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@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.

I asked ChatGPT an this was its response. IS anything random or are things so complex that the order isn't apparent? The concept of randomness is a complex one, and different people have different perspectives on it. Some people believe that random events are truly unpredictable and lack any underlying pattern or structure, while others believe that everything that happens is determined by prior causes and that there is no real randomness in the world. In physics, the idea of randomness is closely tied to the concept of probability. For example, the outcome of a coin flip is considered random because it is equally likely to come up heads or tails, but the outcome is determined by the physical laws that govern the coin's motion. In mathematics, the concept of randomness is used to describe sequences of numbers or events that lack any discernible pattern or structure. However, even in these cases, the randomness is often generated by a deterministic process, such as a computer algorithm. Ultimately, the question of whether anything is truly random or whether everything is determined by underlying causes is still a matter of debate among philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians, and there is no clear consensus.

The majority in a homogenous society will support a dictator because 1) that individual is one of them and 2) benefits and 3) fear. The aforementioned dictators and throughout the course of history have similar traits. Despite their murderous ways, they were beloved by their subjects. There's no incentive to overthrow a corrupt leader or system if one is a) enjoying benefits under the illusion of freedom and/or b) afraid to die in order to change it.

Yes, this is news to me. It is the age of Aquarius I guess. @Delano I now wonder what that means. And, it is also interesting what you have said about Pluto during the French and American Revolution. THE HALEY'S COMET came into orbit at this time! Native Americans saw this comet as the reason for this revolution! This comet came into orbit around December 1811 I think and remained visible for about a month. And, major earthquakes occurred and even though the richter scale was not used, it was believed they were massive earthquakes of category 9 in Arkansas and on the Madrid Fault near the Mississippi. I know I do not have the proper terminologies to pose a decent question or hypothesis, but anyway, I wonder if the 'tail' of comets are the result of other phenomena like meteorites and such. Just a few days ago, it was reported that a huge meteor fell in Middle America and was so loud it alarmed many people. Yes, I hope that the prophecies of destruction are not about now, but nevertheless, these phenomena stretch over decades. As you have said, there has been a lot of upheaval in the past 5 years. I was in Florida when the Great American Total Solar Eclipse occurred in August 2017 and the very day, four major hurricanes [tropical depressions] began and a week later they were well formed, but scientist do not connect the dots for us to know these systems began as a result of that eclipse. Shortly thereafter in November, THE WATER TURNED RED AS BLOOD in southern Florida and this was due to the type of shell fish or coral that were affected by the hurricane churning up the ocean, and piles and piles of dead fish washed up on beachers. Then a few weeks later thousands of dead frogs washed up on the shores in North Carolina. Does this sound familiar!? Does it sound like the plagues of Egypt? Yes, our planet is affected by massive stars at times.

(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.

After Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez managed to get herself elected in a Bronx-Queens, N.Y., district in 2022, Democrats were ecstatic. "She's young! She's smart! She's beautiful. She cares about people" That is what many crowed. I took a wait and see approach. Heady with undeserved praise, AOC believed she was a political goddess. So much so, she decided she was going to end Trump's government shutdown all by herself. So she put on her red lipstick, invited chosen media types to join her as she stomped into the Rayburn Senate Office Building to find Sen. Mitch McConnell and force him to help her. Unfamiliar with the Rayburn building, Ms. Knucklehead got lost. It was then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who ended the shutdown. But AOC wasn't done. She appointed herself sotto voce ruler of Black people and her Justice Democrats PAC targeted eight elected Black Congressmen for defeat. No one else. Just Black representatives. I guess they weren't sufficiently radical enough. We know AOC loves Mexican immigrants. Which is why the folks who greet migrants at the Port Authority Bus Terminal fill their head with what they supposedly deserve from taxpayers. Because of the advice they got from AOC and her Progressive minions. To be fair, Chinese also do this for their new arrivals through their community agencies. Which is why many Latino migrants refuse to go shelters, which are at capacity anyway. They want three-star hotel rooms. Think Haitian immigrants are awarded hotel rooms, able to toss away carefully prepared meals, shun registering, according to our laws and are treated with kid gloves by law enforcement? A year ago, I predicted New York City would quickly run out of money trying to house and please these migrants. And it has. Mayor Eric Adams was forced to slash the municipal budget. So ordinary New Yorkers will have to put up with slashed services in AOC's Wonderful World of Migrants. Of course, you could always vote for Republicans and get your kids schools shut down, be told your history dosen't count, be ordered to never mention your Black heroes because that's being woke. Running away as someone suggested will never work. But Voting does.

