richardmurray

Wakanda and Talokanil have a singular problem. Both represent a group of people who evaded what the entirety of their kin in the real world did not. While everyone else Black in all humanity in the last five centuries had to deal with being oppressed by white europeans, wakandans didn't. While all indigenous people in humanity in the last five centuries had to deal with being oppressed by white europeans, the Talokanil didn't. 

So the question is, what will a native american people potent enough to defend themselves from the descendants of white europeans or white european descended powers look like? same question what will a black people's <phenotypical race> potent enough to defend themselves from the descendants of white europeans or white european descended powers look like?

The answers are infinite. None are right or wrong. This is fiction. But, from some, not all, whom I spoke to offline who are Black or descended of enslaved or from the motherland to the black enslaved, Wakanda is at the least problematic, at most a cruel joke. And while I have not communicated to any indigenous americans <modern day canada to argentina> about the Talokanil,  I am certain they have similar ranges of negative or positive responses as the aforementioned to Wakanda. 

The problem is the delicacy of such stories. The audience may not admit it, but it knows history well enough to know human beings various groups do not have a positive relationship. And while looking at each person individually has been championed larger and larger since the nineteen hundreds , most human beings are still  of a group first over an individual, for better or worse, and thus, the history of groups in modern humanity, the past five hundred years, is simply negative, and not condoning any positive unions. 

Sequentially, if a writer decides to display fortunate isolated communities from the oppression all their neighbors have survived, if the isolated communities are displayed vengeful while everdistant to the outsiders, the contrast will yield to characters or plots who are unstable. As wanting revenge to all others while also wanting to never be near all others are to incompatible desires. To get revenge one must at some point be near. one must be integrated to get revenge even if the field of integration is the battlefield.

EXTRA THOUGHTS TO WAKANDA

My thoughts to Black Fiction and its modern highlighted forms
https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1524&type=status

My Issue with the isolationism of Wakanda
https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1527&type=status

The travels of Michael B Jordan
https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=1779&type=status
 

Wakanda Forever Reviewed by Three White men of Australia- I concur that wakanda forever has plot imbalances. But I oppose their view that the plot or characters are stupid. I think their erratic behavior makes sense. When the british empire fired cannons off the coast of japan and ended their pen-total isolation, the effect on Nippon was huge. Isolated communities historically have a very hard time handling the powerful stranger. In the case of wakanda or talokanil, their problem is restraint. These are two communities that by raw militaristic power could had split the world into two spheres of influence. 500 years ago, Talokanil had the ability to take over all of the american continent, conquistadors first, their fellow indigenous second. 500 years ago Wakanda had the ability to take over all of europe, from london to istanbul, their fellow africans second.  So these are two communities , that are minorities in their region, that have held back empire for centuries, or longer. That is what the hosts don't see. The execution may be a little sloppy at times ...  I would had loved a chance to write the screenplay, but I get what the writers are going for. Killmonger, seeking revenge for the Black people who were not able to evade white european power. Wanted Wakanda to use its power. His argument is that inaction was a betrayal to they black neighbor. What Tchalla and his branch of wakandan monarchy believe in is that, inaction was being respectful to all humans. As Martin Luther King jr said, content of character, not color of skin. Killmonger sees Whites = bad, but Tchalla's forebears see humans outside Wakanda =bad. But TChalla see's the middle ground. Wakandan lacking responsibility =bad. His father not taking his nephew to wakanda is equivalent to wakandan's not guiding blacks or whites anywhere, humans anywhere to positive resolution. Ala the end of Black Panther 1. In Black Panther 2, Namor, a 500 year old individual, has a different problem. He has lived long enough to know white power, white european power, control nearly all of humanity save talokanil side wakanda and a few other hidden spots on the map. While he has also lived long enough to see after centuries of white european rule , the oppressed adopt the way of the rulers, while he is still indigenous, under the water. It is the bitterness as he still feels the hate to the conquistador, to the white european community of the conquistador. But, said community, for better or worse, and in his mind worse, has led to new cultures created all throughout humanity, that are not the old ones before the white europeans arrived, but are not totally absent the indigenous heritages from before the white man came. Yes, Native Americans sit in the USA Congress. Yes, MAndela became president of South africa and preached ubuntu. YEs, the leadership of the Chinese government dresses in WEstern European Garb while being a proven/known nuclear power. Namor hates these hybrid cultures, in my interpretation to the story, and the irony is, he himself, is a hybrid:) 

The review beneath me is very negative towards wakanda forever, so I advise you not listen to it , if you can't handle such things, though it makes some great plot points about the film, that I agree, were lazy from the writers. 

In my opinion a video that is a great reply to the review above. The key is perspective. The reviewers above, in their judeo christian mentality can't comprehend the revenge narrative in either Black Panther films that reflects a well known in Black or Indigenous circles story view. In the indigenous or Black communities, it is common to live disliking whites, live whole lives disliking whites, sometimes hating whites. But, not doing much of anything. The historical figures of NAt Turner or Tecumseh prove that the two communities in question have important differences to most whites. I will argue, that some in the irish community comprehend this mentality. The point is, communities have their own perspectives which flow into fiction and if people from other communities don't comprehend those perspectives they may deem the said fiction silly or dysfunctional, as the reviewers above.

A small review of the book , one title in in english being, Water Margin

water Margin's series summarized

In Ode to Jet Li.  I truly think he , barring Brandon Lee , is the heir to Bruce Lee in Chinese Cinema. 

