Pioneer1

Troy Most New Yorkers (NYC) are not property owners, so we call the landlord when something needs repairing. I think that is the reason we are less handy than those who live in areas where property ownership is easier. I know, I'm talking specifically about the Black property owners who DO exist there. Fun Fact: in the 70s when my HS was all boys the kids took swimming class buck naked! I was shocked when I heard this from an older Alumni. I've heard it from a few OG's that it was the same here in Michigan in a lot of schools not only in Detroit but around the state. But here, for some reason it was just the BOYS who had to swim like that. The girls could still wear bathing suits. Somebody said that this practice came from Germany before the Nazi's took over and the U.S. was seeking to imitate it. ProfD From a historical perspective, I know that it was Black folks who brought flavor to every genre of music either directly or indirectly. I've had so many first hand experiences with this. As I told Troy, I played the trumpet in elementary school but by the time we got to middle school they had ended music programs in most public schools in the city. But for 2 years I went to school in the SUBURBS! Most public schools in the suburbs STILL offered band classes and even provided instruments for their students. So when I go to school in the boonies...my trumpet went with me, lol. I remember we were all in music class with our individual instruments and the teacher decided to allow us to go unscripted. Guess who LEAD the class and outside everybody? The ONLY Black boy in music class....me. Infact, I was one of only 7 or 8 Black kids in the entire junior high school of about 800 or 700! I didn't need a script on how to change it up...something in me just KNEW how to press the valves and blow the notes the trumpet to spice it up and jazz it up; and the teacher looked in amazement at me and when I finished he looked at the other students and asked them could they do what I just did. They tried...but they couldn't...lol. Natural talent, rhythm, creativity.....it's in us. If that movie Mo' Better Blue had come up when I was still in middle school...not tellin what I may have done with myself, lol. Mel This is such an excellent conversation! This is why it is essential to ensure our children have mentors who can show them what we don't know or what we don't know we don't know. We can take a lesson from the Jews and Koreans or some Indians in African nations. We can send our children to regular public schools for basic STEM education but when it comes to refinement and educating them on AfroAmerican history and values...when they get OUT of public school we should bus them straight over to our own cultural indoctrination schools. ....where one of the FIRST thing they'd learn is the "Negro National Athem". It's a shame the first time a lot of Black youth EVER heard it or even heard OF it was through Kendrick Lamar's Superbowl performance.

Troy I hope that clerk is living in a homeless encampment DAMN What in the world....lol. Man you STILL mad at that woman! She must have really fucked your night up with homegirl! When a sista gets mad enough to leave the wine (or anything else) on the counter and run back out to the car, SHE MAAAAAD....lol. Born and raised in an urban ghetto, I ain't above drinking cheap wine, but it was something along the line of Yellow Tail. Yellowtails aren't bad. When it comes to cheap wine, I'm more of a Reisling man myself. Although this Ethiopian woman at work turned me on to some relatively cheap African wine called "Mead" which I'm really digging. ProfD Man, Troy ain't playing....lol. Old racist heifer REALLY rubbed him the wrong way cuz I ain't NEVER heard him talk about anybody like that before! Must have been a baaaaaad ass sista he sent into the store to "get the stuff" while he kept the car warm, lol. ....only for some old racist snaggle toofed biaaa' biaaa' to throw a money wrench in his plans, lol. Maybe Oklahoma is different is but I doubt the Dollar Store there is selling Cisco and Boone. Probably a local spiked kool-aid calling it wine I don't give a damn what they call it, ain't drinking NO liquor that costs only a dollar. Unless it's one of those little miniature bottles...lol. Selling bottles of $1 liquor sounds like something off of a Netflix movie "They Cloned Tyrone" Cyinque your lame attempts at humor always fall flat because true wit is a play on reality. You and your generic ass, over-the-hill self continue to project your ghetto lifestyle on me because of your ongoing need to bring me down to your level. Stick to spying on white dudes and deriving vicarious thrills from seeing other guys do what you are too much of a loser to succeed at. Lol....well if you think I'm such a loser then why are you constantly PM'ing me talking about this or that? Why would a person seek conversation with a "natural born loser"??? You ain't fooling NOBODY but yourself....lol. Chev The internet search reports that the change occurred in December 2021 and the stores began the price change in 2022. Sounds about right. But it seems like it was even a couple years earlier than that, though. 🤔

