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This a tough one. But I’m with Stefan on this one. @ProfD using your reasoning people in “soft target” like churches, schools, businesses should be armed if that what your are saying. You make it sound simple. Owning, maintaining, securing, and caring a gum is not trivial, nor is knowing when and how to use it. Do you carry a gun around with you in case you confront a gun man? As the article pointed out armed civilians “defending” themselves kill innocent people and unnecessarily use deadly force all the time. People have been killed over parking spots, walking in the neighborhood, taking too loud in the movie theater. Instead of creating an arms race amongst the population and being the hand maidens of the NRA we should seek other solutions….

@Cynique, better late than never that you've noticed your bell has been rung.😁 Now that I'm fully of aware of your technical challenges, if/when I decide to run up there for Harold's fried chicken, I'll start a thread.🤣😎

Tyre Nichols was beaten to death by 5 black former Memphis police officers. Word is for 3 minutes, those 5 ex-cops beat that 29-year old man like a "human piñata". We'll see the video soon. The whole ordeal stemmed from a traffic stop. Tyre's family says the only reason he tried to run away is because he was scared. No matter how eccentric an individual might appear to be, if they're nonviolent, there's no reason for police officers to abuse them. Police officers have plenty ways of catching up with a fleeing nonviolent suspect too. Let them go. Eat donuts and wait for them to show up at the crib. Police officers are sworn to serve and protect citizens. They have had a false sense of authority since the war on drugs. Police officers shooting and beating nonviolent folks is excessive force or worse...murder. Those 5 clowns need to go to prison. 😎

All of these presidents and vice president have nothing on me when it comes to newly-discovered documents. After all of these years I can't believe that I never paid any attention to the symbols at the top of this site; the bell and the envelope notifying me that someone is trying to make contact with me. Why I never checked these out, i do not know! Maybe because I never sign out of my account because i have such a frustrating time trying to get back in because I can't ever remember my pass word or user name and all that crap that gets co-mingled and entangled.. For some reason, I can't even sign in from my Android phone which is a pain in the ass because i have to come to this old outdated computer if i want to post. The bell and the envelop were just things that never registered with me especially since i wasn't focused on the top of the screen. Today when I just happened to investigate them and the numbers beside them - for some reason, I discovered messages dating as far back as 2010!!! Requests and questions from people i never responded to, or acknowledged. Amazing! I feel bad that these folks thought i was deliberately ignoring them. And i apologize. And just think, if I croak, I'll still be signed in here haunting the place. My life gets crazier by the day. Lord knows what death will bring! And be forewarned, taking the "cuff it" challenge to Beyonce's song is on my bucket list and if I can get it down pat, my kids want to post it on Tik Tok and maybe I'll even put it up here for your delight and amusement. Wnoooooooooa - no fools, no fun!

Thank you it's a big compliment but if the blog takes too much time , a book is out of the question

@Delano If you do decide to go indepth make it a book. That is why we are here, inst it? I would read it.

I recently saw a report on ChatGPT. Cool technology but... AI is going to put a whole lot of folks out of work. Robots will be able to do everything that is not bound by ethical considerations. The future of job opportunities will be bleak for unskilled and under-educated people. 😎

Here is one of the exchanges how would you describe me based on m questions As a language model, I do not have the ability to perceive or understand the physical world and I do not have information about you other than the questions you have asked me. Therefore, I am not able to provide a description of you based on your questions. However, based on your questions, I can infer that you are curious, searching for knowledge and have an interest in a wide range of topics.

@Cynique I am aware of Hoyles mastery of ♠️♥️♣️♦️ card Games. Not through intent. A digital Hoyle rule book comes with the game, so, there is that, ... and the players in the game will remind you of Hoyles mastery and the book, when they are beating you, making a good play, or any player makes a bad move. I have only ever used Hoyles gamebook for skimming through, to get a concept of what to do. ⁉️ Practice makes perfect 🥉🥈🥇 is my personal method. Also. As Richard Murray 👑 has said. [paraphrased] I too would enjoy an autobiographical of YOU. Especially one that is consistent with the dialogue you use here, as opposed to literary restructuring to an autobiographical template. And. As Delano 🎉 has pointed out. [paraphrased] Your memory serves you well.

