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I just recently completed Toni Morrison’s latest book “Home”, a novel I have been looking forward to reading because its advance notices promoted it as being set in the 1950s, an era I could relate to. Since many of Morrison’s novels take place way back in the day, I was glad she had chosen to write about what was, to me, a more recent period in history. I was curious about how Ms Morrison would portray the 1950s which have been referred to as not only a bland and innocent time populated by the “silent generation“, but also the decade that was ripe for the civil rights movement it spawned. I anticipated she would write about a passive race of people, done with being patient, spurred into protest by dynamic leaders like Martin Luther King, and inspirational ones like Rosa Parks, and martyrs like Emmet Till, all played out against a backdrop of doo-wop music and Amos ‘N Andy TV and Dorothy Dandridge celebrity. The ‘50s I knew. Silly me. I should’ve realized that Toni Morrison would never stoop to such mundane predictability. With Toni it’s never easy. And “Home” is vintage Morrison. So, before long, through the vividness of her prose fraught with its extraordinary metaphors, and the wretched poignancy of her characters, I was beyond reading this book; I was experiencing it. In my imagination I was there, immersed in a version of life in the 50s that was diametrically opposed to the one I led back then as a young black woman residing in a small integrated suburb of Chicago. Crouched in the unforgiving frozen terrain of Korea, killing to keep from being killed while dodging bullets, I was there with the book's protagonist, Frank Money, as he witnessed the horrible deaths of the homeboys with whom he had enlisted in the Army, hoping to escape the dead-end drudgery that was their fate as black youth bogged down in the dusty little rural town of Lotus, Georgia. There, following Frank through the post traumatic stress that plagues him as a shell-shocked war veteran, wandering the dangerous streets of northern cities, working his way through despair with whiskey and the fleeting love of Lilly, a comely, ambitious woman not content to be his ongoing caregiver. There, listening to the frenetic be-bop music in a smoky little night club, visited between trains on his way back to rescue his gullible younger sister, “Cee”, who has been victimized and sterilized by a mad professor of eugenics. And, in the end, there, back in the confines of a hapless little town that modernization forgot, and slavery remembered. Yet a place that is also a welcoming haven not lacking in the homespun warmth and time-worn wisdom embodied by its black inhabitants, common folk of varying degrees of good and evil who, through the worst of conditions have endured, blissful in their ignorance, secure in their belief that “be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home”. As the book draws to its close I was also there, witnessing a reappearing zoot-suited phantom who like the style he sported, comes and finally goes with a smile on his face, signalling that "all's well, that ends well". At 145 pages, “Home” is a short intense novel, something which always earns points with me, and a satisfactory read for those who are up to the challenge of spinning straw into gold. Finally, because it is what it is, I have no choice but to give this good thing that came in a small package, 4 stars. * * * *

I just can't get enough of this silly song. Why, I don't know. My grandson even threatened to shoot a video of me singing it so he could add it to YouTube's collection of diffent covers of it. This link provides one of the more interesting versions for those of you who are tired of serious subjects. http://youtu.be/lEsPhTbJhuo

Because gang related violence has become so rampant in this country’s inner cities, attempts to focus on this problem have taken on celebrity involvement. Recently ABC news anchor, Diane Sawyer, showed up in Chicago to cover a gang summit being sponsored by Father Michael Pfleger, local hero, activist Catholic priest, and the white leader of an all black congregation. These high level meetings between the hierarchy of Chicago’s gangs have been held before and have not worked or will they ever because guards can never be lowered and ground never conceded. Reputations have to be maintained. What I find compelling about the situation is the reaity of what is at the root of a lot of the violence. Poverty and lack of jobs and the breakdown of the family don’t tell the whole story. It’s assumed that the wanton slayings are all gang-related, all about turfs and drugs and retaliations . But a lot of the killings are actually personal vendettas by macho cowards, - nonentities who are so consumed with their need to feel important that they cannot deal with rejection. Time and time again a familiar scenario is what triggers murder and mayhem. Someone is having a party with family and friends when an individual or a group crashes the affair and after stirring up trouble, are asked to leave. The second act of this drama plays out with the resentful offenders showing back up with a gun to shoot up the place. Other situations involve love triangles where one rival will gun down his cock-blocking competitor. Even making longer than necessary eye contact between adversaries can lead to drawn weapons. Any act of disrespect shown by one homie toward another, be it on a playground or at the club or on a FaceBook wall, or at a funeral for a murdered friend is grounds for pulled triggers. What used to be settled with fists is now finalized with guns in the hands of those who invaribly slaughter innocent bystanders, all in the ritual of proving one’s manhood by getting even. Unfortunately, this need to beat one’s chest doesn’t restrict itself to the ghetto. A more cold-blooded version exists across the board on all levels of society and can even lead to war. When the collective ego of one country is insulted by the collective ego of another country, battle lines are drawn. It's a fact life that an insatiable ego is an intrinsic part of all living creatures. It’s the nature of the beast to take offense at anything that constitutes a slight, and threatens one’s self esteem or, worse yet, exposes one’s insecurity. All cooler heads advocate replacing false pride with peace and love, citing these virtues as being the source of true strength because they call for the restraint that saves lives. "Blessed be the peacemakers", but everybody didn’t get the memo. The ruthless ego will not be denied. It rules everywhere as lions fight to be king of the jungle, - and men fight to be king of the hill. Crushing a threat to your status gives the ego an erection. That damned ego is at the root of all the problems of the world because it goes hand in hand with the quest for power. And power corrupts. God, you sure screwed up when you created us - in your image...

Unless you're blind and deaf it's hard to avoid life's little aggravations delivered to you on a daily basis courtesy of the media in all of its forms. This is the motivation for me letting my pet peeves out of their cage. The top 10 things that make my eyes roll upward The gloating eagerness of celebrity moms to reveal how quickly they’ve regained their slim figures after relieving themselves of the baby bumps they were equally anxious to show off to an indifferent world. So called “right-to-life" zealots who don’t realize that, by applying their warped standards, a female’s expelling of an unfertilized egg every month is the equivalent of an abortion. ( An example of what can be concluded when one group imposes its beliefs on another.) Black Americans who wear the synthetic Rasta dread locks that are exhibitionist rather than significant. At least weaves are indigenous of the ghetto-fabulous culture. The food nazis who take the joy out of living by telling you everything you like to eat is bad for you, hoping to turn you into a stomach-growling label reader. Or worst yet, a smug vegan. Making a big deal of coming out of the closet. Who cares how you prefer to “get it on”? It’s not as if straight couples can’t make-out in bed the same way as Gays do. The way public officials regularly embezzle huge amounts of taxpayer’s dollars, living lavish life styles until they are caught and given a slap on the wrist. Because they are perpetrators of white collar crimes they are apparently deemed less guilty than petty drug dealers doing 10 years in prison for selling weed. How boring wedding dresses all look. Brides nowadays seem to have no more imagination than to choose the same style of wedding dress as everyone else; a sleeveless, strapless gown designed to show a lot of skin while featuring the requisite heart-shaped bust-line that squashes your bulging boobs. Dufus comedian Steve Harvey’s limited range of common knowledge that is exposed every time he’s surprised when a contestant’s answer matches the survey on Family Feud. Angelina Jolie, who looks like a poster girl for anorexia, concerning herself with world hunger and needy children while dragging that rag-tag brigade of waifs around accompanied by a deer-in-the-head-lights-Brad Pitt. Politicians instructing God to “bless America”, the implication being that this be done while kicking the rest of the god-damned world to the curb.

