Troy

@elonawashington Share the ISBN when you get can chance. I'll add the book to your new area here on AALBC: https://aalbc.com/authors/author.php?author_name=Elona+Washington

Now don't be sexist. I'm serious about the social media comment. Why elevate social media when the harm it has caused is well known and documented?

Del you left off most of the footnote: But I would say most of us have a “reasonably accurate” model of the actual physical reality of the universe. For example, when you drive down the road, you do not have full access to every aspect of reality, but your perception is accurate enough that you can avoid other cars and conduct the trip safely. That is a significant "but," which you deliberately left off. Still it has little signifance to the thesis of the article, which is why it was relegated to the footnotes. It is interesting to see how you positioned the article. @Pioneer1's argument, as a result, is founded upon a baseless connection.

Sounds just like social media.

Generally a publicist obtains media coverage on existing platforms for their clients, as opposed to creating the media, so I was a little confused at first. There are a number of businesses who provide this type of service. I don't really know enough about any of them to make a referral. Sorry, I could not be of more help. Hopefully one such business, or someone who can vouch for one, will see this message and reach out. Do you have a new book coming out? If so, share info about it here too.

Hi Louise please consider sharing more info about this book. The Google site did not reveal much. The topic sounds interesting.

I know some publicists. But, @elonawashington What do you mean by "...publicist who specializes in media?"

@Pioneer1 life is complicated man. Often it is difficult to make sense of it. For example, I would love for the larger Black community to embrace what I do here simply because I'm a Black man against struggling against massive corporations, who intend to exploit us, to support Black culture and people here on the web. I just does not work that way. I see people on Twitter, for example retweeting and commenting on 45's nonsense. Sure they mean well but they are only helping Twitter and counterintuitively 45. I wish these very same people would retweet my posts that are actually promotes their work, or writers that they want supported. Some even advertise on the site. So it is not that they don't support, but too much of what we do with our energy and time can undermine what we do with our money. @Cynique's contributions here were prodigious. I named the forum for her (though I honestly I was a bit sadden by her using a typo on this honor as a passing swipe rather than her just letting me know). However she spends time on Facebook not once sharing any of her brilliant posts here on the platform. Why? Maybe she wanted to keep her online lives separate. It really does not matter. The bottom line is that most people do this. They easily share trivial utterances made on social media but rarely share major coverage here. They'll gladly do it when asked, but it is not automatic. Right niw I'm too busy maintaining the site to worry about a succession plan. If the last 20 years are an indicator, the next 20 will be rough. I do recognize people do not live forever. The reality is most businesses fail and the vast majoirity don't outlive their founders. Mult-gereational survival is not in AALBC's favor, but you've all given me something to think about 🙂 Thanks

This is unfortunate for the article is interesting, supports the subject of the post quite well, but has nothing to do with Del's statement about perception being a hallucination. @Delano when you posted the link to the article it gives the impression that it supports your view of perception. @Pioneer1 if actually read the article much of your argument will be addressed. Of course previous experience tells me your views will not be altered in the slightest. The following quote, taken from the article, explains why; “Faced with a choice between changing one’s mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy with the proof.”

You are misinterpreting what you are reading. These sources are sayin that "new" information is forcing them to change "long held" beliefs. In other words, they are continuing to learn more as they learn more Man you still have not shown anyone saying an MRI or CT scan is a way to test for austism. A CT scan is an Xray do you believe you can test for a mental illness with an xray? Why would you think it is possible to do it with a CT scan? As far as MRI they are attempting to draw a connection between brain development (like brain volume), and trying to connect thus with Autism. They don't know enough about Autism or the brain to make the definitive statements you are claiming. In all tbe artilcles you posted (did you read the entire articles?), none of them say measles vaccines causes Autism or that an MRI can be used to diagnose autism. As recently as 2013, in the DSM 5, the description of what constitutes autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder) has changed. According to the article you shared. You believe the measles vaccine causes Autism. This belief is not supported by the science or any of the articles you've shared. Nothing will change your mind. Amazingly, you are even able to contort articles and read things into them to support your consipracy theory.

