2010 Clearing Experience

So I have never started a “New Year” off the way I started off 2010. So much has happened to me in a matter of days and I am just sitting here looking out my window wondering what can I do to grasp a hold on to my life? As the question resounds in my head I answer my own question, I am going to take control of my year and my life. As many of you know in my professional world some things have already shifted; however in my personal life for the past year and a half things have been on a rollercoaster ride.

LOVE

So as you have watched “Dating Dwight” you may have noticed that my dates are not to actually make a real life love connection. My dates are to enlighten my viewers on the art of dating, give my date the chance to showcase themselves/work, and last to provide you with excellent entertainment; however off camera I have attempted this task and now it has left me dazed and confused. Have you ever liked someone so much and you don’t know why? When you write down all their traits you sit there and you are like really trying to figure out if the thing will actually work out. Once you decide that you want to take this journey of being friends to see what happens it seems like things began to become rushed and then all of a sudden out of fear one of you pump the brakes to either halt from having an accident or to just slow things down. If you have not been in the situation “aren’t you special” (high pitched squeaky voice); however many of us have. In addition to this type situation the realization that true love or what you thought to be true love separation is a tough thing to deal with. I am so excited I am in the place that I am in right now; however it took some time to get here and now that I am here I really don’t want any threats to shift me back into a not so happy place. The last heart dilemma is the one of an ex thinking you are not over them when you are and they make the confession that they want to be with someone who is fairly good friends with you; however never made the move out of fear of breaking your heart. Now that is a sweet gesture and honestly even if there was love still there I have learned you cannot force someone to love and be with you, so why stop someone else’s happiness, by doing that you are preventing your own true love from coming into your life.

CAREER

So in 2010 I have decided to embark upon the journey of really getting my career to the next level. I have had many career shifts in the past and the one thing that I have learned is when the fire gets high I get really creative. As many of you know I have had a very interesting last few days on the entertainment front and many of you are waiting to see what I am going to do. Well my primary place of employment is with “The FUTURE” and I signed up to work for “The FUTURE,” not any of my co-contributors. When I was approached with the idea of a company that would bring the media to a community that I create my work for I was siked and over the past year with The FUTURE I have reached several of my goals and created some work that I am very proud of. With every job there are different things you have to deal with, different personalities that you have to adjust to, and different assignments that you may not want to work on; however if your good out weighs the bad and you believe in your company’s mission I suggest that you hang in there and give it your all. This is the year that the Dwight Allen O’Neal brand will become a household name. I celebrate 10 years in this business and I am excited for what I have already become blessed with and what is coming today and tomorrow.

PAPARAZZI

As Saturday quickly approaches I reflect over all my years and I am excited about many things that have happen and I am sad by some. With life you take the good and the bad and you deal with it all. I am so happy that God has given me the gift of life and I would not trade that in for the entire world. My birthday party has turned out to be a “mega” event and many of my friends, staff, and I have put a lot of work into pulling this thing off. When I sat down with my party planner I told her that I wanted to celebrate everything that I have enjoyed in life. What we came up with were fashion, cake, men, and Hollywood. When you place all these things together what you get is cameras, stars, models, underwear, and Paparazzi. During the process of planning this event I learned that life really does reflect art, because rumors just like in tabloids flare and my response to that is “they talked about Jesus (who is perfect) so why not talk about you (who is far from perfect). I cannot wait for my birthday to actually arrive on Saturday, I made this event free because I really want to see everyone and right now I want to just celebrate life, it is a new decade and a new year.

As I open up to you all I ask is that you continue to support and uplift one another. I think so many times in our lives we tear and pull each other down. Let’s leave that bad habit in the last decade. Happy New Year and Happy Birthday to ME!!!!

GeoGrand 8

“What’s going on?!” Chakra exclaimed. He was sitting cross-legged in his room meditating and chanting, when the GeoDome’s alarm began screeching loudly.

“INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT,” the computerized woman’s voice said over the speaker system.

Who could have infiltrated the Dome, and how? Chakra thought as he raced to the control room of the GeoDome.

“We’re under attack!” Glitter shouted, as she was hurriedly punching commands into the control center’s computer. “I’m trying to activate the Dome’s offensive security parameters, but they’re not coming online.”

“That would be thanks to me,” a female voice from behind Chakra and Glitter cackled gleefully.

“Ohm!” they both shouted. Ohm was a member of the GeoGrands archrivals, the PolyGens, and Plasma’s younger sister. She could control the flow of electrical current thus using her power to block electricity from reaching the security protocols of the GeoDome.

Standing next to her was four more of the PolyGens: Aerial, who could control wind; Phobia, who could induce or intensify already present fears in an individual; the liquidmorph, Fluid; and the Geophysmic Raptor, with claws, leathery skin and agility to match his namesake.

