – until that day he catches one suddenly blooming over his face at the thought of the girl in the coffee shop who smiled at him, like a violet at the end of a long winter.

An unmarried man means it when he smiles and has more to smile about. Contrast this with the frequent heartfelt smile of the man untrammelled by any nagging, stale lump of wife.

5. Marriage is far more miserable than you could possibly want or imagine.

Worse than miserable, marriage is flat and predictable. It is the mould of all routines and hurries life by in ever less cosy circles. Marriage is also the death of ambition. It’s commonly remarked that the bright careers of many young scientists are dimmed by marriage, and the bird who has found a mate has less to sing about.
To these let me add one other very compelling dimension.

6. Marriage is an inexcusable waste of time.

Besides the time haemorrhaged on her manias and ridiculous pursuits, a wife very often comes with a huge extended family her husband is obliged to perennially court. A wife makes it a duty for a man to waste precious time on vile tedious people he would never consider socialising with in any other walk of life.

Probably the best way to consider this question is to compare marriage with work. The man who signs a lifetime contract with the first job he likes is considered unambitious, unimaginative, mediocre, timid. Pursuing a similar course with a woman is no greater evidence of manhood.

In fact, marriage is the negation of manhood.

I predict for the author a morning, perhaps many years away, but already guaranteed, when he opens his eyes and ears next to the stinking carcass of his love and rues the years he’s lost in this blinkered, dreary, cramped and absurd little box – marriage.” – dominic charles

For a while, I was really looking forward to getting married.

Creating my family. Starting the legacy of a long line of K. Michel’s that’d insure my immortality in this world. I still like that, but it’s waning a bit. My lady-friend has lately had apprehensions about marriage as well; anxieties, really. Now, I’m starting to question whether marriage is something that’s for me. I hear that it’s not for everybody anyway, no? Right… my lady-friend. You don’t know about her.

I have a lady-friend who I converse with on so many things; we’re very close. We recently had lunch and “marriage” came up. See, she’s from Ghana and she told me how things work in her tradition. She says that in Ghana’s tradition, it’s customary for the groom to pay for the entire wedding himself. That’s when I do my trademark “Pfft!” and remark that she’s in America now. She insists that it doesn’t matter and the man still has to pay for the wedding. Obviously, this is just some kind of trick.

Last week I meet a man (he’s a bit older than us) who’s vying for entry into the program that I’m currently in. After I give him advice, we start talking about our futures. It was here that he tells me that he’s from Ghana and that he’s married as well. So here’s my chance to find out the truth about the lies my lady-friend wanted me to believe. I told him about what she said and this guy just smiles, nods his head approvingly and says …”she’s right!”

What!?! I say, “what do you mean ‘she’s right’? All of your money?”
“--Well, the woman can put in something if she wants to but yes… the man pays for the wedding.”

The thing that struck me the most was how content he was when he answered me. There wasn’t any disappointed slinging of the head, or exasperated sighs of marital castration. He was cool with it.

Then, it had me thinking that maybe all of the apprehensions men have about marriage, prior to getting married, will become nonexistent once we do get married. I’ve never seen a bachelor look that content. To be honest, it was scary. Maybe marriage is just one of those things that makes no sense unless you find yourself in one.

But, there are far more married, divorced and single older men warning me away from marriage. Don’t get it twisted, African-American men definitely talk about marriage.

“--You get married? Then forget about sex… it’s only when she wants to. Every night she has a headache. You tell her you have Tylenol? ‘No, it’s okay… I’ll just rest it off’.”

“Marriage?!? Whoa!”

“Not in this country. If you get married in this country, you’ll get eaten alive! In another country, it’s good.”

So who’s right? What do you think about "marriage"? What do women think about “marriage”? Does it still have a place in this ever-changing, modernizing world? Does the fact that the world is changing mean that we need “marriage” that much more? Talk to me.

This is The 8 O’Clock Cat saying, Jaz and ggspiritwrites… I see you two. New members to our blog family; I definitely want to extend a nice welcome. “No Wedding, No Womb” on Monday, too? I hope you can dig that.

BLACK! - Issue #19 - Wishlist For The Black Community (What Would You Want To Happen?)

2010-01-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

It's Black History Month... every year, African-Americans like to remember the greats from back in the day and remind ourselves of how righteous they were; of how righteous we ALL were actually. I'm not going to do that. Not really. Yes, it's important to recognize "the greats" but if we don't APPRECIATE what they stood for with the same passion, the same fervor and apply it to "the here and the now", then what's the point of Black History Month...

--Stroking our broken egos? Please.

The social atmosphere of the Jim Crow era wasn't too kind on us, African-Americans. But somehow, through that (and OVERWHELMINGLY MORE) madness, we stuck together like a shut combination lock. Black men. Black women. Black children. We made it a POINT to remind each other of how strong and beautiful we were, in a society devoted to maintaining a status quo of European standards of beauty and value. This was our community's strength really, and it still is. Our power comes from each other.

The Black community today, you ask? Well, it's changed from the way it was. That's because society has also changed. Thanks to the generations that came before us, we can enjoy freedoms in this country now that they never had the luxury to before. Now, the Black community is not as solid as it used to be.

In fact, depending on who you ask, our community isn't pretty solid at all. I disagree. There are still PLENTY of redeeming qualities to our beautiful community, but it's obvious that we have a lot of work to do.

1) We have to get more younger Black women and girls to realize how much power they have when it comes sex, and to realize that no man can consentually get their cookies WITHOUT their say so.

2) We have to get more younger Black men to understand the importance of marriage in THIS society. Now, sure... this is up for debate. But America does reward married couples with a bunch of incentives. I'll touch up on this on my "Black Marriage" post later on.

3) Wow! We need to get younger Black men to go to college. See, I get it and we've been going about it all wrong. The key isn't to make college something to "strive for" with these guys, but to make it a normal occurance. We need to get the idea across that college isn't this BIG STEP towards the rest of your life, but rather... college is just the NEXT STEP after high school.

4) We need to teach SEXUAL EDUCATION to our kids. Okay, so our Black churches are big on abstinence... but that message isn't working. You know why? Kids like sex and we probably can't do much to stop them. Hormones are a powerful thing at that age. So, we have to educate them. This way we can significantly LOWER teenage pregnancy rates and LOWER the rates of STD's in our communities!

I want our community to be a safe haven for everybody who lives here, for everybody that even COMES THROUGH here. I want this to be the "base" in the game of "Tag" known as life. I want Black women to FEEL SAFE AND SECURE when she comes across a group of Black men... instead of just running across the street. I want more of the younger Black men to really understand and appreciate the value of life, so that they don't take it away from another Black man like it's ...nothing at all.

I can see this happening too. We can DEFINITELY achieve this, but we need to evoke the passion of the generations before us. We need to get active, right?

This is just the TIP of the iceberg, I'm sure. In order to get better, we have to know what "better" looks like. Which brings me to this point...

What would you like to see out of our community today?

*02/02/10 - I'm intelligent for my age and not the least bit sorry for it.

Issue #18 - A Reality Channel, But For School? Would That Work?

2009-12-08T13:22:00.000-08:00

I'd recently gotten a shoutout from Black Blog Lover. So, she takes the blogs that she finds unique and posts them on her site. I highly suggest that you "Follow Her", after all, if you want to show your blog off then she's GREAT at doing that.

She's new as well, so the likelihood of you getting featured will be in your favor. At the very least, it's a great site to network between blog owners. Speaking of networks...

--How about a channel? See, in NYC, Bloomberg is shutting a few public schools down in light of poor performance and economic demand (Brooklyn's Paul Robeson High School among them). This has me thinking about the HBO show, "Kindergarten".

"Kindergarten" is a series that goes through the classes of K-1 students. What they learn. How they spend recess. Of course, you can also see how the teachers teach.

Now, I'm thinking... why not apply that to high school? What if we all had local channels in the towns and cities where we live that showcase high school students and teachers doing what they do. Would this add pressure to the teachers, and force them to really give their all? Would this just be viewed at as entertainment... as another reality show channel?

Would anyone care to watch at all?

Also, do we film EVERYTHING that goes on? Do we film Spanish Class? Lunch? Assemblies?

Call me crazy but I think that given enough time, this really would go a long way in terms of improving parent involvement in their child's schools and improving the quality of education our children are getting. Especially when the high school dropout rate could stand to be better where most communities are concerned.

Well, starting with this post, I'll be listing one positive thing about myself until I've mentioned 30. I got this exercise from BrownEyedPanther, a new member of our family. Speaking of which, why not stop by and say "hello" to her? She's only a click away.

*12/08/09 - I'm creative when it comes to words, whether I'm speaking or writing.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Polygamy Might Be Good?

2009-11-16T18:09:00.001-08:00

This is shaping up to be a beautiful autumn evening.

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat, and you know what? I received this very interesting idea from a Black woman (also a single mother) this week. It went a little something like this, and remember... it was all HER idea. Haha! Well, she argued:

Polygamy should be the NORM within Black communites. It's much more economical than marriage. Since a man will have more than one woman, each person will come under one household with their own income. Plus, there will be tax incentives in terms of the number of residents. So, more money under one roof.

Also, instead of ONE woman taking care of the household by herself, three women can share the task. Not only is this more efficient, but it also relieves the workload off any ONE of those women.

Single mothers would be easily welcomed as they wouldn't have to compete against other women. Since this is not marriage, a man can expand his family to include single mothers... and act as a father figure towards those children.

Children will develop a sense of community that has long been forgotten today, from being around other children and plenty of authority figures in the home. Whereas marriage (especially monogamous marriage), is costly to being with ...and yet even costlier if it should end. If a man leaves his wife during the marriage, she's left to fend for herself.

Now...

At first, I was astonished. I'd never heard something this far out... especially from a Black woman. Haha, but I let it marinate for a while. I have to admit, she made it sound good to me. Real... real good. Do you think the Black community needs this? What about YOUR community? Would you be willing to do this? Or are you on the side of marriage? Or neither?

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying, this message was NOT brought to you by the letter "Q".

SEASON PREMIERE: Issue #17 - Award Nomination / PSA (How Pretty Girls Feel)

2009-11-03T12:57:00.000-08:00

From everyone here at K. Michel Press, it feels good to be back and to see everyone ...officially. A lot seems to have happened during my stay away. In fact, "K. Michel Press" was even nominated for a "Kreative Blogger" award by a very fly sista, Superstarrr.

