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Made it! Today's my 92nd birthday. Don't know whether to laugh or cry. Such is life.

You are a very kind and sweet person @Mel Hopkins with the ability to find the beauty in everyone. Thank YOU!

Suddenly I've drifted into a crazy zone. I have nothing but time on my hands, and I live around the clock, only sleeping when I'm sleepy, only eating when I'm hungry, suspended in limbo. My Samsung smart phone is my ever present companion and it's like there's a connection between my fingers and its keyboard and I have a compulsion to just write long dissertations or crazy vignettes, my words and thoughts feeding on each other like i'm overtaken by a rogue AI entity that compels me to write about things I didn't know I knew, - like my subconcious mind is on overdrive. Like now. Fortunately, I'm not immobile nor in dire health. But I do tire easily, and like to curl up on my recliner, where i still set aside time to do patternless crossword puzzles that seem to work themselves and play Bridge on line with computerized robots - who seem to becoming more human by the day... Family relationships are normal, but there's this other world that I drift in and out of and when I sleep I have vivid dreams about all those who have gone ahead. In a recent one it seemed like my husband had hooked up with an old girlfriend. Why do I find this funny??? Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining, not lonely nor depressed, just curious about this weird state I'm caught up in. I still sometimes sneak out at night and look up at the stars... Now i'm about to gear up for my daily walk up and down the driveway. Stay tuned, - or tune out if you have better things to do than read the ramblings of a crazy ol lady. Hoping some winning POWERBALLnumbers will pop into my head. Nothing like a billion dollars to calm your impulses.

IMO, you have reached the zenith of life. We should all be so fortunate to get there. Relative good health is a bonus in the zenith of life. There is no shortage of posts that we express how much we enjoy your input here. I certainly look forward to and get a kick out of your ramblings. Keep posting as long as time allows..

Computed by whom? NASA? Or the aliens who launched it and subsequently turned it green for "GO"!

One comment struck Troy as being on the money. I'm still waiting for more feedback. Yes I i have neen diving deeper into my understanding the quality of time. My energy is shifting. I have caught people's eye. Sometimes we smile at each other, say hello or have a chat. I also seem to he running onto more people and having conversations. Even in brief interactions a few people told me i was wise. My goal this year is to expand my social circle. Two people that were a major part of my life have returned. By the end of the month. I will have gone to three birthday parties. However I am finding it challenging to find deep thinkers. I have noticed that some people seem to not be able to focus or have a balanced conversation. My deeper dive into Astrology has resulted in more detail and crisp timely predictions. In one I was able to tell a Querent the date they had a doctor's appointment within a week. I have also fone back an found a chart within a month of when i met two significant partners. The planet in those charts had a relationship to my chart. In addition that planet described both partners fairly accurately . I have also been turning the lens inwards. I spent several hours looking at possible charts to forecast the next 8 years. If I'm correct the next the next year amd a half will be something of a rebirth. The other thing is that i shouldn't live with my next partner. The next paerner should be arriving in the next six months. However around the same time two attractive magnetic difficult women will be showing up around the same time. I have said it before you are an unconscious Magician. I feel that your hesitancy to reach into your magic bag is more due feat if your own power rayhe than something going awry. I practice Magic because it brings Wonder into my life. Which levens the banality of existence. Or I'm also doing aa magical Spell on the Solar Eclipse to march6the one i did on the Lunar Eclipse.

Many folks are born gifted and/or talented. White folks have the hardest time understanding or believing it. They want to associate hours or practice time and/or study to people being proficient. It works sometimes. That whole train of thought falls apart when a 7-year old prodigy sits down and plays a piano effortlessly by ear or a savant solves complex math problems without years or decades of education. Many Black folks regardless of the circumstances into which they were born seem to be *blessed* with talent and/or intelligence beyond their environment. Art is the best display of gifted and talented individuals.

Yep. Charlie Kirk said “I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.” Kirk lived and died by his very own words. POTUS OJ has d8mn near hailed him a MAGA hero. Flags lowered to half staff. White folks won't be any more outraged about this killing as they are when it comes to mass shootings and conflicts where they kill each other. Thankfully, the shooter wasn't a Black man. This country would be on the brink of a race war. Let's see how long this situation keeps the news cycle busy before they go back to ICE chasing immigrants and the national guard occupying urban cities.

