Cynique

At this point, Obama is preoccupied with his record and his main priority is to try and polish the legacy he is reluctant to accept as being lackluster because the high hopes he inspired, never got off the ground.

According to FaceBook, Talladega's marching band had to set up a "Go Fund" on line, in hopes of raising money for their trip to Washington.The article also said that schools wanting to participate in the inaugural day parade had to apply for a spot which would be granted upon the committee's approval.

Well, the pop culture vulture has just seen on FaceBook that Trump and Ben Carson have approached Steve Harvey in regard to coming on board to assist Carson in his new role as Secretary of Housing Development I guess Steve's ghetto persona impressed them so much they think he'd know how to get rid of Sections 8s.

Yes, you could be right! Race can never be eliminated as a factor. But you might also consider expanding what you can "imagine". Female Bernie supporters looking for change can't be counted out when it comes to those who voted for Trump. And perhaps the remark reportedly made by Michelle Obama during Barack's race against Hillary, that "if Hillary can't manage her own husband, how's she going to manage the country" was a sentiment many white women also espoused. Submissive women, undoubtedly chosen by their sexist mates for being gullible, probably did vote the way their husbands did. And all women are catty, but sistas might be a little more inclined to be on the side of another female who is running against a male. I wonder to what do white female pundits attribute Hillary's unpopularity with women of her own race?

I'd say one reason would be that a lot of married white women were luke warm about the way she handled her husband's infidelity. Also, women in general are not particularly supportive of each other because of their inbred cattiness, and some white female supporters of Bernie were unforgiving over how she usurped him. Then there were the obedient wives of all the chauvinistic males who supported Trump, - women who voted the way their husbands did. But, who knows? Black women didn't have a lot of issues when voting for Hillary and had no problem thinking a woman would be good at heading up things because this is a role they have been thrust into all of their lives.

I should say in regard to Family Feud that i don't always laugh at it. I just as frequently cringe at the the far-fetched, irrelevant answers contestants come up with on this circus.There a family is, elated at their chance to be on TV, all decked out in their coordinated outfits, colored shirts and ties matched up with dresses or tops, hair all coiffed, grinning like the idiots their responses reveal them to be when team members support each other by shouting "good answer" to a response the buzzer immediately signals as being an unbelievably bad answer as the person who gave it, inexplicably claps his hands. In a way there is something bizarre about this show, something revealing about the emotions reflected on the faces of contestants; the deflated expressions brought on by a rejected answer, or the satisfied smirk that reflects an acceptable one. Then, there's the dapper Ring Master,Steve Harvey, alternating between his "down home good ol boy" persona and his "street smart city slicker" one, mugging and bucking his eyes, surprised when an occasional intelligent answer proves to be right because he is clueless about anything remotely intellectual. Something which has not, in any way, hindered his becoming a big TV star. It gets worse when one at a time 2 members from the winning team are called upon to think on their feet and quickly match obvious answers to the 5 questions a polled audience of 100 people has given; a challenge many aren't equal to. When a duo does rack up the required 200 points to take the grand prize, all hell breaks loose as the happy winners go wild. The Jackpot is $20,00 which has to be divided among 5 people after taxes. You'd think those jumping up and down and dancing around were getting a million dollars instead of about $3,000 each. But their joy is boundless. For a brief moment, 5 ordinary people have become special, and have experienced the thrill of victory by participating in an event they can look back on with satisfaction. Since I've always been a people watcher, the "appeal" of Family Feud is its spontaneity. Observing as folks from a cross section of typical Americans appear on a half hour TV show where a white family from a small southern town might be pitted against a black family from the urban north, is a study in psychology. Seeing individuals stripped of their poise in a controlled environment, watching their reaction under pressure, as well as the varied reactions of family members over a failed effort by one of their own, is a study of human behavior; an imitation of life.To others this might be entertainment. To some it might be vapid. But I find it all rather interesting.