7 Interesting Things About K. Michel:

1. I was a part of a weekly radio program (AM) when I was twelve. My dad still has the tape to one of my shows.

2. I've never dated a woman who was my age, or younger than I was. I've always dated older women.

3. My birthday is in August.

4. I used to have a huge fear of the letter "Q" as a kid.

5. I don't care much for jewelry; huge waste of money.

6. I try to say "Hello" to at least one new person a week.

7. People always want me to take my hat off for some reason.

Here are MY nominations for Kreativ Blogger.
True2Me
KidNice
cecelia;
Katlynne LaSalle
NightFall914
FNF Magazine
Coogie Cruz

K. Michel Press Presents: Issue #17 - PSA (How Pretty Girls Feel)

Since The 8 O'Clock Cat had a topic about "nice guys", I wondered. Which guys were the most successful when it came to women? Who were the guys women respond to?

I never thought you could go wrong with confidence, but then... can a man take it too far?

I got this video from Supastarrr's post, actually. Now, as a Black man, I have some impression on how pretty girls feel. Check this out, trust me.

SEASON PREMIERE: The 8 O'Clock Cat In... The Nice Guy Dilemma

2009-10-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

Loving you... every day... don't you look no more, love without a --Haha, sorry! Welcome back, though.

It looks like our family got bigger over the break and we have some new members! Allow me to FORMALLY welcome you to K. Michel Press on behalf of everyone here. We don't have followers, we have family. With that said...

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat! Nice guys...? Somebody really wants to know my thoughts on nice guys? Really? Hmm. Let me ask you a question.

Nice guys are in demand, well... that's what women say. Women have verbally stated that they want to be with a nice guy... a guy that treats them with respect, a guy who's on the right path in life, and a guy who can appreciate them. Sounds good to me. And yet, actions are not being backed by words. Nice guys are among the most SINGLE men right now; virtually ignored. Why is that?

Well, communism sounded nice in theory, but in practice it grew into a nightmare in many European countries. Maybe this is one of those kinds of things.

It sounds nice, but do we REALLY want that? Let's face it. When a woman gets in that mood, the last guy she's thinking about is the nice guy... and that's a BAD thing for a man. NO man wants to be the guy that no one desires or longs for. Maybe women don't really like nice guys, but are ashamed to admit that they don't like them for some reason.

It's funny, but nice guys actually do have it a lot harder than other guys. I DO notice that nice guys aren't as outgoing as other kinds of guys. Meaning that they usually sit behind the scenes, hoping that someone spots and notices them for the "catch" that they are.

In order to get ANY kind of affection, at some point a man has to be outgoing. Now this brings an interesting point. Is it the nice guy's fault for not being as outgoing as other guys?

Are nice guys, in fact, unattractive? What is it about a nice guy that rubs women the wrong way? Is there a "nice girl" dilemma too? If this continues, there may not be any "nice" people left. Haha. But then, c'est la vie.

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying... loving you, said loving you is all that I --all that I wanna do.

K. Michel Press & The 8 O'Clock Cat Season Premiere SOON!!

2009-10-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody. We're taking a bit of a pause in terms of production, but we will be returning with fresh material in 2 weeks (Oct. 26) during the Season Premiere of K. Michel Press. We won't be sleeping. We'll be renovating the site, and cleaning up a bit. In terms of The 8 O'Clock Cat, he'll be writing new posts on his Facebook fan page ...so if you want a sneak peak, stop by.

Also, I'll be starting my Twitter account. Once it's created, I'll let every one of you know so that we can add each other. Pfft! We gotta expand...

Issue #16 - Things We Probably Don't Know About Each Other

2009-09-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

You know, society tries to convince us that people need be put in their proper place. "If you look like this, then you should be doing that..." But, you can't ignore the simple things.

I don't care what corner of the world you lived in. Guys did certain things when they were teenagers... things we'd rather not tell our female counterparts.

Yeah, I don't care if you're White, Asian, Black or whatever... you're not a man until you've flung your underwear in the air with your foot and tossed it in the corner of your room at some point in your life.

I could tell you right now that there's an Israeli kid overseas downloading hip-hop tracks when he should be doing his homework.

There's also a Black teenager in Boston listening to Black Flag, shaking her head like she's trying to rip it off of her neck. No... don't worry, that's how you know it's good.

I bet you didn't know this about Black people. Where are my Africans, African Americans, West Indian, Black English people? Let me ask you all a question. Haven't you ever wondered just how it was that whenever a Kenny G record came on ...we always knew the how the song went? If I were to put "Breathless" in the Jukebox, 9 out of 10 of us would be humming right along.

See, guys like Kenny G, Phil Collins... they graced the CD library of our parents and we (as Black people) have inherited it.

What's the point? The point is that no matter how hard we try to fit into the mold society has so desperately has crafted for us, we're all going to be drawn together. It's natural. Race, amongst other things, is not natural. It's something that's been manufactured, but it doesn't make it imaginary. Not really. The effects are real.

Sooner or later, it's going to dissolve. We have a lot more in common than we ourselves would like to believe sometimes. I do think it's going to be later though. Much later. See these guys in the video? Remember what I was talking about? If you don't get the connection, ask me...

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Church Sistas

2009-09-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to talk about this one for a while now actually...

It's The 8 O'Clock Cat at your beck and call. Now, church is a place that should be held in solemn respect. For some, it's a place to worship the Lord. For others, it's a place to discuss social problems and social issues (from the streets to the household). For others still, it's a place of business.

But sometimes you can't help but appreciate beauty ...especially in church.

I don't care if you're Black, White, Latino, Asian, Pacific-Islander... if you're a man who goes to church, you know where I'm coming from with this. There's this "forbidden fruit" complex with Church Sistas. Should I be looking at her like that? Now, why'd she have to go and wear that dress? Knowing full and well that you should be concentrating on the service.

Even if you have more innocent things on your mind, like wanting to ask her out, Church Sistas are different from other kinds of sistas. So if a man decides he wants to date this Church Sista... who knows. Her parents might be right in the congregation. If a Church Sista is young, then her parents are going to be in service with her more often than not.

What this means is, a guy cannot step to a Church Sista in a manner that he steps to a sista outside of the church. See, he has no choice but to mind his P's and Q's so to speak. He can't come with pick-up lines. He has to be straight-up professional... and he has to be willing to commit. Honestly, this also means he has to hold back a bit in his approach. He doesn't have as much wiggle-room as opposed to on the outside.

There's this joke that the only difference between a Church Sista and a Club Sista is a Sunday morning... and this may be true at times. But as long as it's Sunday morning, it's a different ball game.

But what about for women? Do women look at Church Brothas like that? Is this only a guy thing?

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying, I'm not quite done with Church Sistas... wait until next time. There's a different kind of Church Sista out there.

Issue #15 - Blacks Buying ...ONLY Black?

2009-09-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine sent me a video that REALLY had me thinking. This video right here...

I wonder what would happen if African-Americans only dined in restaurants owned by Black management. If they wore clothing made only by Black designers and only watched television shows written and produced by Black writers and producers.

As of 2004, African-Americans have had $723 billion in spending power (according to bnet.com|CBS Interactive). So, something like this would have a staggering impact on the American society ...but will it be a positive one?

Would it be fair for African-American consumers to pre-emptively select where and what to consume based on the producer's race? Is this a way to reinforce the infrastructure of the Black community? Or is this blatant discrimination?

Either way, I think I want to try this. It does seem like one of those things that you end up telling a co-worker about. That co-worker tells her cousin. Before you know it, everybody is trying to get in on the action.

Hmm... this certainly would be interesting to see.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... She/He Likes To Be Appreciated

2009-08-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

This time instead of Friday night, it's a Monday evening ...and as we all know; Fridays can't compare to Mondays.

As you already know, this is The 8 O'Clock Cat. I always thought that men and women had different ideas on how to unwind ...or relax when spending quality time with their spouse.

When a man comes home from work, he'd probably appreciate different things than when a woman comes home from work. This is important because, these moments heavily contribute to either the rise or fall of any good relationship. It's the little things you do for them.

You hear it. When men come home, they'd like a hot meal, a hot bath ...and a hot romp in the sac (not necessarily in that order). They don't want to talk. They just want to be. But, what do women want to do after a long day of hard labor?

I do wonder though. If a woman could come home after a long day, what would her man have to do to let her feel as though she is appreciated? I have certain theories and ideas, but as smart as I may be... my perspectives are nothing compared to a woman's in this regard.

There's no doubt that I left things out on my version of the male's perspective, and if you'd like to add to it... or even challenge some things, be my guest.

The greatest factor in failed relationships, is a lack of appreciation. Taking their partner for granted. One can imagine how good it feels to be appreciated.

So, how would you like to be appreciated after a long day?

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying, I thought it was Friday for a while ...wow.

The 8 O'Clock Cat Invites You To Become A Fan On FACEBOOK

Issue #14 - Robots Are Going To End Up Killing Us All, Aren't They?

2009-08-18T11:48:00.001-07:00

Progress is like temperature.

If you dip your hand into a vat of sub-zero liquid nitrogen, you'll actually end up burning it. See, it's SO cold... that it's really hot. That's kind of like progress.

You can progress so far... that you can end up back at the very beginning.

It seems to me that human beings are there own worst enemies. Take the situation with robots. You've heard of artificial intelligence? It's a big concept, but what it boils down to is giving "inorganic matter" the ability to use logic and reasoning ...kind of like they way we use it. Essentially, giving a lifeless body life.

(Pictured in the upper right corner is HAL 9000 from the cinematic space opera, 2001: A Space Oddessey. In this movie, he's given the ability to use logic, reasoning and emotion for the "good of the mission". He then decides that in order for the mission to be completed, the humans around him must cease to exist. Nice logic, no?)

The issue I have with us is, we don't know when to stop. Whenever I hear that scientists are trying to give robots emotion, or more room for open communication ...I can't help but shake my head at how stupid we are.

It's like, we're giving robots the tools to kill us off. All it takes is one robot to wonder... one robot to have an idea. One robot to ask--

"Well ...why?"

(Pictured above is a robot violinist developed by Toyota. Ah! Nothing like a little classical music while we're being enslaved by mechanical tyrants...)

It doesn't stop at robots though, it's everything. We are obsessed with crossing boundaries. Look at our obsession of space. Didn't it occur to anybody that one of these days, we might find exactly what we're looking for. Another form of life?

