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Hi AALBC fam! I was watching this video on YouTube, Comedian Shuler King and Pharaoh Head Part 2. And while I was listening to him drop knowledge, I thought about how much I missed this forum. It is funny how you can go through life and acquire a bunch of skills, knowledge, and still not know how to use them until you add LOVE. I feel like that sometimes, like I ask What's the point? Then, I remembered whenever I lost my balance, my family would fill me up with love, give me that pick-me-up, and I would get energized. But it hit me, there was still something missing. It was the part I felt while listening to Shuler. I remembered when I'd come right back here, get into some battle of wits, and then I'd remember who I am completely. AALBC forum is like drinking from the chaotic and primordial waters of NUN. I'd come here to fight with @Pioneer1 - every time I do, I learn so much about myself, thank you! or see my whimsical self in my twin, @Del @Delanoadmire the wit of @Cynique @aka Contrarian,and I get energized to know how strong and brilliant women can be! I recently wondered if I'd recognize @ProfD if I heard him whispering in a library or lecturing in front of a class. You are such a mystery that I feel like I know you. Just this morning, I sent energy to, @Chevdove so she will finish her book. She is the one who needs to tell the story of African Adam!. I am proud of my alumni @Troy. Dude, you are an inspiration to me! I'm enjoying watching you beat your dreams into submission. @richardmurray you make me crazy with your projects, but please know I enjoy your enthusiasm! @frankster we haven't engaged in debate, but I'm glad you're here. You echo many of my beliefs and remind me to uncover their origins. @harry brown 's commentary through prose and poetry is a great wake-up call... I could probably go on and name many more if I searched through my memory, but I'm about to go skipping back into the world again. Thank you, thank you, each and every one of you, even the ones I missed and didn't list, thank you for sharing your Love!

Got this one last night! I forgot. The photographer owns this copyright. I removed it from my YouTube channel.

Hey Fam! I shared my heartbreak with all of you; now here is my joy! Mom, my twin daughters' father, my oldest daughter, Cheyenne's (my daughter who passed away) childhood bestie, is in the family photo with us. I love her so much, and me sitting next to my oldest twin daughter! My daughter married the love of her life in August, and we all got to share in their transformative weekend celebration. Here's me getting ready for the wedding and checking my rearview . Yes, this is a very current photo!! And that's my gorgeous mom!!! Yep, she's in her 80s!!!

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

I'm thankful for what I have and wish for more. Twitter has over a half-billion microbloggers active monthly users after an estimated loss of 900,000 when the South African bought it. Threads by Meta's Mark Zuckerberg has reported 275 M monthly users as of November 3, 2024. After the 2024 Presidential election, many black people are using the platform to make plans for the next revolution. How the hell do you plan a revolution on a white-owned public platform that pays allegiance to white supremacists? Anyway, I wish AALBC was the premier microblogging site - Black people 44 Million strong in America; we still don't control or own a major communications platform. We must do better. @Troy Thank you for following your vision to create and maintain a place for us to call our digital home.

