Leaderboard

@Troy I was indifferent until I read the rest of the post and others pointing out the Haitian/Japanese opponent Osaka that was depicted in the caricature as a White woman. Granted her hairstyle does have a blonde tip, but the picture was clearly a White woman with blonde hair. So, I think that it was heavy handed in his depiction of Serena. I might be a little biased too, though, because I think Serena is gorgeous. She's so beautiful and she carries herself with 'a right to be unique' and she's stylish. So, I think the depiction is kind of cute, and it depicts her having a tantrum. So even if he meant to demean her, I hope it does continue to backfire. As far as her getting called on showing bad behavior, well, I don't know enough about the rules to comment on that issue. Serean might have to pay that fine.

@Troy As a black american woman, I'm used to the double sometime triple standard that we operate under. Black american women are regulated to the "de mule uh de world" position in this society- so anytime I hear of us doing well; I cheer. However, if we do too well we become targets. Therefore, this cartoon doesn't surprised me and neither does exaggerating the physical features of the darker woman in contrast to the drawing of a petite fair-skinned blond-hair allegedly subservient women . It's par for course when others seek to put us black american women in our place. Sadly, it appears to be working too. So many black women in my twitter timeline are truly butthurt. As for me - I ain't got time for it. Amazon has just merged Create Space and Kindle Direct Publishing. There are far too many gullible writers in the world looking for the easy button that won't see that this merger will ultimately hurt independent publishers. So later for that stupid cartoon...we folks who like to keep control of our intellectual property are busy right now.

LOL! Oh No... I tried SO HARD not to click this link.... but my curiousity got the better of me. I am trying to not to laugh.... Yall please! LOL!

Suntext Publishing would like to submit for review, Nightmare Detective: The Skeleton King (ISBN:978-1-7325432-0-1), a debut fantasy novel for middle school children by Monk Inyang. Publication Date: September 18, 2018 Synopsis Uko Hill is a twelve year old black boy in Newark suffering from the same nightmare every night - an army of terrifying skeletons breaking into his home and destroying everything. He's given up hope of ever having normal sleep until one night, in the middle of his nightmare, he meets Toni. She's part of a group called the Nightmare Detectives - a trained squad of middle schoolers that can jump into the nightmares of other kids and help them stop for good. Uko is given the opportunity to join the Detectives and accepts. Along the way he learns that there's a lot more to living in this dreamworld than he expected. Can he stand up to the evil that he discovers? Can he overcome his fear and doubt to join the legendary Detectives? Amazon for Trade Paperback ($8.99) or Kindle eBook ($2.99) Barnes and Noble for Trade Paperback ($8.99) Early reviews for the book inclue: "...a splendid adventure into the complexity of the mind while maintaining an action-packed plot."- The BookLife Prize"...Magic Tree House meets Goosebumps - but more. Inyang creates a world that exists in our subconcious minds that connect us all...an action-packed story that's sure to grab kids..."- Sundee Frazier - Corretta Scott King Award winner and Oprah Book Club author of Brendan Buckley's Universe "Nightmare Detective is a delightful adventure about friendship, childhood, fears, growing up, helping others." - Manhattan Book Review Contact: monk@monkinyang.com for more information about Nightmare Detective or to order a review copy

I read your blog article Believe in Yo’Self; yep, you can be in a creative business without believing in yourself.

Lord, help us. Pioneer is now shielding himself behind a new avatar, one that brings to mind a biblical patriarch. Guess he figures he needs a make-over to dispel the devilishness that has recently burnished his aura. I always did say he had a "Messianic Complex", and now he's representing himself with a image he probably hopes will bring to mind a black Moses parting the Red Sea and leading his people to the promised land, - a far cry from the reality of his actually muddying the waters and misleading his tribesmen to the dead sea of Pseudo-Africanism. 😀 =

I think I would put black male ahead of white female. Black men got the right to vote first. Black man handily defeated a white woman for the democratic nomination for president. I would also include class in the equation @Delano. Rich, white men rule the world. But a rich Black woman trumps a poor white man. As long as the difference in class is visibly obvious.

The pecking order white male white female black male black female. The White Male is the main character in history and culture, everyone else has varying levels of invisibility. You can also add sexual orientation and cultural/country to the mix. Gay white men would be situated between straight white men and straight whute women. So men talk down to women and whites talk down to blacks. So the more powerf you have the easier it is us to dismiss those below you or simply not validate their existence. Even insults are asymptomatic

Yeah this process will jack up a lot of indie authors. The video (below) makes the transition it look simple, but even a simple process that is unfamiliar will cause a lot of frustration for the less than super tech savvy. Of course there will be no shortage of professionals to help authors make the transition. I already see that CreateSpace Cover Creator designs aren't compatible with Cover Creator on KDP. What is MOST amazing is the "Amazon Royalty." Here is where Amazon gets you and their own price calculator make the very plain. I will write more about this when i get a second. But here is the gist: For a 240 page book if you print with me (AALBC Prints Books) the unit cost is $3.87 per book (assuming a 200 book print run, less for larger print runs). If you sell the book you will make $11.13 (ignoring shipping). Now if you print and sell the books via Amazon, the pricing cost is $3.73/book, but Amazon wants an astonishing $5.27 or $7.54 (with expanded distribution) that is 2/3's of the profit of the book! @Mel Hopkins I gather KDP requires that authors give Amazon the exclusive right to sell their books -- unless the author pays for expanded distribution. Is that right? Amazon can get away with this because they monopolize the online sale of books. For Black books, they essential monopolize the sale of ALL book bt electronic and physical ebooks.

