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For anybody who is curious as to why I no longer use my original user name on this forum, why I, who was once known as "Cynique", am now known as "aka Contrarian", this is the explanation. I have been contributing to this discussion forum off and on for over 20 years. Back in the day, as a retiree who was an aspiring author, its "African American Literary Book Club" title drew me to this site. And having always considered myself to be somewhat of an "iconoclast", I decided I wanted my avatar to reflect my personality, so I came up with what was a combination of "cynical" and "unique". And the "Cynique" moniker was born, replete with a somewhat devil's advocate persona; always skeptical and a tad sarcastic, - (something which contributed to my ongoing feud with the notorious Kola Boof, a semi-famous drama queen). Otherwise, with a few innocuous exceptions, over the years, I formed several cherished friendships with people I encountered here and with whom I still keep in touch with on FaceBook. Anyway, with the passage of time, while others came and went, I remained a long standing member of AALBC, and Troy rewarded my loyalty by naming this site "Cynique's Corner". As more time passed, however, I eventually became burnt out and, contrary to the insinuations of some people, I voluntarily decided to go on hiatus, subsequently telling Troy he could drop the "Cynique's Corner title; which he did. With the passage of more time, I finally decided to check back in, but I couldn't log on because I'd forgotten my pass word. When I tried to log on with a new password word, I was unsuccessful, the reason given by the computer being that somebody already had that user name. The fact that the "somebody" was me made things more entangled, and after I contacted Troy, he assigned me a special password to use. That, along with adopting a different user name, enabled me to log back on to the discussion forum, at which time I explained that "aka Contrarian" was the poster formerly known as "Cynique". Obviously, the word "contrarian" preserves the cynical essence I originally wanted to convey. Only one person ever found this to be a problem. Whatever. As Shakespeare once said: "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." It is what it is... And, don't be surprised if that "one person" chimes in with a stream of pictures along with references to flowers and bees and wasps and Cynique this and Dolemita that, yada,yada,yada. zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, today is the American holiday where folks gather with family and friends in food, fun and fellowship. Eat, drink and enjoy however you so choose. I know the history behind *holidays* but I do not skip them for the aforementioned reasons. I use holidays as a time to further build and connect with my tribe. Every several years, my birthday happens to fall on Thanksgiving Day. When that happens, I don't have to cook anything for the family dinner. I'll pull up, eat, enjoy my folks and watch football games. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Nature putting on a show via the northern lights, reminding Earth to not sweat the small stuff.

This video popped up when I brought up YouTube today. On some level it feels like Google knows I was talking about this subject Neil describes 13 of things you should consider when evaluating information online. Some of this is common sense. @Pioneer1, for what it is worth, you should check out this video. Perhaps it will help you think about information you pull from the web and how you use it to form opinions.

The argument about penis size as it relates to the sex act, seems to be ongoing; "the bigger the better" being the consensus. But, I suspect there are no figures to support that claim, just as there is no concrete evidence that large penises are an inborn trait of black males, thereby making them better sex partners. And the point made in the girl-talk discussions I've been privy to for over 50 years has always been, it's not what you have, but what you do with what you have. Technique and good staying power favorably compete with a large member which can cause pain and injury. Interestingly enough, "width" got just as good marks as "length", making short thick penises an asset. Average-sized ones also made the cut. Nor was it unusual for tiny ones to show up among black men. But here again, technique was the thing, with sensuous foreplay and intimate cuddling serving as icing on the cake, along with being a good kisser. And, then, there's oral sex... Everybody pretty much knows all the aforementioned factors are important when it comes to intercourse so, imo, the reason the hype about penis size continues, is the apparent need for black men to have something to brag about. Maybe they can't be a CEO in the board room, but they can at least be a stud in the bedroom, an idea that supposedly excites the fancy of white women, the ultimate prize so many brothas have their eye on. I don't know how accurate the following is, nor do I care if anyone disagrees with my take on what I previously said, but my current sources tell me that the 2025 mindset of many single women weary of tryin to navigate the dating scene is that they'd rather eschew the hassle, curl up at home in bed, and munch on a snack while watching a good movie on TV, a vibrator readily available. zzzzzzzzz