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

As my 92nd birthday approaches on August 18th, I have drifted into a reflective mood. At this point in my journey I'm experiencing a need to look back and reflect, even as I wonder if I'll make it to August 18th, considering how much my health has deteriorated during the past few months, a situation that renders me as ready as I'll ever be to blow this pop stand. This ol world is currently so screwed up and, imo, on a collision with what I think will be changes so drastic that I will be out of my element. So, whatever. All the points of view and personal philosophies of those who regularly post here, especially as it pertains to the black condition, have inspired me to put myself in perspective and share my thoughts when it comes to where I fit on the black spectrum. Bear with me because this is probably my swan song, and I may ramble. Hopefully, however, something learned about the caliber of my blackness wiil be enlightening when it comes to examining the multi-faceted nature of black America. I have always described myself as a "hybrid" descendant of slaves. That's my tribe. And it's a HoHum passive one. According to Ancestry.com, my blood lines include Irish, German, Native American and, last but not least, African by way of the Sierra Leone region of Nigeria. I do not consider the Atlantic Ocean my homeland because my ancestors obviously reached and landed in America, and were transported to the North Carolina location of what had been one of the country's most prolific slave markets. And the rest is my history. My genesis begins in the territory that originally belonged to the native American tribes like the Osage one which my paternal Grandmother was descended from. . Both my paternal and maternal great grand parents were born into slavery, the women folk, typically raped by their white slave masters... My forebears have always identified themselves as colored, negro, black, depending on the era, and I have never strayed from or had any desire to identify myself as anything other than a non white person who has no delusions about the treachery and guile of the ruthless men who established the White Power Structure that controls the globe. The most negroid thing about me is my hair, having once had an abundant, bushy crop which lent itself very well to an afro style which I affected during the 1960s when I felt compelled to establish my "negritude", (a popular term back in those days.) And, when it came to the civil rights movement, although I was not an activist out there demonstrating in the streets, in my own personal way via the Op/Ed pages of 2 of Chicago's major newspapers, I was very supportive of those courageous enough to put their lives on the line to secure equality for all. I consider myself, for want of a better term, a "soul sista", very comfortable in my skin, having no great affinity for Interacting on a regular basis with Caucasian Americans. I am a product of the middleclass black bougeoise values that I was raised with, having no illusions about the superficial materialistic aspects of this designation. Paradoxically and inexplicably, I harbor a great revulsion for right-wing conservative black Republicans, and I despise Donald Trump and his Maggots! I was born in 1933 and grew up in the small town suburb of Chicago where my parents settled in 1922 as part of the first wave of the Great Migration of Negroes leaving the south, seeking a better life up north and, uniquely, even in those pre- civil rights years, I always resided in mixed neighborhoods, always attended integrated schools and, as part of the great Civil Service work force, always held jobs working side-by-side with white co-workers. So, my mutated homo sapien "cousins" are no strangers to me. I neither like nor dislike them, opting to just judge them on an individual basis, always keeping my guard up. My politics are a reflection of my core personsality. I am a Moderate Liberal, not a militant radical progressive because I'm too cynical to take seriously these erratic types with self-serving agendas. I have never been ambitious because I'm lazy and don't like too much responsiblity or anything difficult or demanding, just content to do enough to get by. I am not proud to confess that I have gone through life, avoiding anything that required great effort on my part. I am lazy and unmotivated, only good and creative at things that interest me. I do, however, lean toward the aesthetic, profound spititual things in life and this includes liberty and justice for all. I have lived through the terms of 15 presidents and can honestly say that the administration of whomever was in office never greatly impacted on my personal day- to-day life. I've managed without even trying, to stay under the radar and - get by. I retired from the US Post Office in 1992 after 30 years of service so I have been retired longer than I worked, collecting a substantial pension replete with COLA raises, receiving money every month for doing nothing other than waking up every morning. If a problem exists when it comes to my black status it stems from my objectivity coupled with an affinity for the whole truth, 2 traits lacking in "gung ho" black chauvanists. This has led me to "divorce" on the grounds of incompatibility, the black race as it exists in the judgment of those who seek to mold it exclusively in their personal image, focusing on what in my judgment, amounts to merely chasing their tails when it comes to effectiveness. So, It is what it is, and I am what I am, - someone who will leave this earth, strong in my conviction that I am as authentically black as the most passionate chest beater. I close by acknowledging that, black is beautifully bountiful but - there are 2 sides to every coin. And so it goes...

@aka Contrarian, thanks for contributing your perspective, thoughts, opinions, zingers and insults, etc., to this coffeeshop on the internet that is AALBC. I always enjoy the exchange of perspectives regardless of whether we agree or not. That goes for each every one of you who contributes regularly. Of course, the coffeeshop would be incomplete without the hilarity that ensues from virtual dust-ups. Regardless of age, each and every last one of us is getting closer to the finish line than starting a new race.