THE BEST STREET STYLE LOOKS FROM NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
Written By Victor Qunnuell Vaughns,Jr. 

CLICK THE LINK FOR ALL PHOTOS
https://www.caribmemag.com/single-post/the-best-street-style-looks-from-new-york-fashion-week
 

The following is an entry

Vogue Fashion Market Editor Naomi Elizée -Christian Vierig for Getty Images Editor in Chief of The Cut at New York Magazine

The Red Wave (That Wasn't)
The day after Election Day
Dan Rather
 and 
Elliot Kirschner
3 hr ago

Democrat John Fetterman won the Pennsylvania Senate race. (Photo: Angela Weiss)
And so we wait. 

Control of the U.S. Senate, and even, improbably, the House of Representatives, is unknown the day after Election Day and will likely remain so for days and possibly weeks to come. It is a stunning turn of events that should force a reckoning across both parties about old assumptions around voting patterns, the choice of candidates, and messaging. Perhaps the political press and the pundit class should engage in some introspection about why so many could have gotten so much so wrong. 

As we stand now, there are some things we can say with certainty. 

There was no red wave. Not by a long shot. When you consider the political and economic context for this election, Democrats over-performed at a historic scale. As we and others noted many times, the party that doesn’t control the presidency almost always wins, and usually big, in midterm elections. Not this time. And when you add in President Biden’s relatively low popularity, inflation, and the general unease of the nation and the world, it makes the results we are witnessing even more stunning. 

It is clear that the Supreme Court tossing away the right for women to have control over their own reproductive choices was rejected by a lot of Americans. Exit polls showed that abortion was a big issue for voters. And abortion rights measures won in several states, including Kentucky, Montana, and Michigan. As a highly partisan and reactionary Supreme Court continues to rule more as politicians than as justices, it will be interesting to see how, or whether, this shapes the electorate. Also, most Republicans who did win election favor severe abortion restrictions. This issue is not going away. 

Donald Trump had hoped to take a victory lap this week as his candidates swept into office, culminating with an announcement he is running for president. He may yet make that announcement, but Trumpism by and large fared poorly on Tuesday. In a number of high-profile races, voters recoiled at the chaos of MAGA America, the outrageousness of the Big Lie, and the nihilism of candidates who would destroy our democracy. Heck, even the toxic Lauren Boebert lost her House seat in Colorado. 

To be sure, many Republicans who won at all levels of government have pledged their fealty to Trump and his destructive politics. The dangers to our democratic order remain. But we have a clearer sense of the battlefield. Millions and millions of Americans went to the polls and said, “Enough.” It is fair to guess that if Republicans had run more mainstream candidates, they could have had a better night. 

One notable exception to this narrative comes from Florida. The state was once a battleground. It now appears to be ruby red under Governor Ron DeSantis. He emerges as a major power in the Republican Party, and it is clear he wants to be president. Many party leaders would love for him to be the standard bearer, but one person who is not on board is Trump. 

This dynamic could lead to an intra-party fight the likes of which we have not seen in a long time, if ever. At stake are a few big unknowns: How loyal will the MAGA crowds be to Trump? What about right-wing media? Trump may be wounded and facing major legal jeopardy, but he has always put his personal interests first. If he goes down, he will try to pull others with him, and he doesn’t care a whit about splitting the Republican Party. Dare we say Republicans in disarray?

It is also striking how different the election results are from the way the races were covered. We heard that voter anxiety over inflation, crime, and even immigration would lead to a red wave. We heard that the Democrats were flailing in finding a message that would resonate with the electorate. We heard about major momentum swings. It was considered a given that Democrats would lose the House. And while that might still happen, it is at least going to be close. 

We should be reminded anew to take all political prognostications with caution. And the political press perhaps should focus a bit less on the horse race, especially because they aren’t very good handicappers, and a little more on covering the issues that matter. If you want to know what Americans think, you can’t go only to rural diners. As we saw last night, the voters who are shaping this country can also be found in college dorms, Black barber shops, and suburban book clubs. The “average American” isn’t who it was in the 1950s. A diverse, young, and multiethnic United States made a statement this election. 

At the same time, Trumpism is not vanquished. The structural challenges to our democracy, such as partisan gerrymandering, the Electoral College, and courts packed with ideological judges, remain. The fight for the soul of this nation continues, but there is a strong constituency for democracy and normalcy. 

There is a lot more to say about individual races and broader trends. We will continue to follow the story of American democracy at Steady. For now, however, we can say that there is reason for hope and optimism about the future of this country. Maybe a fever is starting to break. There were Republicans who won last night who are trying to forge a different path forward for their party. We want to have elections between people who differ on policy, not on whether they believe in a constitutional republic based on the principles of freedom and democracy. 

So we return to the notion of steady. We can breathe deep, take a moment to reflect on all that is good about our country, and continue the hard work of forging a more perfect union.