Congrats @Troy

Tyre. Nichols. Black. Police. Kept. Beating. Him.. White. People. ,Black. Police. Know. Not. To. Beat. Them.. Black. Police. Black. ,People. Should. Be. Able. To. Trust.....Choking. Deaths,Shooting. ,Deaths. Of. Innocent. Black. People. ,They. Know. How. Racist., White, Police. Treat. Us.....Black. Police. Kept. Beating. Him. Not,Caring. About. His. Pain. And. Suffering......His. Cries. For.,.. His,Mother. They. Were. Hearing.....Being. Police. They. Thought , They. Could. Get. Away. With. This. In. Their. Mind......By. Racist ,White. Police. They. Could. Be. Tyre. Nichols. At. Any. Time.....!

We are already in the midst of a mass struggle and have been since the First Slave Revolt. The payments for police misconduct have been ordered by courts and the City of New York must pay them. People suffered at the hands of NYC cops and some think their complaints and redress should be ignored? They sued for damages, won and now it's time for them to be paid. The reason the community center has been underfunded is because NYC has run out of money. And this is the fault of AOC and her dopey band of Progressives who have encouraged migrants to demand hotel rooms, instead of being squeezed into a shelter, (which are at overcapacity), Metro cards, free cell phones and of course, food (which they tend to throw away). Did you read the thread I wrote on AOC? A year ago, I said on other forums (where people actually read and click on news links) that Mayor Eric Adams would have to cut the municipal budget because of migrants. But few wanted to hear of it. Do you really think Black Americans could cross our southern border in the millions, show up in Mexican cities and demand services in English, hotel rooms, free access to regional buses, subways in the capital, free cell phones and an adoring army of English-speaking activists to tell Mexican residents to donate their clothes and other unused items? This is just the beginning of pain for ordinary New Yorkers. Mayor Adams has asked for $2 billion from the federal government to help. He gets nothing. Because racist Republicans would scream bloody murder if Biden sent even $50. The GOP is all about Cruelty. They are loving this chit. Which is why I despise Black people who refuse to condemn Republicans. I've always suspected it's because they're living easy and have little regard for those beneath them. Just as their White and Latino counterparts in the GOP do. Now, I wonder if Pioneer is going to order Black people to leave New York City as he did Black people in California.

Exactly. I don't think anything randomly happens. If you can determine the cause the effect is lot random. If you can predict the effect without knowing the cause that also is probably not random.

@Chevdoveinteresting, there has been a lot of upheaval in the past 5 years. I hope that the prophecy is not about now. Pluto is entering Aquarius for the first time since it was discovered. The last time Pluto was in Aquarius was the time if the French and American Revolution.

Yes! You bring me to remembrance when I studied Genetics in college! I absolutely did not believe in flippiing coins as being scientific at all, however, it was an assignment in my Genetics book! I remember thinking it was a stupid exercise, however, I did it. It took me hours and I was flipping the coin all night in order to respond to the table I had to fill out. To my surprise, my results were exactly as the book predicted regarding homogenous and heterogenous breeding! I could not believe it! This is a very intriguing subject! I do believe in patterns and cycles and some 'things' may seem to be random, but it may be due to not knowing the full picture. This makes me think about the recent comet and scientist say that comets are extremely unpredictable, however, they know certain comets have a pattern but they did not always know this until they were able to observe them and determine certain patterns.