Good Afternoon, It's great to be in community with you. My name is Nicole Carr and I'm an Atlanta-based journalist, journalism professor and author of the forthcoming book The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation (HarperCollins June 2026). This is my first book, and it's taken me on a journey through the archives of our medical schools at home and abroad, as well as family history in Jamaica, the U.S., Canada and Europe. We released the cover on Black Friday, and I'd love for you to check out the description and cover below. If this sounds like a read you'd like, I'd appreciate your support with pre-orders and/or spreading the word. You can shop your favorite Black-owned and independent bookstores through the Bookshop link located here: The Price of Exclusion – HarperCollins Thank you for your consideration and support! Nicole Book Description: From award-winning journalist Nicole Carr comes a landmark narrative revealing the untold history of Black medical professionals who have long fought to heal their communities—while confronting a system built to exclude them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Americans died at nearly twice the rate of their white counterparts—a disparity rooted not only in access to care but in a long history of exclusion, exploitation, and systemic racism. How did we get here, and why, despite generations of Black medical excellence, do these inequities persist? In The Price of Exclusion, journalist Nicole Carr uncovers that history and its urgent consequences, exposing the hidden toll of America’s refusal to value Black doctors and their patients. At the center is the extraordinary life of Carr’s great-grandfather, Dr. Lawrence St. Clair Ferguson, a Jamaican-born physician who served in World War I and attended medical school during the Spanish Flu pandemic. His journey from colonial Jamaica to a racially divided America provides both an intimate family portrait and a sweeping history of how Black physicians persevered despite segregation, erasure, and relentless barriers to practice. Through vivid storytelling and meticulous research, Carr resurrects the lives of pioneers who transformed medicine against impossible odds. From America’s first four-year medical school located at a historically Black college in North Carolina to the generations of Black physicians whose contributions were pushed aside by institutions of power, Carr shows how these figures were not only doctors but also advocates and innovators whose work reshaped public health and opened doors for those who followed. Carr also reveals the systemic campaigns that actively disempowered Black doctors, from the American Medical Association’s exclusionary policies to the devastating closures of Black medical schools after the Flexner Report. That legacy fuels today’s shortage of Black medical professionals and the lingering distrust in medicine that continues to cost lives. Bold, moving, and essential, The Price of Exclusion is both a necessary history and a testament to the resilience of Black medical pioneers past and present. At a moment when diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine are under political attack, Carr forces us to reckon with the past while imagining a future where healthcare truly values every single life.

According to the bible, Samson's strength was in his abundant black hair. When Delilah cut it off, he was left weak. How can this be interpreted? What ethnic group can claim strong hair? And women who tame it????? Shame on you, Troy. This clearly applies to black men and the sistas who do braids, all of which is symbolic of black women emasculating black men. Get it? If that sounds ridiculous , - it's because it is. zzzzzzz

The yearlong celebration will begin with a kickoff event in the capitol of Columbus and close in Morrison’s hometown of Lorain. Partners in every county of the state will hold individual events including readings and discussions of her writing, talks with authors and important figures that Morrison influenced, school activities and writing contests, film screenings and performances inspired by her work, and much more. LEARN MORE

Can we expect you to be chided by Pioneer for picking on a black man, implying Corey Booker is a closet gay guy? tsk-tsk. Or will he question Booker's blackness because of his pale skin tone? Wonder what size his penis is?

Talking to ProfD about the ratchet behavior of some of the people we knew and saw growing up brought back memories of Cooley High and scenes like this: I don't care what city you grew up in, we all knew a "Damon"....literally. Either somebody NAMED "Damon" or somebody who ACTED LIKE Damon. Mostly likely MULTIPLE....lol.

