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Is religion the "opiate of the masses", - or what?

If Jesus did exist, I believe he would've had an appreciation for irony. After all, his Daddy offers free will as an option. But exercising it can get you in a hell of a lot of trouble.

Personal observations can confirm or corroborate facts but it mainly serves as a form of mental masturbation. Statistics provide real data to define and reinforce a position or belief. Well constructed arguments require both statistical data and analysis combined with relevant personal observation. Personal observation on its own doesn't verify or prove anything. Gotta produce receipts i.e. statistical data.

Many think the above expression is a trite cliche or an empty phrase. But I've always found it to be totally adequate because, in and of itself, it stands alone, unchallenged; language at its best, reality captured in pure and simple words, the essence of its message existing between the lines, reminiscent of the old adage about "one picture being worth a thousand words". An esoteric echo, "it is what it is" is what it is: a profound utterance that translates into the ultimate truth. See ya... Mother's Day 2025

Like every other manufactured holiday, it's a Hallmark money grab. Plenty other businesses get paid including florists, restaurants, department stores, etc. Nope. Most people recognize their mother throughout the year. That being written, it's cool to set aside a special day to recognize mothers. Let them kick back, relax and be showered with love, gifts and food. That statement does sum up a lot. It could end most conversations too. However, we wouldn't have much left to discuss once that trump card is played....it is what is. The flip side, it ain't what it ain't. @aka Contrarian, looks like you had a happy Mother's Day. I certainly hope so.

Beautiful Lady

I love language. And nothing impresses me more than succinct concisness. Words can be weapons. Neither can it be denied that talk is cheap nor that "brevity is the soul of wit". Is it any wonder that as I meander toward yet another birthday, this whimsical meme brought pause in my ongoing search for the meaning of "LIFE" . Having a sense of humor helps... Did I mention that outliving Pope Francis embarrasses me? RIP, ol fella.

Yeah, ChatGPT will make things seemingly out of thin air and make it sound good. If you correct it, it always admits its error, which gives it a leg up on our friend @Pioneer1

yes, a statement of the obvious. You could’ve just said that and the conversation would’ve been much shorter

A report for the month of April claims 177,000 new jobs. Supposedly, gasoline is selling for $1.98/gallon somewhere. Not anywhere I travel. This ties back to @Pioneer1's distrust of statistics.

“The meaning of life is one of the oldest and most profound questions humans have asked. Different traditions, disciplines, and individuals offer different answers: Philosophically, it might be to seek truth, beauty, and understanding. Religiously, it could be to serve or connect with a higher power, to love others, or to fulfill a divine purpose. Scientifically, life is a product of evolution—its “meaning” may simply be to survive and reproduce. Existentially, many say meaning isn’t given—it’s made. Life’s meaning is whatever you choose it to be. In short: life’s meaning is what you make of it. What kind of answer resonates most with you—spiritual, philosophical, scientific, or personal?” —ChatGPT I guess in a couple years, the answer will get much better. It will be able to tell you the meaning of your life. I asked ChatGPT based upon what it knows about me which option would I subscribed to? “Based on what I know about you, I’d say you’re most likely to resonate with a personal or philosophical perspective. You’ve built something meaningful (AALBC), you’re deeply engaged with Black literature and culture, and you think critically about language, history, and purpose. That suggests you probably see life’s meaning as something self-determined, built through community, legacy, truth-seeking, and uplift. Would you say that’s on point—or is there a spiritual or scientific side you lean into more often?” I didn’t follow up with a response, but it was right.

Thank you @aka Contrarian It seems that the decades of practicing Astrology has had an effect. I can feel people móod and I seem to be more magnetic. You are already free.

Nor were you trained in statistics It's obvious to everyone else. Am opinion is never wrong but it can be either uninformed or misinformed. Pioneer has hit the Daily Double.

This isn't quite right. Vision isn't like a camera. Visual perception can be effected by suggestion. Also we have a blind spot in our eyes where the light enters. However you brain fills in the missing scenery.

