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@Troy Not a problem. I did say I would do what I can myself and I will. All it takes to make a difference in this world is one man. I have done it before. You are doing it now. You have trail-blazed a way for me. You are the forerunner who has already made an impact that reverberates far and wide. Which positions you as a leader among men. That statement I wrote was the conclusion I reached after reading some of your older post.The last paragraph specifically. Likes and shares are not a thing I am interested in. But I was giving it away for free. My goal being to help is irrelevant. My actions are the same and my outcomes will be the same. The act of publishing a book is all new to me. I know nothing other than what I learn each CYCLE. Your professional approach has been extremely useful. I have picked up on queues from a few of your post and adjusted my goals to match your inputs. I know nothing. You are leading the way. This is what lead to my current rewrites, and the decision to buy the ISBN - AISN - SKU - & Copyright, when I am done. You even recommended competitive sites to someone in your older blogs. I went to those sites as well to see how good they are. They are everything you said they would be, they do everything you do. And still. I am back here. Because on their sites they don't list competitors. That level of apprehensive fear is a red flag that cannot be ignored. They are admitting being untrustworthy and malicious. I did stay and go through all of their features. But i could never choose them over this website. This is one of the many ways in which you, this website is better. Superior. Worthwhile. This is why I made up my mind to include this website in all of my future printings. No matter when where who or how it gets made. Every book I publish will feature the aalbc.com logo and be highly recommended. I don't make decisions based on things like hope faith belief or feelings. The first three are all bad things and the fourth is personal. My decision about this website and you is based purely on the excellent access to resources which you have connected to your website, and the manner in which you nurture the writing environment. As I said. Professional. I have lost count of how many similar sites I have been to. But I have a list from a web page of 127 sites and that doesn't even include the ones I have found on my own. aalbc.com is still the best. THIS IS THE REASON BEHIND MY ENTHUSIASM for aalbc.com. IT IS WELL EARNED AND DESERVED.

Well that is why i like bid whist more than spades. In spades whoever is lucky enough to get the most high spades will win. In whist a hand that is great in hand for spades doesn't necessarily mean anything and you can “Run a Boston” in whist with a scrappy spades hand.

@Troyin my world of bridge, there was obviously a substantial black participation in this game - which is actually a spin-off of whist = a game that black people have always played. And of course, black folks brought all their flair and guile to the game. Or was there a shortage of male players, who could be very intimidating and competitive, - not surprising. @DelanoAll card games involve an element of luck. Randomly dealt cards ensure this. Whether you win or lose, depends on the hand you re dealt and the "lay of the cards". Skill takes a back seat to a bad hand.

Gotd8mnit...this is brilliant. I could not have written it better myself. Sh8t...I'm almost inspired to stop posting on the board. Of course, I will not.

@Stefan There exist no good in politics. Abandon that facet of societal control over your life and simply adhere to the rules of Creation as designed into all of Creation by The Creator. The statement is not a religious one. I have no religion. It is a point in fact. I will not supply you with the evidence to support my statement only because every part of that evidence is the composite of reality itself. Meaning that you already have access to more information to show that no good exist in politics. NONE. then I could ever gather and present to you. As well as access to know that The Creator has already designed all of the laws we are required to follow into Creation itself. We have no need of fake governments. Nor do we require their false authority forcefully imposing their social standards as a mandate to our lives. If this reality is still beyond your ability to accept then all you can do is abide by what you know. So know this ... there is more.

@Troy @Rodney campbell I've learned a lot from Troy as well. When I first joined this Website years ago, while Obama still sat in the Oval Office, we had many congenial discussions and more often than not, we agreed. I still look at Bernie Sanders' first candidacy as a tragic error. He is one reason why I roundly despise egomaniacs. He knew he had no chance of winning. But the damn idiot pressed on and deprived this country of not only it's first woman President, but an individual who knew the issues, cared deeply for families, is incredibly intelligent, knew all word leaders and as a bonus, is someone Putin was definitely afraid of. Secretary Hillary Clinton did not require a steep learning curve as George W. Bush and Donald Trump did. She would have been ready on Day One. Screw egomaniacs. They all have a few things in common. They rarely read and understand, don't do much research and spend the bulk of their time trying to convince everyone they know everything. When it's plain as day they are full of chit on many issues.