@Pioneer1 and @aka Contrarian...whether you all ever agree or not, the back and forth dialog between you two is worth the price of admission. I certainly enjoy reading it. Your contributions keep the forum going especially since fewer folks post compared to a few years ago.

What Troy just posted is on point. And, the demograph for the "Wicked" franchise is not black people. Young black girls are not flocking to theaters to see this latest film fantasy. Nor is there any great interest in it by the black population in general.To them, it's just another Disneyesque Hollywood fantasy like "Sleeping Beauty" or "Shrek". They ain't paying no money to go see it. Pioneer overestimates the gullibilty of black folks as well as the deviousness of Hollywood whose primary goal is profit; not promoting racism. Attributing racial overtones to this movie's subliminal message is a stretch saturated with paranoia. Cynthia and Ariana have admitted they have an affectionate, gender based, non binary relationship. So what else is new? In today's social climate this is not an eyebrow raiser. Who cares if this is their "thing"? Hollywood has always been a freak show. But, as usual, the Strawman has to manufacture a hysterical scenario in an attempt to substantiate his far-fetched argument characterizing some bald headed green skin character as a racist surrogate for a black person. For the person with a hammer, every issue is a nail. Much ado about nothing.

lol! Yes the name speaks for itself. Braggadocio is unnecessary. Dude, the only erect penis I’ve ever seen is mine. Besides an locker room I’m not trying to look at another brother’s joint. were you that guy peeping over the urinal checking out my package the last time I was in Detroit? It is impossible for it to be a scientific fact. Just repeating it doesn’t make it so even the report you shared indicated this. This was not a peer reviewed study that you shared if you look at some of the peer reviewed studies they reflect how problematic it is collecting the data and drawing meaningful conclusions. One interesting thing I read is that folks with high BMI’s tend to have shorter penises because of the pad of fat at the base in their pelvis.

Are Cynthia and Ariana queer? That might explain the off screen “relationship.” As far as the movie poster, if you don’t know anything about the movie and haven’t seen it how can you comment about the poster? I have not seen the movie, but I’ve seen the play and I’ve seem to remember the green witch being a sympathetic character and ultimately a positive one. Yeah, I do think you’re making too much of the poster. For one the character is green with straight hair. So unless you’re going to bat for our green brother and sisters, I don’t understand what you’re complaining about. This movie, the least of our worries. And Cynthia Evio is a net positive for the black community in my opinion.

No I'd gently "tap" it so as not to cause unnecessary trauma....lol. When it comes to sex with women of ANY age, there are considerations. With a 24 year old, you have to consider unwanted pregnancy. With an 84 year old, you have to consider who's going to pay if she ends up needing a hip replacement.

That's it! Thank you. I appreciate this. Thank you so much. lol @aka Contrarian I was too busy and missed this, but hope to see more wonders in the skies.

Because we are not animals and many of us have some modicum of self-control. It seems your expectations of humans is pretty low. Perhaps I'm naive but, I would not be worried about my son banging my wife, or my wife cutting my head off -- I don't have that kind of mental energy. Virtually all the women I interact with are classy enough not to raise me suspicion of sleeping with my son -- especially if I'm dating them. I don't have a son, but I would hope they would also respect the code implicitly. Now you raise an issue with "class." Clearly everyone in this story were of a lower class. Perhaps in these social circles one need to worry about children hooking up with stepparents. I call this "ghetto mentality." That you @Pioneer1 you might be watching too much step-mom porn

Looks to me like she might RATHER him kiss the dog, then....lol.

Time keeps on ticking. How long should she have waited? We've already acknowledged she doesn't need a prince. She's rich. You're dismissing the independent thought of younger females and women. Whatever the Williams sisters choose to do with themselves will not influence thousands of young Black females one way or another. If/when it is time for those females to make dating decisions and marriage partners, other factors will inform it...upbringing, environment, attraction, security, etc.