Next thing you know, we'll find some super species who find us "bothersome" and kills us off ...maybe keeping a few of us as pets in some kind of intergalactic museum.

Sometimes we have to stop to enjoy the fruits of our labor, instead of trying to leave with the entire tree.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Do You Have The "Cool" Curse?

2009-08-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

I don't call... I don't write... How rude of me, eh?

Whoo! The 8 O'Clock Cat has entered the building. I wanted to talk about something I'd like to call "The 'Cool' Curse".

So, what is The "Cool" Curse?

Now, I don't know the statistics on who does it more (K. Michel does that sort of thing) but it's when you see somebody of interest across the room. After that, instead of smiling, or approaching them, you pretend they're not there. You act "cool".

Some people do this for different reasons. You might act "cool" to further attract this person to you. Or, you might want to shut that person down early, in fear of being rejected by them. In most outcomes, this will repel those of interest away from you.

For one reason or another, the scenes at social events are now seeing this curse more and more. People aren't talking to one another like they used to. You've probably seen it. The problem is... people are intentionally going to these places, only to be stuck with the "cool" curse. They think that looking good is more than enough to get someone to go over to them and talk.

If I've said it once, I've said it too many times. Times have changed. Man, woman... you might have to proactively go after what you want equally. There's a much greater chance of having an interesting night doing this than simply acting "cool".

But, who acts "cool" more ...men or women? Have you ever been any place where people act too "cool" to socialize? Too "cool" to mingle?

Is it actually alright for women to act "cool", as men are usually the ones to approach anyway?

The 8 O'Clock Cat Invites You To Become A Fan On FACEBOOK

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying, this message has been brought to you, in part, by the letter "R" ...and the good folks at K. Michel Press.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... The Return of Chivalry? Hmm...

2009-07-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

It seems we have some new members. Welcome to the family, and for those of you just stopping by. Relax...

It's that time of the week. The 8 O'Clock Cat has arrived. So, I was asked to give my views on "chivalry". Why aren't men as chivalrous as they used to be? Stuff like that.

For those who don't know what a chivalrous act is, it's something of a gracious consideration shown toward a lady ...or even the elderly, without them having to ask for assistance. Plus, this is all done without the expectation of a reward. One of the most famous of these considerations is when a man would hold the door open for a lady. Another is when a man waits until the lady is seated before eating.

We don't see that often nowadays, and I do hear women ask ...why aren't men more chivalrous?

I don't think it's any one thing. Times have changed. Before there were certain roles that a gender usually fulfilled. Now, great strides have been made in the name of equality ...and gender roles aren't as prevalent now as they were before.

So, could the feminist movement (independent movement) be responsible for the lack of chivalry nowadays?

Then there's the fact that men are getting where they need to be ...without it. Guys can get dates, phone numbers and sex without the need for it. What this actually means is that chivalry won't necessarily get men the kind of attention he may want. This attention being a date ...or a phone number ...or sex.

So, is it more efficient to cut out the middle man (chivalry) and get straight to the action?

I guess I have a question of my own. What would chivalry accomplish in this day and age? Would it bring men and women closer together again?

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying... if you want to get away for a while, you could find me on the corner of K Street and Michel Blvd. You dig it?

--Yeah, you dig it.

The 8 O'Clock Cat Invites You To Become A Fan On FACEBOOK

Issue #13 - When Being Rich Means You Can Afford To Waste Time...

2009-07-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

Most of us aren't exactly, well ...wealthy. For those of us that aren't, we don't have much time to waste. So I often wonder how multi-millionaires spend their time.

Now, they don't always use a black card to spend this time. I've figured out that they really enjoy the thespian arts...

They also share an appreciation and genuine respect for other cultures...

--They even give spirited advice to local universities...

There's a lot of responsibility to being rich. So, when you acquire your share of wealth, don't waste your time. Enrich your lives as these three have done here.

Haha, enrich. See what I...? Nevermind.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Interracial Relationships, Oh My

2009-07-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

I never seem to get this done by 8, you know? CP time. CP time.

Hello. Whether you're a part of The Cat's Corner, or you're just curious... peep this out. It's The 8 O'Clock Cat. Why don't we talk about interracial relationships?

There's actually very little love for interracial dating. It's generally looked down upon, even if the social stigma of it is significantly lower than the 1950's. I didn't want to discuss statistics because K. Michel usually covers stuff like that, but people are leaning more and more toward people of "other" races.

With more IR couples out there, there are also more reactions. Whenever someone sees a White guy with a Latina Sista, or a Black guy with an Asian Sista, or an Asian man with a Black Sista ...eyes begin to squint, you know? It's a sign of change that's just so, "in your face". Add to that the usual public displays of affection, which most people find universally disgusting, and some people may find themselves in an uncomfortable situation.

Speaking of PDA (public displays of affection), I don't know if it's just me but... it seems that IR couples go out of their way to express their love for one another in public. Moreso than the number of couples who stay within racial lines. It's almost like they have something to prove, which would be interesting. If this is all in my gorgeous head, please feel free to tell me.

There's also backlash from the respective races of any given IR couple. So, if a person within your own race catches you, they'll make sure you know their displeasure in some way, shape or form.

So, is the stigma from family, friends and your peers, worth dating someone of a different race? Is the stigma even that bad?

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying ...no amount of stigma will deter me from singing the beauty of ALL the sistas in The Cat's Corner. You dig it?

The 8 O'Clock Cat Is Now On FACEBOOK

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... The Wall of Silence Against Black Sistas

2009-07-08T17:43:00.001-07:00

K. Mizzy (as I, so elegantly, call him) is on hiatus but he let me take his place. I promised him I wouldn't go overboard with not being supervised. But "overboard" does mean different things to different people, right?

The 8 O'Clock Cat is on the scene. I feel good, and I hope you feel even better than me. If you don't ...I'll try to see what I could do about that. So, I was on YouTube the other day... and I typed in "black women black men", just to see what I would find.

After cycling through a good number of video logs, it became clear that there's a war going on between Black men and Black Sistas. It's interesting because this seems to be a problem that only Black Americans have. Alright, so now I come across this notion of "The Wall of Silence". Have you heard of it?

Apparently, a LOT of Black men are fed up. Many of them feel a sense of ill treatment from Black Sistas. A big phrase that they claim to be tired of hearing is "Black men ain't shit!" So, The Wall of Silence is a movement that, according to the cats on YouTube, has been happening for a good while now.

In The Wall of Silence movement, there's an agreement between Black men to proactively ignore the presence of ANY Black Sista. No matter how fly she is. In fact, the flyer the better to ignore. Latina Sistas, White Sistas, Asian Sistas, Indian Sistas, Pacific Islander Sistas (for you, Jillian); they need not worry, they won't be ignored. It's just the Black Sista.

I'm wondering, how does everybody feel about this? The Wall of Silence.

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying ...K. Mizzy, who? I kid. I kid.

The 8 O'Clock Cat Is Now On FACEBOOK

The 8 O'Clock Cat Takes Over K. Michel Press

2009-07-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

...Well, at least for a while. I, K. Michel, have something that needs taking care of. I've already told The 8 O'Clock Cat about it and I trust that he remembers this is still my site ...and to treat my family in The Press Pass with full respect.

Alright... I'll see you guys when I see you. I have a bad feeling about this though. Very, very bad. Hmm...

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Using Real Places Vs. Using Created Places

2009-07-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Using Real Places Vs. Using Created Places

It's so good to return with a new point-of-view for this WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY. It's not Wednesday, you say? Well, I'm sure it is in China...

This is interesting. Today, we discuss the advantages of using both real and created places for the setting of your story. I might've mentioned it before, but nothing pulls your reader in more than the setting of your piece. So, you whether you decide on using a real place or a created one ...you have to make them as concrete as possible.

See, a place can be anything from a city, to a neighborhood, to the local shopping mall. The advantage of using a real place is that ...people are already familiar with real places. In fact, if you're accurate enough, you could make your readers feel right at home as they read through your story.

"Peachtree? Hey, I live right by here."

With that said, using a real place also adds to the credibility of your story. It gives your readers the impression that this really could happen. That's a powerful gift in terms of keeping those pages turned.

Now, using a place that you've created for the purpose of your story has it's advantages as well. You know where everything is. So if you create a place, you can afford to change it how you see fit ...whenever you feel like it. No one will be the wiser. This gives you a lot of power in terms of controlling the setting, which is something you'll appreciate a lot more once I mention "the disadvantages". Believe me, this is a great thing.

Another advantage of using a created place is that you could intentionally set it up as a plot device to advance your story. Let's say you've created an entire city, we'll call it "Sunset City". There's a residential area of this city; where the citizens of Sunset City live, go to school and sleep. What if I wanted to put a big fat strip club right in the middle of this residential area? Why not? It's not like anyone could stop me.

But how would the residents react?
Would the press have a media field day, or is it no big deal?
Would the kids skip school to steal a "sneak peek", or would they just be "good little boys" and go to school anyway?
Would the parents make a big deal?

With just one created place, you could see how easily it can mold the story. You could put that very strip club near a school, or church... your choice, because it's your creation. But, there are disadvantages to using a created place. There are also some for using real places as well ...and that's for Part 2.

Now, I did miss last week's WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY ...so I'll make it up to you next week. Just keep your eyes on the PRESS RE-VISITS... column. Trust me, this should make up for it.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Independent Sistas, You Ask?

2009-06-29T18:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. I'll admit it ...I missed you.

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. The 8 O'Clock Cat is here and I hope everyone is enjoying their day.

Independent sistas. Do guys actually want an independent sista? It doesn't matter if you're Black or White (Hmm... that was weird), Asian, Latina or none of the above ...independent sistas are something of a mystery. Will it offend her if I hold the door for her? Do I still pick up the check? It's awkward for guys that aren't already used to the movement.

The thing I noticed about most independent sistas, is that they don't mind being treated like ladies. Haha, really they want the best of both worlds... being seen as equal in the workforce and being treated like a woman at the same time.

There seems to be nothing special in terms of requirements for the guys they want to date. Different desires for different sistas. But I have to say that Black Independent Sistas seem to be a different story.

Black Independent Sistas stress, more than the others, the need for an approxmately equal partner in terms of education, finance and looks. If not equal, then greater. I think it's fine ...but I might be a bit biased.