HAIR THEN HAIR NOW (What old ladies do when they have too much time on their hands.) ************* No National Guard troops have shown up in Chicago yet. Latest news reports a confrontation between 2 women in a black neighborhood ends with one shooting the other in the face, killing her. Three-year-old playing with gun, accidently shoots and kills himself. And Life goes on... Or does it??

Write your dream and hypnagogic or hypnopompic visions in a dream diary.... When you come back to then days weeks or months later.....you will be pleasantly surprise... To find many of then if not all.....very informative explanatory and predictive....jackpot lotto numbers

Well, what's a little "strawman" lapse between friends?

Brother Muhammad quoted the Honorable Minister Farrakhan saying "whoever programs the diameter of one's thinking also controls the circumference of their activity." That's some heavy sh8t right there.

Speaking of @aka Contrarian and longevity. This popped in my inbox this morning. I first met Carolyn at least 20 years ago, she is part of the NYC literati founding a literary magazine and a film festival. Celebrate Harlem's Newest Centenarian! Happy 100th Birthday, Mom! Dear Fam, Today, join my family and I in honoring my mother's 100th birthday celebration! I'm taking pause over the next few days to rejoice my mom's longevity and contributions to her Harlem community. We have lost so many loved ones during the past few years that it is necessary to take time to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and special milestones (personal and professional) in our lives. NYC's hustle culture rarely allows you to honor important moments in your life or take time to be present in the moment and relax. We are human and not machines. As a Libra, I am committed to practicing the art of balance and invite you to take time to reflect and shout out "Happy 100th Birthday" to my special mom. She inspired me to be courageous during the pandemic and return to the foundation she established when I was five years old. Mom was the first vegetarian I know who started a personal protest in buying food filled with "chemicals" and "Yellow Dye Number 9." Her favorite book was "Back to Eden," which favored holistic living and natural foods. I attribute my mom's longevity not only to what she put in her body but her mental capacity to put faith, love and compassion above everything. May mom continue to enjoy more years with us! Enclosed is my short poem dedicated to mom that I wrote years ago! Wishing you a happy holiday weekend and joy! peace and blessings, Carolyn Executive Director African Voices Declaration of Independence (The Day My Mother Went Insane) the day she went insane my mother declared herself a Sovereign State She threw away money Washington, Lincoln & Jackson went up in flames she hung a red flag in the living room, declared her home a new nation The day my mother went insane started 25 years ago She passed a law against Red meat, declared it an illegal contraband in her home She tossed pork chops, steak and even the leftover fried chicken in the trash Her insanity she says Is God´s Wisdom the day my mother went insane she threw away her pressing comb, let her hair lock she screamed about conspiracies against Black boys and girls, attending schools that don't teach and dying at the hands of cops that kill the day my mother went insane American doctors held her hostage, tried to make her believe Prozac and talk shows were real tried to make her believe that killing babies was okay tried to make her believe their insanity was reality the day my mother went insane I cried, silently because she was Free A nation unto her own. © January 1999, Carolyn A. Butts

You too man! I clearly remember the first time I saw you in 1991, because you are a black man in a mostly white environment. You were working in a computer lab a place I ultimately got a job which in some indirect way led to AALBC, Well, I appreciate you and everyone else who spends some of their precious time here. The only thing that will save the rest of the web, including websites like AALBC are human beings. The amount of AI generated content on social media is staggering.

Had to destroy the mood, didn't you...........

love is all I bring cause that is all I have.....love

Mel Now here I was thinking this thread was dedicated to me personally, only to open it up and see a whole pack of OTHER names tagged in the OP...lol. Always a pleasure when you drop by and kick it with the fam, young lady. I'd come here to fight with @Pioneer1 - every time I do, I learn so much about myself, Maybe you learn more about yourself, but clearly you aren't learning much about ME or you wouldn't waste so much time arguing with me...lol. But hey.....lol....whatever it takes to get your attention.

