Stefan

@Pioneer1 There is beauty in all women. Any ugliness comes from inside. The real issue is that our brains have been trained to recognize, accept and glorify western beauty standards, thin lips, lighter skin, straight hair. It takes time as a shooter to get away from that. I am talking about the Photography Profession, not anyone's personal likes and dislikes. To illustrate what I'm talking about, just peruse the images from this Website and count the ones that closely resemble the facial structure, big hair and make-up of western models. https://answersafrica.com/10-african-countries-with-the-most-beautiful-women-even-though-kenya-is-on-the-list-no-9-will-shock-you.html Photography was always a hobby for me, just as model railroading is. But I got so good wielding a camera, people began paying me to shoot weddings, baby showers and children's parties. I learned my craft during the age of film when one had to know their chit, meaning aperture, film speed and ISO and the focal point of lenses. You learned with every shoot, from more experienced shooters until your talent level rose that you posed a threat to others' income streams. Then instead of new clients, you gained detractors and the envious. Just as in real life. You deal with it, just as I do with the jealous knuckleheads who always became furious over my writing and management ability. You either knew your stuff, or people wouldn't call you. Anyone can label another human a Beauty. It depends upon their personal preferences. I ended up turning down more work than I accepted because I had a full time job in Journalism, which often mandated travel. When I became an editor and later began teaching, I hardly did any photography unless it was charity related. I shoot the occasional pretty model, but that's my choice.

@Chevdove Completely untrue. The Bible was written in three languages: Ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek, which was the dominant Greek tongue during the short reign of Macedonian Conqueror Alexander the Great. The problem with your explanation is that you do not consider how the Koine Greek words were translated. Servants should not ordinarily beaten to the point of serious physical injury, such as losing an eye or suffering broken limbs. But they were. Remember, one can do anything they wanted to a someone who was considered a Slave and subject to the emotional whims of their masters. This is why protections had to be written into the Laws of Moses to allow compensation for their mistreatment.

Okay, folks, here's another edition of America's On-Going Drama of... Black Lives Ain't Worth Spit It seems cops in Kansas City, Mo., couldn't wait to prove all police ain't gutless as they proceeded to shoot an unarmed and pregnant Black woman five times. She's been charged with carjacking. The pregnant woman, Leonna Hale, 26, told police she could not comply with their demands that she get down on the ground because of her belly, according to witnesses. This is from a news story in Newsweek magazine. ( Link is provided ) I am pretty sure there's a lot more to come out about this latest police shooting. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating this police shooting, according to the New York Post. Folks mighty upset with cops shooting unarmed and pregnant Black woman

Here's to the Caramel Popcorn eaters! May we Crunch in Peace forever! I don't subscribe to a belief of Life after Death. Maybe if it included a weekend getaway with Halle Berry ...

Dude, I proved my point! Your position that Abbott shareholders should come before newborns, infants and toddler children is morally reprehensible. And this pending Senate probe of the company's stock buyback proves it. Growl all you want. Your position is silly.

I actually DO believe there is a sub-set of White Supremacists and Christian Supremacists and transplants from Europe, India, Australia and elsewhere who hope that there is a Race War in the U.S. in the near future. This is different from those who are actually PREPARING for one or those folks, (like the alleged Buffalo, N.Y., mass shooter), who hope to provoke one. Their thinking is similar, but differs in that the preparers are taking action. One cannot peruse just one news forum. Just as one cannot count on one source of breaking national or world news. Not if one wants to stay well-informed. You actually have to be reading screeds, blogs and opinion pieces from several to understand what Black people are truly up against. I don't bother complaining about "The Government." Certain elected officials? Of course! And much of the Race Hatred, Dismissal of Humanity of People of Color and magnification of Black People's supposed misdeeds comes from one side of the political aisle. And that's the Right Wingers in the GOP. Where the Racist Hate Groups are

This is why I am happy Pioneer1 has returned!

As long as you and I and all the others who like us can sit in our Starship and crunch Caramel Popcorn as we watch our favorite movies. ( I am only kidding ) . I stopped eating Caramel Popcorn long ago. But I still watch movies. But Pioneer1, you hit upon a question that has long vexed me. Why were we humans created if God means to kill so many of us at a future point in time? You have always created and opted for the most philosophical thoughts in threads.

@Pioneer1 Every individual reacts differently to tragedy and betrayal. We are all human beings and at different periods in our life, exhibit emotions and thoughts that may seem disconcerting to others. Rather than pile on, let's try to be treat each other better and recognize that others walk different paths. There's enough Hate, Jealousy and Ignorance in our world. Let's try to decrease this, if only among ourselves. If we can't do it, avoid the haters.

