Cynique

And what is Calvinism rooted in? Get outta here. i don't care what you're saying because everything you spout comes from pioneer's encyclopedia of "this is how i say it is". Bleh.

@Pioneer1 Put a sock in it. As if i care what you think or say about me.

During McCain's presidential campaigns the rumors about the USS Forestal incident have been rampant but i have since been informed that there is no substance to them and have deleted reference to them in my "Black and White Deaths in Living Color" essay.

@Del Why are you so meticulous about Troy yet so flexible about pioneer whose opinions you never challenge but, instead make excuses for? This is why i have always accused you of using pioneer to get back at Troy.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.capitolhillblue.com%2Fnode%2F10086&h=AT1jjepBBNcI7CqYDJpa_bkRMF3tJCXIKHjsieSOqE9jtsBu4Uc8pe5gOWLTT11_4YZ-oijzt-MZtOzj2mnJhTtom81ob4v3cNN93Ew0_1U2lgw70Lo7wZAeJM86FEh4LDbChpCndmtrIZ-fxweEb1HvcH7VGgwIx6nFMEjNTE8_LQm7tKYntR5qLrYHr-rRFh2qWFLcwLm6vjAV5yBZjsQ4kdJI2yQUSczj-wH5RN1jHhx1-e9FZ2bKbIfX49W3euUdcGc9f4Zo-_110kRL2Zn_A7Zi8MNtmecZfETjazPJrbNQNVaqEiH-vGmOiaxqKeL5bpG8tQpXGdGIOJCfg2daz-M8qBaDMbbB86YCmNYROnfpHX76n5iknH7HHzGbSpRKDQocz8jLKu-JgDNfYMQg2q7ZC0rZZzPl6w i have deleted the rumor about the USS Forestal

Well, just because you have no use for FaceBook doesn't mean it doesn't give a good barometer of current events. it's better than anything you offered which was nothing, because you have no place to go to get a sampling. The discussion i participated in on this subject, was a good cross section of opinions and the white guys were more forgiving of Omarosa than the black ones. You're kiddin right? Re-read what i said. i didn't say anything about Omarosa's new Bff, i was talking about your new bff - Trump.

@Troy For one thing, I'm not talking about shows like NCIS and Law and Order. Have you ever watched the true crime programs i mentioned? These are documentaries featuring real people, - police officers, lawyers, medical examiners, survivors of victims, home movies, and actual court scenes, not dramatizations, but stories that tell themselves and in doing so encompass the truth. You seem to be talking about ethics, arguing that people can disapprove of bad behavior whether they see it in action or not. That's true. The reason why people do unacceptable things in secret is because they know this and that's why they don't flaunt what they do. i don't think this mindset has anything to do with geographical location.

Standards don't come into play if people don't know what others are doing. People do what they want to do - in secret! Discretion is their shield. What places do you have in mind that are apart from big cities? The suburbs where teenagers are sending nudies of each other on their iPhones? The rural areas where Meth deadens peoples morals? Trailer parks known for their white trash? The farms down in Mississippi where illegitimacy and teen-aged pregnancy are common? The little towns and villages where the coaches are having affairs with student athletes of both sexes, and female teachers are seducing their young male pupils? College campuses that are home to hook-ups? The Internet, for one thing, has tainted everybody and illicitness is not determined by location. It exists everywhere, including pockets of "respectibility". You need to get out of your Mayberry mode and watch true crime programs like Dateline and 20-20 , real life stories about murder sex and mayhem that goes on all over America's heartland and not just in urban areas. (And churches are not exempt from any of this.) Watch Maury Povich and Jerry Springer. Of course this tripe offends your sensibilities, but these shows deal with a reality that goes on in all walks of life. Not just big cities. Well, it's no secret that i don't think pioneer's beliefs hold anymore legitimacy or authenticity than anyone else's.

FaceBook is my source. If omarosa is making money off of dissing Trump, i say more power to her. What do you say about her exposing your new bff?