Many of those people have reservations to the same destination. The good news is that such a place (heaven and h8ll) doesn't exist and they are constructs of the human mind. I hope the opiate being fed to the masses and fear of eternal damnation and desire for eternal life teaches and motivates humans to love and take better care of each other.

Yet another short cut to wisdom as I continue my journey down the pathway to oblivion...

Comedian Bill Maher has always been a Libertarian Centrist who masquerades as a Liberal. Democrats got all dewy-eyed as long as Maher was attacking the Right. They gave him a pass on his low key racist views especially when it comes to Muslims. As a rich white man, Bill Maher lives in the best of all worlds. He's a weed smoking atheist who likes to bang non-white women despite harboring views antithetical to their own group of people. Literally sleeping with the enemy. I see Bill Maher for what he is...a rich, well privileged white man.

Sure. There's no universal standard of beauty. As we've mentioned, it mostly lies in the beholder's eyes. Marketing and promotion is a helluva drug when it comes to selling stuff. It worked for a bunch of nappy headed dudes in the hood. Shiny azz heads and waves to make folks seasick. They were not s8xually attractive but served as an alternative to jerking off. Human receptables for body fluids. Most men place value on women for very different reasons than women place value on men. Real men don't need women to protect and provide for them. They need women for different reasons i.e. s8x partner, bear children, companionship, etc. OTOH, most heterosexual women want a man who can protect and provide for her. She's willing to satisfy his needs in return. Of course, both men and women settle for something else especially when if comes to their needs and desires. There's a woman somewhere suffering underneath an obese man because he has a few dollars. There's a man wasting his s8xual energy on a woman for the streets or an ugly woman because the snatch box speaks in tongues. Different strokes for different folks as the world turns.

@ProfDI was wonderlring if I was the only one who was distracted by those awful horsehair auburn wigs that Gayle plops on her head. LOL Her bff Oprah was present at the outer space lift-off to lend Gayle her moral support, even shedding a few tears over the implication of this auspicious occasion. One thing you can say about Oprah is that, like Chaka Khan, she's got a great head full of naturally long abundant hair And doesn't need a wig. And she's lookin great to be 70.. After taking that weight-lost pill, she's down to her fighting weght. Katt Williams cracked that Oprah swallowed so many of them that Gayle lost 20 lbs! Something she needed to do becauses she had really become a healthy specimen of the bovine breed. If you're looking for eye candy you should watch "Beyond the Gates," the new afternoon black soap opera on CBS. It's really a show case for the beautiful people - all dressed to the nines. I've never seen so many fine black men in one place in all my life! And, oh yeah the sistas are also gorgeous.

Are you surprised? Maher has a HISTORY of saying sneaky and greasy shit that often betrays his real thoughts as a Conservative and racist. Many people think he's a Liberal but he actually makes it clear than he's a Libertarian. Libertarians are often described as Conservatives who like to smoke weed....lol. He routinely disparages Arabs and their culture and has been doing this since before 9/11. He also disparages and low key criticizes Black people and AfroAmerican culture from time to time. When Chris Rock did his famous stand-up routine where he detailed the difference between Black folks and "niggaz" and said a whole lot of shit that really SHOULD have been said....but said behind closed doors....a lot of racists White folks were getting erections! Finally, they were hearing what they wanted to hear and it was coming from a Black man and not them. Bill Maher was one of those people who thoroughly enjoyed Rock standing in front of the entire world and publicly criticizing own his people and would often ask, "Where is the Chris Rock for the Arab people?". ....obviously suggesting the need for an Arab to get on stage and publicly criticize HIS people down for what Maher thinks are dysfunctions in their culture.