“Hand over the GeoSphere, and we’ll leave you in one piece,” Raptor said, coldly.

“You know us better than that,” Glitter snapped back.

“Seriously, girl,” Raptor replied, brandishing his sharpened claws. “You’re hopelessly outnumbered. Do you really think the two of you can take all of us down?” Glitter despaired for a moment and wondered how the PolyGens knew where the GeoDome was hidden, and if it was a coincidence that they attacked when half of the team was gone, not to mention that Plasma and Soleil had not returned from their shopping excursion into the city. Her glitter dust was absolutely useless against Aerial since all Aerial would do is blow it away. She looked toward Chakra who made a pinching gesture. It didn’t go unnoticed.

“What are you doing?” Raptor demanded.

“You won’t get us or the GeoSphere,” Chakra responded defiantly.

“If you won’t give it to us willingly, maybe we can convince you through your tortured screams,” Raptor threatened lunging forward while the other PolyGens prepared to evoke their powers.

Suddenly, both Chakra and Glitter seemed to disappear as Raptor missed them entirely and crashed on to the floor.

“Where did they go?” Aerial asked.

“Find them!” Raptor shouted, and the PolyGens scrambled out of the conference room in a frenzy.

“That was close,” Glitter said to Chakra as they huddled in a small corner of the room. The two had used their powers to shrink themselves; Glitter reducing herself to her miniature fairy-like size and Chakra evoking his Vishuddha chakra which controlled his own size.

“We need to figure out a way to reactivate the security protocols,” Chakra said. We could take them down one by one, but that would take too long.”

“Let’s look for Ohm. If we can subdue her,” Glitter replied, “then the power should be restored to the security grid. Make yourself a little smaller so I can carry you, and then we can fly around and look for her.”

“Here goes,” Chakra said, as he prepared to shrink himself smaller.

Suddenly he grew enormous almost crushing Glitter, who just managed to get out of the way.

“What are you doing?!” she exclaimed in a panic.

“It’s…not…me,” Chakra said between breaths. He had grown so large and fat now he could hardly move as his body seemed to fill every space it could in the conference room.

“Oh, no,” Glitter said somberly. “She’s here. Switch.”

Switch, or the Duchess Grandiosa, was Density’s aunt and the leader of the PolyGens. It was thought that she was behind the king’s disappearance so she could seize control of the GeoGrams and the kingdom and was thus exiled from Emthira. She later formed the PolyGens to aid in her quest to find the missing GeoGrams so that she could depose Queen Eleanora and rule Emthira.

Switch had a unique talent that made her a very dangerous adversary to any Geoman. She could seize control of a Geoman’s power, and make him or her use it anyway she desired. Sometimes, depending on her particular target’s abilities, she could also make the powers have opposite effects. Speedsters would suddenly move very slowly or strongmen would get so weak, they couldn’t pick up a piece of hay much less stand on their own two feet. In this case, she took Chakra’s size changing power and made him grow to gargantuan, obese proportions.

“If you don’t tell me right now,” she began from just outside the conference room, “where the GeoSphere is, I’ll make you grow so huge Mr. Chakra that you’ll smother yourself and mush lil’ Miss GeoPhysm.”

“We…don’t…know…where it…is,” Chakra huffed, straining to speak.

“You have one second,” to tell me, Switch continued, narrowing her eyes. “One….”

Historical Gay Artists Of Color: Billy Strayhorn

In 1940, a young composer rode the new NYC-owned Independent Subway System to a meeting of musicians in Harlem. The composer's name was William Thomas (Billy) Strayhorn. Inspired by his trip on the new subway cars, he composed Take The A Train in 1941, which became the signature song of the legendary Duke Ellington and his famous jazz orchestra. The timeless melody has, over the years, become identified with that subway route and service, and changed the style and rhythm by which jazz tunes were arranged. It was a masterwork for a composer who, despite a three-decade long collaboration as Ellington's composer and resident musical genius, was little noted during his lifetime.



Strayhorn's career spanned the 1930s to the 1960s, but he was not recognized for his contributions to American music until the late 1990's, almost 30 years after his 1967 death. He was born in 1915 in Dayton, Ohio, showed a gift for music at a very early age, and ultimately arrived in NYC during 1938, where the composer met jazz master Ellington for the first time. Ellington eagerly took the young Strayhorn under his wing, accepting the writer into his home. But just a year later, Strayhorn did something incredibly bold for Depression-era New York: he moved in with fellow jazzist and lover Aaron Bridgers. Living together on Convent Avenue in Harlem, the couple stayed together for ten years, until Bridgers moved to Paris to escape persistent homophobia in New York. The couple never made any secret of their sexuality or relationship, but it cost Strayhorn dearly. Because of he was known to be openly gay, he was kept in the background, rarely sharing the limelight with Ellington for his compositions. Although Strayhorn composed for other musical greats like Lena Horne who sang several of Strayhorn's classics, such as A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing, Strayhorn descended into alcoholism, brought on by not receiving credit for his works because he was openly gay.



