Mel Hopkins

@Pioneer1 is that video clip the hill you want to die on? Lol. OMG! Ali referred to African tribes as savages, his wife as merchandise, compared her to wild beast and praised the white man’s values! OIL DIAMONDS and GOLD have no intrinsic value ...Europeans gave it its value and destroyed practically all of Africa to mine it! What is valuable is ALWAYS visible! Eat some fruit or vegetables, take a breath, get a sip of water! Scratch “bitch” moves - Ali is an effing idiot in this video clip. Further, women are humans. We are free and belong to no man. He may try to enslave us, torture us but he will never own a woman. If anything, a woman controls a man’s fate. From conception, to when she gives him her mtDNA that houses ATP (aka the God Cell) to his birth; a woman controls whether he will exist. full stop. If she’s crafty enough she can end him when he’s born and many women have done just that. Edit: I will never understand the lunacy of a man claiming he is god when he and all men arrive on this planet the same way - though the crack of a woman’s ass. So what is this talk of ownership? A man may make laws or use religion to control a woman’s behavior but let’s not ever get it twisted - man-made laws will NEVER trump Nature. The speciation of the X chromosome is why humans exist in this form. I always thought Ali was a wise man - but in this clip, it is clear, he’s fully indocrinated as a white supremacist. Damn. For Ali to sit there and talk like that indicates he was brainwashed to the highest degree ... damn I’m embarrased to have seen this clip.! What’sn worse is to have his white host defend African tribes against Ali’s ignorance.

@Troy do you mean magnet, as in you’re attracted to women sporting purple hair? Now, that IS an interesting turn of event. But as my oldest daughter would say, “stop encouraging that behavior”. Just kidding. It seems as if you’re getting an excellent education in black hair-dos. Bravo

@Cynique You've spoken like a true hustler !!! one of the many reasons I admire you!!! “Always remember whether you be sucker or hustler in the world out there, you’ve got that vital edge if you can iron- clad your feelings. I picture the human mind as a movie screen. If you’re a dopey sucker, you’ll just sit and watch all kinds of mindwrecking, damn fool movies on that screen. After all, we are the absolute bosses of that whole theatre and show in our minds. We even write the script. So always write positive, dynamic scripts and show only the best movies for you on that screen whether you are pimp or priest.” - Iceberg Slim Yes, I believe it, @Troy . "Law of causation" <--- not really a law but I believe nothing ever happens without a cause - even if I haven't seen the cause.

@NubianFellowReal is all I know - and talking about people, what they wear, et al. is a sign of an inferior mind, lack of power and self-control. As I stated (and this will be the last time); if that’s a sign of black masculinity today, then it’s in a state of disrepair.

@Pioneer1 @NubianFellow Talking about someone’s appearance makes $$$ millions for Wendy Williams and her talk show but that’s cheap entertainment. Nagging about another’s appearance, which gay men have turned into an art form, is a weak and ineffective showing of black masculinity. In fact, when I was growing up in Brooklyn - dudes called that a “bitch” move. An actual sign of Black masculinity would reflect first in a man having control over himself, and then working to better his physical environment. And that’s the bare minimum.

@Pioneer1 If that's a sign of black masculinity - then that's quite damn sad.

Let the church say AMEN!!!

Welcome @Gibran , @Audrey Jones ! Thank you for joining us!

And I just made it a feature photo on one of my posts on my website and plan to add it to other relevant posts lol. I think it's a campaign that hasn't fully developed yet

TRUTH!!! This is why I like the concept of readingblack.com - the goal is to make buying books by and for black people -fastfood/microwave easy... Now I just have to figure out how to achieve that goal lol

Yet, the senator from Mississippi said, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row,” and she still won the run-off election. So, I put nothing past any of these demons wearing every shade; black, white and shades in-between of human-suits; . Yep, thank you my idol "Ida B. Wells" for being the voice of reason with the mighty pen. It's words that cast the spell and binds demons . I believe this is why she emphasize "unwritten".

@Troy Thank you for PB co-sign! I'll put together a short post here in readingblack.com about pressbooks. The beauty of PB - is it offers a few book formats and book covers that writers can use for POD books too. The fully formatted PDF is $79 . Writers don't even have to use PB beyond formatting their novel or book. There are so many tools for self-published / indy authors to use today, that amazon should be the last resort for publishing.

