Sunday 26 November 2017

FINDING MY (ONLINE) FAM


Well, I lost my faith in YouTube. The people I ran into seemed to border apathy and cynicism. No one seemed to care about anyone else and I felt like I was adrift in the middle of the ocean. I tried hard to fit in, to develop the same strong outer shell that others seemed to display. If I was to survive, I had to be just like them. I had to not care either. Problem is, that wasn't me.


My only experience with livestreams came in the form of the South Park livestreams on YouTube, where people who were at the mental and/or physical age of 10 tried to out-troll each other. This was not my crowd. I have a special dislike of trolls. I don't think they are funny. I don't think they are clever. And I don't think I have any desire to be around them ever again in this life. So when my friend Dale told me about some livestreams he had joined recently, I didn't exactly listen with rapt attention.


Meet The Mitchell Family Reality TV Show. They are a channel on YouTube that regularly does live streams, and they are such a great bunch. They accept everyone around them as family, not just listeners or subscribers. Coming into their live stream that first time, I was a little nervous. Okay - I was a lot nervous. But soon I felt right at home there. And it wasn't just the host that helped me to feel welcome - it was all of the people in there. They were all so warm and polite. Where had these people been for the past 7 1/2 years?? Well, it didn't matter. I was here now.


And it wasn't just the Mitchells' stream. It was the people - people I had never met before - who welcomed me with open arms. And I cannot even begin to express what a wonderful feeling that is around holiday time with no family to speak of. Like the "bee girl" in the Blind Melon video who felt ostracized by everyone and then finds people like her to celebrate life with, I am just coming into my own on YouTube. And it's about time, too.


MOVIE REVIEW Good Time (2017)

Comment Of The Week 1126

Comment Of The Week 1126

POETRY READING Undoing

Tuesday 14 November 2017

NEW CHANNEL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!


If you are familiar with my social media channels, you are already familiar with the many ways in which I explore my creativity. My latest venture is into the world of filmmaking through short independent films in which there is no talking, just a musical soundtrack. When I began I did not know how much I would enjoy this creative outlet. Or the fact that this had been the missing element from my creative stable all along.


I have returned to YouTube in a more limited capacity to create an exciting new channel I like to call Indie Arthouse Films. This channel will showcase my short films using royalty-free music and therefore will not be taken down due to copyright infringement. My short films will still be available for viewing on Vidme and BitChute, but IAF will be the only channel devoted exclusively to my short films.

Please consider subscribing to my new channel, and viewing a sample of my indie films below. And thank you for your continued support and encouragement. It means a great deal to me.


INDIE FILM SHORTS Dark Roast Days

Wednesday 8 November 2017

VLOGGER, THY NAME AIN'T TANYA



My name is Tanya. I am many things to many people, but I am not a vlogger. There is nothing wrong with vlogging; I just don't fall under that particular umbrella. 


I like producing film shorts. How are they different from a vlog, you may ask? Well, the fact that I don't say a single word in them is a good start. The shorts tend to be about a concept, not a concrete happening in reality. And I am not looking to communicate anything in these shorts other than an emotion or idea under the microscope of film.


My thumbnails for these film shorts are misleading. The word "vlog" is featured prominently on every thumbnail. But I am thinking of changing that. How can I expect people to see the difference between my film shorts and a standard vlog if I insist on using the wrong terminology myself?

If you want to check out my film shorts, you can find them here. And if you are a vlogger, way to go, keep doing you. And I will keep doing me. 

Sunday 22 October 2017

VLOGGING: Back To The Future


I used to vlog all the time. Of course I did. But no one ever called it that back then. It was how many of us made videos in those days. Turn the camera on and see what happens. It was just the way it was.

Since then different video genres have come and gone, but nothing has been quite as enduring as the vlog. Unlike prank videos, sketch comedy videos, musical parody videos or anything else, the vlog can be made to suit the individual creator and his audience. It can involve travel or be performed from the comfort of the creator's favorite easy chair. With vlogging anything is possible.