Thank you, Pioneer. Yes, she's my daughter, my baby girl. She loved it here. She told me before she passed away. She also lived life - she was courageous. She was on a mission, and by the turnout at her Celebration, she touched a lot of folks with her light and life. One of her high school classmates learned of her passing and came from Seattle to Cincinnati to say fare well. He told us that when he was friendless, Cheyenne became his first friend. Cheyenne wanted to be treated by traditional medicine - and she was. However, she had to push her initial health caregiver even to test her when she told them of her symptoms. Cheyenne didn't take "no" for an answer. It was after the treatment that she realized that the treatments were inadequate - more for money and destabilizing than curing. This is what she wanted everyone to know. What I learned during her experience, as@ProfD alluded to is that many pharmaceuticals could heal and possibly even cure, but those treatments are reserved for the wealthy. Two days before Cheyenne suffered seizures, the doctors prescribed a therapy that could reach her brain, but they had to wait for her insurance provider to approve it. They did the same day she transitioned. Oddly enough, they could have prescribed the medicine before her brain surgery. - My daughter and I are not separated. The part of her who is eternal is still with me. I don't remember the skills to engage with her as I did when she was here in the flesh. I do, however, remember how my ancestors processed the transitioning of our loved ones, and it is a lot different from how Western civilization deals with the death of the body. So, while I miss her physical incarnation, her soul is boundless. I made this post because I want us to think about our health care—especially as Black people, we must reach back to our ancestral ways to maintain our health. Despite my daughter's paternity—she got her mtDNA from me—mitochondrial DNA, which comes from the mother to its offspring. The mtDNA houses ATP, also known as the God cell, that gives us life and our cells' energy. The medical establishment knows this even though lay people don't. As Prof D said, cancer has been around for millennia, we must remember the ways of our ancestors to survive.

Thank you! That is one of the most classic and fabulous wedding celebrations that I have ever seen! Oh My Gosh! I don't know how many times I have watched this. @Mel Hopkins I can't imagine how happy you must feel! Your daughter and her husband are so incredibly beautiful. Again, you look amazing. LOL! Okay... @Pioneer1 Come on! But you are right on one count, that wedding look like a movie; As if it was straight out of Hollywood.

"He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool."

Yes. I voted. Dystopian executioner. For me, it's not about skin color, I just appreciate beautiful men, spiritually and physically, no matter what color or culture. However, as a Black women, I cannot help but to be drawn to beautiful men of African descent especially.

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.

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

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..

Sista @Mel Hopkins, it's always great whenever you decide to plop into your chair in the proverbial coffeehouse that is AALBC. Always appreciate your contribution to the discussion. I don't work in academia or the ministry but if/whenever you run across a 6 foot, well dressed, nice watch wearing, bald-headed Black man pontificating about anything in a lecture hall or pulpit or playing the piano, that could be your brotha from another mutha.

I Love You Am I the only one on this forum who has ever met you in person? I’m still kicking myself for not spending more time with you that evening in Chicago almost a decade ago. Even when this picture was taken, you had been participating on the forums for 12 years! I think you’re the only person here who has firsthand knowledge of that guy named Thumper. After more than two decades of participation, here I believe other than myself, you have the longest tenure of any active poster. In my opinion, you have enriched this forum in many ways and more than any other person. You also set the bar high demonstrating what a 90+ year old person can do when it comes to technology, writing, keeping up with pop culture, politics, and despite a little cynicism maintaining a sense of humor. It is hard to imagine how quickly time has flown by and how fleeting life is. Happy birthday!

Listen to these LOVERS of America bitch and moan because also being shuckers and jivers who, between constantly objectifying women, crow about black men being superior to males of other ethnicities, and who are now sulking because their fellow chauvinists can't control their "much-envied" sexual prowess the way certain other black men are able to do, thus providing newsworthy material for the dreaded white media which is controlled by the deep state racist conspirators plotting to demonize black men in order to keep them from acquiring the power they are too inefficient to acquire in the first place. HoHum. Same ol, same ol. What black folks need to do is ,,,.go find a deserted island and start their own country so they can fight amongst themselves without interference from dem bad ol white folks who have no intention of sharing their power with a sub culture of colorists debating who's black and who isn't. Obviously I'm not trying to win a popularity contest here. Since I've turned in my black credentials. I can spew the narrative of my tribe and keep on truckin'. What a wise man who should've said nothing, once let slip: "It is what it is."

