The Recipe For Successful Dating

How do you date successfully? See what Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Marrie Lobel, Suzie and André have to contribute on the discussion. Hopefully you will learn to ask the right questions after hearing them give their two cents!

The Double Standards of Sex

There are a ton of double standards in the world when it comes to men and women, but the double standards of sex seems to get people riled up the most. 

When a guy is having sex with a bunch of women, he’s just "being a guy". But when women have sex with a bunch of dudes, she’s going through a "hoe phase" or a "hot girl summer". 

Fair or foul? 

Check out the opinions of this group of people and comment with your conclusion.

Support @CieraPayton's IndieGogo Campaign!

www.CieraPayton.com

"Graceland" and "Days of Our Lives" star, Ciera Payton, needs your help funding the United Solo Theater Festival in New York City!  With only 60 days to raise $7,500, she only has 24 days left as of October 5th to raise approximately $5,000 more.

Click here to contribute anything from $1 to $1000!  

Every little bit counts and not only does it fund her performance, but donations also benefit the Step Up Women's Network and  Girls for a Change organization for kids!

She will also be my guest on the Talk 2 Q Radio Show on Wednesday, October 9th @ 10 PM EDT / 7 PM PDT.  Click here and then click Follow under the T2Q logo to get an e-mail or text reminder the day of the show.  Take advantage of the opportunity to call and ask her a question on the air or use ask questions from the interactive chat room!

Ciera will be performing "Michael's Daughter" on November 23rd.  Learn more about the event below:

Michael’s Daughter is a one-woman show created and performed by Actress Ciera Payton. As an aspiring young actress dealing with the ups and downs of the Hollywood shuffle, Ciera is suddenly confronted by the constant letters from her incarcerated father. These letters provide the backdrop for her soul searching and a beginning to address her unconventional upbringing and troubled past. 

Her New Orleans roots are tested constantly through a series of failed relationships, struggles to make ends meet, and the ongoing loneliness that comes with Hollywood dream chasing. Ciera guides the audience on a journey from a little girl in New Orleans' 3rd Ward to a woman in Los Angeles fighting to forgive her family. 

Throughout the play, Ciera artfully portrays her stuttering, city-slick Father, southern belle Mother, and her endearingly crass Aunt Patty. She does so in a manner, completely filled with humor, compassion, and understanding. Michael’s Daughter's universal appeal and impact transcends race, gender, and economic class. 

People of all backgrounds will be touched by this story and moved to DO SOMETHING and MAKE A CHANGE after watching it. 

Remaining true to her goal to give back and help in providing creative outlets for inner city children, Payton is pledging a portion of the donations received through the IndieGoGo campaign to Step Up Women's Network AND Girls for a Change.

Twitter: @CieraPayton

It's Been Three Years Already?

Happy Blogaversary to me!

It doesn't seem like my blog should be three years old already, but it is.  This blog has revealed so much in the past three years from personal stories to news stories.  For those who are fairly new to my blog, I would definitely advise you to backtrack through the 2011 archives.  I was on fire then!  I was putting out blog posts every other day!

Now, I don't blog as much as I once did and I apologize for that.  I blame another medium for distracting me from my writing...  my radio show.

If you have not heard the Talk 2 Q Radio Show, then you're missing out.  It airs twice per week and if you miss the live airing, then there are over 225 episodes for you to enjoy in the archives section.  The show basically gives me the avenue that I need to cover multiple topics and get instant feedback from my fans who call into the show.  Once you get a taste of that type of high, then it's hard to put out blog posts every three days and hope that someone comments.

In the blog world, a lot of bloggers only comment on your page if you comment on theirs.  With my mom and wife both struggling and ultimately succumbing to cancer last year, I didn't have time to read a lot of blogs.  I saw my pageviews decrease dramatically over the last six months of 2012.  Was it because I wasn't reading other blogs?

I'll never know.  But, one thing that I do know: people love my radio show.  I'm so proud of that fact.  I've interviewed actors/actresses, musicians, authors, professional therapists and of course, other bloggers.  We discuss everything from relationships, politics, sex, sports, current events, race relations and more.  It's truly enjoyable and I enjoy the fact that I've now established enough of a reputation that people reach out to me regularly to be on my show.