Black. Colleges. Have. Been. Threatened. After. Racist. Trash. ,Charlie. Kirk. Murder. ....Racist. Talking. White. Trash. Idiot. In. A. ,White. State. Utah. ,Murdered. By. A. White. Man. .....Racist. White. Threatening. Black. Colleges. ....Some. People. Think. This. Was. A. Inside. Job. ...This. Guy. They. Arrested. Was. Lucky. With. Only. One. Shot. Or. He. Was. A. Trained. Shooter. ...Some. People. Think. His. Own. People. Murdered. Him. ...From. Watching. The. Video. Of. This. Racist. Talking. Christian. Idiot. .. ..He. Hated. Black. People. ..A. White. Man. In. A All. White. State. Murdered. Him ......He. Is. What. Christianity. Is. In. This. Country. .Black. Christians. Amaze. Me. .........Trump. Epstein. Files. Pushed. Out. The. Way. For. This. Murder ?? ..

I haven't watched ANY of those "Madea" movies. Purposely. Nor have I watched Martin Lawrence's "Big Mamma" movies. I think both franchise films disgrace and insult Black women by portraying them as masculine and ultra-violent, and really those movies make them easier targets for racist violence. While the older White woman is portrayed as a sweet, kind hearted, cookie baking grand ma....Tyler's Madea portrays the older Black woman as a foul mouthed, combative, violent, half-masculine, heathen who not only deserves heavy handed treatment but is strong enough to and built to tolerate as much abuse as you can inflict on her. So the next time a White or Latino cop pulls over a Black woman....with the images of a tough foul mouthed Madea or Big Mama in his head....maybe he won't treat her the same as he would the more "delicate" and "lady like" White woman who isn't portrayed in that manner. I know a lot of our sisters and even some silly brothers take "pride" in our women being portrayed as STRONG and TOUGH and SHARP TONGUED. How foolish. All that does is take away ANY sympathy a racist enemy may have in dealing with her, that's all. There is NO benefit in our women being portrayed as strong, masculine, foul mouthed, and violent.....none.

News media is reporting the death of screen icon and heartthrob, Robert Redford. He was 89. And, like me, he was born on August 18th. He's the second celeb born on this date to pass this year. Malcolm Jamal Warner was also born on August 18th. Oh, well... Rest in Peace, Bobby. "THE WAY YOU WERE"

ProfD It doesn't help that AfroAmericans feed into those narratives from their willingness to be everything mentioned or play one on the screen and loud about it too. Some people will do ANYTHING for money. They'd sell out their own mamma's for some cash. This is what happens when you are raised to believe money is an "end" instead of a MEANS to an end. The crazy thing is....most drug addicts actually realize this. Chev I am opinionated when it comes to Black men doing so much of this, however, I still appreciate some aspects of the talent and some positive vibes. I understand how we are being exploited. But in some regards, there are some talented portrayals of Black women and I just do not have a problem with it. This one actor, is just too funny. Ms Renee. Under "ordinary" circumstances OUTSIDE of an organized System of Racism where one of the chief weapons is the E-masculinization of Black men....I wouldn't have a problem with it. To each their own. However when I see an organized attempt to influence Black men to be gay, trans, and dress and act like women and not just be homosexual but be FLAMBOYANT with it....that's the problem. You can work around a White or Asian man and they could be gay as hell. Being "done up" every night by 2 men at a time. But you'd never know it because they'll come to work just as professional and straight laced and NEVER talk about sex or their personal life. If a nigga is gay....he gotta FLAUNT it! "You see these eye balls pointing in yo' direction. Don't play games with me." He's gotta switch and snap his damn fingers and lisp on every word. Puckering his mouth and bucking his eyes at every man he comes across. Even other WOMEN don't do shit like that. They go overboard trying to "out women" even the women! He's LOOKING for attention. Just gotta tell the entire world how big of a pink dress wearing sissy he is. That's a sickness. A psychological sickness. It's not about him being gay or expressing his homosexuality, it's REALLY about him telling the entire world that he's a Black man who's is NOT a threat to the System of Racism. It's really a twisted defense mechanism. By acting like that...he's telling the racists that he's "safe". He's saying he's a Black man you don't have to worry about screwing your mother, sister, or daughter. He's saying he's safe to hire for a job or to dwell in White society because he doesn't pose any sort of masculine threat. Many men also employ this same defense mechanism in prison and in violent neighborhoods to avoid physical conflict.

@richardmurrayI @richardmurrayI picked the Cosmic Entity Awareness when you first posted this, - and nothing ever happened. ???