My thoughts

My only legal issue with Rather side Kirchner is they don't state with the supreme court how it got to this. In the USA if you want a law to be undeniable, you need the amendment process. But, affirmative action/abortion in any form/open immigration during the 1960s and 1970s wasn't going to get through an amendment process. I daresay absent any statistical proof, it will not now. So, what could the POAJ - party of andrew jackson- do? The supreme court. I am not certain but many or most of the supreme court in the 1960s was placed by POAL presidents .  But the Kennedy and LBJ administrations pushed these situations and the supreme court decided. And that decisions making is my one point to the article. 
The Supreme court makes decisions not laws. Decisions can change. I concur to the writers that the multiracial/urban population has grown to contain/control/counter/oppose the monoracial/rural population. 
But a sad truth is the supreme court's decisions had a large part to play in that in the 1960s, 1970s. and to be blunt those were decisions, not laws. And media need to treat them as decisions.
The question is, why hasn't the Party of Andrew Jackson pushed immigration/abortion/affirmative actions laws to the amendment process? We all know why. They are dead on arrival. So with the Surpreme Court no longer around to be a legal instrument for the POAJ , now that it is a legal instrument for the POAL . It is time to see how the two parts of the USA will end up.
One last point, few people in the USA are against freedom or the rule of the people, or a legal framework making the guidelines for rule, ala the constitution.
The issues are, are you willing to accept sharing freedom to a stanger, ala immigration
are you willing to accept opportunity will not be merely for your own , ala affirmative action
are you willing to accept equality in working environment to another who has a physicality different than you or shares a different philosophy, ala abortion.
Many people say , of course, but what happens when your town or city only has so much money for welfare and now thousands of immigrants need welfare too, and the city gives less to all?
What happens when you want your children and nieces and nephews to have jobs but the jobs are allocated to provide greater width of opportunity?
What happens when you accept a pregnancy and the extra financial challenge of it as a lifestyle choice while another doesn't. 
I concur, the red wave wasn't, but the United States of America doesn't have a majority strong enough for any waves.  The problem is, what happens when people want policy that goes to their heritage or culture, their desires for the fiscal betterment of their family or themselves. 
Rural Whites from legal slavery to Jim Crow, to the automotive industrial boom to the jail boom have always benefited by government supporting them. 
Do they want that to change? no. Is that opposing freedom? of others, yes. Is it right or wrong? I don't know. 
But, no human group wants less, no human group. And no one has the ability to convince a person to cut their opportunity or advantages for another. Opportunities or advantages is why non whites want affirmative action. why women want federally protected abortion. Why immigrants want federally supported immigration. 
But why will whites not want those advantages or opportunities to, or want to share them?  

ARTICLE
https://steady.substack.com/p/the-red-wave-that-wasnt

My thoughts to the concept of Unspoken

The video starts off with, and I quote
"Church membership among Black Americans has decreased by 19% over the past two decades. Departures led by Genz and Millennials"
Then the first speaker ask a question. Is Christianity the white man's religion?
A speaker said it is unfortunate the black christian church is pushed to the margins of the black community in the usa. 
But he is wrong, it was inevitable. Like Black Colleges first financed by whites or the National association for the advancement of colored people first financed by whites, the black churches, first financed by whites spent most of the time since the end of the war between the states preaching to black people , individual accountability. 
Again, many , and I say an unproven most , Black churches opposed the panthers/opposed Black violence against whites or blacks scheming/supported white initiatives like the war on drugs which was clearly a scheme to harm the black community. 
The Black Church failed, that is why its numbers are low. It the same problem with people voting. 
People don't mind supporting a church or some religion. They don't mind voting. But they want to see something in return. Don't tell the people the return on investment is the investment itself. 
That is why Black people are disinterested in the Black Church or Parties of Governance. They want something and these institutions don't offer anything and have proven they will not give anything the people value even with the greatest participation by the people. 
Circa 1:53 one of the documentaries creators, a black woman states, many people go by here and say is christianity a white man's religion? 
The problem I have is the question are incorrect. Two better questions are, is there a black version of christianity, or can one make their own version of christianity? the answer to the first is yes, the answer to the second is yes. 
First, The ethiopian Tewahedo church is christian, made by blacks in africa after christianity was introduced to the emperor of ethiopia by christians from europe, I think they were white. IT started, I looked it up, in the 4th century.
Second, all versions of christianity today are variants. No version of christianity reflects what jesus was doing? why? Jesus had no bible. Jesus had no mancraft church. Jesus had no restrictive memberships, meaning all could follow him regardless of their belief or disbelief.  If you want the christianity of jesus you better start with yourself, as a denomination with one member.
2:47 the sister after an interlude continues and says, some black man spoke about being harassed by his friends constantly that christianity is a white man's religion. Again, the problem is comprehending how religions work. Like the roman emperor constantine, manipulated and made the modern european christian churches, any individual has the ability to make their own christian church. This is where excommunicado comes from. It came from after Nicea when the selected christian groups by Constantine, were forced to make a bible, which was not official before and then they excommunicated any one who called themselves christian who didn't convert to their form of christianity. This is very simple.
Haitian Voodoo is similar but not Dahomey Vodun. Faiths , Spiritualities, Religions have versions. It is that simple. They are made more often than not. Sometimes they bicker amongst themselves, ala the reformations of europe. But anyone is free to make one.
In Conclusion, the problem isn't people leaving a religions or spirituality or faith <for the record those three things are not the same> . The problem is, near history saw a swelling of membership to some religions: christianity/islam/buddhism. But those swellings were based on military power of human groups against other human groups, it wasn't willing conversions. But, the religions accepted the selling without preaching how they swelled. So in modernity, the devout of these religions, feel an angst , an isolation, a confusion, but they are wrong to be confused. The christianity of jesus, islam of muhammed, buddhism or siddharta have one thing in common. Each started a faith that was deemed during the time their spirit was inside a living body, a radical minority. 
The people producing this are proselytizing a selling point. That christianity is black, christianity is african, and so Black people of African descent need to flock back to christianity. But the problem is most in humanity are distancing themselves from the religions forced on their forebears. Just remember, Christianity or islam or buddhism were all imperial religions over large portions of humanity at some point in the recent past. 
The modern christians need to accept they are or are becoming a minority populace across humanity as a whole or in parts and focus on improving their community and learning to be happy amongst the majority non christian community.
IN AMENDMENT 1
To the question of Christianity being a white man's religion...well... I have studied a little about the origins of christianity side other religions. One of the problems when we talk of religions or spiritualities or faiths is that the versions they become throughout time have influences. for example. the islam of muhammed didn't have arabic as a standardized language, didn't have a literary quran.  The christianity of jesus, didn't have a bible, didn't use latin as a liturgical language. A modern example is the nation of islam today , it isn't what malcolm built. So, is christianity a white man's religion? If by white you mean white european, then no. Was jesus white? was jesus mulatto? was jesus colored? was jesus black? Does anyone know for sure? Jean Jacques dessalines, first emperor of haiti wouldn't call the people in modern day palestine in jesus's home town , negro. mulatto, ok. Is Christianity a european religion? no. It was born in africa, like islam, like judaism. The fertile crescent isn't in asia, that is africa. 
IN AMENDMENT 2
I remember telling a Black person who was very angry at the abuses the black community in the usa had to deal with that, few to no black people, including myself,  in the usa will join any call to all out violence. But I also told him, to find those who are like minded and then practice what you preach. What is the point ? 
Being in a minority means based on a category/race/rank/order/some factor or measure, you are part of a smaller group of people than another in a given space. But, sometimes, one is part of a minority in a minority. Black Christians in the usa find themselves in that place. This documentary isn't trying to help Black Christians settle into their future. It's base message is to preach to the non Black Christian how Christianity is at the root.

