1 hour ago, Cynique said:

And of course, i wouldn't bring a positive vibe to the table because i'm too much about the negativity of reality.

@Cynique, I agree with a most of what you've written except this part. Your voice is the one that was most effective on those steering committees.  From working on economic development projects in the past, it was the naysayers who brought the reality to table.   The cockeyed optimists weren't blind-sided when the obstacles made an appearance and we were ready to handle them.   

But it does take money, resources  and a lot of time to create and execute an economic plan...  I'm not sure why  Pioneer thinks we have the time or even the desire to work on a project of that magnitude.   And it would only be a system within the system - there's one man who's been trying to create a new economy since 1940s and the powers that be have taken his  altruistic idea and created a sharing economy - where one group gets all the money and everyone else gets scraps... So no, I'm good with working with the system we have.  

39 minutes ago, Troy said:

Basically this was for a Kindle eBook, which was not aware could be sold via a platform other than Amazon.

@Troy,  Oh yes, I know of that program  - I never signed with it - but the book is only available on kindle period.   I thought it was a print book.    It's good the person is advertising - the more effort s/he puts into selling her/his book - the less dependent they will be on amazon in the future.  

12 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

So they can afford to experiement with AI and computer sex and all this other sci-fi stuff.

@Pioneer1, you do know that's not what they're talking about right?  

For example, let's say you're a salesman.  There's an algorithm that can now do your job.  It actually knows how is going to buy what and when - so you're no longer needed to sell anything.  For example in 2008 - there were a 150,000 people working on wall street - today, 1/3 of those workers have been replaced by  software.  In the next decade, there will be maybe 50,000 tops.  Soon these companies will only need  someone who can analyze data...  

When I say we're  being left behind -I mean we are not prepared for  jobs of the future.  Today's jobs are leaving and being replaced software.   

2 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

When will the time come where Mel, Del, Cynique, and Troy along with other Black professionals and thinkers sit down at a conference table and map out THEIR OWN economic plan designed specifically for BLACK AMERICA?

@Pioneer1 , I'm believer in the power of "AND" ... meaning do both and have two-winning hands.  But an economic plan is more than commercial enterprise .

Since, I tend to be a doer not a talker, first I have to ask, "Have you ever worked an economic development program?"  Have you even been on a steering committee?  Prior to launching a full blown economic development plan - you have to know where you're going and how you're going to get there - it begins with a feasibility study.      

I have worked for an NGO that was charged with  economic development for a city of 35,000 people.  The town had a failing economy.  It had cut off its source to  economic growth. The National Park Service through the government gave us a multi-million dollar contract to revive the area and help spur its economy.    

The thing is they had federal, state and city support and agreement. They had land, access to the Ohio river, a port and their area had been named by the federal government a heritage corridor and with that designation came a pile of money to use to achieve our goals.  My supervisor was a former deputy mayor of New York City - and with him at the helm and me his second in command  we accomplished our initial goal before I left the organization. The project took about 10 years from start to finish.  At last check, the town is still hemorrhaging population but it seems to be contributing to the national economy which is the overarching goal. 

Black America has always created commercial enterprises.  When were brought here  it was black people who created the textile  and agriculture industry.  We didn't just supply free labor - we created the enterprise...just didn't get the money, the freedom or fame.   

If you think of an industry from the 1400s until the present, if black people didn't  create it they were very much involved.

Even today, if you think black people aren't at the top of technology game think again.   They're not getting the publicity.  Meet my friend I call him daBrain,  owner of more than 40 patents related to wireless LAN and chip design. 

Also, in the late 70s,  rap was commercial enterprise created by Black people for Black people.  Before it was snatched up by major labels, Black people controlled the music recording studios,  music production, music distribution, film production, stage shows, models, actors/actresses, fashion  and clothing (dapper dan comes to mind) , the videos, (New York City created laws to contain where black production could film their rap videos).  There were even music shows that aired on local television  and even radio stations that had their own advertisements.   Social movement came out of  the rap movement and it even created political leaders.   The rap economy, however, was limited first to the East Coast - then West... then the South.  Once organized crime got a hold of the enterprise it was absorbed into corporate america.   