(Manhattan Beach, CA – January 18, 2023) – At this year’s Independent Book Publishers Association’s annual conference, IBPA Publishing University, the conference will explore the theme of what it means to “Navigate, Innovate, Elevate” within the independent book publishing industry. The theme is a meaningful reference to IBPA’s 40th anniversary, which the association is celebrating in 2023, and its role in the past four decades advocating for, and helping independent book publishers to build long term, successful businesses. With this theme in mind, IBPA is excited to announce that one of the three keynote presentations at the conference taking place May 4-6 in San Diego, CA, will feature a panel of highly respected industry leaders whose publishing businesses have spanned decades and have overcome every type of challenges along the way. The keynote panel “Legends of Black Independent Publishing: Learning from the Best” will invite onto the stage: Dr. Haki Madhubuti, founder of Third World Press Foundation; W. Paul Coates, founder of Black Classic Press; Kassahun Checole, founder of Africa World Press and The Red Sea Press; and Wade Hudson and Cheryl Hudson, founders of Just Us Books. The panel will be moderated by Troy Johnson, founder of the African American Literature Book Club (AALBC.com). With a combined industry experience of 150+ years, these publishers will answer the question, “What do you do when your community is under-served, under-represented, and under-published?” You serve, represent, and publish! The complete conference agenda can be viewed at https://www.publishinguniversity.org/schedule. In addition, registration is now open for IBPA Publishing University ### To moderate this panel is truly an honor. When I first sat down to start AALBC, in 1997, all of these businesses were firmly established, but I did not know anything about them. I soon learned about all of them and their significant impact on Black books and by extension our culture. If you are a book publisher, you really need to attend IBPA Publishing University It is not often you'll get these icons in the same room.

greg consistently does this one thing and it confirmed my suspicion early on that he's a white nationalist in a digital blackface. greg writes white with an uppercase "W" and Black with a lowercase "b." Black people wrote Black in uppercase long before it appeared in the AP style guide. So, if this were a game of poker, that would be his tell.

So I had a twitter account. Had. So it turns out my daughter was wrong. I didn't LOVE it. I found it to be the biggest waste of time. I'm following people. They're following me. What? I don't get it. I could have been writing.

I hope (and believe) this generation of boys can figure this out for themselves. Because too many generations in the past have brainwashed them into thinking they are good for nothing. Those who don't know their strengths aren't necessarily physical will always fail themselves, the Black community, and ultimately society. Custodial mothers, fathers, and even two-parent households who are wise enough to know what we don't know have reached out for help from those in the know. (not opinion-givers) And we have educated our children, especially boys, to know physical strength isn't enough in a society that requires intellect and problem-solving. Those children are our communities' success stories. Still, civilization requires Hypermasculinity coupled with hyperintellectuality in battle. And as history shows, it can occur in any sex when necessary and as needed. Sankofa. If you don't know your history, go back and retrieve it. Check out Nyabinghi. We, as a species, adapt to our environment for survival. It doesn't require anyone's approval. Those who don't adapt perish. The last woman Dahomey warrior died in 1979. According to historical records, Dahomey's army fought against colonization until 1892, that was about 200+ years of women and men fighting off European colonization. When the French colonized them, they made sure to subjugate women. Because subjugating women is an Anglo thing. Because - No Nation Can Rise Higher Than Its Women.

Recently an article was published on the Oprah Magazine website, “119 Black-Owned Bookstores in America That Amplify the Best in Literature.” While I was not attributed as a source of the list, I know I was because my bookstore list contains at least one bookstore that is not a bookstore . But the list was widely copied so who knows where they sourced the info (including my rouge “bookstore”). Unlike many of the other sites which used the list, Oprah Mag at least included AALBC as a store, so I’m good. Oprah Magazine also created another article, "12 Authors Share Their Favorite Black-Owned Bookstores." This is was an really cool thing to do too! One of the 12 authors, Mitchell Jackson, even cited AALBC.com as his favorite bookstore! But here’s is the thing, and it is a big deal, when mentioning the author’s books, the Oprah Magazine did not send readers to a single Black-owned store. Instead they linked to a white-owned business (bookshop.org), for the book sales — missing a tremendous opportunity to direct those sales to Black-owned bookstores’ websites! It is fine to say how much you support indie booksellers, but the biggest thing supporters of Black-owned bookstores can do is to send book buyer to our stores and websites. Far too many “supporters” send book buyers link to Amazon, and now increasingly, to Bookshop, while voicing support of Black owned bookstores (read more on why linking to Bookshop.org does not support Black-owned Bookstores). Several authors have told me that they don't want to show favoritism for one Black independent over another. However these authors easily show favoritism by linking to Amazon or Bookshop. In 2020 no one needs to be told they can buy a book from Amazon, and Bookshop gets free promotion that really was intended for Black-owned stores If you want to support Black-owned bookstores, stop promoting Amazon and promote a Black-owned bookstores instead! I know most supporters of Black-owned bookstores simply don’t know this, and this is why I'm writing the message. I didn’t know either; While I've been selling books, on the web for almost 23 years, most of that time I was selling books as an Amazon affiliate. Despite my advocacy for Black owned bookstores, I was completely unaware of how my affiliation with Amazon was undermining independent booksellers. Once I started selling books directly, boycotting Amazon just made common sense. However replacing Amazon with Bookshop is only a marginally better solution. Amazon pays affiliates 4% and Bookshop pays 10%, far less that what an indie bookseller would make on a sale. You have to actively support Black-owned stores if you believe they are important. The idea that Amazon has the best prices is often not true, so that argument no longer holds. Often books sales on Amazon are actually fulfilled by third parties anyway, so Amazon is not really adding any value. Indeed, they are reducing value by acting as an intermediary who make money on every transaction with zero risk. The American Booksellers Association (ABA) used to tout an solution called Indiebound.org which allowed supporters of indie bookstores to provide book links without showing "favoritism" to any particular bookseller or linking to Amazon. For example, if someone wanted to provide a buy to Mitchell S. Jackson's book, Survival Math: Notes on an All-American Family they could use a link like this: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501131707. Once the book buyer reached the indiebound site they could enter a zip code, say my local zip code 33647, and a list of local booksellers would be shown. Indiebound would send readers to local indie bookseller sites to complete the sale. It seems like the ABA is pushing the Bookshop solution which is a mistake in my opinion, but again I advocate for independence. Reliance on Bookshop or Amazon to process our book orders and take most of the profit, is the opposite of Independence. Clearly Amazon wants us to be dependent upon them. I doubt Bookshop is any different. Now I understand that some brick and mortar booksellers are unable to sell books on the web and the pandemic has only made things worse by closing some — not all — physical stores. But imagine if the Black independent booksellers, who can handle the sales, got the business that we are sending to Bookshop. Support Black-Owned Booksellers.

BLACK PREACHERS GETTING BLACK PEOPLE TO THE POLLS.WHAT DO THEY GET OUT OF THIS.....AFTER THIS THEY CAN TAKE ON DRUG DEALERS, GANGS AND PIMPS. THEY WANT. THEY ARE NOT DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING ..GREED MOTIVATES PREACHERS I HEARD BLACK POLITICANS GIVE PREACHERS MONEY.....

An era came to an end today. Hostess Bakeries went out of business. Another icon has bitten the dust and disappeared in a cloud of flour. Rest in peace, Twinkies and Ho-Hoes and Wonder Bread. First Romney's defeat, and now this. Another casualty for white America. What's next Miracle Whip Mayonnaise? Pass the hot sauce, please.