Thank you @Pioneer1 . I think only in this country do you need to set aside a day of remembrance for mothers, considering this country's track record of continued abuse. I'm sure you know about the sterilization program this country ran to make sure certain women could not reproduce. Please don't get me started LOL Happy Mother's Day @Cynique @aka Contrarian Joy looks so good on you! You are a radiant beam of LOVE!

Is religion the "opiate of the masses", - or what?

If Jesus did exist, I believe he would've had an appreciation for irony. After all, his Daddy offers free will as an option. But exercising it can get you in a hell of a lot of trouble.

Personal observations can confirm or corroborate facts but it mainly serves as a form of mental masturbation. Statistics provide real data to define and reinforce a position or belief. Well constructed arguments require both statistical data and analysis combined with relevant personal observation. Personal observation on its own doesn't verify or prove anything. Gotta produce receipts i.e. statistical data.

March 13-14, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse NASA: March 13-14, 2025 Total Lunar Eclipse: Telescopic View Released Thursday, January 30, 2025 https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5472 This week, on the evening of March 13 and into the morning of March 14, the moon will slide into Earth’s shadow, creating a wondrous and graceful event: a total lunar eclipse. The whole show, over three hours long, will be visible across almost the entirety of North America, Central America, and most of South America. From western Africa the moon will set while still eclipsed, and in extreme eastern Russia the moon will rise already in eclipse. https://www.cntraveler.com/story/where-and-how-to-see-total-lunar-eclipse-2025-blood-moon _____________________________________________________________________ This is so awesome! Even though there will be other lunar eclipses however, I think this one is extra special because it just so happens to occur in the middle of the month and even more amazing would be that it will happen in the month of March. The month of March is the scientific and universal New Year! March 14, is the scientific and lunar New Year! So if you count from March to September, it confirms this fact because Sept means 'the number seven (7)' and then the root word 'Oct' for the month of October means 'eight (8)' as in octagon. For America and western Calendars, the month of September is the ninth (9th) month, October is the tenth (10th) month and so forth. So for the earth to align with the moon becoming a full moon on the evening of March 13 is significant in how the solar system aligns at times. The vernal equinox will then occur in the third week of March. Eclipses though, are not always easy to see because of the nature of how they tend to pull up the clouds. But hopefully for those who may want to look up and witness this celestial event, the clouds will not gather and block the red moon.

IMO, humans are tribal by nature. In complex societies, people belong to more than one tribe.

Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Lisa Fischer and Valerie Simpson were among those who performed at the funeral service for Roberta Flack. I would like to know what was so important that our beautiful sista Lauryn Hill couldn't finish getting her hair done. Hair appointment aside, the mercurial Ms. Hill still has that voice. The woman can sing effortlessly. Surely, the late Ms. Flack would have approved of Lauryn showing up for her homegoing service. Of course, the great Stevie Wonder did his thing too. The man is a living legend. Deserves his flowers now. Ms. Roberta Flack was an awesome musician, singer and songwriter. She left us with an excellent body of music. RIP our beloved sista. DC for life.

I also don't consider her a jazz artist. Although that wasn't in the post . It just said music. I have to say on the Jazz side Robert Glasper is amazing. He did a show with a full orchestra on Northern Europe. Also his vocalist Bilal is amazing. The only current female I can think of is H.E.R. vocally Indo like Jazmine Sullivan and Muni Long

And Black America can and will do that on the very same day that Racism no longer exists! People tend to play the cards they're dealt in life. You want Black people to stop playing the "race card"....stop dealing it to them.

People need to understand the difference between a MOVEMENT and a CAMPAIGN Movements promote specific agendas with clearer goals (be they good or bad) than campaigns which pretty much parrot partisan rhetoric. Movements tend to be more grassroots oriented, wholistic, and longer lasting, than campaigns. While campaigns typically last less than 4 years, movements can span DECADES. Think.... CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WOMEN'S MOVEMENT LABOR MOVEMENT While a campaign is designed to change the POLITICAL direction of a nation, a Movement is designed to and can change not only the entire political landscape but the entire CULTURE and FUTURE of a nation. Trump had...and still has...a MOVEMENT behind him! The MAGA Movement. Harris was merely running a campaign.