Yes, this is one of the main scriptures, imo that speaks to both Astrology and Astronomy. Yes, the scriptures speak about the issues of human sacrifice of which Abraham was about to do to his son Isaac and it speaks to the issue of astrology, etc. but I think people can be too judgemental and do not understand relevancy. I believe that people should have the human right to work out their own salvation and belief systems. There was a time when, it was NOT considered 'a sin' to marry a cousin, but then the scriptures dated a later time in which it did say that this was not to be done. But now, I would like to enjoy this new GREEN COMET! ALSO, I wonder has anyone seen it yet. I have not been able to because for most of the nights that it has been reported to be in the sky, well, it has been continually cloudy!!! MAN! The very night it has been reported to now become visible with the naked eye, THE CLOUD COVERAGE IS THICK! And I strongly believe that this comet has something to do with this weather system! Just I said back in 2020 when the Neowise comet came into our solar system, and it rained almost the entire time from spring until the end of summer, I just have this feeling that scientist are not telling us everything they might know about comets. The Corona virus also marked 2020 as a unique time in our recent history. Reports are saying that California and most of the west have been receiving record amounts of rain. I do wonder though, how do scientist know that this comet came into our solar system 50,000 years ago? At any rate, YES, I do believe that this GREEN COMET is biblical and I appreciate what you posted @Delano about signs and wonders in the sky! A few days ago, I was reminded about a prophecy in REVELATION Chapter 8 about a major sign of the times, and about a particular STAR and I now believe that this comet is that star! The scriptures say that this star is called WORMWOOD [i.e. vermoud, vermouth...] and it is a star that correlates to the Biblical description of a BITTER HERB of the same name. This star is suppose to come and turn the waters bitter of which again, correlates to this bitter herb. So yes, I do believe that this comet is that star and this is not the first time it came into our solar system and made waters bitter. THE STAR named WORMWOOD would correlate to this GREEN HERB WORMWOOD, so it is mind blowing to me, that this comet would appear in our skies and be green! That is insane. I believe that this comet and other comets do have some kind of impact on our earth. I believe that this Green comet has some affect on our earth in that it has led to volcano eruptions and this is what the scriptures mean when it says that the star would cause a third of the the waters in the seas to become bitter. Oh yes, and indeed there have been some recent volcanoes that have erupted; There is a recent volcano activity in ICELAND There is a recent volcano activity in Hawaii There is a recent underwater volcano eruption in Vanuatu. Yes, I do believe we are experiencing an incredible star event!

Reality is a construct, due to the fact that your world exists in your mind. The only real facts are self evident ones. Everything else is a function of subjectivity. Men would fight less wars if they gave birth.

As an aside, when the German people were asked why they didn't overthrow Hitler, their response was: "vee vere goot Germans!" That's what patriotism is, ( and fascism is patriotism on steroids.) Once the masses are persuaded to believe it's "us" against "them", then they are willing to fight wars taking pride in believing that they are the "good guys". or in the case of elite street gangs, the "bad mutha fuckas". During the Civil War, young sons of the South couldn't wait to take up arms against the Yankees to fight for what they believed it. Up North, not so much. There wasn't a lot of enthusiasm among the rank and file to go risk their lives to end slavery. That, of course, why there were draft riots to protest being involuntarily inducted into the military. During WW2, Eisenhower sacrificed the lives of thousands of red blooded white boys, sending wave after wave of them into the waiting German fire power on Omaha beach where they were slaughtered. Black guys were shuffled behind the lines, mostly assigned to burial details because their segregated units weren't considered reliable or "battle ready", something they simply shrugged off, just glad to be spared having their brains blown out. Five years after this quest to make the world safe for democracy ended , America was back in the thick of the Korean conflict which took another terrible toll on the lives of young Americans sent to their deaths by old men in suits and ties. I speak from memory. Men fight wars because they are natural aggressors and they will find excuses to invade territories and kill each other. What somebody once said about the eternal conflict referred to in the bible as "wars and rumors of wars"., was this: "we have met the enemy, and he is us". Mere mortals think they have all the answers. But they don't.

@Stefan, it's not on the brochure but folks who join the military and law enforcement are signing up to kill or be killed. Most folks make it through those careers without having to make that sacrifice. Folks run around the streets engaging in gangs and/or criminal activities knowing the risks. They might have to kill or be killed too. While these folks aren't strapping bombs and grenades to themselves, they are engaging in careers and activities that could require them to take a bullet. It hasn't clicked with either group of folks that they're willing to die for something less than overthrowing the system of racism white supremacy.