Kind of an interesting statement, Troy. Since you appeared to be opposed to my view that White Supremacy never disappeared and that this thought process seems to be infecting more and more individuals.

You can always tell when someone runs out of words to prove their foolishness when they resort to insults. Because that's all they've got. Such is the case with me taking issue with Abbott Laboratories, which owns Abbott Nutrition, putting shareholders FIRST instead of newborns and infant children. It's quite easy to find evidence of your talking points when they exist. Not so easy to fight back when truth, fairness and morality are against you. How's THAT for some uncomfortable truths? Again, the idea of Journalism is to provide the Truth and Expose Lies and Corruption. Senate Finance Committee chairman launches probe of Abbott Labs enrichment of stockholders

To those who forget, Donald Trump actually did win the 2016 presidential election. He simply embarked on a campaign of constant lying, alleging that massive voter fraud cost him re-election in 2020. The more Republicans of Note push back against Trump's Big Lie, the better it is for Truth Tellers everywhere. Those who take issue with the response of most Republlcans should be regularly lambasting the folks in this Discussion Forum who swear Trump is the best thing that happened to this country and that members of the GOP are their preferred legislators. School children were murdered in Sandy Hook and Uvalde. Black adults were murdered in the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, N.Y., and in the Emanual AME Church in Charleston, S.C. The moral outrage for the wanton slaughter of innocent children cannot be underestimated. Keep that in mind as we demand logical and workable solutions to make effective changes. Exhibiting continuous blind rage does little except make most try to ignore the cacophony of bitterness. This includes name calling and labeling. That is what our detractors always do. Don't you think we're much more socially aware and more mature than they?

I tip my hat to former House Speaker Paul Ryan. Not only did this former Republican congressman defiantly claim President Joe Biden won the 2020 election legitimately, he said this even as Republicans in his home state of Wisconsin are still trying to find some way to overturn the election results. “It was not rigged. It was not stolen. Donald Trump lost the election. Joe Biden won the election. It’s really clear,” the former GOP leader said in an interview with WISN 12 News published on May 23. Ryan also plans to hold a fund raiser for embattled Liz Cheney, R-Wis, one of the few brave folks in the GOP who voted to impeach the Liar-in-Chief. What does this mean? Some people are coming to their senses about Trump’s big lie that massive voter fraud cost him the White House. Even though Mike Pence-backed Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger won their respective GOP primaries, this does not mean Pence will win the GOP nomination in 2024. And 45’s choice for GOP Senate candidate in Georgia, Herschel Walker, won his primary. Elsewhere, Trump maintains a grip on GOP voter loyalty. Also waking up it seems is Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-NY), who now says he’s ready to back a ban on assault rifles. Jacobs was endorsed by Trump and the National Rifle Association in 2020. Jacobs launched his political career as a member of the Buffalo Board of Education and his district of Orchard Park, N.Y., is a suburb of the western New York State city. Jacobs also wants to ban the purchase of body armor by civilians, something most GOP’ers are against. Jacobs wants to name his bill banning the sale of body armor to civilians after slain Tops supermarket security guard Aaron Salter Jr. The 55-year retired Buffalo cop confronted alleged mass shooter Peyton S. Gendron and opened fired at him. But the 18-year suspected White Supremacist was wearing body armor fire back and killed Salter. Jacobs said he was moved by the Buffalo, N.Y., mass killing and a second in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 school children and two teachers were shot to death. Local cops apparently were too frightened to storm the gunman and he remained free to carry out his massacre.

I dare Nels to take his backside to Buffalo, N.Y., or to the family of Ahmaud Arbery or to any Chinese neighborhood or a Synagogue and pop his nonsense. People such as Nels are the problem.