@DelanoAnything interesting going on with you that you want to share? I could stand a relief from the same ol same ol. My spirituality needs to be resuscitated. I'm tempted to dig out my crystals and pyramid in order create some energy but have to be careful about the portal they can create. I found it interesting what Frankster said about keeping a dream journal, and what returning to your past entries in it can reveal... I guess the Autumnal solitices are lining up in the sky. Did you ever come up with some significant dates for Troy via the astrological system you created?

As mentioned, Black men have been doing drag sh8t for decades atarting with Flip Wilson. From the penitentiary to porn parties, Black men have been on that Sodom and Gomorrah tip for a long time. I don't believe Black folks were influenced or corrupted by anyone else when it comes to their s8xuality. I think it is a human condition that is expressed to greater or lesser degrees depending on cultural and environmental conditions. In other words, white folks didn't invent s8xual perversion and/or alternative s8xuality. They've just tried to normalize and make it acceptable especially here in the USA.

That single shot from 200 yards away made it seem like the guy was trained. There's no shortage of legit video footage of the unalived white nationalist spewing all types of anti-Black sentiment including the meme quote. Of course, you wouldn't know especially if you're unaware of these people. Millions of folks definitely heard him. The murdered and injured political figures in Minnesota weren't classified as assassinations or attempted. Conservatives are elevating this unalived white nationalist to being assassinated and a martyr. He's really not.

There never seems to be a shortage of n8gglets willing to cape for the very same people who h8te their existence. Ridiculous. In this instance, I hope white folks in the strongest terms tell that Black football player they have it covered and that his money is no good.

Sent to me by a New Yorker

Probably both!

Btw, I don't wear the corn rows on public They are just a way of keeping my real hair out of the way of my "artificial coiffs".

The morning newcast I woke up to yesterday was ablast with the report that a new ICE headquarters has just opened up in the town where I live, which is a western suburb of Chicago. This facility is not near my block but its grounds have quickly filled up with a large loud group of protesters. Nobody saw this coming and the mayor, who is a black woman, has not been heard from. There are a lot of Latinos living around here so we shall see what ensues. And here I thought I was removed from all of this, then suddenly it's right in my back yard. Hope they don't snatch up the Mexican landscapers who keep our grass cut. My first name happens to be Spanish so I'm keeping my ID card handy. Hola!

That's funny. As a platinum member of the hetero community, while my appreciation of women is unmatched and my affinity for snatch box is undisputed, I have never detailed my escapades and adventures in tickling tulips on this forum or anywhere else.

No other culture embraces and pushes it to the degree that America does. They would be killed in the public square. When POTUS Obama tried to encourage Kenyans to embrace the alphabet soup community, they told him to mind his own gotd8mn bizness.

The feminization of Black men and masculinization of Black women is another form of divide and conquer under the system of racism white supremacy.

I tore my ACL so I also have a lot of time. Waste a lot if time, but I read a book or a chart an hour or two and periodically. I have caught the eyes of strangers and say hello. Or people will ask me if I'm okay or how did i hurt my leg. Also meeting more people. I think having time allows forces to pull you towards them.

That and with the title of THE 100 BEST BLACK MOVIES (EVER) it was designed to feed the algorithm, attract attention, get a reaction, and generate controversy. It got my attention and shared it here hoping for similar effect. Years ago, I regularly published move reviews including, an annual summary of the Top Black moves; "Blacktrospective: Annual Assessment of the Best in Black Cinema, and Oscar predictions." The Brother (@Pioneer1 would probably question is "Blackness" ) who wrote these, Kam Williams sadly passed in 2019. Kam published more than 900 book and movie reviews as well articles and interviews. His articles were nationally syndicated and as a result appears on many other Black websites. Google harshly penalized my site back in 2015 for this -- their algorithm penalized sites that published copied content. Google killed a lot of Black sites back then. But I digress I remember the first time I saw anything by Tyler Perry. I was with a group of people who were excited to see a DVD of a Tyler Perry stage play. Some of the actors appear in his films today. People loved it thought Madea was hilarious. There was gospel singing and the Christian moralizing we still find in his films today. He definitely hot n something that resonates with the masses. Of course he deserves to be on anyone's top Black films. I would probably pick his first major motion picture featured Madea -- whatever that one was.

Right. We were supposed to learn how the system worked and create our own institutions and wealth-building. Instead of creating wealth-building institutions, many of our people got intoxicated from gross consumerism and trying to live like white folks. To date, as the system of racism white supremacy is alive and well, Black folks haven't manipulated the slave master and/or broken out of the prison. I always get a chuckle out of n8gglets who claim they were running the prison while doing their bid.

