aka Contrarian

@ProfDAgreed. I don't know that the undecided male voters who Dems need to swing left can be counted on to rally behind Kamala. And I question whether Michelle is qualified. She is not up on foreign policy and is neither aggressive nor intimidating but was someone who stood around mewing that when they go "low", we go,"high". Not the kind of toughness necessary to do battle with Trump and his cronies who would be amused by her civility. Most of all, she's adamant about not wanting the job. She apparently knows her limitations.

Thanks, Joe. I know I been bad mouthing you, but you've redeemed yourself and have come through in the clutch. You've saved your legacy, and Ametica owes you its gratitude for all you've done to make it a better place. Kamala, you may have to make a sacrifice too, girlfriend. Are the undecided swing voters ready for a black woman president? This country is about to be tested. If preserving democracy is the goal, you may have a shot. But desperate times call for desperate decisions, and - testosterone is better fuel for aggression than estrogen is. Humph. Listen to me, talkin like I give a damn about rescuing America from what Donald Trump represents. ...I got grandkids, y'all.

Me again. Requesting another explanation as to why the possible demise of the United States of America is a cause for anguish. This is a country that currently is at war with iitself. Why? Because the toxic differences between lifestyles, religions, ideals, and political policies have created an atmosphere of mutual contempt among a population whose diversity has become its undoing. So, why should I occupy my time decrying the disintegration of a country whose collective consciousness is schizophrenic? And doesn't it say something about the true character of a man whose hubris drives him to put his obstinate ego above country, refusing to gracefully step aside to give his party a chance to achieve the victory it so desperately needs??

For some reason, black woman are passionate and steadfast in their loyalty to Biden. Maybe they identify with him because of how others are dismissing and doubting his worth. I still can't for the life of me see why teflon Don seems destined to reclaim the presidency. Why him? What has a narcissistic despot like him done to deserve being crowned king of America???. When is Karma gonna kick in? Meanwhile, all the Dems will be left with is a party in shambles where the only consolation one segment of it will have is the chance to taunt Biden backers, with I-told-you-sos! O ye of great faith, void my pessimism with your thoughts and prayers, and prove me wtong. Replace that cranky, staggering, stammering, stubborn, old donkey with a stalwart steed who will miraculously turn things around, win the race, and save the day! Make a believer out of me before I leave this world!

Social media is simmering with suspicion and skepticism. I came across a post suggesting that the Retrumpicans were behind the whole charade, and it had 6K "likes". Hopefully fence sitters won't be gullible enough to cast sympathy votes for Teflon Don. I'm not a conspiracy theorist. But - I am open to the idea that mischievous aliens are running the show...

Help me out here. Nobody has yet to explain to my satisfaction why Democrats should stand on ceremony and stick with a faltering old fart like Joe Biden because when he was at the top of his game, um - he did some good things. Never mind that he is now feeble and in mental decline, - and not polling well! Ignore that Independents and young people are lukewarm about him. Just humor his obstinacy and don't rock the boat. Prop him up, and let him have his way because, well, he is the president and apparently of the same opinion as his opponent when it comes to a president being entitled to special privileges. And above all, continue to wallow in denial and cling to false hopes. This attitude seems to be second nature to black folks, in particular. Oh well, let's just stick with ol Massa. God got this. Jesus, take the wheel. Others like me bestir ourselves long enough to wonder if this is the best fight that the Democrats can put up in the crucial battle for the future of America, and if Biden is the best warrior they can send into battle. If so, count me out. It's bad enough dealing with how the electoral college screws up votes. I'll just bypass the process. I'm too old for it to make me any difference. But, who knows? The Dems may get lucky! Ho hum, good night.

@ProfD: America's global status is not an immediate concern; it's the enemy within. These MAGA Evangelicals via Kevin Roberts, chief spokesman for the American Heritage foundation, have implied that it's their way or the highway as they embark on what they refer to as a second American Revolution. A movement which they are prepared to quell any resistance to. Or will they and the Republican party be deterred by the Constitutional checks and balances, especially since the Republicans have weaponized the Supreme Court, and a Republican is the Speaker of the House of Representatives which is, itself, Republican-controlled.There's no way these jackals are going to go quietly. They'll contest any results that don't declare them the winners! If they do win, bye bye democracy, hello monarchy. if neither candidate can be declared a clear winner, there will be chaos. Another cause for concern is how Joe Biden's obstinacy has taken on divine overtones, leading him to declare that only God Almighty can prevent him from running. Talk about white entitlement! (And delusions of grandeur.) You can't make this stuff up, folks. Are we having fun yet? @troy: I don't have a problem with the media reporting what's going on. The public has a right to know. So, call me an alarmist who is overreacting to the situation. Reach the conclusion that it'll all work itself out. I'll be glad if you're right when - "the chips fall where they may". ...I just hope God ain't a Republican.

