Cynique

Fred Hampton was my homie by virtue of the fact that he was from my hometown, not reason enough, however, for me to place him on a pedestal.

Maybe Pioneer can answer this. Desmond Hatchett sounds like his kind of a guy.

Really compelling. The voice of the FBI interviewer sounds like one of the villains in "The Matrix" movie.

The country is on a gay binge and is coming out of homophobe closets to heap praise and approval on those coming out as homosexuals. I don't see a conspiracy of manipulation here as it regards gay black men. Gays are very powerful and prominent in the entertainment industry and are also a sought after voting bloc. What's the disadvantage of being a black gay person in anywhere except the black community???? If white men spent as much time envying black heterosexual men as black men think they do, then they couldn't run the country and control a society that renders black men impotent. When asked if they'd rather spend an hour engaging in sex or in shopping at the mall, the vast majority of women chose shopping. Show me a woman who doesn' like to be pampered and who doesn't like to cuddle. Get real and stop over estimating the influence of organ size. Wives say having their husbsand volutarily take out the garbage makes him very sexy. And just to put salt in your wounds, I am supplying a link to a video that will keep black men looking over their shoulders. (Click on to the prompt that appears on the black screen.) http://youtu.be/K4Liv6P3134

Ok, Ok, while on the subject of apologizing, I apologize to Pioneer for not being able to resist making a personal attack on him. I realize that too often my responses are laced with ad-hominem remarks because I get such a fiendish delight out of sticking pins in windbags. I'm sure that Troy probably notices this, but as the HNIC of this site, it would never occur to him to apologize for my behavior. He is a reasonable and judicious man. Some years back, President Clinton who, if anybody, is in a position to speak on behalf of his people, issued an apology to African Americans for the 400-year enslavement of their ancestors. Thanks, Bill. A "thank you", is the best I can do. My apologizing to you for the bad behavior of black people, is not an option. The legacy of slavery still resonates throughout black America and its present day victims include those languishing on the ghetto plantations. For this I am sorry.

Yawnnnnn. I don't pay homage to little tin gods with delusions of grandeur. I kick em to the curb. I was well aware of the connection between testoserone and the male of the species. I was just reluctant to put black men in the box that was constructed by white ones. And as it turns out, there's are arguments out there to refute the pseudo science that you spout on the subject. Find another straw to grasp at. And I ain't going through all the trouble of checking a bunch of posts to find proof that you talk out of both sides of your mouth when it comes to god. Since you're denying it, you prove that you didn't say what I accused you of .

Aw shut up with all your righteous indignation, and your desperate attempts to make you look like something other than a meddling fool. Quibbling about whatever nationality the restaurant owner was is typical of the nit pickin you resort to when you're hanging by a thread. You're so full of yourself it's a wonder you even have to patronize a restaurant. The only stepping I did was to walk around all that BS you're grunting out, as you accuse me of the VERY things that you are guilty of. And all the things I say about black panthers is in alignment with them not apologizing to white people like a wimp. The inflated opinion you have of yourself is incredible and it's really funny how you implode when someone sums up the gist of what you say. You can't stand to hear how your words come across to others. And you take yourself much too seriously. If you were as smart as you think you are, it would different. As it is. excuse me while I stifle a yawn. BTW, none of your arguments changed my mind about the presumptuousness of your apology so I have nothing further to say on the subject. If you don't like it, too freakin bad.

You and your gullible self were probably still in knee pants when the Panthers were at their peak, Pioneer, which is why you have bought into all the hype and subequent damage control.You want to make these tom cats heroes, - knights in shining armour, taking up the sword to defend their people, instead of the drug-taking, women-raping, thugs engaged in killing and betrayal, that they were. You're in denial about what their own women said about them because your insecurities drive you to sympathize with those who would repress women What did they accomplish other than to look menacing and talk tough? 50 years later, it's still dangerous to be caught driving while black, the justice system is still racist, jails are still filled with young black men, the streets of the inner city are still filled with gun fire, children prefer cold cereal for breakfast instead of hot oatmeal, and instead of attending classes learning to hate whitey, if they make it to school at all, what they're learning is how to fear being slain at the hands of each other.A black man sits in the white house and he is the captive of the infamous white power structure What is the legacy of the Black Panthers?? One that dates back to slavery. Every once in a while bad-assed niggas rise up. But whether it's the overseer or his blood hounds, they all get brought down.Even so,Huey Newton really was fione.And all power to the people really did have a certain ring to it.And the thought of that shit-packin,cross-dressing J. Edgar Hoover looking over his shoulder, viewing the panthers as a threat almost makes it all worth while "You can kill the revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution." Sez who? R.I.P. Brother Fred.