The Explanation

if the video above doesn't appear, use the folloiwng link https://fb.watch/gGrEOH4nmL/

The Trailer
 

The Gospel of Joseph

consider making your own gospel as a starting point, if you are interested in a new christian path

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gospel-of-joseph

KINDRED

'Kindred' Trailer: Shocking Preview For FX's Octavia Butler Adaptation On Hulu Sees Mallori Johnson Violently Traverse Time

Monique Jones

November 07, 2022

The FX/Hulu’s upcoming series based on Octavia Butler’s Kindred has dropped its first trailer, which shows fear and anguish amid mysterious time travel.

The eight-episode series stars Mallori Johnson as a woman and writer who gets forcibly ping-ponged in between the present and America’s past of slavery. All the while, she is navigating an interracial relationship, which becomes even more complicated as she reckons with the racial violence embedded in her family.

According to the official description:

Adapted from the celebrated novel Kindred, by Hugo Award-winner Octavia E. Butler, the FX series centers on “Dana James” (Mallori Johnson), a young Black woman and aspiring writer who has uprooted her life of familial obligation and relocated to Los Angeles, ready to claim a future that, for once, feels all her own. But, before she can settle into her new home, she finds herself being violently pulled back and forth in time. She emerges at a nineteenth-century plantation, a place remarkably and intimately linked with Dana and her family. An interracial romance threads through Dana’s past and present, and the clock is ticking as she struggles to confront secrets she never knew ran through her blood, in this genre-breaking exploration of the ties that bind.

The series also stars Micah Stock, Ryan Kwanten, Gayle Rankin, Austin Smith, David Alexander Kaplan, Sophina Brown and Sheria Irving.

Kindred is Johnson’s breakout debut role; as Shadow and Act reported in 2021, this marks Johnson’s first role since graduating from Julliard that year.

The series is written by Watchmen writer/producer and playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who also serves as showrunner and executive producer. Joining him as executive producers are Protozoa Pictures’ Joe Wisberg, Joel Fields, Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel. Courtney Lee-Mitchell and Jules Jackson also executive produce with Janicza Bravo, who directs the pilot.

Bravo talked about what it was like to sign on to 'Kindred' in 2021, saying in a statement that she felt represented when she read the book in college.

“I first read Kindred 20 years ago. I was in college. I hadn’t ever seen myself in a world like that. And certainly not at its center,” she said, as reported by Deadline. “What might seem like only a portrait of an invisible woman is also a potent embrace of our relationship to history and how it can bring us closer to our future. After what felt like losing over a year of the life I had come to know so well, an opportunity to direct an adaptation of this specific text was a win. On top of that getting to partner with Branden is something I’d been wanting for quite some time.”

Kindred will air exclusively on Hulu starting Dec. 13.

ARTICLE

https://shadowandact.com/kindred-trailer-shocking-preview-for-fxs-octavia-butler-adaptation-on-hulu-sees-mallori-johnson-violently-traverse-time?item=4

Trailer

Chevalier film

Above is the chevalier film trailer, based on the life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges 

The following is some of his music
source 1 
https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Saint-Georges,_Joseph_Bologne

source 2
https://www.artaria.com/collections/saint-georges-joseph-bologne-de-1745-1799

My Thoughts

... Support Black people whether they be negra/mulatto/yella/christian/Atheist or otherwise. I didn't say agree or concur to everybody else Black, but support. It helps at the least.