AGAIN SPEAKING ABOUT BLACK SPORTS REPORTER BILL RHODEN BOOK.. 40 MILLION DOLLAR SLAVES.ABOUT HOW RICH BLACK ATHLETES ARE CONTROLLED AND OWNED...LEBRON JAMES LEADS THAT.....HE HAS BEEN WITH RABBI'S, HOW MANY BLACK LEADERS HAS HE BEEN WITH/DO NOT MEAN THOSE REPTILE PREACHERS MOTIVATED BY GREED/HAS HE BEN WITH MINISTER LOUIS FARRAKHAN.THEY SEEM TO BE TOLD WHO NOT TO BE BE WITH, OR TALK TO...WHAT TO DO, AND WHEN TO DO IT....THEY ARE NOT YESTERDAYS BLACK ATHLETES LIKE, JACKIE ROBINSON, BILL RUSSELL, MUHAMMED ALI , KAREEM OR ARTHUR ASHE... WHAT ARE THEY AFRAID OF, WHO ARE THEY AFRAID OF...NFL YESTERDAY. TWO IDIOTS I CANNOT STAND,CAM NEWTON AND ROBERT GRIFFITH 111//////.

Picture of James Baldwin and Nina Simone, and Billiie And Ella. Black legends whose artistry lives on...

IN 1930, JAMES CAMERON WAS 16. HE AND HIS 2 FRIENDS WERE CHARGED WITH THE MURDER OF A WHITE MAN AND ATTEMPTED RAPE OF HIS GIRL FRIEND.. ALL 3 WERE TAKEN OUT BY A DEMONIC WHITE MOB..IN A TREE BY THE COURT HOUSE CAMERON WATCH HIS FRIENDS LYNCHED..ROPE AROUND HIS NECK, SOMEONE SAID HE WAS INNOCENT BARELY ESCAPING BEING HUNG...CAMERON SAID THE ROPE SCARRED HIS NECK...JAMES CAMERON WAS INVOLVED WITH CIVIL RIGHTS, NAACP AND FOUNDED THE BLACK HOLOCOST MUSEUM...THERE IS A PICTURE OF THOMAS SHIPP AND ABRAM SMITH LYNCHED IN AUGUST IN 1930...JAMES CAMERON IS DECEASED.//

WHAT SHOULD PRESIDENT OBAMA DO IF ISRAEL ATTACKS IRAN//IF ISRAEL ATTACKS IRAN THE U.S. TROOPS WILL BE SENT TO PROTECT PRECIOUS ISRAEL//ISRAEL IS ALMOST AS BAD AS ADOLF HITLER, ISRAEL WANTS TO GENOCIDE THE PALESTINE PEOPLE./I AM SICK ISRAEL,PRESIDENT SEEMS TO FEAR ISRAEL,WHY,, BECAUSE HE NEEDS VOTES FROM THE U.S. CHRISTIANS/WHEN IT COMES TO FAKE CHRISTIANS NERO HAD THE RIGHT IDEA, CHRISTIANS THROWN TO THE LIONS.WHITE AND BLACK FAKE CHRISTIANS////

AALBC. Was. Created. In. 1998. ..25. Years. Of. Troy. Bringing. Black,Books. By. Black. Authors.....Poetry. ,And. Black. News, ,Culture ,,Discussions. .....Congratulations 25 years......Church. ,Sunday. The. Black. Christians. Will. Go. To. Church. Helping. The,Snake. Preachers. Pay. For. Their. New. Cars. ..Amazing........

By no means am I underestimating white power or it's destructive impact. And we know how large numbers of whites can be galvanized by racist appeals, But the monolithic notion of white unity is a fallacy. Talking and thinking about whites as a unified group ignores whites' self-perception as individuals. It also fails to take class and gender inequality into consideration. More importantly, it disempowers black people fighting for positive social change by focusing on some kind of unattainable " black unity" to counter racism and economic injustice. Because white people are so numerous and relatively well off in most ways as a group compared to black people it's easy to think they are constantly motivated by some sense of racial consciousness. Of course, discrimination against us makes it seem that way. But whites think of themselves as individuals first and foremost. They come together only to the extent that certain individuals see mutual benefit in doing so. They compete and they conflict in all kinds of ways and whiteness is never a consideration unless or until black people come along. However not all whites are racist, nor have they ever supported it. White people do things for each other out of moral consideration or self-interest not whiteness. But it's important to recognize economic inequality and the class divide. Rich white capitalists past and present have often exploited and undermined all workers regardless of race. So radical and reform minded whites have fought to tame Capitalism or Socialists have called for its abolition. By reforming the socioeconomic system (think - center left liberalism) through the New Deal America became a better place mainly for white working people. None of this excludes male domination and sexism against women. White men felt justified as men denying women regardless of color the right to vote or do anything else in society until women mostly whites fought for social change. Even in that endeavor race complicated things. Black men and women fighting against racism also challenged gender inequality. But many white women fighting sexism past, and present are racist too. The challenge is for black people who oppose racism, sexism, and economic injustice to build mass support for social change among other blacks and non-blacks. It is important to recognize that black people differ among themselves too. Some oppose activist struggle for change. They believe in adaptation or accommodation. There are wealthy blacks who don't want the economy changed. Other blacks believe in male domination over women black or white. Black people have all kinds of views. We are Black Nationalists, Socialists, Conservatives, Moderates, Democrats, and Republicans. Some of us think improvement is collective while others are individualist. Ultimately unity in some monolithic sense is not possible.

'Discharged from hospital to recuperate at home after a bout with covid flu. That was no fun. Interesting hospital experience, however. Tended by a flurry of nurses, many of whom were effusive gay men, along with Hispanic cha-chas, misled by my Spanish first name. Indian and Asian doctors, of course. Sistas shuffling round, tellin' me, "you gonna be OK, momma." A very interesting pecking order at this state of the art medical center right around the corner from where I live. Prognosis is OK, all things considered which means my age is a factor. Whatever. If anybody watched the Girot Awards on CBS last night, as black folk, we should've been encouraged! Hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving. 90 is a lot of months away but, I'm tryin to hang in. Luv ya all! Jeeze, this really came out big!

In another thread @Mzuri wrote: Anyway, Merry Christmas to you all and your families!!! And stay safe everybody. 2022 is going to be GREAT! Whatever one chooses to celebrate or not, I hope that everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season. Looking for 2022 to be a better and brighter year for everyone.

When @Pioneer1 mentioned taking a break in that thread, I asked him to return ASAP. As far as forum participation goes, there seems to be folks who enjoy reading it based on the view numbers. Maybe they're enlightened and/or entertained by the regular contributors. I joined because of the ongoing dialog between @Pioneer1, @Cynique, @Troy, @Mzuri, @Delano @Chevdove, @daniellegfny to name a few. I know folks get tired of reading some of the same ole rhetoric or grievance or whatever. But, the conversations are still interesting and entertaining in proportion to participant perspectives. I'm enjoying my arm chair around here. So, even if I'm one hand clapping, I'll keep bringing up topics, adding my 2 cent narrative and looking forward to reading everyone else too. Come on back to those I mentioned above and anyone lurking. The forum can be as lively as we make it.

Here in the US, folks are mainly divided into two camps politically...Democrat or Republican (GOP). On the surface it looks like the two parties have different platforms (liberal or conservative). Yet, they share the same ideology which is the maintenance of white supremacy. Both parties are juggling balls i.e. platform issues. While folks are pre-occupied with the balls in the air, they're not watching the sleight of hand tricks happening below. i've never been under the illusion that either party has ever given a d8mn about the peple. Both parties make decisions based on what's good for business. That is the business of maintaining white supremacy. Regardless of who occupies the White House, they are two sides of the same coin. Follow the money. POTUS PJB (Papa Joe Biden) is the flip side of the same coin once occupied by Agent Orange. Different agenda. Same paymasters.