A Gardin Wedding: A Gardins of Edin Novel by @Rosey Lee Preorder till the 13th of May Book Reviewed by Richard Murray https://aalbc.com/book_review/9780593445518

Here is a list of the 100 Black Bestselling Black Authors in 2024 ranked in order of total sales. Percival Everett James McBride Kimberly D. Moore Malcolm Gladwell Octavia E. Butler Rachel Renée Russell Toni Morrison Victoria Christopher Murray Bell Hooks Isabel Wilkerson Vashti Harrison Michelle Obama Sharon M. Draper Tomi Adeyemi Colson Whitehead Kennedy Ryan Snoop Dogg Amanda Gorman Zora Neale Hurston Angie Thomas Trevor Noah Tia Williams Fawn Weaver Jason Reynolds Margot Lee Shetterly R. H. Sin Crystal Hubbard Oprah Winfrey Sarah Jakes Roberts Nikole Hannah-Jones Jacqueline Woodson Alice Walker Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Yaa Gyasi Mellody Hobson Matthew A. Cherry Hanif Abdurraqib Wes Moore Lavaille Lavette Whoopi Goldberg B. B. Alston Sonya Renee Taylor Tracy Deonn Michael Harriot Walter Dean Myers Rio Cortez N. K. Jemisin Nic Stone Sadeqa Johnson Joy-Ann Reid Frederick Douglass Billy Chapata Keke Palmer Mildred D. Taylor Kiley Reid Frank Berrios Cole Arthur Riley Sister Souljah James Baldwin Jerry Craft Danzy Senna Rita Williams-Garcia Sherri L. Smith Lebron James Shasta Clinch Maya Angelou Tabitha Brown Ross Gay Christopher Paul Curtis Ben Carson Uché Blackstock Antonia Hylton Janay Brown-Wood Brittney Griner and Michelle Burford Clay Cane August Wilson Ketanji Brown Jackson S. A. Cosby A’ja Wilson Morgan Harper Nichols Ishmael Beah Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Ralph Ellison Essie Chambers Ebonyjanice Moore Taraji P. Henson Shanora Williams Jesmyn Ward Tananarive Due Angela Y. Davis Ladarrion Williams S. H. Fernando, Jr Analeigh Sbrana Clint Smith Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Rachel Johnson Saara El-Arifi Sydney Mclaughlin Derrick D. Barnes Zoe Shaw

There you go again using your "personal experience" as your only evidence again. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, you will still hold onto a demonstrably false idea... incorrigible.

In all my years, I NEVER heard Shannon used as a girl's name until I was middleaged. As a child, my neighbors' last name was Shannon that's how I knew its Irish origin. Around the '70s was when people started giving their daughters surnames like Morgan and Meredith, Tracy and Allyson and Sidney and Whitney, and Reagan which were also gender neutral. Nowadays MacKenzie has become a popular girl's name. This trend was popular mainly among white people. Blacks just started making up names and "La" became a popular prefix. Traditionally, many women use their maiden name as a middle name for their children. Especially rich white ones. I was named after an aunt who was named after a prominent white debutant who was a memberof the millionaire Vanderbilt family. She and my aunt were born on the same day. I was watching the NFL draft to see how my BEARS would make out and all dem first round black picks were named Jaden or Jalin or Kaden or Calin or Caleb or Justin or Jason or variations thereof.

Lol....but that wouldn't have been very fun...now would it?

Theresa...

Yeah??? Well help yourself.................

Thanks for catching that Del. I’m surprised I didn’t catch that. Octavia Butler being on the list twice is a mistake. Publishers do not record authors names in a consistent fashion, so I need to normalize them. I corrected a few, but did not catch them all, obviously. When I get a chance, I’ll total up Octavia‘s sales put her in the right ranking and add the next ranking author to the hundredth position.

Humanity has been what it is for thousands of years. IMO, individually, how we choose to live our lives, experiences gained and contributions made in making life better for others is the best we can do.

Troy I'm surprised. I knew you had an engineering degree and had a career in academia; I thought you were part of an academic fraternity. What about a professional fraternity? Most doctors, lawyers, and many engineers are. Again, I'm interested in the deeper explanation. I'm still waiting on Cynique to BEG me so I can answer your question. Which you probably wouldn't believe anyway....lol. When it comes to a lot of Fraternal Orders, Black people often like to COPY what White folks do...without understanding WHY White folks do what they do. Like I said, many Black societies whether they're fraternities or masonic lodges will COPY what they see White fraternities and lodges do without understanding WHY those White fraternities and lodges practice those rituals in the first place or where they came from. Outside of helping eachother get good jobs (which I actually do respect).... Niggaz just running around with rings on their fingers, throwing expensive parties and picnics, and keeping secrets over nothing....lol.