Photo by Cedric Letsch <  https://unsplash.com/@cedricletsch?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText >  on Unsplash

A Primer on TV & Film Adaptation for Writers (Where the Rules Change Often)
November 2, 2022 by Jeanne Veillette Bowerman 7 Comments

Today’s post is by Jeanne Veillette Bowerman < https://jeannevb.com/ >  (@jeannevb < https://twitter.com/jeannevb >) of Pipeline Artists < https://pipelineartists.com/ > . 

Hollywood is an odd place and ever-changing. If your literary agent or publisher wants to pitch your book to producers, managers or networks, they need to know the rules—or at least, the rules of the day.

But don’t get too stuck on them, because … you guessed it … they’ll change. Often.

Back in the day, an agent or publisher could pitch your book over the phone or mail a copy off for consideration. Now, the execs prefer a little more detail and insight before considering your story for an adaptation.

The million-dollar question: What does Hollywood want in a story?

Truth is, sometimes they don’t even know until they hear it. It’s a gut check of something that’s not only marketable, but also gives them tingles when they read the logline.

The elements of a great pitch package
Unless your rep has a personal relationship with a Hollywood executive, they’ll need a formal pitch package, which includes a logline, short synopsis, treatment, and possibly a pitch deck.

By no means is this list a rigid formula. As noted above, the rules change constantly, and each executive and company have different preferences. I know many who decide just on the logline alone.

Unlike the literary world, submission requirements are not always listed on the company’s site. One size definitely does not fit all, but if you have the following materials, your team will be ready for any question thrown at them.

Logline
This is the most important part of your pitch and the hardest to write. A compelling logline alone will make or break your chances. Oftentimes, an exec will read the two-to-three sentence logline and decide from there, regardless of the pitch package you’ve spent countless hours creating. I know. A lot of work for potentially no gain, so spend the time to create a standout logline.

Synopsis
A synopsis tests the concept’s strength, so don’t just use the blurb on the back of the book. Boil it down for them, without getting into the weeds. Keep it high level, showing complex characters, lots of potential for conflict, and a strong ending.

Treatments
These used to be more commonplace for both selling a feature screenplay or a book for adaptation. A treatment is just a lengthy synopsis of the book, usually 5 to 25 pages long, depending on the complexities of the story and the type of adaptation you’re pitching (feature film, TV series, limited series). Basically, it’s a well-written outline of the book. Even though they are not always needed, it’s helpful to have one in your back pocket.

The Book
The goal is always to get them to read the book, but don’t expect a high-level exec to read it. They won’t. They’ll pass it onto an assistant or someone in their coverage department to read and give them the bottom-line notes—pass or recommend.

Pitch Deck
Rather than craft a video to pitch an adaptation, it’s common to use a pitch deck (slideshow). Canva is a fantastic resource, full of free images and tools. The purpose of the pitch deck is simply to make it easier for the execs to get a feel for the tone of the book. These execs are visual people and pictures grab them. A slide deck can do the job of a video pitch for a lot less money, time, and aggravation.

Do you need the screenplay written in advance?
Yes and no.

Unless the author understands screenwriting, they shouldn’t write the script, especially when pitching a TV series. A pilot script (the screenplay for the very first episode) requires deep understanding of screenwriting, as you’re building the entire world, introducing characters, plus telling a compelling story in just 60 pages. That requires great understanding of the craft.

But … yes, you can write the script, even if it’s not great.

I know that seems counterintuitive, but developing a story costs a lot of money. If the execs have even a bad script for a great book, pre-approved by the author, the cost savings are astronomical. They already know what the author is willing to cut without a battle. Then, they simply hire a professional screenwriter to finish the job. In the ideal world, it’s not about control. It’s about a great story being told in a different medium that the author loves, too. If the author hates the adaptation, they’re less likely to promote it to their fan base—a fan base Hollywood is counting on to purchase movie tickets.

So, if you have a solid screenplay, it can greatly improve your odds of selling the rights. Plus, you then get at least a “Written by” credit, which means more money. That’s one of the reasons my company helps the novelist craft a solid script for submission to executives. (See the Book Pipeline Adaptation Contest.) Writers learning how to crossover into other mediums—whether it’s poetry, short stories, novels or scripts—only makes them more valuable as an artist. It never hurts to have as many tools in your toolbox as possible.

If your book isn’t a best seller or overflowing with glowing reviews, don’t panic. Of course it’s definitely worth mentioning if you have a robust amount of positive reviews. Strong book sales would definitely help, too. But if the producer doesn’t like the concept, they won’t care how many reviews or sales it has.

Parting advice
Like many industries, Hollywood is built on connections. You often hear, “It’s who you know.” While every author needs assistance connecting with a decision maker, be wary of any small press claiming they can help pitch the books they publish via a “sister” arm of their business. This possibly comes with a fee. Some of these operations require lots of book reviews, an angle to get the authors to encourage friends to buy and review the book that they themselves published and profit from. So take a deep research dive into anything that feels off to you. Trust your gut. There are a lot of scams out there.

Selling a story to Hollywood is much harder than getting a book published. After all, it costs millions of dollars to produce a TV show or feature film. But it only takes one “yes.” Do your research, surround yourself with a great team, find people who understand the industry and craft who have a track record and solid reputation, and you’ll dramatically increase your odds of success.

