Mel Hopkins

I'm not a "bestseller", great review, "award-winner" kinda reader. So, it doesn't matter to me what any bookseller such as Amazon/BN promotes, I read what interest me . I think You @Troy and I both agreed we often hear of books through news articles placement. (Do you remember that conversation - I think it was a facebook conversation some time back when I was on facebook the first time. ) When I do, hear of book through an article or in conversation, I go to the author's website first to buy. In fact, I just linked to a book and its website here on my profile. Today, was the first time I actually went to the author's website and could only purchase the book there. woo-hoo! Mostly, I haven't been successful. I'm not sure why authors aren't selling directly from their website. It's so easy to sell direct now since there are so many ways to collect money online. When I publish my next book, I will sell direct and most likely through lulu distribution (since they're the printers) BUT I'm NOT distributing through amazon and I'm NOT distributing digital. But I digress, Next I do a search engine query to see where I can purchase the book. Since I purchase mostly out-of-print books I find them on ebay, abe's books and other spots or via Amazon. I remember you mentioned you had a bunch of old books, and I just don't understand why you didn't sell those on here. I'm in the process of selling gently used and almost new books from my website. But in answer to your question, Yes I'd buy from indie booksellers!

Oh snap! LOL... I got so much stuff on my plate... Ok, Bet! BUT put it on the warming tray, but not on the stove somewhere in the kitchen -but out of sight.. I need to get my portion in print first.

This is exactly what I noticed too - as soon as I syndicated my blog posts to facebook - wordpress sent me a message and said my page views were booming, more than the whole time I've had the website.. Speaking of which, because of your advice, I do everything from my website now ...I even use the portfolio feature for my consulting business... I really think that you should host a webinar (paid or introductory) that includes your social media findings and how advantageous it is to have a personal website for community news and to extend our personal brand.. I rarely "share" articles - I now press and discuss them on my website, along with the books I read. This way it strengthens my brand; promotes other black media (getting ready to promote an amsterdam news article that did a feature on a black-owned airline) And I hope retains the power of our voice in media. You are the champion of this cause and I support you!

I just returned to facebook and...the first few days were torture! In fact, I wrote on txt.fyi about my terrible experience. I wanted to test out the ads and for $10 I thought it was a bargain to reach a specific group. Needless to say, I've now killed my professional page - and only have a personal page because that is the only page that provides engagement and it's free. I no longer believe facebook is the advertising juggernaut it claims to be.. I think something different and tricky is going on and i don't trust it.

@Delano even to this day! "PROOFS are the currency of mathematics, but Srinivasa Ramanujan, one of the all-time great mathematicians, often managed to skip them. Now a proof has been found for a connection that he seemed to mysteriously intuit between two types of mathematical function. The proof deepens the intrigue surrounding the workings of Ramanujan’s enigmatic mind. It may also help physicists learn more about black holes – even though these objects were virtually unknown during the Indian mathematician’s lifetime. Born in 1887 in Erode, Tamil Nadu, Ramanujan was self-taught and worked in almost complete isolation from the mathematical community of his time. Described as a raw genius, he independently rediscovered many existing results, as well as making his own unique contributions, believing his inspiration came from the Hindu goddess Namagiri. But he is also known for his unusual style, often leaping from insight to insight without formally proving the logical steps in between. “His ideas as to what constituted a mathematical proof were of the most shadowy description,” said G. H.Hardy (pictured, far right), Ramanujan’s mentor and one of his few collaborators. “His ideas as to what constituted a mathematical proof were of the most shadowy description” Despite these eccentricities, Ramanujan’s work has often proved prescient. This year is the 125th anniversary of his birth, prompting Ken Ono of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, who has previously unearthed hidden depths in Ramanujan’s work, to look once more at his notebooks and letters. “I wanted to go back and prove something special,” says Ono. He settled on a discussion in the last known letter penned by Ramanujan, to Hardy, concerning a type of function now known as a modular form. Functions are equations that can be drawn as graphs on an axis, like a sine wave, and produce an output when computed for any chosen input or value. In the letter, Ramanujan wrote down a handful of what were then totally novel functions. They looked unlike any known modular forms, but he stated that their outputs would be very similar to those of modular forms when computed for the roots of 1, such as the square root -1. Characteristically, Ramanujan offered neither proof nor explanation for this conclusion." From the New Scientist... there's also a movie about this "amateur" called "The Man who knew infinity"