I will ask this question, though. Let's say a guy has all of those things, his own car, his own apartment, no kids, he speaks just like you, has a great career... do those things alone make him a good man?

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying... summer evenings have officially cascaded down on this place. You dig it?

The 8 O'Clock Cat Is Now On FACEBOOK

The Press Pass, Something For My Followers...

2009-06-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

I've met some pretty incredible people here. Everyone has a story, but it's difficult to have your perspective be heard when there's so many out there. Therefore, since you are all a part of The Press Pass (Followers), I figured that you're also a part of the site. You're family.

Since I have a good number of Followers, I want to use this opportunity to help you all ...find each other. I got this idea from Cecilia's site actually; very smart.

Talk about yourselves and your site/or blog on the Comments Page of this post and don't forget to leave your url so that other people can find you. It doesn't matter if you've been with The Press Pass for one minute, or all the way from March ...if you want to advertise your blog, please feel free.

This way, if you've just started your account or if you just want more traffic coming through... it should make things a little easier for us all. Also as a rule of courtesy, why not follow those who have decided to follow you through this? I'm sure you'd all get along but, it's really up to your style.

I'll be sacrificing this week's The 8 O'Clock Cat and WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY just for you guys... until Friday night at 8, that is.

Put your PR skills to work, you know? Make these wonderful people want to check you out like I have. From K. Michel Press to you... thank you.

"What I Don't Like About People": TELEVISED SPORTS

2009-06-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

STOP! There's this misconception going around that all guys are into sports... okay yeah, that's probably true. Plus, women know their sports nowadays as well. But, I'm talking about sitting down and watching televised sports. Why do we pour so much time and attention into the accomplishments of other guys? Accomplishments, that hold no weight to our everyday lives. Okay, Dwight Howard lost... but why did I care so much? He's still rich. He still has his fame and hordes of screaming women chasing after him.

Wait a minute?? He should be caring about me! They should be caring about us.

We all fill up stadiums, paying for the entire lifestyles of these athletes ...but these guys don't even know who we are and why should they? I feel like we're getting cheated sometimes, you know?

Well, I'm done sitting here, watching basketball games and hoping for my team to win. It's starting to get to me how much people care about watching baseball, or hockey, or basketball ...yet being so out of touch with their own lives. That's what I call a hustle.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Single Sistas

2009-06-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

So, this person asks ..."why do you call yourself 'The 8 O'Clock Cat'?" I say, "because if all the men in the world are dogs ...I want to stand out."

Hello everyone.

It's a beautiful Monday evening ...and many of you are enjoying it in your own company. You know? By yourself. Solo. Lone soldier on the battle lines.

Such is the standard when being single these days, but I'll tell you what. Even the most amazing person has to be single some time in his or her life. So, I take this moment to say ...don't look at being single as a punishment. Although it may seem like it, when you see public displays of affection on the streets ...or when Valentine's Day comes around. Life's funny like that, eh?

There's actually lots of perks to being single. Low blood pressure. More money at your disposal. The satisfaction of knowing that looking after "one person" is easier than looking after "two people". But, if you find yourself wanting more anyway. This is probably the best suggestion I can give on the subject. You ready?

Just go on living your life as usual. Don't fixate yourself, or obsess, over who the next one's going to be. Let it come to you. The best way to accomplish that ...is to not to think about it. This is important because it'll help pass the time.

It's sort of like Christmas morning when you were 6 or 7 years old, and your parents wouldn't let you open your gifts until a certain time. You keep looking at the clock ...and every passing minute felt more like a passing hour. It's the same concept. Focus on something else to occupy your time.

Besides, there's no such thing as a coincidence. Everything happens for a reason, no?

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying... as long as it's 8 O'Clock, you sistas will never be single in here. You dig it?

--Yeah, you dig it.

Issue #12 - Time To Go To McChurch? (Ba Dop Ba Ba Ba)

2009-06-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

"Megachurches", or "McChurches"... ever heard of them? These huge buildings, housing tens of thousands of worshippers at a time, have been taking America by storm. It commercializes religion through the mentality of 'bigger is better"... and now that I think of it, it's probably why most megachurches are found in Republican states (as finance/economics is a main platform of the party).

Some of these churches even have cafeterias where you could buy Starbucks frappés and fries from McDonald's. Now, isn't this a bit excessive? Is this supposed to be worship or is it entertainment?

If the sanctity of the church is not out-of-bounds for the long arms of capitalism and profit, then what next? A Starbucks in funeral homes and middle schools (which I actually dreamed for back in the days)? A McDonald's in of very own homes. How about if they become mandatory? I don't know maybe I'm making too big a deal out of this.

Is there even anything wrong with it?

Here are some pics of megachurches...

(Pictured above is Willow Creek Church in Illinois; worshippers of about 20,000 per week! The most in an average-sized church is about 200-250 people.)

(Pictured above is Lakewood Church in Texas; worshippers of about 40,000 per week. If this place looks familiar, you probably saw it on television if you happen to live in one of the 50 states, the UK, the Phillipines, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago, uh... certain parts of Africa such as Ghana, Nigeria and Egypt, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Mexico --but there's a chance you might not live in these places.)

PRESS RE-VISITS... Here are some more megachurches you should see; The Crystal Cathedral, and Yoido Full Gospel Church. Take a look.

(Pictured above is The Crystal Cathedral in California; maximum capacity at about 3,000 worshippers. It might not be much compared to the other megachurches, but this cathedral is made entirely out of glass ...so there are zoning and health codes involved. Otherwise, it probably wouldn't have taken much effort for it to reach the ten-thousands. Can you imagine a service during a rainstorm? A moonlit night?)

(Pictured above is Yoido Full Gospel Church in South Korea; worshippers of an estimated 800,000 members each and every week. This is the world's largest megachurch by a staggering amount. In fact, there are so many worshippers that a number of them have to go to nearby buildings to watch the service through telescreen. This is probably the only church I know of that could start their own country.)

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Okay, Consider The Record Straight

2009-06-05T18:22:00.001-07:00

You might be one of the new followers to this spot. If you are, relax and vibe with us...

Hello, fresh brothas and fly sistas. I'm The 8 O'Clock Cat and I wanna show you something quite interesting. Keep in mind that it isn't what I normally do, but I think the situation fits. What do you think about this...?

"So I was having a conversation with a male acquaintance and not shockingly enough while discussing relationship dynamics he says ' you women always contradict yourselves.'" (the young Lioness, "Gentlemen, allow me...")

Is this true, sistas? Do you always contradict yourselves? Well, according to most men, you do... meanwhile most sistas believe that men contradict themselves just as much, if not more. So, what we really have here is an issue of miscommunication. Let's take the issue of dating.

I noticed that most of you seem to know what it is that you want. Men picture their perfect girl having particular measurements, and sistas need their man to have particular degrees... at least, this is the general trend on and off-line. Your requirements are very specific for the perfect mate, but your real perfect mate will make you want to take those requirements ...and throw 'em away.

Don't worry. As the young Lioness stated in her article, contradiction is something of human condition. It's what we do. So, how can we know what we really want... when it's our nature to contradict ourselves? Easy...

When we finally get what we want, we'll find out whether we really wanted it and no time sooner.

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying, although it migh be hard, relax and let your life flow. You dig it?

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Death and Your Characters

2009-06-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Death and Your Characters

Welcome to another addition of WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY. Today, we’ll discuss death with characters. How should you use it? When is it an appropriate time?

Well, there many reasons why a writer would decide to kill off a character. It's a nice way of ending a story, for instance. It's also a plot device; adding to (or even creating) character motivation. However, the most important factor in why a character will die is to present the reader with a looming sense of uncertainty... to let them think that perhaps, things won't have a storybook ending around here.

In any event, in order for the use of death to be effective in your story, two things must be accomplished. (1) The first thing is that your readers must be invested in either the character who has just died, or they must be invested in someone close to them (this one in particular must be done skillfully). (2) The second thing is that death shouldn't be commonplace in your story. This way, it'll be all the more shocking when it does happen.

If everyone in your story is dying right and left, your readers won't be all that interested in the long run. They won't get attached to the characters and so when they die, it won't have as much of an effect as you'd like. Also, think about the method in which they die. There are lots of ways to die... and you could kill anyone you like.

People may think this is crazy but, if you have the skills to pull it off, I highly recommend killing your main character. It's so unpredictable and can make the death that much more tragic. Of course, not all stories need death. It's funny, but some of the same rules that apply to writing a sex scene can be translated straight into a death scene. This means that context is everything. Don't waste death on a character that doesn't matter.

But, at the same time, if that character doesn't matter... maybe you need to re-examine him or her.

Remember, death has to hit the reader hard. It makes the story more potent and your characters more real.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... First Comes Love, Then...

2009-05-29T16:37:00.000-07:00

This time is all about you. You know what time it is?

The 8 O'Clock Cat has arrived. It's come to my attention that marriage is on a lot of your minds these days. I'll leave out the socioeconomic bulletpoints of the whole affair and get right to the romanticism of it. After all, it is what I'm about.

If you're in love, truly in love ...then that's how it's gonna be, regardless of whether you get married or not. Some of you want to live up to expectations set by others. You know, your sister got married and already had her first child. Now, you can't wait to get there. It's natural.

It's also natural to feel like your all alone. It seems like everybody is outlapping you and that is the most frustrating feeling in the world. You want what everyone else has, and as far as you're concerned ...you more than deserve it.

Well, whatever the situation, you should never feel obligated to be wed to anyone. This is a lifelong commitment and, already, not too many people take it seriously. Marriage is a wonderful thing and I think most of you sistas will agree with that. But, going into marriage for the wrong reasons doesn't make sense. Before marriage, and probably before love, everything we want to do in life ...it's for our happiness. Always wonder if this is going to make you happy. After all, that's what you deserve isn't it?

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying... if you want to escape reality for a while, meet me at that special spot at around 8 o'clock. You dig it?

Yeah, you dig it.

Issue #11 - Commercials You Don't Know About...

2009-05-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

The nineties just might've been the best era for commercials. They were allowed to be edgy, sexy and dangerous. It was a time when producers took chances. Now, as we are about to enter the very first decade of the new millenium, I can't say that I'm disappointed in the television ads of this new era. Sure, they've toned down quite a bit, but they haven't disappointed much. Here's a recent favorite that many seem to be familiar with...