@Pioneer1 Liberal and Conservative philosophies actually embody a broad spectrum that runs the gamut from moderate to extreme views. Most people are probably somewhere around the middle. I think you are resorting to stereotypes in your characterizations of Liberals and Progressives. And smoking weed nowadays has nothing to do with one's politics. Hollywood is representative of people who identify themselves as those who support liberal causes.They may not be activists but they give lip service, show concern for the underdog of their choice and contribute money to help those toiling in the trenches. Yes, this is superficial but the vast majority of movie stars backed the liberal standard bearer Hillary Clinton much to the chagrin of those who huddled under the conservative banner sulking about being ridiculed and having political correctness thrust upon them. Women and Blacks, however, are never going to completely prevail in making their cases because, as in every industry, money is the bottom line. And white men of any leaning have no interest in sharing their power. @TroyBeing an audience for the pop culture sideshow is amusing if nothing else and at this point, my sense of humor is what sustains me. I regularly watch Family Feud hosted by Steve Harvey, just to laugh at how stupid the average person can be. I find myself not taking anything very serious any more. I didn't even bother to watch Obama's farewell speech last night. Bye, Barack. I'm just here chuckling to and at myself, shaking my head at the absurdity that has come to define America.

Yes, black people won performance awards and the black movie "Moonlight" won for best picture of the year and, yes, you are guilty of dismissing and ignoring the pop culture that wields a lot of influence on current events as opposed to the YouTube videos from years back that you prefer, not to mention that even PBS would acknowledge the significant role that pop culture plays in society where celebs often have as much of substance to say as wind bag politicians. But continue to wear the blinders that hinder a broad scope of awareness. The whole point of my post was to say that little things can count when you don't have big guns. Tweeter-addict Trump is such a petty, thin-skinned creep that no matter how much power he commands, ridiculing him still gets under his skin, still drives him to respond with the stupid answers that expose to the world what a pouting liar he is. He is affected more by the criticism of his enemies than the approval of his fan base and that is not to be taken lightly. .

Well, social media is all a-twitter over the trending topic fueled by actress Meryl Streep's politicizing her acceptance speech at Sunday's televised Golden Globe's ceremony where she was being honored with a Life-time Achievement Award. Without mentioning his name, she called out Donald Trump for the incident where he made fun of a disabled NY Times reporter during his campaign, saying she was appalled that such a man was about to take office as president. Naturally the room, which was filled with Hollywood's liberal community, was in accord except for a few notable outsiders like Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn whose stricken faces were panned in on by the TV cameras. Of course the on-line debate about this is divided along party lines, and Trump supporters are saying Streep was out of line, as they become increasing frustrated because Dems won't concede Trump's victory and give him the respect they think he deserves. Meanwhile, Liberals are full of praise for what they considered a courageous gesture on Streep's part and are lambasting and lampooning Trump. Predictably, he took to Twitter to whine about Streep being an overrated actress and branded her as a Hillary groupie before denying her accusation about what had actually been captured on tape. All of which exposes him as the lying scoundrel that he is, and adds to his lack of credibility. I'm glad Meryl defied protocol and took advantage of her platform to take a dig at Trump who is the one that has set the tone with his disregard for tradition, and his ego has proved to be an Achilles heel that provides a target for arrows to wound. In these crazy times anything goes and thanks to the Internet, people have at their finger tips the power to use mockery as a weapon. Just like terrorists, tweeters can do great damage by plowing into the Trump Tower of pride, making him the object of the ridicule that hurts his feelings. Maybe Progressives won't make much of a dent in the Republican fortress, but they do stand a chance of getting the last laugh.

A valid observation. I also think black female writers ought to venture into genres like The Hunger Games, the Twilight and Divergent series, fantasy and horror books that feature feisty young women as their heroines. A black Harry Potter type could even be introduced for younger black readers. Too bad. I'm old and tired or I'd consider doing this. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

For 53 years, sources have been insisting that President John F. Kennedy's assassination was a deed perpetrated by a cabal of men who wanted him dead because _____ . Fill in the blank. No matter how many investigations and hearings and theories were set forth and books written, it has never been conclusively proved that this act was committed by anyone other than a single, disgruntled, sharp shooter named Lee Harvey Oswald. In other words Fate, as it often does, played a trick on us and this killing was a fluke. The same with Princess Diana's death. But the public has a hard time wrapping their brains around the idea that such momentous events can be random. As far as I am concerned, unless you believe in the illuminati, Trump's election was the result of unforeseen events coming together, and his "victory" was a fluke that surprised even him. He, himself, never expected to win. That's why he kept insisting that the election was rigged and that he was the one who was a target of the media and behind the scenes machinations. His election was not the result of wily billionaires but dumb bigots feeling sorry for themselves. When sensational unexpected things occur, they become fodder for the "aha, you can't fool me" conspiracy community quick to "romanticize" a calamity because they've seen too many movies. People feed on these type of events and all they need is for someone to come up with a concocted scenario to confirm their suspicions. Of course, these are conclusions reached by gut instinct and old age, both of which have convinced me that there is no rhyme or reason to Life. Shit happens.