It's not about white people doing it, too. As usual you are putting your spin on things. It's about you appointing yourself, as an apologist for the bad behavior of people who just happen to be black. Who are YOU? You haven't earned the right to do that, - you who want to separate yourself from those in your race who don't meet with your approval. Sympathizing with the Chinese owner is one thing. Apologizing to her is something else. I am often disgusted with the antics of people who happen to be black but I am not presumptuous enough to take on the role of their keeper. Since you don't want to be associated with these troublemakers, than keep your nose out of the interactions they have with other people. The same would apply to a black stranger who acts civilized. You can't take credit for this because you had nothing to do with it. You devalue black panther women when you say they should put up with the insensitive sexist behavior of the males who are preening and flexing their muscles,trying to pass themselves off as revolutionaries because they like of how cool the look in black leather jackets. But one thing for sure, you'd never find them groveling at the feet of white people, apologizing to them for what niggas do.

During the Panther's hey day, they provided the media with alot of material when they suddenly became the darilngs of the liberal celebrity community, a group of famous people which came to be known as the "Radical Chic". Because it was trendy and the "in" thing, these people would host cocktail parties and other kinds of fund raisers to finance Panther causes. Looking like characters out of central casting in their Afros topped by black berets, wearing sun-glasses and fatigues, the Panthers became the personification of danger who hwille, revelling in this notariety, while tainting their credibility. All of this is a testament to what was apparent to me at the times, which was that white people took Panthers more seriously than than mainstream Blacks who just regarded them as the latest flavor of chocolate protest. We never took their threats of overthrowing the government particularly seriously, and rejected some of their doctrines as too radical, but we loved the way they shook up J. Edgar Hoover, as we went about our daily lives, occasionally going through the obligatory gestures of raising our fists, calling out "black Power" or "all power to the people". It was like one big production of role playing and dramatizing and posturing. The demonstrations we, as supporters of MLK, wanted to stage put us at odd with the Panthers who were associated with volence. I can't speak for what was going on in the inner city, however. Fred Hampton's assassination, gave all the arm-chair militants a reason to vent about the law enforcement elements that we had always resented in the midst of Chicago's corrupt politics. Incidentally, Chicagoan Bobby Rush who, back in the day, was a member of The hierarchy of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, is now a minister with his own church, as well as a congressman, who gave Barak Obama a sound whipping when he ran against him during the early days of his political aspirations.

Tracy Morgan and Shawn Wyans have done a poor job of representing for the sex appeal of black men, but the trade-off for these goof ball buffoons is that they're popular and rich. A new breed of white guys have emerged and perfected the pseudo cool image associaed with black hipness. Hangin out with his cronies Timberlan and Jay-Z has rubbed off on JustinTimberlake who has done a pretty good job of developing his swagger, especially when he hooks up with either the very talented Jimmy Fallon or Andy Samburg, who exudes a whole lot of kosher sexiness. Oy Vey! Let's face it. The only people who think black men have a monopoly on sexiness is - black men. It's been said that power is a great aphrodisiac. 'Nuff said. See ya later, Bruh. And then there Jason Collins, ex Washington Wizards basketball center whose annoucement that' he's gay has given the Boston Marathon bombings a run for their money with the maudlin flood of media swill that Americans seem to have a need to lap up. . It's a wonder President Obama didn't nominate Jason for the congressional medal while jumpin on the bandwagon to praise the balls it took for him to come out of the closet. Like, who gives a crap whether this over-the-hill hoopster called off the wedding to his 7 ft tall white fiancee because he 'd rather slam dunk the hunky power forward he'd been eyeing during his last season. I'm so sick of America 's need to feel good about itself with its latest outpouring of support for surrepticious gays and the wave of super patriotism that erupted to show their gratitude to Boston for providing something else besides 911 to swallow back tears and wave the flag about.