So I've heard... But when it comes to taxes and the IRS...I don't play games. That little money you get back by "claiming this" and "deducting that" and claiming "exemption for this or that reason" isn't worth it. Especially if you fuck something up and have to hire a lawyer to straighten it out. Whenever I'm tempted omit something or add something in hopes of gaining a little more money back in my refund I think of a line from Kurtis Blow's: The Breaks "And the IRS says they wanna chat (that's the breaks...that's the breaks) And you can't explain why you claimed ya cat (that's the breaks....that's the breaks)" .....lol. The juice just ain't worth the squeeze BREAK IT UP ~ BREAK DOWN!

Chev Yes, I believe that Black people have been exploited at unawares, however, I also believe that most of us do NOT accept accountability for negatives actions as well. Ofcourse not, "children" rarely accept personal responsibility. And as Neely Fuller Jr. has pointed out, most of our people have a CHILD like mentality. The fact that so many of our people don't have any better sense THAN to argue with eachother in public...something most adults learn not to do early on...is a sign of a child's mentality. I have not visited that thread yet but I do believe that African people have been encouraged to be divided and this could be both a good thing or bad depending. Well, DELINIATING (distinguishing your identity separately from another) yourself to celebrate the culture and uniqueness of your particular ethnic group is usually a good thing. ...as long as you're doing it YOURSELF. But if SOMEBODY ELSE from the outside is doing the dividing, it's rarely a good thing. It's usually a case of DIVIDE to CONQUER. Even if Black men believe that they tried, obviously, they do not hear the Black women and acknowledge what we are saying about how we have been abandoned and why we feel that Black men have failed us. I believe that both Black men and Black women are showing arrogance and do not want to acknowledge that we have failed for certain reasons. It's that child like immature mentality where nobody wants to accept blame or any role THEY may have played in the dysfunction. But when it comes to White men and other kinds of men, I believe what Mel Hopkins once said, if I remember correctly in that she said, when it comes down to it, Men are men. The nature of males are unique IMO, and if another kind of man wants to embrace a Black woman, then he does need to respect her for coming from a unique 'Black' culture and build a relationship from that perspective. A lot of White men seek Black women....not out of love...but strictly for the CHALLENGE. They want to break the stereotype or belief that they are too "soft" or not strong enough to handle a Black woman...so one of their greatest desires is to get a Black woman to love them and see them in a sexual light. Another goal of a lot of White men in pursuing Black women is to rub it in the face of Black men as if to say "I got your bitch". I remember one White man at my old job who knew how I felt about White men being with Black women and would make a point of it to find one who liked him and smooch all over her in front of me while staring at me and smiling. I don't know of any Black man who does that with a White woman. Even if they're in love...they don't go out of their way to smooch eachother in front of White men JUST to piss them off. When it comes down to Black men versus other kinds of men, I believe that they will not understand what a Black man has to deal with due to the history made in this world, but that is not the same as bonding with a woman. In fact, if another kind of man does embrace a Black woman, that would actually be a pathway in understanding what Black men have had to endure, especially if they have children from that kind of union Uhhh...so exactly WHAT are you trying to say Chevdove??? 🤨 Trump puts on a good act, but he is 'allowed' to be aggressive and macho--to a point. Ofcourse. Everything he's doing....he's being ALLOWED to do so. He's the catharsis for a lot of White men who want to talk and move the way HE is but they're afraid to or not in a position to. So they support him and encourage him to break rules, break the law, promote open bigotry and brag about firing people. That's what THEY want to do and USED to do before so many Civil Rights laws were put in place to curtail their ruthlessness. I think that many Black women in my family circle have an obsession over White men because of various factors and not just one factor I'm curious. Obsessed, how? Obsessed with them sexually, or do they see them as angelic or something? I know you said family but are these Black American women, btw???? ProfD The funny part is most Black women will act differently towards a non-Black man. Not because that man did anything special to deserve it. I've noticed this myself for years. A lot of Black women who act tough and ghetto and hard around Black men will all of a sudden become all dainty and smiles with White men. And he doesn't have to be a rich or handsome White man. Some fat sloppy slow acting White man is enough to make them change their entire attitude. As quiet as a church mouse around you with little eye contact. But as soon as that goofy sloppy White man comes around she can't stop grinning and running her mouth and telling all of her personal business....even when his body language shows he's clearly not interested in hearing it, lol. Look how the rapper Eve switched her style up after meeting and marrying a White man. Chev and ProfD I call it the "White Jesus" affect. When a child grows up looking at images of a White Jesus with his hands outstretched and healing all your wounds....that has a profound subconscious psychological effect on them and how they view White people for the rest of their lives. Every White man they see....they subconsciously see that man as "Jesus" or their savior UNLESS that spell is broken.

