aka Contrarian

I can't resist pointing out that pioneer's faulty visual perception is also why he can't relinquish the idea that I secretly find him - "special". Fact is, I would zero in on him because I have a childish habit of wanting to get the last word. I couldn't stand letting him get away with smugly perpetuating the false idea that I liked him better than the others guys here. Eventually I came to really dislike him for arrogantly encouraging this impression. I tell you he's a case history narcissist. And I wouldn't be surprised if his wet nurse Mzuri isn't feeding him these fabrications about why I went on hiatus. Maybe Troy has some recollections.

I know what the boule is. It is a gathering of all the black Fraternal and Sorority organizations. Not an adjective to describe a black soap opera,

You never said that. Just another of your fantasies. You're seriously afflicted with cognitive dissonance syndrome.

And the fabricated figments of pioneer's ego saturated imagination keep coming as he continues to try and control the narrative, putting his spin on everything. blah, blah, blah. Talk to the hand.🫷

@TroyI hadn't seen Denzel in a movie in quite a while and when I saw him recently his hair and beard were gray. I guess he was made up for his appearance in the GLADIATOR sequel. "Aging over night" in a moreorless a figure of speech. Just like people "getting better with age". That's what my husband used to tell me because I was scrawny when we got married. But I laughed at his jokes and smiled when we kissed. What's up with pioneer?? He's all over the place, like dog shit, barging into conversations with a lot of effusive drivel, spamming the post with Gayle pictures, obviously trying to prove something. Too bad I don't have a can of RAID. Thinks he's so hip, and the square assed clown doesn't even know the different between the words "boule" and "bougie". Pathetic ol windbag.

Every word of the above quote is TRUE. Troy and I have remained friends for 20+ years, always kept in touch by email, bringing each other up to date, sending holiday greetings. At one time, we were even going to collaborate on a book about this site. When he came to Chicago for some kind of conference, we had a chance to meet and even took a picture together. We have disagreed about things on this discussion board but have never fallen out, never had cross words because he is "a cool guy. A gentleman and a scholar" as opposed to being a petty envious slime ball like pioneer who is desperate to maintain his fantasy about being something other than a dufus who I detest more with each passing day. Everything pioneer just posted here in his attempt to besmirch the friendship between Troy and me is, as usual, a made up LIE, not based on fact but malicious speculation being spread by a disgruntled wanna-be cool guy. I was stunned by the distorted version of why I simply stopped posting here as I do from time to time - because I simply become burnt out. The obnoxious gnat who is really trying to fool everybody is pioneer who cannot process the idea that there's NOTHING about him that I like. He wants everybody to think that when it comes to all the really cool guys who post here, my snubbing him was a mistake. It wasn't. OK back to the debate over pioneer's claims of perfect vision which, as everyone soon duscovers, only proves that he's nothing but a myopic strawman full of specious arguments reeking with false equivalences and non sequiturs. I could discern this even before I had my cataract surgery.

@ProfDI just saw an interview with Smokey Robinson. He's 85. And quite lucid. About to go on tour. But he looked like he'd been embalmed, and men just can't pull off wearing make-up. Denzel seems to have aged over night. He just turned 70. And so it goes...

We go waaay back, Troy. You've always been a gentleman and a scholar; a really cool guy.

I find it amusing to observe the exchanges here that pit subjective egotistical obstinacy against the knowledgeable critical thinking of those with a full command of logic. Ironically, it is my "personal observation" of their challenger's delusions of omniscience that puts me on the side of Troy, Delano, and ProfD. That, and the fact that I like these 3 cuz they're really cool guys.

That's why the person formerly known as "Cynique" posted that meme. Ain't quite sure what this charade known as "Life" is all about!

To me, in his show last night Bill Maher's body language and attitude hinted that he's been taking a lot of heat for the critique of his visit with Trump. He did revert back to ridiculing and criticizing tRump and his MAGA buddies but insisted that hating them accomplishes nothing... He is learning that talking out of both sides of his mouth is a slippery slope. But his comic relief bits still crack me up.

Gravity is some powerful shit. And it doesn't cost anything!

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.