A depressed Sister once ask me this question...I was hard press to find an appropriate anwers so all I could do is give her a response. The meaning of Life....is the Purpose you give it Then as she spiral down...she ask me - Then what is the Purpose of Life?

A wise one can't talk to a fool. Otherwise they cease being wise. I am vacillating between be a Stoic and Nihilist. I have a hard time arguing with people because it is pointless. Most people don't question whether they may be mistaken. I am vacillating between be a Stoic and Nihilist. I have a hard time arguing with people because it is pointless. Most people don't question whether they may be mistaken.

Shannon Sharpe is the latest celebrity Black man to be targeted by attorney Tony Buzbee who likes to file nuisance lawsuits against rich Black men. Buzbee is the same attorney who went after DeShaun Watson, Diddy and Jay-Z. Despite Sharpe having had an ongoing relationship with his accuser with text messages and video, the attorney is pursuing the case as if Sharpe violated her. Interestingly enough, Shannon Sharpe was set to get a $100 million bag for his broadcasting services. Remains to be seen how this lawsuit plays out and how it affects his money. Black men especially those who have money really need to 1) stop believing they have the same privileges as white men, 2) do a better job of protecting themselves from predators and 3) more importantly....learn how to fight back.

just because Minister Farrakhan is not appeared on his show doesn’t mean he’s a racist. besides, Farrakhan would not be an ideal guest for the Bill Maher show over they talk about? Bill doesn’t believe in his religion indeed, Bill is anti-religion. Tiffany is entitled to her opinion she says she doesn’t watch the show so she probably doesn’t know that he has Black people on the show conservatives and liberals. Sure most of the guests are white. I don’t always agree with Bill and as I said before, I think he’s an elitist and has an attitude to match. Despite that I often find his guests interesting and his program funny enough to catch every episode. Islam is a religion not a race. He made a whole movie ridiculing Christians. Doesn’t make him a racist in my book just anti-religion. Of course they are. I suspect I would too if I was in that position if I was being perfectly honest. Putting in the work to dismantle white racism is being anti-racist. Which is a big ask. Shoot, most Black people aren’t anti-racist. Most of us are just trying to survive. Let alone trying to dismantle a racist society. Personally, I try to do my bit with the books and this website, but trust me it’s a daily battle, this is definitely not for everyone. I don’t think he demonizes Muslims in general, not any more than he demonizes Christians. Of course, he was critical of Oct 7. Prof D some of your commentary here on these forums comes across similar to what Maher says particularly when you talking about the alphabet community

Is that really your take-away from the presentation. I did not listen to the entire thing, but it seems to me you have two men who seem truly committed to serving the people. Religion clearly was a big part of their lives and motivation.

We go waaay back, Troy. You've always been a gentleman and a scholar; a really cool guy.

POTUS OJ has already shown himself to be a racist. Look no further than his administration dismantling Black history. They are renaming monuments and bringing back confederate relics. Also, POTUS OJ's administration is criminalizing Hispanic folks under the guise of being tough on immigration. They are mostly deporting young men. The only non-white people POTUS OJ deals with are those who are willing to kiss his azz and buy the BS he's selling. Black folks would be better served to stay out of his way. Let the clown and his circus self-destruct and/or blow through these 3 years with with a minimal amount of chaos and destruction.

That is one of the disciplines that studies the human brain and how it can be tricked, we are tricked every single day. Sometimes it’s deliberate and malicious other times was just the way it is. Accurate sight, that is purely a human construct. Different animals can see different wave lengths of light. The differences are just differences accurate is your construct. Going back to the image I shared you look directly at it and see two different colors, even by your own definition of accurate you perceive colors differently uncertain conditions — when you think that you don’t. You’re conflating things and muddling the argument. Of course statistical data can be misinterpreted or patterns can be over looked or seen when none exist, but we’re not talking about that…. Obviously. Haven’t you ever filled out the census? If so, you know they ask a variety of questions. . well, as high praise coming from you.