MY COMMENT

great post, question Ms/Mrs Bowerman, is Nollywood/the Various Woods in India/The European cinemas's have the same rules. Something tells me they don't, but do you know?
if any who read this is interested, I have a screenplay free to read online, please tell me what you think at my blog below
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-nyotenda

ARTICLE

https://www.janefriedman.com/a-primer-on-tv-film-adaptation-for-writers-where-the-rules-change-often/

Former Racial Justice Task Force chair explains ballot questions
By Deanna Garcia New York City
PUBLISHED 8:40 PM ET Oct. 27, 2022
With voters hitting the polls this weekend for early voting, New Yorkers will also have the chance to weigh in on four ballot proposals.

Three of the proposals are for city voters only. They explore how to create a statement of values for the government to form a racial equity office and define how the cost of living is calculated in the city.

The Racial Justice Task Force, formed under former Mayor Bill de Blasio in the wake of the 2020 protests after George Floyd’s murder, recommended these citywide questions.

Jennifer Jones Austin, former chair of the city’s Racial Justice Commission, joined Bobby Cuza on “Inside City Hall” Thursday to explain these proposals.

“We can’t policy our way out of racism, we can’t program our way out of racism,” she said. “But what we can do is look at the structures that have birthed it and perpetuate it and when we look at the laws, the New York City, the charter, is our Constitution.”
Article
https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/inside-city-hall/2022/10/28/former-racial-justice-task-force-chair-explains-ballot-questions
MY THOUGHTS

Trying to get equality financially between parties who started unevenly is the question. i ask, have any two peoples in one country repaired one being the oppressed with the other the oppressor to become equal kin? does anyone know?

Democrats block Latina Republican from joining Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Opinion by Brad Polumbo - Oct 27

Rep. Mayra Flores, a Texas Republican, made history after taking office as the first female member of Congress who was born in Mexico. You’d think that partisanship aside, the Latina Republican would be considered a win for diversity in Congress.

You’d be wrong. The Democrat-controlled Congressional Hispanic Caucus is reportedly blocking Flores after she requested to join it.

“Flores requested to join CHC in early October and was rejected shortly thereafter,” Townhall’s Julio Rosas reports. “Flores is not only first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress, but she also represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border that is overwhelmingly Latino. CHC used to have [Republican] members but they went on to create the Congressional Hispanic Conference as their own version of the CHC in the 2000s.”

At first glance, this doesn’t make much sense. Flores is indeed Hispanic, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is not supposed to be a partisan entity.

Per its website, the group exists to address “national and international issues” and “craft policies that impact the Hispanic community,” and “serve as a forum for the Hispanic Members of Congress to coalesce around a collective legislative agenda.” There’s nothing on its about page about only being open to progressives or members of a certain political party. Yet the group denied Flores membership in what’s clearly a partisan snub.

Flores isn’t having it.

“As the first Mexican-born American Congresswoman, I thought the Hispanic Caucus would be open in working together,” Flores remarked of the snub. “This denial once again proves a bias towards conservative Latinas that don’t fit their narrative or ideology.”

It’s hard to see any other explanation.

The situation is eerily reminiscent of similar snubs from ostensibly neutral (but Democrat-controlled) diversity caucuses. As Rosas notes, Rep. Byron Donalds, a black Florida Republican, was similarly denied admission to the Congressional Black Caucus.

“The Congressional Black Caucus has a stated commitment to ensuring Black Americans have the opportunity to achieve the American dream,” Donalds said after his snub. “As a newly elected Black Member of Congress, my political party should not exempt me from a seat at the table dedicated to achieving this goal.”

Whether you politically agree with Flores and Donalds, this is deeply wrong. These partisan acts of discrimination reveal the contempt many Democratic elites actually have for diversity. One is not any more or less black or Hispanic because of how one thinks or how one votes — and these decisions implicitly suggest otherwise.

That’s bigoted. There’s simply no other word for it.

If they have any integrity at all, these groups should open up their ranks and actually represent their respective minority communities, which are not partisan or ideological monoliths. If they’re not willing to do that, they should at least rename themselves and reorient their groups’ values to reflect their partisan nature. Anything less is an insult to the diverse Americans they claim to represent and, frankly, pretty racist.

Brad Polumbo (@Brad_Polumbo) is a co-founder of Based-Politics.com, a co-host of the Based Politics podcast, and a Washington Examiner contributor.

MY THOUGHTS

Polumbo's argument has a great flaw. The flaw is in all the parties of governance that exist in the USA, especially the largest two. I call the largest two parties of governance in the United States of America, the POAL <party of abraham lincoln, commonly called the republicans> side POAJ <party of andrew jackson , commonly called the democrats>
Both of those parties, like all the littler ones,  are on racial lines. The problem here is race isn't restricted to phenotype or gender or religion or age. Race/classification/order/ranking are based on any factor. Philosophical races are ... races.
Functionally while Unfortunately, the populace in the USA likes to not consider philosophical races... races? Why? the populace in the usa doesn't have a physical/financial/geographic/religious binder. The only binder the USA populace can have is philosophical.
The populace in the USA has majorities in various racial categories, mostly white, mostly christian, mostly hetero, mostly fiscally poor, but none of the majorities are large enough in modernity to say the USA is explicitly any specific category. It is mostly white but not all white. It is mostly of immigrants but humanity outside the usa is even more multiracial so immigration doesn't yield to cohesion in thinking. 
So all the USA populace has in modernity to bind itself is like mindedness in philosophy as the one racial element that can survive the ever growing multiracial composition.
But, philosophy can be more fracturing than any other racial category, as the war between the states proved in USA history. 
And, this is the problem  with the caucasus. The parties of governance each governing official is a part of is racists, based on philosophy on how to govern, sequentially, how can the caucasus be absent a similar racial reality.
The question going forward is, why not have a latino party of governance, why not have a negro party of governance?
A caucus is designed to represent a union across parties but what about making parties for those agendas? 