I guess he ignores the actual definition: Evidence: that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof. Meaning that is not 100% acceptable in all instances. It's amazing what one can figure out when they can read and actually comprehend the words.

I prefer games that have a random component or where luck comes into play as well as skill. So the few times I have been to a Casino I prefer Roulette. Since the croupier skills don't tilt the game in the house's favor.

Poignant and interesting — thanks again @Cynique i always wondered about Bridge it always seemed to be played exclusively by white women named Gertude, Myrtle, Gladys, or Mable… On the TV sitcoms men never played. i don’t think i know anyone who plays. we played Spades in college. several times i played till morning myself. I later learned to play Bid Whist a much better game, that I rarely play because i rarely encounter people who know how to play. i understand Whist is similar to Bridge but i have no idea. i prefer bid whist because any suit can be trump or there can be no trump. You can also decide (bid) on whether the low or high cards are most valuable. I play spades with a group of people we pass a trophy to the winning team. I wished they would play whist instead.

My recommending other sites is a vestige of the old days when that was common on the web. It was a really simple way to provide mutual support. Now we pay social media and Google to link to our sites… i link to every bookstore site I’m aware of, i don’t think any link to AALBC. That was not always true, but again it is reflective of his the web has evolved. Well I’m glad you picked up on the ISBN that is super important especially for booksellers. Again thanks for taking the time to share your positive experience publicly @Rodney campbell

The situation in Chicago is ridiculous!. Each day newspapapers and nightly news stations give an accounting of how many were killed for the day, like war casualties. Not a day goes by where people aren't shot to death, many of them school kids or innocent bystanders or people inside their homes. They are predominately black, with a few Hispanics mixed in. Illinois just passed a law to ban assault weapons and the Sheriff of one of Illiinois' counties has declared he has no intention enforcing this law, that it's unconstitutional. NRA people are claiming that "assault weapon" is just a term that is made-up, that these weapons are just rifles. car-jackings and street robberies are running rampant, and people are now arming themselves, firing back and killing the perpetrators, which i think is almost funny. It's surreal. i don't know what's going on in the heavens, but Earth is turning into Hell.

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...

Keeping guns out the hands of nuts should be a priority. My concern is that a bunch of nuts already have guns. There is no controlling them. Unless people who have heard and/or seen strange behavior report it. Snitching used to be a bad thing. But, if it's going to save lives, somebody better say something. Especially family member and friends and associates who know the nut(s).

I think gun control should be part of the conversation. Understanding why is good too, but keeping guns out the hands of nuts should be a priority, don’t you think?

Pardon the interruption but it says proof is the evidence sufficient enough to establish a thing is true...

Those definitions came from dictionaries. Of course, you would refuse to agree with them. You're not that bright.

Evidence: that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof. Something that makes plain or clear; an indication or sign. Law: Data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue and which may include the testimony of witnesses, records, documents, or objects. Proof is the evidence sufficient enough to establish a thing as true, or to produce belief in its truth. When an individual makes a claim, they need to offer proof by presenting evidence. If they cannot, the claim cannot be believed.

Umar Johnson is an Alpha male I presume. How many women and children is he supporting? What makes anyone think these "alpha males" will be willing to pick up all these unattached women, with children, and wife them up? The terms alpha and beta males are like the terms race -- neither has any basis in science. While polygamy may work for some, I do not think it is a solution to be a "remedy" for our community. On paper, there may be a lot of single mothers, but the reality is many of these women have a man in their lives, but for a variety of reasons it is not government official. The same is true for marriage. So-called single people are shacking up or in long-term relationships. I'm not sure there are stats on this, but we all know it is happening - right?