Are bands participating in the inaugural day parade paid anything other than their expenses? I always figured the compensation was less about finance and more about the honor and prestige, associated with such an event. For entertainers appearing at the inaugural ball, it's a different story, of course.

The band will participate in the inaugural day parade along with a hundred or so other marching bands and military units.

@Pioneer1Xeon has a history of not being a regular poster but one who pops up from time to time, so he may not check in here that often. Nowadays, it is my perception that with "Black" and "African American" being the labels of choice, the use of "negro" harks back to the past and is currently viewed as a derogatory term used in lieu of "low life" or "Uncle Tom". That was how I always interpreted Xeon's use of this word. Coincidentally, since Xeon always took the role of a critic, people whom he relegated to being low lifes or Uncle Toms were all he ever commented on so his use of the word "negro" dominated his conversation.

I didn't mean your hero worship of Brown "made you more inclined to give him a pass than Trump" when it came to his disrespect of women. I implied that it made you more inclined to give Jim Brown a pass than Bill Clinton in regard to this. And maybe Hillary didn't care about Bill's carnal lusting after other women knowing that he was seeking from them what she wasn't interested in giving him; and maybe she was further adhering to her vow to accept her husband "for better or worse". Women react differently to unfaithfulness, usually in their own self-interest. In any case the Clinton's resilient marriage has endured, and they have steadfastly remained loyal to each, transcending scandal, probably because they are more allies than lovers, and genuinely like and understand each other. As for Michelle Obama, I don't know what she would do in a similar situation and I don't really care because I don't look up to her as my role model. To me, she's just a well-educated woman who married an ambitious man and dutifully met her obligations like all other first ladies. And am I to assume that your comparing Obama's reaching out to Al Sharpton, with the possibility of Trump's reaching out to Jim Brown, means that you think the latter will reap better results because a white Republican president will be more successful in getting a white conservative Republican Congress to agree that black lives matter? Something that Obama failed to do. We shall see. Everybody has their interpretation of white supremacy. Jim Brown declares: "for you to be considered a person that I respect and like; you must accept the fact that I can validate you and that's the highest honor you can have is my validation." Brown's attempt to ennoble and intellectualize white supremacy does not resonate with me because I look upon it differently. To me, white supremacy has nothing to do with validation. It is more about arbitrarily deciding that since you do not have white-skin like me, this makes me better than you especially since I have acquired the superior power to enforce my belief. Jim Brown's definition would seem to suggest that to gain the approval of whites, you have to ingratiate yourself to them in order to win the reward of their validation. Translated: Sucking up to Trump is the way to gain his favor. But who is to decide how blacks should deal with the burden of their race in the coming years? As the saying goes: 'guess they'll just have to "git in where they fit in"... HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I don't give Bill Clinton a pass, I just question why his wife should've had to bear the guilt of his womanizing. Obviously your hero worship of Brown is what influences you to give him a pass. Trump isn't even inaugurated yet so nobody knows how successful the Progressives in the House and Senate will be in their attempt to keep him in check, or gain ground through compromise. BTW, did Trump request a meeting with Brown, or did Brown request a meeting with Trump? And why will Brown whose accomplishments in benefiting his race are mediocre, succeed where others have failed in influencing a Republican president? What bargaining tool does Brown have to win over the rich, white, right-wing conservatives who have Trump's ear? I agree, however, with your last statement that good, bad or indifferent feelings don't matter inasmuch as Trump will be the president that everyone has to deal with - unless there is a successful impeachment process. i am just debating with you because that is my polemic nature, but in reality, I am indifferent. As I previously said I really don't give a damn. At my age, waking up every morning is enough to amuse or divert me. Whatever will be, will be.