Americans have really gone overboard in their apparent need to elevate icons to the level of idols who they can drench with adoration. No sooner do we recover from the loss of the Queen of Soul whose death set off an orgy of adulation, than Arizona senator and naval war hero john McCain sails away on a deep sea of accolades, The nation submerged itself in grief, mourning the departure of 2 familiar and beloved figures, treating their deaths as world shattering events that set off weeks-long coverage. Of course the media played its part in turning these events into epics. Regular network programming was interrupted to announce these deaths. Pictures of the deceased were splashed on the front pages of newspapers and magazines all over the country. Prime time TV dedicated entire shows to remembering their lives, featuring their choked-up contemporaries as guests. Cable networks streamed repeats of their tributes. In Aretha's case, radio airways were inundated with her hits, attention called to her being the recipient of many awards and how her signature song "Respect", became the anthem of women everywhere. Fellow artists inspired by her, recalled in interviews how awesome her soaring voice was, - her songs hailed as toe-tapping and soul searing. Everybody had their favorite Aretha record and who but BET is scheduled to air the special of a star-studded memorial service that will follow 2 days of her lying in state for fan viewing. In his tribute to Aretha, President Obama referred to her as a national treasure... pause for Miz Benita to roll her eyes before cupping her hand to her mouth and confiding: "more like a faded diva who, once past her prime, got by on a reputation that excused a strident howl struggling to reach the high notes that a clarion voice once easily caressed, no mention being made of albums that never went platinum, while fellow divas like Patti LaBelle and Chaka Kahn continued to kick ass. But i'm not one to gossip so you didn't hear that from me." In death, John McCain has been given the treatment befitting a head of state. He is being extolled as a courageous war hero, a POW who endured torture, a former presidential candidate, a U.S. Senator of statesman caliber, his passing marked by flags in Washington DC being lowered to half-staff. Both his Republican and Democratic senate colleagues praise his willingness to compromise. His body will also lie in state for public viewing and his funeral will be attended by ex-presidents who will honor and eulogize him. He will later be laid to rest at Arlington National cemetery with full honors. A brave war hero who earned a chest full of combat medals... pause for Miz Benita to roll her eyes and cup her hand around her mouth before confiding: "more like a mouth full of bigotry, a someone who back in the day was a racist, homophobic misogynist who, in private, liked to regale his buddies with jokes about niggers and Asians and dykes and cunts, a hold out who voted against making MLK's birthday a holiday in Arizona, - a captive suspected of revealing secrets while in enemy custody, But I'm not one to gossip so you didn't hear that from me." Whatever. We loved Ree-Ree! We'll miss her and remember her at her best, glad that she will be given a grand send-off in keeping with her fabulous image. John McCain? There are numerous reports that he reformed his biased ways, acquiring a wisdom that comes with age... pause for Miz Benita to shrug and reflect: "What can i say that i haven't already said? Nobody's perfect. And you heard that from me."

i don't agree with this. I don't think society concerns itself with the sexual behavior of women anymore. Nobody cares. Everybody is too self absorbed with other things. Furthermore, women lie about their escapades. They screw as much as they want to. They just don't broadcast it. Oh shut up. Take that long dissertation and shove it. You're no expert on the subject. The conflict between black men and women has little to do with sex. it's more about what each one brings to the table and how this impacts on a relationship; about men wanting validation and support and women wanting attention and appreciation. And money. Men need to stop speaking with authority about women. Y'all don't know jack. Your ears would burn if you'd ever be a fly on the wall during girl talk.

Do you suggest i close my eyes so i won't see the country unravel? What is it you're going to do while i sit idly by? Tell me, and if it's not too demanding i might consider doing it. Helping to depose Trump by voting him out is, of course, one way but this could very well trigger an upheaval. But sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. They say forest fires are not always bad. They're nature's way of recycling itself.

LOL! But how can you joke about this when your progeny will have to live through the nonsense? @Troy I am not joking about this. i have no power to stop the inevitability of change but i can keep in mind that everybody's disaster is nobody's disaster and that whatever will be, will be. Chilling and watching doesn't interfere with me having faith in America's progeny finding a way to triumph and survive.

@Pioneer1 I repeat: i might add, that if a man is a good lover who gets the job done, a woman can be insatiable. BTW, the woman's sex hormone is estrogen, not testoserone.

