aka Contrarian

Are "reality" and "existence" interchangeable or at least interdependent? Speaking of semantics... I don't pretend to totally comprehend or even challenge all of what other human beings determine to be infallible. I just wonder. I do accept the possibility that some things are beyond human comprehension and are.what.they.are. - audio syllabels encapsulated in visual symbols.... pass me the toke.

That's so true. She always manages to portray me so much nicer than I am .

Interesting. I've always reduced the reality question to the simplest terms when pondering it. The phenomemon that occurs when the sun is at my back and I cast a shadow satisfies my wondering. And, just for reassurance, I pinch myself. When my "theory" is challenged, I simply shrug and explain that: "I know that I know nothing." That Quatum Physics is a bitch. All the figures and activity that I "see" in my peripheral vision out of the corner of my eye, disappear when I turn my head to observe them directly! And I don't think I'm hallucinating! Is anyone familiar with the "Mandela Effect" involving movies? I may post about it later on a new thread.

Not surprising, Chicago's Mayor and Police Chief, both of whom are black , quickly responded that crime is down in Chicago (although you wouldn't guess this if you listen to nightly local newscasts), and they do not welcome any outside meddling. Struggling with huge budget deficiencies, including teachers' demands, the mayor's rating are also waaay down. Reaction to Trump's threat has been mostly along racial and party lines. Black folks just want the shootings to stop because they so often involve innocent kids. Also, a lot of the killings are the result of individuals settling personal disputes with guns, as opposed to gang violence. Break-ins and robberies remain a threat, unfortunately. Our Democrat Governor says he hasn't heard anything official from the Trump administration and he has no intention of cooperating with it. I don't think anybody really believes that calling out the "Nazi" Guard is the answer, especially Chicago's large Hispanic population who are too busy worrying about ICE to welcome any other government intervention. In answer to your question, - the picture is blurred by mixed emotions. I agree with those who complain that the situation reeks with a fascistic police state foreboding. Chicagoland does, however, seem to be in agreement when it comes to DA BEARS. Beating KC's scrub team was fun to watch even if we'll probably never see those scoreboard figures again. But our hopes are alive and well. We at least have a promising backup QB.

Made it! Today's my 92nd birthday. Don't know whether to laugh or cry. Such is life.

Nonetheless, the potential of Da BEARS looked quite promising.Caleb Williams was impressive during his minutes. Chicago is excited!

Get outta here. There's nothing to leave alone. I never complained about anybody coming on this thread. That was the self-serving scenario that you in your straw man mode created in order to control the narrative. I merely made an amused observation about you doing what you had previously accused me of doing. Didn't make me any difference if people wanted to come on here and blow off steam about Trump and his ulterior motives. Unlike you, I'm not threatened by the input of others. Your transparency is pathetic. @ProfD - and any other football fans: How about those BEARS! Is Buffalo a good team?

As if me and Delano needed the trite validation of what we've already concluded.

The same goes for you, you devious jack-off. You didn't apply that mindset when you whined about me posting on your hip-hop thread. There is no end to the lengths the strawman won't desperately resort to in order to avoid being proved wrong. smh You're really a piece of work.

True. They are the 2 sides of the one coin representing destiny. Peace.

@Mel HopkinsThank you! You're pretty special, yourself. A rare, delightful spirit. Knowing you is a privilege!

@DelanoI'm becoming more and more hooked on what my sister, who died much too soon at age 60, liked to suggest: that life is a dream that we wake up from when we "die". Dreams have taken on a greater significance at this point because they fill my sleeping hours, always bringing to mind Poe's poem: All that we see or seem, Is just a dream within a dream. zzzzzzzzz

Pioneer had the gall to get his panties in a bunch, complaining because I came on his hiphip thread and made a comment he didn't want to hear, but da sorry-ass nigga has no problem takin over my thread, gettin on his soap box, spoutin alotta hot air. He's like Trump inciting a mob on January 6th, and now calling out the National Guard to quell street violence. lol

@ProfDWaiting for your take on tRump sending the National Guard in to shore up Washington DC. - your stomping grounds!