@Delano, folks don't want you to do that.... in fact, people get extremely nervous if you actually attempt to put in the work. I'm also leery of cause and effect folks who swear something happens as a result but always seem to miss a step... I told my mom years ago - everything I read about cholesterol and cardiac arrest was missing the link - but big pharma went ahead with their drug dispensing.. just the other day, a "new" study came out and stating the "drugs" are killing people faster than high cholesterol. All this to say - I see evidence of "climate change" as the "experts define it but I flip flop on the cause - with mostly believing fossil fuels may be causing climate change but maybe because - we continue to unearth it...

@Delano, the charts you've posted and what you've stated; indicate to me that you don't believe people (and their subsequent actions) are contributing to CO2 emissions . I just wanted to be clear of what argument you're presenting. It's my understanding Global Warming is a rise in the earth's temperature - and Climate Change is the slow moving "disaster" that has befallen the earth again. I wanted to know what was exactly your argument... is it that you don't see evidence of humans and their activities contributing to climate change? ... Do you think Pangaea affected climate change, as it did millions of years ago? There's evidence of Climate Change happening now, as it has happened in the past, hundreds of thousands of years ago after the ice age is allegedly the reason many of us left the African continent.. we were in search of water since some places experienced drought and other spots were experiencing floods... But I too doubt that "industry" and fossil fuel created carbon dioxide emissions had an affect on earlier warming.

Happy Father's Day to all the AALBC's community fathers! I only know for sure that @Troy is a father because I've spoken with his daughter So a special Happy Father's day to you Troy! @Delano, You've mentioned you saw your children in your previous partner - therefore Happy Father's Day! I believe @CDBurns is a dad too Happy Father's Day! @harry brown, @Pioneer1 @richardmurray Sending you all Happy Father's Day too. If you're not fathers, big hugs to you on this day anyway!

that's a possibility... but it's not different...but it's still a past life that the current host has lived...

@Delano, maybe i missed something - but I thought this graph was indicating co2 emission is not related to global warming because it didn't track with the rise in temperature? and the charts are showing something else is in play?

@Troy It's because you're over-thinking it. ( I never use that term. lol) But You can't think your way into "seeing" someone. It's not with the mind or eyes, it's with the heart.

@Troy ,If you're caught up on the "seen" then that's where your focus belongs. Your focus is not on how others see . That's irrelevant in this task. Are YOU are willing to to "see" your life partner. Are you willing to see your partner objectively? This means to see her at her core... See past her behaviors and habits and into the heart of her maybe even more deeply than she's willing to see herself. If you are it ceases to be a task and instead becomes an ability.

And if we included Personal Intelligence , we can use the 3 legged chair as a foot stool because possibly one person who is already seated might be willing to share his/her seat and or lap .

There's nothing so satisfying as being SEEN by the one with whom you share Life and LOVE...