ARTICLE
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/democrats-block-latina-republican-from-joining-congressional-hispanic-caucus/ar-AA13r419?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=25415f3082f940ba832dcd62cbd3c117

“AND THERE WAS LIGHT: ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND THE AMERICAN STRUGGLE”
NOVEMBER 02, 2022 AT 6:30 PM

Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer and historian Jon Meacham takes fresh look at Abraham Lincoln in a new book “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle.” Meacham describes how a president who governed a divided country has much to teach us in a twenty-first-century moment of polarization and political crisis. Tonight, Meacham opens up on the former president’s leadership and explains why he chose to dissect his legacy now.

TRanscript or Video 
https://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/2022/11/abraham-lincoln-and-american-struggle-whqkwd/

MY THOUGHTS

Lincoln was challenged harder than any other president in terms of domestic issues. I argue, that his murder conveniently didn't allow him to shape his success. People forget Lincoln never got to be president in internal peace. and that is important cause the peace after the war between the states needed great management and didn't get it. 

Chaka Khan Reveals Why She Turned Down Steven Spielberg For 'The Color Purple'
The iconic singer shared who she could have played in the award-winning film.
Jazmin Tolliver
By 
Jazmin Tolliver
Nov 4, 2022, 09:10 PM EDT

Chaka Khan wasn’t too keen on the opportunity to star in “The Color Purple.”

The iconic singer, who appeared on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” Friday, said she turned down Steven Spielberg’s offer for a lead role in the beloved 1985 film.

“Funny you should ask that,” Khan said after Hudson asked her about projects she had declined during her long career. “Well, you know I turned down ‘The Color Purple,’ the movie.”

Hudson, who appeared shocked, replied, “What?”

Khan said Spielberg approached her about being in the movie when she was “20, 22 tops,” but nervousness and an aversion to studying kept her from jumping on the opportunity.

“I was like, trying to run [from] that because I was afraid,” the Grammy-winning singer said. ”I was like, ‘Oh God, a movie, oh my God.’”

“I like detested school and tests and studying, you know, I said, ‘Oh, that means I’d have to learn the script,’” Khan added.

The “Through the Fire” singer said that the Oscar-winning director asked her to play Celie, the role that Whoopi Goldberg ultimately portrayed in the critically acclaimed film.

After Khan revealed who Spielberg asked her to play, Hudson told her audience: “Imagine Chaka Khan as Celie, y’all?”

“Woulda been hot,” Khan replied.

“That would have been a whole other Color Purple,” Hudson quipped.

“The Color Purple”, which starred Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover and Goldberg, was produced by Spielberg and Quincy Jones.

Based on Alice Walker’s classic 1982 novel, the film centers on Black women from the rural South during the early part of the last century, trying to survive and thrive under cruel conditions.

The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Goldberg and Best Supporting Actress for both Winfrey and Margaret Avery.

A new movie musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” produced by Spielberg and directed by Blitz Bazawule, is currently in the works.

The upcoming musical is set to star Taraji P. Henson as Shug Avery, Fantasia Taylor as Celie, Colman Domingo as Mister, Danielle Brooks as Sofia, Halle Bailey as Nettie, Corey Hawkins as Harpo and singer H.E.R. as Speak.

MY THOUGHTS

well, I think she lied on herself. she said "“I was like, trying to run [from] that because I was afraid ....I like detested school and tests and studying, you know, I said, ‘Oh, that means I’d have to learn the script,’ ""  But Chaka your uncle is quincy jones and you have learned tons of songs, and how to sing them. no,she mischaracterized herself. She likes studying and tests in terms of music, not literature. Chaka khan knows how many songs now? learning the script is hard:) The truth is revealed in the blues brothers. Chaka khan played the head of james browns chorus. She played herself. James brown played the head of the church, himself. the only musicians in blues brothers that some can argue had to act was aretha franklin, but aretha franklin does like to cook and has a strong temperament. Chaka khan is comfortable playing herself. In modernity so many artists push being the multimedia agent and many fail at it. But in the role spielberg wanted for her in the color purple, chaka khan who is very independent minded or strongwilled, former black panther of self defense member, would have to play, small/weak/little/abused Celie who does turn around but I don't think chaka khan felt comfortable with celie. and in defense a better thespian in whoopie goldberg got it. As a comedian who did one person shows, whoopie goldberg had experience shifting in character on stage.  I want to end with , Speilberg wasn't wrong. The man danny glover played would choose a woman that look like chaka khan over whoopie goldberg. He is a wife beater, a black land owner in the usa when it wasn't... common:) <meaning whitey kill black landowners> so.. he want a trophy woman, and i apologize to any woman who may read this and feel insulted, but a trophy woman has physical requirements. Chaka khan in her 20s large or firm breast/buttocks/hourglass shape, natural hair, is what you want over whoopie goldberg if you are looking for a trophy wife. 

