ProfD

It seems Justice Thomas fell a bit under the weather: https://apnews.com/article/clarence-thomas-hospitalization-what-we-know-21418c400b3535036029c251d6d7a17b Justice Thomas has since been released. He can get back to his coloring books on the bench. 😁😎

Yep. I've been on a see food diet for as long as I can remember. I see food and I eat it. 🤣 Great advice regarding movement. It's harder for the bad fat to stick if it gets burned up regularly. 😎

I wonder if he ever ran across these cats.😁😎

Same here. I love to cook as well. Moderation is the key when it comes to eating it. 😁😎

Soul food and Black music could make the world a better place. 😎

Sure. I still hear about the virus but it's no longer at a fever pitch. At point in time, there was a ticker on the screen showing the # of case, # of deaths, # of vaxxed, # of hospital beds open, etc. Now, the media casually mentions the Deltacron variant and outbreak in China. The coverage has changed from 6 months ago.😎

@Troy, you're absolutely right about the price of oil and how it works. The money folks know consumers aren't going to protest or complain too much about gas going up and down like the Dow Jones. Same goes for moving from fossil fuel to alternative sources of energy. Neither the money folks nor the consumers are more interested in saving the planet than burning dinosaur extract in order to get around. The pandemic has moved into the endemic phase. Now, they're going to treat it just like the flu virus. Right. It's interesting that I don't hear much of anything about the virus since the invasion of Ukraine started. I guess senseless murder is more important. 😎

Yessir. My cave doesn't even have an address 🤣 For me, the appeal of the forum is that it's a discussion space for black folks. The cast of characters made the fourm interesting too. Hate that I ran them away.🤭 i doubt thet my reason for participating will motivate others. But, I'm comfortable in my easy chair.😎

I know. My comedic mind wouldn't allow me to pass up taking the shot. 😁 When it comes to digital enviroments, I'm just not there. No social media for this old man. This site is one of very places I participate digitally. Otherwise, I"ll be an analog guy to the grave. It has to appeal to my senses. H8ll, I still shop for my groceries. 😁 😎

IMO, Americans will not protest higher gas prices because the economy is doing just well enough for folks to absorb the hike. Before the holidays roll around (Memorial Day and 4th of July), I believe oil companies will drop gas prices after having received massive profits. The *savings* from cheaper gas will motivate Americans to spend more money on stuff to put on the grill this summer.😁😎

The living will rebound from higher fuel prices, incarceration, displacement, a lack of goods and creature comforts and even food shortages. However, there is no coming back from death. This is not a video game. There is no reset. My sympathy goes to the thousands of Ukrainian and Russian lives being sacrificed for political reasons. 😎

The price of a barrel of crude oil dropped from $125 to $95 wthin a matter of days. We should be seeing a 17 cent per gallon reduction at the gas pump any day now. The saddest or funniest part depending on your sense of humor is that 2 years ago, a barrel of crude oil was selling for -$41 per barrrel. That's right. They were giving it away. Yet, during that same timeframe, the national average was about $3 per gallon at the pump. It wasn't free. So, these folks are not price gouging consumers out of necessity. They're raising gas prices because they can get away with it legally. 😎

@Mel Hopkins, I think brotha @Delano is referring to the Metaverse in general as a temporary escape from reality. At least, that's what the whole Lego digital people and landscape looks like to me.😁😎

Back in 1957, the former USSR recruited Africans and financed their education during Africa's decolonization. The USSR used it as an opportunity to promote a positive image and to counterbalance anti-USSR Western propaganda. When the USSR collapsed in 1991, they stopped recruiting African students and giving them generous scholarships. While Ukraine doesn’t offer African students the same financial incentives it did in the past, it's easier to get a visa there and it's cheaper than Great Britain and the United States. Still, being a black student in a 99.9% white country does not exempt them from xenophobic and anti-immigration attitudes; stares and racist attacks. IOW, European countries do not welcome black folks with open arms. There are always strings attached. Then, there's a cultural component too. 😎

You most certainly did not use those words. Point of no return was solely my choice of words. Mainly to emphasize the fact that while black folks are splintered, frayed, tattered, beat up and battered...we've still got enough left to keep us together if so desired. We may have to cut off some dead weight if/when the need arises. 😁😎

@Stefan, in my eternal optimism, I refuse to believe my fellow black folks are beyond the point of no return. Candace Owens doesn't represent black folks. She wears the skin color but sellout runs through her veins. If I ever had to purge black folks who didn't have our best interests at heart, she would be in the top 5 of my list. 😁😎

Yet, the American people aren't out in the streets protesting gas prices. Last week, the House unanimously voted for a $1.4M spending bill. 😎

This is paramount to the black community having any type of solidarity and leverage in the future. Otherwise, black folks will be further splintered to the point that not even our beautiful skin color will be a tie that binds us.😎

I believe there is a logical explanation for the writing, er, typing style. It may be an equipment issue. 😎

https://newsone.com/4300265/vernon-jones-gop-tantrum-video/ I wonder if this article is indicative of how the GOP really feels about black candidates. 😁😎

Statistics are interesting and usually exaggerated to make a point. It helps to know the "control" numbers. There are 8 billion people on the planet. 1 out of 5 people dying from air pollution would be 1.6 billion. Yet, it is estimated that annually, about 7 million people die from air pollution globally. I"m not a statistician or mathematican but that's not 1 out of 5. China and India account for about 5 million air pollution deaths. The remaining 2 million deaths are spread out over western Europe, Southeast Asia and parts of the US Northeast and Midwest. Interestingly, the virus that claimed 6 million lives globally over a period of 2 years was classified as a pandemic. Rhetorically, I wonder why air pollution doesn't carry the same classification. 😎

That's just it...America doesn't tap into its own reserves. We've purposefully stopped fracking because it's cheaper to buy from the global market. Regardless of whether it's gas, electronics, clothes, shoes, furniture, etc., Americans are paying higher costs on cheaply produced sh8t that comes from overseas. The rich get richer. Fossil fuels and natural gas are scheduled to last another 50+ years. Coal should last 100+ years. Then, there's alternative sources of fuel being developed. Electric cars will be the norm in about 15 years. That's another reason for the money grab. Oil companies are making a windfall of cash while positioning themselves to make the switch from fossil fuel to electric power. Controlled chaos is the best way to get people to think and react in a predictable way. Watch their hands and follow the money. 😎

@richardmurray, I'm qualified to write whatever I choose. I thought this was a discussion forum. Not a court. While I enjoy reading the contributions both you and @Stefan make to the forum, looking for specific answers to thread topics and/or expecting others to write in a particular manner will not generate more participation in the discussions. In fact, it's probably the opposite. I showed up on this forum several month ago, plopped down in a virtual chair and contribute to topics according to how *I* think and/or what *I* believe. in the real world...the saying goes, "I said what I said". Feel free to ignore or disregard whatever I write. It's all good...discussion.😎

America definitely should ban Russian oil imports even if it's only a 2% consumption. However, I think it's unfair that Americans are paying higher gas prices at the pump and for heating too. America has enough reserves to drop fuel prices significantly. Instead, they're willing to satisfy futures investors and shareholders. It's unfortunate that this conflict is 1) costing innocent lives and 2) another money grab. Geopolitics is a dirty business. I hope this situation gets resolved soon. 😎

Preconceived notions don't prevent me from new experiences. My BS filter works overtime though. 😁😎