Other people know how to keep their dirty laundry in the closet. Including Africans. Their allegiance goes from immediate family, to extended family, to clan, to tribe, to ethnicity, to nation.....in that order.

Looking for ways to preserve the White race and keep THEMSELVES from going extinct.

Several things I immediately notice about the videos and pictures of this prison: 1. It seems to be nothing but relatively healthy young men. 2. Where are the OLDER inmates? 3. Where are the inmates with physical disabilities? 4. I don't even see any FAT inmates in those videos and pictures. Despite the restrictive conditions in the prison, you know some of the people were living large (pun intended....lol) and eating good before they went in. So where are they? As a possible plus side to all of this, I also wonder how much rape and abuse by other inmates....if any...is going on in that prison?

Man, ain't NOTHING soft about Cisco. Boone...maybe, lol. Troy I....I......I'm just trying to understand this. 🤔 Now...I need help on this one. What kind of woman......had a well educated well established man like yourself running in out of dollar stores....trying to hurry up and buy cheap ass wine??????? What did she PUT on you when you went down there in Oklahoma????

ProfD I've been seeing and hearing this term "sigma male" being around the internet lately. Not exactly sure what it means. However it's interesting that as folks descend the scale of the Greek alphabet from Alpha down to Beta they skip right over Delta and Gamma and jump to Sigma, lol.

I'm not trying to be flippant on the situation but........ Why would yall choose the DOLLAR TREE to buy wine??? Now THAT'S gotten my attention more than the racist store clerk...lol. I honestly didn't know the Dollar Tree even SOLD liquor. BTW..... Now a days, it's the policy of some stores that if you look under 50 they sometimes card you. I know it doesn't make a lot of since, especially if you have a face or head full of gray.....but....

Maybe individual citizens should adapt the same mentality when it comes to OUR income, especially with regard to taxes....lol. If I didn't make MORE MONEY this year than I made last year, I should consider it a LOSS. ...talk about motivation! Perhaps I should only pay taxes on the money I earned OVER the previous year...lol.

ProfD As Troy alluded to earlier, one of the problems with going ahead and being alpha anyway despite what society says you can and can't do is you can "not care" all you want but if you TRY to be an alpha-man around the wrong White men, they'll quickly show you how alpha you are NOT. There are a lot of alpha-men right now exhibiting dominance over others.....but other MEN, not women. And they're doing it in PRISON.....because that's about as far as their alpha masculinity has taken them so far. Black men in power must change things at the top to make it VIABLE for the rest of Black men in society to safely express their masculinity without being targeted to be taken out or locked up because THEIR masculinity as a Black man posed a threat to some racist White man's masculinity.

ProfD Family Dollar and Dollar General have always been charging more than $1 for items except when it's on sale or clearance. Yeah, Family Dollar. That was the other one I was trying to think of...lol. Both of those stores were dirty and rip offs as far as I'm concerned. Their actual products were about as cheap as any Dollar Tree but their prices were as high as any regular store. Troy Call me a snob, but I've never been in a Dollar General and only in a Dollar Tree once. I wouldn't call you a "snob" for that. (But I WOULD call you a "snob" for going to those Jack-n-Jill parties and other Black Elitist events that a lot of professional class AfroAmericans like to attend. Now THAT will take a nigga from 'Hawwwlum and making him sho'nuff boogie.....lol.) The Dollar Tree I visited in Tulsa I decided never to visit again. Now wait..... I'm a little curious. Lol...what was it about that Dollar Tree that turned you off so much that you just refused to go back into one????