@Troy Join Tiger Woods and Jim Brown who both just said Trump was being unfairly treated by the media who doesn't respect the office of president, and pounces on his every word, constantly criticizing him. BooHoo. I've predicted that 45 will pick up more and more support because everybody has a gripe and he will eventually get around to bitching about one that matches up with one shared by someone who doesn't like him. Multiply this by a thousand and the numbers will groooooow. i give up. Let the chips fall where they may.

No. Those causes you mention already have a plethora of advocates. My mission is and always has been to encourage black people to utilize the freedom they have to exorcise themselves of stagnant ideas like yours that stifle their individual progress by trying to infect them with a herd mentality. i think they've earned the right to try and be all they can be, and want to be. Where are you getting this BS from? Who doesn't know cigarettes contain nicotine which is addictive? The Surgeon General has been saying this for years. Cigarette labels, themselves, say that smoking is "hazardous to your health". But I would still be smoking if cigarettes weren't so expensive and my lifestyle hadn't changed and i am no longer out partying and playing cards and boozing it up - something that i and millions of other people like to do, i thoroughly enjoyed smoking and drinking in moderation. That's why i did it. Nobody tricked me into doing it. i'm not interested in leading the life of a stoic. i like existing in the moment and having fun. They say salt and sugar are bad for you. I generously sprinkle both of these in and on my food because they make it taste better. Screw all of these restriction. it's my life and i don't need folks like you trying to influence my behavior and my habits. This is not to say that there aren't people who agree with what you advocate, And they're free to do so. i don't give a damn.

I don't give any weight to pioneer's individual observations based on his experiences. When deciding how things are, I doubt if he took into consideration that maybe women don't find him appealing enough to want to have a lot of sex with him. This is in keeping with those who suggest that a woman's sex organ is her brain. In fact, a woman's sex habits are as individual as her finger print. What studies have reported is that women reach their sexual peak in their '30s and while her libido is coming into its own, a man's potency is on the decline, making her best matched with a male in his early 20s. Women are also more horny when they're ovulating and being pregnant can also amp up the sexual desire. Post menopausal women, free of the worries of becoming pregnant often turn into "hot mamas" depending on whether or not they've had a hysterectomy. or their ovaries are still in tact. Also, frigidity and lack of interest can be due to health issues that need to be addressed. More recent studies may have modified some of these claims. Girls are reaching puberty at much earlier ages nowadays and this may have inspired some reassessment.

@Pioneer1 Yada, yada, yada.

@Pioneer1 You don't know what you're talking about. We do have the freedom to choose which mindset we embrace. i advocate rejecting the one that you are trapped under the spell of because it leads to a dead end. It is also an act of free will to indulge in pleasurable vices we know to be harmful.

You know this to be a fact? Where is the published confirmation of this idea. It makes no sense. It makes more sense to keep blacks within the fold, the better to use God and the bible to justify discrimination and servitude. The cobbled together version of Christianity as practiced in this country is rooted in the tenets of the Nicean council that was presided over by the Roman Emperor Constantine, and later watered down by the King james version of the bible. And, of course, Protestantism broke off from Roman Catholicism. I also question your statement about Christianity being more dominant than Islam or Buddhaism or Hinduism among Africans, and Asians. These 3 religions can all exist in the same country and together outnumber the christian population there. i have heard that it's always been a standing joke that Africans ridicule how missionaries came to their land to convert them to a religion that made their lives worse rather than better. When i talk about the overwhelming acceptance of a black Jesus, i am speaking of America, not Africa. As i said, nowadays very few black American church-goers believe that jesus looked Aryan.

Anecdotal evidence is always available to cite in support of our positions. Here in the North, over the last 10 years, i have not encountered any black church-goers who think Jesus was fair-skinned and blue eyed. How he is represented in their churches, or what their preachers think, i couldn't say. Copies of that famous old painting of a "white" Jesus have traditionally hung in some black churches for so long, that they've just been allowed to stay.

It's complicated. Black women complain about not being able to find a partner because they are looking for a male counterpart with whom they will be compatible. Not an easy task. With great numbers of black men being incarcerated, what's left are law-abiders or ex-cons who are content to enjoy a life where, because they are in demand, can pick and choose whom they want to engage with. Conversely, sistas are reluctant to lower their standards in order to compete for the less than impressive crop of studs available out there. To many single black woman, the older they get, the more they come to appreciate being free of the obligations of marriage and a family. And, of course, white women remain a constant threat. Enter the booty-call alternative.