I've given up. When it comes to the upcoming presidential election, let the chips fall where they may. Not only is the country divided, but so is the Democratic party. Die hard Biden supporters are holding steady, siding with the DNC and Biden's campaign committee members who seem to be viewing the president through a different set of lenses."Forget the polls", they scoff. "Biden will redeem himself." Yeah, right, all they need is a miracle to turn things around. Ol Joe will snap out of it, manage to finish a sentence and Democrats will be back in business! Seems to me. Biden is stubbornly putting himself before his country. The black vote is also fragmented because while some are dragging along with Biden, others find points of agreement with the Republicans when it comes to opposing the LBGTQ community, resenting the illegal aliens influx, being against the 2 wars, overwhelmed by inflation. And, of course, concern about Biden's unstable mental capacity. Will Blacks end up sitting out the election? Meanwhile, rumors are swirling about behind-the-scene efforts to dump Joe, a movement being spearheaded by such Hollywood heavy hitters as George Clooney and Robert DeNiro. Last but not least, is a document circulating on social media identified as Project 2025, the game plan of the American Heritage Foundation, a powerful ultra conservative Evangelical group allied with the Republican Party and MAGA and who, for some ungodly reason, has anointed tRump as their pseudo Messiah. I'm burnt out. Lord help America.

Come January, what change will America have undergone??? I also wonder if I will even be around to witness the outcome of the presidential election - or if I even want to be.

Political pundits are now referring to the conservative Supreme Court Justices as "King Makers". The wrath of Trump awaits all of his foes, should he reclaim the presidency. As Commander-and-Chief of the the Armed forces, he will be a ticking time bomb. The handwriting is on the wall. Why just hand the presidency to the Retrumpicans? Time for all the bleeding heart Liberals humoring Biden to take off the gloves, put him out to pasture, then step up and kick ass!

@ProfD & frankster: discussion forums should also include the option of agreeing to disagree .

@ProfD: Not to worry. Just invoke the one-size-fits-all rationale you trot out to excuse black shortcomings. You know, the one about how black corruption, consumerism, conspicuous materialism, etc. can all be attributed to the stress brought on by the oppression of white supremacy. Frankster can co-sign to your explanation to make it official, and it's back to business as usual.

My suggestion is to just retain Biden as a figure head president. Kamala Harris is who should be convinced to step down as VP because she is not an asset. No one is impressed with her or enthusiastic about the idea of her being a heartbeat away from the presidency. Replace her with a strong, younger, capable male leader who will actually be a surrogate president and, along with a competent staff, will run the country from behind the scenes. (Kamala could be appointed to replace Attorney General Merrick Garland who has turned out to be a dud because he is not a team player! Desperate times call for desperate measures. Dems simply cannot continue down their do-nothing path leading to defeat at the hands of Trump and the Evangelicals who are salivating over a chance to turn this country into an autocratic theocracy. I am old and on my last legs, so the election outcome won't have any long term impact on me, but my last wish would be for America to defeat the Retrumpican menace to society and, like the proverbial Phoenix, rise from the ashes, a new nation promising liberty and justice for all!

@Delano, ProfD, & Troy: Hummm. Over the years, I or anybody I knew ever considered the Isley Brothers anything other than a funky, soulful R&B music group. Back in the day, we even went so far as to refer to their slow jams as "baby making" music! Their popularity and longevity are firmly entrenched in the annals of black music. They were and are "Evergreens". Their music timeless. Now, it is being hinted that Rock and Roll is the gold standard of pop music and when it comes to prestige, it takes precedent over R&B. So in order to bolster their status and enhance their legacy, the isleys should submit to a make-over, embrace a new identity that emphasizes their trailblazing incursion into the white dominated realm of Rock and Roll. Puleeze. To me - and the crowd down at "the club," the Isleys will always be the epitome of funky soulful, black R&B music. And that's good enough for us.