Cynique writes, "Tell all of my AALBC 'frienenemies' I said, "stay well." I know we all (at least I have) have been jonesing to read something from Cynique about the passing scene: “Welcome to 2020! I always knew things would catch up with this country, but I never imagined that I would be around to see it. Unlike some, however, i don't believe a conspiracy theory is at work via the new world order; the inevitable has just come to pass. I don't think the USA will ever be the same after this pandemic, and the shit is really gonna hit the fan come election time. But, whatever. I'll be doing good to even be around in November. So far, i haven't exhibited any corona symptoms and like everybody else, I'm social distancing myself on voluntary quarantine. If the virus doesn't get me, my intense loathing for Trump might bring me down. I.DESPISE.HIM. I can't believe how the Universe has put him in place as a leader during this time of crises. But with his luck, he might just emerge smelling like a rose when this new flu proves to be much ado about nothing and that the real disaster was our overreaction to it. Me and my cynicism do find the way the media is handling it to be a bit much. Yet, I have mixed emotions. In addition to the radiation being emitted by cell phone towers being the origin of the virus, another one of the theories out there on FaceBook is that if your ears are ringing, you are getting signals from unseen forces about to take over Earth, and my ears are really picking up a lot of static! Oh, well, i always did think I was an alien. And the bizarre supernatural activity that continues to occur within the walls of my bedroom in the middle of the night are very unnerving... “

Hello All, No, I'm not dead yet! Just happened to come across this thread because every once in a while i check out this site and VOILA! this time I see this headline. So, yes, I am alive! Well? Not so much. I'm tired and burdened with impatience over not being able to figure LIFE out. Too much for me. And the eventuality of the Cyber world is very scary. In the physical world it's like i'm suspended in a surreal supernatural limbo of para-normalcy. Like I'm shifting between 2 parallel universes. Too weird to go into.. My grandson's dog is my now my faithful companion, a mixed-breed mutt who is a canine version of me. We hang out together, both of us being too lazy to exert ourselves very much. I think he can read my mind. i look into his big soulful eyes, and i swear, it's like there's a human in there somewhere. If it wasn't for my Smart Phone and my TV i would just be a vegetable because i have no interest in pursuing wholesome senior citizen activities or in being a doting grandmother to a bunch of krazy Milllenials and GenZers. My kids are so old they, bore me, too, and FaceBook is the same ol, same ol. I haven't gotten my Covid shot yet, but will probably get around to it soon. Still take walks around the neighborhood, weather permitting, and still go out at night and commune with the Universe and confide in the Moon. Still hate right-wing Retrumpicans and all of the lies they are trying to convert into the truth. Still sick of niggas killin' each other. Chicago has become a combat zone, kids gettin' caught in gang cross fire, road rage drive-bys,car-jackings and police chases. So disheartening. I continue to be intrigued by quantum theories especially a new field of speculation called Biocentrism which proposes, among other things, that human consciousness imagined the universe into existence because unless something is seen it doesn't exist. Whatever. Trying to hang on for my 88th birthday on August 18th. After that all bets are off. Nobody asked for an update but there was this blank space here, so thought I'd fill it.

@Troy I can't remember disagreeing with @Cynique @Chevdove or @zaji in any way that would cause me to want to express that disagreement. I may have a different opinion about something but their presentation allows for me to consider their perspective. I've even found myself doing some research and keeping an open mind for more information to possibly advance the discussion. But I don't disagree with them. Even if you can find where I said "I disagree" know that I misspoke. I believe most women are socialized to have a perspective that is built on a foundation of evidence. Unfortunately, here in America women are often dismissed as NOT having knowledge about a topic. Even In your thread about instagram - you decided I didn't have knowledge of world wide web and its commercial activities. You didn't even ask me, first. But that's the world women live in - so when we express an opinion or subjective observation, trust most of us have a mountain of evidence to back it up. I don't bet on stuff. Aside: I used to bet on horses but racing horses is cruel and inhumane so I don't do it anymore. I would absolutely miss Cynique if she leaves the board - but I saw that in my email and I had to stop what I was doing to respond to this thread. I really appreciate you @Cynique ! You add the je ne sais quoi to this forum that allows so many of us to think and consider your words, experiences and thoughts. You are a magus and beautiful philosopher!

In Eskimo culture, old people did their families a favor by wandering off into the wilderness where they’d simply lie down and freeze to death. In more advanced civilizations, especially ancient ones, families revered and respected their elders and this characterizes the indigenous black tradition in America. Blacks love their “Madeas”, So it is a little curious that the ageists on this board regard older people with disdain I suspect they would claim that it’s me who they dislike, and the fact that I am 82 years old provides them with another weapon to try and punish me for not looking upon them with awe. So they conjure up all kinds of things about me. (I am not feeble, I was married for 50 years to the late love of my life, I have 5 kids, 8 grandkids and 4 great grand ones, all of whom keep me up to date on what’s going on in all age brackets, plus I read and observe what’s going on around me.) This seems to repel those who want me to stay in my place and not conjure up things about them. However, i can't help but observe how these newly-arrived didactic pedants aspire to elitism. They think their degrees and academic credentials absolve them from having good character and integrity, while endowing them with the privilege of using superficial standards by which to judge others; they are supercilious prigs who look down on anyone who they don’t regard as their peer. They are as flawed as I am. Yes, I am a jaded, sarcastic contrarian but I always give credit where credit is due. Which brings us to the reason I have come to appreciate people like Troy and Chris, guys who came up the hard way but managed to obtain multiple degrees and run successful businesses yet didn’t let this go to their heads or rob them of their common touch. And worldly guys like Pioneer who has educated himself, acquiring knowledge through experience, and those like the delightfully eccentric Delano and the ever-vigilant social critic, Harry Brown, both of whom bring a different flavor to the board. Mel and Shirley are also smart engaging women. Or is any of this to say that I don’t appreciate wry humor, or that I don’t find some merit in a tongue-in-cheek tease like Celestial Grateness or sara's need to force feed us with what she thinks we should be hungry for. People are, who they are. Let’s hear it for diversity! Me, I’m content to still be alive. I don’t give a fuck about my “young” detractors. After all, in this youth- obsessed society, I outlived Prince and Michael and Whitney.

After a long and overbearing presidential race, President Barack Obama has been re-elected. We no longer have to wonder who will lead our nation for the next 4 years and all major political campaigning can be put aside for a few years. The president and the DNC ran a great campaign and both should enjoy their victory, but the battle to improve the economy has just begun. Will President Obama be able to lead our nation into economic prosperity? Will congress come together to help improve this nation, instead of playing politics? I believe the answers to these questions are not as important as many people may think. Why? The answer is simple; government does not dictate the direction of the economy. That charge remains firmly in the grasp of all American citizens. We must make the important decisions that will dictate the direction of the U.S. economy. We will have to decide if we will continue to support companies that ship jobs American jobs overseas. We must be motivated to create new ways to address our constant need for energy and convenience. Most importantly, we must hold all politicians responsible for fulfilling their promises. President Obama and all other winners from last night's election have made a lot of promises, but we can't accept another 40 - 60 percent fulfillment rate. We must hold them all responsible for their failures. How can we do this? While voting is a powerful tool for us to express our feelings, more is needed to hold politicians accountable for their commitments. We can't simply wait another two years to kick some people out of their government offices. We have to address their failures by cutting off the money supply. If political season promises are not kept, don't contribute a dime towards the next campaign. We should stop supporting all companies and organizations that openly support these promises breakers. Money talks in D.C. and it is time for our voices to be heard. This is where the opportunity to improve our government resides and we must use it to our advantage. http://moneyetiquette.com/blog

