Strong Women Part I - Shows Before 2010 (written 03.08.16)

Didn't get a chance to post this on 03.08.16 ~~ So here it is!! Yay!!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!! OMG!! Remember "Deadpool"?? What THEY did to celebrate? Hahaha, so funny!!

So, 'Umbrella Thoughts' wanted to do something a bit less conventional but also more traditional. Each series brought up contains SPOILERS and details that, if you want it to be a mystery, SKIP AHEAD!! But please enjoy and look forward to more on this!!

First discussed is "Xena: The Warrior Princess" (1995). Chris and I got into our pros and cons of this show, who and what we loved and how character development truly brought us up to be who we are. Everything about this show inspired Chris and myself into our current life roles, giving us strength and power. We LOVE Xena!!! We love Lucy Lawless!! And, okay, Renee O'Connor is okay, too.

Second discussed is "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997). I collected all the series and then sold it after watching it all. It was the college days that I did all this and loved it all. But, we talk about Buffy and Willow, the two powerhouse women who grow to become their most memorable personalities. Also there are story arcs discussed that highlight both women and their changes, which we LOVED!! And then, came Faith talk and some Kendra, but the story is set and the family is real. We love them!

There is a slight comparison between Xena and Buffy that Chris and I went into. Things happened and well, we moved on, slowly, but we couldn't help geeking out! Forgive us, we are merely fans!!

I managed to move things along into sit-com television's "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (1996) series. The balance, the relatability, and the lessons learned that really get to us all. And then Chris brought his up, "That's So Raven" (2003). Chris REALLY loved the show and I liked the show a lot, but didn't keep up with it so much. From Raven's history on "The Cosby Show" (1984) to where she is now, on "The View" but, her show on Disney really grew her up and changed her into the womanist she is today.

And this conversation, inevitably, led Chris and myself into the lack of diversity in Hollywood. Oh, yes, we got started and things got good. "Family Matters" (1989) was brought up... Be sure to listen to it all and the takeaway is that INCREASING DIVERSITY IS NOT REVERSE RACISM and FILMS SHOULD REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN.

So, take a listen and @rainbridgeS for your thoughts!! Or @tiffrz me on Twitter!

Fun Apps I Wish Existed (03.10.16)

So, as always, when you go to somewhere new in the world, there are things you wanna try that you couldn’t usually be so inclined to at home. Here are a list of a few Apps I wish did exist for these purposes… In fact, if you choose to take my idea, just give me some credit, alright? Hehe!

Local Guide – App that sets people up 1-on-1 with clean reputed local either as a blind date or plutonic friend tour guide

What’s the first thing most people want to do when they experience a new city? They want to experience the life without the restraining relative or judgmental friend. This way, you can find someone local who doesn’t know you and may be just as interested as where you’re from. This is a friendly exchange unless you plan for it to be a blind date. As for me, I’d love to see what dating in foreign countries is like, so I’d want to find someone to take me around and give me the date treatment. The tour guide option is like a friend option; having a new friend take you around and show you the local highlights. OMG, that would be fun!

Friend Date – App that lets you meet people and go on friend dates, like a pre-blind date

I WANT THIS SO MUCH!! For me, I make friends very easily, so without the pressures of it developing into anything more. Think of it as a pre-date where you are connected by interest and goals. I go on dating sites for this and end up closing my account because most guys on dating sites just want to hook up. There’s no relationship in it. And I’m not looking for that. So, why can’t we make something that connects like-minded people without the pressures of sleeping with someone to get to know them? Shouldn’t it be the other way around anyway?!

Menu Charted – App that shows me where the foods and cravings I have can be found according to taste and location

There are SO MANY PEOPLE who love spicy foods and yet… they’re left to hunt through the city for what they want. So, make an App that rates food on spice levels and, add something that makes food equivalences to help me, the foreigner, understand the importance of these foods! Show me the ‘Denny’s’ of China… or the ‘In-N-Out’ of Taiwan. Where is the ‘Olive Garden’ or ‘Chipotle’ of Africa or Europe! And likewise, the App can go the other way around showing tourists in America their ‘Denny’s’ and more. Know what I mean? Get what I’m trying to say? It’s not a replica or mimic, but more like telling me, a tourist, what I’m eating means what where I am at. This is so hard to explain without knowing what the abroad restaurants really are. For example, I think I’ll be safe if I say that the ‘In-N-Out’ of Taiwan is ‘Mos Burger’. Right? Get it?

Treasure Hunt (Live!) – App that gives me the thrill of a treasure hunt through the city of my visit

Depending on your budget, any treasure hunt is possible. Instead of relying on a travel agency, give me an App that lets me customize my time and route, so that I can see the treasures of the city before I embark on my journey. The Broad Museum had it synced up so as to digitally show me more about everything in front of me based off of either a QR code or something that links me somewhere else where all the information is stored and accessible by curious minds, like myself. Maybe the hunt can be a competition, to see if we can find all of them and take photos and experience the city in the way more locals do. I mean, isn’t that WHY we travel and visit the world?

Knowledge On Call – App that connects me to people who has answers to my questions

I think about A LOT of things that really blows my mind. I want answers so I want to have a conversation with someone without physical appearances getting in the way. Instead of talking to an AI, I want to talk to someone of that field, and speculate with them. I want them to encourage me to think and so that I can think more on my own, before coming back to talk to them. Whether they be old or young, interest is interest. Curiosities need to be satisfied, especially if I just need to know the POV of one idea that can take minutes… I don’t want to do hours of research in the wrong direction. Come on… HELP should be readily available and free!

Okay, these are just a few. But I feel like I’ve vented a lot of my frustrations and it makes me happy. You got any ideas, any recommendations, and thoughts and feelings about these? Want to collaborate or make one? I’d love to hear from you!!