Strayhorn was repeatedly advised to keep his relationship with Bridgers a secret, but he refused, believing in the ability of love to overcome all. Still, as the years went by, with Strayhorn composing ever-greater songs for Ellington, Horne, and their contemporaries, it wasn't unti, 1957--two decades after Strayhorn's career began--that he received full credit for a song. This was A Drum Is A Woman, and it highlights the difficulties faced by gay artists of the pre- and post-war era, in achieving recognition for their work. Billy Strayhorn bacame a political activist in his later life, attending the 1963 March On Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King and noted gay men of color James Baldwin and King confidante and March organizer Bayard Rustin. By this time, the onset of esophageal cancer was beginning to take its toll on Strayhorn, and he passed away four years later, on May 31, 1967, aged 53. During his short life, Billy Strayhorn introduced the world to a whole new method of making jazz music, and lived as an out, proud gay man of color in an era when the personal and professional costs of doing so were staggering. He is one more great figure in the pantheon of gay and lesbian artists whose legacy touches us to this day.

Zolra's Corner: Acknowledges and Support 11 Very Fascinating People For 2010

Hello everyone. Happy New Year! I am so happy that the new year has arrived. It's time for a change. As we continue throughout our own individual adventures, there are times when we look at other people's work, and it catches out eyes. That's how I felt throughout the year. There are a few individuals that I be inspired by every single day. And because of that, I would like to acknowledge these brilliant people for their large body of work. Let's start the countdown.

11. Alonzo Lerone

The way I stumbled upon you was very accidental. I was just done watching the 2009 BET Awards. So I suspected that videos of the awards show was going to be posted on Youtube. I was really astounded by Beyonce's performance, I wanted to see it again. Then I am browsing around the internet, and there was a picture taken from her performance. I clicked on the video, and it turned out to be one of your music reviews.

There was no judgement at all when I first noticed you. You are entertaining, funny, creative, and extremely good looking. I will continue watching your music reviews. You just keep on making informative comedy. We love you for that.

Below is one of my favorite videos from him.

10. B. Scott

B. Scott! Once again, you are becoming a major star in our eyes. Your individualism, creativity, stylish looks, entrepreneurship, and cleverness makes us want more from you. The first time I noticed you was on Youtube. Noah's Arc was becoming a major thing in the press. Then I was browsing around the site, looking for interviews from the cast. Then I saw the interview you did with Jensen Atwood.

The moment I saw that interview, I didn't get enough of you. I check your website every single day. It's been added to my daily journalism list. Every day, I go your website to see the news. Then I watch new episodes of your show. Continue with great success B. Scott. We love you very much.

9. Finding Me: Cast and Crew

Now I have to acknowledge the entire cast and crew of the hit movie "Finding Me." I loved the movie. The acting was on point. Each story was addictive. I was never bored the least. For people who have not bought the movie, where have ya'll been. Faybien's story is something that everyone can relate to. Despite our sexuality, we have difficulties finding ourselves.

The thing I like about this film is that the relationships is nationwide. I have shown this to one of my friends who is straight, and he thought he was Faybien for a quick second. The minute I heard that, it came to me. This is not just for gay people. Any person can see themselves as any of these characters. Because of that, I give the cast and crew of "Finding Me" my deepest respect and support. You know I am going to see the sequel "Finding Me: Truth."

8. Rapper Bryn't

When it comes to music, I was listening to your music nonstop. I believe your music was the first music I've ever listened to that surrounded the gay community. The moment I heard your music, your mixtapes were in my IPod five minutes later. I listened to both mixtapes 5 times each in one day.

I kept my headphones on, and listened to every lyric on each track. I didn't want to miss a single message you were sending through your music. It's raw, creative, and original. Bryn't, your music is something that we need to listen. Just know that I am a fan, and I'll be supporting and listening to you till the day I die. 100% respect. Keep on doing what you do.

7. Xem Van Adams

Xem Van Adams is one of the inspiring people I have ever seen on a computer screen. From one writer to another, I love your work. I mostly read what you say than watch your videos. But either way, I love you. The thing I love about you is that you branch out to different things surrounding the community that we all keep on talking about. Not only that, but you show us your vulnerability to things in the world.

You give us these amazing stories because you've gone through the things you talk about. That is what I love about you. Your own individual success has become a journey that I watch nonstop. I know you wouldn't be here without a large group of people that help you out everyday. Tell all of them "Congratulations."

I've got nothing but love, respect, and support for you too. And I am looking forward to watching "The Blogger" when it comes on tv. Just like you said. You're Conquering the World One Word at a Time.

