Cynique

An interesting perspective. I can identity with most of what he and you are saying, Troy, because the days before television are still fresh in my mind and I am attuned to nature. I remember what it was like to have to amuse yourself when there wasn't any TV to disperse boredom. So I can compare those times to the present. TV is full of pap and crap, but there are needles in the haystack and you have to be a discriminating viewer.and seach for the quality programming that does exist. For someone like me in my dotage, whose mind wanders and who is no longer able to focus on lengthy reading matter, television supplies me with information about subjects I want to know more about and spares me the tedium of trying to plow through printed text. The subjects I want to know more about are not what the next episode of Scandal is going to reveal, or which Atlanta housewife is going to attack another one. I don't watch much prime time sit-coms or glorified soap operas or crime shows. I search out documentaries about science and history and noteworthy people. I do watch some of the tabloid pop culture garbage about celebs, not because I care about them but because the news of their inane lives reinforces my disdain for them. I also watch late night talk shows because they are spontaneous and funny and current. Sporting events are exciting and quiz shows enlightening. And, yes, I religiously watch the Game of Thrones on cable TV because it is escapism fantasy, and the books its sagas are based on are enormous volumes. Plus, you don't have to be concerned about the accuracy of the stories because they are fiction. I would agree that the TV generation does tend to be hyper. They seem to have a need for speed. For instance, I play a lot of Bridge on line. Bridge was gradually becoming a game played mostly by retirees, senior citizens left over from the days when it was very popular card game on college campuses back during the 40s and 50s. Then suddenly there was a influx of young players attracted to the game by its availablity on line and its similarity to less cerebral games like Spades and Bid-Whist. A lot of these upstarts are gamers, used to the quickness of computer games. When you get a foursome of, say, 2 older players and 2 younger ones, there is always conflict because the newcomers want what was once a leisurely contemplative game to be fast paced with emphasis on high scoring. Times have, indeed, changed and not always for the better. The media has pervaded our lives and programmed our brains. But striking a happy medium should be the goal, rather than eliminating TV from our rountines. How obligated are people to immerse themselves in existences that are mundane and stressful when there is an alterative world only a click of a button away that for a few hours will take your mind off your hum drum life and bolster your spirits with entertaining, relaxing diversions. The work place and class room are arenas where you function and compete, and there should be some respite from the demands placed on you during the course of a hectic day. Meditation is becoming popular among this generation of success driven dynamos. This is a step in the right direction. Clearing your mind and developing an appreciation for silence is a positive way to cure a TV addiction.

Well, I was born during the day, in early afternoon, when there were no stars around. And yes, I may be afflicted with a mild case of lycanthropy, which is a werewolf syndrome. I'd date my kinship with the moon back to a developing interest in lunar and solar eclipses, and this goes back almost 50 years. I am actually interested in all celestial phenomenon. When the Hale-Bopp comet was passing through in 1997. I stared at it so long that I felt like I was aboard it. This is all apart of how my brain is wired and why I can't embrace religion with its parameters. The vastness and impact of the unverse and the possibility of tapping into its powers are far more compelling to me.

The female Editor in Chief of The New York Times just got fired for being too aggressive and abrasive. She was replaced by a male who was more adept in people skills, which is a euphemism for saying he was an easy to get along with wimp. It's a stereotypical generalization to say that men make better leaders than women. Good leadership is not synonymous with being aggressive. It's more about intelligence and character and temperment. Men have varying degrees of testosterone. There are a lot of male pussy footers out there, not to mention a plurality of bold women. Let's hear it for estrogen! Just look to the animal kingdom for signs of female prowess. Among the big cats, lions in particular, the female is the hunter. In many species, the females scourage for food while the male loiters around. Some males even sit on the eggs while their mates go out and fend for the family.

