ProfD

Yo bro, I know you didn't ask me but yes, I would make it illegal for men to dress like women and vice versa. Freedom of expression is exactly how we are ending up with more confusion. Heaven forbid i live long enough to take up residence at the Sunrise Assisted Living Facility (SALF). The last thing I want is a Rasputia looking dude with spider eyelashes changing my diaper or bed pan. Thankfully, as an alpha-male, I'd take myself out before that could happen. But, the point remains the same...folks need to present themselves in the image the Supreme Being created them. Tricks are for kids.

I find it amusing that anything can be used for currency (wood chips, bronze, silver, stocks, bonds, bitcoin, crypto, etc.) Gold was the standard for a long time. Now a platinum coin the size of a quarter or silver dollar could be worth a trillion. Just because they said so. For grins and giggles, I would love to see Jeff Bezos ask that $50B (billion) in cash be dropped off in his front yard. I wonder how long it would take to round up and deliver the paper. Of course, I already know the answer. They can't because it doesn't exist. As POTUS GWB Jr. famously said, it's a house of cards.

Here in the US, folks are mainly divided into two camps politically...Democrat or Republican (GOP). On the surface it looks like the two parties have different platforms (liberal or conservative). Yet, they share the same ideology which is the maintenance of white supremacy. Both parties are juggling balls i.e. platform issues. While folks are pre-occupied with the balls in the air, they're not watching the sleight of hand tricks happening below. i've never been under the illusion that either party has ever given a d8mn about the peple. Both parties make decisions based on what's good for business. That is the business of maintaining white supremacy. Regardless of who occupies the White House, they are two sides of the same coin. Follow the money. POTUS PJB (Papa Joe Biden) is the flip side of the same coin once occupied by Agent Orange. Different agenda. Same paymasters.

Getting the truth is a matter of asking the *right* questions. Find the most qualified people capable of providing answers backed by evidence as necessary to your questions.

30 years ago, when Rodney King got his azz whupped on video, I thought it was an open and shut case. Nope. Fast forward to present where cameras are everywhere (light poles, cell phones, police body and, etc.). Yet, we've been told not to believe our lying eyes when folks get choked or shot. Mayor Lightfoot wants swift justice. DA Foxx has to follow the science, er, evidence in order to build her case. If mayor Lori wanted to be a prosecutor, s/he should've stayed on that job. Otherwise, s/he needs to let DA Kim handle that. These n8gglets make black folks look bad trying to one up each other in proving they can do massa's work. China owns a huge amount of the US debt. The US doesn't really want the Chinese to call in those markers. So, in defiance, the US likes to saber rattle in showing its military strength. It's like Deebo owing you money and flexing at the same time: China has already shown the US how WWIII will go down. It won't be a military fight. Think biological warfare. Pandemic.

My rational mind agrees with your rationale about black folks in America. I'm keeping hope alive. I cannot be delusional.

Absolutely. The movement has to be positive and progressive in keeping folks on code without beating them upside the head from a moral or spiritual perspective. No need for a Santa Claus either. Folks will "do the right thing" if they're being fed well on all levels (mental, physical and spiritual). Marcus Garvey was definitely on to something especially considering he inspired Kwame Nkrumah who only went on to become the most revered man in Ghana. It's my belief that white supremacy has diluted AfroAmericans so much in expanding the illusion of a middle class that black folks don't see the need for a movement. It's hard to tell these n8gglets white supremacy is alive and well. They're looking at the houses and vehicles in the driveways around us and giving me the side eye like.... To that end, it's going to take a major event to awaken the sociopolitical conscience of our people.

Black folks are known to bring flavor, flair and creativity to everything we touch from food to the arts, sports, entertainment, fashion, etc. When we hit, it's fire but when we miss, we're straight on our heads. A black man designed the Chrysler 300 car. That sh8t sold like hotcakes and became the modern day Cadillac. Not my thing but the old school playas loved it. But, these bonnets, shower caps, pajamas, Crocs, mismatched socks, skinny jeans and eyelashes that look like spiders and dudes putting black shoe polish on their head and facial hair. Don't get me started or should I continue...

Right. The equivalent of throwing rocks at the window hoping to get into a party without an invitation. Yet, it doesn't stop black folks from trying to force white folks to pay attention to and/or validate them. Pathetic.

Brotha, my rational mind knows better. But, in my eternal optimism, I may be hopelessly delusional in believing I'll live to see AfroAmericans become less dysfunctional and more constructive. In the meantime, I'll keep up my ministry. If I can reach one, that's a start.

Pioneer, you're right. I truly do get it. The NOI has to take care of itself. The organization is there if/when folks need that level of mental and physical discipline. Dudes like myself have to keep encouraging the lost and wayward to "find a program" in order to do better for themselves which could mean joining an organization like the NOI or at least adopting the mentality. I just know that it's going to take a lot to course correct the ship. That's after we toss the dead weight and perishable goods. Facts. As discussed, our folks need to grow up politically.