So, it’s Thanksgiving day, and I’m at my grandaughter’s place, settling down to dig into my full plate of turkey and all the trimmings, patiently explaining to an outside guest why a woman my age decided to get 2 tattoos over the past 7 years. When my oldest son off-handedly referred to me as the family matriarch, I almost choked on my sweet potatoes. Matriarch. The word sounded so sedate and sedentary, but as I looked around the gathering at my 3 sons, 2 daughters, 8 grand children and 3 great grandchildren, figures of all ages, sizes, shapes and colors, milling around the rooms, I was suddenly struck by the idea that if it wasn’t for me none of them would be here. Mommy/Nana was, indeed, a matriarch. Another identity in the characters I have been cast as over the years. Years that have culminated in my present state of avoiding the future, looking backward instead of forward, caught up in nostalgia, contemplating this thing called “life” and the thing called “time” that is such an integral part of it. I ponder about the brain perk that makes long-ago occurrences seem like they just happened yesterday, how the weeks fly by and how memories can be triggered by a song, or a fragrance or a familiar sight. Lately I keep thinking about my freshmen year at college, as reports of the deaths of so many of my school mates keep reaching me. And when Illinois completed its football season this year without winning one single game, I keep recalling how different things were 60 years ago when the U. of I. dominated the Big10, making history by taking first place in every major sport from football to fencing, a feat still touted by alumni from that era. Better scenarios cheer me as my old high school has maintained its winning tradition while turning out NBA stars like Doc Rivers and Michael Finley and Shannon Brown, players I remember as little boys in grade school. Family get-togethers are always an occasion to fondly recall loved ones who have passed on as in, yet another mystery, they seem to be present in spirit as though their essences are able to shift between parallel dimensions. What captivates me most, however, is how vivid the imagination can be, how easily the past can become a movie scene played on the screen of my mind’s eye. But what a downer it is when I am constantly reminded that although I am the same person I’ve always been, my body didn’t get the memo, a reality that calls up the relationship between time and change. Does time really exist or is it an illusion abetted by change? Is the past still there or does it disappear as soon as the present defers to the future. What is truth? Is it contained in the words of Edgar Allen Poe who declared “all that we see or seem is just a dream within a dream…” or in the musing of Langston Hughes who opines that “It is wise to suffer illusion…Delusion…Even dreams…To believe that in this life…What is real…May also be what it seems. What is not true…May be…For you… Language in its inadequacy can only attempt to explain what is what it is. And so it goes.

It may be over, but it ain't done as the media and the internet are still abuzz with post mortems about the result of the presidential election. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel minced no words in a Fox News interview, when he told Sean Hannity to "shut the f**k up, you lost!". My kind of guy. Another one of the more interesting reactions was that of a FaceBook poster, who opined: "While Romney lost, the Republicans outperformed in the Congressional elections. One would have expected many more losses with a victorious Democratic President, but there were basically no "coat tails" to Obama's victory...the Congressional Republicans are, if anything, more "conservative" than Romney tried to be. This seems to imply that it is not the policies that were rejected, but that Romney was rejected personally, or that people personally like Obama, even as they disagree with some of his policies and, thus, elect a Congress designed to thwart him. This election, in my view, does little to tell us about policy, as it was, essentially, a draw." A thought-provoking article that appeared in the Daily Currant on November 7th. "Conservative political pundit Pat Buchanan stoked controversy today by claiming that Barack Obama's reelection has 'killed White America'. The paleoconservative nativist is no stranger to racial controversy, having previously been accused of writing books with racist and anti-semitic undertones. But the former Nixon advisor was more explicit on the G. Gordon Liddy Show this morning. When asked for his reaction to Obama's victory, Buchanan replied brazenly: "White America died last night. Obama's reelection killed it. Our 200 plus year history as a Western nation is over. We're a Socialist Latin American country now. Venezuela without the oil." Stunned by his clear racisim, Liddy tried to walk his guest back from the ledge: "With what you just said right there...You seem to imply that white people are better than other people. That's not really what you're saying is it?" "Of course that's what I'm saying," Buchanan replied "Isn't it obvious? Anything worth doing on this Earth was done first by white people." "Who landed on the moon? White people. Who climbed Mount Everest? White people. Who invented the transistor? White people. Who invented paper? White people. Who discovered algebra? White people." "And don't give me all this nonsense about Martin Luther King and civil rights and all that. Who do you think freed the slaves? Abraham Lincoln. A white guy!" "But we're not led by Lincoln anymore, we're led by an affirmative-action mulatto who can't physically understand how great America once was." "I cried last night G. I cried for hours. It's over for all of us. The great White nation will never survive another 4 years of Obama's leadership" Liddy tried to reason with Buchanan, reminding him that he shares similar positions with the President on Afghanistan, Iraq, and relations with Russia: "Of course I agree with half of what he does," Buchanan answered, "He's half white! That's not the half I'm worried about." Buchanan served as a speechwriter in the Nixon White House. He was fired as an MSNBC analyst this year following the publication of a book many considered to be racist." A side bar of the presidential election. The resignation of CIA Director David Petraeus, a four-star general who led U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and was thought to be a potential candidate for president has once again raised the question as to why men disgrace themselves, sacrificing everything, career, reputation, family, future just to sample a different brand of nookie... Power and prestige cannot stifle the primitive urge of the male of the species to lust after a female. Some can resist consummating their desire. Others can't. So long, Dave. Hope our esteemed President Obama fares better than you and can declare that he has "99 problems, but a bitch ain't one of 'em."

IMAGING,OUR VOICES TOGETHER,WE COULD BE STRONG AND PROFOUND..INSTEAD, SILENCE LIKE FALLING SNOW IS THE,REALITY, SOUND...BLACK PEOPLE,EACH DAY,EACH HOUR,EACH SECOND.,LIKE A WINTER SEASON IT SEEMS..SO DARK AND SO BARE LIKE NAKED WINTER TREES...THE ADDICTS,SELF DESTRUCTION,THERE ARE THOSE WITH WITHERED SOULS AMONG US...THE FIENDS,SABOTEURS, GANGSTERS,THAT WANT OUR RACE TO BE TOWARD A EXODUS...BLACK LEADERS,WATCHING THIS,SOME IGNORE,SOME RETREAT, OTHERS FLEE..SO DARK AND SO BARE LIKE WINTER NAKED TREES...THE RIGHTEOUS BLACK FOLKS WHO ARE CHURCH SUNDAY BOUND..SINISTER PREACHERS HAVE THEIR SOULS MORE WITHERED THAN THE LEAVES UPON THE GROUND..SOULS DRIFTING LIKE SNOWFLAKES UPON THE WINTER BREEZE.SO DARK AND SO BARE LIKE WINTER NAKED TREES....PLANTATION SLAVE HOUSES,EACH BLACK COMMUNITY SEEMS TO CONTAIN..BLACK PEOPLE,ENSLAVED,CONFINED AS IF THEY WERE I N CHAINS..ENEMIES OF BLACK PEOPLE WATCHING THIS, CAN SIT BACK WITH EASE.SO DARK AND SO BARE LIKE WINTER NAKED TREES...../.

