Mel Hopkins

I see the tree and the serpent (s) golden ratio (Phi), owl and for some reason I also see a peacock feather... It feels like If I look at too long I'll become one with it . One more thing, many of those symbols are allegedly related to worshiping the Canaanite's sun god.

I hate when that happens... fortunately, for us our brains process information extremely fast.

@Troy , thank you for this response - I agree technology is creating a digital divide - and many are not afforded the opportunity to capture the equity they are owed.

Except @Troy, it's happening now - did you forget the story about big data and 45*s election win? That's not even where it begins or ends. This is why I've asked are we being left behind again. - And you, the second most geekiest person I know when it comes to statistics - and you blow off my question with a sentence. As if I'm speaking about some sci-fi future shock. Predictive analytics and modeling are being used at corporations determining how long you should spend on hold - to whether you'll get that loan - to whether you will donate to a worthy cause and how much you'll spend. Programs ARE making it "possible for humans to analyze the unimaginably large volumes of data being produced." Like you wrote, no human could pour through the all that data but computers can and are doing it Humans need not apply! So those "exponentially fast-growing companies that leverage technology and require less employees but those who are tech-savvy" are way ahead of us ...AGAIN

@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.

@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.

@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.

@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.

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

@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.

@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 In general, any business — even a monopolist — may choose its business partners. However, under certain circumstances, there may be limits on this freedom for a firm with market power. As courts attempt to define those limited situations when a firm with market power may violate antitrust law by refusing to do business with other firms, the focus is on how the refusal to deal helps the monopolist maintain its monopoly, or allows the monopolist to use its monopoly in one market to attempt to monopolize another market. Sometimes the refusal to deal is with customers or suppliers, with the effect of preventing them from dealing with a rival: "I refuse to deal with you if you deal with my competitor."

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?

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.

Fear is tool that provokes are real-life response. Fight or Flight... Prolonged fear leads to mental breakdown. It's not easy to just resist because most people are approaching psychotic breaks. Most people of EVERY color. We are not just humans; we are human animals and animals all react differently when they're afraid. Some animals play dead, faint and poop when they're afraid and there are animals that make themselves bigger when they're afraid and if pushed to their limit, they will attack. This is where we are today - you can't use a weapon without expecting a weapon to be used against you. Use of fear has pushed everyone to mental instability. Danger is real and it also provokes the same response as those experiencing fear... Fight or Flight. There is another way to combat danger and its through the use of CHAOS... Clear Head Assess Observe Situation then respond. Response requires training. Those who are in imminent danger are usually not of the mindset to survive the danger... especially those who have experienced duress due to prolonged fear. So first we must learn how to respond to a situation. However I suggest first locating the fire (the danger) because fighting smoke (fear) is a waste of resources.

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.

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

@richardmurray I think negative/positive darkness depends on the feeling you receive after the experience.

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.

PREACH!!!! This is so good @Cynique !!!! <3

@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/

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

My pleasure. I added the links to my original post. @Del love this... @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.