The problem with trying to treat people equally is....some people DON'T WANT to be treated equally. They want to be treated how THEY want to be treated, regardless as to how you treat somebody else. Like S.O.S. used to sang, "I don't care 'bout them other girls.....just be good to ME" Lol.... Some women LOVE it when a man bosses them around and sexually objectifies them, as long as he's taking care of her financially and she doesn't have to work. Other women prefer a man who treats her as his "partner" and they split everything 50/50. Society shouldn't force ALL women or ALL men into one or the other category but should allow people to get in where they fit in. But I don't trust these so-called egalitarian so-called liberated feminist White women. They'll teach in universities and get on television encouraging BLACK WOMEN to be single and independent and fill the minds of Black girls with this shit, but they'll encourage THEIR OWN daughters at home to have tea parties (with the lace gloves and all...lol), celebrate traditional weddings with the tuxedo and white dress, and even more shocking.....most of their husbands are macho MAGA hat wearing chauvinists! When you ask some of these feminist White women why they're married to the most bigoted chauvinistic men....they'll respond in some cutsie way about how they're "working on him" or "he's not as bad as he used to be" or otherwise dismiss his sexist macho behavior; which shows you how hypocritical they are and that their real agenda is to break up the Black family. Just like the "pussy grabbing" remark by Trump. A lot of White women dismissed it as "locker room" talk...although he didn't say it in a damn locker room but to an actual reporter.

Troy I believe that if a man wants to be macho in his own sphere of influence he should be allowed that right, many women actually LOVE it and find it attractive. One of the problems of the so-called "nice guy" is him treating women with the same respect and manner he treats other men and wonder why women ignore him sexually and chase after the brutish but aggressive asshole who exhibits traditionally masculine traits...lol. Which brings me to another point....... It's one thing for society to force ALL cultures, races, and ethnicities to behave in a non-sexist egalitarian way where women are not objectified sexually. But that's not happening....in America atleast. In Europe they are more fair in making EVERYONE conform to their laws and policies but in the United States, things are different. Here, White and Black men are often targeted and accused of chauvinism, toxic masculinity, ect...but they'll ignore the Arab and Latino and Asian men who exhibit 10 times MORE chauvinistic behavior towards their own women. Infact, their OWN women usually ignore it and in many cases ENCOURAGE it. So Arab and Latino men get to enjoy their role as the dominant males and freely express their masculinity in a way White and Black American men aren't allowed to.

Troy Did Starbucks actually lose money or have their profits simply not been as huge as they were? There's a difference. Some corporations..... If they made $50 billion in PROFIT in 2023 but only $25 billion in PROFIT in 2024, they'll count that profit loss as a 50% drop or $25 billion loss when actually they didn't lose anything.

Are you surprised? Maher has a HISTORY of saying sneaky and greasy shit that often betrays his real thoughts as a Conservative and racist. Many people think he's a Liberal but he actually makes it clear than he's a Libertarian. Libertarians are often described as Conservatives who like to smoke weed....lol. He routinely disparages Arabs and their culture and has been doing this since before 9/11. He also disparages and low key criticizes Black people and AfroAmerican culture from time to time. When Chris Rock did his famous stand-up routine where he detailed the difference between Black folks and "niggaz" and said a whole lot of shit that really SHOULD have been said....but said behind closed doors....a lot of racists White folks were getting erections! Finally, they were hearing what they wanted to hear and it was coming from a Black man and not them. Bill Maher was one of those people who thoroughly enjoyed Rock standing in front of the entire world and publicly criticizing own his people and would often ask, "Where is the Chris Rock for the Arab people?". ....obviously suggesting the need for an Arab to get on stage and publicly criticize HIS people down for what Maher thinks are dysfunctions in their culture.

Mel Doesn't the emotional and/or intellectual dysfunction often caused BY brain damage or brain chemistry imbalances -fall under the category of mental disorders?