The Pyramid of the Sun and the temple of Quetzcoatl The Pyramid of the Moon

Perhaps the AMERICAN people simply want competent leadership. Not DO-NOTHING KAMALA. AMERICANS have been suffering economically and in other ways ever since BIDEN was installed, because he shut down oil production and mandated people to buy EVs, rescinded all of TRUMP's effective border policies, and all the rest of the DUMPSTER CLUSTERS that BIDEN foisted upon us like the botched Afghanistan exit, money to Iran, weakened military, two conflicts/wars, Laptop Hunter, inflation, food shortages, lawlessness, homelessness, CCP and terrorists inside our borders, spending FEMA money on illegals, and numerous other disasters. KAMALA thought she was a shoo-in, and so she refused to do interviews and disclose her actual policies, although she had already made herself clear on such issues as open borders, defund the police, fracking, abortion, green new deal, climate change, trans surgeries for prisoners, men in women's bathrooms and sports, and countless other liberal leftist ideology. KAMALA thought that being endorsed by Oprah Doprah, Eminem, Beyonce, JLo, Gaga, Barack, Michelle, Cheney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dick Van Dyke, Katie Holmes, Cardi B, Alec Baldwin and all the rest, would get her elected. KAMALA thought that she could pander to people by saying that she was BLACK and from the middle class, both of which are questionable. KAMALA thought that people would forget how she had hundreds of BLACK men incarcerated for minor offenses. KAMALA thought that she could beat TRUMP by hurling insults and zingers, waving her hands, pointing her fingers, and pulling dumb faces. KAMALA thought she could call TRUMP a dictator, fascist, Hitler, criminal, and other nonsense, when she should have been addressing those insults to members of the Democratic Party. KAMALA thought she could LAUGH her way out of answering serious questions. KAMALA thought that she could lie to the AMERICAN people about too many things to even track. But KAMALA thought wrong. AMERICANS don't want to live in an open-air prison. AMERICANS want to live free and be safe and secure. AMERICANS don’t want political opponents attacked with LAWFARE. AMERICANS expect more from government officials. Years ago, this forum was a place where you could find real, intelligent conversation. Unfortunately, those days are LONG gone and it’s sad, as well as boring. It would really be GREAT if you all brought this forum back up to the standard that it used to be. MAKE THIS FORUM GREAT AGAIN!!!

Come on man, you KNOW Tipsy is going to eventually respond back with a close up picture of himself or some drag queen...lol. Talking about.... "...and uhh what percentage of Black or Native ancestry would you say THIS person has in them? By the way, check you private message....I have something SPECIAL to tell you!" Come on bro, you get to know people after a while....lol.

@aka Contrarian as far as I'm concerned, you've earned the right to write anything you want here. I'm sure most people here enjoy your insights. You are that combination I referenced as "Gold" in a recent exchange with Profd. Now as far as your exchanges with Pioneer coming "out a post office bag" (is funny twist on a term I have not heard in a long time), he has the liberty, in all fairness, to dish out the same

Michael Archer aka D'Angelo was the pioneer of Neo-Soul music. His Brown Sugar record turned R&B upside-down back in 1995. His live performances were straight fire. D'Angelo was extremely gifted and talented. He leaves behind a body of musical work that will stand the tests of time. Thanks for the musicianship and music. RIP Mr. Michael Archer aka D'Angelo.

Yeah, I've heard of your in-law: https://aalbc.com/authors/Frank+London+Brown. A collection of his short stories was published a couple of years ago (I see I need to add a couple more of his books). Lives are complex individually and collectively. Thanks for sharing your joy with us @Mel Hopkins. You are truly blessed to have the life you have had and to see your daughter celebrate her nuptials on such a grand scale! Being perhaps the only person on Earth who has had the pleasure of meeting both @aka Contrarian and Mel's mom in the flesh. I think the two would get on quite well @Mel Hopkins. What do you think? Peace & Love.