Yeah, something must be wrong with me. I guess it’s cause I’m bald. Why wouldn’t any Black man wants to recognize a claim strongest hair

That is true as long as it's not against the law. Still, soulmate usually isn't the reason people with a decade or more age difference between connect with each other. It's normally a physical and/or financial incentive. I'm not suggesting they cannot have fun together i.e. shopping, getting their nails done, girls night out, etc. Sure. After 2 months of dating, they have made a business decision. Remains to be seen how it works out. More importantly, let's see if this union 1) bears additional fruit and 2) lasts for many years beyond his political aspirations. No intimidation here. More power to them regardless of their arrangement. Surely. POTUS Obama successfully carried out the duties of the highest executive office in the USA. He did not *break* anything white folks built. Ask Rep. Hakeem Jeffries if he's power brokering any legislation to bring reparations to AfroAmericans. Wait for his answer. Don't interrupt.

Austin Creek by Kimberly S. Love wins a South Arts Grant for how the novel depicts the vitality of the South! Read about the award, listen to Love discuss her book with a student from Alabama A&M, and start reading!

I undwerstood. I was just emphasizing the bible for most of its existence couldn't be read due to illiteracy. The printing press was invented until 1,500 years after Jesus the Christ's death. Basically, reading the Good Book is not a requirement for being a Christian. So I wouldn't beat them up on that point.

@Pioneer1 so I gather you do not consider yourself a biblical scholar. I provided bullet points on how I arrived at my conclusion. Reading your original passages and researching them took all of five minutes. You could have done that, indeed you should’ve done that before you posted the passage. The only reason I took the time to research, the meaning of the passage was that it was provocative. I wasn’t aware that there was any language like that in the Bible so I was curious to learn what it meant I won’t bother doing it for you because I already know there is nothing that I can say that will get you to think differently about what you posted. From your perspective, the Bible has provided proof that Black people have the biggest dicks.

They should have went for Universal Healthcare. For basic needs atleast. We can still have health insurance if you want perks and extra benefits like a pimped-out hospital room or work compensation or certain designer drugs. But for basic care to keep people healthy, it should be absolutely free. At one point Obama had both Houses Democrat led and a more Liberal S-Court. If they were really sincere about it they could have done it. Obama Care was pretty much a give away to the insurance companies because now you're FORCED to get health insurance whether you want to or not.

Yeah that is probably why Jewish people punch over their weight when it comes to winning Noble Prizes and we dominate in basketball.

As the late Senator John McCain once said on the campaign trail when a woman tried to character assassinate POTUS Obama, "no...we're not going to do that...(s)he's a decent person". Just as you are my virtual brotha, the person to whom you're referring is my virtual sista too. I still claim her in spite of accusing me of being misogynistic and a Black supremacist and delusional as it relates to what Black folks should do under the system of racism whte supremacy. Regardless of whether or not we agree on anything or disagree on everything and any debate in between, we're AALBC virtual family. Like siblings, we have to be prepared to roll with or take the punches as good as we give them.

@Pioneer1 I told KEmi hopefully she adjusts her list https://aalbc.com/bookstore/Nandi%26rsquo%3Bs+Knowledge+Cafe

Man, time flies. I haven't been to ANY of those cafes in Detroit....lol. There is one cafe I used to go to quite a bit and I'm surprised it wasn't on your list, Nandi's House of Knowledge.

@Pioneer1 this would seem to be true as you fixate on penis size as being the primary means for attracting a woman’s attention. @ProfD actually most scientific projections suggest humanity will eventually be brown as populations continue to mix. The so-called white race will disappear over time.