There are good commercials and they get played often, but the great commercials are the ones we'll never see on television. Like this one here...

See? During the nineties the FCC would've begged for commercials like these. Do you know what they had to deal with in the nineties? Here's something of an example...

Do you know what you had to do to get your commerical banned during the nineties? Well, it just about had to come down to this...

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Doing The Research

2009-05-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Doing The Research

Quote me on this. The best (and arguably most important) part of writing is ...doing the research. There's an endless cascade of information out there just waiting to be interpreted into a well-written story.

I love learning new things and deep down, so do all of you. However, not all of you like researching if you feel forced into doing it. Don't fret though, research is not only a great way of getting key information for your story... it's also a great outlet to channel your creativity accurately.

For instance, if you decide that one of your characters is an alcoholic ...then they better show the symptoms of being an alcoholic. How do you know what the ailments are? Research it. From there, perhaps, you'll find that certain symptoms are more interesting than others. Before you know it, those particular symptoms end up shaping your character in a way that's not only creative, but credible. See, credibility is huge to a reader! If they see that you're taking liberties for the sake of "sounding cool", they won't take your writing seriously at all.

This also goes for setting. If you have a story that takes place in the 1990's, the word "iPod" should be nowhere near your pages. The kind of cars your character drives, the hairstyles, the slang... these are all facets you need to research in order to bring what you write to life. The more research you do, the more credible your writing becomes. It's as simple as that.

Remember, don't hesitate to do the research. Places. Time periods. It's all waiting to be explored, really. I heavily recommend Wikipedia because every article has linked sources, which I find very self-assuring. Why not give it a try, eh?

I was recently given another idea for a topic since "WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - The Sex Scene" and I'd like to point out that if anyone has something they want talked about in terms of writing, let me know in an e-mail or the "Comments" page.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... The Truth

2009-05-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

Sit back, relax and vibe to the charismatic juggernaut that is... moi.

The 8 O'Clock Cat is here. You're here too? Well, that's awfully nice of you.

Alright sistas, here's the thing. Truth is, you're beautiful. So when you ask a guy if "these jeans make you look fat" and he says "of course not", you have to be willing to accept that maybe ...you just don't look fat in those jeans.

You also have to be willing to accept the fact that if you did look fat in those jeans ...you still could've rocked the hell out of it. Fat is beautiful too because beauty isn't about weight. Beauty just is. I gotta tell you, you sistas are lucky. All of you were born already fly. But brothas?? Brothas are a mess when it comes to beauty... natural beauty. Why do you think we rely so much on money and trying to make you laugh with our pick-up lines?

This is just a quaint reminder that you are, on your very worst days, more gorgeous than the rarest of flowers. Do you know why? Because you're God's gift to the brothas. Try not to let it go to your head too much, though... some of you have to drive tonight.

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying ...this place is, apparently, THE TRUTH and I can tell you this because Ms. Minnie said so, The Urban Goddess herself. You dig it?

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - General Characters (PART TWO)

2009-05-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - General Characters (PART TWO)

Alright, it isn't Wednesday... so why am I here? To make up for neglecting my duties. Today, we are finishing what we started in terms of your characters.

Last time we talked about what to avoid doing when creating, and even developing, your characters (if you'd like a re-cap, you can visit the "WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY" section or simply click here for WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - General Characters).

Today, instead of the bad stuff, let's talk about the things that accentuate the good aspects of your characters. What makes good characters? Well, good characters are never guaranteed to have their way. This means that the character's struggle will ultimately give them form. If you have a character that can do whatever he or she wants without any repercussion, then the character will be bland in the eyes of your readers. After all, why would you want to follow a character's journey if you already know that they cannot be checked? It takes the suspense away from a conflict... it might even nullify the conflict altogether. Good characters have challenges.

Arguably, the greater the challenge, the greater the character. This is an edict I wholeheartedly live by. Even in life, the tougher the struggles that a person survives ...the stronger that person will become. So whether a character has to take down an entire police force single-handedly or pick a bouquet of flowers at the local garden... it will have an impact on how your audience sees your character. What does this mean? You can create good characters just by focusing on everything else. Once you have a great hold of the situation your character is in, everything about him or her just flows in reaction. Don't believe me?

Try imagining a situation, one of the toughest scenarios you could think of. Now, simply imagine what you'd do if you were in that situation? What would you do if...?

You came home from a hard day's work and found your spouse dead in the living room, and you see a hooded person scrambling out of the kitchen window?
A racist cop pushed you and your friends around without satisfactory justification, and one of your friends looks at you in a way that says, "We could take 'em..."?
You could gain the strength of a god at the cost of your humanity and religion?

Good characters are not "sure things". That's what makes the ride so enjoyable; the uncertainty, the adrenaline. So, create some good obstacles for your characters and it will help big time in terms of development.

2009-05-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

K. Michel - Behind The Man & The Scenes of K. Michel Press

About The Writers

K. Michel is an aspiring writer, well... he isn't as much a writer as he is a photographer. What does this mean? K. Michel painstakingly crafts his skill so that whatever you may read from him feels like a primary source; a first-hand account. He learns. He evolves. Oh!

--And The 8 O'Clock Cat is around, no need to worry about him too much...

Famous Quotes

"Black Sistas are probably the most intimidating of all the women out there and I'll tell you why..." (The 8 O'Clock Cat, April 2009 Archive)

"Have him take Pinocchio's shoes off and place him over a heated stove ...that way it's entertaining and Pinocchio gets to practice his dancing..." (K. Michel, March 2009 Archive)

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY

K. Michel - Writer/Editor
(E-mail: kingsleyjoseph123@yahoo.com)
(Let's Be Friends On Facebook Here: Kingsley M. Joseph)

The 8 O'Clock Cat™

K. Michel - Editor
The 8 O'Clock Cat - Writer

PRESS RE-VISITS... Click Here For The 8 O'Clock Cat™ Facebook Page

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Summer Sessions

2009-05-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, it's 8 o'clock ...what? It's not?? Well, I'm sure it's 8 somewhere.

Welcome to The 8 O'Clock Cat.

I was supposed to talk about the Latina Sistas, but I have some time. Let's talk about this upcoming summertime, first.

Whether it's from websites or just through the grapevine, word on the street is that a lot of you sistas plan on letting your inhibitions go this summer. How? By hooking up. You've heard of "spring flings"? Now, people are starting to take notice of "summer sessions" (as I'd like to call them) and you know what... I think it's a good idea.

Relationships that last over the course of the summer can be beneficial to everyone involved. You get to flex your muscles a bit, so to speak, without any sense of obligation. However, please, please, please! Make sure that both you and your new friend knows the deal before it goes down. The worst thing that could happen is miscommunication. Don't get involved in a summer session... thinking it's going to be a lifelong relationship unless it was agreed upon. Otherwise, you're going to get that lovely heart of yours broken.

It's not for everybody, but I do think this is a good social move for you sistas. Be very careful, though... and be safe.

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying, it's going to be a hot summer, you dig? Next time, Latina Sistas get the spotlight.

Issue #10 - Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood...

2009-05-08T05:14:00.000-07:00

I want to show you something. Both astrology and astronomy happen to be hot topics in regard to current pop culture. But actually, this has little to do with what I'm about to show you. Ready?

Wow! Look at that! This is us, Earth and the moon that keeps us company during those romantic autumn nights.

These are our closest neighbors, Mercury, Mars and Venus. I'm sure we're all acquainted to the point where their names should sound familiar, at the very least.

Finallly, we get to the Sun. It's warm glow sustains us and it's gravitational pull forces at least 8 planets into coerced orbit. This is the center of our solar system.

There are a lot of people out there who seem to be mistaken. If you're a woman who happens to think that you're the center of the universe... well, you're not. If you're a guy who happens to think the world revolves around you... STOP it! This is the center of our world; of multiple worlds, in fact. The Sun. Look how big it is compared to Earth as a whole, much less human beings like yourselves. Now, you know how the Sun is big, right ...taking up over 95% of our solar system, and all...?

Well, this is VY Canis Majoris. A hypergiant. You see how small the Sun is over there? You can't even see it (I was tempted to edit out "Our Sun" to drive the point home). The scary thing is... this picture of VY Canis Majoris is cut off just so we could even see the Sun at all. Why am I showing you all of this?

I do this to let all the self-centered sycophants know that in the grand scope of things, they're in no greater position than the person standing next to them. Beautiful people. "Ugly" people. Rich people. Homeless people. White. Black. Latino. Asian. White-Black-Latino-Asian, even and everyone else that never seem to fit into these categories. We're all in the same boat. So when we argue about petty differences, it shows how minute we are.

In fact, it's downright silly.

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - General Characters

2009-05-06T09:37:00.000-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - General Characters

Alright, folks. I'm K. Michel and welcome to another edition of WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY ...because it's Wednesday, you see. Get it? It's ...and the ...okay.

Today, we're going to talk about your characters in the general sense. There are things you should avoid when developing a character. These particular characteristics shred the credibility of your work and repel readers from your story. Likewise, there are certain things you should aspire for when creating a character. These traits can help immerse the reader into the story you've created for them. Let's talk about the bad things first, hmm?

The worst thing you can do is create a character that is not relatable. There are, actually, plenty of ways to achieve this. You can give the character a carefree life, for example. When I say "carefree life" I don't necessarily mean a life with no problems at all ...just a life where your character(s) seemingly correct his or her problems with ease. Sure, Jenna is the new girl and longs for Jack (who happens to be with the richest girl at school). If it ends up that Jack also likes Jenna ...and all Jenna did was fumble her own books to get Jack, then Jenna probably has a carefree life. Let's take this same scenario and make it not so carefree...

How about if Jenna, the new girl, likes Jack but Jack can't stand her ...so Jenna decides to make Jack's life a living nightmare?

How about if Jenna, the new girl, is the object of Jack's affections but she's a lesbian? Jack's rich girlfriend then blackmails Jenna into doing her bidding with this new information?

This adds a human side to your characters... giving them flaws and problems that are not readily solvable. It doesn't matter that Jenna and Jack are from two different backgrounds, as long as the readers know they like each other, tension will be dramatically reduced unless you can suddenly take it in another direction. Of course, you could also do the reverse. You could give someone too many flaws and emphasize it over and over. So, Raven was raped as a child by an alcholic father (the same man who killed her mother). Before she had a chance to avenge herself, he goes and kills himself. Now, Raven is left wandering through high school; a brooding mess who cuts herself because she wants to die.