In "If Courage Could Talk, "Book Five of the acclaimed series, the Thomas family faces the brutality of World War II while battling murder and political corruption in Chicago. Blending real events — from the heroism of the Tuskegee Airmen and 761st Tank Battalion to the struggle for justice at home — these books go beyond stories of oppression to reveal the ambition, resilience, and sophistication of Black life across generations. This is U.S. history told from the inside, where courage isn’t just on the battlefield. "If Courage Could Talk" and the broader whileBlack Chronicles stand out because they portray African American historical fiction as a continuous, character-driven epic rather than a series of disconnected snapshots. The non-fictional and fictional characters remind us of our amazing history. My Author Website includes Chapter One

@aka Contrarian Thank you, you have given some of the most important insights to my persona. It has changed the way i communicate.

@richardmurrayWell, as I confessed to Troy and ProfD, I made the mistake of offering simple soltions to complicated problems. I don't really think there will be any official separation of red and blue states, or that racism will completely go away in my lifetime. Time is the only hope. It brings change but as we know, it is gradual. Thanks for your insightful analysis of the situation.

Your are dynamic and have a wide variety of interest. We have only hung out a few times but every time was a different setting and you were in your comfortable in all of them. In addition you are a great host and an even greater guest. Your a beautiful person, Troy, while also being focused and driven. I would add just don't become disappointed in people that share your visions, but don't have the drive or focus to actualised their plans.

This is all great! (sorry I got the year wrong). Yes they do, which is why I, at 5'7'' have never been challenged in the lady department

I'm late to the party. Happy belated birthday @aka Contrarian! Here are a few famous people who were also born in August of 1932: Melvin Van Peebles, V. S. Naipaul, Mel Tillis, Peter O’Toole, Meir Kahane, Edward Kennedy sadly not are still alive Kahane was assassinated in middle age and Van Peebles died during the pandemic and was the oldest of the bunch making it to 89. I hope you family appreciates the gem you are. They should be recording your every word you have so much history, family and societal, it should be recorded. Have you heard of story corps: https://storycorps.org/participate/

Hello I would like to introduce myself. My name is Swiyyah. I'm new here. I'm an author and speaker. I write books on mental health and inspiration. My books have become required and suggested reading in Universities and High schools. You can find my books here Click here www.swiyyah.com

A search did not turn up the word 'paradigm' in this thread. As far as I am concerned there is Only One reality. But every individual has a paradigm of reality in their heads. They are all WRONG! At least in that they are incomplete because no one knows all there is of reality and most likely some of what they think they know is wrong. I ran across General Semantics in high school because of Robert Heinlein. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_semantics https://www.interzoneeditions.net/IntrosgENG.pdf https://www.afirstlook.com/docs/gensem.pdf .

Different facets for different faces

Many folks in major cities know exactly who's responsible for committing most crimes. Family members aren't going to drop dimes on their relatives and friends. Public officials, law enforcement and the judicial system thrive on crime. It is job security and fuels the economy. IMO, if folks were serious about eliminating crime, it could be solved in a month or less without the national guard or any form of fascism. The whole exercise is MAGA-approved fascism and hyper-white nationalism. Da Bears fans can definitely look forward to a promising season. They should compete well in the NFC North.

Isn't that the mentality of a lot of religious fanatics??? They feel that if they are killed in the name of their religion then they'll go to paradise and some believe they'll get virgins as a reward? Others don't believe in religion but will sacrifice their life for their "families" or "patriotism". Different people have different excuses but what they all have in common is their willingness to give up their lives for a cause they feel is greater than themselves.

It took me years to finally see it but when I did I loved it: FENCES Denzel did an excellent job directing AND acting in that movie. Viola wasn't bad either. Straight up FBA culture. If you are a Black American, that movie HAS to hit you somewhere. I wish my Parents were still alive because I would have loved sitting in the living room watching that one with Them over and over again.

When you talk to old people who are close to death and ask them what their biggest regrets were, it's almost always something to do with letting "fear" stop them from doing something they wanted to do...whether it involved money, love, career move, etc....

@Mel Hopkins thank you I am glad you are well and happy and I hope you have more love in your near or far future than you dream