I found the article below which not surprisingly appeared on the Fox News site interesting because it's an example of how this election is not only polarizing the country but is reinforcing a rift in the black community. Voting for Obama has become a litmus test for a person's blackness. Race still matters. This time next month what will the situation be?? I hope the election is not a close one because I don't know what Blacks will do if Obama loses. Will they simply be demoralized or will they be in a rebellious state of mind?? I think white people will handle a Romney loss better. They are not passionate in their support for his candidacy but have lost confidence in Obama and simply want change. I also believe the electoral college might be on its last legs as America embarks on a path where in the future the "United States" will be a misnomer. We shall see... “Clueless” star Stacey Dash recently tweeted her support for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, accompanied by a patriotic swimsuit picture of herself. But now her political viewpoint has become the subject of online attacks, with many expressing crude distaste that she isn’t endorsing President Obama – and race has become a key motivator behind the digital abuse. “You’re an unemployed black woman endorsing Mitt Romney. You’re voting against yourself thrice. You poor beautiful idiot,” one Twitter user wrote, while @Black Voice wrote, “Stacey Dash had a perm since birth. I knew I couldn’t trust her.. lol.” Others accused the actress of “voting for white supremacy,” claiming she “is white with a dark tan,” and calling Dash a slew of offensive names. Several other Obama supporters even went as far as to encourage “the old hag” to “kill herself.” One suicide encourager is listed as a doctor and politically active Democrat in Washington D.C., and although he reportedly has deleted the inflammatory “kill yourself” tweet, it was captured by social media news site, Twitchy.com. But Dash seems to be taking the backlash in stride. “My humble opinion… EVERYONE is entitled to one,” she tweeted in response. But the 46-year-old's plug for Romney attracted plenty of applause, too. “Thank you for being willing to think for yourself despite what your haters have to say,” tweeted one user, while another noted, “You can NEVER, EVER (did I say never?) NEVER leave the Dem party if you r Black. Once you do, the name calling begins.” Dash did not respond to a request for further comment.

Implicit in almost every post on this site is the underlying message that It's hard being black; not only in America, but throughout the world. Just as white skin is an "entitlement", " it can be argued that "colored" skin is a burden. If I were a rapper I'd spit out some verses about this. Instead I'll just spill out some thoughts. As an African American, no matter what your circumstances are, your race is always a factor that puts you at a disadvantage even when the playing field is leveled to allow you to advance despite inadequate qualifications. I repeat: It's hard being black. Is this how it was meant to be? White people seem to be genetically equipped to dominate, oppress, and seize power. That's an explanation, but it offers little consolation. Blacks are supposed to be more spirtual. Which I guess is why they are haunted by bad luck spooks, They also suffer from mass frustration, a side-effect of having to maintain a dual identity. To cope with being relegated to the bottom of the heap, out of desperation, long suffering negroes continue to cling to the hope that God willl grant them their reward in the hereafter. Lord have mercy. Meanwhile, atheistic China has ascended to a position of world leadship, leaving the options of Buddhism and Taoism for those seeking an inner peace that they don't have to go to heaven to attain. Still, Blacks keep on praying and thumping the Bible, all the while ignoring the intriguing interpretations about the black race being descended from Noah's son Ham who, as a punishment for laughing at his naked father, was marked with the skin color that cursed his lineage. Preferring to adopt the biblical references to homosexuality being an abomination, black believers gloss over the possibility that God couldn't care less about their unfair lot in life. Noah did his thing.So be it. To add insult to injury, presidetial candidate Mitt Romney is a member of the Mormon church which has never had any respect for Blacks, considering them unfit for leadership. But all those white Christians who in the past rejected Mormonism are now willing to tolerate it, and if Obama loses, it will be because the majority of white people do not want to be ruled by a black man and that is what matters most to them. All religion aside, the scientific mathmatical law of averages says that at some point chronic losers will win. So in the upcoming election will the fluke that got Obama elected repeat itself? Will things turn around so that race won't matter and things won't be so hard??? Maybe. But I wouldn't bet on those odds. A re-elected black president's blackness might still prevent him from being a successful winner. Because it's hard being black

BLACK ACTOR AND COMEDIAN D.L. HUGELY SAYS BLACK MEN, BLACK PEOPLE SHOULD BE ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.OKAY...ANIMALS ARE EXTINCT AND BECOMING EXTINCE BECAUSE OF MAN MOSTLY....I WATCH NATURE SHOWS, ELEPHANTS AND RHINOS KILLED BY POACHERS FOR THEIR TUSK AND HORNS...AFRICAN ANIMALS ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST INCLUDE, BLACK RHINOCERUS , LEMURS, GAZELLES ,CHIPS, LEOPARDS ,WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLAS AND ADDAX-LARGE ANTELOPE......BLACK PEOPLE KNOWING THAT FOR CENTURIES THE WHITE MAN HAS BEEN TRYING TO GENOCIDE AND EXTERMINATE THE BLACK RACE FOR CENTURIES ARE HELPING WITH THE EXTINCTION...BLACK PEOPLE HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX WITH OVER 30 YEARS KOWLEDGE OF AIDS, HIV VIRUS... STREET GANGS ARE AS BAD AS NEO NAZI KLAN GROUPS....DRUGS AND ADDICTS.....BLACK LEADERS, NAACP, CHURCH PREACHERS, BLACK POLITICIANS ARE PLANTATION HOUSE NEGROES AND OVERSEER'S..CHURCHES ARE AS CORRUPT AS PIMP HOUSES AND DRUG HOUSES.//////

NEWS, NAKED WHITE MAN,COLLEGE STUDENT WAS KILLED BY POLICE..POLICE SAY HE WAS NAKED AND ACTING ERRADTIC .NAKED KILLED STUDENT FAMILY LAWYER SAYS, SURVEILLANCE CAMERA SHOWS NOTHING TO JUSTIFY DEADLY FORCE..SINCE POLICE GET AWAY WITH BEATING UP AND KILLING BLACK MEN, INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO POLICE AT SOUTH ALABAMA COLLEGE....WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO WHITE POLICE WHO HAD CHAVIS CARTER HANDCUFFED CLAIMED HE GOT OUT OF HIS HANCUFFS AND COMITTED SUICIDE.//////

ON THE DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL, A DOCUMENTARY ON NEGRO SOLDIERS.SEEMS ALMOST EVERY WAR THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN IN, BLACK SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN IN...SHOWED CLIPS OF BLACK SOLDIERS FROM WORLD WAR 1..WORLD WAR 2, TUSKEGEE PILOTS, ALL BLACK INFANTRY, A BRIEF CLIP OF BENJAMIN O. DAVIS, LATER IN TIME BECOMING GENERAL...AND SOMETHING NOT TALKED ABOUT MUCH. BLACK WORLD WAR 2 SOLDIERS HONORED BY THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE..IT WAS INTERESTING...../

TRAYVON MARTIN KILLED BY A LUNATIC MURDERER WHO IS HISPANIC HELPED BY GESTAPO POLICE..CHAVIS CARTER HANDCUFFED IN ARKANSAS KILLED BY GESTAPO POLICE..ROBERT CHAMPION BEATING TO DEATH ON A BLACK COLLEGE BAND BUS.,WHERE WAS THE PROTESTING FOR HIM./////PROTESTING FOR THE JENA 6 IN LOUISIANA... THOSE BLACK BOYS ,IF SHOULD HAVE BEEN//WHERE WAS THE CONCERN FOR THE BLACK BOYS BISHOP EDDIE LONG WAS SEXUALLY ROMANCING///WHY IS HE STILL ON THE CHURCH PULPIT../////WHY IS SOME BLACK LIFE VALUED OTHERS OR NOT.///