IN AMENDMENT

..Someone pointed out Chaka khan couldn't had been asked about the color purple in 1975 when she was 20 or 22 so... . I don't know anything about chaka khan's age. The color purple was published in 1982, so spielberg couldn't had asked anyone to be in the movie in 1981 or earlier. And I checked , the blues brothers was made in 1980. I wonder her experience on set

ARTICLE
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chaka-khan-the-color-purple_n_63659fdae4b08f849aab6d9b

Former presidents of Gabon and France, Omar Bongo (L) and Jacques Chirac (R)

Why ex-French colonies are joining the Commonwealth
Published
29 June

Gabon and Togo have moved to strengthen their diplomatic armoury in a bid to ease their reliance on France.

They have been admitted to what was originally founded as a club of former British colonies but has been steadily diversifying its composition. These two small francophone African nations are now the Commonwealth's 55th and 56th members.

Rwanda joined in 2009 and Mozambique came into the group in 1995. None of these states had particular past historical ties to the UK.

The fact that they have opted to join the Commonwealth suggests that they see the organisation as a useful network of diplomatic and cultural influence, and for exercising "soft power" on the world stage.

It also testifies to the importance of English as a language of business, science and international politics and the necessity of building a range of connections to support economic development and get diplomatic messages heard.

For Gabon and Togo, Rwanda offers an encouraging precedent: just 13 years after joining, it has now hosted the organisation's summit meeting, attended by heads of state and government from all over the world, though there were some notable absentees, including South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Youth appeal
Gabon and Togo's entry to the Commonwealth also comes at a time when the relationship between Africa and France has become so contentious.

A growing number of younger urban citizens demand an end to the CFA franc currency which is pegged to the euro under an arrangement guaranteed by the government in Paris. The French military presence in the Sahel is also controversial.

So joining the world's largest anglophone bloc is likely be popular among many young Togolese and Gabonese.

That helps to modernise the image of two regimes that were for many years perceived as particularly emblematic of the traditionally close relationships between leaders in Africa and in France - "la françafrique".

There was a time when such a development would have provoked angst among Paris policymakers fearing an erosion of influence south of the Sahara. But today's French governments take a much more relaxed view of such trends.

For the same arguments about diversifying contacts and building up new vehicles of international connection have also fuelled the steady expansion of the Commonwealth's francophone sister, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

It actually claims 88 member states and governments - including Rwanda, whose former Foreign Minister Louis Mushikiwabo is its secretary general. Its regional offices for West and central Africa are in fact hosted by Togo and Gabon, and it too is growing.

In March Ghana's Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey announced that her country, a former British colony which has been an associate member of the OIF since 2006, would complete the transition to full membership of the organisation.

Ghana, with strong democratic institutions and a dynamic economy, will be one of a growing number of countries that are full and active members of both the Commonwealth and the Francophonie - for solid diplomatic and practical reasons.

Most of its neighbours in West Africa are French-speaking and the government has been taking steps to equip its young people to make the most of this economic, cultural and political reality - for example, there are now 50 bilingual schools.

Nor should one forget the significant development of the small but still influential Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) - most of whose members are African.

Democracy tests
But all three groupings - the CPLP, the Francophonie and the Commonwealth - face the delicate challenge of how to promote good governance, democracy and human rights - an issue with which the African Union and some of the continent's regional blocs, notably the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), are also wrestling.

Both the Commonwealth and the OIF send experts to help member states improve their electoral systems, but when it comes to membership conditions they tend to opt for inclusion and gentle encouragement rather than the assertion of a strict line.

Togo was ruled by the notoriously brutal dictator President Gnassingbé Eyadéma from 1967 to 2005, and has since then been led by his son, Faure Gnassingbé.

Gabon's President, Ali Ben Bongo Ondimba, is the son of Omar Bongo, head of state from 1967 to 2009, who swam with the trend towards multi-party politics in the 1990s but took care to maintain the predominance of his ruling party and the role of his family in government. Before succeeding to the presidency, Ali Bongo was defence minister.

The Commonwealth's official press release announcing the admission of Togo and Gabon stated: "The eligibility criteria for Commonwealth membership, amongst other things, state that an applicant country should demonstrate commitment to democracy and democratic processes, including free and fair elections and representative legislatures."

Yet Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, although lauded for overseeing undoubted social and economic development progress, is accused by rights groups of being uncompromisingly authoritarian in the exercise of power. Critics say the opposition is cowed and marginalised.

Mr Kagame claims his government upholds human rights, and there is "nobody in Rwanda who is in prison that should not be there".

Gabon will face a key barometer of governance with next year's presidential elections. But for Togo, there is a fairly immediate test.

The very day of the Commonwealth announcement, the authorities banned a planned demonstration by the opposition Dynamique Monseigneur Kpodzro (DMK) movement to protest against the rising cost of living, and what it called bad governance and injustice.

The DMK has rescheduled the protest for 16 July. It will be interesting to see whether Togo's new status as a Commonwealth member prods the government into taking a more lenient line.

Paul Melly is a consulting fellow with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London.

ARTICLE
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-61967842

Title: Magical Girl Cover 1 revamp
Artist: GDbee < https://gdbee.store/ > 
Prior post
https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2144&type=status
GDBee Post
https://aalbc.com/tc/search/?&q=gdbee&type=core_statuses_status&quick=1&author=richardmurray&search_and_or=or&sortby=newest

Title: Carnivorous plant or vampire appreciation
Artist: GDbee < https://gdbee.store/ > 
Prior post
https://aalbc.com/tc/profile/6477-richardmurray/?status=2112&type=status
GDBee Post
https://aalbc.com/tc/search/?&q=gdbee&type=core_statuses_status&quick=1&author=richardmurray&search_and_or=or&sortby=newest