Author Roland S. Jefferson, MD shared this with me a few moments ago. I have never seen this and the first few minutes look good: "In 1968 ABC filmed a 30 minute documentary on musical prodigy Aretha Franklin. It is notable for the rarely seen interviews with her father, her husband, and producers. Importantly it features candid peeks behind the scenes that reveal how Aretha conceived and developed her approach to songs. And of course to watch the mesmerizing impact of her voice on the teens of the day is priceless. At your leisure, I encourage you to take the time to watch this amazing icon at the height of her youth. Enjoy!" --Roland S. Jefferson

@Chevdove Yeah there is a grain of truth in Mooney's jokes...

@Pioneer1 I don't know about that part, but the rest, I do agree. I am not 'what today's definition of a feminist means' but, women do think broadly about family life and sexual relations. My mother is matriarchal. My husband comes from a very dominant. male dominant, background, and we've had to 'duke it out' over the years... LOL...over certain issues. Some women, IMO, will be quiet, if they are dealing with a male dominant man and if they want to bond, for reasons of protection and wealth, they will. But, afterwards, if they are shut out from being 'at the table' on decisions, they will turn you out. And that kind of gender contention is not good for our culture, IMO. Their needs to be a balance. My husband's father's definition of 'family life and sexual relations' really pissed me off, and so, we’ve had some conflicts too before there was peace between us. I eventually admired him because he was willing to listen to my viewpoint and meet me ‘at the table’. He could separate himself from controlling people around him and make solid decisions independently. He was able to view me as a unique person without sizing me up and comparing me to the controlling women around him. I think he was ‘Old World’ in more ways than one. Like me, I think that he was searching for spiritual balance with the opposite gender and I think that is the true test of a lasting relationship between men and women.

The devil made you do it huh...? In YOUR case, that's known as SELF-CONTROL....lol. That's not some "black Moses", that's a painting of a Moor. I might end up changing that avatar again because I don't like how that picture presents itself.

@Mel Hopkins WOW! Thank you! I am obsessed with timelines! LOL. I am very familiar with a lot on this timeline and because it covers so much, I don't even know where I would like to begin to perhaps add my research. I guess I can close my eyes and point! lol. What I would love to do with my research is to somehow write it so that people can read my input and determine for themselves just how the western civilization has brought confustion to the past. However, writing and transferring ideas is a challenge for me. I appreciate having the chance to read what you write. I hope you continue to write because you do it so well! I haven't sat down yet to completely read you book, but I tell you, it is awesome. I was so surprised to see how much information you put behind your theme. The information you put surrounding Ethiopia and Babylon and Solomon . . . amazing. That is my passion! I recall a book I read in the past called Black Spark, White Fire, [?] and it delved into Sesostris I, II, and III and the colony of Cholchis in the north, and I have read other Afrocentric scholars on this colony too. I love the 11th Dynasty king, Mentuhotep [ie. Nebhebitre Mentuhotep] too. This timeline that you posted places Moses, as do too, during the 18th Dynasty and most Black people have no idea! And also, I have seen so many bits and pieces of 'European Bible Scholars' who place Moses in conflict with Thutmosis III but this is not my finding. So, maybe I might try to share some of my research in this area. Thank you again.

People need meaning in their life and they want to be part of something bigger than themselves. Apple isnt selling computers they are selling membership into a club comprised of artistic altruistic thinkers. Apple consumers worship Steve Jobs like a rock star. And just likea a rock concert. They camp out to consume the latest offerings. The product is sold but it is the perception of image and community that is consumed. This applies to following products : Religion; soda; music ; restaurants, universities ; clothing ; sexual identity ; sports ; weight lifting; race et cetera. Identity is a chimera it means what we believe it means. (it is like race a subjective construct) So purchasing products helps to create and sustain identity. When was the last time you drank OE 800?

NIKE is not a philanthropic organization. @Troy As a business man, yourself, why are you so contemptuous of corporations using marketing strategies in order to push their products and realize a profit for them and their stock holders? If you had your way, companies would just post a picture of their product with a caption: "This is what we are trying to sell. We'd appreciate it if you would please buy it." Nobody forces anybody to buy something that catches their fancy. Consumerism is based on a "buying what you want rather than what you need" mind-set. People tend to compartmentalize their lives and acquiring cherished possessions is a niche they set aside to spoil themselves.