Cynique

Since Mellody is from Chicago, and her name was familiar to locals long before she married George Lucas, i have tried to track down her family history which is rather sketchy and vague, which makes me suspicious. I wouldn't be surprised if she just happens to be an extremely bright girl who got ahead because of her scholarship and ambition, who may not have even been middle class in origin. Chicago's black population has no large "old money" class. What passes for its elite, doesn't go back more than 3 generations with a high percentage of this first generation drawing from residents of "the projects" which, back in the day, were populated by respectable working-class people from the ranks of the great migration and who possessed middle class "values" but were employed in the service industries or at places like the Post Office or who ran"on the road" as Pullman Car waiters or were employed in Civil Service positions after passing tests which qualified them for these government jobs. They are who strove to send their kids to college and these college graduates in turn, became the parents of what is now Chicago's present young professional class which while affluent are not upper class.

Yes. I think my computer sometimes picks up on the thought waves involved when i'm keying my comments.

Comedienne Tiffany Haddish, who is currently making it big in TV and film after stealing the show from her co-stars in the hit movie "Girls Trip", grew up around south LA and also claims to be of Eritrean heritage via her father. Tiffany Haddish dressed to honor her Eritrean heritage at a Hollywood awards show.

Yes, Nipsey's murder has had quite a ripple effect among the entertainment industry because he was doing so much good and giving back to his community. TMZ is now reporting that the shooting was a result of a personal beef between him and Eric Holder, and that after Holder approached him in the clothing store Nipsey owned, he shot him and then stalked off. But according to witnesses, Nipsey hollered after him. "you may have shot me but you didn't kill me," whereupon Holder turned around and came back and pumped 2 more bullets in him before running back to the getaway car. Had Nipsey, remained silent, he might still be alive, the word on the street is.

@Del i am actually losing interest in this situation. It was just something that momentarily piqued my interest. i don't see the relationship being resurrected, We'll both probably kick the bucket before we meet again. LOL No, i never did the driving when we dated. Yes, we were both rather opinionated and liking jazz was one thing we had in common. After he found out about my interest in writing, this seemed to appeal to him He had just gotten discharged from the Army when we met and he had settled in my hometown because he had a whole clan of relatives who lived there, having migrated from Texas a few years earlier. So i knew his people, but we didn't grow up together. You don't have to make any special effort to further check him out. My curiosity has waned. Thanks for the input you have supplied. A funny thing is happening as i write all of this.. My computer has started to act up, like there is something amiss with it

1930 in Texas. Don't known the time of day.

Interesting. Well, i doubt if anything will come of our brief encounter. Incidentally, his birthday is March 30th. What does that add to the mix?

How do you know he is a worthy intellectual opponent? The last time i was moved was when i read the thread on religion and christianity on this site.

In love??? i don't think so. Filled with curiosity? Maybe. i don't feel fortunate, however.

@Mel Hopkins @Troy @Del The ideas you expressed in your posts on this thread were so stimulating and enlightening and profound that i express my gratitude to you all for doing my thinking for me. Obviously i agree with what you say. (i think there a correlation between my being able to acknowledge this and the fact that Pioneer has not injected his comments) You have all on occasion, indicated that my perspective on a subject has grounded you. But this time you deserve the kudos for creating a seat for me in the outside of the box arena. My final thought on the subject is that religion is a force that captivates and robs you of your freedom to develop your own divinity. The only ones empowered by it are the leaders who preach it. Truth is an orphan that everyone wants to adopt. i just finished doing my income tax. Because my pensions are not taxed enough, i usually end up owing money. i could remedy this by requesting that the IRS take more money out, but i've just opted to make up the diference when i file. I do my taxes on-line for free courtesy of the Federal Government, my former employer, and it's a fairly simple process, especially since i don't itemize and i have complete health insurance coverage that i can afford. I'd have to lie to get money back and I don't want to rock the boat. Typically I pay back about $1,250.00. This year, thanks to Trump's tax break, i owed $935.00. Big deal. But i'm not complaining, For some reason, this doesn't affect my bottom line in any way. I say this to say that i am somehow nestled in a niche that keeps me under the radar. Nothing that goes on in this world, so far, has an impact on my life. On all levels of my existence, i do as i please and manage to escape major repercussions or consequences. All of my complaints result from my dismay over what other people are doing to other people in the realm of politics. All around me the world is in disarray and America in unrest. But i am just a spectator. From time to time i shift into a dimension where i am taunted by mischievous forces, but as much as this can vex me i find it to be a intriguing phenomenon that introduces me to a invisible world full of wonderment and untapped power. Life, if nothing else, is a fascinating challenge.