C-SPAN RE SHOWED RODNEY KING INTERVIEW TODAY... AS HE TALKED ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK RIOT WITHIN-FROM REBELLION TO REDEMPTION, THE INTERVIEWER TALKED ABOUT RACIST WHITE POLICE..THERE WAS A WEST INDIES CELEBRATION IN NEW YORK LAST YEAR.WHITE POLICE WERE HEARD SAYING THERE SHOULD BE A BOMB DROPPED ON THOSE PEOPLE, BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE..THIS CONFIRMS WHAT BLACK PEOPLE THIK WHITE POLICE ARE MEMBERS OF THE ARYAN NATION AND ARE JUST AS VILE AS HITLER AND HIS TROOPS.. COWARD VILE HUMAN TRASH..///

@Rodney campbell Russia's military does not want to overthrow Vladimir Putin. And the main reason are the grotesque and horrific penalties for failure. Putin is a vicious dictator. The news of his many outrages are muted in the news media, Western as well as Eastern. What manages to eke out are rumors, parts of the truth and old news. When Putin first assumed power, ordinary Russians and emigres adored him. The world was forced to reckon with a KGB-trained ruler who knew how to scare people. Finally, Russia was great again! Their country mattered once more. But everyone forgot the old adage: Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely. And slowly but surely, those who preferred Free Thought and Human Rights and Independence were intimidated and eventually silenced or eliminated. I bet most don't realize that Free Thinking rejects authority and established beliefs, which includes any Dogma associated with Religion. Unless the person being discussed is noted and many worry about their safety and well-being, you will not hear what happens to them. What I wrote about Putin's initial popularity in Russia and elsewhere could also be said of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. They were both beloved. Hitler was idolized. There are people living today who still want to be like Hitler or promote his nonsense. You could probably input the name of any modern military-fascist leader and the foregoing sentences would apply to them.

we incur this as a consequence of living here. I’m not really aware of a place you can go to fully escape it. I disagree because, and this should be obvious, not every white personal is trying to demasculate me or anyone else. You’ll make yourself crazy finding boogie men everywhere. ****** A girl, Joy Rose Johnson. Engaged.

Don't forget Jazz and gospel. There is zero musical culture that white people have created without the influence of Black Americans. You seem to have forgotten whites would have starved with help from the indigenous Americans. Which they repaid by slaughtering their hosts. Here's a hint Hidden Figures. White people all over the world are successful because of stealing and genocide. Read the real history of the Untied States. The suggestion that you either read or think is rhetorical.

I usually block/mute bots in black face on twitter because they are easy to spot. They are easy to spot on AALBC too because they spew the same rhetoric as the " the greys" trying to claim supremacy. Unfortunately there are so few of us that participate in these discussions, I feel like we're playing a game of whack a mole when they pop up. Anyway, this is an oldie but goodie report from Black Enterprise on the rise of blackface bots

Hey Del, I should've known you'd be interested in hearing about my weird paranormal experiences! We always were kinda on the same wave length. So, i will share some of them with you because YOU will possibly not think i am crazy. What i would initially say about these surreal episodes is that they are what i imagine it would be like to take LSD or maybe magic mushrooms because they are, for want of a better word, "psychedelic". I have also considered that they could be side-effects of the blood pressure medication i take or - signs of early dementia, considering my advanced age. Whatever. These "post-midnight-witching-hour" interludes have been going on for about 10 years. In fact, I have mentioned them before back when my alter ego Cynique was a regular contributor to this board. But they have increased with time and fallen into a kind of pattern which i suspect might be tied in with the phases of the moon. Anyhow, the most unsettling ones are those where i see huddled shadowy dark figures in my peripheral vision when i am stretched out, relaxing on my recliner, which has become my permanent replacement for a bed because its cushiony features and adjustable positions enhance my comfort and easily induce sleep. Yes, my recliner has become my best friend and that's a story unto itself.. (Some times when i do go out and socialize with my family or the few living friends i have left, the thing that gets me through a hectic or boring gathering is the thought that my recliner is waiting to welcome me into the relief of its arms when i return home!} But, I digress. As i was saying, the shadowy figures i see out of the corner of my eye disappear when i turn to gaze directly at them, seeming to be an example of some kind of quantum theory phenomenon. These dark figures are sinister but on other occasions there are colorful animated activities going on involving people or animals or objects, all of which vanish when when i turn to check them out head on. These "hallucinations" are usually accompanied by the sound of what can be compared to birds singing. Other times i shift into a dimension where all the objects in my bedroom are vibrating as i view them with something akin to x-ray vision! For instance: looking at the photographs on top of my TV can really be scary because images are jumping out at me from their frames, appearing to be more like skulls than faces. Then, there's the world that exists behind my eyelids when i close them and instead of blank blackness, i am surrounded by an entirely different vivid environment, sometimes a beautiful garden or a lively crowd scene. Unfamiliar people also appear before me and when i reach out to touch them, they disappear. Then. there are the phantom smells, usually of food, and the recurring dreams about dead family members and friends or ones where i am always trying to find my way out of a large factory building with no exit. Frequently someone seems to be grabbing my hand or shaking my feet while I'm dozing. Lastly there's the grand finale when the recliner jolts slightly and the next thing i know a tingling sensation is creeping through out my body from my toes to my neck almost as if this mysterious recliner has morphed into a lover\incubus. What i have described here is not constant but brief sporadic incidents that happen to me on a monthly basis. More often there are nights within the walls of my bedroom when everything is perfectly normal, allowing me to watch TV or scroll through my Android smart phone (and argue with conspiracy theory nut cases or "like" other peoples' comments and memes on Face Book or watch YouTube videos...and occasionally check out this site. One would think that i would be grateful to have so many fascinating occurrences going on in my sheltered little world. But i prefer solitude and tranquility and i am weary of this out-of-sync bizarre world, feeling as though i've out-lived my time here. It's like Humanity's chickens are coming home to roost and the final result will be an implosion that will be a prelude to the end of Life as we know it. Speaking of which, i am curious as to why when i go out to gaze at the night sky, there are no stars visible anymore. Do you see any in Australia? Also my cat and my dog seem uncharacteristically drawn to me, wanting to rub up against my legs and mew and whimper and make eye contact with me. Strange. Well, ol buddy, you asked for it. And you got it! Thanks for letting me unload all of this. Verbalizing my abstract experiences has provided me with a certain degree of perspective. I'd be interested in your feedback or that of anybody else who has an explanation for my surreal experiences, other than the conclusion that i am insane.

I am the same way. I typically try to merely express my opinion/views, not launch into outright disagreement, as though in a war. Additionally, if I have ever used that language (I disagree), it is not hard and fast disagreement. I am always open to discussing anything, regardless of my personal views. I know one fundamental thing, no human (including myself) knows everything. No human has a monopoly on truth. I try to carry a sense of humility around things/ideas/knowledge, as long as the thing isn't so overboard that it can do great harm. Then humility or not, I must do everything to stop the verbal harm being done. Generally, however, I will discourse to a point. If I see there is no balance, I stop talking.