Something tells me neither man would be embarrassed.

This statement illustrates my point. The science says there is no simple test for autism and you dismiss the statement rejecting its validity. I think i understand why; I notice you, like many people, don't really deal with ambiguity. Things must be black or white for them to make sense to you. If it is not you make it that way to help you understand it. The symptoms of Austism varys along a spectrum and there are a variety of mental conditions that present in a similiar way. It simply is not a easy thing to diagnose especially when the symptoms are subtle. You can't use at CT Scan or an MRI to diagnose Autism (where do you get these ideas man?). These machines were not designed to, and are incapble of, diagnosing specific mental illness. This is not Star Trek. You just have to accept the fact that diagnosing autism is far from an exact science and there is no connection between it and a measles vaccination.

Links are allowed and encouraged. I only remkve links to malicious web sites or those posted by spammers.

Yes @Pioneer1 I'd consider you one of those smart people. You've consumed a considerable amount of infirmation to lead you to be skeptical. Others who believe this conspiracy theory actually have an autistic child so they are even more throughly convinced. Sadly formerly eradicated diseases are making a come back and people are dying because of the spread of, and belief in, misinformation. The internet in general," and social media in particular, is a big reason for this. Religion is another. Read this article to understand why it appears the incidence of Autism appears to have increased. After you've read it. Let me know if your opinion on the subject has changed, and why.

If would be interesting to hear what Steve and Jim have to say for themselves today.

@Pioneer1 you've demonstrated your support for the site, in ways others can never know, beyond just engaging here. I would not be surpirised if @Cynique posted here again nor would I think less of her for doing so. My kids, like most people their generation, express liite interest in what I do here. That does not mean that they don't love me. It just means that they will not be taking over the site. If I were to keel over today, unfortunately, the site would die with me. Unfortunately, as Pioneer wrote, this is how we do.

@Pioneer1 You may be right. Black discussion forums are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. I revisited a post, not even two years old, where someone who ran a discussion forum ranked a few others. Half the forums have shut down -- including the one run by the person who made the post. Connie summed it up best she has more fun on Facebook. The part about typos on posts here, while true, is also true on facebook. That really is the bottom line. For the vast majority of social media users I observe in real life - who pass me their phone to share something funny they saw on some social site. Of course these sites are designed to highly engage folks and they work very well. Fast growing platforms like TikTok are completely driven by entertaining videos. Facebook's mobile feed attempts to mimic this but they can't... ultimately people will leave Facebook too. During the peak of this forum, I would regularly laugh out loud by something I read here, but I could also learn something. There was humourous posts, serious ones, and everything in between. Most importantly, at least to me, is that this platform is Black-owned and independent. I'm a child of the 60s, who grew up in the segregated northern ghetto of Harlem. So Black independence is a thing I find to be important. This is a sentiment that is dying along with indie Black focused and owned websites. One reason independence is important is that businesses like AALBC provides opportunities for people. The writers, editors, and others I pay are not being paid by the likes of a Mark Zuckerberg. Of course AALBC's ability to do this is adversely impacted the dominace of Google, Amazon, and social. Fortunately, individuals whether they are sponsors, site vistors, or contributors to this forum are the people who keep this site alive. If you are reading this thank YOU for helping to keep this site alive! Also, thank you on behalf of the writers whose work you support, but who will probably never fully appreciate your impact.

@Chevdove so there was outrage before Colin spoke up? So folks Black folks are offended by this sneaker... do i have the right shoe? I don't get it?

This post reminded me of a "manweave" video someone shiwed me once me.