Chaka Khan is my favorite singer. The last time I attended Taste of Chicago, Chaka and Stevie Wonder (another favorite of mine) were performers. They were awesome. Chaka, Herbie, Quincy, Curtis Mayfield, Gil Scott-Heron, etc., Chicago stand up. Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond would have been perfect playing in Starbucks across the country. Their music wasn't sonic diabetes but cafe music for sho.

My sista, I'm new around here but I thoroughly appreciate the dialog you have engaged with me. I'm guilty of suggesting what black folks need to do but I think it's a necessary dialog too. I would hope that you'll hang in a while longer. We've got more music to discuss.

Yeah bro, in addition to bonnets and shower caps, n8gglets (male and female) down in these parts are wearing pajamas out in public too. I'm wondering how f8cking lazy can you be to jump outta bed and get into a car and show up at the grocery store in night clothes. Then, the dudes pants are sagging to the point that if they're wearing a belt it is around their thighs. That's when I'm wishing a dude who just did 20 long in the penalty box rolled up on these crash dummies...I see your ad slim, what up doe: I can only shake my head when it comes to the fashion sense or lack thereof among my people.

Point taken. Self-preservation and self-interest usually win out every time. But, if there is a desire to help dysfunctional AfroAmericans "get right", the village has to take responsibility in cleaning it up. That includes the talented 10% of our population (individuals and organizations). Otherwise, if AfroAmericans of all stripes aren't going to hold themselves accountable for killing each other, there is no reason to grumble, complain, cry and march when racists do the same thing. Also to your point: The city of Chicago has a black mayor. They have a huge police force. If they really wanted to reduce the crime rate, they could wipe out the thugs in less than 30 days. Of course, that could never happen. It would be bad business within the system of white supremacy. Dysfunctional people are the fertilizer that fuels the prison yard.

As brotha Troy mentioned at the top of this thread, the plight of Native Americans is simply appalling. A trip through a US History book provides the CliffsNotes version of events. It was much worse. For their pain and suffering, Native Americans who did not assimilate into melting pot of America were left to live on a parcels of land (reservations) provided by the US government with limited tribal sovereignty (self-governance). The collective land mass of indian reservations is about the size of Idaho. Had Africans rejected slavery in a similar manner to the Native Americans and West Indians, the trajectory of AfroAmericans would have been a lot different. Either we would not be here or we would all be piled up in the great state of Mississippi. I cannot imagine how or why anyone would be surprised by the whitewashing of Native Americans. It's part and parcel of the white supremacy programme. That's why our brothas who are labeled as terrorists are figthing like h8ll. They don't want to be imperialized. They've seen the scorecards from around the world. Next thing you know, the imperialist will be making them shave and uncovering their women to look more like whites with a tan.

Exactly. Elitists and snobs still exist to this very day in all areas of human activity. In fact, shortly after the artist was born, so too was the critic. It's widely belived that a critic is usually a failed artist. A gifted/talented but struggling musician or artist will be a god-send initially. As soon as they pull in fame and/or fortune, the same folks who loved them in the trenches turn into haters. It's the craziest sh8t but has been ongoing forever. I just conjured up an image of a bunch of slaves idolizing one of their own. As soon as he or she got pulled up to the big house, they couldn't stand that n8gglet. Nevermind that they were all still slaves. Back from my detour...I'm thankful to the universe for sending trailblazers like Ellington, Tatum, Powell, Parker, Coltrane, Monk, Garner, etc. to name a short few. I think it's important for Jazz musicians especially to appreciate Herbie Hancock while he's still on planet too. He's one of the few trailblazers of Jazz who's still with us.

You're absolutely correct. For AfroAmericans, the general election is the voting equivalent of children interjecting their thoughts in an adult conversation. There is so much more work to be done at the local and state level when it comes politics. The folks running the school board, courts, mayor, governor, etc., control what's happening where people live, work and play. Even before voting in local and state elections, AfroAmericans need an agenda. A list of things that matter to them as it relates to their community. Citizens have a choice in whether they get more liquor stores and beauty supply stores or black-owned businesses and better schools. When it comes to politics, AfroAmericans have a LOT of work to do in codifying their agenda on local, state and national levels.