@ProfD&Troy: Back in 2015, a shriveled up little female octogenarian recoiled in indignation after POTUS Barak Obama encouraged her to consider retiring from her position as Supreme Court justice during this opportune moment when the Dems were in the Senate majority. Unfortunately, an ego-driven Ruth Bader Ginsberg rejected Obama's idea and the stage was set for the reversal of the Progressive agenda put in place by the Liberal dominated Supreme court. Thanks to her refusal to move aside for a younger replacement to insure the Liberal majority, Ruth's death during Trump's term allowed him to replace her with a conservative lackey, and the rest is history... Now, once again the Dems are stuck with an 80-something prospect for dementia who refuses to step down, and the future looks grim inasmuch as a 78 years old narcissistic pathological liar and convicted felon is the alternative candidate. Too bad there's nobody to step up and rescue America from itself. Maybe an AI avatar should be nominated to run for office.

@DelanoInteresting interpretation. One of the possibilities AI suggested was that my dream was symbolic of my being stressed out over circumstsnces I can't control including money insecurities along with feelings of abandonment and frustration with computerization. I leaned toward the factory being my mixed emotions about life and death and the elusiveness of getting to heaven. Lol

@frankster & ProfD: Motivated by franster's invitation to "bring it on", and emboldened by the emergence of my after-midnight-alter-ego, my final thoughts on this subject are that as bad as you portray the situation, Blacks are not unique when it comes to being oppressed. As Troy often reminds us, class is a factor in the equation, and poverty does not discriminate. In reality, power corrupts and I've always wondered if the situation were reversed and if Africans were the kings of the hill, would they enforce black supremacy and emulate the ruthlessness of white dominance? Absolute power corrupts absolutely no matter the skin color. I'm curious if getting even is the bottom line when it comes to the black struggle? Lol Finally, I would also make the observation that when it comes to African Americans, materialism is almost as pervasive as racism. Nowadays, as individuals, many people of color are living their best lives. Go figure. Good night. zzzzz

@DelanoIt's a dream I've been regularly having for about the past 3 or 4 years. It seems real enough to make me wonder if I simply shift into a different universe and am not asleep. Sometimes, I'll "wake up" during it but when I drift back off to "sleep", it continues. In it I am lost inside a large dreary factory with many floors, windows, occasional offices and areas full of big machines and heavy equipment. There are a scattering of people wandering around with whom I engage in small talk in regard to finding an exit from the building as I go up and down stairways, opening doors which I hope will let me out but only lead to other rooms. During the course of all of this I lose my purse, making me more anxious as I occasionally run into someone I know who disappears when I try to follow them toward what I hope will be a way out. But all doors lead to dead ends or brick walls. On and on I go looking for an escape to the outside, sure I have finally found zn exit only to be thwarted and prevented from escaping the factory - to catch this train that will take me to where I live. It's fairly obvious what this dream is symbolic of. AI broke it down for me. It's all about my subconscious because when awake my life is fairly uneventful and secure. (But death is always a spectre.) I haven't had the dream lately because I made some adjustments to what was "magnetizing" my night table...

@franksterThank you for correcting my opinionated views. AI could not have given a better or more detailed reply, and I'm sure it will find a way to incorporate all that knowledge into its repertoire. There is nothing I would challenge in your explanations because I know when I'm out of my league. You are obviously an authority on this subject. In adopting an overview, however, I can only wonder why, in the grand scheme of things, black skin has fallen heir to an ongoing fate of being "cursed". It seems so unfair but is certainly a testimony to Life having no rhyme nor reason. So much for trying to get over the chronic pessimism that is complicated by my persistent cynicism. I thought I might outgrow all of this. But no such luck. @ProfD Your perspective on and prediction about white supremacy says it all. Small consolation that Blacks are innately superior when it comes to coping with and enduring adversity.