Troy I recently read something about the boycott being really effective against Target apparently the stock price dropped substantially. I did not have a chance to look into it to understand why they thought the boycott was the reason rather than all the other reasons stock prices have been going down lately, from one thing to another and I subsequently forgot to post it. Perhaps it was indeed effective, but I'm still trying to figure out what the objective/demand of Target actually was and more importantly....how does it relate to US as AfroAmericans. Was it over DEI policies? Nearly all of the Target stores in MY area are staffed by either SOME Black people or HALF of the staff are Black and it's still like that. No change....yet, atleast. So I'm not sure what type of impact DEI or the lack there of has had on the hiring process at Target this is actually a good point that I hadn’t really considered. You gotta admit... I DO get off a good one every now and then, lol. If the goal is to reinstate DEI initiatives, what had those initiatives accomplished for us in the first place and how are we being hurt as a result now? That's what I was just asking regarding the Target example. The oft cited Montgomery bus boycott’s goal was crystal clear. Right. Clarity and benefits are the 2 essential ingredients of any successful boycott. Without those, you won't gain much of a following...even among those who stand to benefit the most. When it came to the Montgomery Bus Boycott....the GRIEVANCES were also more clear and obvious. Racial discrimination by the bus service was open and obvious to everyone so the objective was easily understood. With this.....neither is very clear. Like you said, even if your protests are having an effect...how will you know it? Are they expecting for Target or McDonalds to collapse or go out of business? Or just for their stock value to drop? I know quite a few people who used to LOVE them some Starbucks but right now won't buy their coffee at Starbucks and won't even step foot IN one to use the bathroom because of their connections to Israel. Guess what? Starbucks is still operating and making money and Israel is still doing it's thing over in the Middle East. I predict that these Walmart/Target/McDonald's boycotts are going to be about as effective at getting the Trump/Musk Administration to change THEIR policies as the (how many years now???) Starbuck's boycott has been in getting Israel to change theirs.

Chev This change seems to be happening fast. It doesn't seem like old news to me, though. It's only been maybe 'not even two years' since the first change occurred and it became $1.25. I noticed this some years ago but I'm not sure if it was 2. It seems to me it was more than that....more like 5 or 6...lol. I moved from one city to the next just before the Pandemic and I often use the move as a "time marker" for things. I remember a Dollar Tree I used to go to marked up their prices to $1.25 and this was back in 2019. Maybe it was just a regional thing though. But I like the very ATMOSPHERE of the typical Dollar Tree. First of all that green and white sign makes it look "fresh"...lol. And when you go inside the stores are usually big but the shelves are eye level or lower which makes it look wide open and pleasant to shop in. Unlike those Dollar Generals where shit is typically packed up almost to dirty ass ceiling...lol. Most Dollar generals are packed to the point you can't see from one aisle to the next. I used to go OUT OF MY WAY to find the nearest Dollar Tree. I'd pass by 5 different Orange-n-Red signs to find one White-n-Green one...lol.

Chev Passing the Buck. I believe that there is responsibility on both sides of the coin. Facts. I believe that historically, bailing out on our 'race' due to Black Hatred was committed by both Black men and Black women and still today this conflict is being encouraged to continue. I believe that Black Hatred is used to support White Domination. Some believe that Black hatred is a SPAWN of White Domination and came out of it. I'm inclined to believe this too. Although I do believe...as stated in my "tribalistic thread" that African people tend to be divided and more individualistic by nature and many racist Whites have learned to EXPLOIT this nature in our people. It's not a lie though, IMO, that Black men have failed Black women, and vice versa. I agree to a certain extent. However I'd go as far as to say that if a person FAILS at something...it means they ACTUALLY TRIED. When was the last time AfroAmerican men...collectively...even TRIED to be the men we need to be to our women? And when was the last time our women...collectively...even TRIED to be the women they needed to be for us? A lot of our people have given up on THEMSELVES as well as eachother, and are now seeking comfort and understanding outside of our race, but they don't find it. A White man can talk as nice as he wants and give you all the money....but no White man will understand you like an AfroAmerican man will. Watching the different reactions to the George Floyd situation taught a lot of mixed couples that...lol. But when it comes down to it, historically and based on the Bible, it is the Black males that are being blamed first for causing the downfall of Black civilizations. Men are the ones primarily responsible for protecting and providing for ANY community. Especially in....as Mel Hopkins would put it...lol...such a Patriarchal world such as this. So if a civilization falls, it's ultimately the fault of the men. Even if a community falls, it's the fault of the men because we should have done what was necessary to keep it together. There was a story of a bunch of Jews held up in a compound and were surrounded by the Roman military. Rather than surrender....they killed their women, children and finally themselves before allowing the Romans to lay hands on them because they KNEW what would happen to not only their families but future generations if they were captured.