Every group of people on the planet seems to have folks who do whatever it takes to blend into the dominant society here in the US. European white folks put their ethnicity aside in order to reinforce the white population here in the US. White folks no longer identify themselves as [insert ethnicity here]-Americans. They are just Americans. Black folks from Africa and the Caribbean also lighten themselves with make-up. If they're too dark to hide it...they'll just conform to whiteness. Begs the question is it considered self-hatred when folks deny their ethnicity.

@Troy I found the video interesting and pretty much typical of what 100-year-old- people have to say. As far as age is concerned, I adhere to the old cliche about it being just a number. 92 - 29, whatever. Let's hear it for your 96- year-old acquaintence who's still driving! On August 18th, 1951, at the age of 18, I celebrated my "golden" birthday! And golden I was. Just graduated from high school and was poised to enter my first year at the University of Illinois where a whole new world awaited me. The most enduring lessons I learned there, however, were not in the books. I learned who I was, and basicsally I'm still that same person. I've never stopped being that 18-year-old who viewed the world through skeptical eyes, and preferred to do this from a place of comfort in a situation where I didn't have to exert myself too much. Hence, my 30-year job as a "flexible" clerk at the Post Office, - where I completed my lessons in life, penning a weekly newspaper column along the way. I married a guy who understood me, and who made me laugh. We shared a love of jazz and movie trivia and - each other. One month after our 50th wedding anniversary, he passed. I miss him every day. Every time I smell a particular cologne I think of him. Certain songs tug at my heart. A widow's pension is part of my monthly income. In addition to giving birth to 5 kids, after retiring from my job, I self-published 5 books - which obviously were not best-sellers. I am neither religious nor nurturing. No baking brownies for me, but Nana is still referred to as being "cool". I do miss my siblings and all my krazy friends who've passed on. They contributed so much to what was fun and unique about my life. I do not consider myself an inspiration, and I have no advice to offer any one, nor have I yet discovered what my purpose for being here is. I agree that longevity does have a lot to do with luck. I've never watched my diet, never given up sugar, red meat and have a heavy hand with the salt shaker. 'Smoked and drank up into my 70s. But here I am, - until I'm not...

Of course, our perspectives are shaped by a number of factors. The biggest factor is time. The people who are thriving would claim the world is a great place and these are the best of times. I'm non-religious but I believe what people consider heaven and h8ll are co-located right here on the planet. Again, just a matter of one's existence and experiences resulting in their perspective. @aka Contrarian, hang in there. Depending on your beliefs, there's really no other choice. Gotta ride it out.

To me, Language is a tool which can often be inadequate. Abstract ideas often dwell in the spaces between the lines. ZEN exemplifies this.