A true student of Buddha would do no such thing Truth is elusive so one must search for it. You have previously confessed that your "belief" in god is grounded in the idea that you're covering your ass, just in case he does exist, yet you continue to lie about this. What I really learned from our debate is that you have a messianic complex which is compounded by an acute case of myopia, afflictions not unusual for the introvert you say you are. .

Undoubtedly the Panthers' lack of a moral base was the reason they subjected women to the exploitation that you approve of, Pioneer. Water Star, where are you??? You at one time displayed an interest in the Black Panthers. What do you think about Pioneer's approval of the way the Panthers disrespected their women??

That's a solution? good thing you brought your dunce cap with you. Talk about "oversimplifying" things. You must actually think color blindness exists and that when it comes to separating yourself from people who look like you, wishing will make it so. I do not applaud your apologizing for the bad behavior that transcends race. I don't think a white person would apologize to you if you were offended by a bunch of red necks waving a rebel flag in your face. You need to be apologizing for the black Panther's legacy of devaluating their women. Puleeze.

In 1969, my homie, Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illnois Black Panther Party was gunned down in his bed during a raid of his apartment by the Chicago "pigs". This incursion was made possible because William O'Neal, a member of Hampton's inner circle, betrayed him by becoming an FBI informant. There is always a Judas who brings down charismatic leaders. O'Neal had a criminal record and was bribed by the FBI. He was obviously not a dedicated revolutionary and lived out his life in unremarkable anonymity until his identity was revealed years later. Once that happened, till the day he committed suicide he was contemptuosly looked up as a sell-out. History has romanticized the Black Panthers. They may have respected their elders and sheltered children but they were notorious male chauvinist who treated women as subordinates who existed to do their bidding by performing menial tasks and providing sex. Kathleen Cleaver, wife of California party leader Eldridge, has written about being a battered wife. And so it goes...

Martin Luther King lectured about "not judging people by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character". Malcolm X took the stigma out of the word "black" and was almost single-handedly responsible for it replacing the slave-tainted "negro" label. The Black Panthers went further and popularized the phrase "black is beautiful". These inspirational quotes elevated their speakers to heroric status, but now they are just empty reminders from the past. Here we are in the 21st century unable to reconcile "what" black is with "who" black is, dividing the ranks up with terms like :"ghetto" and "bougie" and "homies". In the mean time, the color caste system is alive and well, as is white racism. What is the lesson to be learned from this, class? Damned if I know. Black people seem to be their own worst enemy, even turning against each other. Nothing seems to work and progress has regressed. For those who insist that every problem has a solution, all I have to say is that throughout America's inner cities, maybe the word should be put out that free Michael Jordan gym shoes will be given away at nearby athletic fields. Then when all the low-life troublemakin niggas are assembled in one place, a drone could be - nah, nevermind....

LMAO. Look who's talkin - and chokin on his pipe smoke. All this from a man whose take on god is that he may - or may not exist, - who weazles out of and clouds his grand agenda by prefacing his generalities with the warning that he's only talking about some black men - whose idea of black male sexuality is having large genitals, a low voice and an aversion to the idea of wooing before screwing, - who thinks polygamy will stabilize the black family unit because the father figure will be so preoccupied with doin his assembly line of wives that he won't be out in the street indulging his natural inclination to be promiscuous. And if you think you know what you're talking about when it come to female sexuality, you need to think again, Pioneer, you - who fit the ideal profile for a contributor to the Cynique's Corner forum because your ongoing controversial assertions enable my playing the contrarian role. I have NOT been arguing against race being a social construct. My position is that the idea of race being a social construct as opposed to a biological one, does not prevent it from exerting its influence on society. And what you call being all-over-the-place is the anti-thesis of being someone rigidly set in their ways, and totally afflicted with the tunnel vision that never allows him to explore other possibilities. Um, that would be you.