Black America can have their own economic plan but if there's going to be any type of economic development for a group of people that aren't centrally located  a plan would be a start but it will take money and time to execute.    Even with a plan, unfortunately, groups of people will still be left behind.   Which is why "being prepared" is key. 

 

42 minutes ago, Pioneer1 said:

This was a pr move done in an attempt to win over the support of some in the Black community.

If it works it would have only cost the city's taxpayers $75K... lol!  I look forwarded to seeing the outcome.

10 hours ago, Del said:

The system is designed to have only a few successes

@Del  yep that's the problem with capitalism as it's practiced here in the United Systems - The laws enacted restrict freedom of movement making it impossible for most to operate freely.  

Case-in-point - the shenanigans that Amazon is pulling to prevent advertisers to operate in their own interest.    If not checked, this advertiser leaves money on the table every time.   

59 minutes ago, Troy said:

a future advertiser on my site, just  today told me that they could not run an ad on my site unless I only provided the book for sale via Amazon!  I could not believe it but the author provided documentation to the effect. Of course I accommodated the request

@Troy  

Now that's down right creepy AND seems to violate antitrust laws even if the advertiser agreed to it in a contract.   You can't contractually agree to something that violates the law. 

I'm not a trade attorney or any type of attorney but reading is fundamental - and breaking the law is just that -

There was a case in 2013 that had non-compete terms and Federal Trade Commission struck it down... Your advertiser could be at risk of losing money and you too... (well not you because you don't sell books anymore but if your advertiser does than s/he may have a case because no establishment can force you to lose money.  I'd consult with an IP attorney if I were her or him- 

Found a section pn the FTC site that sounds like what you've posted

Refusal to Deal

ok here's the rest of the story.

About a week before the election (2016) I was washing dishes, looking out onto the back porch.  I happened to glance at my grill cover, and in it - I saw the outline of 45* 's hair and face in silhouette.   I looked closer,  then looked away hoping it would disappear.  It didn't.  I didn't want to tell anyone to look in the direction because I feared they would confirm what I was seeing.  

I didn't want to acknowledge it at the time and I didn't want to believe it - but I knew it was an omen.    I knew then he would win the election - even though he shouldn't have.  

So that's the reason I stopped second-guessing myself.  I can't explain it - I just know Intuition (Quantum Intuition) is real.  Now I wish I would have said something - Observer Effects states once you look at the future -it changes.   I'd think it's more like -  once you acknowledge the future, it changes. 

Predictive analytics, Blockchain, Big data AI and Machine learning 

Word on the street is  if you don't know what these terms mean, let alone have them in your bag of tricks (skill set) you're career path has ended and you're now obsolete.   Since 2008 and maybe before businesses are "relying heavily on data analytics".  These businesses are doing more with less employees and if our current and future generations want to be gainfully employed they will need to know how harness data crunching technology.     We keep hearing future jobs will be done by robots  - well that future is now... What do you say, my psychic brother, @Delano ? You're our resident statistics and numbers man.  How should this generation prepare?

10 hours ago, Troy said:

 

To dismiss the legacy of slavery as having an adverse impact on Black people is tantamount to putting one's head in the sand.

33% of white America compared to 23% of black America has a post-secondary academic degree  according to  U.S. Census and National Center of Education Statistics.  Therefore, a strong argument would be the majority of America is not interested in education...except books sales don't support that argument.  

We can get our books from so many different outlets now that some bookstores selling traditional ways are going to take a hit.  But assigning  behavioral traits to a group of people and attributing it to the demise of black booksellers is irrational.  It's like saying people are no longer interested in wearing clothes so that's why Macy's had to close 100 of its stores. 

Btw,  I still believe that book stores have to become inventive to get us back into the stores.

For a mere $75,000  a year,  Detroit will have its own journalist telling its story.    Aaron Foley, former  editor of Blac Detroit magazine and author of "How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass",  is the city's new Chief Storyteller.  The Guardian reports this role may be the first of its kind to represent a municipality in the U.S.  Foley says "local residents deserve better and more diverse stories about the reality of living in the city."    According to the Mayor, having a chief storyteller will help Detroiters and their neighborhoods a stronger voice in the media. 