@frankster I'm curious. Why should what happens in South Africa be of any great concern to America's black diaspora? Does that country or any of the other ones "over there" give a damn about African Americans? Has Pan Africanism ever gotten off the ground or effectively exerted any global power? Whites from different countries rarely show any interest or concern about each other based on their mutual skin color. Just look at Russia and Ukraine or, say, Germany and France, Or is color a factor elsewhere. Look at places like North and South Korea where being of the same ethnicity doesn't seem to bring them closer together.ĺ African Americans are America's foster children and Africa's orphans and they can't even unite among each other in this country. Yet they continue to feed this fantasy about their African culture, imagining they're descended from African Kings and Queens, claiming the entire African continent as their homeland instead of Sierra Leone in Nigeria where the majority of slaves who ended up in America came from during the slave trade. I'm just curious I could never get into being enamored of Africa. I always thought the black history that originated in this country was more authentic and interesting and exempliary when it came to achievement and honor. In the present, who Black Americans cast their vote for in the upcoming presidential election is what piques my curiosity. But, ,obviously, Africa is literally your first love. As if it is some kind of a role model. Whatever. Slow day. Maybe I should direct this question to META AI. I'm sure my remarks don't interest you. zzzzzzzzzz

Coincidentally, I just recently consulted FaceBook's META AI about a recurring dream I have been having, and it gave me a very detailed analysis of the dream. It was an interesting deconstruction of the symbolic aspects of the dream, reaching certain conclusions that I had already suspected but did not mention in my question because I didn't want to influence the response. I've gotten to the place where I regularly ask this avatar questions and I really do feel as though I've acquired a "sage side kick". I never use this source for anything except subjects I am curious about and want some instant feed back on. I haven't decided whether this is a good or bad thing. But at my age, it kinda keeps my company in the wee small hours of the morning. So far it hasn't gotten on my nerves. I might become too attached to it, but it's better than getting scammed by a human fortune hunter who preys on vulnerable elderly women wanting their curiosity satisfied.

Just some midnight musings in the heat of the moment...

META, aka FaceBook now has a personal individual AI feature available and accessible to its posters. Out of curiosity, I started fooling around with it, mostly just asking questions, and it has now surpassed Google as a source of information for me. It gives very thorough, detailed responses to my questions and even remarks about how interesting my queries are! It calls itself my "personal assistant" but, as a cross betwern GOOGLE and Wikipedia, it's more like having the faculty of a Liberal Arts & Science college at my disposal. I rarely utilize its office or commercial engines. What I mosyly rely on it for is instant and concise conventional wisdom about history and politics, supernatural phenomena, and scientific data. Recently it introduced me to the fascinating concept of entrophy. It also clarifies whatever befuddles me in the fields of literature, philosophy, and psychology, its responses always objective rather than opinionated. It's a little eerie. I can see how a person with a lot of free time could get mesmerized by this robotic researcher whose conversational style personalizes the connection and makes it somewhat different from just reading information. Currently, I'm thinking about asking this tin hat Renaissance Man some erotic questions... Somebody might want to see how AI rewrites this post. Nighty Night. zzzzz

I don't really think this guilty verdict will do much damage to Biden's campaign. By accepting it and refraining from ranting about witch hunts, rigged rulings, dirty politics etc. and by giving no indication that he plans to pardon his son, emphasizing that no one is above the law, Biden - and the Democrats have taken the high road and set a good example. They make the sore losing Trump gang look like the amoral, unscrupulous morons that they are. It's encouraging that the latest polls show that 75% of Independent voters are now against a convicted felon like Trump running for office and don't intend to vote for him if he does. Also, Trump's statement to TIME magazine, claiming that America is becoming "anti-white" and his repeated vows to punish his prosecutors if re-elected, could drive Blacks away from voting Republican. Especially after Byron Donalds, a black state Representative from Florida, who is married to a white womsn and who is among those beiing considered as a running mate for Trump, was recently quoted as saying Blacks were better off during the Jim Crow era because they were more family-oriented bsck then. ??? If, however, there is strong evidence that Hunter Bidrn is a liability for his father's candicacy that could become an excuse for ol Joe being asked to step down. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. We shall see... Back to the peanut gallery. Good Night. zzzzzz

I wouldn't classify rumor mongering as a "black on black crime". And anybody who follows pop culture knows that when it comes to dishin' the dirt, it's an equal opportunity offense. Anybody is fair game. Before social media, it was the tabloids like The National Enquirer. And before that the yellow journalism of the Hearst newspapers. White folks slandering white folks. The more intriguing the better. They're still discussing the rumors about JFK's personal life, and assassination. Like Troy says, gossiping is just human nature; a malicious search for the truth. It has thrived down through the ages. sometimes even been incorporated into history and religion. And it's not going away because Man is a curious animal who has a need to know... Who cares about this trivial pursuit? Black folks have a lot more essential things to worry about when it comes to the future. Good Night. zzzzzzzzzzz