Am I doing anything that all y'all havent done or aren't doing from time to time, yourselves? Contemplating life after death is a common passtime! We are all searching. The answer will just be revealed to some sooner than others. Those are the breaks... I wish I had better things to do than to "crepe hang". What I'm really lamenting is the loss of my stamina and, hence, my mobility, both of which have just left me dangling in limbo. Well-meaning people keep assuring me that I'm gonna live to be 100! Puleeze! Spare me that fate! Meanwhile, I'll just wake up every morning until - I don't! Like everybody else. And, of course, check in here to break the monotony, - or add to it. I post from my Android phone and this can be a challenge, but challenges can also be diversions zzzzzzzzzzzzz

I am preoccupied with the question of whether or not there's life after death... Obviously, there's only one way to find out - and I have mixed emotions about that . Have never been a fan of The Supremes and Diana Ross with her nasal caterwalling. So thinking of a song I'd rather listen to does at least give me something to ponder. Maybe Chaka Khan's rendition of "Through the Fire", keeping Jesus in mind. LOL.

I'm aiming for August 18th, my birthday. After that all bets are off. I'm currently focused on the quality of life rather than the quantity. Screw longevity if your health is failing. Not to mention boredom. Cest la Vie.

BEARS WIN! Ok,OK. Exhibition game without regulars but, still - exciting game. Great win. Ooops! I thought they scored. Well, good tie.lol!

I wasn't aware that only certain people could comment on the controversial subjects you pontificate on in your marathon posts since you've never had a problem barging in on my or anybody elses' posts. I leave you with what is the hardest thing in the world for you to do, which is admit you are wrong. Particularly in this case. I disagree with your take on this silly assed subject and your opinion is no more valid than mine. Except in the narrow confines of your little ego-centric world. Get over yourself.

...what we do know is that the straw man is alive and well.

Then dispense with your presumptuous statements about everybody waiting. Why are you having such a difficult time processing the idea that I don't care whether or not people of other ethnicities are certified as hiphop MCs and DJs??? Because in your usual attempt to control the narrative, you being biased and befuddled thwarts your effort.

Speak for yourself. I'm not waiting for any such thing. 'Makes me no difference.

@TroyThanks for all your kind words. I appreciate the patience and support you've shown me throughout the years. I think the world of you! @ProfDit's been fun and interesting engaging with you. You're a man of good character! @DelanoI've enjoyed the unique bond we formed. You're special. See you in your dreams - if possible. @Pioneer1They didn't have 401ks when I retired, so I'll take your word for the disadvantages they pose.