Sure they do and they will naturally draw false conclusions about the book. This is exactly why they say don’t judge a book by its cover or judge people by the color of their skin. How do you know this? I thought you didn’t watch the film. So even fictional, green characters are now lump in with Black people? What is the next pioneer saying that the Incredible Hulk just reinforces the black male brute stereotype? I’ll grant you that the majority culture will promote their ideas of beauty; fair skin, blonde, hair, blue eyes, fine features, etc — even though most of them don’t look like that. Obviously Black people, despite straightening their hair and dying it blonde and using cream lighters will never achieve that standard. but suggesting that the producers of the movie, wicked crafted the green character simply to reinforce negative black stereotypes is an extreme leap to make based upon a movie poster of a film you purportedly have not seen.

I watched it again within the last year or so you appreciate it differently at different stages of life.

Happy belated birthday @ProfD! Who among us are thinking about pilgrims when celebrating Thanksgiving? There is no reason not to gather with friends and family to enjoy some good cooking, sports, games on this particular day.

A lot of people do not celebrate holidays foe different reasons. It's all good. I'm one of those men who loves to eat and cook. A woman will never be able to starve me. In fact, most women don't want any parts of the kitchen once they have eaten whatever I cook. Absolutely. Time spent with family and friends and celebrating folks should happen whenever time permits. Holidays just give folks a date to make plans for their gatherings especially when travel is involved.

Well happy Birth Date my brutha! How old are you now, 25....30? It should come as no surprise that I don't celebrate Thanks Giving. Because of my strong influence, nobody in my household does either. I don't force them to or not to....but I guess I have that type of influence over people...lol. On top of that, as I've gotten older a lot of the matriarchs who did most of the cooking during these holidays have passed on and most of the younger women DON'T KNOW how to cook. I grew up eating DRESSING....and they're talking about making some STUFFING...lol. WTF??? * Talk about men being jealous in another thread. Sometimes I DO get jealous of these African and immigrant Latino men who come from a culture where cooking is still highly prized among their women. The women are expected to cook, not just for the children but for the men....and this is indisputable among them! Even the younger ones just ACCEPT this and smile as they start rattling the dishes and warming up the water. Now THAT is enough to get a brutha jealous and wonder why do THEY deserve that type of royal treatment....lol. Anyway...... I DO enjoy the time off I get though and I use it to relax and get other things done. As far as using it as a time to spend with family and friends.....you should be doing that ANY day of the week you have an opportunity. I don't need a White man to tell me WHEN to do it. I say the same things about Mother's Day. I don't let anybody "shame" me into celebrating Mother's Day, because EVERY DAY should be Mother's Day when your mother is still alive to celebrate her.

Got it. A handful of mostly anonymous Black folks were kidnapped by white folks and enslaved and forced to breed since the 1970s. Of course, many folks in unhealthy situations; bad relationships and marriages can make a claim that they are enslaved and forced to breed too.

News. Says .Viola. Fletcher.... A. Survivor. Of. The. Tulsa. Race. ,Massacre. Has. Died. At. Age. 111. .. Dead. At. Age. 111. ..This. Racist. Evil. Country. Has. Sympathy. For Israel. And The. , ,Holocaust. .But. No. Sympathy. Respect. For. The. Descendants. Of. Slavery. No. Respect. For. The. Descendants. Of Tulsa. Race. Massacre. , And. Lynchings. Hangings. ..Black. ,Holocaust. Has. Never. Stopped. ..

ProdD This carrot would be a one-time payment similar to those pandemic checks. Ok, just as I figured...another gimmick or publicity stunt. Right. The net benefit is zero especially if folks are going to spend it on BS instead of investing it in something that actually makes more money And the REAL kicker is they're probably going to put up all kinds of limitations and exemptions on it to where half if not most people wouldn't even qualify for that money anyway. If you're a felon...can't get the money. If you owe back taxes....can't get the money. If you owe child support...can't get the money. If you have outstanding parking tickets...can't get the money. If you didn't vote Republican....can't get the money. If you aren't working...can't get the money. How tall are you? What was your highschool GPA? How long is your dick? Do you put rum in your egg nog? Lol.....any excuse.