So I guess what I am trying to say is I am going to try to incorporate vlogs into my video lineup. I started doing vlogs years ago. I just need to remember exactly how. 

Monday 16 October 2017

GEEK WISDOM RIDES AGAIN



One of the worst mistakes to make with me is assuming I am clueless about whatever is going on. Quite often I will see more than I let on. For months I have been gathering information from my own experiences as well as that of my right-wing colleagues and I think I have pieced it together now. It is either leave YouTube quietly or be unceremoniously booted out on my ass. And I have made my choice - I am no longer posting on YouTube. From this day forward I will be a user but not a creator as far as YouTube is concerned. 


As Geek Wisdom, I spent a great deal of time building a brand. When I decided to use my own name, I had to start my YouTube career all over again. I enjoyed using my own name, but I kind of missed Geek Wisdom as well. So I brought her back. But her home is not YouTube any longer. 


When I decided to bring my alias back, it wasn't without careful thought. Just as when I decided no more new content on YouTube, it was done with very deliberate thought. If you wish to follow the continuing adventures of Geek Wisdom, she now resides here. It's always good to have a Plan B, and maybe even Plan C if you are feeling creative. 

Thursday 21 September 2017

BLOG TO VLOG Keep Pressing On

KEEP PRESSING ON


For the past week or so, I have been affected by some type of cough.This also coincided with my "cold turkey" smoking cessation, so I am not entirely sure the  cough had nothing to do with what happened. For days I simply could not sing.

Singing means a whole lot to me. It means a wonderful release from any and all stress I felt that day. It means being good at something I was told endlessly that I sucked at. It means connecting with you in a very real way, no matter how far apart we are. So this blog post talks about how I found my way back to singing from my forced hiatus.

1. I relaxed. The worst thing for a singing voice is stress or sadness. I did a lot of deep breathing and staring off into the distance from my balcony (minus cigarette this time). I know I need relaxed vocal chords even to sings songs that are low on the register.

2. Be realistic. I knew i couldn't sing a "diva"-type song on a good voice day, much less on a day where I sounded like I was trying to cough up a bison. So I looked for songs that did not have a lot of unpredictable changes between notes and tempo. And those were the ones I tried first.

3. Give yourself permission to fail. When I tried to start singing again, I flubbed about 80% of the songs I tried. But I wouldn't let that stop me. I knew that somewhere deep inside lurked a decent singing voice. And I knew I could find it again if only I could give myself time. 

REVIEW The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers (DVD)

VIDEO RESPONSE First DVD I Watched

BALCONY VLOG The Mystery That Is A View Count

TANYA SINGS Where The Streets Have No Name

Thursday 31 August 2017

PRODUCT REVIEW Ron White: They Call Me "Tater Salad"

MY TOP 10 Stupid Facebook Posts and Savage Answers (Part 1 of 2)

REACT 'Charlie Hebdo' Cover Depicts Harvey Victims As Drowning Nazis

CATCHING THE WAVE


I do not sing the same songs every day. I may not even sing the same genre every day. But just before I do sing a song, I shut my eyes for a moment and try to let my body tell me whether this is the right time for a song. I know that sounds kind of flaky but it's 100% true.That's part of my method.


And if I can stay quiet just for a moment like that and clear my thoughts, quite often I will be able to distill not only which genre to sing, but also which song. I don't uses meditation for any other facet of my life, even though I know some people swear by it. I only swear by the catharsis I feel when I sing a song that is totally "on point".


I remember a scene in the movie Summer School where Mark Harmon is trying to explain to a student who has a crush on him about catching the perfect wave; it is in reality not right for us all and we wipe out. But then we look again and see a more perfect wave than the first perfect wave and that's the one we catch. I don't get distressed when I am unable to sing a song on a particular day. Maybe that song is not for me that day. But maybe it will be tomorrow, and that's what I hold on to.

TANYA SINGS The Book Of Love

Wednesday 30 August 2017

YOUTUBE HAS GONE F**KY!!!