@Cynique "life is but a dream"... I really believe you accomplished exactly what you set out to do...

Yep! Except those 3rd party sellers would still have to purchase the book (s) which is another reason why I'm selling eBooks direct too. I'm considering making my eBook cost more than my print so folks will be hesitant to attempt to bootleg my pdf. Another way to protect your digital files is to offer it directly through a web reader service like pressbooks. By the way, my novel is currently selling on amazon.com for $62.65 and of course NONE of that goes to me - because I'm not the 3rd party seller. smh

@Cynique I was thinking what would be the purpose to check out the lunar eclipse. It just didn't make sense to me' until this very moment. Thank you... "to commune with the universe" - perfect!!! This is probably what our ancestors did too - but I wonder if these rare moments were also resources of some kind? I did put that question out there - and you've supplied part of the answer! Consider late 14c., "to fix the mind upon for careful examination, meditate upon," also "view attentively, scrutinize; not to be negligent of," from Old French considerer (13c.) "reflect on, consider, study," from Latin considerare "to look at closely, observe," probably literally "to observe the stars," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + sidus (genitive sideris) "heavenly body, star, constellation" (see sidereal). Perhaps a metaphor from navigation, but more likely reflecting Roman obsession with divination by astrology. Tucker doubts the connection with sidus, however, because it is "quite inapplicable to desiderare," and suggests derivation instead from the PIE root of English side meaning "stretch, extend," and a sense for the full word of "survey on all sides" or "dwell long upon."

@Troy You really have to read Victor Lavalle's books. Whenever I finish one I think of this discussion. Well, I've only finished two and now half-way through the 3rd but like I said everything you ask for you already have. Remember I mentioned that I learned of Victor LaValle on this forum. I bought one of his books back in 2012 - I started it last year and finished it within the month. I read one of his novellas next and now I'm reading "The Changeling" (( 2018 World Fantasy Award Best Novel, winner ("The Changeling") , 2018 British Fantasy Award Best Horror Novel, winner ("The Changeling") 2018 Mythopoeic Award Fantasy Award for Adult Literature, finalist ("The Changeling") 2017 Shirley Jackson Award Best Novel, finalist ("The Changeling") 2017 Dragon Award Best Horror Novel, winner ("The Changeling")) The main character is in his 30s but his two compadres are middle-aged average men doing somewhat extraordinary things. In fact, the protagonist and his besty are both rarebook dealers lol...

Thank you @Troy ! No, I'm trying something else ...I figure if folks feel strongly enough about the content they will share it. Right!!! I like that you mentioned to one of the members - to become amazon associate. As an associate there's more customer insight available. I don't think I'll sell my books on amazon because to them, it appears books are like "giveaways" to them. I do appreciate the associates program. It allows me to see customers in a new way.

Book Selling in the Amazon Age (blog post) Independent book selling is hard in the age of Amazon. But if you think you can’t be profitable, think again. Amazon provides customer-centric tools booksellers can use to build their own community of readers. You just have to know where to find them. Visit me at theleadstory.net for more tips.

In this world, as a woman you must employ both ... and if you're a black woman you must use both as weaponry. Welcome, @Gibran Thank you for joining us ! I hope you will also share your talent with the rest of us who #dothewritething !

And your curiosity should have awaken not ended! Brooklyn Tech faculty and staff taught us HOW to learn so it would be an ongoing process.

OMG!!! LIKE THE KOMODRAGON!!! I never thought of it like that! What the eff! Of course, folks would believe this was a miracle - meanwhile the Hebrews who are a matrilineal sect would say “we been knew women could flip like that” lol! Thank you for sharing that perspective!

@Troy please re-read my words. And here we agree which is EXACTLY why I wrote “ignore Troy’s comment...” HOW do you know? This is exactly the research that is currently underway... BECAUSE biologists have questions not answers. So do tell, are you also moonlighting as biologist now? Is this something that you even read up on ... Ever? If not you have nothing to add. Please don’t dumb down your own forum... it would make this place boring.