ProfD In the voice of NF Jr...ask the white supremacists. I did. And they looked at me and said: "You know the answer to that one."

Now think about that..... People who are so poor that they need to receive food stamps and assistance....are being told they must WORK in order get the benefits! Most people outside of America would reason that if a person had a job and were working they WOULDN'T NEED food assistance to begin with! Reminds me of that scene in Friday when Ice Cube asked his mother for $300 and she said she didn't feel comfortable loaning him the money because he didn't have a job. And he told her that if he HAD a job he wouldn't need the damn loan!

Of course, brother, I’m not suggesting you pull a bunch of flies off some horse shit and make a soup.

Jealousy is not always a bad thing....neither is being insecure Both are means use by your subconscious mind to tell you something is not what it appears to be... How you react or interpret that information is what makes it beneficial or detrimental. Understood... Timidity is being cautious...scared is being extra vigilant So long as neither stops you from taking action to confront and recognize the cause. True....that is his responsibility to protect and secure family It only becomes a problem when it curtails the freedoms and liberties of those who he intends to protect. It is My opinion that one should be able to trust his woman to handle certain situation in a manner that makes you and herself happy True... Hate to me is not an emotion....hate is a sentiment Fear is an emotion that warns of danger real or imagine. Envy is an feeling based in lack I first evaluate her reaction....then i consider whether or not he has overstep That depends on her actions and reactions... Never....or only in physical self defense Was she flirting ? Hard to say without more detail True I do not see them as inherently negatively... And yes it points to what is in the individual... Information is pick up by our Senses.....This info is below the level of Consciousness - subliminal. Subliminal info is raw data.....feelings Depending on current Mind Set...Temperament or Disposition. Feelings become Emotions I disagree First you must define your definition of Jealousy and Insecurity? To me Jealousy is the fearing of losing something. Insecurity means to be in harms way exposed or unprotected. True... Keeping and Protecting his family is his business. He should not worry.. But he must be prepared for betrayal and testing True

Well, the crack down was definitely for show. The circus came and went; packed up their clowns and tent.

@ProfD & @frankster Ya know... I'm actually LEARNING something as I read this exchange between you two. Funny what you can find out when you actually shut up and LISTEN to (read) other people.....lol.

POTUS OJ insulted all Americans when he said they were not talented enough to do future jobs. They're gonna bring in chosen immigrants to train American workers. Maybe he's on to something...especially if those same dumbazz Americans voted for him.

When the dust settles, these politicians will have accomplished nothing. D8mn shame that they get paid while not doing their jobs. Nevermind that most of them are already rich. Ridiculous.

@Chevdovethe Orionid meteor shower is currently visible in the sky according to astronomers. Best viewing time to watch is between midnight and dawn. I may venture out one night to watch. It supposedly takes 15 minutes of staring before your eyes focus. The moon is new so the sky is dark, making for better visibility.

Little by little all the judges are caving in and, not surprising, the corrupt Supreme Court is accommodating Trump's running rough shod over the Constitution. The Project 2025 agenda is right on schedule, with the element of public apathy as its enabler. Maybe this is the way it's supposed to be. Or perhaps the American Empire, like others before it, will inevitably collapse and its population will go their separate ways. I never took the Black Muslims very seriously but Retrumpicans are blue eyed devils. I think they are descended from Neanderthals who had a different root from Homo Sapiens. Oh, well.

I am finding words and numbers allow me to access the unconscious mind of the Querent and for myself i use omens and clock time Yes just be open and don't have set beliefs or feelings. Just allow the information to speak to you. One of the ways is to just doodle or write down the words that pop into your mind.

If I remember correctly, it had to do with how they repeatedly attempted to get the results. For example, if you try to measure my foot at the end of the day - it is always going to be bigger than in the morning. Once I come across the claim I'll follow up wiht a post.