@Del No, he's not involved in education but there is some truth in the other observations you volunteered. Our encounter was a classic example of serendipity. I don't think either of us realized who the other was until after locking eyes and barely nodding, we melted into the crowd suddenly realizing who the other was, - as an after thought. This was at an old timer's banquet sponsored by our home town a month ago. I was distracted by reuniting with so many of my old friends and neighbors that it wasn't until a couple of days later when i mentally re-visited this episode that all of these memories of our long ago relationship came flooding back; little things; like how he was the first guy to have ever sent me flowers, how we had argued about the pronunciation of the name of a popular modern jazz artist of that day, how in a test of wills, he had apologetically accepted that "no" meant "no". Under circumstances i can't clearly recall, he had also dropped off a gift before my wedding reception, - a decorative cigarette lighter which sat on my cocktail table for years, back in the day when everybody smoked. I have bumped into him a couple of other times during our middle age decades, occasions where, in the company of others, my casual attempts at making small talk seemed to leave him tongue-tied. I know that he did marry and did do quite well for himself after relocating in the next town over from me where i believe he still resides. So we were in close proximity all these years, but never ran in the same circles. Why, seeing him again after all this time is now stuck in my head, is something i can't explain... What really impressed me was what i noticed when he strode past me at the banquet, - how well he had aged, and how fit and able he appeared for a man who is a couple of years older than me! i keep thinking that he is like someone who stepped out from an interval in my past when i was a single young woman in my 20s exploring the dating scene, playing the mating game. Now, as a wistful old broad caught up in reminiscence, i am wondering what life would've been like had i gone in another direction. It's like i feel a need to dispel my malaise by abandoning who i now am, in favor of who i once was, - a carefree girl caught up in the excitement of pursuing what life had to offer! i am sharing this stream of consciousness drivel more for my benefit than yours, because i feel a need to let it all hang out

No, he is retired like me, and leads a typical senior citizen lifestyle.

@Del i recently crossed paths with a someone from my distant past, a guy who i could've possibly married. He was in amazinly good shape for his age, and when our eyes briefly locked, there was something there. Do you see anything in my future that could revolve around him?

Blake Griffin is just one and not a particularly typical version of the new breed of basket ball players out there who are the progeny of the symbionic hook-ups between black basketball players and opportunistic white women, wherein the black guys marry white women to give themselves status among their peers, and the white women marry rich black athletes to get a meal ticket for life. Right here on the Chicago Bulls team is an example of such a coupling, a bi-racial player named Zack LeVine who has pale skin white but a black grade of hair. and definitely talks like a black person. Black LA Clippers Coach, Doc Rivers is married to a white woman and his son who plays for the NBA looks the same way. As i say, there are quite a few of these hybrid players out there. BTW, Blake Griffin was briefly married to Kim Kardasian, before Kanye. The Kardasian women have a penchant for black basketball players, and a couple of them have babies by them. As for Meghan Markel, her mother is a light-skinned black woman who has corn-rowed hair and wouldn't be mistaken for white. Nor does Meghan have straight white hair. Hair is always the give-away. Below are pictures of Zack LeVine and Austin Rivers. a picture of Austin Rivers pictures of Zack Levine @TroyUntil you brought up this subject, i have never given it a thought. So obviously it was not my impression that white men occasionally paired with black women in the media are subliminal images that are part of a conspiracy. To me, these examples were just token nods to diversity. And is there any scientific data that proves black women have better and more productive wombs than Caucasiasn ones?? One thing i have come to notice, is that light-skinned blacks and darker skinned ones see color differently. Darker skinned ones seem more color-consciously and sensitive about their skin color and are quick to feel that lighter skin blacks have an advantage over them. As a light-skinned black, i never think about this until it is brought to my attention by resentful darker skinned ones. I guess this is what colorism is all about. Chris Rock just recently made a telling remark when he was a presenter at the NAACP image awards TV show. In making a joke about Jussie Smolett, dark-sinned Chris cracked how Jussie was an example of light-skin and "good' hair gone to waste and how much better he would've fared had he possessed these traits. Really? I, myself, do not have a preference when it comes to skin color but i am picky about facial features. i have a thing about noses and ears and prefer them to be well sculpted and in proportion. i don't like spiked hair or Mohawks or bushy beards or small grubby fingers but i love buffed bodies. Last but not least, i am turned off by someone who speaks Ebonics. So, take that for what it's worth. To each his own. i'm an old lady who is old school and i realize my day is over when it comes to how people of color comes across. There possibly is a trend afoot to tamper with the color of the species and personally I'd say this goal would at least eliminate the "bottom of the totem pole" position that, according to dark-skinned people, puts them at a disadvantage. Whatever.