This is one of my favorite videos that I probably watch three times a week.

6. ADTV

Hands down, ADTV is one of my favorite shows right now. There is not a day that goes by when I never stop talking about the show. Derrick L. Briggs, Matthew Barrett, Ryan Drake, and J'Nara Corbin, you guys are doing a great job. I remember watching this show when it was just Derrick L. Briggs and Adam Benjamin Irby. Ever since then, I have seen it grown during each passing season.

It's become very informative surrounding the community. I love watching four different points of view. For me, I love it when I see four different perspectives of life come together to talk about the situation at hand. I grew up watching Oprah, The View, and Tyra. I loved watching sitcoms like Friends and Girlfriends. I guess that's why 4 is my favorite number. I love the realness of the show. You guys just always seem to come up with the best topics. One thing I saw while reading the comments is that people were going through a certain situation, and before you know it, an episode of your show comes on and it is talking about the situation at hand.

That's the reason why I love the show. You have my 100% support, love, and respect. And I am going getting this feeling that this is just the beginning for ADTV. Below is my favorite episode from you guys.

5. Adam Benjamin Irby

As I browse around the internet. There is not a day that goes by that I don't go check out the weblog of Adam Benjamin Irby. He has been called the "Carrie Bradshaw" in the gay community. I don't put him under that label. I call him "One of the greatest gay writers in the world." Adamsweblog.com is my day-to-day site. I literally go on his website everyday. If he doesn't have any new posts, I go check out the old ones.

What I love about you is your realness. You are not afraid to tell us these amazing stories. Each story makes me feel how I feel when I read a book. I am a fan of nonfiction books. When you talk about your life, you are not afraid to say what is going on around you. You are honest, raw, and creative with it. You are an amazing writer. As you continue to update your blog, I see how you grow as the days go by. Everyone's life is like a roller coaster. We all make mistakes and learn from it. Keep on writing dude. You have my 100% love, support, and respect.

4. The Cast of Drama Queenz

This series is becoming a major hit online. As it starts airing season 2, Drama Queenz continues to entertain me nonstop with it's stories. It's funny, entertaining, and purely original. For me, I kind of hate the comparisons it get from the tv show Noah's Arc. This show is something I have never seen before. Even Noah's Arc can't touch this. Three gay friends showing the life in New York City. I have never seen a show that did that before. This show stands out on it's own. Continue great success. Dane Joseph, Kristen-Alexzander Griffith, and Troy Valjean Rucker.

3. Dwight Allen O'Neal

I cannot do this list without acknowledging my good friend Dwight Allen O' Neal. I didn't put you on this just because you are my friend. I put you on this list personally and professionally. You are one of the greatest people I have ever known. Your ideas for these different shows are so amazing. Dating Dwight, Christopher Street, and Dishing It With Dwight. I am so happy to see you grow, and you're individualism makes you shine that an forever-lighting star. My heart races every time I think about you. Friend to friend, I give you all the love I have. I am looking forward to watching more episodes of Christopher Street and the second season of Dating Dwight. I keep on watching the current episodes nonstop.

2. Nathan "Seven" Scott

Nathan, Nathan, Nathan! Sometimes I still wonder how the heck we walked into each others lives? Then I remember it like it was yesterday. We got connected when I was doing my talk show on Youtube Zolra's Corner at the time. You were doing The & Show the same time as well. I forgot who sent a message to whom first. But I so happy we met. Because of that, I have found someone I consider a mentor.

Like you said, you was born to lead. You like to lead projects. What I love about you is that you listen to everyone until every word leaves the mouth. When you are listening to ideas from three different people, you have a way of combining all three of them together and create something that we all can relate to. Now that you are doing "We Are The Media" now, I continue to watch you succeed. You have become a perfect partner and perfect friend. You listen when I'm happy. You listen to me when I cry. You even listen to be when I feel alone. I am so happy you are in my life. Now you're about to make me cry in a quick second!

1. My Future Forward Family

From the moment I started doing this, I already knew who I was going to pick as #1. Throughout the whole year, The Future Forward has become family to me. Ever since Nathan offered me to write for the site, it automatically started to feel like family. I may write for different websites and blogs now, but none of them can make me feel the way I feel about this site.

Nathan Seven Scott, Dwight Allen O' Neal, Cornelius Jones Jr., Lil Mogul Richard E. Pelzer II, and Waddie J. You have no idea how much I feel about you guys. It makes me cry everytime I'm working for the site. I love each and every one of ya'll at the bottom of my heart. What each of ya'll contribute makes me proud of having good friends that loves to do what they aspire to become. Being 18 years old, I feel lucky that I have met you guys. I can't wait till I move there to New York. So that I squeeze each and every one of ya'll, and show you how much I love you guys.

2010 has arrived, and I look forward to what we are bring The Future too.