Beautiful Lady

@Troy Do Black Readers Prefer White Authors on Black Subject Matter? I remember a study you conducted on Black book sales where you discovered that Black subject matter books written by white authors tend to outsell those written by Black authors. Drawing from that information—and taking a bit of a leap—it almost seems like: Black readers may buy books to see how white authors perceive Black people. White readers may purchase these books to confirm what they already believe about Black people. Why the Sales Gap? Since Black readers live the Black experience daily, they may not see a strong return on investment (ROI) in reading narratives that reflect their lived reality. This idea might also explain why fewer Black users engage with this forum now that other platforms offer more tailored spaces. The Changing Landscape of Online Engagement Forum regulars here probably come from eclectic backgrounds, which has always been our strength. We bring a diversity of thought and learn from each other. However, we may be facing a challenge: We're not Gen Z or Gen Alpha, which makes it harder to attract younger users. Online engagement dynamics have shifted, and we may no longer appeal to the new crowd. Possible Solution: You may need to bring in influencers to boost forum engagement, even if it means hiring them. Reality Check: Our regular posters may have outgrown their attractiveness to newer audiences. We're primarily conservatives with a progressive slant, and we often observe and gather information without aiming to convert or engage in activism. Pioneer's Smoke Alarm Topic – A Case Study in Environmental Sociology Pioneer’s topic about smoke alarms is a prime example of a thesis-worthy environmental sociology discussion. It made me think about my own neighborhood: I live in an 800+ single-family home subdivision and walk it regularly with my pup. The only time I’ve heard a chirping smoke detector was when my next-door neighbor moved to a 10-acre property and couldn’t change the battery right away. Even though the house was empty, they still changed the battery because of the risk of property loss. Black People, Wealth, and Home Maintenance Pioneer’s observation overlooks the possibility that Black, single, or married individuals with financial means are more likely to pay someone to handle maintenance tasks, including changing smoke alarm batteries. Kevin Samuels often spoke about a specific demographic, but in reality: Black women with money don’t need a man to handle home maintenance. With platforms like Thumbtack and Angi's List available, they can easily outsource these tasks. For context, my former neighbor (single with kids and on her way to generational wealth) ensures her smoke alarms are maintained—either by doing it herself or hiring help. (For the record, I do the same.) The ROI of the Smoke Alarm Topic The smoke alarm conversation highlights an interesting point: people like to compare themselves to others. However, that curiosity alone isn’t enough to convince people to give up their PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and actively engage on a platform. Final Thoughts: Time for New Strategies? If we want to reignite engagement and attract a wider audience, it might be time to: Leverage influencers to promote the forum. Introduce fresh topics that resonate with younger generations. Consider how we can offer value that makes people willing to engage despite privacy concerns. What’s your take? Do you think bringing in influencers could help, or is there another approach we’re overlooking? This version is structured to: Encourage thoughtful responses. Highlight key insights with subheadings and bullet points. Spark engagement by ending with an open-ended question. Ready to re-energize the conversation? Let’s get the forum buzzing again! Note: I wrote my response and then I asked ChatGPT to make it more engaging for this forum. Just another suggestion on how to grow engagement

It all could've been avoided if the accused girl hadn't done what she was accused of. And I doubt if there has ever been a case before where one runner In a relay race hit another runner on an opposing team with a baton during the final stretch. So it is a newsworthy, human interest story imo, and a sign of the times along with the everybody-gets-a-trophy-custom and winning at any cost attitude that overshadows good spormanship and now passes for acceptable behavior,- thanks to Donald Trump. It certainly bespeaks of childishness and poor home training.

ProfD Not sure what confident brothas being locked up has to do with this situation. Because sometimes confident people often act without fear or hesitation. Which means they may not properly think their actions....and the potential consequences...all the way through. Walking up to a woman you don't know, putting your arms around her waist, and asking her for her phone number is a CONFIDENT move. However, if things go sideways...the consequences could be dire. Bro, you're taking it too literally. There is a tactful way to ask direct questions. Lol, because you PUT it literally. I thought you meant just that. A less than confident dude or one can't handle his own bizness wouldn't approach a woman directly. Maybe not, but atleast when he goes home lonely...he gets to GO HOME. And not to jail, lol. Among other things....I'm a musician. We see women do all types of things I've seen women run up dudes bar tab and leave them dry. Those same women would leave the club with us musicians for FREE. They'd even help pack up equipment. But you've already established a report and foundation with them as they see you as an artist and musician. They know you. They know something about you. ...as opposed to some nigga in a white short-set hook up and some alligator sandals with a toothpick in his mouth sliding up to a woman, looking her in her eyes, and asking how much would it cost for her to let him "beat that thang up" for a good 30 minutes and possibly longer if the price is right. Lol....what's the STARTING rate?

I don't think Alicia fits into the Jazz category either. Indeed, I have trouble grouping her in with the other three, but that could be my age talking I voted in the negative, as it is pretty obvious given the females who get the awards and attention, Bey, Doechii, Mehgan, Minjaz, Syza, (pardon any spelling mistakes). A Black man can gain notoriety and acclaim more easily than a sister... I'm not sure why perhaps a smooth brother on the keys appeals to more white people (which is necessary for any real recognition). Speaking of the Brothers on keyboardists. I recently heard a podcast on Stevie Wonder which reminded me of the 4.5 year stretch in which Stevie released 5 GREAT albums. What I failed to realize was that all of these albums were released before Stevie was 27! Music of My Mind — March 3, 1972 Talking Book — October 28, 1972 Innervisions — August 3, 1973 Fulfillingness’ First Finale — July 22, 1974 Songs in the Key of Life — September 28, 1976 I guess a streak like that over a career is impossible... but that was certainly and prodigious and perhaps an unparalleled run.