hahaha @Troy just take two sets of regular cards together and make the deck:) you have inspired me to champion pinochle more haha!:) @Cynique inspiring story, did you ever keep journals from your university of illinois days, i will love to read some of your thoughts from those times:) see if they are changed from your more experienced now:)

I am not arguing semantics which is why I posted the definitions. For me it is not the same to say. You can have evidence. It can be evident You can have proof It can be proven. It proves the point https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/evidence_1 [uncountable] the information that is used in court to try to prove something. to prove or show something; to be evidence of something So you are correct that evidence can be used interchangeably based on the definitions. However one definition of evidence is not the same as proof. Our point of difference is that definitions is a subset of semantics. Semantics is the meaning of words and phrases. A word does have a different definition versus usage in a phtase I was going to say sentence but it is not the same as a phrase. I thought you .were wrong, I should have known better. However I have learnt something today.

@Stefan, reparations is defined as compensation, restitution, redress, repayment. 😎

I've heard of Pinochle. It and Gin Rummy are very well known games here in the midwest. i used to know how to play it, but I'd have to refresh my memory to play it now. i do remember having to have a special deck with cards no lower than a 10 spot. And my mother used to "read the cards" using a standard deck. She actually had a regular cliental who would come to the house. for readings. i dabbled in doing this a little, but again i've forgotten what the cards stood for. I do remember that was the wish card was the 9 of hearts and if it was upside down, you weren't going to get your wish. That was another thing i used to do at the U of Illinois instead of hitting the books; read the cards and just make up things because i didn't half know what i was doing But girls were so eager to find out things they sought me out. The Jack of hearts represented their boyfriends, and the Queen of Spades was an evil woman. Diamonds, of course, represented money. Those were the days... Back when Illinois was a Big 10 powerhouse and their athletic teams took first place in every sport and our mascot was Chief lliniwek before political correctness dictated that this was offensive to Native Americans so they retired him, and the fightin Illini were never again a dominate force to be reckoned with. zzzzzzzz

@Troy Excellent analysis. Early news reports of the Texas Roadhouse incident actually claimed the assailant's gun was fake. I don't know and I am reluctant to investigate this further because of the races of the alleged robber and so-called good guy with a gun. But Troy is correct. Not everyone should own a gun because they may not be a responsible gun owner. Just look at the incident in which a six-year old boy shot his teacher.

@Rodney campbell I will pass on your advice. But I definitely admire you doing something a few people in this discussion group rarely do: THINK. One cannot possibly abandon societal control over their lives. We all have to live within a system of rules and laws or there will be mass pandemonium. You can live in a cave, a mountain retreat, even on a far away island. But at some point, you are going to require nutritious food, clean water to drink and as you get older, medical care. There are laws in place that govern the sale, procurement and safe guarding of such things. Imagine if every Tom, Dick and Harry was able to front as a clueless farmer using dangerous pesticides, dump harmful waste or chemicals into lakes, streams and reservoirs or work as an unlicensed physician. We know these things happen. And what is the result? Untimely deaths and serious injury. This is why we need laws, rules and regulations. This has nothing to do with any religion. But everything to do with Common Sense and with a view towards Communal Longevity. What would happen if everyone decided to follow their own heart, instinct and attitude when driving a vehicle? It would be a mess. Yes, God created Humanity. I will never subscribe to theories of Aliens and Evolution being responsible for the Human Race. But God instituted rules for the first couple Adam and Eve and later on, unveiled his Laws under Moses. If you believe. Fanciful philosophy may be fun to read and even act on in small groups. But when buttressed against what you to refer to as Society, there must be Order. Because too many people and rulers of nations seem to have this kind of thought process: "Is that yours? It's mine now." - ( Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson )

Some individuals simply don't know what they are talking about. The $20 million payment does NOT represent Reparations. It is simply payment for a real estate transaction that involves land that was taken from a family long ago. Read the following analysis piece from ABC News carefully: Payment to the Bruce Family for waterfront property There was no way for the Bruce Family to fully monetize the land. They were prevented from doing so by zoning regulations said State Senator Steven Bradford. And that is why the payment is so paltry. "This fight has always been about what is best for the Bruce family, and they feel what is best for them is selling this property back to the County for nearly $20 million and finally rebuilding the generational wealth they were denied for nearly a century," according to Janie Hahn, chair of the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. Does anyone see the word Reparations in that news analysis? Stop accepting nonsense from individuals who don't understand anything and refuse to do research on matters and issues.

