Cynique

@Del"Arab" in its current usage seems to be a vague generic term. The definition of an Arab is: "a member of a Semitic people, originally from the Arabian peninsula and neighboring territories, inhabiting much of the Middle East and North Africa." To me, calling people from these countries an "Arab", is like calling people from African countries, "Black". These 2 words are not nationalities. I do stand corrected about Armenians. It turns out they are actually considered Caucasian. Kim Kardashian and Cher are famous Armenian-Americans, incidentally. And, of course, Korea is not on the Asian continent but its people are descended from the Mongols who were Asians. I understand that Filipinos call themselves Asians and of course Japanese and Vietnamese and Thais do, too, because that's what their ancestry blood line is. (These peoples all look similar with their yellowish complexions and their slanted, double-fold dark eyes and straight black hair. I'm sure Pioneer will be ready to school me on this subject.

Well, i got on my soap box and expressed my thoughts about why backs are where they are and what the chances were of changing this. Then all the guys proceeded to express their ideas like they had to explain what i had already said. We all agreed that black folks needed to come together but were discouraged by the obstacles that included black folks being their own biggest challenge in a capitalistic country laced with racism. Or something...

i like the dreamlike animation and the relaxing music. I notice that you don't seem to like slow music.

Facebook does have some memes i can relate to dispersed between the prayer requests and religious verses and testimonies.

I could never be a part of a black think tank whose goal was to make black people a force in the corporate world because unlike Troy, Mel, Del, Nubian Fellow and you(?), I don't know "jack" about business except the supply and demand principle. And from watching the TV show "Shark Tank", i've deduced that it takes money to make money and you have to have start-up money to start making money. i also know that over half of small businesses in America fail. And, oh yes, that there's a difference between being wealthy and having money. I can't fathom how black people , as a race, can catch up in a capitalistic society. Maybe if Oprah and Michael Jordan and Dr.Dre combined their billions they could get something going. Is that likely? Good intentions and favorable results don't go hand in hand Greed and egoism are big hurdles when a group comes together to pursue a goal involving financial gain. And of course, i wouldn't bring a positive vibe to the table because i'm too much about the negativity of reality.

Native Americans are still considered the "Noble Savage" and white people are proud to have Indian blood in the veins. ( Not so, with having black blood, however. ) Every black person i know, including myself, claims to have indian blood in them. Native American culture just seems to fascinate everybody, with the feathered headdresses, beaded buckskin garb, painted faces and Pow-Wows where the peace pipe is smoked. Their riding horses bareback and shooting bows and arrows and doing rain dances. i appreciate that they are a very spiritual people, close to the earth and that - sometimes they beat John Wayne and the cavalry. i and many others who attended the University of Illinois were sad that political correctness robbed us of Chief Illiniwek, our sports mascot, whose war dance during half-time shows at football games was as anticipated as the final scores. This was an authentic dance passed down for generations and was taught to the Eagle scouts who were the ones to compete for the honor of being Chief Illiniwek, a proud figure who was never caricatured, but honored and respected. Illinois hasn't been a force in the Big Ten since the chief was banished. The PC crowd tried to do the same thing with the Florida State's Seminole mascot, but the Seminoles told them to go f..k themselves, and that they were proud to be the mascot of a great foot ball team. According to archaeologists, land masses that later broke apart, provided direct access to the Americas and permitted people from other continents to migrate by foot here. The Eskimos got trapped in Alaska when it broke off from the continent but they are the same species of those who did reach the America to become its native people. There are black Mexicans who little is known about but they are there and are discriminated against and considered second class citizens. The same as black Koreans about whom little is known because they are also a well-kept "secret". I have read about these black people as well as talked to tourists who have seen them in these countries. Po ol black folks just caint catch a break.

@Pioneer1Your assumption that this America-born Armenian has an "accent" is just an example of your flawed perspective as is the ambiguous false equivalent example you gave erroneously comparing your specific adjective "Japanese" nationality to my use of the unspecific noun of "Arab" which has no nationality. My calling an Armenian an Arab is not the same as calling a "non Chinese Asian" a Japanese", which is what you claim. A "Korean' is a non-Chinese of Asian descent but calling a Korean a "Japanese" is not the equivalent of calling an Armenian an Arab because Arab is a generic term and Japanese is a specific nationality. i can only take your word for how indignant Armenians are about being commonly mistaken for Arabs. Your whole premise about Serena and her fiance is based on what all of your premises are based on: "Pioneer's Law of opinion representing fact" . The assumption that an attractive, talented, smart, rich woman will be taken advantage of by an attractive, talented, smart rich man is baseless . First of all, as I previously mentioned, if these 2 do decide to get married, - and the may not, there's no way there wouldn't be a pre-nup. But I'm not surprised that these specifics elude you and that you stand by your belief. That's the protocol in the private little world you inhabit. Another example of your mind-set is how you always incorrectly spell a common word like "definitely" by spelling it "definately". Just now, you spelled a common word like "explanation", as "explaination". (These are not typos because you do this all the time.)That the correct spelling of these words which are regularly encountered in reading matter doesn't register with you, says something about your powers of observation. Or maybe you figure yours is the black way of spelling them, and blacks should adopt their own spelling and reject standard English. Whatever.

i assure you, Pioneer, i wouldn't waste my time trying to deceive you. I am, who i am. i think you are suffering from delusions.