To me, in his show last night Bill Maher's body language and attitude hinted that he's been taking a lot of heat for the critique of his visit with Trump. He did revert back to ridiculing and criticizing tRump and his MAGA buddies but insisted that hating them accomplishes nothing... He is learning that talking out of both sides of his mouth is a slippery slope. But his comic relief bits still crack me up.

IMO, the US used its power most effectively in world war II (1941-1945) where it ended the war for the most part with an atomic weapon and emerged as a super-power. Also IMO, the US has not administratively faltered to date. The country has been the #1 super-power on the planet for nearly 5 decades and counting. The US is still the beacon on a hill that people from other countries flock to for a *better* life.

stats can be twisted to say whatever someone wants, but your own eyes don’t lie. Still, sometimes numbers help you see the bigger picture. For me, I trust what I experience, and if the data lines up, even better.

I have found statistics and numbers to be more informative than personal observations. If approached with minimal bias numerical analysis is illuminating. Statistics used to be my hobby. And it not easy to do your own research, and data collection is even harder. There are certain rules or parameters that have to be met or followed when gathering data. If certain criteria is met you have a biased sample that doesn't represent the population being analysed. The cool thing about statics is even if you don't have a normal sample set you can still perform analysis of the data. Averages Medians and Modes can be quite infomative. In addition looking at data graphically can show you some trends. However they may only apply to you have collected, if it is not a representative sample. I am sure you have heard of the Gallup polls.

Science is saying Schrodinger's cat is both alive and dead. Until you turn on the light.

Congrats cataract surgery went well. No need to waste your newfound 20/20 vision on Gayle's fitted hat.

For those who don't like America......lol.....I heard EL SALVADOR was accepting applications for residency. They were offering free housing, communal living, with 24 hour security and more!!!

Yes, society is increasingly complex, but we seem to adapt. Most people my parents age never engaged with technology, however, people, my kids, age and younger, took to technology it like fish to water. Compared to the past things so much easier we have a lot more free time and can do a lot more with that time. In the past, we spent a great deal more time just providing for our basic needs washing clothes, and securing and preparing food took a lot more time and energy in the past. Tiday we can just open up an app and have someone else do it — relatively cheaply. Obviously advances of medicine have led to more comfortable and longer lifespans Net-net, despite the proliferation of increasingly complex, passwords and challenges to log into things, collectively we are all better off.

@Chevdove now during the march equinox, if you draw two lines from the center of the earth, one to the center of the sun and one to the angle of tilt going northward it will look like an L or right angle sign Now toward the june solstice, The L or right angle sign will become an obtuse angle till the most lean at the june solstice then the obtuse angle will go toward being an L to it is a right angle at the september equinox then from the september equinox the tilt will seem more acute till the december solstice when it is most acute and then it goes toward a right angle again , going to the march equinox when it is most acute. and on and on, remember it doesn't matter which one you start with. After the March Equinox is toward the June Solstice After the June Solstice is toward the September Equinox After the September Equinox is toward the December Solstice After the December Solstice is to the March Equinox After the March Equinox is to the June Solstice ...