I was not discussing Black Society. My focus was on Black History.

pinochle! @richardmurray you must be from Philly. I’ve only played the game there. Outside of Philly I’ve never heard anyone mention it. Plus you need a special deck of cards… anyone else heard of pinochle?

The easiest thing would be to use the word in a sentence. The adjective and verbs are different meanings of the word “proof” we were talking about the definition below: Words can have multiple meanings, but we were shaking about a specific meaning.

@Rodney campbellAs you may or not may not know, Hoyle was a Bridge Master who established his own system of playing Bridge, and this is how the expression "according to Hoyle" originated when players would preface their reason for making what might be considered an unorthodox play, with that phrase.. Charles Goren was another Bridge Master and is the one whose "convention" I adhere to.

@Delano have you ever blogged on aalbc about your tarot experiences,in depth?

The brotha has a gift for running his mouth. Women impressed by an articulate Black man run the gamut from highly educated to hood boogers and everything in the middle. Beyond being bedazzled by bullsh8t, the only women who actually stick around a broke dude with the gift of gab traveling down the boulevard of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations are what I call the lonely hearts club. 🤣 The lonely hearts club women just a want a piece of man...a dude with a pulse. Those types of women will actually support a broke azz n8gglet. In that regard, considering the bar isn't very high, Umar could build a harem of women. He just wouldn't be able to support them beyond bubblegum and the bedroom depending on the tightness of his game.😎

For me, hands down, (pun intended) Bridge is my strategic game of choice. I've been playing Bridge for 70+ years, dating back to my Freshman year at the University of Illinois, during the 1950s. Back then. Bridge wasn't just a pass time, it was what students stayed up all night in their dorms playing, or cut classes haunting the Student Union lounges huddled around tables, deciding which suit to bid. It was the favorite after dinner activity at Sorority and Fraternity houses, a fanaticism that jeopardized the scholastic standing of a whole lot of students, - included myself. So Bridge is my thing and when it comes to being a strategic game, there is no substitute for just plain old gut instinct and good judgement as opposed to the crazy "cue bidding" compiled by so-called experts who have diluted the purity of the game. I've been asked by people to teach them how to pay Bridge. But i always refused the request, telling them I can't teach you Bridge. You learn by playing it. You have to have what is known as "card sense". After all this time, I'm still learning the game. Although complicated, Bridge is also simplistic. No bells and whistles, just a 52 pack of cards to deal out to 4 people for whom nothing is more fulfilling than bidding and making a grand slam - unless it's throwing your cards across the table at your partner for making a stupid play! This is why down through the years Bridge clubs always topped my list of recreational activity. But those days are gone, along with all my old buddies who have ascended to that big card table in the sky. Bridge, itself, was dying out because it tended to be an "old people's game" but it is making a come back, and I go on line and play it every day with computerized robots. And if ever anything cast doubt on the reliability of "Artificial Intelligence", it's the game of Bridge. Robots make terrible Bridge players! They lack human instinct and are unable to establish rapport with their partner or to observe their opponents style of play and sense whether a queen-ace finesse will work. So my fascination with this game continues but, of course, the day will come when instead of bidding, I will pass...

@Pioneer1 lets see....how far back should I go, hmmm. (smile) I'm just always intrigued by your views. You tend to make my facial expressions shift to the left. Then, I sit back and dissect your words - very thought-provoking @TroyYou're a deep brutha. Thanks for the 'narrow-minded clarity (you speak your truth and I can appreciate it), and you're absolutely right about, 'when we publish with am*zon exclusively we give am*zon all the money to produce the book and all the money to sell and distribute it. This just increases their strength and revenue while weakening their competition'

The operative word was “exclusively.” But under further consideration maybe “narrow minded” Is not the right phrase as it applies to the individual. Amazon exerts monopolistic power when it comes to independent book sales and publishing, so the decisions are limited. Indeed that is why I’m compelled to send readers there for some books, when I spent the previous three years boycotting them. The problem is for us collectively; when we publish with Amazon exclusively we give Amazon all the money to produce the book and all the money to sell and distribute it. This just increases their strength and revenue while weakening their competition.