The Universe seems to be in some kind of a transition. The unexpected is intruding itself upon the world. That's why Trump is successfully polluting the atmosphere and America is being drawn into a vortex of change. There's no contrived conspiracy; just occurrences following a course. No right or wrong; only opposites. Life is inexorably unfolding, and things are shifting because change is inevitable, Here on earth change is aided and abetted by the lure of computerized technology. I don't think Mankind has any control over how society is evolving. It's simply being swept along. I, myself, am caught up in a sphere where everything is out of kilter. It's like unseen forces are toying with me. As an example, Mel's on point response to the above posts by Troy and "non American black man", has disappeared...

White Liberals could be accused of trying to foist blacks on the white population by advocating equal rights, and voting for black candidates and supporting black law makers. They could also be accused of approving interracial marriage and even listening to black music and emulating black styles. Ordinary white folks must really feel put upon by this attempt to infiltrate white society with blacks. Supporting Trump and his MAGA movement is their only recourse. This conspiracy theory is really finding a niche in the psyche of the white masses.

I agree with Troy! One reason people are poor is because they are uneducated.There's a correlation between the 2. The world doesn't adjust to the individual; the individual has to adjust to it. Learning to cope with the vicissitudes of life is a survival tool. A liberal education should never be devalued, never be regarded as a waste of time since it stimulates and enriches the mind. And the benefit of a subject like basic algebra is that it hones the problem-solving skills that can apply to everyday living. Those who acquire the intellectual buoyancy to swim in the mainstream immerse themselves in an environment that provides a measure of enjoyment.

People are still scratching their heads over the Jussie Smollett farce after the Chicago Police Department, on the recommendation of a grand jury, leveled 16 charges against Jussie for his alleged crime of falsely claiming to be a victim of a hate crime at the hands of 2 masked Trump supporters, shouting "this is "MAGA country"! So, what had happened was that in its zeal to sanitize its bungling, racist, reputation, Chi-Town's police force conducted a very thorough investigation of the case in an effort to track down Jussie's attackers, only to reach the conclusion backed up by security surveillance cameras and other incriminating evidence, that Jussie had perpetrated a hoax on the city, lying about this incident in an effort draw sympathy to himself and thereby secure a higher salary for his gig on the TV show EMPIRE. Once no credible evidence was found to support jussie's inconsistent and contradictory claims and with the testimony of 2 Nigerian brothers, who reluctantly confessed to aiding and abetting Jussie in staging this hoax, the duped and enraged CPD, led by its black Superintendent, Eddie Johnson, and hot-headed lame duck Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, decided to throw the book at Jussie and bring him to trial in order to erase this blemish on the beleaguered city of Chicago. Elsewhere, the Cook County States Attorney's office, headed by Kim Foxx, a black woman who had earlier recused herself from this case because she was approached by a mutual friend who was a former aide of Michelle Obama's, and who was also acquainted with Jussie's family, and who had asked if Kim could intervene on behalf of Jussie, and get the FBI involved in the proceedings because his family feared Jussie was being framed. Then - out of the blue - without consulting any local law enforcement officials, the States Attorney's office dropped a bomb shell, declaring all charges would be dropped against Jussie and his record expunged with the agreement that he would perform 60 hours of community service, and forfeit the 10% of $100,000 bond he had posted. When all hell broke loose, the States Attorney office explained that their action was an option in "Class 6" felonies, a category that is just one step above a misdemeanor, and something a defendant who has not committed a violent crime and had no previous criminal history is eligible for. They further admitted that their action did not exonerate Jussie of the charges and that he was, indeed, believed to be guilty as charged but that he had been the party in a routine plea bargain negotiated by his attorneys. Subsequently, Jussie, in a brief statement to the press, poured salt on the wounds of the CPD by continuing to insist he was innocent - a performance drawing mixed reviews from the entire country. As the case now stands, with the city in an uproar as everyone takes sides, Chicagoland blacks are mumbling about this being payback for the short 4-year sentence given Jason VanDyke, the white cop who pumped 16 bullets into the back of LaQuan McDonald, an unarmed black teenager walking away from him. The police union is frothing at the mouth, claiming this is an affront to their hardworking boys in blue, and are calling for the head of Kim Foxx, who is now on the hot seat, being criticized from all quarters by those who think that behind the scene, she was instrumental in showing favoritism toward a celebrity. Those in the hood are also angry about all of the money spent on investigating this bogus case, believing it could've been better spent on the unsolved killings of hundreds of black murder victims. Mayor Emanuel agreed and has sent Jussie Smolette a $130,000 bill for services rendered, after telling Trump to "butt out" when 45 publicly referred to this Chicago fiasco as an embarrassment to America that needed to be looked into by the FBI and DOJ. Meanwhile, Jussie has reportedly arrived in Los Angeles, presumably to attend the NAACP Image Award TV show Saturday, where he is a nominee for "best supporting actor in a drama"... You can't make this stuff up, Folks.