Characters like these disgust me. It's obvious the writer only wishes to exploit these actions for some kind of reaction. Can you write about cutting and rape and suicide? Sure! However, you have to do it correctly ...and I'm starting to think that I need to devote a Wednesday to those particular topics. If you want to go that route, do the research or else what your character will seem non-sensical and, even worse, non-relatable.

Next Wednesday, we will go over the things you should aspire to in creating a character. It'll be Part 2 ...I'm doing a lot of those lately.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... The Lowdown On The "Black Sistas" (PART TWO)

2009-05-02T17:03:00.001-07:00

Part Two? For real? I guess it was too much drama to fit into one post, after all...

Yes indeed, it's The 8 O'Clock Cat and I must be very, very brave. Tonight, I discuss the stereotype of the Black Sista as being... well, promiscuous. Of course, I can't speak for all of you but I can share my perspective. Before I start, I'd like to take this time and remind you sistas that I have love for each and every one of you . We all know how much love hurts, right? Hmm...

It just so happens that I do know a promiscuous Black Sista or two or three. What's interesting is during my stay at college, the numbers didn't really change. Promiscuity is a touchy subject in and of itself because of the double standards involved. A sista will be seen as "sleeping around" while a brotha will be seen as "exploring his options".

Promiscuity is not a synonym for "whorishness" (if that's not a word, then it is now), so when I say that a certain person is "promiscuous" ...I'm not saying that they're "easy". In fact, all promiscuity is is someone exploring avenues of sexual interest. Whether that avenue is appearance, wealth, or fame is a matter of personal preference. So, if for brothas it's "exploring options" then that's what it is for everyone.

Likewise, if for sistas it's "sleeping around" then that's what it is for everybody. We have to choose one or the other.

So, are Black Sistas as promiscuous as everyone else thinks? Well, it depends on what they mean by "promiscuous" because I know quite a few who are "exploring their options"... not necessarily in a sexual manner. This really applies to those who have their degrees and see themselves as an asset both financially and socially. They feel that they can afford to play the field in a way that other sistas could not. As a result of what this particular Black Sista has achieved, she will expect her man to be on par... or at an even greater level. The question then becomes, "Is this wrong?" You know what, I'll stop right here...

I can't delve too deep into this or else we'll have a part 3 and it's time I get to the Latina Sistas. Besides, a lot of what I was going to say here will actually turn up in the final issue of "The Lowdown" series.

This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying, Black Sistas are like a sip of green tea. You know, an acquired taste but very, very good for you. You dig it?

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... The Lowdown On The "Black Sistas"

2009-04-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Pfft! 8 o'clock on the dot. You could set a watch by my arrivals... but I wouldn't.

It's time. The 8 O'Clock Cat, that's me, is here to talk about the Black Sista. Now, this was a long time coming because I happen to be a Black Brotha myself. I don't know if you noticed, but there's quite a few stereotypes going on about you. In case you hadn't noticed, here are some of them...

Did you know that all of you Black Sistas are compulsive nymphomaniacs? (Video vixens, "She's Gotta Have It")

Did you know that all of you Black Sistas are defensive and confrontational? ("The Angry Black Woman")

Did you know that all of you Black Sistas are nothing but opportunists? (Gold Diggers, Welfare queens)

(Pictured to the upper right is Mkada B.; that's pronounced "em-kay-dah". Get it right! I actually found out during college that she lives in the same neigborhood as me; down to earth like nobody's business.)

Fun stuff, no? Here's how I see all of this.

During my tenure in college, I was fortunate enough to befriend plenty of Black Sistas. I can tell you honestly, Black Sistas are probably the most intimidating of all the women out there and I'll tell you why. It's something about that image of ferocity... but then it's not as simple as that. See, Black Sistas happen to be beyond stunning as well... so it's sort of like trying to look at the Sun. It's beautiful so you want to look at it, but then if you look too long you might get blinded by it. It's a dangerous dance, you copy?

I felt (and I wasn't alone in this kind of thought) that if you look at a Black Sista long enough, and she catches you... you would get your head slapped smooth off.

Now, I'm not sure if it's because I'm special and the rules don't apply to me but with every Black Sista I've met during my stay at college (with the exception of exactly two), it was her who spoke to me. This tells me one of two things; either Black Sistas are getting fed up and taking matters into their own hands, or Black Sistas are sincerely friendlier than everyone is making them out to be.

I still get into arguments, now... with two Black Sistas in particular. During my Freshman year, I was caught looking at these two Black Sistas and one of them was like "...Well?!?!" Haha. Looking back now, it's funny because that comment took me to the third grade again. Remember that? Needless to say I took it easy after that; only for a little bit.

(Pictured above is Vanessa C. I just met her, but from what I'm getting her whole vibe is like... random. Haha. But, she is a very, very chill sista.)

Umm... I also found Black Sistas to be surprisingly smart. I always found you to be smart, but somehow you got smarter. I'd be in class. We'd be getting our exams returned and I'd be glancing around to see if my score's in the general average. I'd like to think of myself as a smart person... a very, very, very smart person (it's actually one of my flaws but I am working on it... I got it, I got it).

When I see my grade and then I see a grade from a Black Sista nearby, sometimes I gotta scratch my head... like "Yo! How'd you do that?!?" It's weird too because you have that exam in your hand, and then you talk about nonsense. Usher Raymond this. Afterparty that. I learned that most of you got your stuff together, but then it also adds to the intimidation thing. It's kind of unfair when I think about it as I'm writing this. Hmm...

Alright folks, that's about it for tonight. I didn't get to finish everything so I'll have to make a Part 2. See how much drama you give me? Now, do I still give my sign-off if this is only Part 1? Ah... alright, I'll do it. Let's see... if it's 8 o'clock and you need something to do, you could find me on the corner of K Street and Michel Boulevard, you dig?

...Yeah, you dig.

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Protagonists

2009-04-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Protagonists

Alright, folks. No, it's not 10:30... but it is still Wednesday! So, we'll talk about the protagonist.

This is really going on the heels of what we've discussed on "antagonists". Your protagonist is the character whose point-of-view is being portrayed; the main character. The cool thing about your protagonist is that he/she can be "The good guy" OR "the bad guy". So, theoretically, you could write a story revolving around a total bitch in the middle of high school or an evil genius bent on world domination.

Your protagonist, though, does need to be proactive. This isn't to say that your characters need to be cheerful and outgoing, not at all. I say this to mean, the goals of your protagonist need to be clear to the reader. In fact, a proactive protagonist could just want to sit around all day in peace... just as long as he/she makes it apparent that this is what they want. Then, it's your antagonist's job to come in and be loud, cause a ruckus ... generally make sure that there's no peace to be found.

You could also have multiple protagonists. This kind of thing is really more popular in works of Fantasy, but any genre can adapt this. This can be done in a variety of ways. For example, you could have vignettes... where each character gets a section of the book devoted to their own perspective. So...

Chapter One would be from Sally's point-of-view.
Chapter Two would be from John's point-of-view.
Chapter Three would be from George's point-of-view.

Of course, it's not limited to that format. You could just have 2 or more protagonists from the start, but this is very difficult to pull off. Each protagonist must have roughly equal prominence if you decide to go this route. "The Breakfast Club" is actually a very good example of this, even though it's a movie.

Play around with your protagonists. Remember, you can make anyone or anything your main character... just keep the goals clear to those reading, otherwise it'll get very confusing and for the wrong reasons. Until next time...

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - World Creation

2009-04-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - World Creation

Alright, folks. Do not check your calenders, it is indeed Saturday. What can I say, I had stuff to do this Wednesday. Nevertheless, here I am. Let's talk about "world creation".

The setting of your story is one of the most complex things involved in writing your piece. Included in the setting is the world you've created. This can range from quaint, little villages located in another realm to bustling cities filled with nighttime glitz and glamour ...but at the end of the day, you have to remember that your world is just that. A world.

Since it is a world, it actually has a mind of it's own independent of what you write. Confused? Let's say your story takes place in the middle of New York City. It's your third chapter and your character has already gone to two places, (1) his apartment and (2) the local club.

Here's the thing. While your character is at his apartment, the local club hasn't just ...disappeared all of sudden. Things are going on, even if you haven't explicitly written it yet.

Just when your character flips through his mail at home, there are a number of things that could've happened at that local club alone.

Someone could've stabbed a bouncer for denying him entry into the club.
A fight could've broken out over a girl.
A famous socialite could've stopped by and shut the club done for the night.

It could all play a role in what happens to your character when he decides to go back to the club later on. This is really the crux of world creation. Your world should not revolve around your one character, unless you made it clear that this is the focus of your piece. In any case, it's much more effective to show your readers that things are going on through newspaper clippings, overheard conversations... it brings in a necessary dimension of realism to whatever story you decide to write.

Remember, your world should not revolve around your character. There are those who may say that there are exceptions, but I'm not one of those people. Your world should be alive and not constant.

Issue #9 - Is This The Hand of God?

2009-04-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

Is This The Hand of God?

Well? Is it?

According to SPACE.com, what we're seeing here are X-rays of a nebula that have been colored blue... so, in essence, what we're looking at is a hidden image on a celestial plane. I'll admit when I first saw this photo, I asked jokingly to myself "Is this the hand of God"? But then, I got to thinking well, "Why not?" It could very well be the hand of God directing and shaping the cosmos.

Here's the thing though, I find it very dangerous to observe a phenomena that's rarely been seen by human eyes and then label it "God", or even "an act of God". There's very little here that suggests anything of the sort and the irony is ...the probability that this image occured at random is also astronomically high. So, we have a classic case of science versus religion here.

In any event, I share this picture to emphasize that making assumptions, on either side of the scope, is not healthy. We all know what happens when you assume, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me". Ask questions, because regardless of popular opinion, you can still be Christian if you challenge a few things that don't quite make sense to you. In fact, it makes you an even stronger Christian in the end.

So, is this the hand of God? Hmm... perhaps.

Or perhaps, not.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... Let's Address The Tension Between Us

2009-04-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

It's 8 o'clock. Do you know where your girl is at? Haha...

Look around. From Facebook to the streets, a lot of you sistas are getting fed up and it's showing. What are you fed up at? Men. At this point, most of you are convinced that there are no good ones left. Ladies! Ladies! How could this have happened?