Cynique I read how you guys wete rhapsodizing about black music but I've never gotten the impression that you are fans of Jazz or big band swing music or the Blues, I love Coletrane and the Marsalis brothers. Other than them, I'm not the biggest fan of Jazz. (And incidentally Mariah Carey is half black. just like Alicia Keys - and Halle Berry. ) I wouldn't put Mariah Carey in the same category as Alicia or Halle. My understanding is that Mariah is some weird ass concoction of Irish, AfroAmerican, Brazilian, Venezuelan, heritage.......with just trace amounts of actual Black ancestry. She got the VOICE from us...lol...that's about it. Imagining that white guys aren't suave, and want to be black so they can impress black girls. Is you Krazy? I'm not denying that SOME White men can be smooth and sexy. However the fact is they've learned a lot simply being around and observing how AfroAmerican men in general operate. There's a reason why most dildos are BLACK in color...lol. Can you say KAMALA?? How come they don't have children together? It's probably a sexless marriage. Probably got with my man....originally...as a power move. No Americans seriously envy black folk. Come on now, you know better than that....lol. Don't say "no Americans". You know a LOT of them wish they could be us if they could and that's where a lot of the hatred comes from. As Chris Rock once said, "no white person wants to trade places with me, and I'm a millionaire!" I usually agree with Chris Rock's social observations, but not on this point. A lot of White folks want to be us even if we aren't wealthy. They just want to be US. Not all...I won't even say most...but many.

ProfD Hip-Hop music, cable TV, internet and a 24/7365 media cycle makes it easier for white folks (men and women) to cosplay certain aspects of Black folks. Facts Especially if they hear narratives that 1) there aren't enough Black men for every Black woman and 2) Black men are broke, lazy and irresponsible. Unfortunately a lot of this rhetoric is coming from some of our own sistaz. For the past 10 years or so I've been telling them that if they want a White man...GET themselves a White man. You don't have to run down Black men, claim there aren't enough, or make up lies and excuses for why you don't want one; just get who you DO want and enjoy them.

Chev Ahhh gurl this is OLD news...lol. You just noticed this???? Prices have been up at the Dollar Tree for a few years now. I still like it better than the Dollar General though. The stores are typically cleaner and better laid out and the prices are still relatively cheaper. I don't like those Dollar Generals. First of all most things are rarely a dollar, and most of their items are just as expensive as Target or Walmart. They also tend to be dirty and poorly organized. More "ghetto" in their lay out and locations. I hope the owners of Dollar General don't take over the Dollar Tree chain, that would be jacked up. Cynique Yes, the Dollar Tree in the mall that I frequent is now a dollar twenty-five tree. Who takes you? 😁 -Is it that same man you used to catch rides with and bought you groceries????

Chev Exactly. Who is the leader? But even if there is a leader or some group that is heading this up, I wonder what do they represent. Great questions. Based on what I've observed.... A lot of the times the organizers of these protests are just as racist and closed minded as the people they're protesting against. You go to some of these anti-Capitalism meetings and you have a bunch of White men with beards and sometimes long hair who will argue with you and think they know everything and not respect your opinion.....just like the White Conservative or Capitalist. 2 different extremes on the opposite ends of the same racist frequency. Are the objectives made clearly understood? I don't think they are because they aren't being laid out. Apparently the only objective is to restore DEI to certain institutions; which in my opinion doesn't benefit AfroAmericans THAT much anyway. If I enjoy shopping at Target or getting my coffee from Starbucks, I'm not going to inconvenience myself for some "shot in the dark" useless boycott to show Trump how angry I am when he doesn't even care.