But, I do hope to get back in the swing of things in blogging.  That includes reading the blogs of others.  I still read Jewels, Idaho, Tsaritsa, Vinny, Squatlo, LogAllot, Lawfrog and Mooner regularly.  I may not always comment, but I still read them.  Those are the people who inspired me and / or collaborated with me, so I'll always follow them.  And most of them have been with me since the early beginnings of Thank, Q and just about all of them have participated on my radio show.  You probably could too if you'd just simply ask. :)

Anyhoo, I want to thank everyone who has visited my blog and I will leave you with a gift on my blog's birthday:

Three of my favorite blog posts - "Boonies Aren't For Me (Part I)," "Tippin' Isn't A City in China," and "Real Housewives of Panama City Beach"

Three of my favorite radio shows - "Let's Talk About Sex, Part X", "Meet the Cast of 'The Unwritten Rules'" and "Born Heartless"

Enjoy.

@RaceyRules Returns 6/19!

Season 2 starts on June 19th!

YouTube provides quite a few entertaining series to follow.  Some of the shows that I follow regularly are: "Awkward Black Girl," "Mortal Kombat: Legacy," and "How Men Become Dogs."  However, my favorite, by far, is "The Unwritten Rules."

"UR" is a show about a young, black woman named "Racey" who struggles to fit into Corporate America.  Not being allowed to just simply exist within the workplace and do her job, Racey has to put up with white co-workers who are completely uncomfortable around black people.  They question her hair, food items and even her belief in Santa Claus.

And to make matters worse, she also has to deal with black co-workers who think she's somehow abandoned their race to fit into "White World."  Because Racey has a better position in the company than they do, she is treated as if she thinks that she's better than her black peers.

The show is shot in a style similar to "The Office" and is based on a book called "40 Hours and an Unwritten Rule" which was written by Kim Williams.  Kim also writes for the "UR" web series and does a great job sifting through a plot in six to eight minutes for each episode.  On top of it always being an interesting story, there is plenty of comedy to entertain you in the process.  However, what makes the show so addictive on top of the storyline is that the characters are likable.  Each one brings something different to the mix that makes the show unique and worth following.

I can personally relate to the show because I've been in some of the situations Racey experiences.  I've been the solo office black guy who is too white for my own people, but too black for white people to feel completely comfortable around.  I've had the insensitive boss who didn't have a clue when she's offended someone.  And I've had the nosy co-worker who acts like she's my friend yet secretly hates everything about me.  Even for the things I've never experienced personally, I've seen them played out over the course of a couple of decades in the workplace.

Check out a sample of the show to get a feel for it and I'm sure you'll like it enough to follow.  Take a few minutes and give this show a chance and I guarantee that you'll be a fan. It's less than six minutes long.  Here's the first episode:



Some of the cast from "UR," Aasha Davis (Racey), Sara Finley (Kathy) and David Lowe (Peter) will be my guests on the Talk 2 Q Radio Show for a special edition on Tuesday, June 18th at 8 PM EDT / 5 PM PDT.  Be sure to join the chat room and interact with some of talent Hollywood has to offer!

Unwritten Rules, Season 2 Premieres Wednesday, June 19th at 12pm EST / 9am PST

Twitter: @RaceyRules

Facebook: facebook.com/theunwrittenrules

Website: theunwrittenrulesseries.com

When @SwetaSpeaks, You Should Listen!

Follow her on Twitter at @SwetaSpeaks

We all need inspiration now and then. Something that makes us toughen up and focus on a goal. It's not always easy which is why having an outside influence is not uncommon for people who achieve greatness. Now, greatness can come in many forms. It can come in the form of a personal goal like weight loss or in the form of higher success like being the President of the U.S.

Regardless of what pinnacle you seek in life, it's important to have a plan.  Some people achieve financial success from being right place, right time (lottery winners, YouTube overnight trenders, etc.) So, a plan is not required, but it's important.

The role of parents include teaching a child how to plan, but in today's society, parents are working so hard just to keep the lights on, that maybe that gets neglected.

That's why it's nice to have an option such as someone like Sweta Patel.  Sweta has spoken to young people all over the world to help them deal with the things that maybe others have not broached.  She teaches them how to have a plan to get through college and life with as little-to-no difficulty as possible.

Sweta experienced some trials and tribulations in her life in regards to not getting along with her father to almost being consumed by college party life.  I will speak to her on Sunday, April 26th, to discuss how young women can enjoy their early years of life (college age), remain financially responsible and avoid heartbreak.

Stream the podcast here and learn more from Sweta and how to obtain her "Watch Out Books!"