The other night, while deciding who I was going to watch between Jimmy Kimmel, Dave Letterman or Jay Leno, upon seeing that Carol Burnett was Jay‘s guest, my decision was made. I’ve always been a fan of Carol because she was born the same year I was and we have grown old together as we look forward to our 80th birthdays, which for her, just happens to be today. She’s a comic genius and that was another reason I related to her because I was in sync with her tongue-in-cheek brand of humor; comedy skits that spoofed the entertainment industry, or just simply made fun of what others took seriously. Anyhow, there she was being interviewed by Jay, looking great for her age, chic and charming, wearing a short, pixie hair-cut dyed red, sitting there plugging a memoir, reminiscing about the past, surprised that she had made it this far. Catching up with Carol, I was reminded that she was just one of the 3 celebrities I’ve always identified with, the other 2 also being born in the year 1933, like her and me. The second of these is Joan Collins, the ultimate diva, a leading lady movie star who in her later years switched to the small screen, appearing in the 1980s nightime soap opera, “Dynasty”, always garbed in fabulous designer clothes, dripping with glittering jewelry, perfectly made-up, and stunningly glamorous, a preserved persona she maintains to this day, in all of her artificial glory. My third contemporary is Joan Rivers, who defies description. As coincidence would have it, a couple of hours after watching Carol’s guest shot on The Tonight Show, while engaged in my late night channel surfing, by-passing all the re-runs and old movies and the boring, choreographed sex on the soft porn channels, I happened upon a comedy special starring the outrageous Joan Rivers in a one- woman show shot last year. I knew Joan was raunchy, which is why I love her, but I had no idea what I’d be in for when I settled in to watch her stand-up rountine. Much to my delight, the performance of this soon-to-be-80-year-old commedienne turned out to be one of the most obscene and profane exhibitions I’d ever watched - and thoroughy enjoyed. It really made me feel good to see an old broad like myself contemptuously defying convention and debunking all of society’s sacred cows. Elegantly attired in a long black dress and matching sequined jacket trimmed with feathers, there this marvel of plastic surgery was, traipsing up and down the stage, husky-voiced and tart-tongued, ridiculing everything from ugly babies to the holocaust, skewering her fellow celebs, calling 91 year old Betty White a vamp who slept her way to the top, labeling brother-kissing Angelina Jolie an incestuous pervert who stole Brad Pitt way from Jennifer Anniston who never took douches, calling Princess Diana a promiscuous whining pain in the ass, Goldie Hawn an over the hill wanna-be, Kirsti Ally a fat Jenny Craig drop-out, criticizing the dress Whitney Houston was buried in, dropping f-bombs, crossing her eyes, making lewd gestures, falling to the floor simulating sex in various positions, demonstrating lesbian-style oral sex, faking blow jobs, all the while giving a running narrative, going through a laundry list of pet peeves like charity fund raisers, skinny models, airhead starlets, handicapped people, - imitating the unintelligible speech of stroke victim Kirk Douglas, mocking the palsy of Michael J. Fox, on and on it went, blasting “The Help” because she couldn’t understand anything the black characters were mumbling, dissing slanty-eyed Asian women, giving a shout-out and a Nazi salute to Hitler. It was all remarkably offensive. And hilarious. I was nearly in tears. I know, I know. Sane people would find Joan’s over the top performance scandalous and inappropriate. A wretched granny making a fool of herself. Not me. I found it refreshing in the shock value of its honesty. Doing what I wouldn’t have the nerve or energy to do, ol Joan was in rare form, her observations dead-on. When she was done raking humanity over the coals, the audience who looked to be made up of a bunch of old Jews, gave her a “standing O” as she threw bouquets to them, taking her second bow costumed in a hastily-donned statue of liberty get-up, holding a torch. I didn’t rise from my recliner, but I did give a nod of approval to this feisty non conformist for thumbing her nose at propriety. Then it occurred to me that Joan and Carol were 2 sides of the same coin; one edgy, the other playful. What they have in common is an awareness of how so much in life is superficial because reality is a bitch and the truth hurts. For most senior citizens, religion is the remedy for the mortality they face. But for me and Joan Rivers and Carol Burnett, born during the Great Depression, growing up and growing old during a remarkable period that has turned out to be one of the most multi-facted eras in American history, laughter is the best medicine. Excuse me while I chuckle to myself…and at myself.