As my 92nd birthday approaches on August 18th, I have drifted into a reflective mood. At this point in my journey I'm experiencing a need to look back and reflect, even as I wonder if I'll make it to August 18th, considering how much my health has deteriorated during the past few months, a situation that renders me as ready as I'll ever be to blow this pop stand. This ol world is currently so screwed up and, imo, on a collision with what I think will be changes so drastic that I will be out of my element. So, whatever. All the points of view and personal philosophies of those who regularly post here, especially as it pertains to the black condition, have inspired me to put myself in perspective and share my thoughts when it comes to where I fit on the black spectrum. Bear with me because this is probably my swan song, and I may ramble. Hopefully, however, something learned about the caliber of my blackness wiil be enlightening when it comes to examining the multi-faceted nature of black America. I have always described myself as a "hybrid" descendant of slaves. That's my tribe. And it's a HoHum passive one. According to Ancestry.com, my blood lines include Irish, German, Native American and, last but not least, African by way of the Sierra Leone region of Nigeria. I do not consider the Atlantic Ocean my homeland because my ancestors obviously reached and landed in America, and were transported to the North Carolina location of what had been one of the country's most prolific slave markets. And the rest is my history. My genesis begins in the territory that originally belonged to the native American tribes like the Osage one which my paternal Grandmother was descended from. . Both my paternal and maternal great grand parents were born into slavery, the women folk, typically raped by their white slave masters... My forebears have always identified themselves as colored, negro, black, depending on the era, and I have never strayed from or had any desire to identify myself as anything other than a non white person who has no delusions about the treachery and guile of the ruthless men who established the White Power Structure that controls the globe. The most negroid thing about me is my hair, having once had an abundant, bushy crop which lent itself very well to an afro style which I affected during the 1960s when I felt compelled to establish my "negritude", (a popular term back in those days.) And, when it came to the civil rights movement, although I was not an activist out there demonstrating in the streets, in my own personal way via the Op/Ed pages of 2 of Chicago's major newspapers, I was very supportive of those courageous enough to put their lives on the line to secure equality for all. I consider myself, for want of a better term, a "soul sista", very comfortable in my skin, having no great affinity for Interacting on a regular basis with Caucasian Americans. I am a product of the middleclass black bougeoise values that I was raised with, having no illusions about the superficial materialistic aspects of this designation. Paradoxically and inexplicably, I harbor a great revulsion for right-wing conservative black Republicans, and I despise Donald Trump and his Maggots! I was born in 1933 and grew up in the small town suburb of Chicago where my parents settled in 1922 as part of the first wave of the Great Migration of Negroes leaving the south, seeking a better life up north and, uniquely, even in those pre- civil rights years, I always resided in mixed neighborhoods, always attended integrated schools and, as part of the great Civil Service work force, always held jobs working side-by-side with white co-workers. So, my mutated homo sapien "cousins" are no strangers to me. I neither like nor dislike them, opting to just judge them on an individual basis, always keeping my guard up. My politics are a reflection of my core personsality. I am a Moderate Liberal, not a militant radical progressive because I'm too cynical to take seriously these erratic types with self-serving agendas. I have never been ambitious because I'm lazy and don't like too much responsiblity or anything difficult or demanding, just content to do enough to get by. I am not proud to confess that I have gone through life, avoiding anything that required great effort on my part. I am lazy and unmotivated, only good and creative at things that interest me. I do, however, lean toward the aesthetic, profound spititual things in life and this includes liberty and justice for all. I have lived through the terms of 15 presidents and can honestly say that the administration of whomever was in office never greatly impacted on my personal day- to-day life. I've managed without even trying, to stay under the radar and - get by. I retired from the US Post Office in 1992 after 30 years of service so I have been retired longer than I worked, collecting a substantial pension replete with COLA raises, receiving money every month for doing nothing other than waking up every morning. If a problem exists when it comes to my black status it stems from my objectivity coupled with an affinity for the whole truth, 2 traits lacking in "gung ho" black chauvanists. This has led me to "divorce" on the grounds of incompatibility, the black race as it exists in the judgment of those who seek to mold it exclusively in their personal image, focusing on what in my judgment, amounts to merely chasing their tails when it comes to effectiveness. So, It is what it is, and I am what I am, - someone who will leave this earth, strong in my conviction that I am as authentically black as the most passionate chest beater. I close by acknowledging that, black is beautifully bountiful but - there are 2 sides to every coin. And so it goes...

The burden of proof is not on me. YOU prove that these ethnic outsiders you accuse of highjackin hip hop titles are not documented since you think you're such a well informed expert on this subject when you aint nothin but biased and befuddled. You offer no specifics; just your usual unqualified pretentions of being in charge of what constitutes "blackness". Put up or shut up. I dont give a damn if hip hop is being infringed on because it's not my musical community. My preferences in black music are jazz and old school R&B. If this offends you, then tough shit! I do not recognize you as being a mover or skaker when it comes to America's non white population. You are not somebody to whom I have to produce documents to contradict your random claims.