BAD MOVIES: Glen or Glenda (1953)

TANYA SINGS Baby Can I Hold You

BLOG TO VLOG: THAT'S IT!!! I QUIT!!!

THAT'S IT!!! I QUIT!!!


I did not start in high school like many people did. No, I was 25 years old and had a decent job. I remember how it happened. I had been having a stressful day and just wanted so badly to not feel stressed the way I was. So on break I turned to a smoker next to me and said, "Can I bum one?" At first she didn't want to give me the cigarette, but I managed to talk her into it. Once I started smoking, I didn't want to stop. 


My biggest problem when it comes to smoking is that I actually like it. I enjoy the intake and the release of however many carcinogens I am putting in my body all at once. I have tried to quit before but have always returned to my master - the cigarette. The last time I quit was the worst - when I realized just how much smoking does affect the brain's pain inhibitors. I was smoke-free for three weeks and then one day the pain hit me. And I had been smoking so long that I had no idea how bad it had gotten. I resigned myself to smoking and never trying to quit again.  Then came the doctor's visit when he told me I had chronic bronchitis. As a singer, that's the last thing I need. That, and my cigarettes that I was bound and bent to not let go. 


For the past week I have been coughing all the time. I knew I wasn't sick; I knew it was the cigarettes. Then today I took a selfie while I was out on the balcony having a cigarette. I looked at the picture. It looked gross to me, a lit cigarette between pursed lips. So that was it. I have to quit. I am tired of the cigarettes making me feel like I have walking pneumonia. Enough is enough. I really, really want this to be the end. 


REACT Obsession With FLOTUS' Shoes Is 'Sad'

TANYA SINGS Suspicious Minds

REACT Professor: 'Harvey' Is Karma For Texans Voting Trump

Monday 28 August 2017

MY EXTENDED FUNKO FAMILY

CANDID TANYA Hater Response #2: 'A Little Creepy'

PERFECT ANTIDOTE Works Every Time!!!

TANYA SINGS Thank You

TANYA SINGS Beautiful Sunday

THE WAY THE 80s SOUND


To me, music provides a gateway to memories. Hearing a particular song, I can be taken back to that time and place. If it was a sad moment, I might feel tears on my cheek as I reminisce. If it was a happy moment, I might chuckle over that person I was long ago. This always happens when I hear music from the 80s.

During the 80s I was young, but not so young that I forget the joy, the hope, the anguish - everything that came with the prospect of growing up. Even then I indulged in what I call "cry porn". You may have done this as well. You feel sad, you want to let it out, but the tears won't come. So you pick up the record/cassette/CD containing the saddest song you know and you let it play. And that one song works every time.

But what about those happy moments, when life is perfect and you just want to let loose and celebrate? You have songs for that as well. And your room might already be equipped for such an occasion. I used to whip my hair around while singing into my hairbrush. And these songs always seem to be a little like potato chips - you can't listen just once. Dances and questionable vocals have to be thrown into the mix. Otherwise, what's the point of listening to the song in the first place?

Music heals a part of us that no other thing can touch. It lets us experience the whole gamut of emotions that come with being alive, and all we have to do is press 'play'. There is no other medium in the world like it. And no other occupation will let you touch someone as deeply as with your voice when you sing. Let us embrace this amazing gift each day.

Tuesday 15 August 2017

MY TOP FIVE MUST-WATCH MOVIES!!!

BLOG TO VLOG He Called Me 'Garcia'

REACT CNN Caught Running Fake News,Trump Condemnation 'Tepid'

VIDEO RESPONSE Your favorite social media star is a rapist...(TRIGGER WA...

HE CALLED ME "GARCIA"


I have heard people say that people come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. But they never mention how difficult it is to ascertain which purpose matched which person. I have certainly had my experiences with people who became something very different than I thought at the beginning. Surely he could be counted in this group. 