Here we go again. Explaining my role on this forum was not necesssarily directed to you. Pioneer. It was mainly for others who might wonder why I am always arguing with posters, - the people you said might be following our discussion in hopes of being enlightened. I wanted to remind them that this is Cynique's Corner, and I did adopt my screen name because I embody the cynicism that inspires debate. It's impossible to do anything but argue with you because you regard any casual remarks as an attempt on my part to suck up to you. Your patronizing inability to accept the fact that you don't affect me as profoundly as you think you do in your quest to "save face", is ludicrous. Contrary to what your bruised ego has prompted you to conclude, I have emerged from this discusson in tact and I have no regrets whatsoever about going where you warned me not to go. You're a paper tiger. None of your arguments changed my mind about this subject. All they did was test my attention span with their length and amuse me with their evasive self-serving rationales. In the final analysis, what I really take away from this discussion is that the lines between black men and testosterone are blurred because of the new school of thought about race, and the endless variables that make it difficult to define a typical "black" male. Issues you failed to address, preferring instead to go off on a tangent about diet. (The reference I made to testosterone and athletes did not make a racial distinction.) And your using the term "hysterical" didn't annoy me because it confirmed what you are; an unoriginal thinker. LOL As for the tactic you boasted about using to get girls in the bed, what do you call that if not a preliminary? Or is your definition of coolness the last word. Cool is not necesssarily about being slick. It's the opposite of being hot and volatile. It's about being calm and self-contained. And there's nothing sexier than a black man who is confident enough to let his serenity speak for itself. As for game-playing, you act like there aren't chicks who use men and make fools of, or who have a repetoire of fuck-buddies. Get outta here. While you thought you were impressing these girls, they were probably playin you. I'm beginning to think that you surround yourself with sycophants who insulate you from flak. When you encounter someone who doesn't humor you, you go into a tailspin that spirals you into a mode of dizzy dissertations. I bet it's impossible to get a word in edgewise aroound you because you are so in love with the sound of your own voice. Yakety yak, yakety yak. How ya like me, now?

Garbage, indeed. After that indictment of athletes, how can you accuse me of putting black men down, Pioneer?? That's the problem I have with you. You're ambivalent. Your whole approach is grounded in the "don't do as I do, do as I say do" idea. It's OK for you to criticize black men, but not for me to. You want me to stay in my place and defer to your quirks. Calling a woman "hysterical" is a sure sign of a male chauvinist. The role I play on this forum is that of a contrarian who takes people out of their comfort zone because it makes for more interesting discussions. Being exposed to different perspectives is a good thing, not a bad one. My convictions about this topic aren't that strong. I just like to argue. I personally prefer to judge men of any ethnicity as individuals. That's not emulating white standards. That's being broad-minded. I'm not sexually repressed. Aggression and insatiabiliity are fine between the sheets, but getting a woman into bed should involve the preliminaries that embody the main thing black men have going from them: being cool. Needless to say, at this point in my life this subject is moot...

Minimalism in literature is nothing new. Famous author Ernest Hemingway was a proponent of this genre with his short staccato style. And Toni Morrison is, indeed, very adept at it when she utilizes it, as has been the case more and more as she ages. The latest excursion into this genre just takes it to an extreme level. I, myself, look upon a 50-page novel not as a replacement but as an option for readers. Young people write, using their own version of short hand but this doesn't necessarily impact on how long what they write about is. It is as changing world and cursive writing may be one of its casualties. I think the TV games so popular with the younger generation contribute to the short attention span syndrome.

Yes, as we used to say back in my high school days, "Latin is a language, dead as it can be. First it killed the Romans, now it's killing me." I don't know why I chose Latin as the foreign language requirement in the college prep curriculum I was enrolled in, when all of my friends took either Spanish or French. I guess it was the same reason I took a music appreciation which introduced me to classical music instead of trying out for the various choruses which just focused on singing. I fancied myself being an old soul and decided this was what influenced my making choices that could enable my becoming a Renaissiance Woman. The call letters of the black talk radio station in Chicago are WVON AM "1360 on the dial", a small outlet with not much wattage. I should also mention that the language in "the Book of Mormon" is quite X- rated. Not surprising since it is the brainchild of the creators of the TV show, South Park. It was a very well-staged and well choreographed musical and, yes, entertaining as I said, but one thing I found distracting was that in the Chicago cast, all of the natives in Uganda where the Mormon missionaries were sent to serve, were played by light-skinned yellow, African Americans. Maybe it's just me...