This was really good, @Troy! Do you know I don't have a clue as to how the stock market works. (I have an idea but not enough to teach) but I still made a nice chunk of cash and cashed out to do other things with my money... Do you want to know how? Because I pay attention!!! I listen! I bought walgreens at $35 a share and sold at $105 I think it was... It wasn't insider trading I just paid attention to movements of the company... I heard they were setting up clinics inside larger corporations and for things like drug testing etc ...and employee health maintenance. I went online to see how far reaching it was and lo and behold... there was evidence everywhere... Know what else I bought? Siemens, because of the high speed railroad that broke ground under Obama, this company had a few subcontracts related to the high-speed railroad -so I bought a piece of their company. Not much, a few shares. but enough to play around with and make cash. I invested in chinese bonds (yuan) via EFT retail because they (PRC) hold a lot of U.S. debt and I followed a lot of American companies such as caterpillar who were investing in building China at their rate of exchange... Since I had gone clothes shopping in Beijing a few times I realized how much U.S. dollars could buy in RMBs (their currency)and I thought holy crap - American companies are making out like fat cats because they could buy so much more... then I noticed how the Chinese were playing with the U.S. treasury by lowering their currency's value and by the way- that was reported in the U.S. media but no one was paying attention because everyone here is focused on the fuckin' kardashians. So U.S. media stopped reported on it. I turned to Bloomberg.... they tell you who is moving the crowd and why the crowd is moving" It's not market manipulation - it's people manipulation and now Bloomberg is a media empire that is taking over the world ...but folks are paying attention to google whose product is an address bar. I just noticed that bloomberg law is a thing... that is getting ready to overtake LexisNexis (RELX) ( correction* I believe it already has but don't quote me on it) but I digress....that's a whole other story. Troy, nothing is rocket science except rocket science and even that is dependent on how we measure time... - the stock market is exactly what it is a market... you buy and sell everything. But you have to pay attention to what you're buying. You have to decide if you are going to let someone do your thinking for you - or are you going to pay attention. President Obama enacted a law to protect the consumers.... and it did. Now we have 45 taking away the very protections that you just mentioned will screw us all... so yes, you are right. I have to make people care to understand. (I love that line) So Troy if I can make you care then my job is done because you are a champion of black people... and you will echo my voice. And you'll tell them the only trickery is diversion - distracting your attention like a sleight of the hand from what matters.

@Troy yes, THAT WAS ME!!! It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye lol... I couldn't keep it up which is why I said "No" every time. These young black women today, don't play those games when it comes to dating to marry - they show up warts and all.... and that's why it's difficult for them to make a covenant with a black man. As @Cynique mentioned black men don't have to accept black women as they are -(paraphrasing) there are too many other women willing to play to the black man's personality weaknesses and trust that is exactly what I was doing to - I was playing to the man's weakness not his strength... to get him to propose. As I said though, I couldn't keep it up and weakness (both mine and his) is not something you want to build a relationship on. When I did get married, I had never put on act because I didn't think I wanted to marry my husband .. so he saw me for me...but marriage is whole other story... Marriage is quite unnatural but is a great experiment of merging two personalities into one... especially if you're totally open and don't hide anything. It gets really good when you actually see the other person...not their habits because that's not them but see them as they are at the core. That's when marriage is perfect and desirable.

There is no bar of entry to the stock market... for the same amount of a mcdonald's big breakfast anyone can make a trade...in fact, black think tank are encouraging black people to diversify their investments - while home ownership is still the biggest asset to wealth building it is not the only one. President Obama's dodd-frank law (Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act )made it safe for consumers to invest in the market while not getting taken advantage.. The House just voted to repeal that law That's why you go to the source... court records, government periodicals, legislative proposals, etc... all on-line and available And we trying to build a business really appreciate this information... I use your information as almost gospel ... but I still continue to research it. Your information is my starting point though. Thank you, @Troy, I've been tempted to do a "side column" on government as it relates to black people.. It feels like no one cares though... they want opinions and I just want them to make their own decisions. I think maybe sharing the possible benefits or harm might not be biased it - but rather a way for folks to use the laws, and executive orders... maybe then more of us see the benefits it might help us get interested in government

@Troy YOU CAN'T. You have to do your own research. I understand not having the time but you have to make time to be informed. It really is that important. Just like you take the time to research social media and its effects on small business you have to make the time to research the legislative, executive and judicial activities going on in Washington, D.C. and the world... and then with this forum encourage others especially black people to do the same... Then they aren't informed... I have no opinion of President Obama, I have an evidence of his actions.

@Troy, Maybe you didn't read my post and part of the conversation that @Cynique is referring to.. - This thread, you've started, talks about black women believing they can't find a good black man. ... I didn't think that was true but I did explain how I had to become the "ideal" to get those proposals ... Thank you. My bestie, didn't sacrifice any of her personality to become "marriage material".. most black woman as @Cynique mentioned are no longer willing to sacrifice self just to get a proposal. They rather black men meet them where they are -- and deal with them from there. This post, as I've read, so far doesn't discuss post marriage proposal and engagement...right?