No, i'm just observing how you criticizes black men for the things they do which you don't like, but then turn around and reprimand the media for not showing black men in a favorable light. You support Bill Cosby and consider him a victim, but you criticize the black men who you have encountered who have abused black women. This is why i said that, you don't want the media to do as you do, you want it to do as you say do - which is to refrain from reporting negative news about black men and, instead, just focus on bad white men. LOL The evil cabal of white supremicists scheming to do-in black people is a scenario that has become woven into the black narrative. These ongoing conspiracy theories make me yawn. I did, however, appreciate the suggestion put forth by the recent poster who has written a book about launching a metaphysical attack on The System, proposing that black folks should just try "thinking white racism out of existence". Sounds like a much more pro-active idea than black folks just standing around reassuring each other that this secret plot against them is not so secret. Apparently, as soon as white Democrats and Republicans are no longer at each other's throats, it will be curtains for black folks...

@TroyI have an open mind. i said just because i don't know the answer to whether there is a god, doesn't mean that there isn't one. i just don't know it because he hasn't show himself to me... yet. BTW, i'm plowing through the posts you provided. i cant resist editing my comments. Some of them needed to be shaped up i'd forgotten how much Chris Hayden and i butted heads. But our run-ins were rather funny.

It did when i just clicked on to it. Oh, well.

i said i am an agnostic. i have an open mind, which means i don't answer questions that you phrase. I believe that the answer as to whether there is a god remains to be seen.

And what is it that the Roman Empire set up? What unified countries in the midst of its dynasty did it divide and conquer? And who did it unleash homosexuality on? Did it work? In the 21st century were you a loyal supporter of Obama, and what black man do you currently support and promote? BTW, do you think Bill Cosby was persecuted? Finally, considering how you, yourself, criticize the black men in your life, would you say that as far as the media goes, that you and Pioneer embrace a "don't do as i do, do as i say do" attitude? Just who, beside Farrakhan, Neely Fuller, Malcolm X and - Booker T. Washington, would you point to as black males who deserve praise? What is it that Obama did that muted your approval of him? Today, all charges were dropped against Jussie Smollet by Chicago's Cook County State's Attorney's office which is headed up by a black woman. Chicago's black police chief is seething with anger over this plea deal and had harsh words for Smollet's beatin the rap. How does this fit in with your stance? All of this has caused a media frenzy because it is reporting all of the details. But if you had your way, all of this would be hushed up. BTW, Do you think the media is pickin' on Trump because it is demanding to see all of the the Mueller report?? And are the Democrat and Republican white leaders secretly plotting to tear this country apart so that black men can be repressed? Just curious.

The ultimate jackpot isn't the only prize offered in the scratch-off games.. There are smaller pay-offs that are still a substantial amount of cash. so,, the idea of him winning at least something is not that remote.

As an agnostic, i do believe in something. i believe that just because an answer as to whether there is a god is unknown, doesn't mean that there isn't an answer.