A hearty and loud thank you to Troy for giving us place to discuss matters close to our hearts.

Beautiful choices of artwork.

Well, the rumor on the Internet is that those cops were all members of a tactical unit called the Scorpion Squad. This special group which, as a result of this incident, has since been disbanded, was formed to keep traffic arrests from getting out of control, and the reason why things went off the rails was because one of the cops, Demetrius Haley, had a beef against the victim because his ex who he has a baby with was involved with Tyre who had a new baby with a white girl who may or may or may not be Haley's ex. it was typical ghetto baby momma BS. And the cops all stuck together. The black female Police Chief ended up in Memphis after being fired from her post in Atlanta. supposedly. i've never in my life been stopped by a policeman. My grandson has been stopped by white cops a couple of times for speeding but they always let him go when they find out he's a fire fighter . Another grandson was arrested for speeding and not having insurance, and at the station, the white cops kept him supplied with cigarettes and MacDonalds, marveling over how polite and cooperative he was. He was released the next morning on his own recognizance, These were not Chicago cops because we live in the suburbs. My granddaughter is a cop with the Cook County Sheriff department but she is off the street, involved with hostage and suicide cases. Just depends. We always cautioned our boys to keep your hands on the steering wheel and address the cops as "Officer". Disarm them with courtesy. Sometimes it works. Not all the time, obviously.

I don't give a darn about White policing since the 1800's. I am only interested in what happens these days. Black people, Latinos and Native Americans were never viewed as equals since the founding of this so-called Republic. So we lacked the respect and consideration that most White people receive from Law Enforcement. Self-defense? It is whatever any ruling authority of a nation, province, state, territory or region says it is. I will not tempt fates. So my paperwork is always in order when I am driving. All of my vehicle lights work. I drive the speed limit, obey traffic regulations and use my turn signals. It helps that I don't drink, never used drugs and my windows are not tinted.

@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!

Slavery is more like the heart of capitalism

Slavery as 400 years of free labor generating what amounts to trillions of dollars in products, goods and services was definitely the backbone of capitalism. To this day, companies and countries still pay as little as possible for human labor and fight raising wages in order to maximize profits. Capitalism thrives.

Cynique: Try reading the Bible account at Matt 1: 18-25. It is the Apostle Matthew who labeled the three men who came from the East as astrologers in Matt. 2:1. He actually used the Greek word ma’goi to describe those who visited Jesus. The word likely refers to experts in astrology and other occult practices. In the eastern tradition, as many as 12 men made the trip. But in the western tradition, the number is set at three. They were never called kings. Spiritism is condemned in Deuteronomy 18:10-12. Just because the Bible mentions Spiritism, this does not mean it is approved. The same is true of magic. This practice is also condemned. And just because the Bible mentions astrology does not mean the God of the Israelites approved of it. The same is true of rape. It is mentioned several times in the Scriptures. But that does not mean God is okay with it. Now, about the star? Where did it lead the astrologers to? It led them to Jerusalem where they met up with King Herod. From the prophecies in the Hebrew scrolls, Herod knew he would soon have a rival. So, he wanted to kill the baby Jesus. It was Herod and not the star, that directed the astrologers to Bethlehem. All Israelites knew knew their Messiah would be born in that city. So, Herod told the astrologers after they found Jesus to come back let him the baby's location because he, too wanted to do obeisance to the child. But Herod wanted to kill him. There were neither airlines, nor bullet trains back then. It took more than minute to find the child. By the time, the astrologers found Jesus, he was a toddler and living in a house. This is why after the astrologers left to return to the east, Herod realized he had been tricked. And enraged, he order the slaughter of all boy babies two years and under. Do you really think God wanted that done?

This is not a question of displaying keen interest. It is a matter of being aware. Some people don't get having a passing interest in something such as me caring about women's fashion. I don't think about that. But I cannot get away from it since this topic, as well as photos pertaining to it, are all over the news media.

@Chevdove feel free to tag me. I generally just check notifications.