@Pioneer1"Arab" is as a generic term in its present use, applied to describe a breed of semites different from Jews, many of whom are Muslims. in any case Armenians are a minority ethnic group in America. As for Iranians, if one of these swarthy dudes is aboard a commercial plane, you can bet many passengers will be nervous about him possibly being a terrorist. i totally dismiss the "point" you are trying to make about Serena Williams and her fiancee. You are, in effect, saying that this black woman is not lovable or attractive; just rich. i'll refrain from arguing about the absurdity of this assumption. SMH.

Poor ol beleaguered Chicago needs to create a position like this.

Well, if you "feel" Pioneer, you're pretty much agreeing with what he said, in spite of your attempt to do damage control. Pioneer talked about a white man marrying a rich black woman, taking all of the wealth out of the black community.

i would b interested in some of you telling me what you disagreed with in my post. Seems to me that when all of the "mansplaining" smoke is cleared, you're all reaching the same conclusion i did. But because we couched these conclusions in different semantics, the take-away is different. But the basic message is that, like it or not, tribes of the nation have been forced into playing different roles, and this is determined by the tribe which has the greatest ability to oppress and prevail. You guys, to me, are the ones brainwashed. You actually think the American dream applies to people of color. It doesn't. If it did, you wouldn't be stuck in the rut of describing and lamenting about what black folks need to do to break the glass ceiling. Talk is cheap. In addition to talking about commerce and economics, admit that one thing black people need to do is to stop all of the indiscriminate breeding that populates the underclasses with generations of fatherless children doomed to repeat the mistakes of their single parents. The odds of this happening are about the same as as ones for the black tribe to achieve true unity. The truth hurts. However, if what i regard as the truth will, after all these years, be proven false, i really won't mind. Settling into my cave, stocking up on nuts and berries. Winter is coming...

Serena's fiance is an Armenian, which means he is an Arab, a member of a discriminated minority like Serena is. At least he is bringing something to the table, and i'm sure that should they choose to marry, a pre-nup will be very much in the picture. As, i said, Serena claimed she was treated very poorly by her black boyfriends. It was rumored that Chicago-based rapper, "Common", whom she dated, jilted her. i don't hear you bruhs complaining about all the money being taken out of the black community by the white wives of rich niggas. Puleeze.

@Pioneer1I'm curious. How did i try to deceive you? i think "deceptive sneaky" is akin to an oxymoron. If a woman is deceptive, then how do you know she is sneaky?

Serena's fiance, Alexis Ohanian, is not exactly a pauper. She says she hooked up with him because he treated her much better than any of the black men who she dated. Alexis Ohanian is an Armenian-American internet entrepreneur, activist and investor based in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, best known for co-founding the social news website Reddit, helping launch the travel search website Hipmunk, and starting the social enterprise Breadpig. He is a partner at Y Combinator, and is also the executive chairman of Reddit. His net worth is estimated to be around 10 million.

From my perch overlooking the big picture, certain things seem apparent to me. Society is what it is. American culture, over the centuries, has sorted itself out into patterns that make up the hive. When assessing this , it is necessary to suspend all abstract notions about equality and justice and redemption. Race may be a nonexistent physicality but breed is not. Random circumstances give certain breeds advantage over other breeds, and gradually those with the ability to dominate, do this. Other breeds for whatever reasons are relegated to finding their niche in the mosaic of circumstances. Everybody can't be a winner in the game. Those at a disadvantage that Fate has dealt them, end up as "also rans". Individuals are left to get in where they fit in. The Negroid breed in America is fragmented and polluted and, as a force, has devolved into a state of inertia because of how others groups were able to impact on it. These societal patterns may very well have a parallel in the animal kingdom and the law of the jungle. In a more relevant setting, black people are consumers, and how bad is this? They let others do the hard work required to provide them with everything they can afford or even not afford. Removed from the arena of stress and cut-throat competition, all the negroid breed has to do is enjoy the luxuries, conveniences, amusements and superficial recognition others provide them with. Ambition on their part reaps paltry rewards that rarely earn a place at the big table. Incentive is eroded. In the breakdown of this country, the Chiefs dominate and the Negro tribe takes the easy way out. Can this situation be reversed? Will the dominant breed maintain and perpetuate their authority? Will the flaws of the negroid breed continue to be its undoing? Who knows. An awareness of how your breed ranks and why it is where it is, is an ongoing dialogue that does not trigger change. What is the solution? Well, who says all problems have solutions? Maybe making your sphere of activity the parameters of your world and taking pride in the small achievements is an option. Stop stressing about the unattainable described in platitudes and cliches, about holding on to your dreams and about triumphing over adversity. Yeah, right. Luck is fickle. Enjoy life even, if this does call for you to be a consumer from time to time. These thoughts that flowed into my head are obviously the credo of a pragmatist. To others, i say: "Dream on." Meanwhile, i prepare my den for hibernating as we wend toward the darkness of the next solstice. Winter is coming...