Because my point was that it wasn't all about sucking up to a racist sympathizer like Trump when having doubts about Jim Brown's resume. It was also about my cynicism in regard to them being fellow misogynistic womanizers, something that does not speak well for the integrity Hillary haters criticized her for.lacking. Not to mention their condemnation of Bill Clinton's behavior which Hillary was held accountable for. And what is your point in bringing up Obama reaching out to Al Sharpton? Since Sharpton didn't get any appreciable results in dealing with a black Democratic president, why do you think Jim Brown will fare better when dealing with a white Republican president, who you seem to be assuming reached out to him?? As for sulking in the corner, that doesn't describe me. I'm on the sidelines, rooting for the Progressives who are about holding Trump's feet to the fire and are who Jim Brown might do well to ally himself with, unless of course, like you, he has no problem withTrump's unscrupulous disregard for truth and legality. LOL

What I think of Jim Brown or whether I "forgive" him is unimportant. It's a matter of whether or not Donald Trump will provide Brown with what he is looking for. Whatever that is.

Well, like many black men "dedicated to helping their race", Brown liked his white women and has a history of violence against all the women in his life, having served a brief stint in jail for not observing a restraining order taken out against him. As a black female, down through the years, such publicized incidents were what stuck with me as much as his accomplishments as a football superstar for the Cleveland Browns. I know he was a civil rights activist but the first thing that came to my mind when he expressed his admiration for Trump, was how sure i was that this misogynist had no trouble relating to Trump's pussy-grabbing statement that epitomized a disrespect for women. So it's not just about racism, it's about all the politically-incorrect issues Trump validated because of his being an outspoken boorish bigot which is slightly different from being a rabid racist like the guys he chose for a couple of his cabinet positions. Bottom line, I am more amused than impressed with Brown's jumping on the Trump bandwagon under the guise of helping his race.

Donald Trump has laid down with racists dogs and gotten up with fleas. You seem to be fixed on the idea that racists have to be rabid to problematic. Trump is certainly nobody who considers the black problem a priority and he has the power to enforce his indifference. It's very possible that an opportunistic Jim Brown is "stooping to conquer", and we can only hope that his ulterior motive is to be victorious in doing some good for his people - instead of himself. Frankly, I doubt whether Brown will accomplish much of anything other than being among the blacks who Trump condescendingly considers his best friends.

How recent is thIs video? It doesn't seem to jibe with the news that Jim Brown showed up at the white house days after the election, hat-in-hand, groveling and confessing that he had "fallen in love" with Donald Trump. Did he do this in the hope that Trump, in all of his white supremacist glory, would validate him????

You voted for Hillary with great reluctance. And you couldn't forgive those who voted for Trump until after the election, at which time you excused those who jumped in bed with the racists and cast their ballots for this bigot. And why do you consider it a contradiction to believe that "Trump is both a white racist and will enact legislation that elevates white people at the expense of everyone else"?????

You don't have to want to re-enslave black people to be racist. You can be placated by relegating them to second class citizenship and ignoring their grievances. You are so hyper-critical about Hillary Clinton but sooo forgiving of all the white Trump voters whose purportedly just wanted change, which to them represented a return to an America where white skin guaranteed entitlement Just because millions of white people supported Bernie and later reluctantly voted for Hillary doesn't contradict the reality that Donald Trump's election was a victory for both overt and covert racists who came out in great numbers to vote for him. These people were dumb enough to think that a self-serving billionaire would improve the economy because they were blinded by their resentment of minorities whom they considered a threat.

@Pioneer1What is it that you going to try and do to change your "beloved" homeland that is now in the grip of rich white men ready to reinstate their domination and implicit racial supremacy? Funny, it's not just the election that has alienated me from this country. I've never felt totally connected to America or much less had any love for it. Nor have I ever found anything particularly admirable about it. It's just a terrain where the powers-that-be engage in hegemony by meddling in the affairs of other countries engaging in ongoing wars on foreign soil, - the land of a greedy capitalistic society entrenched with institutionalized racism. This has been the case my whole life. I just live here because it's convenient Conservatives didn't come together and unite to wrest the country back form the Liberals. Trump's election was a fluke and nobody was more surprised than Republicans who opposed him and were fighting among themselves, the party was in disarray until Trump surprised everyone by getting "elected", spurring his former foes to abandon their principles by jumping on the bandwagon. From what I see on social media Progressives are on the march, ready to take up the fight and organize a counter culture to monitor and challenge Trump and his henchmen. .

OK, I give you credit for voting for Hillary while holding your nose. I was just basing my response on some of the things you would say when I would try to promote Hillary. LOL `