Yeah, here we go, Mr. Phony. No great numbers of Blacks have left California because YOU said they should. And that's why you refuse to answer. For your information, the term Slavic is a derivative of Slovenia and refers to language. It has NO connection to Slavery, according to its Etymology. But of course, because you tend to post so many untruths and rarely research anything, you wouldn't know this. Etymology of the term Slavic Now, you know.

@Pioneer1, I have much respect for your raw views (even if I don't agree with some of them and even when I'm offended by some of them) on this and other discussions. Your responses are truly thought-provoking. Thank you. @Chevdoveyour observations are on point. I, too, have seen lots of 'promo' for LGBTQ, BlPOC, and even with specific content requests. IDK, but what I can attest to is the challenge of marketing/promoting with impact (which is a whole other discussion) Haha… @Troy I was one of those (in your own words) ‘narrow-minded’ sistas who self-published on am*zon, but it was solely because, when researching how to self-publish, the resources listed included only the well-known sites. I can't recall how I found AALBC, but I'm delighted that I did - you do better when you know better. (Wink) To give input into my thoughts of the 35% fewer books published by black authors in 2022 than in 2021 and almost 50% fewer than the peak published in 2015, TTTGA (that thing that’s going around) played tricks with many our minds in that many of us spent the last few years so worried about our mental well-being, physical well-being, and overall spirit that, for me, I could not settle down - fearing that depression, restlessness and pity parties would rule the day. Safe to assume that 2019 - 2021, at least, remained consistent, or, at least, not much of a decline? Sh&@! by 2022, I was still recovering from the mental burnout of TTTGA, and yeah, I admit that it handled me a little as I witnessed what was happening around me, and I’m not one to be handled (I much prefer to be loved for the beautiful mess I am). Don’t get me wrong, the downtime kept me ‘still’ and allowed for some great self-reflection which included working on book IV, which, by the way, thanks to aalbc, I’ve printed copies via BCP digital, and self-distributing, temporarily, that is, until I list on aalbc, but the down time didn’t sustain my attention until mid-2022. The impact of TTTGA is not an excuse, but, in fact, a ‘whole event’ (whether a conspiracy or reality or our imagination) that influenced heavy adverse outcomes. BUT, what remains consistent is the resilience of my people - We still stand, we still have lots to say, and we will see an increase in black author publications!, again! Just look at me - ‘I wrote you 37 letters’ published in December 2022!!! Not sure if my December 2022 publication had much impact on the stats, but I'm baaaaack!

Stefan The proof is in the very NAME of the people of Eastern Europe. They are called "Slavs" or "Slavic" people for the very reason that so many of captives were taken from that region that their ethnic name became synonymous with what we call slavery today. This article gives a brief but decent outline of the slavery that existed in Eastern Europe: Slavery - Ways of ending slavery | Britannica "Slavery was a familiar institution to many sixteenth-century Europeans. Although slavery had gradually died out in northwestern Europe, it continued to flourish around the Mediterranean Sea. Ongoing warfare between Christianity and Islam produced thousands of slave laborers, who were put to work in heavy agriculture in Italy, southern France, eastern Spain, Sicily, and eastern Europe near the Black Sea. Most slaves in this area were "white"--either Arabs or natives of Russia and eastern Europe. But by the mid-fifteenth century, the expansion of the Ottoman Empire cut off the supply of white slaves. It was during the mid-fifteenth century that Portugal established trading relations along the West African coast, and discovered that it was able to purchase huge numbers of black slaves at a low cost." Digital History (uh.edu) By the way, just how many Blacks have left California at your urging? I know you don't want to answer the question. Here we go....lol. . Zzzzzzzooooooommmmmmmmm.............