The reason why the police response time has become a huge issue because it highlights what cops do after most newsworthy shootings: Which is lie their azzes off. The local police around Uvalde, Texas, responded quickly. But they pooped their pants as soon as they realized that more bullets could come whizzing at them if they tried to enter Robb Elementary School. Which is why I have long contended that many police enjoy sporting nicely dry cleaned uniforms and shiny badges, but cannot stand doing real police work. They'd rather shoot unarmed people, toss teenage girls to the ground or as a bonus, break the hips, legs or arms of confused elderly who don't understand their commands. They enjoy acting tough and authoritative when pulling a gun and terrorizing a mother and her children. That, they love to do. But most will shy away from confronting someone who is armed and unafraid of their crisp, clean uniforms and shiny badges. Unless a suspect suddenly appears in front of them and they have little choice. So, as soon cops in Uvalde knew bullets were headed their way, they retreated. Or in the words of the clown who stood at the news media's microphones the next day, "we moved back." And stayed there. They had numbers, they had guns. They knew where the suspected gunman was. They knew what he was doing. But they stayed put. Yeah, real brave. They even handcuffed a frantic mother who demanded the cops rush the shooter. She later got away and rescued her two children from the school. This is why the focus is now on the length of the police response. The alleged mass shooter is dead. No one has to hear from him ever again. But the families and friends of the White Supremacist nutcase in Buffalo who is accused of opening fire in a Buffalo, N.Y., supermarket will have to relive their loved ones' deaths every time his lawyers and defenders advocate for him. Pro-gun supporters will never focus on the real issue: Assault rifles and related weapons. There's too much money and too much political hay that can be realized from keeping this a controversy.

So are incoherent Black turncoats.

Dude, grow up. I tire of running into so much immaturity from supposed educated Black men.

This topic is a non-starter, period. Black people can no longer vote freely in this country and creating an all-Black political is foolhardy. Not only would the financial cost of creating new political party from scratch be prohibitive, its leaders would be harassed and threatened and many venues would soon be off-limits to any nascent group. I will no longer be part of a fantasy of a Black Party of Governance. Which means a Black political party that is actually governing. You'll find many in Black Africa.

You can purchase a legal firearm provided one has the funds and one is legally permitted to do so. Because contrary to the bleats of some, Black people cannot do just anything they want in this country. But that is NOT the issue in this latest school shooting. The question is who is to blame and why are they okay with this? Well, guess what? The French have an answer. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2022/05/25/texas-shooting-america-is-killing-itself-as-the-republican-party-looks-the-other-way_5984629_23.html

Do you know how to spot an insecure, uninformed individual who cannot defend their position? It's when they resort to childish put downs and respond with one sentence after one sentence. Because they are unable to formulate a well thought out, written response that's at least one paragraph long. Your belief that shareholders' right to compensation comes before the well-being of infants, babies and their mothers is heartless, illogical and morally untenable. I have no time to deal with maladjusted folks. I just leave them to be wrong. The real discussion of the baby formula mess will be left to TV talk show pundits and the legal and nutritional experts who appear on their shows. In the meantime, attorneys will take over. And they will not offer uninformed babyish responses. https://classactionsreporter.com/abbott-nutrition-formula-contaminated-at-manufacturing-facility-class-action/

@Delano I know EXACTLY what I am talking about. You believe shareholders come before the safety and well being of infant children and babies and their mothers. And I called you out on it. It's you who has the explaining to do.

It would be nice, but these Republicans are intransigent on this issue. They truly do not care about the deaths of innocents. What are we up to now? Nineteen dead young school children and two of their teachers? Not including the alleged shooter's grandmother. I'm not counting the alleged shooter.

Nels, Try and stifle your goofiness. WTF is wrong with you? Have you been paying attention? The world's weather is out of whack. Wild fires are burning everywhere. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is worsening World Hunger. And now you claim the asteroid impact you've been wide-eyed about is now just a figure of speech? Leave the comedy to professional comedians.

"Hopes and prayers." Get ready, folks. You're gonna hear this tired and oft-used phrase many times in coming days. Some idiot in Texas just allegedly murdered 14 grade school children and a teacher in Uvalde, Texas, This is an elementary school. And I guarantee the dummies on the Right Wing of politics will defend the ownership of guns. Some of those folks will also be in this discussion group. The suspect, a student at a high school in the same Texas town, allegedly shot his grandmother to death before the school shooting. Again, I will not post a link since this an evolving news story and I am certain that whole bunch of more before we reach the end of the week. These mass shootings will never end until the country rises up to confront these crazy and psycho gun-loving Republicans and their sick apologists.

@Mel Hopkins Thank you, thank you and thank you once again. You always THINK and come to the proper conclusion by employing evidence, logic and common sense. It's a pity that so many on news forums and discussion groups these days are in such a hurry to pound a keyboard before they even know what the slop they want to pontificate about. Most honest-hearted and level-headed Journalists are basically the same. As you told me, a true Journalist never forgets their roots to investigate, ascertain reliable and responsible sourcing and then let people know of their findings. That is what you do and I applaud you! People will gloss or ignore the phrasing honest-hearted and level-headed. Only because they have an agenda. I do not care for those who just mouth off and then refuse to offer proof or cite sourcing for their assertions.