Yes - this makes sense... I've been following my "first mind" more often than I used too.  It's the second guessing that I'm better at ignoring now - because I feel it's filled with fear. Those  "phantom voices"  tend to lead me astray. 

5 hours ago, Troy said:

 Now I know success is purely subjective and relative.

How do you define success, @Troy  ?   I believe the exchange we had here in this thread was hugely successful. You heard me and I heard you!  I'm thrilled at your response. In fact, I've been thrilled with your responses lately. I really feel like you hear me even when we don't agree 100 percent.    

18 minutes ago, Cynique said:

This was a fluff piece, to get my foot in the door.  Later my submissions were much more militant, so much so that the newspaper was flooded with complaints from whites, something  the op-ed editor loved, assuring me that they wanted to provoke reader response.   I also got a lot of hate mail  that scorched my ears...      

It worked; didn't it! You can write your tail-feathers off! whew!

4 hours ago, Troy said:

 

@Mel Hopkins, sites in the top 500 with tons of traffic Alexa is probably as good as any of them, but for less popular websites, like mine and many of the others I'm interested in tracking SEMRush is far superior, besides the sites I'm most interested in are not traffic by Nielsen and ConScore. 

 

Let's say, I'm a small business  and I have $10,000 budget for online advertising...  I decided not to hire  a media company to buy my spots, ads and banners.  I'm a DIY advertiser... When I go to SEMrush I only have 5 shots to look up websites before I have to subscribe... When I go to the site  I see it ranks by organic searches...  what I want to see right away, as an advertiser, is what type of traffic the site getting and where it is coming from - period.    

 I get that you are all geeked about analyzing data ...and I ain't mad at that! Heck,  my middle daughter is looking to get her masters in business analytics. She already has her  bachelor's degree in Statistics, but we small business folks are only interested in getting the biggest bang for our buck and getting back to our business.

We want to be where we can be SEEN; not get continue education credits.   

The thing is Troy, yes, it's always good to understand the stats.    I even follow you to the sites that unpack the stats - heck, I even took a few basic google analytics courses  - so I can pull back the curtain and have a basic understanding how google works.  

But the average person isn't interested in all of that... the average person wants something very simple.   So it's our job to make it look easy.  The most successful companies in the world have figured that out. And there ain't nobody more geeky than me... And even I  finally get it.  

So having said that, without making eyes glaze over and roll back in the head -  How does SemRush make it easy for platform owners to sell ad space on their websites to potential advertisers. 

 

2 hours ago, Cynique said:

i used words to make a statement about racial discrimination, and i wrote about this injustice in the print media on a regular basis.  

PREACH!!!! 

1 hour ago, Troy said:

 

New Hair-do is a “Natural” by Connie Bradley (circa the 70s)

This is so good @Cynique  !!!!  <3

15 hours ago, Pioneer1 said:

The next step in my opinion would be for Black people to start MAKING and DISTRIBUTING our own beauty products instead of Whites making them and Asians (mostly Koreans) distributing them to us.

@Pioneer1  do you ever use a search engine before you come up with your "next step" ideas?  It doesn't even have to be google... use Troy's Huriasearch  


I only use black hair care products made by black women.   It's not even hard to find anymore.  If you don't buy direct you can find them on the store shelves.  One website list at least 55 black-owned hair and beauty product companies ..A lot of them are founded and run by black women.   Anyway, don't just stop at Madam CJ walker there was  also Sarah Spencer Washington and her Apex Systems  

https://www.sswmovie.com/

17 hours ago, NubianFellow said:

Even though I sense a tinge of sarcasm,

@NubianFellow  A tinge?  My post is dripping in it! 

17 hours ago, NubianFellow said:

@Mel Hopkins Please share. I would like to visit these websites. Thank you queen.

My pleasure.  I added the links to my original post.

2 hours ago, Del said:

Words are warming but what's you're plan or where will you be in five to ten years. 

@Del  love this... 

16 hours ago, Troy said:

If you are using Alexa (because you said worldwide and  US) I don't cite them any more because their data is not very good I actually expected it to improve after Amazon took over, but it seems to have gotten worse.