@Troy , OMG I was literally out of the country for all Obama Administration - and it seems I've forgotten more of what you actually know about the Obama administration. of course I knew of President Obama, flicking away the tears over sandy hook massacre ...this is what I mean by blind spot. How can you not watch the movement of a person who holds so much power. As much as I hate 45* is president I don't miss anything he does... I pay attention to his cabinet picks what they hell they're involved in, bills that are up for vote in congress, budgets executives orders and sadly his dummass tweets, ... Where are you???? - I'm going to go out on a limb say I already know more about the Trump administration than you do. Maybe it's because you are a championed of books and shun broadcast and social media but there's information that is presented in real time in print, that you can peruse to make an INFORMED opinion. hell sign up for government email - both houses send out email of what goes on in the day to do - every government department allows you to sign up for email of their day-to-day - we still live in an open government democracy it's hard not to have facts. Thank goodness for@Cynique ! - now i understand why you wrote you weren't going to vote... you are not participating!!!! None of this, including the "Weak" moniker many men have assigned to President Obama is lost on me... but I've already written here in this thread I don't waste my time "researching" opinions. Opinions are irrelevant without facts or evidence. Obama is a self-proclaimed Feminist - get over it ...but it does not make him weak by definition. AGAIN , where is your evidence regarding the black community being in dire straits.. I deal in facts, and the most impoverished ethnic group in america is still the white community by $10,000 per capita. Obama Administration passed quite a few laws, enacted initiatives, propped up the stock market (I even made money) signed executive orders that would return the black community hit hard by the 2008 recession back to whole...during Obama Administration there were more black women employed than ever in history , more high school graduates and a robust admissions in colleges with pell grant money in the billions which cut down on student loans - or and I forgot under the obama administration the us dept of education stopped pilling on the interest to money already borrowed. 45* s budget already took aim at reversing it. Yes, the black community got hit hard by the 2008 recession but it wasn't created by the Obama Administration however as I've linked to all over this conversation and other discussions here how his administration helped the black community. 42 Million strong, the black community spends as much as the country of Australia; economically speaking we have the money to spend. So, I'm unsure what you're referring to when you speak to "dire straits" . Any think tank report available today, has now taken the focus off of poverty and now focusing on wealth building in the black community. We're now out of the impoverished column to looking for ways to close in on the wealth gap.

@Cynique This statement is so funny too me . One of my best friends , a life-long single-no children-petite-gorgeous-wealthy-professionally-successful-woman, refused to sacrifice her personality for any man. She had a blooming love life but only dated a black man once, and that's when she closing up the legal affairs on her parents estate. She hired him to close up one of her homes in Philly... ... She'd later confess to me she was in an weakened state. He had a daughter, she adored, the little girl's name was "Destiny," which held a special significance for her. She would "study" the man's baby mama "...In fact, you would have thought she was Jane Goddall the way she observed and reported on black men. She observed and thought black women would have to be contortionists, to deal with black men. It was funny to me at the time because her observation was my "normal". I worked as a marketer in my professional life and it carried over to my persona;. Sadly, if my experience serves as evidence - then I'd have to agree, black women would have to sacrifice self - and that too could be a reason they're salty. When the woman, I spoke of above passed away, I changed a lot of things in my life and it included stopping the charade and contortionist act in my dating.. Needless to say my dating love life changed drastically. I wish I can say I care but I don't. Today, I show up in all my relationships, life is too long to sacrifice or hide any part of me .

Twin, @Delano, I had to give you props! You hit 2-3 of my soft spots! I'm a nerd, nerd-lover and I'm a dancing queen...I don't drink, do drugs or smoke but I will go clubbing to dance the night away. When I worked as a flight attendant, during one Denver layover, I met up with a facebook friend and he took me to this place called the "beauty bar " OMG!!! The DJ played old school soul music from 9 - 2 am! I never left the floor. The next day, I had a flight back to O'Hare, I told the Captain I had danced all night at this club. Don't you know when I deplaned, I was met for a drug test!!! Dude ratted me out but I was clean - and still floating that I had an opportunity to get my dance on.