@Chevdove I hope you ignore Troy’s comment ... and continue on your path ... There is research available online as early as 1956 and recently as 2017... that investigates the phenomenon. Here are two links; one is a discussion as to how it could happen and the other is a link to 2017 research. The one thing I do appreciate about scriptures, is it survived (although not without its edits) the dark ages - where for some reason we dumbed down... If “Mary” did have a virgin birth it was most likely a female... and then made male for the convenience of patriarchy... kind like Asherah, the Shekinah , God’s wife was removed from scriptures (smh) Anyway, biologists are revisiting the “virgin” births (probably for nefarious reasons) But the fact that diploids and haploids present with human parts i.e, hair teeth eyes, skin .. when removed - they’re investigating if some women are actually gestating and giving birth sans sperm... Usually, there’s no reason to test for paternity in marriage - especially for baby boys BUT baby girls could be 100 % mom ... So please continue to share your ideas, theories and any developments. Thank you. As the world turns, we’re are learning we don’t know ish. But those who are curious will know more than those who think they have the answers. “Saturn is losing its rings. Folks who study these things don’t have a clue - why”.

@Cynique here are a few references from this article “. Homosexuality in Animals: An Analysis of Sexual Behavior Theories” Bailey, N.W. & Zuk, M. (2009). Same-sex sexual behavior and evolution. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 1-8. Blanchard, R. & Klassen, P. (1997). H-Y antigen and homosexuality in men. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 185(3), 373-378. Camperio-Ciana, A., Crona, F., & Capiluppi, C. (2004). Evidence for maternally inherited factors favouring male homosexuality and promoting female fecundity. The Royal Society, 271, 2217-2221. Clay, Z. & Zuberbuhler, K. (2012). Communcation during sex among female bonobos: Effects of dominance, solicitation, and audience. Scientific Reports, 2(291), 1-7. de Waal, F.B.M. (1995). The behavior of a close relative challenges assumptions about male supremacy in human evolution. Scientific American, 272(3), 82-88. Iemmola, F. & Camperio-Ciani, A. (2009). New evidence of genetic factors influencing sexual orientation in men: female fecundity increase in the maternal line. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38, 393-399. Lane, S. M., Haughan, A. E., Evans, D., Tregenza, T., & House, C. M. (2016). Same-sex sexual behavior as a dominance display. Animal Behaviour, 114, 113-118. Levan, K. E., Fedina, T. Y., & Lewis, S. M. (2008). Testing multiple hypotheses for the maintenance of male homosexual copulatory behavior in flour beetles. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 22, 60-70. Nisbet, I.C. & Hatch, J.J. (1999). Consequences of a female-biased sex-ratio in a socially monogamous bird: Female-female pairs in the Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii. Ibis, 141, 307-320. Rahman, Q. & Hull, M. S. (2005). An empirical test for the kin selection hypothesis for male homosexuality. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34 (4), 461-467. Roselli, C.E., Larking, K., Resko, J.A., Stellflug, J.N., & Stormshak, F. (2004). The volume of a sexually dimorphic nucelus in the ovine medial preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus varies with sexual partner preference. Santtila, P., Hogbacka, A., Jern, P., Johansson, A., Varjonen, M., Witting, K., von der Pahlen, B., & Sandnabba, N. K. (2008). Testing Miller’s theory of alleles preventing androgenization as an evolutionary explanation for the genetic predisposition for male homosexuality. Evolution and Human Behavior, 30, 58-65. Tobler, M., Wiedemann, K., & Plath, M. (2005). Homosexual behavior in a cavernicolous fish, Poecilia mexicana. Zeitschrift fur Fischkunde, 7 (2), 95-99. Van Gossum, H., De Bruyn, L., & Stoks, R. (2005). Reversible switches between male- male and male-female mating behavior by male damselflies. Biology Letters, 1, 268-270. Vasey, P.L., Foroud, A., Duckworth, N., * Kovacovsky, S.D. (2006). Male-female and female-female mounting in Japanese macaques: A comparative study of posture and movement. Vervaecke, H. & Roden, C. (2006). Going with the herd: same-sex interaction and competition in American bison. Homosexual Behavior in Animals: An Evolutionary Perspective. Cambridge University Press. Young, L. C., Zaun, B. J., & VanderWerf, E. A. (2008). Successful same-sex pairing in Laysan albatross. Biology Letters, 4, 323-325.