As you may have gathered from my posts, I personally have no use for religion. However, I do not begrudge those who have to believe in something in order to manage their existence on the prison yard of white supremacy. If religion keeps folks from being self-destructive and makes them more productive, I think that's great. The Nation of Islam (NOI) appears to be a great exercise in mental and physical discipline. They have taken lost and wayward folks and put them on a path of righteousness. That's great. I remember the NOI/FOI (Fruit of Islam) providing security in situations that mainly benefitted them. Those brothas were on it when the NOI collected millions of dollars at the Million Man Marches. I was there. The NOI is headquartered in Chicago which right now I believe is the deadliest city for black folks in America. I've asked myself why the NOI/FOI hasn't established a presence on the South side and West side to stop the violence. Rest assured the NOI compound is heavily secured. I read about how well trained the FOI force is in martial arts and weapons. Brotha James Brown wrote a song called "Talkin Loud and Sayin Nothin". Those dudes seem all dressed up with nowhere to go. Most of the dudes having street crediblity themselves, I would think the FOI could clean up the streets of Chicago. Unless they're getting kickbacks from the dysunction that is plauging the city. Cue up that Jodeci track again...

You're absolutely right about Erroll Garner. Awesome that you were there to witness his genius. Erroll Garner was a monster Jazz pianist among his contemporaries and one of the greatest of all time. No doubt about it. However, some traditional Jazz musicians and critics didn't appreciate the "ornamental" elements of Erroll Garner's playing and the audiences to whom he appealed. Those musicians and critics didn't consider Garner's playing "hip" or "cool". To them, his style was "corny". Then, there was the phenomenal success of "Concert by the Sea". That drove them crazy. Nowadays, we call those people "haters". Since the beginning of time up to present, every supremely gifted and/or talented person has their share of them. It's par for the course.

Dave brubeck and Erroll Garner were *hated* by Traditional Jazz musicians during that time. They were considered "cocktail" pianists. The modern equivalent would be Smooth Jazz.

I don't use Facebook, Instagram or Whatsapp so I'd be fine. If the internet went down forever, I'd play my keyboards, read, cook, knock out home improvement jobs, hold court, travel, etc. Yeah, pretty much the same sh8t I do now including the internet.

AIDS was created and spread through minority communities like drugs. Of course, there was collateral damage i.e. sacrificial white folks. First, they came up with a drug cocktail that allowed folks to live without HIV becoming full blown AIDS and deadly. Fast-forward to present and now they have a drug that allows people to enjoy alternative sex without contracting the HIV virus. Follow the science, er, I mean the money. Every plandemic is about someone getting paid and maintaining white supremacy. I believe Eazy E was killed by his business partner/manager/lawyer/friend, Jerry Heller. Eazy wasn't gay or an intravenous drug user. So, how in in hello Pete did he contract AIDS. He was poisoned. Oldest trick in the power/money grab book. In the 1970s, affirmative action neutered the Civil Rights struggle. Black folks had arrived with good paying jobs, affordable houses in the suburbs and good schools for their chilluns. Black consciousness really took a nosedive in the 1980s. N8gglets were dancing and signing happy rap songs with no sociopolitical substance. PCP and Crack dealt the KO blow. It wasn't until Public Enemy came out with "Fight the Power" that black dudes started wearing X hats. The Native Tongues (Jungle Brothers & A Tribe Called Quest, De LA Soul, etc.) had dudes wearing medallions and Afro-Centric attire. That lasted for a year or two before Gangsta Rap exploded on the music scene and took off. Except for a handful of conscious rappers, most of the music glorified life in the prison of white supremacy (selling drugs, killing, getting high and sex). So, it's no surprise that what we're seeing today regarding a lack of sociopolitical consciousness among AfroAmericans are seeds that were planted and germinated several decades ago.

IMO, Artificial intelligence (A.I.) will never be able to replace and/or mimic that which makes us human. Technology will always be tool that makes certain tasks easier which in turn will make humans lazier and more expendable in the workplace. AI will be able to entertain humans on some level but it will never provide comaraderie or companionship. No amount of programming and algorithms can produce genuine emotion and spontaneous action. My dad taught me how to play Chess and card games in my youth. In those days, we played Casino, Koomkang, Spades, Tonk, Rummy and Whist. However, Bridge wasn't on the table. Like everything else, from farming and music and books, new technology has supplanted the way we get things done. Because they're already being groomed with it, the current generation and future of humanity will be perfectly fine with AI in whatever form it takes up to a point. Social media has already created a society of people who seem perfectly comfortable interacting through a computer. But again, computers (AI) will never replace that which makes us human. Eventually, folks have to emerge from their digital cocoons and press flesh. It's just a matter of time before folks will rediscover how to work with their hands and entertain each other in person. Folks might even get back to having card parties and playing Bridge again. I know musicians realize the importance of playing together versus using computers. I wouldn't count Mankind out just yet. In the meantime, music is the ultimate opiate.

I guess it depends on where one lived in the 1980s. When the AIDS epidemic came to light in 1981, it temporarily suspended free sex for about 20 minutes in my hood. Once AIDS was considered a "gay disease", heterosexual folks jumped right back in the sack. Proof is in the population. A helluva lotta folks have been born since the 1980s. Between population growth and alternative forms of sex, I think the revolution is still going strong and it's being televised.