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

@Troy. I guess my sarcasm was lost on you, I wasn't serious about the gods "singling me out". I was just establishing a lead-in to compare pioneer to an innocuous nuisance gnat who flits around annoying people. Sara was the poster who I would get into it with back in the day, and with good reason. She would come at me and I refused to let her ageist insults go unanswered. The reason you banned her was because she called me a "nigger bitch". Even Mzuri and I clashed because she tried to portray me as a lonely ol "cat lady", and lied about me saying I used to sling bags at the post office, even searching through the archives to back up this claim but couldn't find any proof of her false allegation. All of this was aided and abetted by pioneer, I might add. And of course there was Kola Boof. That's where I got my combat stripes. Those were the good ol days. Actually, we had a love-hate relationship because she was so mercurial. When she found out how old I was she wanted to pay me homage. Even sent me one of her books. I don't even know where to start when it comes to pioneer. Always trying to portray himself as just kiddin' after he does his malicious dirty work, lying and exaggerating and even trying to gaslight me. I have nothing but CONTEMPT for this treacherous pest. 'Have aways found him irritating although he thinks differently because that's not the scenario he creates in his warped little narcissist world. He's really a piece of work. Glad I don't have to be around him. All I'll say in defense of myself is that I don't start stuff. Nor do I back down when I am provoked. Whatever. Let the chips fall where they may. If I die tomorrow, I don't think I'll be missing anything. zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Yet another short cut to wisdom as I continue my journey down the pathway to oblivion...

@TroyTroy, I'm quite serious when I wonder why I have been singled out by the gods to be the target of a human gnat. @piognat:

@ProfDthese swarmimg kids vandalizing the down town loop area in Chicago are costing the city not only money but prestiege. It is bad for tourism and Chicago's reputation as a world class city and it discourages merchants from wanting to locate their stores in this business district. It seems the school-aged kid shootings are individualized and more about bullying and grudges than gang banging. Black gangs in Chicagoland are very fragmented, and disputes are mostly about drug turfs. The Hispanic Gangs are more organized and widespread. Robbery, burglary and car jackings make up most of the crimes.

In Chicago, there already was a 10 o'clock curfew in effect and the issue was whether or not to change it to 8 o'clock. That's my understanding. Nobody benefits from the curfews more than the kids, themselves, because they are the ones carrying guns and shooting each other. Almost EVERY day a young black person becomes a victim of gun shot wounds. Even ones sitting inside of their homes. Nothing seems to deter this crime. Not only are babies having babies, but now it's babies killin babies. There are after school programs and neighborhood watch groups and church involvement but the beat goes on...

@ProfDisn't it amazing how the camera flash had the effect of a full moon, - exposing pioneer for what he really is.

@TroyYes, America will survive. But democracy won't. It was an experiment that just fizzled out and will probably be replaced with a government heavily influenced by fascism and religion - and artificial intelligence. I just don't expect to be around when the phoenix rises from the ashes.

The lunch counters in the FW Woolworth dime stores are right up there with Rosa Parks and the bus boycotts when it comes to the history of the Civil Rights movement during the 1950s. In the South, of course, blacks were not served at these eateries, and that's when the famous sit-in demonstrations began. College students from all over the south organized and started showing up at these Dime stores, taking up spaces on the stools at the counters, requesting to be served. In the process of being refused, they were attacked, spat upon and dragged out by police but new teams would show up everyday. This went on for a whole summer as the movement gained national attention. It took a few more years before these Jim Crow laws were finally abolished.

@ProfDI don't think "Hedgehog" will be removed if he continues to screw up. Same with that snake oil quack, RFK. Competency has no relevance in the Trump regime. These people are rogues and don't care about protocol or diplomacy or what's best for the masses. They are riding rough shod over the judicial system while DOGE and ICE storm troopers have become a throw back to the Nazi gestapo goons of the Hitler era. These right wing jackals have totally voided my reliance on the laws of karma. Marjory Taylor Green couldn't even wait for the Pope's body to get cold before she started bad mouthing him. Where the Retrumpicans are concerned, there's no shame in their game. And all the Dems and the Liberal media do is stand around wringing their hands. America will never recover from what is now happening to it and will never become a better country.

I love language. And nothing impresses me more than succinct concisness. Words can be weapons. Neither can it be denied that talk is cheap nor that "brevity is the soul of wit". Is it any wonder that as I meander toward yet another birthday, this whimsical meme brought pause in my ongoing search for the meaning of "LIFE" . Having a sense of humor helps... Did I mention that outliving Pope Francis embarrasses me? RIP, ol fella.