I met him on DeviantArt, somewhere one is not expecting trolls. Pretty much everyone else there is an artist themselves and trying to showcase some of their work online. On that site it is very commonplace to be respectful of what other people post, hoping that they will be respectful of yours as well. So I didn't understand what he was doing there at first. He did not seem to post anything other than pictures and memes he found, and not for the purposes of showcasing some type of photo manipulation. I was certain I was dealing with yet another troll, albeit on a very unlikely site. 


On DeviantArt we don't have "subscribers" or "followers"; we have "watchers". He became a watcher of mine very early on when I joined about a year ago. As is my custom, I became his in return. He commented frequently on my art; and in return, I ignored his contributions most of the time. I was there to see artwork, not memes. And I didn't want to go out of my way to deal with someone who was clearly there to be a troll. 


I found the above meme just now when I did a search of his username on Google. He also wrote status updates at least a few times daily which, as his watcher, I would also see. He was very funny and he would recognize the silliness in me if it presented itself. I think he appreciated that side of me more than most people. Somewhere along the way he started calling me "Garcia" but he never explained why. Probably just another trolling thing, I thought. 


Days became weeks, then months. I was becoming less apprehensive about dealing with him. Sometimes I would post links to videos or things from other sites and I would tag him, knowing that only he would appreciate the humor within. And then a few days ago, I had a notification that he had sent me a note. Confused, I clicked on it. "I have really enjoyed our time together.  You are gifted and intelligent and funny.  I hope you can find comfort in your skin and love yourself.  You deserve love and comfort." I was confused and worried. It seemed so final. I replied "There have been days for me (as for everyone) when I thought I couldn't smile at all. Then I would read a comment of yours and life would look less bleak. Thank you for your gifts of parody and satire. It has meant a lot to me. You're not leaving DA are you?"


There was no reply. No more status updates. No more memes. I even went to check his page and he was definitely not there. However I noticed that in his comments section, he responded warmly to people who reached out to him. There was no evidence of trolling at all. I think I am going to post a link to this blog on my page. Maybe he'll come back and see it and I can be "Garcia" again like before. Or maybe he'll just come back and I will get another chance to truly appreciate what he brought to my life. And maybe this time I won't mess it up. 

Saturday 12 August 2017

REACT Car Plows Into Protesters In Charlottesville

NORMAN LEAR The Godfather of the Social Justice Mindset

REACT Charlottesville Protest Turns Violent As State Of Emergency Declared

THE GODFATHER OF THE SOCIAL JUSTICE MINDSET


Norman Lear is the iconic television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude. His shows always seemed to favor the left side of the political spectrum. Characters would frequently deal with racism, feminism, poverty and so on. Even now I watch reruns on YouTube and wonder whether any of his characters had a "normal" day where they were not forced to champion social justice causes and the like. Lear never seemed to get off that soap box.


The character of Archie Bunker was probably one of his most well-known inventions. A loudmouth bigot who lived in Queens, New York with too many biases to mention. Not to mention the ceaseless arguments with his son-in-law, Meathead. Archie was meant to be a satirical character, used to highlight the stereotypes that plagued society. It seemed like everything was a political statement with him. 


And then somewhere around the middle of All in the Family's run, a new spinoff was born: The Jeffersons. Now the patriarch (George Jefferson) had racist biases as well, but for some reason that never got the amount of coverage it did in the Bunker household. But anyone who is well-versed with the show has to admit that George Jefferson did not want anything to do with white people whatsoever. And George certainly wasn't portrayed as a simple-minded man like Archie Bunker. He was just a little eccentric, that's all. Now everybody nod in agreement.


Now at age 95, Lear seems to be hanging on for as many seasons as he can. I wonder if he feels a sense of pride for his contribution towards the modern SJW movement, or if he has ever had any second thoughts about the messages he has shoved down our throats for over 40 years. And now the players don't even need a script anymore. Every day is a dress rehearsal for the series finale, where we find out how much of society really lays at our feet, destroyed by the seemingly good intentions of men like Norman Lear.