People are still scratching their heads over the Jussie Smollett farce after the Chicago Police Department, on the recommendation of a grand jury, leveled 16 charges against Jussie for his alleged crime of falsely claiming to be a victim of a hate crime at the hands of 2 masked Trump supporters, shouting "this is "MAGA country"! So, what had happened was that in its zeal to sanitize its bungling, racist, reputation, Chi-Town's police force conducted a very thorough investigation of the case in an effort to track down Jussie's attackers, only to reach the conclusion backed up by security surveillance cameras and other incriminating evidence, that Jussie had perpetrated a hoax on the city, lying about this incident in an effort draw sympathy to himself and thereby secure a higher salary for his gig on the TV show EMPIRE. Once no credible evidence was found to support jussie's inconsistent and contradictory claims and with the testimony of 2 Nigerian brothers, who reluctantly confessed to aiding and abetting Jussie in staging this hoax, the duped and enraged CPD, led by its black Superintendent, Eddie Johnson, and hot-headed lame duck Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, decided to throw the book at Jussie and bring him to trial in order to erase this blemish on the beleaguered city of Chicago. Elsewhere, the Cook County States Attorney's office, headed by Kim Foxx, a black woman who had earlier recused herself from this case because she was approached by a mutual friend who was a former aide of Michelle Obama's, and who was also acquainted with Jussie's family, and who had asked if Kim could intervene on behalf of Jussie, and get the FBI involved in the proceedings because his family feared Jussie was being framed. Then - out of the blue - without consulting any local law enforcement officials, the States Attorney's office dropped a bomb shell, declaring all charges would be dropped against Jussie and his record expunged with the agreement that he would perform 60 hours of community service, and forfeit the 10% of $100,000 bond he had posted. When all hell broke loose, the States Attorney office explained that their action was an option in "Class 6" felonies, a category that is just one step above a misdemeanor, and something a defendant who has not committed a violent crime and had no previous criminal history is eligible for. They further admitted that their action did not exonerate Jussie of the charges and that he was, indeed, believed to be guilty as charged but that he had been the party in a routine plea bargain negotiated by his attorneys. Subsequently, Jussie, in a brief statement to the press, poured salt on the wounds of the CPD by continuing to insist he was innocent - a performance drawing mixed reviews from the entire country. As the case now stands, with the city in an uproar as everyone takes sides, Chicagoland blacks are mumbling about this being payback for the short 4-year sentence given Jason VanDyke, the white cop who pumped 16 bullets into the back of LaQuan McDonald, an unarmed black teenager walking away from him. The police union is frothing at the mouth, claiming this is an affront to their hardworking boys in blue, and are calling for the head of Kim Foxx, who is now on the hot seat, being criticized from all quarters by those who think that behind the scene, she was instrumental in showing favoritism toward a celebrity. Those in the hood are also angry about all of the money spent on investigating this bogus case, believing it could've been better spent on the unsolved killings of hundreds of black murder victims. Mayor Emanuel agreed and has sent Jussie Smolette a $130,000 bill for services rendered, after telling Trump to "butt out" when 45 publicly referred to this Chicago fiasco as an embarrassment to America that needed to be looked into by the FBI and DOJ. Meanwhile, Jussie has reportedly arrived in Los Angeles, presumably to attend the NAACP Image Award TV show Saturday, where he is a nominee for "best supporting actor in a drama"... You can't make this stuff up, Folks.

Thank you for posting. I believe tat it's fine to attack and idea but not the person. I have been guilty of that more than once. I publicly apologised and felt quite contrite. It's great to be passionate however when it becomes aggressive, that's problematic. I don't think unity is possible amongst Black people. And I have used the dynamics that play out here as an example. I have been angered and saddened by the vindictiveness of of statements made to make a point. The Dove is an appropriate moniker. I have said you are so nice that I can't argue with you. I have also tried to change my debating style. Some perceptions of me are so ridiculous that I don't respond. And recently there seems to be an agitation or irritation that members display. Usually it towards one person. I want to do less of that venomous personal attack. It creates a negative vibe. At times I have found it so frustrating that I have gone on hiatus, or have not responded to statements.

Not necessarily in the order given, the following books are the most valuable information, I think, because of the real world issues they discuss or their metaphorical message(s) by both Black and White authors. Souls of Black Folk Up From Slavery The Fire Next Time Sharing Wisdom Metamorphosis The Great Gatsby To Kill a Mocking Bird If Americans Knew Critical Issues in Policing The Republic

There wasn't any race discrimination. People need to stop looking for something if they weren't a part of it simply to create a book or expose something that wasn't there; in my opinion. I experienced zero race issues while in the Navy from 90-98 Active, Reserve and Inactive. The military for me was the one place where your race didn't really matter. You could either fix the jet or you couldn't. You either passed the test, or you didn't. You either did your job or you didn't. When I was snatched away from in front of a propeller while on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72 when I was in VF-114, it was by a white boy. When I prevented a huffer from rolling down the flight deck and hitting someone, it was to help a white boy. We all worked 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week. We all went to the Philippines before heading to the Gulf to rescue and move people from Manilla to Cebu after Mt. Pinatubo. When we were finally able to get off the ship, my crew that I ran with, my boys, had a Vanilla Ice, a Puerto Rican, Blacks and Zu, Yu and Edu. It was the fucking UN. During my second cruise I was one of the only sailors to make 3rd class in one of the toughest rates in the Navy. AE (Aviation Electrician's Mate). Our PO in charge was Black. We all had shitty chiefs who we knew were probably bigots, but we held our own issues with each other and it didn't affect the way the squadron was run. If you did your job and everyone made it in safe it was good. if we lost someone, which we did in a plane crash while doing sorties in the Gulf, we all shed tears together. The only issue with race was more white guys went to OCS so we had more White officers than Blacks and the Black officers we had tended to be more standoffish than the White ones. If you want to ask me a question, then fire away right here on this forum and maybe someone else will jump in and offer their POV, but before I went in the Navy, I should have been killed or in jail. The Navy saved my life. This is only my version as an Enlisted Sailor. Now, I think maybe if you want a different perspective you should focus your search on guys who were probably E-5 and above with more than 8 years in. Those guys will probably have a completely different view than me.

THEY ARE COMPARING HURRICANE- STORM SANDY TO HURRICANE KATRINA....UNLIKE BUSH THE PRESIDENT SEEMS CONCERNED.. LIKE NEW ORLEANS SOME PARTS WHERE STORM HIT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS BOMBED.. HOUSES DESTROYED, HIGH WATER IN THE STREETS, CARS ON TOP OF CARS... NOT RICH BUT MIDDLE CLASS STATEN ISLAND, WHITE PEOPLE ANGRY ON NEWS, FEMA , RED CROSS SLOW..NOT AS SLOW AS NEW ORLEANS WITH HURRICANE KATRINA....RICH BUSINESS ,CORPORATIONS, WALL STREET SLOWED DOWN...RICHEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY.. DID NOT SEE PEOPLE ON ROOF TOPS WAITING TO BE RESCUED, SOME PROBALY WERE...............SEE IF THINGS WILL BE QUICKER IN THIS RICH CITY, THAN THE POOR IN NEW ORLEANS.////////.

EX COACH SADUSKY GOT OVER 30 YEARS FOR CHILD MOLESTING AT PENN STATE.WHY HAS BISHOP EDDIE LONG NOT BEEN CONFRONED BY, THE NAACP,BLACK CHURCHES AND BLACK POLITICIANS FOR BEING SEXUALLY INVOLVED WITH YOUNG BLACK BOYS.////...CHURCH IS AS BAD AS PIMP AND DRUG HOUSES..///

Human Beings First: A Historical Examination of the Non-Bizarre Delusion of Biological Race takes an in-depth look at the "cultural artifact" of race. Although human beings, regardless of phenotype, are members of the same species, there has been a concerted effort by many to separate people into groups based on physical appearance. This book will discuss the fallacy of such efforts and how they have often led to tragic consequences. Available for Nook at http://www.bn.com at http://www.kobobooks.com at http://www.diesel-ebooks.com at http://ebookstore.sony.com https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/152608