This certainly gives weight to my contention that the black experience encompasses a broad spectrum. In my little mid-western home town which is now predominately black but during my formative years was overwhelming white, instead of its small black ghetto being located on the other side of the tracks, it was located in the center of town, and co-existence was the name of the game, It was taken for granted, that white townsfolk didn't venture into our neighborhoods, and we didn't venture into theirs, the exception being the jews who were dispersed throughout our community by virtue of being the owners of stores and businesses, and who had settled in this town because it was one of the few in the area that wasn't rampantly anti-semetic. The schools i attended were integrated, however, and my high school, was at that time rated as one of the best in the state. (A far cry from its present ranking.) Its college prep curriculum was geared toward the state's flag ship school of higher learning, the University of Illinois. As blacks we were exposed to an excellent education that we needed only to take advantage of. And our proximity to Chicago allowed grade school children to take field trips to world famous places like The Field Museum, the Art institute, The Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium and the Brookfield Zoo, all of which i visited and enjoyed. Blacks in my village also had access to a fine library, courtesy of millionaire philanthropist Andrew Carnegie who erected libraries throughout the country because he wanted his legacy to be one known for encouraging the pursuit of knowledge. So, we are all products of different environments and although we are alike in many ways, the childhood circumstances that nutured and influenced us were determined by mere chance.

The last i head, this is supposed to be a free country. And black people above all, are constantly striving to exercise their freedom. Because blacks are not all of one mind, some blacks have a problem when it comes to freedom of appearance. They are luke warm about diversity and want to dictate, judge, and criticize the choices of certain other blacks who resist the herd mentality of black brain washing that can be as restraining as white control. These Afro-centric vigilants, awash in their patented rhetoric, have taken on the role of deciding how black women, in particular, are obligated to look, and they are perfectly comfortable with imposing their standards, totally resistant to change because they are mired in the swamp of the past. They drone on and on about how deceived those are who don't accept their standards, mistaking the indifference of those they wish to reform, attributing it to ignorance, thinking they have to educate them about the hazards of European standards. It never occurs to them that what they are preaching is a stagnant gospel, and the are obviously unable to appreciate the idea that individuals are free to exercise a choice when it comes to how they want to present themselves to the wide world of reality. The same crowd frets about colorism which is, indeed, an unforgiving fact of life and, as such, subjects some people to unfair and insensitive rejection. This being the case, it is then nobody's damn business if some choose to get their color out of a jar, an innocuous procedure that is in a category with plastic surgery, liposuction, contact lenses, wigs, teeth braces, eyebrow-arching, acryllic nails, and gym work-outs. Ahh but the au naturelle nazis remain a constant voice of condemnation and when not disapproving of independent black women, they devote their time to harboring suspicions about ongoing secret conspiracies existing to do - what? Keep blacks down? Whoooo what a great revelation! Enough to make blacks sacrifice what little enjoyment they derive from life in order to concentrate on worrying about something they are not supposed to be aware of. Them. Discrimination is also a fact of life. Obese people, for instance, are discriminated against, so losing weight is a choice some make. Racial discrimination is something that is a constant challenge, one that involves ingenuity to circumvent. This cruel world does not adjust to the individual. The individual is charged with the task of adjusting to it, of carving his own path and going which ever way she wants. For black people this can call for tuning out the "Greek chorus" chanting the same ol message of revering Africa, the great land mass which doesn't give a damn about its American diaspora, and can hardly sustain it own people, prompting many to immigrate to this country and enjoy the fruits of the civil rights struggle they played no part in. Of course these are controversial concepts that will go in one ear and out the other of those who don't think outside the box. Those who'd much rather stay in a comfort zone free of critical thinking and just go along with the same ol litany of cliches that black have been mouthing for years in an effort to bolster their morale, huddled in the night of yesterday, reluctant to wake up to a new dawn where a person weighs his options and thinks for herself. This mind-set is not really revolutionary. Great numbers of blacks have already made the decision to do their own thing not even aware of how they have liberated themselves from the dictates of others, all the while supporting the common cause of racial injustice. And so it goes.