@Troy Yes, Alexa is my choice because of the traffic they get via google... When people are looking at your site - the first place they go is Alexa ... Most people aren't savvy when it comes to technology statistics...(Hell, most people don't even know HOW to read statistics) so believing is seeing and Alexa has that on lock.   But anyway when you look and compare to other market researchers such as Nielsen and ComScore their rankings of websites are about the same.  

2 minutes ago, Troy said:

All indications are that Amazon sold the product directly. I doubt the other reviewers actually purchased the book..

Yes Amazon ships directly but the sellers have an account.  My friend is a seller and just ships his stuff to amazon.   You know about FBA right? 

18 hours ago, Troy said:

Interestingly I never encountered any sisters on the tech side. Most technically oriented sisters I've encountered are completely dedicated to amping up the social media presence.

@TroyDo you mean you don't know any black women who are technically oriented that don't have their own websites?  Or do you mean you don't know OF any black women who are  technologically-oriented ...If it's the latter I can share with you 3 black women silicon-valley darlings who own/founded/and are running 3 very popular websites... 1 (Blavity.com) ranks 13,000 in the us and 36,000 worldwide; another is Awesomely Luvvie  41,000 us and 199,000 worldwide  who runs Awesomely Techie and The Wealth Factory   I subscribed awesomelytechie - I like her approach as she gets to the "why" behind the stats.  

I asked my friend to tag me if she writes a review.  If she does, I'll link you to her website. 

20 minutes ago, Troy said:

but that is the life of a bookseller or avid reader... books just accumulate.

Didn't you just give away a ton of books?  LOL...  Actually we no longer have to rape the land for books - especially now that digital is an option. I've forced myself to go that route  - we need the trees to breathe.   I'll check on that facebook link

24 minutes ago, Troy said:

 

Since they have a direct line to their customers, I wonder why they made the product available to Amazon, who aren't even bothering to discount it.

Maybe She didn't and that's a reseller - notice what the verified purchase comment indicates.  My book is no longer available through Amazon - nor is the kindle version and now it retails for $85 ...

20 hours ago, Troy said:

Has anyone heard about this book?  If so, how did you learn about it?

A few weeks ago, one of my facebook friends received her copy and posted about it.  This was the first time I heard of it. 

And this seems to be the trend of books lately... Seth Godin, the marketing guru,  800 page book retails for $189 plus  shipping and handling and that is the cheapest I've found so far and his doesn't even have record albums.. There's another  "pop culture" coffee table I saw on depop that retails for $400 ... I've received beautiful coffee table books as gift.  I have a gorgeous Maya Angelou coffee table book  but I doubt if I'd purchase one.   I'm becoming mindful of clutter and consumerism.  

Beyonce's BeyHive" ain't no joke and apparently they have cash to spend too! 

On 8/28/2017 at 6:40 PM, Cynique said:

 Those who have done this comprise the black middle class who, if we are to believe Mel Hopkins, another poster here, are a segment in society who are doing fairly well for themselves, wearing their hair extensions and designer clothes  driving their fine cars, and living in nice homes.

@Cynique who knows maybe Nubianfellow has it point.  

Maybe it's the black woman's hair that is the key to black people's  success..

My friends call my family the hair bear bunch because we have very long hair that grows from our roots... (see my profile pic - yep that's mine)

So, maybe because we don't have weaves it allows us to communicate with directly to the Universe from which all our blessings flow  you know god gave it to us  for a reason. ...And it makes us super smart so we don't have ever worry about being in the bottom 20% of those poverty-stricken folks.   

We don't need weaves, because we love showing off our beautiful locks,  because, well who doesn't love our hair.  By the way loving your hair, automatically translates into us loving ourselves because hair is the major key..  

And, of course we attract men who are not deadbeat dads.  Because of our flowing Rapunzel-like locks we attract the men who have the most money, best character and family adhesiveness ...  As for the men who feel it's ok to lie down create babies and flee the scene.  Well, we all know they got that way because of some weave-wearing black woman  - who didn't cheer them on when they  did something  you know, mediocre....  

I just can't.