Now, some of you have reached this conclusion because you have been through a good one or two... but then they turned out to be not-so-good. Some of you have never even seen a good one before and so you expect nothing more. Let's be honest here, some of you sistas just want some attention. That's all well and good but, if that's the case with you, there's no need to slander the rest of my brothers. If you want attention, all you got to do is dial... I'll catch it.

In any event, it's a problem when you generalize all men as dogs... because that's like a "bat signal" to a guy like me. Are there any good ones around? Sure, and I think that deep down (really deep down), you all know this too. I must've spent a good 35 minutes trying to type up a speech on "why you shouldn't give up on men" and "not all men are awful" but then I realized that it might not be the best course of action. Slick talk got men into this mess, and I'm not sure that it's gonna get them out.

So, I'm not going to say anything at all. I'm so confident in the hard-working, mature brothers out there ...I'm willing to sit back and let their actions do the talking for me. I figured that's the best way to prove that some good ones still existed out here. But, there is something else that you should ponder.

Are you sure, in your heart of hearts, that you want a good one or an ideal one? Are you willing to sacrifice looks for maturity and consistency? Are you willing to sacrifice luxury for steady comfort? Hmm... just think about it.

That's that. This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying... if you're one of those girls who needs attention, meet me at 8 o'clock on the corner of K St. and Michel Blvd. You dig it?

Issue #8 - Being "Model Material" Vs. Being "Just Another Hot Girl"

2009-04-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

Being "Model Material" Vs. Being "Just Another Hot Girl"

I decided to do some research on "models" for two days (I'm not trying to spend too much time researching something I have little interest in). Here's my take on what "model material" is.

In my tenure as a college student in New York City, I've met about two (2) models... not counting the one I conversed with last night. "Models". I don't say this to brag but to establish something I've been noticing. Nowadays, every hot girl out there takes a few photos of herself and decides to take on the title.

Ever since the rampage over the America's Next Top Model (affectionately called "ANTM") casting call for the next season, I always wondered why there were so many "models" out there. How did the girls even get selected? Obviously, they had to be "model material" and I always thought it had to do with how hot you were. It turns out, the two have virtually nothing to do with one another.

In order to be "model material", you have to look like a model. This sounds obvious but models aren't merely hot... sometimes they aren't hot at all but they're as plain as can be. There's a certain formula when it comes to looking like a model, as ridiculous as it sounds. I've found that all models are supposed to be blank slates. This means that a model is supposed to be a canvas, with the focal point being whatever she's wearing. So, as the person observing the model, I'm supposed to be looking at the clothes and not the model.

This is why "just another hot girl" can't be a respected model. She's too voluptuous and would threaten to detract attention from the clothes she's wearing and the designers who made them. To be a successful model, I'd imagine that you'd have to resemble a mannekin as closely as you possibly could. This inevitably means that models, in most cases, are born and not made.

I mean this to say that becoming a model is not like becoming a doctor. No matter who you are, you have a shot at becoming a doctor someday. With being a model, you girls have to realize that if your face is not symmetrical... you're going to have to go elsewhere. I say all of this to drive the point home that there's nothing wrong with being "just another hot girl"... because you are hot. Just don't call yourselves, "model material".

Issue #7 - "What I Don't Like About People": CELEBRITY COUPLES

2009-04-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

"What I Don't Like About People": CELEBRITY COUPLES

STOP! What the hell is wrong with everybody? Honestly, why do you invest so much time to obsess over Brangelina and TomKat and Jayonce (made that one myself), when they don't even know who you are? It's even come to the point where the children of celebrities are seen as more valuable than other children. How messed up is that? Whenever A-list celebrities have kids, the media is all over it. Why not the same coverage for Mr. and Ms. Jones down the street? Right... because it's impractical.

I'd love to tell you what I really think of shows like "Entertainment Tonight" and "Access Hollywood", but then my keyboard would need a good rinsing out ...and this is supposed to be my day of rest. So, I'll just say that you have your own lives. If you want to obsess over something, obsess over your own ambitions and goals. Once you get rich enough, you could buy your way into super stardom. Then, people will get to obsess over you! YAAAAAYYYYYYY...

*Ahem*

On another note, to pick up on the "What I Don't Like About People: POETRY" thread from last time, I now realize that I might've been a bit harsh. So, I decided to write a poem. I call it ..."Sex After Sex". It's a little deep but I do hope you like it.

Sex After Sex (by K. Michel)

After Sex after,
Sex after sex after sex
After Sex after.

Thank you.

Issue #6 - So, What Do You Think Of This ..."Joel Osteen" Guy?

2009-04-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

So, What Do You Think Of This ..."Joel Osteen" Guy?

Have you heard of Joel Osteen? No? Well, he's the head pastor of Lakewood Church down in Houston (if I remember correctly) and apparently has the perfect life. I'm no fan of televangelists, but there's something about Joel Osteen. If you've never heard the man speak, I don't expect you to understand my stance. Despite him being a rich, middle-aged white guy from a completely different region, I found myself being able to relate to him and what he was saying.

I think this is mostly because I respect him, his lifestyle and how he manuevers. Do you know he sells out concerts in every state he tours, and has had two books on the NY Times Bestsellers' List? Have you seen his wife!?!? It all makes me want to learn from this guy... and that's where things can get very dangerous. My worry is that people may cling to his words for the wrong reasons. People may be looking for rewards, when they really should be looking to follow the word of God in its' entirety (which is why people should go to church, if they choose to go).

I'll still back him, though, because I do enjoy his interpretations of the Bible. I do admit that there's a part of me that admires Joel Osteen's life tremendously and I'll be using him as a role model for my own goals. Err... but I don't think I'll be preaching in churches anytime soon.

But then again ...neither did Joel Osteen.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... "Tough Love For My Sistas"

2009-04-02T17:07:00.000-07:00

It's 8 O'Clock. You know what that means, don't you?

I love my sistas with every fiber of my being. Now, when you love someone ...really love someone; you have to be willing to tell it like it is sometimes despite whatever punishment may be coming your way. With that being said, ladies, there are certain things that I (and a good number of men beside me) cannot condone. For you, I'll make a list of the top three (3) things that are NOT becoming of you fine sistas. In no necessary order...

1. GENERALIZING ALL MEN IN THE SAME FASHION

It's a self-defense mechanism, I know, but... this is a great way of getting rid of all the guys who could be good for you. At the end of the day, which is better, ma-ma? Sulking at men for the rest of your life, or having a man by your side that's willing to ride with you?

2. INAPPROPRIATELY REVEALING CLOTHING

Notice what I said...

Believe me, guys are fans of "revealing"... if done correctly. What you want to do is show some skin (if that's what you plan on doing anyway) but not the whole package. You've probably heard this before but there are some ladies out there who love the nightlife, and the nightlife might not love them back. Leave a little mystery. That way, the guys feel pretty special when they're the ones to "unwrap" that package and solve the case. You dig, my sistas?

3. NOT REACHING FOR THE CHECK

Nothing says, "I care", to a guy on the first date more than a woman who offers to pay for the night out. Now, I didn't say you actually HAD to pay it... just offer is all. Most guys will insist they, themselves, pay for it anyway. Otherwise, they'll look cheap. Don't just expect the man to pay for it... always have a little sum'n in your own pockets, just in case.

That's about all the time I've left, my beautiful sistas. This is The 8 O'Clock Cat saying, this message has been brought to you by the letter "K". See you tomorrow night. Same time. Same place.

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - The Sex Scene

2009-04-01T07:49:00.001-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - The Sex Scene

DISCLAIMER: THE CONTENT IN THE FOLLOWING POST IS OF A GRAPHIC NATURE. DO NOT CONTINUE READING THIS POST, IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 18. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Alright, folks. Every Wednesday at 10:30 am (Eastern), I'm going to share some of my expert wisdom with you. This week, we talk about "The Sex Scene".

A sex scene is immensely difficult to pull off in writing, because sex, in itself, is such a visual act. There's too much to capture and unfortunately, it takes more than the mention of nipples and cocks to create an effective scene. There is a secret ingredient, though, to writing a sex scene worth looking at.

Context.

If you're writing a sex scene, just to write a sex scene, it'll make very little impact. Although it's known as a predominantly visual act by today's standards, sex is NOT limited to just what you see. Sex is what you feel, taste and smell. It's very psychological (in terms of writing) and somehow, you have to portray this in your writing. The context of the scene allows the reader to get an insight into what's going on. Ask yourself a couple of questions as the writer...

Are your characters in love? Or are they just looking for a good time?
Is one of your characters being forced into doing this?
Are either of your characters having sex for the first time?

How would these people act under those conditions during sex?

I find that setting this kind of background information beforehand (or even during, if done skillfully) makes the scene flow much more smoothly. Now, you have to get to writing the actual scene. I find that a much more subtle approach works well.

I mean this to say, instead of writing the phrase "he stroked his penis"... write "he stroked himself". It goes a long way and doesn't make your writing sound like a 9th grade Biology class.

I also make it a general rule to stay away from colloquialisms if you're new to writing a sex scene. Using words like "cock, pecker, and dick" to describe the word penis may seem like a good idea, but it does more harm than good. What if someone reading your story is from a different region. Then, the scene could be a bit confusing and they'd have to skip it altogether. However, if done well enough, colloquialisms can add a flavor to your story reminiscient of a particular era or region.

You don't want to write down, position after position after position. "We fucked on the bed and I had her on her back. Then, she got on top and rode me. Then, I put my cock in her mouth while she sucked me off." STOP! No matter what kind of action you're going for (love scene, smut, etc.), take your time and let your readers take it all in. You might want to describe how your characters feel in between positions. Do they feel guilty about cheating on someone they loved? Do they feel relieved after finally getting what they wanted? This is what separates a good scene from a bad one.

Remember, the secret to writing any sex scene is context. Try to be as subtle as possible when describing the acts themselves, as it allows the readers imagination to go wild. But, that's not to say you can't robust as well. It's all about timing. Start off with subtlety... then come with robust out of nowhere! It's much more effective than robust, robust, robust all of the time.

Next Wednesday: Umm... "World Creation"? Yeah, "World Creation".

Issue #5 - Are Cult Followings Still Cool?

2009-03-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

Are Cult Followings Still Cool?