Chev Yes, I believe that Black people have been exploited at unawares, however, I also believe that most of us do NOT accept accountability for negatives actions as well. Ofcourse not, "children" rarely accept personal responsibility. And as Neely Fuller Jr. has pointed out, most of our people have a CHILD like mentality. The fact that so many of our people don't have any better sense THAN to argue with eachother in public...something most adults learn not to do early on...is a sign of a child's mentality. I have not visited that thread yet but I do believe that African people have been encouraged to be divided and this could be both a good thing or bad depending. Well, DELINIATING (distinguishing your identity separately from another) yourself to celebrate the culture and uniqueness of your particular ethnic group is usually a good thing. ...as long as you're doing it YOURSELF. But if SOMEBODY ELSE from the outside is doing the dividing, it's rarely a good thing. It's usually a case of DIVIDE to CONQUER. Even if Black men believe that they tried, obviously, they do not hear the Black women and acknowledge what we are saying about how we have been abandoned and why we feel that Black men have failed us. I believe that both Black men and Black women are showing arrogance and do not want to acknowledge that we have failed for certain reasons. It's that child like immature mentality where nobody wants to accept blame or any role THEY may have played in the dysfunction. But when it comes to White men and other kinds of men, I believe what Mel Hopkins once said, if I remember correctly in that she said, when it comes down to it, Men are men. The nature of males are unique IMO, and if another kind of man wants to embrace a Black woman, then he does need to respect her for coming from a unique 'Black' culture and build a relationship from that perspective. A lot of White men seek Black women....not out of love...but strictly for the CHALLENGE. They want to break the stereotype or belief that they are too "soft" or not strong enough to handle a Black woman...so one of their greatest desires is to get a Black woman to love them and see them in a sexual light. Another goal of a lot of White men in pursuing Black women is to rub it in the face of Black men as if to say "I got your bitch". I remember one White man at my old job who knew how I felt about White men being with Black women and would make a point of it to find one who liked him and smooch all over her in front of me while staring at me and smiling. I don't know of any Black man who does that with a White woman. Even if they're in love...they don't go out of their way to smooch eachother in front of White men JUST to piss them off. When it comes down to Black men versus other kinds of men, I believe that they will not understand what a Black man has to deal with due to the history made in this world, but that is not the same as bonding with a woman. In fact, if another kind of man does embrace a Black woman, that would actually be a pathway in understanding what Black men have had to endure, especially if they have children from that kind of union Uhhh...so exactly WHAT are you trying to say Chevdove??? Trump puts on a good act, but he is 'allowed' to be aggressive and macho--to a point. Ofcourse. Everything he's doing....he's being ALLOWED to do so. He's the catharsis for a lot of White men who want to talk and move the way HE is but they're afraid to or not in a position to. So they support him and encourage him to break rules, break the law, promote open bigotry and brag about firing people. That's what THEY want to do and USED to do before so many Civil Rights laws were put in place to curtail their ruthlessness. I think that many Black women in my family circle have an obsession over White men because of various factors and not just one factor I'm curious. Obsessed, how? Obsessed with them sexually, or do they see them as angelic or something? I know you said family but are these Black American women, btw???? ProfD The funny part is most Black women will act differently towards a non-Black man. Not because that man did anything special to deserve it. I've noticed this myself for years. A lot of Black women who act tough and ghetto and hard around Black men will all of a sudden become all dainty and smiles with White men. And he doesn't have to be a rich or handsome White man. Some fat sloppy slow acting White man is enough to make them change their entire attitude. As quiet as a church mouse around you with little eye contact. But as soon as that goofy sloppy White man comes around she can't stop grinning and running her mouth and telling all of her personal business....even when his body language shows he's clearly not interested in hearing it, lol. Look how the rapper Eve switched her style up after meeting and marrying a White man. Chev and ProfD I call it the "White Jesus" affect. When a child grows up looking at images of a White Jesus with his hands outstretched and healing all your wounds....that has a profound subconscious psychological effect on them and how they view White people for the rest of their lives. Every White man they see....they subconsciously see that man as "Jesus" or their savior UNLESS that spell is broken.

Bro, that relocatable, er, trailer chick really rubbed you the wrong way. If one has a sense of humor, the funniest thing about racist folks is the poorest among them still think they are better than us.

Right. Most women are totally fine with and attracted to alpha males. There is a movement that has been pushing the belief in toxic masculinity and acceptance of the p*ssification of men. Real men don't give it too much oxygen knowing that when sh8t goes sideways everyone will be looking at us to handle it. When that times comes, those who aren't on the frontlines, alpha women, snowflakes, power bottoms, etc., can sit on the sidelines cheerleading until the dust settles.