I have described this before, but it is so confounding to me that I frequently return to the subject. Although I am an August Leo and the sun is my sign, I am also a moon person. To be more accurate, - a lunatic. Over the past 25 years I have been increasingly awed by the moon. So much so that on any convenient occasion, if the moon is full, I will go outside and gaze at it until I transcend my body and merge with it. Now I am in sync with the cycles of the moon. Over the course of a month I am affected by its phases. Like the ocean, the moon influences the tides in my body. My blood seems to rise and fall as it flows through my veins during the course of a month. My round yellow face has become increasinsgly moon-like and undergoes changes as the days go by. I start out looking very childlike but, in time, the gravitational pull of the moon takes its toll. When it is full I look haggard. The moon also affects my moods, sending me through highs and lows. I am also a star gazer and I really become transfixed while looking up at the sky, realizing that the twinkling I am witnessing orginated hundreds of light years ago. The stars are my siblings because, as Carl Sagan reminded, humans and stars are composed of the same elements. We come from the same source. I don't necessarily think my experiences are unique. I suspect I'm just more aware of the phenomenon because I have chosen to be. Astrology is, indeed, intresting to contemplate. Do the things that make me different from other people have anything to do with how the atmosphere was when I was born? Who knows? In the study of astrology who has determined what influence the position of the stars exerts on human affairs? Moreover, good and bad are relative in the context of earthly events. And is there really such a thing as luck??? Some people seem to attract more fortuity of than others. Why is this? The mysteries of the universe are mind-boggling.

I agree Delano, that negativity consumes too much energy. I just don't think that I should anoint my antagonists by being compassionate and forgiving. I prefer to just sentence them to the "they-are-what-they-are" prison, and move on. A strategy better than passive resistance would be to terrorize your enemies and destory their peace of mind, filling them with fear. That was what the small crew of 911 perpetrators did to all-powerful America.

Why is it that after centuries of being staples in our diet, sugar and salt and butter and red meat and fried foods are now bad for us. Enjoying delicious food is one of life's great pleasures. If obesity is a problem, food is not the culprit, glulttony is. Parents need to stop using food as a tranquilizer and adults need to realize the importance of exercising moderation when it comes to eating. I do hate the big corporations who manipulate our habits but I also question the what "studies show" and "tests prove" and "surveys indicate" shills who perpetuate fads and spout recommendations that change from year to year. (Like computer industry giants that put out products that are obsolete after a few months.) The diet industry and food police and fitness zealots are just as suspect in their crusade to dictate what people put in their mouths and do with their bodies. Every sector has an ulterior motive and money is the bottom line. Even the medical community has its price when it comes to public positions. The food industry impacts on so many areas of our lives that putting it out of business could add to the economic woes of this country, Admittedly I am prejudiced because I am an old woman set in her ways and I like to eat what I have a taste for. I particularly like to scoff at the "experts", and when I look around me I don't see a lot of fat kids. Or do I personally know anyone who is morbidly obese. Recently I heard a report that senior citizens who are slightly over weight fare better than thin ones who are underweight. Of course, this resonated with me. (Pass the fried chicken and cut me another slice of pound cake, please.) Personally I'm more worried about riding on the highway in a General Motors car that may be the next model up for a recall.

Feminist voices speak out when women are treated unfairly or denied equal access. It's very possible that no woman wanted the job of being NAACP president so a male was appointed to the position which requires a lot of fund raising. This organization has lost so much power and effectiveness that being head of it is no longer considered a prestigious job. The NAACP since its founding, however, has always been criticized for being male dominated. Historically black women are so desperate for black men to step up and be leaders, that they often defer to anyone who shows this potential. Black women have always been very supportive of President OBama. They might not be as enthusiastic in their support if Hillary Clinton runs. The NAACP would undoubtedly appoint a women for its president before they'd give the nod to a gay man.

Yes, hate is an emotional burden. Letting it go is emotionally draining also, because the tendency is to repress it as opposed to exorcizing it. And what does empathizing with someone doing something that is detrimental accomplish? Passive resistance as a tactic may result in a moral victory but it doesn't prevent the collateral damage that includes killing and maiming. It is not altogether empowering. All of these mechanisms require self discipline. Self discipline requires overcoming the ego. ZEN addresses this.

Well, my reaction to it is to laugh at the picture I posted of JayZ and what the caption said and how he worded it. I guess I do need to get a life!

Well, Delano, loving one's enemies is not a new approach to acquiring peace of mind. It is a personal choice. But there's a thin line between taking the higher ground and being a door mat. Compassion is a form of condescension so you can neutralize your antagonists by pitying them. Indifference is also a poweful weapon. Few people like to be ignored. Indeed, all of these approaches are social skills for personal interactions. I don't know that they work in a world view arena.

Yeah, using a calculator is the easier way, and certainly in keeping with a computerized world where cursive writing is becoming obsolete. Presumably the new math is designed to help make kids learn problem solving skills. I doubt, however, if this will help them solve the problem of being addicted to smart phones and social media.