I just revisited the sites ranked by @theblackboard to start this conversation and found that 1/2 of the discussion forums mention are dead: The Black Board Community Forum (www.theblack-board.com) The domain name redirects to another website. A search on the community name yields no results. So I assume this discussion forum is no longer active. Black Visions (www.blackvisions.org/) The link from the homepage to the community is broken. After finding an alternative path to the discussion forum, I see that the most recent post is from August of 2018. Cocoa Lounge (www.cocoalounge.org/) The URL to this website is no longer active and is currently redirected to an unrelated website. . SomaliSpot.com (www.somalispot.com) This forum is still active and quite good. I just updated my profile and replied to a post. It looks quite good it is obviously Somali-centric, but like AALBC.com is does not matter where you are from. Just don't try any silly Somali pirate jokes. Destee (www.destee.com) Destee is still active and judging the site quickly. It's designation as the #1 discussion forum is deserved. I updated my account on this website and introduced myself. The Blackboard's list did not include Lipstick Alley (which I keep hearing is not Black owned) or Nubian Planet who no longer appears to operate a discussion forum. Well the status of Black owned discussion forums, despite a couple of bright spots continues to get worse and is looking rather grim. The corporate run alternatives, as I always say, will never ever serve us. I'll keep AALBC.com's discussion forum going as long as there are people who read it and folks who contribute to it.

Facebook, YouTube Overrun With Bogus Cancer-Treatment Claims Facebook and YouTube are being flooded with scientifically dubious and potentially harmful information about alternative cancer treatments, which sometimes gets viewed millions of times, a Wall Street Journal examination found. See More Coverage › Man, the Wall Street Journal really has my number. Above is the email I got today. Again another article I had to read. Unlike the Colin K sneaker story I shared yesterday, this is indeed newsworthy. But since it is in the Wall Street Journal the people who need this information the most will almost certainly not see or read it. The sad truth is most people consume "news" via social media. Social media is not in the business of disseminating news; they are in the business of making as much money as possible. As a result, social is much more likely to share the bogus, attention grabbing, claims of snake oil sales people over the the truth. Sensational claims go viral, the truth languishes in obscurity, and people die, unnecessarily, as a result. Many people claim they are smart enough to tell the difference between the truth and lies on social media. I'm not so confident of this anymore. Most people simply do not research claims. At best they simply read more of the same social media served lies to support what they already want to believe. There are too many smart people that I personally know who believe the measles vaccine causes autism and won't get their kids vaccinated or who reject the science behind climate change. Twitter's primary function is to serve as the engine behind 45's propaganda machine and people lap it up! Almost 10% of my Twitter followers (all Black people) also follow 45. From what I can tell they also engage with 45 more too -- as if 45 listens to, or gives and ef what they have to say.

@Delano you know we don't have structured debates here, and that is not what we were talking about. You are not just avoiding "debate," you've preempted that possibility by not expressing an opinion in the discussions you've started lately, which was @Pioneer1's point. I don't know what, means.

In a “breaking News” email from the Wall Street Journal... Nike Pulls ‘Betsy Ross Flag’ Sneaker After Colin Kaepernick Intervenes Nike is yanking a U.S.A.-themed sneaker featuring an early American flag after former NFL star-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick told the company it shouldn’t sell a shoe with a symbol that he and others consider offensive, according to people familiar with the matter. See More Coverage › What?! This whole scenario is crazy on so many levels... Does Nike think they are "woke" as a result? Is Colin really that soft that he finds a stupid sneaker offensive. That sport he got booted from is way more offensive in the way they treat their athletes most of whom are Black. If a flag offends him he could not walk down the street of many neighborhoods without having his fragile sensibilities offended. Of all the news that the Wall Street Journal could have shared with me today -- this is what they decided to share. Obviously their algorithms are working cause they knew what would peak my interest (I'm sharing the article here). But I'm not sharing any more of their nonsense "news." It just drives them to cover silly interactions between a greedy corporation and the childish Black athletes they are exploiting. @CDBurns I hope you scored a few pair before they were pulled. Colin has driven the price of these sneakers through the roof on the secondary markets. I saw one site selling the shoes for $2,500. Colin next time you find a shoe offense let me know before you tell Nike so I can buy a few pair. You simply can't make this shit up.

Perhaps @harry brown but the case I read about here (gulf coast) affected a white girl. If they wanted to target Bkack women the beach is not be the best place. Maybe the hair salon or the church. 😉

I was just a "for instance," an example you could relate to, to make a point. Sometimes debates are a subset, often a very interesting subset, of discussions. So @Delano you don't understand the distinction I made between you not expressing an opinion versus "debating" one.