I am soul searching wondering if when it comes to the current political climate i am descending into a state of cognitive dissonance. Facebook has become a twilight zone for me, exposing me to types of people who i cannot for the life of me change my negative opinion about perhaps because l defer to my gut feeling instead of my rational brain. I cannot change my opinion about the harm religion spawns or can i rein in my revulsion for right-wing fascistic conservatives. I cannot accept that these hypocrites and racists are people with integrity. Even Liberals have started to turn me off with their empathy for the neglected, resentful bigots who put Trump into office. I have no tolerance for these deplorables because they plainly are self-absorbed whiners. All the requests for the nation to pray for the unfortunate victims of Hurricane Harvey strike me as silly. Pray to whom? Why would an Omnipotent Being allow this disaster to happen and if this being is "working in mysterious ways", then what good will prayer do? When religious people explain that the catastrophe in Texas is god's will, this is simply a way of implying that he is punishing the enemies of whomever utters this phrase. To those who think it is the beginning of the end, then, again, i ask: "what good will prayer do"? I'm sure all of the people who are responding to this disaster with financial contributions and hands-on aid feel good about themselves for doing this. Me, i feel terrible for these unlucky people because they were all at the wrong place at the wrong time. Their lives have been changed forever and me sending 20 dollars to the Red Cross will not change this. Life is not fair. If it was, rich exploitive people like Donald Trump and Joel Osteen would've been swept away in the flooding. I fear i am moving past being cynical and evolving into a misanthrope. Black people exhibit so much stupidity and ignorance on FaceBook that i have lost patience with them. Lucky for me, i like solitude and am content to be alone in the company of myself. Me, myself and i deserve each other, i guess. But at least the option of shutting out what has become an annoyance to me is available Music from the days of yesteryear, and watching documentaries that deal with historical and scientific subjects are great pass-times. And binge watching past episodes of Game of Thrones is good escapism. For all of this i am grateful. In reaction to my rambling you ask: "Who cares?" In response i answer, "I don't know." And i don't really give a damn. I'm done.

Is height subjective? Is eye color subjective. is hair texture subjective? Is noticing that these features which characterize your group are different from the features which characterize another group a subjective observation?

Sneaky and deceptive? Have i ever deceived you? Or been anything but aggressive in my arguments with you? As usual, you view is skewed.

#45 has just recently lifted the ban on police being able to use assault weapons in the line of duty, not to mention trying to pardon the racist Arizona Sheriff convicted for racial profiling Mexicans immigrants. A federal judge denied Trump's attempt to pardon this bully, something about it not conforming to certain guidelines. The cop caught on tape saying "we only killed blacks" has been fired. Trump brings out the worst in a certain segment of the population, but he is also stirring up resistance among people sick of his boorishness. His tweets about the disaster in Houston were the height of insensitivity, referring to the "huge" flooding as record breaking and exciting. Then in his speech in Houston he raved about the size of the turn-out for his appearance there. Unbelievable! He needs to go!

This was a fluff piece, to get my foot in the door. Later my submissions were much more militant, so much so that the newspaper was flooded with complaints from whites, something the op-ed editor loved, assuring me that they wanted to provoke reader response. I also got a lot of hate mail that scorched my ears...

Black women have always been creative when it came to their hair and many, as Mel has noted, parlayed this creativity into profitably businesses dating way back. I'm not sure whether a black woman invented the all-but-obsolete curling iron that being adept at manipulating required a trained skill which produced the perfect results, an artistry more to be admired than condemned. I truly believe that what black women traditionally did to their hair was always about making it manageable and easier to style in different ways. Women that they were, they liked glamour which is why they would also paint their nails and wear lipstick and rouge. I'm not here to defend weaves because they are an extreme. But from what i gather, extensions are slightly different from weaves, and are easily added and removed and, of course, perms are a process not an add-on. Braids involve synthetic extensions that take hours to plait and are not so easily taken out. So they're kind of a faux display of black pride. For years, i tinted my mousy brown hair with with a Miss Clairol selection labeled "golden brown". So shoot me. But i loved how this color complemented my skin tone. All during the 1970s, like everyone else, i wore my hair in a big (golden brown) natural. I didn't sweat whether or not this sent a mixed message, because i used words to make a statement about racial discrimination, and i wrote about this injustice in the print media on a regular basis. To me, the press was mightier than the tress.

The "old wisdom" is out there, just waiting to be discovered and revealed.

Rise up, black women of America! You have your work cut out for you. Let your hair bloom in its natural state and await a miracle. You might also want to stop shaving your pubic and under arm hair. "Get out that funk!" BTW, Madam C. J. Walker was the richest black woman in America, amassing a fortune which in today's economy would be equivalent to a million dollars.