A "cult following" refers to a number of fans who are devoted to a particular area of pop culture (usually away from mainstream opinion); whether it be books, movies, or even people. So, just like you can have a cult following for an action movie like Berry Gordy's "The Last Dragon", you can also have one for actors like Bruce Campbell and so on.

My Question Is: Are Cult Followings Still Cool?

Is it sociable to acknowledge "being a fan of something" at the cost of everyone you know not being able to share in your enthusiasm? I ask this because there are people out there who involve themselves in cult followings for that very reason. They like possessing something that few other people have and once that cult following has grown into something more... they show utter disdain for it. Suddenly, what they used to enjoy has now "sold out" because it had achieved a wider mainstream audience.

The thing about a cult following is that it's hardly ever premeditated. I mean this to say that, in order for something to achieve a "cult status"... in most cases, it will have to be purely accidental. Of course, you can try to create a "cult following", but then you'll probably fail. With that being said, very few works will aim to have a cult following in lieu of mainstream success. It'd be pretty selfish to want to hold a work back from mainstream success, just to preserve it's cult following. Wouldn't you agree?

Some cult followings you may not know about...

The ganguro trend, as I understand it, involves heavily tanning your entire body. Dark eye lining and bright hair coloring must be included to complete the look in it's most basic form. From there, you can sort of "customize" certain traits to give yourself a signature style. By no means is this limited to females... guys can get in on the action as well, so I'm told. (Above are two ganguro girls in the middle of Japan.)

Hey! It's... this guy. The same man that wowed us at the very first American Idol has his own cult following, and deservedly so. If you've never been fortunate enough to hear his voice, you'll be in for a surprise when you hear his singing. I highly suggest you "youtube" him. I'd post a video here, but I fear this blog is nowhere near worthy of such an honor. (Above is William Hung)

I think I'll make this a weekly segment, or something of the sort...

PRESS RE-VISITS... Here's the final fight scene of a cult film classic, "The Last Dragon". Take a look at the smooth ridiculousness of the 80's.

The 8 O'Clock Cat In... "Tough Love For My Brothers"

2009-03-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

It's well past 8 o'clock. I apologize but come on... you never hear of anyone being fashionably early to the scene, now do you? It's time for me to get schizo and let my alter ego do his thing for a while.

The 8 O'Clock Cat is in and I usually devote this time to the ladies but, not tonight. Instead, tonight is all about my brothers. I don't know what's going on out there. I'm a little confused. It seems that a lot of women are getting fed up with you guys and, in the natural, this is none of my business. But see, however bad you guys look out there will reflect upon on me and my already established hard work. We can't have that, now can we? I think the problem is communication, and you guys don't know what you're doing wrong. So, I'm going to fill in the gap.

The main complaint I'm getting is that some of you guys are not clean. Now, guys can't be everything at once, right? We can't all be handsome. We can't all be funny. We can't all be rich. But, I do know we all got an iron in the house somewhere; some soap to wash our faces. I can't stress how important it is to look as fresh as oftenly, conceivably possible. Don't lose that one girl over something that can be helped, like keeping yourself fresh. Lose points over something else.

And what is this I hear about my brothers over in Florida? I hear y'all are taking fashion cues from T-Pain, now? Nah, I can't believe that. I mean, T-Pain dresses like that for entertainment! In any event, a LOT of women are dissapointed with you Floridians. It'd take a dude with SERIOUS swag to pull off a T-Pain look, I'd imagine. In case this dude might not be you, I strongly advise to cease and desist a.s.a.p. STOP! I'm not going to advise you on what to wear, guys don't usually tell other guys that kind of information without some kind of agreement, but I am going to say that we don't want to dress for our entertainment. We want to dress to attract people. That means light colors for you Florida cats, you dig? Don't let some character from out of town take your women away over nonsense.

It's all about presentation, fellas. At the end of the day, we're like walking resumes... degrading, no?

And that's about all the time I'm willing to spend at one time on this subject. This is the 8 O'Clock Cat saying, sure my brothers can mess up sometimes but then... so can my sistas. Guess what we're talking about next time...

Issue #4 - I Got Some Remakes For You, Hollywood!!

2009-03-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

I Got Some Remakes For You, Hollywood!!

Pinocchio! (I think they spelled in wrong in the pic) Imagine a remake of everyone's favorite little, wooden puppet on a quest to becoming a real boy. Now, of course you'd have to tweak a few things... like make Stromboli a drunken, abusive bastard. Have him take Pinocchio's shoes off and place him over a heated stove ...that way it's entertaining and Pinocchio gets to practice his dancing.

Oliver Twist. The Artful Dodger! WHAT! C'mon... this is just begging to be remade, Hollywood. You know what you could get away with on the silver screen these days... here's what should happen. Have Oliver Twist find out about his mother's death from the beginning, this way he harbors a sadistic hate for the entire orphanage. The climax comes when Oliver asks for "some 'ore" and when he doesn't get "some 'ore", he just loses it. He goes around crackin' people's necks and everyone runs about screaming "Oliver will Twist your neck! Oliver will Twist your neck!" Plus, you know the dark look is very in with today's audience. You should capitalize.

Hey, I got another great idea! Why not remake ...remakes?? You're remaking everything else, so why not? Think about it. You release a movie like Friday the 13th (remake) and let everyone get settled in, but then out of nowhere you just come with Saturday the 14th - The Morning After!! Think about it, there's nothing scarier than the morning after and people won't know what to make of the commotion. So, they'll all come to see it out of curiosity and confusion. Nice, eh?

In case you Hollywood big shots can't decipher sarcasm (laugh), I'll make this perfectly clear. STOP! No more remakes, please. Thank you and have a great day...!

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Antagonists

2009-03-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

WRITING TIP WEDNESDAY - Antagonists

Alright, folks. Every Wednesday at 10:30 am, I'm going to share some of the things that I've learned in regards to writing a novel. This week, we're going to focus on the antagonist.

Now, your antagonist DOES NOT fulfill the same role in a story as your villain does ..."antagonist" is not a synonym for the word "villain", in other words. Your villain is the guy in the story that wants to reach his own (usually diabolical) goal with little regard to the rules placed forth by the society around him. Destroy the world. Take over the world. Get the gist? Your antagonist is a little different.

Your antagonist serves as the main obstacle to whatever your protagonist wants to accomplish. Your antagonist doesn't necessarily have to be a bad guy. In fact, your antagonist could even be the good guy depending on the perspective of your story.

What I find makes an interesting antagonist is his or her motivation. I'll tell you what I mean by this. It's not enough to have a powerful antagonist. Sure, he could be the "king of the underground" or "the most powerful force to be reckoned with"... but define your antagonists.

How did your antagonist become so powerful in the first place?
Does anything scare your antagonist? Germs? The Opposite Gender? Death?
Are the goals of your antagonist reasonable for the situation at hand? (If your antagonist wants to kill everyone around 'em because somebody slapped they mama... then you might be in trouble.)
Does your antagonist even have goals? He/She should have a life independent of your main character, after all.

Creating any well-defined character is a process, but an enjoyable one. It's only as deep as you allow it to be. See, that's why you have so many people who love creating the characters, but then they loathe writing the story. The most important thing that I can possibly advise, and this goes for most characters, is to make your antagonist relatable. This way, when he/she does something vicious it translates that much better to the reader ...because they were invested in your relatable character.

The best way to create a relatable character is to make them well-rounded. So, if you have your antagonist and she's a rich, mean-spirited yet perky, popular cheerleader then there won't be much long-term investment... and that's the kind of investment you want. Okay, she's popular but how about putting some not-so-good things in there to make her interesting? Maybe she sleeps around and recently finds out that she's pregnant? Maybe she's afraid of a particular teacher at school? There's very little reason why your antagonist would be one-dimensional. Play around with your antagonists.

Next Wednesday: Let's do... "Sex Scenes".

Issue #3 - Black People and White People, Are You Still Fighting?

2009-03-24T07:43:00.001-07:00

Black People and White People, Are You Still Fighting?

A lot of people would like to tell you that there's a war going on between the classes; a class war. And there is, at least in my humble opinion. But what about between the races of black people and white people?

You all have very mixed feelings about it. Some of you think that the past should be left in the past in order to make progress. Others think that the past must be addressed more in the public eye. Others think that justice must be served and the oppressed must be compensated.

Call me crazy but I think that, despite all of this, white people and black people are generally cool with one another. I do not mean this in any sarcastic, satirical way, either. Hear me out. This doesn't mean that I believe people of both races are suddenly living in harmony. Rather, when it comes to white citizens and black citizens, there's been something of an unofficial truce. I know you've seen it.

You might've observed a group of white guys and black guys feeling a bit uneasy toward each other but, more often than not, that's all there is to it. White guys with black girls. Blacks guys with white girls (you've def seen this). At this rate, there won't be a "black" or "white" soon enough.

How long will it last, though? Maybe, the real solution is for white people and black people to fuck other and give birth to a new generation of mocha-colored humans. Hmm...

Issue #2 - George W. Bush, We Hardly Knew Ye

2009-03-23T07:19:00.001-07:00

George W. Bush, We Hardly Knew Ye

Am I going to be the only one to miss the antics of George W. Bush? I mean, come on. What other President has made you grab your sides in amusement more than this man? What other President has tangoed the "dance of death" with an emboldened pretzel, and lived to tell the tale? What other President has dodged an accurately-lobbed shoe, twice, before the bodyguards even knew what was going on? What other President, I ask you, has won an election regardless of pesky popular votes?

People like to give George W. Bush a lot of flack. Sure, guys like Barack Obama can unite the country, but will he make us laugh? Barack Obama strikes me as a serious guy. He wants to address things that have been neglected by the previous administration, and that's fine... if that's what you want in a President. Sometimes, I just need a comedian leading my country.

George W. Bush, We Hardly Knew Ye...

Issue #1 - "What I Don't Like About People": POETRY

2009-03-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

"What I Don't Like About People": POETRY

STOP! Poetry is a beautiful thing, no doubt about it. I'm probably the first guy to sit back and relax to the words of Whitman, Frost, Hughes and the rest of the cast. Nowadays, I look around and I'm finding an awful lot of people jot down a couple of words ...and then refer to themselves as poets.

Sure what you've written happens to rhyme (although now it's an unwritten rule that prose is so much cooler), but if you have your piece and it evokes a certain emotion... I should not be able to replicate that feeling in the same fashion that you have. Otherwise, it isn't poetry. Pfft!

Maybe you could call it what it is, "venting"?