@aka Contrarian, I respect that it's your energy to waste but turn the lemons into lemonade. Focus on the humor in this BS because there's nothing else we can do about the sh8tshow of a circus running the country. I hope the Democrats are spending some of their energy retooling for the midterms. They have a lot of work cut out for them. Always delighted whenever you decide to pop in and chop it up with us. Claiming your cataract surgery will be a breeze and you'll be fine. Let us know how it goes as eyesight and time permits.

Hummm. I, for one, have better things to do than to try and picture what kind of facial hair I prefer on a man. As if men would even be interested in the opinion of somebody my age who is out of the loop. To come up with an opinion, I have to go back in time to the days when I gave a damn about what men looked like.... Just for the record, I'm not big on facial hair. Neat mustaches, fine. close shaven VanDykes and goatees, okay, bushy or shaggy full-grown beards, - not so much. Solid dark color. preferred. Anything else a distraction because I simply don't like the wolf man effect of facial hair. My personal preference: clean shaven. I know I'm out of step with what is currently very popular. It's like guys nowadays take great pride in being able to grow a beard and like being envied by those who can't. As for the sub topic about the virtues and rewards of "confident" men... Again, back in the day, - I always gravitated toward the laid-back understated type; even a tad self-depricating. wry wit a plus. More often than not, these types had the most going for them, intellectually. To me, it was a compliment if one of them tried to seduce me. No accounting for tastes... Oh well. Chevedove and Mel, you can chime in. I'm going back to fretting over how too much of my energy is being consumed by despising Retrumpican MAGAs, - black ones in particular. Why am I even still alive??? I'm going for catarac surgery next week. So if they laze me to death, - it's been real, folks!

None wasn't among the choices. I'm old enough that I don't have to live vicariously through anyone or anything.

It amazes me that you guys still think Blacks have any power left to do or influence anything in America. With the Retrumpicans in control of EVERYTHING, the only thing any of the leaderless black tribes or the demoralized Democrats will be able to do is what the entrenched regime will allow them to do. Pioneer's delusion that America will be what Blacks make it become is beyond ludicrous. Do y'all really think those in power will concede elections to opponents if, indeed, elections are held any more. Do you really think Congress or the Senate backed up by the Supreme Court and Speaker of the House and, if necessary, the Military, not to mention the technology of the shadow dictator, Elon Musk, will pass any legislation that benefits anybody but those already in power? You dreamers seem to be totally oblivious to the reality that Retrumpicans, aided and abetted, by the Ameican Heritsge Foundation, which crafted Project 25, and also got out the vote for tRump, will take over the country. They are organized and they've got the numbers. It will take a revolution to overturn the new Reich. And revolutions take decades to get it together. Am I an alarmist? Time will tell.

Time for the cynical pessimist aka Contrarian to check in. America has not only outgrown itself but it has regressed, becoming a cacaricature and a mockery of the noble high standards it supposedly stands for. With the re-election of the orange buffoon who Sylvester Stallone just referred to as a modern George Wasgington (?), what was destined to happen, is about to happen. A new American zeitgeist is set to begin,the government of which will be a comedic farce with a cast of quacks and shysters and tin soldiers all gathered in the wings, waiting for the curtain to fall on what a Congress of racist misogynistic foundling fathers labeled a "perfect union". And a majority of this country's present population will feel right at home in the emerging fascistic theocracy because it represents who they really are. A bunch of religious hypocrites and patiotic bigots who aren't too smart. What Americans actually are, has caught up with their 250 year old masquerade. Sadly, going up against a Retrumpican Reich which will control all branches of the Government including the Supreme Court and the Armed Forces, will be a formidable task for the Liberal opposition. Free speech may even be punished. Welcome to the Red States of the American Heritage Foundation. Any regrets or apprehensions I had about leaving this life have miraculously disappeared. I'm ready to blow this pop stand.

One can always go to rent-a-box.

Rest In Peace And Power to our dear brother elder and now ancestor.... The Honorable Quincy D. Jones Jr.