So, what's your point, Pioneer? Other than to expose your being in denial about the smugness you try to pass off as competence. And, it figures that you, who sneers about Blacks emulating white culture, turns to a dried up old white man to confirm your need for validation. What century did "what's-his-name" write those insipid words?? This is 2013. Nowadays, anyone who is sexually repressed has no one to blame but themself. Nobody passes judgment on those with a hearty sexual appetite in this liberal era that's all about hooking up with readily available partners. The closest thing to a curse is the danger of an STD or an unwanted pregnancy or viagra that doesn't work. Something you'd know if you would catch up with the times. Also it's not like a high testoserone count is a prerequisite for sexual compatiblity. Good sex is just as much about about quality, as quantity. A frequency of slam, bam, thank you mams is no substitue for an ecstatic "yesss" gasped on fewer occasions. And, despite the obtuseness of your need for instant gratification, the intrigue of the mating game can be a great aphrodisiac. Once again you're grasping at straws, chiding me for saying "Gee Whiz". Golly! Some folks just can't discern whimsy. Egads! But, then, there's a multitude of things you can't discern cuz you're too blinded by your delusions of self-importance And I can't believe your ignorance when it comes to Society's age-old tradition of entertainment as a diversion from the hum-drum ot routineness. No wonder you're such a bore. As a wanna-be entrepreneur and a washed-out workaholic who apparently doesn't appreciate the wise old adage about all work and no play making Jack a dull boy as well as making any investor who capitalizes on this, a rich man, you need to go back to the drawing board. And for somebody so enthralled with testosterone, I'd think you'd be jocking all the athletes bristling with it. But, then, that would call for you to be consistent. BULLS: 90 NETS: 82 PIONEER: 0 (In keeping with the losing record of the Detroit Pistons)

Brevity requires certain writing skills, Troy. And having a short-attention span is not synonomous with being a low-brow reader. A compact 50-page book written by an author who has a talent for conciseness can have just as much merit as a novella written by a mediocre writer telling a mundane tale that is too long to be a short story and too short to be a novel. People who prefer long books are not automatically intellectual. They may just be readers who look to books more for escapism than a quick fix. What else can be said?

Ooooh, puleeze, Pionear, your ego wouldn't allow you to leave well enough alone. You just can't resist an opportunity to try make yourself look like something other than the pompous, pontificating wanna-be that you are. Your ambivalent arguments did not prevail in this discussion. I just got bored with all your convoluted nonsense. When it comes to tetosterone, what I have been given, is information to question. Yes, it has certain proporties and if there was such a thing as a typical Black American man, he might be suceptible to some of them. How definitive is any of this???? Your "explanation" certainly wasn't on point. All your prating about diet is common knowledge. The food regimen that you say wields such influence, does not simply apply to black people. It is a vegeterian diet whose advocates recommend for everybody because of the adverse effects other foods can have on the human body. You're so busy parroting the claims about red meat that you said nothing about the lactose intolerance that is unique among those of African descent. And you really amuse with your statements about black people and alcohol as you once again sink into the abyss of generalities. You might consider that AA was founded by a white man. And I recall you pooh-poohing my previous statements about slavery and its ramifications having just as much influence on the profile of black men as heredity does. Now, suddenly you're adopting my stance, trying to make yourself sound knowledgeable. SMH I just skimmed over all that drivel on polygamy because I'm not interested in your half cocked theories. The only thing of substance it contained was your admission that you don't know the future and are not a prophet. Reason enough for you to STFU. When I think about the line from one of Shakespeare's plays that ridicules "the sound and the fury of an idiot saying nothing", you certainly come to mind. Yada, yada, yada. Blab on as you wallow in the stupor brought on by your drinking one shot of cheap whiskey. Cynique yawns and turns her attention to the more important matters like whether or not The Chicago Bulls will even take one game in their series with Brooklyn. Gee Whiz, Derek Rose. 'Wish the team was your priority, instead of your endorsements.