If you wonder what the full story is, Troy, you'd have to follow all the details and speculation that are out there in the media and this includes the price paid by the highest bidder for the footage and the fate of who sold it, plus the latest reaction from JayZ, Beyonce, and Solange.

Troy, where have you been? In a cave? LOL. The run-in between Solange and JayZ has been all over the news, and not just the tabloid shows; burning up twitter, and making the evening broadcasts. Late night talk show hosts have been having a field day in their opening monologues. I forget you're not a pop culture vulture.

The above picture cracked me up. I needed some comic relief after all the Donald Sterling and gay NFL draft pick controversy.

Does this apply to a powerless black person being discriminated against by a white racist? Should a black mother feel compassion for a white cop who has killed her innocent son? Is she angry at him because she's angry at herself?

And you do have to acknowledge that you can't prove your beliefs if those who don't agree with them demand that you do so.

Amen, Troy. To you, Pioneer, my definition of proof is not blind faith. If the millions of people who adhere to the Christian dogma in regard to the resurrection, are your idea of life after death being a proven fact, then - I reject your argument. To me, proof of this belief would be for Christ to emerge from the clouds and ascend to earth saying, "Hi y'all, it's me, JC, and I'm baaaaack." Biblical accounts written by hard core disciples years after the alleged event do not constitute proof to me. Yes, everybody hopes death is not final. But, like faith, hope is not proof.

Obviously, Pioneer, you haven't witnessed conversations between brothas and sistas on the subject of why there is so much estrangement and dissention between them. This Nigerian school girl case is a catalyst of sorts. But before the kidnappings, a movement has been underfoot encouraging young girls to stop being inhibited by the "be nice" mantra they've been advised to observe all their lives while men get away with cut-throat antics. Encouraging young girls to stop being afraid of being considered a bitch is an emerging theme of new books and motivational speakers. And there has always been an outcry for battered women to stand up to their abusers and report them. If Hillary Clinton runs for president, look out for a super bitch constituency to flex their muscles.

Now controversy is emerging in the NFL over the passionate interaction between the first gay football player, who's black, and his white boyfriend shown on TV screens when the gay guy was selected for the NFL draft. Jeeze. I try not to be homophobic but I recoiled when I saw these two embracing and kissing on the lips, an episode that was followed by the big burly weeping player's puny little partner consoling him. EW. I know, I know. Makes me a little empathetic with Donald Sterling because I know there are plenty of black folks who wouldn't want their reaction to this scene secretly taped...

Or because women of the world are outraged and have found a noble cause to rally around and draw attention to the ongoing subjugation of female by cowardly males. Not surprised, Pioneer, that you'd think the missing plane is all a part of a grand conspiracy. The passengers, of course, are collateral damage in a puerile plot to distract from the intent of Barak Obama, supported by John McCain to solely take on the venture of leading America into an unwinnable war with Russia. Or, perhaps, you're more enthralled with a scenario where the forces that want to challenge Russia are alien ones and the plane is stashed away somewhere in Roswell, New Mexico, parked in a hangar full of UFOS. Welcome back, Pioneer. I'm sure Troy has missed you.

The term for what doctors observe when a patient flatlines is clinical death. Doctors can't speak with authority on spiritual matters any more than anyone else. Clinical death isn't that uncommon. People fall into a state of suspended animation and are revived. But most of them do not report an out-of-the-body experience that reflects popular beliefs about heaven and angels. Nobody can prove anything one way or another about existence and transition. It is inexplicable and thus has it ever been.

Wellllll, look who's back! My old sparring partner. Sooooo do you have an answer to the question you posed? Or - just snickers that are common knowledge?

"Life after death" is an ambiguous enigmatic paradox wrapped in a semantic riddle. If there's life after death, then you haven't died. If you cease to be, then you never were. Perhaps the answer is in the question. It's all veeeeery Zen. The way to achieve Nirvana is to transcend words and spiral into a realm where life and death are all in the mind.Duh.

My e-book has gone to press and will soon be available for downloading on line. Hard copies will also be for sale. This is the new and improved version of The Only One, my novel about an interracial love triangle that will put the advice of self-appointed relationship guru, Steve Harvey, to shame. It might also make prudes blush. This is not "your grandfather's book". It's your grandmother's hot novel. What this quick-read also has going for it, is that it's a delicious slice of black life, serving up conflicted characters with appetites for lust, and cravings for love. Watch for more details on how to check out this upcoming release!